Latest news with #Ara
WIRED
15-05-2025
- WIRED
Tweak This Fan's Airflow Any Which Way by Twisting Its Arms
Even though I've been testing fans at WIRED for a year, it's not often a fan stops me in my tracks. Shark's new TurboBlade fan—released in March 2025—surprised me the minute I saw it fully assembled. Are we sure this is a fan? Is it not a windmill? A speaker? Some kind of high-tech ionizer device? Not since the Dyson series of fans has a manufacturer gone this bold with its design. And in spite of its name, the TurboBlade is actually bladeless. In other words, air gets sucked in through a cleanable screen dust trap on the fan's base and is pushed out through the top, without visible spinning parts or motors. It makes for a clean, seamless aesthetic (in black or white, both with gold-toned accents), minus the worry about dust, grime, or little wayward hands or pet tails. Get in Formation The TurboBlade's setup is quick—the handful of disassembled parts are all labeled, and it didn't take me more than about five minutes to fit them together. The fan's main form looks like a T . There's a base that looks like a small overturned bucket, out of which sprouts a telescoping plastic pole that can turn 360 degrees, topped with a 31.5-inch bar with a tapered front. A 13-inch segment on each side is where the vents are; each segment is articulated so it can be rotated straight up, straight down, or anywhere in between. This design means the airflow is technically more concentrated, but with the TurboBlade it's not as noticeable as it is with fans of a similar narrow-gauge outflow design, like Vornado's Strata. Photograph: Kat Merck The TurboBlade's top bar can also be turned to make the fan into an I shape, allowing for the airflow to go higher and/or lower. As a T the TurboBlade's height ranges from 30 to 38 inches, and as an I it's about 45 to 53 inches. The whole thing can also oscillate up to 180 degrees (with settings at 45, 90, and 180). Between the varying heights, 10 speeds, oscillation degrees, angles, and rotations, this is about the most customization for airflow you can get. There's no app associated with the fan, and it's not smart, but there is a remote (spares are $15) that can stick magnetically to the top of the fan. The remote is surprisingly useful—unlike other fans that just have on/off and speed increase/decrease, this one also allows for changing the mode (Sleep, BreezeBoost, and Natural Breeze; see below), oscillating, and adjusting the angle. Photograph: Kat Merck A Different Plane So the TurboBlade is unique, certainly, but it is billed as a tower fan. This is a tough row to hoe in the current tower fan space with models like Dreo's MC710S, which is also tall and doubles as an air purifier, or Vornado's new Ara, which is both more powerful and looks like it belongs in a high-end apartment. The TurboBlade's vibe, on the other hand, is more freak than chic. On max speed the TurboBlade registered a respectable 1,043 feet per minute on my anemometer, on par with most classically shaped tower fans. However, I felt like the farther away I was from the fan, the more precisely I had to angle the vents in order to feel the breeze, especially when the fan was on low speed. A whole-room air circulator it is not. The other problem is the noise. This is not to say the TurboBlade is loud; my decibel meter registered 53 dB on even the highest speed setting, which is even on the quiet end for a fan of this size and strength. But even on the lowest speed, the TurboBlade's volume was not much less—around 40 dB—likely due to the motor's pronounced, jet-engine-like whine. This is especially evident while using the Natural Breeze specialty setting, which is meant to emulate being outdoors with an occasional rising and falling 'wind.' I attempted to test this one afternoon while reading on my couch, but the repeated starting up and stopping of the jet engine sound was so distracting I had to turn it off almost immediately. I fly at least four times a year, and closing my eyes, I would fully believe I'm taxiing on a Boeing 747. Sleep Tight In addition to Natural, other TurboBlade specialty modes include BreezeBoost, which temporarily turns the fan up to max speed for a bit before bringing it back down (for an immediate cooling sensation—it's important to remember a fan can't actually lower the temperature of a room), and Sleep, which silences beeps, dims lights, and switches to a speed 'optimized for sleep.' In testing this mode, I especially appreciated the TurboBlade's height and horizontal outflow, which seemed tailor-made for a bed. I also liked that, at 15 pounds, it's easy to move around. The automatic Sleep Mode wind speed is about 433 feet per minute—just soft enough to be felt (provided the angle is right) but not so high that you feel like you're in a wind tunnel. At about 40 dB the noise was evident and louder than other fans' lowest speeds but not so loud that I found it distracting, although many online commenters did. In any case, though this may not be the best general-use tower fan, it likely has some very specific use cases (needing to direct airflow both up and down, or high and low) for which some people will find it invaluable. If you're not sure if this is you, there's a two-year warranty and a 60-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it for yourself.
