Author: openjargon

• A federal judge sentenced a former Army service member to prison for running a romance scam.
• Romance scams cost Americans $1.3 billion in 2022.
• The service member impersonated military officials and others to defraud his victims, police say.

A US soldier will spend more than three years in federal prison for a romance scam in which police say he impersonated military officials.

A federal judge sentenced Sanda G. Frimpong, 33, on Friday and ordered him to pay his victims hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution, according to the Department of Justice. Before his arrest, Frimpong was an active-duty Army service member stationed at Fort Bragg, the department said.

Romance scams are one of the biggest in the United States, costing American victims $1.3 billion in 2022, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Targets of these scams are often older people who are bilked for their life savings, retirement funds, and inheritances.

One of the largest perpetrators of the scams — the Nigeria-based crime group "Yahoo Boys" — is now using AI to create deepfakes for the scams, making them even harder to spot, according to Wired. One quick way to spot a deepfake is to do a reverse image search and check the true source of an image.

Kate Kleinert, a 69-year-old widow, previously told BI that she lost $39,000 to a romance scam. Kleinart said she had lost most of her savings, her late husband's life insurance, pension, and income from Social Security by the time she realized she was being scammed.

One of Frimpong's victims had recently divorced after a 25-year marriage, according to court documents. Using the alias "Tom Tanner," Frimpong tricked the victim into sending him at least $100,000 in cashier's checks, which he wired to other coconspirators, court documents say.

Authorities accused Frimpong of impersonating "romantic love interests, diplomats, customs personnel, military personnel, and other fictitious personas" to gain people's trust. Frimpong then promised romance, earning their confidence with the intention of "fraudulently inducing the victims to provide money or property," the Justice Department said.

"Romance scammers exploit our most vulnerable citizens, even our seniors and military veterans, sometimes leaving them financially and emotionally devastated," US Attorney Michael Easley said. "The fact that an Army service member was involved in romance scams while serving as a soldier is appalling."

An attorney for Frimpong did not immediately return a request for comment from Business Insider.

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• A pro-choice politician in Missouri thought anti-abortion extremists were targeting her.
• She was mailed an eerie anonymous drawing that she believed was "related to abortion."
• It turned out it was marketing for "The First Omen" a film about the birth of the antichrist.

Amanda Taylor gets a lot of mail. The Missouri-based mom has spent the last few years establishing herself as a film blogger and recently turned her hand to politics, meaning her mailbox is full of promotional materials from film studios and leaflets concerning local issues.

But when Taylor, who is running for the state's House of Representatives as a Democratic Party candidate picked up her mail in late March and opened an envelope to find nothing but what appeared to be a children's drawing, her mind went into overdrive.

Why? Well, the crudely drawn picture featured four women with their faces scribbled over, standing around the floating body of a little girl who looks out with a disturbing gaze. Taylor's name was also scrawled in spidery, slightly eerie handwriting on the envelope.

To anyone else, it would be creepy. To someone running for public office on a pro-choice ticket in a state that outlaws abortion with limited exceptions, it felt very sinister, threatening even.

"Right away, I was thinking, 'Ah, this has something to do with abortion," Taylor told Business Insider. "The day before I had received something from a pro-life organization so I was like, 'Okay, I'm starting to receive all the propaganda stuff.'"

Not knowing what to make of the mysterious letter — it came with no return address and featured an out-of-state stamp — Taylor sent it to her campaign advisor, who quickly called the police, fearing the letter was from one of Taylor's constituents, unhappy with her stance on reproductive rights.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, Missouri GOP officials have triggered a near-total ban on abortion procedures— with no exceptions for rape or incest, only some medical emergencies. Taylor is among those campaigning and gathering signatures to bring the issue back on the ballot.

"She called me, and she was like, 'Put that into a plastic bag, wash your hands, the police are on the way,'" Taylor said, explaining that her campaign advisor was concerned the paper could have been laced with something poisonous.

Taylor said it wasn't until a few weeks after she had set herself up a PO to redirect mail away from the family residence, that she discovered the identity of the letter sender.

It was Marshall Weinbaum, a senior publicist from Walt Disney Studio's PR department.

The letter, it turned out, was just an elaborate publicity stunt to promote "The First Omen," the latest installment in the long-running horror franchise. Weinbaum has been credited with thinking up the marketing stunt.

