The ritual of enjoying a warm beverage has transformed from a mere habit into a cherished moment of tranquility and healing. As our relationship with these simple pleasures evolves, so too does the technology that enhances these experiences. Enter VOLCANO, a revolutionary cup warmer that marries functional heating with captivating visual design, reimagining how we interact with warmth in our daily lives.VOLCANO draws its inspiration directly from natures most powerful heat source on Earth: volcanoes. The design brilliantly captures the essence of these geological wonders through a striking geometric interpretation. Rather than mimicking the rugged, asymmetrical form of natural volcanoes, VOLCANO employs precise polygonal shapes to create a contemporary aesthetic that commands attention in any space while maintaining a sophisticated presence.Designer: Wonjin LeeThe magic happens when you place your favorite mug atop this miniature marvel. As the steam rises from your hot beverage, it creates a mesmerizing visual effect reminiscent of an active volcano, generating not just physical warmth but a visually evocative atmosphere. This thoughtful design transforms a mundane kitchen appliance into an object of contemplation, inviting users to pause and appreciate the momentsomething increasingly valuable in our fast-paced world.The surface treatment of VOLCANO demonstrates exceptional attention to detail, featuring two distinct material inspirations. One variation showcases a granite-inspired finish that creates a bright, soft ambiance, while the alternative features a basalt-inspired treatment that delivers a darker, more intense presence. These natural stone references further strengthen the connection to volcanic origins while providing versatility for different interior design preferences.The minimalist approach extends to the user interface, where a hidden display maintains the clean geometric lines while still providing intuitive information. This thoughtful integration of technology ensures the product remains visually cohesive while maximizing functionality. The display illuminates only when needed, preserving the sculptural quality that makes VOLCANO as much an art piece as it is a practical device.VOLCANO represents a masterclass in purposeful design. It demonstrates how everyday objects can be reimagined through thoughtful abstraction and material selection. The geometric reinterpretation of natural forms creates a compelling visual language that speaks to contemporary sensibilities while maintaining a timeless quality that wont quickly feel outdated or trendy.VOLCANO reminds us that the most successful designs often find inspiration in the natural world but arent constrained by literal representation. By distilling a volcanos essence into geometric forms, the designers have created something both familiar and fresha product that warms not just your beverage but your environment and mood through thoughtful design that engages both intellect and emotion.The post Volcano-inspired cup warmer concept offers a modern interpretation of Natures hottest design first appeared on Yanko Design.

This is why Apple software looks as sleek as its hardware.

Thousands of US Department of Agriculture employees, including food inspectors and disease-sniffing dog trainers, remain out of work, leaving food to rot in ports and pests to proliferate.

This story originally appeared inThe Debrief with Mat Honan, a weekly newsletter about the biggest stories in tech from our editor in chief.Sign up hereto get the next one in your inbox.Ive been mulling over something that Will Heaven, our senior editor for AI,pointed out not too long ago: that all the big players in AI seem to be moving in the same directions and converging on the same things. Agents. Deep research. Lightweight versions of models. Etc.Some of this makes sense in that theyre seeing similar things and trying to solve similar problems. But when I talked to Will about this, he said, it almost feels like a lack of imagination, right? Yeah. It does.What got me thinking about this, again, was a pair of announcements from Google over the past couple of weeks, both related to the ways search is converging with AI language models, somethingIve spent a lot of time reporting on over the past year. Google took direct aim at this intersection by adding new AI features from Gemini to search, and also by adding search features to Gemini. In using both, what struck me more thanhow wellthey work is that they are really just about catching up with OpenAIs ChatGPT. And their belated appearance in March of the year 2025 doesnt seem like a great sign for Google.Take AI Mode, which itannounced March 5. Its cool. It works well. But its pretty much a follow-along of what OpenAI was already doing. (Also, dont be confused by the name. Google already had something called AI Overviews in search, but AI Mode is different and deeper.) As the company explained in a blog post, This new Search mode expands what AI Overviews can do with more advanced reasoning, thinking and multimodal capabilities so you can get help with even your toughest questions.Rather than a brief overview with links out, the AI will dig in and offer more robust answers. You can ask followup questions too, something AI Overviews doesnt support. It feels like quite a natural evolutionso much so that its curious why this is not already widely available. For now, its limited to people with paid accounts, and even then only via the experimental sandbox of Search Labs. But more to the point, why wasnt it available, say, last summer?The second change is thatit added search history to its Gemini chatbot, and promises even more personalization is on the way. On this one, Google says personalization allows Gemini to connect with your Google apps and services, starting with Search, to provide responses that are uniquely insightful and directly address your needs.Much of what these new features are doing, especially AI Modes ability to ask followup questions and go deep, feels like hitting feature parity with what ChatGPT has been doing for months. Its also been compared to Perplexity, another generative AI search engine startup.What neither feature feels like is something fresh and new. Neither feels innovative. ChatGPT has long been building user histories and using the information it has to deliver results. While Gemini could also remember things about you, its a little bit shocking to me that Google has taken this long to bring in signals from its other products. Obviously there are privacy concerns to field, but this is an opt-in product were talking about.The other thing is that, at least as Ive found so far, ChatGPT is just better at this stuff. Heres a small example. I tried asking both: What do you know about me? ChatGPT replied with a really insightful, even thoughtful, profile based on my interactions with it. These arent just the things Ive explicitly told it to remember about me, either. Much of it comes from the context of various prompts Ive fed it. Its figured out what kind of music I like. It knows little details about my taste in films. (You dont particularly enjoy slasher films in general.) Some of it is just sort of oddly delightful. For example: You built asmall shed for trash canswith a hinged wooden roof and needed a solution to hold it open.Google, despite having literal decades of my email, search, and browsing history, a copy of every digital photo Ive ever taken, and more darkly terrifying insight into the depths of who I really am than I probably I do myself, mostly spat back the kind of profile anadvertiserwould want, versus a person hoping for useful tailored results. (You enjoy comedy, music, podcasts, and are interested in both current and classic media)I enjoy music, you say? Remarkable!Im also reminded of something an OpenAI executive said to me late last year, as the company was preparing to roll out search. It has more freedom to innovate precisely because it doesnt have the massive legacy business that Google does. Yes, itsburning moneywhile Google mints it. But OpenAI has the luxury of being able to experiment (at least until the capital runs out) without worrying about killing a cash cow like Google has with traditional search.Of course, its clear that Google and its parent company Alphabetcan innovate in many areassee Google DeepMinds Gemini Roboticsannouncementthis week, for example. Or ride in a Waymo! But can it do so around its core products and business? Its not the only big legacy tech company with this problem. Microsofts AI strategy to date has largely been reliant on its partnership with OpenAI. And Apple, meanwhile, seems completely lost in the wilderness, asthis scathing takedown from longtime Apple pundit John Gruber lays bare.Google has billions of users and piles of cash. It can leverage its existing base in ways OpenAI or Anthropic (which Google also owns a good chunk of) or Perplexity just arent capable of. But Im also pretty convinced that unless it can be the market leader here, rather than a follower, it points to some painful days ahead. But hey,Astra is coming. Lets see what happens.