New Indian Express
15-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
PM Modi to visit Bihar on May 30, inaugurate mega infra projects
Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said that the PM will lay the foundation stone for Patna-Sasaram four-lane road to provide better connectivity to the people of Shahabad region. He will also inaugurate the new terminal of Patna airport, which is complete. The PM is also expected to announce some mega development projects for the state. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the NDA could not fare well and lost important seats like Ara, Buxar and Karakat. The Opposition INDIA bloc wrested all the three seats from the ruling NDA in the previous Lok Sabha election. Last month, PM Modi visited Madhubani district from where he issued a stern warning to cross-border terror in the wake of the Pahalgam attack. Rahul Gandhi to launch 'Nyay Samvad' on May 15 Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is expected to visit Darbhanga on May 15 to launch 'Siksha Nyay Yatra' or 'Nyay Samvad'. This will be his fourth visit to the state in the past five months.
Mint
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Mint
From bruises to glory: Khelo India Youth Games 2025 adds another chapter to Barauni's footballing fairytale
Football ke rang, Begusarai ke sangh. It's more than just a tagline pasted on the pillars of an under-construction flyover leading into this town. It's a quiet revolution that began with broken legs and bruised pride in a forgotten corner of Bihar. Tucked away from the din of Patna's bustle, in a humble locality of Barauni in Begusarai district, football did not just arrive, it fought its way in. This ground, a patch of land that carries the legacy of a freedom fighter Yamuna Bhagat, became football's unlikely home nearly 80 years ago. But the spark that truly lit its modern-day fire came in 1990, when a hastily assembled team of local girls, untrained and unsure, were battered by a seasoned Muzaffarpur team in an exhibition match, meant to mark the ground's 50th anniversary. Some hobbled away, some were stretchered and all had wounds that cut deeper than skin. But instead of shame, it birthed a movement. 'We were humiliated. But we turned that pain into purpose,' recalls Chandra Shekhar, a retired schoolteacher and former footballer, whose words carry the weight of generations. 'The story of the ground dates back to pre-Independence era, when freedom fighter Yamuna Bhagat started with a library to educate youngsters from the oppressed communities upon his released from jail. The real transformation took place in 1990 when we planned to celebrate 50 years of the ground,' narrated Chandra while reflecting on the struggles and sacrifices, the village made to turn it into a nursery for young female footballers. 'We had invited two teams for an exhibition match, and only one of the two reached here. As organisers, we were left red-faced, and all of a sudden we decided to form a team with young girls who had never played the sport,' he recalled. 'Unfortunately, some of our girls fractured their legs, and most of them ended up with some wound during the loss. That loss somewhere hurt us from within. The whole village united and decided to form a team, we hired a few coaches, with whatever funds we could gather to pay them,' Chandra Shekhar said. A year later, armed with courage and fuelled by community spirit, Begusarai's girls returned to the field, not to survive, but to compete. They beat Ara 1-0, a side that had former India striker Poonam in its ranks, in what would be remembered not for the result, but for the resolve. That one goal was a clarion call: We belong here. Over the next three decades, Barauni turned into a cradle of footballing dreams, led by unsung heroes like Chandra Shekhar, and former Mohun Bagan goalkeeper-turned-mentor Sanjeev Kumar Singh, who chose turf over a steady Army career, love for the game over comfort. Together, they nurtured talent, mentored generations and preserved a ground that once broke them and later, built them. Sanjeev candidly admitted that his dedication for football has come at the cost of ignoring the interests and needs of his family but pointed out that someone had to shoulder the responsibility. 'For my family, I'm useless, but I can't help it. I try to support them but football remains my first love. Everyone is busy with their jobs, so someone had to take responsibility. It's a sacrifice born of love, not obligation. A choice that helped this venue host Santosh Trophy matches in 2018, and now, India's flagship youth sporting event,' said an emotional Sanjeev. Today, Begusarai has emerged 12-time state champion, supplies 70 per cent of Bihar's squad, and a football culture rooted deep in community pride, Barauni finally finds itself on the national map, hosting the Khelo India Youth Games 2025. It's the applause for three decades of quiet toil, village-wide sacrifice, and football played with heart, not boots. The scouts from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) are in town, identifying prospects and predictably, many have roots in this very village. For many, KIYG is a platform. For Barauni, it's validation, a celebration of a village that turned heartbreak into heritage.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Time of India