The creepy kids' drawings, it turns out, appear in the new movie, which fills in the back story of 1976's original "Omen" movie, introducing the world to Damien, a terrifying take on the antichrist.

After sending the first anonymous letter, Weinbaum had the team working on the horror flick send prospective critics another equally disturbing image, this time featuring five little girls looking on as a sixth girl floating in the sky.

However, this one, Taylor said, was sent alongside all the standard information you normally would find on a press release, including the film's name, synopsis, and the hashtags the studio would like cinemagoers to use while talking about the film on social media.

It all clicked into place and Taylor realized that she and her family were safe.

Now, looking back on it, she can almost see the funny side.

"That was the best promotion I've ever seen," she continued. "But it's also the one that's affected me the most."

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• Ukraine's Zelenskyy said Americans are not 'funding war' but 'protecting democracy' with their aid.
• Zelenskyy said Ukrainians are fighting so that the US and others don't have to.
• Once passed by the Senate and signed by Biden, ammo and weapons could reach Ukraine in days.

Americans may be fatigued by the war in Ukraine, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reminded them on Sunday that at least they don't have to fight in it.

The Ukrainian president's comments came Sunday morning on "Meet the Press" on NBC News, just one day after the House of Representatives approved a long-awaited aid package for Ukraine.

Zelenskyy spoke with NBC's Kristen Welker. He said the United States is "protecting democracy" in Europe.

"The Americans are not funding the war in Ukraine. They are foremost protecting freedom and democracy all over Europe. And Ukraine is fighting," he said. "[The] US Army now does not have to fight protecting NATO countries. Ukrainians are doing that."

The $60 billion aid package passed the House despite heavy GOP dissent. It now heads to the Senate, where it is expected to pass. President Joe Biden has signaled his intent to sign it.

Once that happens, vital ammo and weapons could reach Ukraine within days, helping it stem the Russian tide.

"It's only the ammo that the world is providing. And I think it's a good decision," Zelenskyy said. "While Ukraine stands, there's no direct war between US or NATO and Russian aggression. So Ukraine is still fighting, and Ukraine is protecting all the others."

Should Ukraine lose the war against Russia, analysts worry Russia might use that momentum to target NATO countries.

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• China is likely analyzing Iran's failed attack on Israel to prepare for a possible invasion of Taiwan.
• Experts believe China will focus on how Israel and its allies thwarted the attack, a report said.
• Tensions between China and Taiwan have heightened in recent years.

China will analyze the failed Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel in order to better prepare for an invasion of Taiwan, experts believe.

Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles in a direct attack on Israel last week, but Israel and its allies were able to shoot down most of the munitions.

Rupert Hammond-Chambers, the president of the US-Taiwan Business Council, told The Telegraph that China would likely look at the incident to work out how it could get past the technology and the alliance that foiled the attack.

"They will be picking apart what transpired, not just in the way in which the Iranians attacked but also how we responded – the Israelis and the coalition that supported them," he said.

"The kill rate for the drones and the missiles was extremely high, almost perfect. The walk-away for the PLA [People's Liberation Army] will be that the Americans and their allies have the technology to significantly blunt an attack," he added.

Much like Israel, Taipei expects to be able to rely on US support in the event of an attack from China, which considers Taiwan a part of its territory.

A vote in the US House of Representatives on Saturday, which saw almost $61 billion in aid for Ukraine approved by the US House, also confirmed that around $8 billion would go toward security in the Indo-Pacific region, including to Taiwan.

However, Hammond-Chambers did not believe the pro-Taiwan alliance was operating as smoothly as in the case of Israel.

"The Jordanians, the Brits, the States and the Israelis all worked together to negate the Iranian attack. To what extent do we have that in place in North Asia?" Hammond-Chambers said, per The Telegraph.

"It's coming but I've not seen that yet – that common operating platform that allows for seamless interoperability," he added.

It follows a warning from former commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence Mike Studeman, in which he said Beijing appeared to be on the "march to war."

In an article for War on the Rocks, Studeman wrote: "The war machine of the People's Liberation Army continues to modernize at a sprint in every area."

"In 2020, Xi accelerated significant military milestones from 2035 to 2027 because he wanted China's military to modernize faster and give him Taiwan options earlier," he added.

Tensions have risen between China and Taiwan since the island's Democratic Progressive Party, which favors independence from China, won a third consecutive term in Taiwan's 2024 presidential elections.

