They came for D4Diablo 4 will now turn on resolution scaling by default on PC, so don't be alarmed if things suddenly look blurryDiablo 4's next patch arrives soon, and it's going to make a change a lot of PC players won't be enitrely happy with.Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment. News by Sherif Saed Contributing Editor Published on March 17, 2025 Blizzard has revealed the patch notes for Diablo 4s next update, which will arrive tomorrow, March 18 on all platforms. This is a smaller patch, so dont expect anything massive. Ironically, though, the biggest change has little to do with gameplay.This patch adds new graphics technology, and it also makes a change that aligns the game with so many other modern releases.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Patch 2.1.4s biggest addition is support for Intel XeLL and XeSS Frame Generation. Diablo 4 already supports the image upscaling side of both of those technologies, but it will soon get Frame Generation, too.Although this is nice to have, most people who care about the tech will likely own an Nvidia card and make use of DLSS there instead. Regardless, youll be able to turn that on in the games graphics options menu.Now, onto the more controversial part of the patch. After installing it, the game will now default to enabling resolution scaling. In other words, it wont run at native resolution by default. The chosen upscaling method will depend on your hardware, according to Blizzard. A couple of fixes for Headhunt events, too. | Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment.Its not yet clear what sort of settings Blizzard has chosen for the different hardware configurations, but the practice of enabling DLSS and FSR - or image upscaling in general, is quickly becoming more and more common across modern games. Some games even default to - and expect - Frame Generation to be enabled, such as the recently released Monster Hunter Wilds.Apart from all the technical upgrades, the patch also comes with a few bug fixes, including a fix to a bug that prevented Scour events from being completed, and another that cause herb node icons to disappear from the minimap during the same event.The patch also fixes an - admittedly amusing - bug that prevented players from being able to rename a loadout when they disabled the mature language filter. You can read the full change log on Blizzards blog.

Force of the MarketStar Wars Hunters is shutting down, causing the voices of thousands of players to cry out in terror, doomed to be silenced this OctoberNo refunds on the battle pass too, quite the dark side move.Image credit: Zynga / Naturalmotion News by Connor Makar Staff Writer Published on March 17, 2025 Star Wars Hunters, a pretty great mobile and Nintendo Switch PvP game, is shutting down this year. The game, which only released in June 2024, will be turning off its servers in October 2025.Apost on the official website titled "Sunset on Vespaara" broke the sad news to its communities and provided a timeline of the game's brief future. The next update due to release on April will be Hunters' last, with the fifth season of content extending to give players a chance to complete all the content they wish.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. The post reads: "We understand this news may be disappointing and want to assure you that this decision was not made lightly. 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."In the timeline provided, the devs state that starting March 25, events from the season will be re-run alongside shop bundles. In addition, the ranked season will be extended alongside the season, so PvP grinders can get as high up on the ladder as they desire.on April 15, the final content update will be released. In-game purchases will be disabled entirely, and a free Support Hunter called Tuya will be added to the game. In addition, a final ranked mode leaderboard will be released. Then, on the fateful day of October 1, the game will be shut off entirely. At this point, it will no longer be playable. RIP.That's not all in terms of bad news. In an FAQ page released alongside this closure post, it's stated that the latest Arena Pass will not be refundable, nor will crystal purchases on unspent crystals (in-game currency). The FAQ states, "The intention of the 30-day notice we are giving between March 14th and turning off in-app purchases on April 15th is to give players enough time to max out the Arena Pass before the end of the Season."Nine months obviously isn't a long life span for a game, especially for one that was otherwise loved by a dedicated audience of players. It's especially rough given that some of these dedicated players, who recently spent money on the game under the assumption it would live on for the foreseeable future, won't be able to get that cash back. While it's evident that some measures have been made to make sure folks are getting their money's worth, it's still a bitter taste to end a game on.If you loved Star Wars Hunters, let us know below! What was your favourite memory from the game, and will you keep playing until the game's final moments?