Went hands-on with Nothing's CMF Phone 2 Pro, and who said budget phones can't be fun
A "Lego-like" phone has been every nerd's dream ever since Project Ara was announced back in 2013. Sadly, Ara met its end in 2016, and we've spent the past decade still hoping for a phone that lets us swap out screens, batteries, cameras, and whatnot. Of course, that kind of true plug-and-play modularity would wreak havoc on the business model of phone manufacturers, why buy a whole new handset when you could just swap a component once a year (or once a month, if boredom strikes)? That's almost certainly why Ara never materialised. That said, modular phones do and did exist, but not in the way we originally imagined. Operation Sindoor India-Pak tensions: All eyes on DGMO talks today Before & after: Satellite pics show Op Sindoor's impact on Pak air bases, terror camps 'Shameful': Support pours in for foreign secretary Misri as trolls target his family Fairphone is still trying; LG and Motorola tried, yet never really caught on. Now, years later, Nothing is trying something similar with its sub-brand, wisely named CMF. Yes, it's the same Nothing known for phones with blinking LEDs. While the company says CMF largely focuses on playing with colour, material, and finish (hence the name), it's also where they're exploring this modular phone concept. Last year, the ₹15,000 (or $200) CMF Phone 1 sold 100,000 units, that too, within three hours of launch, so there's clearly demand. Now, about a year later, the brand is back with a sequel, and it's been upgraded to "Pro" status. The Phone 2 Pro arrives at ₹18,999 (about $250). The slight price hike comes with a tad better specs: a 6.77-inch 120 Hz AMOLED screen, a 5,000 mAh battery, and a trio of rear cameras. Sadly, these components aren't modular. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Invest $200 in Amazon without buying stocks to earn a second salary Marketsall Sign Up Undo What's modular here is that look at the screws on the back. Unscrew them, and you can attach a small but respectable array of accessories—camera lenses, a kickstand-card wallet, or a lanyard. The system hinges on two pieces: the round mount at the bottom and a universal cover that screws onto the phone's back. If you're familiar with CMF Phone 1, you'll immediately understand what's going on here. Even though the concept is familiar, Nothing's approach is a little different this time around. Phone 1 let you swap out the entire back case—perfect since you could take out the whole plastic shell and replace it with another one if you broke it or got bored with it. On Phone 2 Pro, that isn't an option anymore: you're stuck with the cover you choose, and if it breaks, you'll need to visit a repair shop. Nothing says they ditched the removable backplate to make the phone thinner and more water-resistant. Compromises have to be made, right? I do have mixed feelings about this trade-off, but more on that later. With the universal cover in place, you get mounting points for the new lenses and the kickstand-card wallet. There's a MagSafe-style magnetic ring that you can see when you flip around the case, which keeps accessories firmly attached—though it sadly doesn't support wireless charging. While I'm not a huge fan of the kickstand-card wallet, it's quite generic, and you'll find dozens of cases with this design in the market, the lenses are where things get interesting. External phone lenses aren't new—you'll find hundreds of clip-on lenses on shopping sites—but they've mostly remained niche accessories. Why? Picture quality often suffers, and the good ones are expensive and limited to iPhones, Pixels, or Galaxies. No one thought to make them for budget phones, until Nothing did. Nothing is selling a pack of two lenses that includes a fisheye and a macro lens, each snapping neatly into the cover's enclosure. I found myself using the macro lens most. Budget phones usually fake macro shots with low-res ultra-wides or tiny sensors, and the results are awful. With Nothing's clip-on macro, you can shoot at the phone's full 50MP resolution and get detail you simply don't see on other budget phones. And, you get a total of five lenses with these two add-ons. The only other Nothing-made accessory is the lanyard: screw it into the bottom mount and sling your phone around your neck. I tried it and got a few curious glances, but roaming hands-free was fun. Nothing also hopes the 3D-print community that sprang up around Phone 1 will return with quirky, useful screw-on mods for Phone 2 Pro. So far, Nothing itself hasn't released many new accessories in a year, nor