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With writer Ryukishi07 and creature designer kera on board, its a given that NeoBards Silent Hill f will be an intense experience. Though the latest trailer offered enough hints, the survival horror titles ESRB rating contains even more gruesome details. Spoilers for those who want to be surprised, and ample warning for the squeamish.Rated M for Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore and Intense Violence, protagonist Shimizu Hinako will use axes, knives, spears and crowbars to fight. Blood splatters occur during attacks, but depending on the attack, players can get impaled or have their faces ripped apart. Then there are the cutscenes, which include a person burned alive in a cage, a woman branded by a hot iron, and entrails and sinew on serving plates (as seen in the trailer).But wait, theres more. One character saws off an arm. Another sees sections of their face sliced off during a ritual. Some creatures, like the mannequin-esque monster, have also led to the Partial Nudity tag.Suffice it to say that Silent Hill f is justified in becoming the first title in the series rated 18+ in Japan. Theres no release date, but its coming to Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Stay tuned in the coming months for more details and check out our feature.

Saturday, March 15th, 2025Posted by Jim ThackerAssetify 2.1 converts Blender assets to game-ready formatshtml PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Originally posted on 18 February 2025. Scroll down for news of the Assetify 2.1 update.3D artist Nino Bolink (aka defoq) has released Assetify 2, the new version of his time-saving Blender add-on for converting assets into game-ready formats.The update makes it possible to bake and export animations as well as static assets, including the option to convert Geometry Nodes-based animations and cloth simulations to shape keys.Automate the processing of Blender assets for use in games and real-time applicationsReleased last year, Assetify streamlines the process of converting Blender assets into formats suitable for use in real-time applications, including games, AR and web apps.It automates the process of unwrapping and packing UVs on Blender models, and baking PBR textures from them, with export presets for both Unreal Engine and Unity.The add-on can bake textures from Geometry Nodes set-ups, and integrates with Mossify, Bolinks procedural moss-generation add-on for Blender.Processed assets can be exported in standard 3D formats: FBX, OBJ, glTF/GLB and STL.Now supports animation, including Geometry Nodes setupsAssetify 2 adds support for animation, making it possible to process keyframe and shape key (blendshape) animations, and physics and particle simulations.Highlights include the option to convert Geometry Nodes-based animations and cloth simulations to shape keys, for export in file formats including glTF and Alembic.The add-on can also now bake PBR texture sequences from animations.Updated 15 March 2025: Nino Bolink has released Assetify 2.1, adding support for non-Principled BSDF baking.Users can now bake PBR textures from any shader setup, not just the Principled BSDF shader, including Emission, Diffuse BSDF, Glossy BSDF, Transparent BSDF and Mix Shaders.Price and system requirementsAssetify 2.1 is compatible with Blender 4.0+. An individual license costs $34.99; studio licenses cost between $69.99 and $199.99.Read more about Assetify 2.1 on the add-ons Gumroad pageHave your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we dont post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.Latest NewsAdobe releases Substance 3D Painter 11.0Check out the new features in the 3D texture painting app, including an Auto-update system, and more path tools, filters and texture generators.Monday, March 17th, 2025Free tool: Lens Cap for BlenderDecoded's frustration-saving add-on adds new features to Blender's camera system, streamlining keyframing DOF and object visibility.Sunday, March 16th, 2025Celsys releases Clip Studio Paint 4Check out the new features in the digital painting software for comics, illustrations and concept art, including the new Puppet Warp.Saturday, March 15th, 2025Assetify 2.1 converts Blender assets to game-ready formatsAsset baking and export add-on can now bake PBR textures from any Blender shader set-up, not just the Principled BSDF shader.Saturday, March 15th, 2025Tutorial: Creature Combat Animation in MayaDiscover how to create a King Kong-style creature fight sequence with The Gnomon Workshop's new five-hour Maya masterclass.Saturday, March 15th, 2025Wonder Studio becomes Autodesk Flow StudioAI-based service for VFX and animation gets rebranded as part of Autodesk's Flow cloud platform. Check out its latest features.Friday, March 14th, 2025More NewsPolygonflow releases Dash 1.9Get KitBash3D's Gaea fantasy architecture asset pack for freeCheck out open-source Blender character generator MPFB 2Check out neat AI-trained hand mocap tool HandCraft ProTutorial: Creating Production-Ready Hero Assets Using MariAMD releases Capsaicin 1.2AMD launches FSR 4, AFMF 2.1 and RIS 2.0AMD launches Radeon RX 9070 XT and Radeon RX 9070D5 Render 2.10 adds real-time path tracingDownload Marmoset's free materials for Toolbag 5Autodesk lays off 1,350 staff3d-io releases Unwrella-IOOlder Posts