Beyond the realm.It's been 84 years since Nintendo first announced that the next chapter in the Metroid Prime series was in development. Then, in 1957, an apology was issued as the platform holder took things back to the drawing board, restarting development and shifting production from partner dev Bandai Namco back to Prime series founders Retro Studios.Okay, the exact dates are a little off there, but for fans of the series it feels like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has been in the works for an awfully long time. Back in 2017, the Switch's launch year, there was little question as to which console MP4 would arrive on, but news of the developmental reboot in 2019 gave some of us pause. Even small projects can take several years to come to fruition, and with Retro apparently starting over from scratch, would a flagship game like MP4 see the light of day before the Switch's successor landed?Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube798kWe challenge any one of you to admit that at some point in the mid-2000s, you didn't try to get a perfect game in Wii Sports bowling. Of course you did! The console's pack-in title had all of us swinging, punching and putting like there was no tomorrow, and the bowling mode might have been the most approachable of the bunch, making that 300-point game feel all the more achievable.The problem was, it was really hard. No matter how hard we tried 20 years ago, a perfect game always felt just out of reach for our mortal bodies. But what if our flesh and blood was the problem? Surely you could hit perfection with, we don't know, a robot? Right?Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube798kWatch on YouTube That's what content creator Emily The Engineer wanted to put to the test in her latest video. You see, as her channel name suggests, Emily has the engineering skills to make that robot dream a reality. And so, armed with the technical know-how, a bunch of 3D printers and a good few hours to dedicate to Wii Sports, she set out to achieve just that.We won't spoil the video outcome here, but rest assured, a robot is infinitely better at Wii bowling than we ever were.Golf, on the other hand? We'd face off against the best robot any day... Quiet, pleaseMove over, 3DS XLDo you have memories of trying to bowl a perfect game in Wii Sports? What do you make of this robotic solution? Let us know in the comments.[source youtube.com]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:03 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNew 18+ LEGO Mario Kart Set Is A Better Build Than We ExpectedPole position on our wishlistsNintendo & Pokmon Company Had An "Adversarial Relationship", Say Former NOA Staffers"There was a little bit of salt"Switch 2 Predicted To Cost "$400 Or More"It could also be the "biggest console launch ever"PSA: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Has Reportedly Leaked OnlineSpoiler shields, activate!

For someone who wants solar panels, the question is often: How many? And for a heat pump, its how big? Answering those questions typically requires a contractor to set foot on your property.Yet over the last decade, solar installers have trimmed that time consuming process considerably. Some, like Tesla, have eliminated it entirely. The secret is software which, when coupled with a range of data sources, allows installers to model exactly how many panels a house will need.Like many other solar installers, Palmetto has its own internal tool to assess potential projects, which is built on software it acquired when it bought Mapdwell, a solar mapping startup.But as growth has slowed in the market for residential solar, the company has begun to tackle other electrification projects, including backup batteries and heat pumps. Developing software for those products, which live inside the home where satellite imagery cant reach, is trickier.So Palmetto started gathering data to develop a virtual view of every residential building in the United States. Palmettos president of energy intelligence Michael Bratsafolis told TechCrunch that the company is basically simulating digital twins of the entire US residential building stock.The companys tool relies on public and private data. Where it doesnt have exact information, its AI uses clues to infer what might be lurking in the walls. For example, a house built in the 1950s likely used 24 lumber for the exterior walls, limiting the amount of insulation that can fit inside.Palmetto developed a demo to showcase some of the functionality the API can give developers access to.Image Credits:PalmettoThis technology can break the home down into like 60 plus different characteristics and attributes, Bratsafolis said.To validate the models, Palmetto can turn to the data it has already gathered on homes that have bought or are leasing solar panels from the company.That allows us to anonymize and use the real information and data about a home to compare how the model is performing and help train the model further, he said.Palmetto has also decided to open the tool to outside developers, a move that Bratsafolis said was inspired by his time at Twilio.I came from that developer motion, the micro-service approach to providing API building blocks to kind of empower partners and developers, he said.Developers get 500 calls free every month, and after that its five cents per call. For bigger customers, Bratsafolis said the company is open to negotiating special pricing.Bratsifolis said he hopes developers will build tools that speed electrification of US building stock, and Palmetto will get some early clues about where the market is headed: You just dont necessarily know what the use cases could be. And with an API product, you get incredible insight into the demand and the market.

TechCrunch All Stage (formerly Early Stage) returns to Boston on July 15, and the agenda for our tentpole East Coast founder event is almost complete. Were excited to share this sneak peek at some of the fantastic speakers and sessions we have on tap.For builders who are just starting on their founder journey, our Foundation Stage is absolutelythe place to be. Were enlisting a stellar cast of leading investors and entrepreneurs to dig deep into founder-focused topics such as:All the Ways You Dont Realize VCs Are Evaluating Your Company at Pre-Seed.MVP in the Age of AI: When to Bot and When to Not.The TAM Myth: How the Best Startups Reshape Markets.How to Craft a Killer Pitch Deck.New for 2025, were calling all growth-stage founders and startups for a full-day track dedicated to advice on how to scale your company from Series A and beyond. On the Scale Stage, you can check out:The Operators Playbook for Building and Scaling Sustainable Companies.How to Raise for Series C and Beyond.What to Know When Going Public.Scaling to $10M ARR.TC All Stage is unlike any other TechCrunch event. Instead of panels and fireside chats, speakers present their areas of expertise and then answer your questions. As always, all attendees get transcripts and visual assets from the presentations, so you can take what you learn with you!And if youre the chatty type, youll enjoy the roundtable discussions and our networking platform Braindate for lots of time to mingle with other founders, builders, and investors. You have loads of founder questions, and well have the answers for you. More topics will be announced soon.So come down and hang with us on July 15 in Boston and grab your early-bird pass to save up to $320. Well see you there!TechCrunch All Stage 2025 agenda sneak peekFoundation StageAll the Ways You Dont Realize VCs Are Evaluating Your Company at Pre-SeedWith Charles Hudson, Managing Partner and Founder,Precursor VenturesMVP in the Age of AI: When to Bot and When to NotWith Chris Gardner, Partner, Underscore.vcThe TAM Myth: How the Best Startups Reshape MarketsWith Jahanvi Sardana, Partner, Index VenturesHow to Craft a Killer Pitch DeckWith Tiffany Luck, Partner, NEAPrecursor Ventures Managing Partner Charles Hudson.Image Credits:Photo by Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch / Getty ImagesSo You Think You Can Pitch?Founders selected to take part in this session will have four minutes to wow a panel of judges, including leading VCs, who will then provide feedback. Check the event page soon for how to apply!Scale StageThe Operators Playbook for Building and Scaling Sustainable CompaniesWith Jon McNeill, CEO and Co-Founder, DVx VenturesHow to Raise for Series C and BeyondWith Cathy Gao, Partner, Sapphire VenturesCathy Gao, Partner at Sapphire Ventures, will speak on the Scale Stage at TechCrunch All Stage 2025 on July 15 in SoWa Power Station in Boston.Lock in your ticket before prices go upMore agenda announcements are on the way, but the best way to experience TC All Stage is to be there in person. Whether youre looking for hands-on founder insights or scouting the next big investment, this is the must-attend summit for founders and VCs of all stages. Join us on July 15 at SoWa Power Station in Bostonregister now and save up to $320 on select tickets!Want even more brand visibility at TC All Stage?Go beyond attendingexhibit your brand and innovation in front of 1,200 top AI minds. Space is limited, so dont miss your chance to make an impact! Grab your exhibit table here before they run out.Or, explore sponsorship opportunities and activations at TC Sessions: AI. Get in touch with our team by filling out this form.Dont miss out on the best deals for TechCrunch eventsSubscribe to the TechCrunch Events newsletter for early access to special deals and the latest event news.

Breakdown & ShowreelsBridget Jones Mad About the Boy: VFX Breakdown by FramestoreBy Vincent Frei - 17/03/2025 Sometimes, the most impressive VFX are the ones you dont see. The work of Framestore on Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy was all about subtlety, enhancing the story while keeping the visuals authentic and grounded!WANT TO KNOW MORE?Framestore: Dedicated page about Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy on Framestore website. Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2025

Nerd Rant Special: Barcelona Supercomputing Center Fernando Cucchiettiby Moritz 17.03.2025comment 0 Nerd RantMoritz visited the BSC the Barcelona Supercomputing Center last August and had the pleasure of meeting the Designers and Scientists that work there. His first interviewpartner is Fernando Cucchietti the Head of Data Analytics and Visualization. Fernando explains how he ended up in this very special place, manages the communication between the different disciplines and what a person needs to bring to the table to be able to work in such a facility. Barcelona Supercomputing CenterLiked it? Take a second to support Moritz on Patreon!

Once you use it, its hard to go back to default Blender light controls. Light Wrangler is a Blender add-on that transforms scene lighting by enabling you to place and adjust lights effortlessly (with a simple right-click).Light Wrangler on Blender Market (our affiliate link)Light Wrangler on Gumroad (our affiliate link)Credits:Leonid Altmans Youtube ChannelLight Wrangler websiteApple Mac Mini M1 by DatSketch, CC Attributionhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Oculus Quest VR Headset by BlackCube, CC AttributionGaming headphone by Optic_idealist, CC Attribution2022 Volkswagen Lamando L 280 TSI by Ddiaz Design, CC AttributionChanel Allure Homme Sport Eau Extreme by OddPhish3DSauvage Perfume by szsakaria, CC AttributionWine Bottle by RED2000, CC AttributionWine Bottle and Glass by JoeDev, CC AttributionNative Moisturizing Shampoo _ Coconut & Vanilla by BeeKING, CC AttributionIphone 14 Pro by mister dude, CC AttributionLow poly stand mixer green by assetfactorySmeg Toaster by The Fresh Lab, CC0 (Public Domain)HDRI, Models, Textures Polyhaven, CC0 (Public Domain)Disclaimer:This video is for educational and illustrative purposes only. The use of brand logos, trademarks, and products (e.g., Volkswagen, Chanel, etc.) is purely for demonstration and discussion. We are not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any of these companies. All trademarks and brand names are the property of their respective owners.The post The Lighting Addon Weve Been Waiting For Light Wrangler appeared first on Creative Shrimp.

Can Lis | Iwan BaanPerched on the cliffs of Mallorca, Can Lis is a deeply personal work by Jrn Utzon.It is more than a house designed in 1971 as a retreat following his departure fromthe Sydney Opera House project. It is an exploration of place, materiality, and spatial experience. Fragmented into pavilions, it responds to the Mediterranean climate, integrating vernacular traditions with a modernist sensibility. Each space engages with the sun and sea movement, creating a study in site-sensitive architecture.Can Lis Technical InformationArchitects1-4: Jrn UtzonLocation: Porto Petro, Mallorca, SpainArea: 200 m2 | 2,150 Sq. Ft.Project Year: 1971 1972Photographs: Iwan Baan, via Utzon FoundationI have always believed that the most important thing in architecture is to create surroundings in which people feel comfortable. Jrn Utzon 5Can Lis Photographs Iwan Baan Iwan Baan Iwan Baan Iwan Baan Iwan Baan Iwan Baan Iwan Baan Iwan Baan Iwan Baan Iwan Baan Iwan Baan Iwan Baan Iwan BaanSpatial Composition and Design ApproachUnlike conventional residences emphasizing internal continuity, Can Lis is fragmented into a series of pavilions, each with a specific function: living, dining, sleeping, and working. These volumes are arranged linearly, following the cliffs edge and strategically orienting toward the sea. This segmentation allows for a spatial fluidity where movement between rooms necessitates brief encounters with the outdoors, reinforcing the connection to nature.The houses experience is defined by a careful orchestration of thresholds, light, and views. Openings are meticulously placed to frame the landscape, creating dynamic sky, sea, and rock compositions. Courtyards and covered terraces blur the distinction between inside and outside, evoking a sense of permeability.Utzons approach here is reminiscent of the Mediterranean tradition of constructing dwellings in response to climate and topography. Environmental factors dictate the orientation of each space: shaded areas offer respite from the sun, while strategic openings facilitate natural ventilation. The house does not impose itself on the landscape but grows from it, acknowledging the passage of time and the rhythms of nature.Can Lis Materiality, Construction, and CraftsmanshipAt the heart of Can Liss architectural identity is its materiality. The house is constructed almost entirely from locally quarried Mars sandstone, a soft, porous limestone that imparts the structure a warm, earthy quality. The choice of Mars is not merely aesthetic but deeply practicalit regulates temperature, absorbs light, and seamlessly integrates the house with its surroundings.The masonry work exhibits tectonic clarity, and the construction technique is visible and celebrated. Blocks of stone are mainly left unadorned, stacked to create thick walls that provide thermal mass, insulating the interiors from the harsh Mediterranean climate. The materials weathering over time further cements the houses belonging to its site, as its surfaces bear the marks of wind and salt air.Furniture and built-in elements follow the same logic of integration. Benches, tables, and beds emerge as monolithic extensions of the architecture, reinforcing the idea that the house is carved rather than assembled. The simplicity of detailingarched openings, recessed niches, and heavy lintelsreflects a construction methodology that is both timeless and rooted in local building traditions.Legacy and Influence in Contemporary ArchitectureCan Lis occupies a unique position in architectural discourse, serving as a personal retreat and a manifesto of Utzons matured philosophy. It distills lessons from his travels through China, Mexico, and the Middle East, where he studied indigenous architectures prioritizing climate, material honesty, and spatial richness.Since then, the house has become a point of pilgrimage for architects, offering insights into an architecture that is at once deeply modern and profoundly traditional. It contrasts the technological exuberance of the Sydney Opera House, demonstrating that architectural innovation is not always a matter of structural audacity but can emerge from an intuitive dialogue with place.Can Lis also prefigures contemporary discussions on regionalism and sustainability. Its reliance on local materials, passive cooling strategies, and an architectural language that defers to nature rather than dominating it speaks to many of the concerns that drive architects today. The projects restraint and sensitivity serve as a counterpoint to the excesses of globalized design trends, offering a model for how architecture can root itself in the specifics of geography, climate, and culture.Can Lis PlansFloor Plan | Jrn UtzonSketches | Jrn UtzonCan Lis Image GalleryAbout Jrn UtzonJrn Utzon (19182008) was a Danish architect renowned for his visionary and context-driven designs, most notably the Sydney Opera House, which redefined modern architecture through its sculptural expression and structural innovation. His work, deeply influenced by nature, vernacular traditions, and global architectural heritage, emphasized the harmonious integration of buildings with their surroundings. Projects like Can Lis and the Bagsvrd Church further showcase his mastery of materiality, spatial composition, and light, solidifying his legacy as one of the most influential architects of the 20th century.Credits and Additional NotesTotal Built Area: Approximately 200 mMaterials: Locally quarried Mars sandstoneDesign Team: Jrn Utzon and Lis UtzonClient: Jrn Utzon and FamilyWeston, Richard. Utzon: Inspiration, Vision, Architecture. Edition Blndal, 2002Jrn Utzon: Drawings and BuildingsbyMichael Asgaard AndersenFrampton, Kenneth. Modern Architecture: A Critical History. Thames & Hudson, 1980.Utzon Foundation