maintained backward compatibility with Phone 1, but that openness could let third-party creators take the reins. All told, CMF phones aren't exactly the fully modular phones we once dreamed of, but they're the most practical, playful concept we've seen in years. In 2025, at least, with the Phone 2 Pro, Nothing is giving us a fresh taste of what true customisation could look like and how phones can still be fun without emptying your whole wallet for it. As for the Phone 2 Pro itself, it's a well-done budget phone. I've been using it for a few days now, and I rarely felt like complaining, except when I was unscrewing the screws. They are ever so tiny, and the minuscule screwdriver with a SIM-ejector pin on its other end doesn't really help. Also, if you're clumsy like me, be prepared to lose out on the screws (thankfully, there is an extra set of screws with the universal covers and that covered me up). Back to the phone: it's been smooth so far. The screen is big, vivid, and bright; NothingOS is great as usual; and the battery easily lasts over a day. Nothing is also bringing its AI-powered Essential Space from the more expensive Phone 3(a)s, along with the Essential Key. The cameras don't need to be great at this price point—just good, and they are—though the colour algorithms could use some fine-tuning. All this comes at Rs 18,999 or Rs 20,999, depending on whether you choose 128 GB or 256 GB of storage. The accessories cost extra, and should come out some time 'soon,' says Nothing. The prices for these accessories remain unknown for now. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Scoop
02-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Ara Students Design Kids' Activities For Open Christchurch
Press Release – Ara Institute of Canterbury Ltd The Monster Architecture Treasure Hunt and Colour Me Mountfort colouring-in pages have been created to encourage children to learn more about many of the central city buildings featured in the 2025 festival programme. Ara Institute of Canterbury Bachelor of Design (Visual Communication Design) students are looking forward to seeing their latest projects put through their paces at the Open Christchurch Festival this weekend. The Monster Architecture Treasure Hunt and Colour Me Mountfort colouring-in pages have been created to encourage children to learn more about many of the central city buildings featured in the 2025 festival programme. Those who join the monster trail will be rewarded with colourful stickers for each of the buildings they visit. It's been a monster learning curve navigating the real-life design project, but the Ara team is proud of the final product. 'It's been great to be part of,' said student Tyson Haglund. 'It's the biggest thing we've seen through from start to finish and now it's awesome to look back and think 'we did that''. With more than 50 open buildings, guided walks and special activities, the Open Christchurch celebration of architecture event is a key fixture on Ōtautahi's calendar. This year, Ara students have made their mark on the weekend event thanks to the connections of their tutor, senior academic staff member Carl Pavletich. 'I was on the building selection panel for this year's event and Open Christchurch were keen for students to get involved. This has been an excellent way for them to complete a professional practice project,' Pavletich said. Sam Weavers, one of the students behind the colouring pages design, said they were quick to volunteer. 'Once we had the Open Christchurch brief, we started brainstorming and pitched our ideas in design meetings before preparing drafts to be approved. We had one-one-one meetings which were really valuable as we worked on the final edits and ended up with the finished product,' Weavers said. Haglund said the project was truly collaborative with creative freedom for the students matched with a clearly expressed brief from the team at Open Christchurch. 'We both got what we wanted out of the design process without restrictions, which was really helpful. It's been so satisfying to experience the client reaction. They were super stoked, and it was a good feeling to have delivered on the project for them.' Classmate Paulina Harrison said the project had presented real-life challenges. 'It was a big reality check needing to be on top of your communication and not wanting to let anyone down on the job. We needed to have time management, perseverance, patience and professionalism to complete the work,' she said. Phoebe Dutton said teamwork skills also came to the fore as they met the deadline. 'It was hard because it was the end of term, so we had class projects and final assignments due as well as getting the project done. It was a juggle, but it worked out so well,' she said. Many of the team plan to be out on the monster trail seeing their work in action this weekend. 'We've spent so long working on these files we're looking forward to seeing people actually holding it in their hands,' Haglund said.