In August 2022, following then-speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, tensions reached near-boiling point as China began military exercises over the island, including "live-fire drills."

In April 2023, China again launched military drills around the island after then-president Tsai Ing-wen visited the US.

At the time, China described the drills as a "stern warning against the collusion between separatist forces."

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• Trump's estranged niece swiped the former president after it was reported he fell asleep in court.
• Mary Trump joked that she feared "narcolepsy ran in the family."
• Opening remarks for Trump's hush money trial are set to begin Monday.

Donald Trump's estranged niece, Mary Trump, swiped the former president after it was reported he fell asleep in court, saying she's concerned narcolepsy runs in the family.

According to a The New York Times report Monday, the Republican presidential candidate "appeared to nod off a few times. His mouth going slack and his head drooping onto his chest" during the first day of his New York hush money trial.

Speaking on her uncle's apparent drowsiness on SiriusXM on Wednesday, Mary Trump joked, "I'm a little worried that narcolepsy runs in the family."

Narcolepsy is a condition where the brain struggles to control sleep-wake cycles, leading sufferers to feel drowsy throughout much of the day.

Mary Trump said she believes "we can't underestimate the extent of the depth of the narcissistic injury he's suffering" as a result of the hush money trial, which enters its second week on Monday.

President Joe Biden's campaign moved quickly to exploit the reports of Trump dozing off, dubbing the former president "Sleepy Don." Trump had as long insulted Biden as "Sleepy Joe."

He was also taunted on social media with hashtags including #DonSnorleone.

"It's a moment that, unconsciously, he's probably been dreading for the last five and a half decades," Mary Trump said of the trial in New York.

"Part of him was probably always terrified that it was going to come, but also, he probably never believed it would because he always gets away with everything. And here we are. And trust me, he understands how serious this is," she said.

Mary Trump has been a longtime and fervent critic of her renowned relative. In a Business Insider interview in 2021, she said, "He is a fascist. But he probably doesn't know what fascist means."

The jury for Trump's hush money trial was selected this week, with opening remarks expected on Monday. The former president faces allegations he falsified 34 business records to cover up a $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels days before the 2016 election.

On Saturday, Trump took to social media to express his anger against the judge and the circumstances of the trial.

"THIS SCAM 'RUSHED' TRIAL TAKING PLACE IN A 95% DEMOCRAT AREA IS A PLANNED AND COORDINATED WITCH HUNT," he wrote in block caps in one of several Truth Social posts Saturday morning. "IT IS BEING PRESIDED OVER BY POSSIBLY THE MOST CONFLICTED JUDGE IN JUDICIAL HISTORY, WHO MUST BE REMOVED FROM THIS HOAX IMMEDIATELY."

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• Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg weighed in on the AI data race in a new interview.
• As the AI arms race heats up, many tech companies are scrambling for new data sources.
• But Zuckerberg says 'feedback loops' will be more important for training AI models than data.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has a hot take on Big Tech's race for AI training data: It's not about the data.

"The thing that I think is going to be more valuable is the feedback loops rather than any kind of upfront corpus," Zuckerberg said in an interview with the Command Line, a tech industry newsletter.

Feedback loops are used to retrain and improve AI models over time based on their previous outputs. These algorithms let AI models know when they make an error, for example, and provide them with data to adjust their future performance.

"Having a lot of people use it and then seeing how people use it and being able to improve from there is actually going to be a more differentiating thing over time," he said.

Sourcing new data for their insatiable AI models to consume —which theoretically will make them smarter — is now an obsession for companies racing to dominate AI.

Companies like OpenAI, Google, Amazon, Meta, and others have considered some wild solutions. Meta, for instance, was so desperate for data at one point that it considered buying the publishing company Simon & Schuster and even weighed risking copyright lawsuits for more material, The New York Times reported.

Another solution to the problem of limited data is just creating new data, something Big Tech calls "synthetic data." Synthetic data is artificially generated and designed to mimic data generated by real-world events. Zuckerberg's into it.

"I think there's going to be a lot in synthetic data, where you are having the models trying to churn on different problems and see which paths end up working, and then use that to reinforce," he said.

Anthropic, the maker of chatbot Claude, has also fed internally generated data into its models. And ChatGPT maker OpenAI is considering it, although CEO Sam Altman said at a conference last May that the key is having a model "smart enough to make good synthetic data."

And while Zuckerberg sees feedback loops as the key to building powerful AI models, there are also risks in relying on them. They could reinforce some of their mistakes, limitations, and biases if they're not trained on "good data" to begin with.

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• Squatters occupying a Gordon Ramsay pub have said they've struck a deal to stay.
• "We've made a deal. With the owner, not Ramsay," they said, per The Telegraph.
• The pub is listed for sale for £13 million, which is around $16 million.

A group of squatters that took over a Gordon Ramsay pub in London's affluent Regent's Park area have said they are staying put, The Telegraph reported.

The squatters occupied the York & Albany gastro-pub last week, saying they aimed to create a "community space" with the building.

"It seems only fitting that £13 million properties that most locals would never be able to afford to visit should be opened up to all," the group said.

Lawyers for Gordon Ramsay Holdings International Limited (GRHI) secured a court order for the possession of the property earlier this week.

But a set of the orders, which had been taped to the pub's door, were taken down on Saturday, with one of the squatters claiming they had "made a deal" with the owner.

"We've made a deal. With the owner, not Ramsay. We're still here, and we're going to carry on staying here. We're going to be security for him," they said, per The Telegraph.

The Grade II listed building has been part of a legal battle between Ramsay and film director Gary Love, who acquired the freehold in 2007.

Ramsay, a celebrity chef, restaurateur, and television presenter, had leased the pub from Love under a 25-year agreement.

However, attempts to terminate the lease in 2015 were unsuccessful.

The building is now up for sale for £13 million, or around $16 million.

London's Metropolitan Police department told Business Insider at the time the squatters moved in that it was "aware" of the situation and that it would "take action when appropriate."

Business Insider contacted Gordon Ramsay's team for comment.

It's not the first time that squatters have made headlines this year.

In New York City, a couple was unable to move into the $2 million home they purchased in Queens after a squatter refused to vacate the property.

The couple sued the squatter in an attempt to evict him, but he countersued for harassment.

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• The US is set to sanction an IDF unit following reported human rights abuses, Axios reports.
• The Netzah Yehuda battalion was implicated in the death of an 80-year-old US citizen in 2022.
• Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decried the US decision, calling it  "a moral low."

The US is poised to sanction a controversial battalion in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for reported human rights abuses, Axios reported.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to announce sanctions against the Netzah Yehuda battalion for alleged human rights violations in the occupied West Bank.

It would be the first time the US has imposed sanctions on an Israeli military unit. The battalion is composed of over 900 soldiers.

The news of the possible sanctioning of the IDF unit came as the House of Representatives on Saturday passed a bill that includes more than $14 billion in military aid to Israel as well as $9 billion in humanitarian assistance, much of which will go to Gaza.

The unprecedented sanctions will prohibit the battalion and its members from receiving US military assistance or training.

The imposed measures are in accordance with the 1997 Leahy vetting policy, which forbids US foreign aid and Defense Department training programs from going to foreign security, military, and police units credibly alleged to have committed human rights violations.

In 2022, the State Department requested the US embassy interview Israelis and Palestinians about the battalion's conduct in the West Bank following reports of abuse of Palestinians, the Israeli outlet Haaretz, reported.

Last month, a State Department panel recommended that Blinken disqualify multiple Israeli military and police units operating in the West Bank from receiving US aid, ProPublica reported.

Blinken confirmed on Friday that he had made determinations based on this investigation and stated, "You can expect to see them in the days ahead" regarding the sanctions, per Axios.

Senior members of the Israeli government pushed back at the potential sanctions move against the Netzah Yehuda battalion.

"Sanctions must not be imposed on the Israel Defense Forces," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X.

"At a time when our soldiers are fighting the monsters of terror, the intention to impose a sanction on a unit in the IDF is the height of absurdity and a moral low," he wrote.

Minister of Defense Benny Gantz wrote on X that the Netzah Yehuda battalion was "an inseperable part of the Israel Defence Forces."

Radical settlers

The Netzah Yehuda unit, part of the Kfir brigade, was originally set up in 1999 to accommodate the religious beliefs of recruits from ultra-Orthodox and national religious communities, including those from extremist settlements.

All of its members are men. The unit has a reputation for recruiting some radical settlers who are not accepted by other IDF formations, said Axios.

Historically, the Netzah Yehuda battalion has been primarily deployed in the West Bank, gaining notoriety for its treatment of Palestinians.

Notably, soldiers from the unit were accused in the death of Omar Assad, an 80-year-old US citizen, who died of a heart attack in 2022 after being detained, bound, gagged, and abandoned by members of the battalion.

While Israel has deployed the Netzah Yehuda battalion out of the West Bank since the incident, the unit has continued to serve— primarily in the country's north and in the Gaza Strip during the ongoing conflict with Hamas.

Business Insider contacted the State Department for comment.

Washington gives $3.8 billion in annual military assistance to Israel and has remained a steadfast ally throughout Israel's military campaign against Gaza, which has killed over 30,000 Palestinians.

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• Israel used a "Rampage" missile in its strike on Iran, Israeli media reported.
• The supersonic missile is designed to strike ground targets such as military bases.
• Its manufacturer describes it as "a long-range, air-to-ground" missile.

Israel used a long-range, supersonic missile in its strike on Iran earlier this week, Israeli broadcaster Kan reported, per The Times of Israel.

US officials said Israel carried out a missile strike on a military base near the city of Isfahan, Iran, on Friday. Israel has not confirmed the reports, while Iran has sought to downplay the incident, only referencing small drones used in the attack, which its foreign minister said were "like toys our children play with."

While it remains unclear what weapons were used in the strike, Kan reported that Israel used a "Rampage" air-to-surface missile, claiming it was identified in photos and that damage caused by the attack was consistent with a Rampage strike, per The Times of Israel.

The Rampage missile was designed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for use against targets such as "communication and command centers, air forces bases, maintenance centers and infrastructure," according to the company's website.

The company describes the missile, which weighs 1,250 pounds, as "a long-range, air-to-ground, seekerless, precision strike weapon."

It has the ability to fly at 1,250 mph with a range of up to 190 miles.

It can be fired from an aircraft or as a stand-alone system and uses GPS/INS guidance navigation and anti-jamming capabilities, it adds.

It has a blast fragmentation or general-purpose warhead.

A video shared on the company's YouTube channel simulates a strike by the missile.

Two Western officials said that the Israeli strike on Iran, which was launched in response to Iran's attack on Israel last week, was intended to show Tehran that it could evade its air defense systems undetected, The New York Times reported.

Business Insider contacted the IDF and the IAI for comment.

It was reported last year that the UK's Royal Air Force was considering buying the advanced Israeli weapon to replenish its missile stocks after having donated many of its own Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine.

The Rampage is considered an economical alternative costing hundreds of thousand of dollars versus the $3 million cost of each Storm Shadow, reported The National.

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• The Portugal-based carpentry company Madeiguincho began building tiny homes for European customers in 2016.
• The company's eco-friendly designs are now for sale in the US, with the first tiny home shipped to Queens, New York.
• Take a look inside a variety of their tiny homes, ranging from $58,619 to $74,535 in price.

Craftsmanship runs in Gonçalo Marrote's veins.

His father was a carpenter, and so was his father before him. In 1990, the Marrotes founded Madeiguincho, a Portugal-based, family-run woodworking company specializing in furniture.

Drawing from his architectural education and inspired by his travels to places like Berlin, New York, India, and Nepal, Marrote steered the company toward a new frontier in 2016: tiny homes.

"Some people would say, 'Why would you change something that is already good?' but I wanted to do something connected to my studies and my love for tiny houses," Marrote told Business Insider. "I made one, people liked it, and then I made two, and the company started to grow."

So far, the company has built 25 tiny homes, with prices starting at €55,000 (about $58,600). The homes vary in size, ranging from 10 meters (about 108 square feet), 12.5 meters (about 135 square feet), to 17.5 meters (about 188 square feet).

Marrote, with a deep appreciation for nature, designs each custom-built home — no two are alike — to feel like an extension of its surrounding natural environment.

"About 90% of our product is sourced from wood," he said. "The tiny homes are designed to make you feel at one with nature."

In 2019, Madeiguincho, which constructs the tiny homes in Portugal, collaborating with local builders and architects, began shipping to the US. The first home landed in a Queens, New York backyard, where it is being used as an Airbnb property.

Take a look inside some of Madeiguincho's tiny homes.

When a home is purchased from Madeiguincho they pre-build on-site in their workshop in Portugal.

Homes destined for the US are pre-assembled in Portugal before being transported in containers to their final destination. Once they arrive in the US, they are assembled on-site. The entire process, from transaction to delivery, typically takes about 10 months, according to Marrote.

Beginning in early 2025, the company intends to divide the construction process, with half of the work carried out in Portugal and the other half completed in the US.

Madeiguincho's tiny homes are eco-friendly and use sustainable construction methods.

Some of Madeiguincho's tiny homes use well water systems and electricity from neighboring properties, while others are designed to operate independently from conventional utility systems.

These homes, in essence, operate off-grid, free from connections to public electrical grids or water mains. Instead, residents rely on sustainable methods like rainwater harvesting, and solar or battery-powered electricity.

"It's almost like an organism that doesn't need help to live," Marrote said.

Madeiguincho doesn’t offer pre-defined models for customers to select from.

Each home is custom-crafted and tailored to meet the unique needs and preferences of the customer.

Marrote said that some clients have requested features like saunas, skylights, or French doors — windows designed to be opened like a door — to be incorporated into their homes.

"Clients just tell us the specific things they want and then let us be freely creative," he said.

While each tiny home is unique, they are only available in one of three sizes.

Each home includes a bathroom, sleeping area, and kitchen space, with some offering additional features such as two sleeping areas, a living room, or even desk space.

All of the homes are mobile, mounted on trailers with wheels for easy transport.

The first tiny home purchased for US buyers was sent to Queens, New York.

The couple who purchased the tiny home paid €80,00 (about $85,200). Transported to the US in a container, it arrived after a couple of months.

It was the first and so far sole home dispatched to the US, but Marrote said that the company is working on various designs for US-based clients.

This tiny home named Ursa was built for a client in Sintra, Portugal. (All of Madeiguincho’s homes are named after Portuguese beaches).

The home measures 7 x 2.5 m (about 23 x 8 ft) and, excluding delivery costs, was priced at €70,000 (about $74,500).

It features a sleeping area, a lengthy desk serving as both a dining and workspace, a washroom, and a compact kitchen area equipped with a sink, stovetop, mini fridge, and shelves.

The Ursa also features solar panels, a horseshoe-shaped window, and an attached porch.

The window lets in an abundance of natural light, making it ideal for both stargazing under the night sky and enjoying the morning sunrise.

The Meco bears a resemblance to a treehouse.

The 7 x 2.5 m (about 23 x 8 ft) home also comes with a price tag of €70,000 (about $74,500 USD).

It was designed with a couple and their children in mind, serving as both a comfortable workspace and a playful retreat.

The tiny home features two bedrooms —one with a closet — a washroom, and a kitchen area complete with a spacious countertop that doubles as a work desk.

While compact, it provides two sleeping areas, including one in a loft space.

The ground-floor bedroom, pictured above, offers generous storage space and features a wood-burning fireplace to keep its occupants warm.

The Vigia tiny home also has a loft-style bedroom.

Strategically placing the bedroom above the bathroom allows the tiny home to maximize its floor plan.

Additionally, the kitchen demonstrates clever space utilization by including a cozy nook and seating area rather than a traditional dining table.

The tiny home is priced at €70,000 (about $74,500 USD).

Vigia's bathroom is crafted from locally sourced wood and features matte black fixtures.

Marrote believes in minimizing Madeiguincho's environmental footprint. The company prioritizes the use of natural materials for each project, tapping into the resources of its surrounding environment.

"We mainly use European wood," Marrote said. "But we like to work with wood that is close to the place where we are building."

The Adraga, a two-story home, has swing barn doors that welcome ample light, creating a warm and inviting vibe.

Its design blends indoor and outdoor spaces, allowing it to harmonize with its natural surroundings — it also maximizes the sense of space within the 17.5 square meter home.

The €70,000 ($74,535) tiny home was tailor-made to accommodate the preferences of a retired couple.

The 17.5 square meter (188 square feet) tiny house has one bedroom, a bathroom, and a small kitchen area.

In place of a secondary bedroom, the home offers a living room area, along with a small table.

Marrote said the couple chose this layout because they wanted a comfortable area for dining and entertaining guests.

This tiny boat, nicknamed Moura, is still a prototype and hasn’t yet been built.

While the Moura shares similarities with other Madeiguincho tiny homes, it stands out as the only model designed to be placed on a floating platform.

Crafted with lake and river enthusiasts in mind, the boathouse blends the artistry of a custom-built home with the allure of waterfront living.

The tiny home, measuring 5 x 2.5m (about 16 x 8 ft), is priced at €70,000 (about $74,500). It is still in the prototype stage and has not yet been built.

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