Split Fiction reaches 2m sales in one week | News-in-briefHazelight Studios' latest co-op sold one million units in 48 hours following its launch on March 6, 2025Image credit: Hazelight Studios News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on March 17, 2025 This is a News-in-brief article, our short format linking to an official source for more information. Read more about this story by following the link below:Split Fiction reaches 2m sales in one week

Star Wars: Hunters to be sunset later this yearZynga's free-to-play shooter launched in June 2024Image credit: Zynga News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on March 17, 2025 Squad-based arena shooter Star Wars: Hunters is being shut down less than a year after launch.Developed by Zynga and its subsidiary NaturalMotion, the free-to-play title's servers will be taken offline on October 1, 2025. The game will remain in stores and available to download until this date."We understand this news may be disappointing and we want to assure you that this decision was not made lightly," the developer said on its website."Your passion and dedication to the game and its community have meant the world to us, and we are committed to providing visibility and updates throughout the transition process."Season 5 of Star Wars: Hunters will be extended by three weeks, beginning on March 25, 2025.The final update for all platforms, including Switch, iOS, and Android, will be on April 15, 2025. In-game purchases will also be disabled from this date.Any in-game currency purchased but not yet used is not eligible for refund, as the developer states on the FAQ section of its website.

Light-based internet project Taara is exiting Alphabets moonshot incubator X, spinning off into an independent company. Taaras tech uses lasers to transmit data, and is envisaged as a rival to Elon Musks Starlink when it comes to connecting rural areas to the internet.The Financial Times reports that Alphabet will retain a minority stake in Taara, which has also secured funding from Series X Capital. The company currently has two dozen employees and operates in 12 countries, working on everything from connecting the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo to augmenting the congested network at the 2024 Coachella festival. Weve realised over time that for a good number of the things we create, theres a lot of benefit to landing just outside of the Alphabet membrane, said Eric Astro Teller, Xs so-called captain of moonshots. Theyre going to be able to get connected quickly to market capital, bring in strategic investors and generally be able to scale faster this way.Taaras current tech involves firing a narrow beam of light from one traffic light-sized terminal to another, with transmission of up to 20 gigabits per second over 20km (almost 12.5 miles) distances. The terminals can be mounted on towers, and are quicker and cheaper to install than laying fiber especially when you need a signal to reach an island, cross a river, or arrive at some otherwise hard-to-reach location. Last month the company announced that it has condensed its tech into a much more compact chip, which it expects to launch in a product in 2026.While Taaras tower-based optical technology works differently to Starlinks satellites, its setting itself up as a rival in the business of connecting rural areas. We can offer 10, if not 100 times more bandwidth to an end user than a typical Starlink antenna, and do it for a fraction of the cost, founder Mahesh Krishnaswamy told Wired.Taara itself has its origins in another X project, Loon, which imagined distributing data by shooting lasers around a network of 20-mile-high balloons. Believe it or not, that proved unfeasible in the end, and Loon was wound down in 2021 just three years after it too graduated from Alphabets moonshot program. Loons lasers were repurposed into Taaras towers by Krishnaswamy, though the tech also found a third home in Aalyria, another spin-off that focuses on coordinating satellite and airborne mesh networks, and has its own Tightbeam project that sounds similar to Taara.See More: