All about the latest print magazine, PLUS, how to subscribe to the DIGITAL edition!Issue #29 of befores & afters magazine in print is now out! It covers the HBO series, The Penguin.With production visual effects supervisor Johnny Han and several VFX vendors, we look behind the scenes at the visual effects effort to depict the low and high points of Gotham featured in the series, correlating the look of the series with that of The Batman via lens choices, plus key moments such as a seawall flooding flashback, various blood and gore scenes, the approach to driving shots, and cosmetic VFX work.Also, befores & afters magazine now has a DIGITAL EDITION! You can access this exclusively on the befores & afters Patreon, either by buying individual issues, or by subscribing to the DIGITAL EDITION tier (see the Membership options). Under that tier, youll be sent a new issue every time one is released!Meanwhile, the magazine will still ALWAYS be in print. Find issue #29 at your local Amazon store:USAUKCanadaGermanyFranceSpainItalyAustralia JapanSwedenPolandNetherlandsThe post Issue #29 of befores & afters magazine is a full issue on the VFX of The Penguin appeared first on befores & afters.

Wt FX brought Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire to life by crafting massive titans in a world with no sky and shifting gravity. They developed new creatures like Suko (a rebellious young ape), Skar King (a tyrannical ruler), and Shimo (an ice-breathing titan).Suko was designed as a punk teenager, with motion capture performances adding to his expressive personality. A standout moment was Kong using Suko as a weapon, an idea that unexpectedly stayed in the film. Skar King, Kongs sneaky and manipulative opponent, was given long, spider-monkey-like arms for unique combat movements.The films procedural environments included 400 million geometry instances, realistic water simulations, and Icelandic landscape references for authenticity. The Kong vs. Skar King battle doubled in length, adding key emotional moments.Wt FXs cutting-edge virtual cinematography and VFX advancements made these larger-than-life titans feel real and immersive.The post Virtual Cinematography in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Wt FX appeared first on Vfxexpress.

In the midst of an artificial intelligence boom thats reshaping almost every facet of the business world, companies are competing in an arms race to build the best and brightest models and fully embrace the nascent technology, whether thats as a product or service for customers or as an integralcomponent of their organizations processes. This has raised the profile and pursuit of data science: After all, as Airbyte CEO and co-founder Michel Tricot succinctly put it, no data, no AI.But this arms race could have many winners at its finish line. Indeed, this years honorees all have something in common beyond their creative use of data in a world increasingly dependent on it: namely, a keen understanding of how to employ data science to make a positive impact on the world around them, building a successful business in the process.They include Unstructured, which helps organizations from Fortune 10 companies to the U.S, military transform raw data into the fuel for AI applications; Chainalysis, a blockchain intelligence group thats become the go-to agency for financial institutions and law enforcement countering crypto crime; Norstella, which harnesses big data to help biopharmaceutical companies develop thousands of life-saving drugs through accelerated planning and AI-assisted decision-making; Makersite, which employs AI to help manufacturers embrace data-driven transparent supply chains in pursuit of ethical consumption; and Satelytics, which analyzes satellite-based geospatial data in search of methane leaks so energy companies can reduce emissions.Vacuuming up data to build an in-house AI agent is one thing, but using that data to substantially improve the lives of consumers is another thing entirely and these companies all earned a spot on our list because of it.1. UnstructuredFor broadening the scope ofcorporate data that can inform AIUnstructureds goal is to help businesses unlock and leverage their unstructured data, making it accessible as the foundation for AI-powered solutions. With the majority of enterprise information trapped in disparate formats that are hard to analyze and integrateso much so that developers and data scientists spend more than 75% of their time simply preparing data for ingestionUnstructured automates the transformation of raw data into AI-friendly formats, enabling organizations to utilize it for RAG (retrieval-augmented generation, which uses supplemental data to improve results) and fine-tuning large language models.Its solution extracts unstructured data from databases, converts more than 30 file types into LLM-ready formats, and loads the results into vector databases for RAG applications. By continuously providing real-time, up-to-date data, Unstructureds platform ensures that LLMs are tailored to specific organizational knowledge.In 2024, the company launched its commercial SaaS API and enterprise platform, a move that quickly attracted over 10,000 customers. Its now parlaying its advancement of business AI into serving as an open-source tools hub for the technology community. Its also playing a critical role in national security by partnering with U.S. military organizations, including the Air Force, Space Force, and Special Operations Command.Read more aboutUnstructured, honored as No. 24 on Fast Companys list of theWorlds 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2025.2. ChainalysisFor bringing transparency to the crypto industryChainalysis blockchain data platform targets trust and transparency in the crypto industry. Its compliance software helps crypto companies fulfill anti-money-laundering and other legal requirements while its investigative software helps government agencies regulate the industry. In 2024, Chainalysis screened more than 250 million transfers and $4 trillion in transactions, identifying 6,500 unique entities and collaborating with more than 1,300 customers worldwide. It helped recover more than $11 billion in illicit funds and track nearly $25 billion in criminal transactions. The company is on track to take in an estimated $250 million revenue (up nearly 30% over the previous year). It has partnered with government agencies, financial institutions, and cybersecurity firms in more than 70 countries and more than 250 law enforcement agencies worldwide.Chainalys has also introduced key upgrades to its Crypto Investigations Solution, enabling agencies to instantly assess blockchain addresses and trace complex crypto transactions. In 2024, the company scored a pivotal win when a U.S. district court judge ruled that its blockchain forensics were admissible as substantive evidence, establishing a critical legal precedent and affirming the reliability of its analytics for prosecutors and regulators.Read more aboutChainalysis, honored as No. 36 on Fast Companys list of theWorlds 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2025.3. AirbyteFor simplifying large-scale data integration for AI-centric projectsIn a world dominated by AI, its difficult to overstate how critical data management is to the foundations of a functional system. As Airbyte CEO Michel Tricot notes, no data, no AI. The company makes it easy for organizations to move data from any source to any destination so businesses can unlock the potential of that data.In 2024, Airbytes technology helped organizations fuel AI-driven initiatives using existing data pipelines through support for eight vector databases, RAG transformations (which improve response accuracy and relevance), and unstructured data management. The launch of Airbyte Marketplace, featuring more than 400 certified data connectors, further simplified integration by enabling instant deployment or customization. With an open-source model fostering community-driven innovation, Airbyte has used AI to help a robust community of 20,000 data engineers develop 10,000+ user-built custom data connectors.The companys initiatives drove a fourfold increase in revenue in 2024. Airbyte has become the most widely adopted data movement platform globally with more than 170,000 deployments across 7,000 active companies, including Siemens and Peloton.4. NorstellaFor fostering faster drug discovery by analyzing billions of data pointsNorstellas goal is to help major pharmaceutical and life sciences companies navigate the complex path to developing lifesaving treatments. That, in turn, makes it easier and faster to get life-changing therapies into the hands of the patients who need them. Launched in 2024, its NorstellaLinQ platform integrates over 74 billion data pointsincluding insights from hundreds of medication launches, tens of thousands of clinical trials across 185 countries, and 500,000 investigationsto combine real-world data with proprietary clinical, regulatory, and commercial intelligence. The result is sharper decision-making and accelerated clinical trial planning to facilitate faster drug development.The company also launched Citeline SmartSolutions, a suite of AI-enabled products that uses Norstellas trove of data to address challenges in clinical trial design. The platform saves customers time and money by optimizing trial predictability, reducing costly amendments, and streamlining investigator selection. Norstellas integration of real-world insights and diversity data further enhances trial design, ensuring more inclusive, accurate studies.Norstellas impact is already evident: In the past year, the company has helped bring over 50 new drugs to market. It is now assisting major pharmaceutical and biotech companies that have more than 23,000 drugs in their pipelines.5. MakersiteFor helping companies design and build more sustainable and cost-effective productsMakersites goal is to streamline product development with data-driven supply chain transparency, enabling companies to design and manufacture more sustainable and cost-effective products. By combining the worlds largest manufacturing data foundation with proprietary algorithms, the company claims to deliver real-time lifecycle assessments 100 times faster than the best available alternatives. Its user-friendly dashboard guides designers and engineers to better data-driven decisions early in development.In 2024, the company launched new tools that enhance the solutions flexibility and granularity. In-workflow plugins improve sustainability and cost estimates by using proprietary data instead of industry averages, and an AI-powered eco-design dashboard has already helped engineers reduce product and packaging lifecycle impacts by up to 58%. Makersite also expanded its data platform, integrating environmental database providers like Carbon Minds to enhance insights about chemicals and plastics and using generative AI to deliver more precise data for mechanical and chemical supply chains.Makersite doubled year-over-year revenue in 2024 as the company saw 20% growth in enterprise customers. Its highest-profile win was with Microsoft, which used the companys unique methodology to identify carbon hotspots in the Surface Pro 10s supply chain and reduce the devices carbon footprint by 28% versus the previous model. The improvement vividly demonstrated how Makersite can help customers align design excellence with ethical consumption.6. AnacondaFor expanding AIs reach to the masses with its premier Python platform.In 2024, Anaconda solidified its role as the worlds leading platform for specialized deployments of Pythonthe most popular data science programming languageby offering data scientists, developers, and enterprises better and more sophisticated tools. Its distribution platform, trusted by 93% of Fortune 500 companies and 45 million users, introduced innovations that scaled Pythons impact across industries by simplifying workflows and democratizing advanced analytics. Key features included Python in Excel, allowing non-programmers to create AI-powered code generation and effortless data visualizations without external installations.Anaconda also launched the AI Navigator, a curated library of 200+ pre-trained models for natural language processing, code generation and more. The desktop app offered enterprise-grade security and local AI deployment, enabling users to harness generative AI while safeguarding sensitive data. Additionally, the enhanced Anaconda Assistant and Code & Toolbox streamlined coding, debugging, and data visualization, making Python workflows more accessible.By tapping into Pythons 839% growth in enterprise usage and quadrupling to over 1 million organizations since 2022, Anaconda has helped to fuel the languages reach, reflecting the companys commitment to push the boundaries of data science in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.7. SatelyticsFor detecting methane leaks with satellite-based geospatial analyticsSatelytics is a geospatial analytics platform that uses multispectral and hyperspectral imagery from satellites, drones, aircraft, and fixed cameras to deliver actionable insights for the natural gas industry. By analyzing this data, Satelytics can rapidly pinpoint problems like methane leaks with remarkable detail and deliver alerts within hours, minimizing costs and operational disruptions.In 2024, Duke Energy used Satelytics AI-powered platform to detect leaks as small as 1 kg/hr with pinpoint accuracy; the deployment identified 433 methane plumes alone during its first scan of Charlotte, North Carolina. The projects success led the energy company to expand the program across five states and to laud Satelytics as a key driver in its efforts to drastically reduce methane emissions.Satelytics applications extend beyond energy; the company is also advancing land management through a collaboration with Envus RangeView tool.By analyzing invasive species like cheatgrass and medusahead and employing high-resolution imagery and AI-powered insights, Satelytics helps ranchers and landowners precisely tackle infestations, reducing manual labor and restoring rangeland productivity. It is another demonstration of how the companys offerings can address critical environmental and operational challenges while driving efficiency and sustainability.9. EarthDailyFor using big data to help the mining industry improve its sustainability.While calls for sustainability from an industry like mining might seem inherently hypocritical, harnessing renewable energy still requires using rare-earth materials that must be mined. To that end, at least one technology company is applying data science to encourage mining company sustainability while enhancing efficiency, safety, and transparency.In 2024, Descartes Labs, a provider of AI tools for geospatial data analysis that was recently acquired by EarthDaily, expanded the companys novel data collection and analysis tools to include mineral exploration and operational safety. Marigold, its cloud-hosted mineral exploration platform, features hyperspectral processing, The technique enables precise mineral composition analysis that accelerates ore discovery while minimizing unnecessary drilling. Iris, the companys other flagship product, leverages interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) to monitor ground deformation with millimeter-scale accuracy. Its automated alerts can help operators prevent disasters and better comply with environmental regulations.Descartes Labs will continue to integrate its newly acquired geospatial analytics and data science capabilities to help customers optimize resource use while minimizing environmental impact and community risk.10. NominalFor building a data platform for mission-critical testing and evaluationNominals data platform is purpose-built for testing and evaluation within mission-critical sectors such as aerospace, defense, and advanced technology. While hardware companies have previously wrestled with complex, messy data pipelines and multiple analysis tools, Nominal integrates real-time data processing, advanced analytics, and collaborative tools to unify the testing lifecycle.The companys platform ingests and synchronizes complex datasets, validates systems in real time, and diagnoses root causes by using comparative analysis, environmental context-aware analytics, and other tools. It can be deployed on anything from cloud servers to ruggedized laptops.In 2024, Nominal developed a unified platform to enable seamless synchronization, organization, and analysis of high-scale, multi-format data with dynamic tools for visualization, anomaly detection, and root cause analysis. It also raised $27.5 million in Series A funding from General Catalyst, Founders Fund, and other investors. Its offerings, which have been used to accelerate test campaigns for autonomous drones, optimize jet engines at military test facilities, and analyze spacecraft reentry data for the U.S. Air Force, Varda Space Industries, and others, continue to transform testing and evaluation.Explore the full 2025 list of Fast CompanysMost Innovative Companies, 609 organizations that are reshaping industries and culture. Weve selected the companies making the biggest impact across 58 categories, includingadvertising,applied AI,biotech,retail,sustainability, and more.

While smartphones are still the indisputable center of our digital lives, this years most innovative consumer electronics companies aim to improve life beyond the touchscreen.A lot of that involves advancement in wearable computing. EssilorLuxottica, for instance, has come up with a winning formula for smart glasses in both the Meta Ray-Bans and its Nuance Audio hearing aids, which pack just enough technology to avoid looking uncool. Apple is approaching things from the opposite direction, using its Vision Pro to show what mixed reality can look like when no expense is spared.Boses Ultra Open Earbuds, meanwhile, lead a burgeoning category of hearables that let in outside sound instead of tuning you out, with a comfy design that clips to the side of the ear. And when Bose gave up on making earbuds for sleep, a new startup called Ozlo picked up the slack, licensing Boses design for tiny sleep buds and building out new features such as Bluetooth audio and sleep detection. Elsewhere on the wellness front, smart ring pioneer Oura is extending its lead in the category with more comfortable band design, better battery life, and significantly more accurate sensors.Not every innovation was wearable, though. On the home tech front, Open Home Foundation is building a more empowering smart home platform focused on offline control and privacy, with an Alexa alternative that works without internet. Sony is pushing brighter TVs that come closer to what creators envisioned, and GE Appliances has figured out how to bring a real barbecue smoker indoors. Meanwhile, ESRs cooling phone chargers work more efficiently and preserve long-term battery health, and Swarovski Optiks AX Visio binoculars promise to augment your next birding trip with offline wildlife identification. As with the innovations in wearables, its another way youll be able to leave the phone in your pocket for a while longer.1. EssilorLuxotticaFor making smart glasses coolBig tech companies have fixated on augmented reality as the next frontier for wearable tech, but youd probably never want to wear their bulky headsets in public. Thinking from the opposite direction, the eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica wanted to combine its stylish sunglasses with a minimal amount of technology.It found a partner in Meta, which had floated a similar idea back in 2017, and the two companies started collaborating on what would eventually become the Ray-Ban Meta line. Meta brought the technology, which includes a camera, speakers, and integrated AI assistant, while EssilorLuxottica focused on a design that would work within the confines of stylish frames.The latest version arrived in the fall of 2023, and the line expanded this year with new styles and custom frame-and-lens combos along with additional AI features from Meta. (The AI features continue to roll out: Meta just added AI video capability and real-time language translation functionality.)EssilorLuxottica says the new models sold more in their first nine months than the originals did in two years, and theyre the top-selling product in 60% of Ray-Ban stores in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The company recently announced that its sold 2 million units of the glasses since October 2023 and is gearing up to produce 10 million every year by the end of 2026. Meta and EssilorLuxottica have also extended their partnership into the next decade.Thats not to say that EssilorLuxottica is tying its tech fate exclusively to Meta. In 2022, it established a smart eyewear lab with Politecnico di Milano, the same year that it acquired Nuance Hearing. The company previewed the first product from the latter effort, a set of glasses with integrated hearing aids, in 2024. They received FDA clearance in February, and theyre planned to ship by the end of Q1.The glasses amplify sounds in front of the wearer using beamforming technology to make conversations easier and eliminate distractions from ambient noises. And they come, naturally, in two stylish frames.Read more aboutEssilorLuxottica, honored as No. 8 on Fast Companys list of theWorlds 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2025.2. BoseFor engineering a pair of earbuds that dont tune you outNot every earbud wearer wants to be disconnected from the outside world, so Bose came up with a clever new design to let the sound in. The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds clip to the side of your ear and project sound into the ear canal. This keeps the inner ear free of any uncomfortable intrusions and lets wearers hear whats happening around them without having to rely on external microphones and special transparency modes.Open earbuds are an area of increasing interest for audio brands, though none has put quite the same emphasis on all-day comfort. New models from Monster, Nothing, and Earfun are larger and rest over the ears, while Sonys latest LinkBuds Open earbuds rest inside the ear, with a hole to let outside sound through. Some open-ear headphones, such as Shokzs bone conduction models, even wrap around the back of the head.While Boses unique design is starting to draw more direct imitationsmost notably from Ankers Soundcore C30i budsreviews give a clear nod to the Ultra Open Earbuds for comfort and sound quality, carving out a leadership position in a growing category.3. GE AppliancesFor bringing the barbecue indoorsToo many smart kitchen appliances promise to make cooking simpler, only to add new layers of complication. GE Appliances Profile Smart Indoor Smoker offers something more tangible, allowing you to eat delicious smoked meat without having to step outside.At 16-by-17-by-20 inches, the $1,000 device is compact enough to fit on a countertop but large enough to contain a few racks of ribs or an entire brisket when split among top and bottom racks. It uses real wood pellets for smoke, which then passes through a filtration system akin to a catalytic converter to avoid smoking up the house. A companion app lets you tweak temperatures and monitor the meats doneness through internal probes.This is the only product of its kind, and it enables a type of cuisine that would otherwise require an outdoor appliance. Reviews have praised the product, albeit with reservations about what it means for barbecue as a hobby. Tasting the results, Texas Monthly called them both delicious and sacrilegious.4. OzloFor dreaming up a well-designed pair of sleep earbudsWhen Bose discontinued its svelte Sleepbuds in 2023, a group of former employees decided to carry the torch, licensing Boses IP to make earbuds to help people sleep better. Ozlos Sleepbuds, which launched in October 2024, have the same comfy design as their predecessors, so theyre compact and squishy enough even for side sleepers, and they can play a nights worth of ambient sound to mask a partners snores or other outside sounds.But Ozlos version does a lot more than Boses original. It supports Bluetooth audio from a phone and detects when youve fallen asleep, so it can switch from a podcast or audiobook over to its own ambient sounds. The earbuds case also has its own built-in sensors for light, noise, and temperature, so they can report on outside disturbances that might be affecting your sleep.Ozlos not stopping there. In October, the company raised $12 million to develop a second-generation model. Its also trying to gain FDA clearance for tinnitus therapy, as it believes its earbuds are already helpful for the 10% of Americans suffering from it.5. AppleFor turning small breakthroughs into a bigger, visionary oneApples Vision Pro is the perfect example of how the companys smaller innovations tend to snowball over time. Yes, the product itself is a spare-no-expense luxurya $3,500 headset whose visual fidelity and ability to see through to the real world far exceed that of any competitorand its clearly aimed at bleeding-edge early adopters and app developers right now. But it also taps into frameworks and features that were years in the making on other Apple products.For instance, it builds on Apples existing ARKit framework, allowing developers of augmented reality iPhone apps to reuse many of the assets, and it uses the same Quick Look technology to pin virtual objects persistently in the real world. It also builds on content-sharing feature Sidecar to bring a Mac display into virtual space and SharePlay to experience apps with faraway friends. In February, Apple announced that it was bringing its Apple Intelligence AI features to the headset. Meanwhile, the hardware provides a starting point for Apple to build new kinds of content partnerships. (One intriguing possibility: Apple is in talks with Real Madrid to offer virtual seats at live matches.)Apple hasnt revealed sales figures for the Vision Pro, but rumors suggest the company is working on more affordable variants. Its steady iterations will ensure that it has plenty of apps and content waiting when that happens.6. OuraFor making a more practical smart ring, especially for womenOura didnt need to reinvent the wheel for its fourth-generation health-tracking ring. Instead, it made significant refinements to extend its lead in the category it helped pioneer. The Oura Ring 4 uses recessed sensors instead of raised sensor bumps to improve comfort, and it packs additional signal pathwaysmore than twice as many as the previous modelto improve accuracy. It also comes in more sizes than before, has longer battery life, and adds new features, such as daytime stress tracking.The company has been positioning its device to give women, in particular, more insight into their health. It now tracks 30 different markers, including the new Fertile Window, which estimates fertile days, chance of conception at that time, and detected day of ovulation, giving women more information about their chances of getting pregnant throughout their cycle. In addition, it now offers a Pregnancy Insights report that tracks gestational age and provides weekly updates about physiological changes.Smart rings are a category of growing interest, with Samsung entering the fray this year, but Oura is in a strong position. The company announced in June that its sold more than 2.5 million rings and that 59% of its wearers identify as female. Thats a shift from a year ago, when most wearers were men. It also raised $200 million in a Series D round in December.7. ESRFor tackling wireless chargings silent battery killerWireless phone charging is convenient, but it tends to generate heat, which can hinder the charging process and harm the batterys long-term health. ESRs CryoBoost tech aims to solve the problem by putting a fan and cooling ducts around the charger, activating them automatically when an iPhone is placed on top.ESR first introduced CryoBoost in 2022, and this year it unveiled a new open duct design that further improves charging efficiency while reducing noise. It also supports the Qi2 wireless magnetic charging standard, which Android phones will be able to use in the future. ESR says the new design reduces phone temperatures while charging by about 10 degrees Fahrenheit compared to conventional wireless chargers.While ESR doesnt break out CyroBoost sales in particular, the company is on the rise as an accessory maker, with 92% annual revenue growth in 2024, total revenues of $290 million, and 17 million products sold.8. Swarovski OptikFor lowering one of birdings barriersBig tech companies are racing to bring augmented reality into everyday life, but Swarovski Optik has a much narrower use case in mind. Its AX Visio binoculars, which launched in 2024, can identify thousands of birds around the world though an onboard database that works without an internet connection. They can also identify mammals, dragonflies, and butterflies in Europe and North America.The binoculars also have a smart way of sharing discoveries with fellow observers: You can mark them in the viewfinder, then hand the binoculars over, and theyll point the other person in the direction of the finding. Meanwhile, a companion app logs the exact location of those discoveries for future reference.The concept is impressive on its own, but Swarovski also sees AX Visio as a platform for future augmentations. It offers an API for developers to bolt on new capabilities and even has two unassigned spots on its function wheel to allow for additional feature expansions. The binoculars are pricey at $4,800, but in the long run they could change how birders and other budding nature enthusiasts interact with the hobby.9. Sony ElectronicsFor making a bold bet on TV brightnessUnlike most flagship TVs, which use OLED display technology, Sonys top-shelf Bravia 9 TV uses Mini-LED. TV makers typically view Mini-LED as a step downward, because it cant achieve the same deep black levels as OLED, but Sony has come up with a new backlighting system that reduces the blooming of Mini-LED while achieving much higher peak brightness levels.For Sony, the shift isnt just about winning the tech spec war. Its also a top purveyor of mastering monitors for movie and TV studios, and last year it introduced a model that supports significantly higher brightness across the entire screen. As editors take advantage of these new monitors, the hope is that TVs like the Bravia 9 will bring what you see at home even closer to what creators intended.10. Open Home FoundationFor building a more sustainableand privacy-focusedsmart home systemHome Assistant has long been the platform of choice for DIY smart home enthusiasts who value privacy and control, but now its on a stronger footing than ever. This year, its backers formed a new nonprofit called the Open Home Foundation to shepherd the project, and its taken some big steps to make the platform more approachable to newbies.You can now buy Home Assistants simple smart home device on Amazon, for instance. A privacy-focused voice assistant device to rival Amazons Echo and Googles Nest debuted in December. (The group also established a Wake Word Collective to help train the voice assistant, which will work entirely offline.) Home Assistant has been cleaning things up on the software side as well, with a redesigned smart home dashboard, Apple CarPlay support, and an overhauled Music Assistant for controlling music from streaming services or a local file collection. Its still primarily a platform for geeks, but its getting easier for anyone to adopt.Explore the full 2025 list of Fast CompanysMost Innovative Companies, 609 organizations that are reshaping industries and culture. Weve selected the companies making the biggest impact across 58 categories, includingadvertising,applied AI,biotech,retail,sustainability, and more.

In the ever-evolving world of furniture design, innovation and creativity continue to push boundaries, transforming everyday items into functional works of art. Whether youre looking to enhance your living space with a statement piece or seeking versatile and sustainable options, wooden furniture offers a timeless appeal.We have curated a collection of ten exceptional wooden furniture designs that stand out for their unique aesthetics, clever functionality, and sustainable craftsmanship. From tables that defy gravity to chairs that blend contrasting materials, these pieces serve practical purposes but also elevate the ambiance of any room. These incredible designs will add a touch of elegance and ingenuity to your home while embracing the natural beauty and warmth of wood.1. CarpentopodThe Carpentopod is an innovative piece that merges traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. This unique table, equipped with 12 crawling legs, is designed to move semi-automatically, bringing snacks and drinks to you at your command. The piece challenges the boundaries of furniture design by integrating robotics into a stable and functional table.The key to its success lies in its sophisticated leg design, which was developed using computer software to simulate thousands of variations. These simulations competed against each other based on specific criteria, employing a form of machine learning to achieve a smooth and stable horizontal movement. This approach ensures that the table remains steady, preventing any spills as it moves, which is a significant achievement in the realm of mobile furniture design.What we likeCombines traditional craftsmanship with modern technology for a unique piece.Offers convenience by bringing refreshments directly to the user.What we dislikeMay require maintenance due to its mechanical components.2. Flat StoolThe Flat Stool is a testament to the beauty of simplicity and innovation in furniture design. It requires no screws or hinges, using only the natural physics of gravity and the clever dovetail joint technique to hold it together. This approach eliminates the need for harmful adhesives and also makes assembly straightforward and eco-friendly.The stools unique feature is its ability to bend from a flat-packed state without the need for additional hardware. This is achieved through kerf bending, which allows the sides to curve smoothly, creating a seamless and aesthetically pleasing form. This design is both practical and environmentally conscious, aligning with modern sustainable practices.What we likeEco-friendly design with no need for screws or adhesives.Easy to assemble and transport due to its flat-pack nature.What we dislikeMay not offer the same stability as traditional stools with metal fasteners.Limited to lighter use due to its minimalist construction.3. Floating ForestThe Floating Forest tables present a captivating optical illusion, appearing as though the solid wooden tabletop is suspended above a miniature forest of transparent tree trunks. This design is both visually intriguing and artistically crafted, making it a conversation starter in any room. The process involves 3D scanning real trees to capture their organic forms, which are then transformed into 3D-printed biodegradable legs.These legs are designed to allow the table to stand at various angles, enhancing the illusion of floating. The harmonious blend of natural wood and transparent elements creates a striking visual tension that highlights the craftsmanship of both components.What we likeUnique visual appeal that draws attention and complements modern decor.Eco-friendly with biodegradable components.What we dislikeMay require careful handling due to delicate legs.4. QuadrantThe Quadrant Shoebox is a deceptively simple piece that serves multiple purposes. At first glance, it appears to be a standard wooden box, but it functions as both a shoe storage solution and a bench. The front of the box swivels down, revealing a cleverly designed compartment for storing up to six pairs of shoes.This dual functionality makes it a practical choice for entryways, providing a stable seat while putting on shoes. Its sturdy construction ensures that it retains its stability even when the shoe compartment is open, making it a reliable addition to any home. It has a minimal and clean appearance that allows it to seamlessly blend with the rest of your home.What we likeThe dual-purpose design saves space and adds functionality.A simple yet elegant aesthetic enhances any room.What we dislikeLimited shoe storage capacity.May not accommodate larger or bulkier shoes.5. Per ChairInspired by Brazilian folklore, the Per Chair challenges conventional design with its single front leg that spans the entire width. Despite its unusual appearance, the chair is engineered with a cantilever system, ensuring stability and safety. This design adds a playful element to your living space and also encourages storytelling, as the unique marks on the wood reflect its history.The chairs backrest is removable, transforming it into a stool, which adds versatility to its function. It is a perfect choice for those who appreciate design that sparks conversation and adds character to a room. It represents the beauty and versatility of wood while serving as an excellent conversation starter.What we likeInnovative design that adds a playful element to home decor.Versatile function with removable backrest.What we dislikeThis may cause initial hesitation due to unconventional design.Limited support compared to traditional chairs with four legs.6. Click and FoldThe Click & Fold Chair is designed to accompany a child from infancy to their older years, growing alongside them. Unlike typical childrens furniture made from plastic, this chair uses solid beechwood, offering durability and a mature aesthetic. Its modular design allows it to adapt to the childs changing needs over time, promoting longevity and reducing waste.The chairs sturdy construction ensures it can withstand the wear and tear of daily use, while its design adds a touch of elegance to any setting, making it a timeless piece in your home. It is specially designed for children and their needs and requirements, but it can be used for adults as well. You can also fold up the chair and put it aside when you dont need it.What we likeLong-lasting design that adapts to a childs growth.Made from durable and aesthetically pleasing beechwood.What we dislikeWood is susceptible to scratches and dents over time.7. KURVE CollectionThe KURVE furniture collection is a minimalists paradise, combining sleek aesthetics with enhanced functionality. This collection utilizes curved forms to create practical storage solutions within its designs. It features a throne-like chair and a couch, both crafted from a single sheet of layered wood. The KURVE Chair stands out with a curved, backless box base that includes a hollow nook for convenient item storage.Taking the concept further, the KURVE couch incorporates a central console and additional storage space beneath the seating area. This innovative use of curves maximizes space efficiency and also adds a distinctive and unique element to the furniture.What we likeCreative incorporation of curves for built-in storage.Minimalist design enhances contemporary interior aesthetics.What we dislikeStorage capacity may be insufficient for some requirements.8. EclipseNamed Eclipse, this wooden chair is a captivating piece of furniture that combines the inventive use of rattan with an unusual design. The chair features an open box shape for its base and seat, elegantly wrapped in strips of rattan. Two vertical circles arch gracefully over the user, creating a visually striking silhouette.These circles not only frame the person seated but also evoke a sense of being embraced by the open sky. The open design, paired with the subtle rattan wrapping, fosters a tranquil, welcoming, and serene atmosphere. This makes the Eclipse chair a distinctive and functional addition to any living area, as it beautifully captures and showcases the beauty and potential of wood.What we dislikeUnique geometric design with symbolic elements.Rattan construction adds a natural and organic touch.What we dislikeOpen sides may not provide sufficient support for all users.The design may not align with all interior aesthetics.9. ZYVORZYVOR is a luxury chair concept that masterfully combines the warmth of wood with the cool elegance of marble. This unique design juxtaposes two materials that, while both natural, possess contrasting characteristics in texture and perception. Wood, derived from living trees, provides a sense of warmth and organic beauty, while marble, a stone carved and chiseled, exudes a cool, refined elegance.The chair features a marble base that begins as a cylinder and gracefully curves upward like a plant stem, while the wooden seat, naturally curved, appears as though it has been carved from a larger block, resembling stone. The result is a sophisticated chair that seems to grow organically, with its elegant and slender design concealing the robust stability provided by the intertwined marble and wood.What we likeThe unique combination of materials offers both aesthetic appeal and stability.Elegant design enhances the sophistication of any space.What we dislikeMay be considered too luxurious for everyday office use.Could be costly due to the use of high-quality materials.10. Stilk Side TableThe Stilk Side Table is a striking piece that defies traditional design norms with its seemingly gravity-defying structure. Crafted entirely from wood, the tabletop is supported by a slender monolith that is strategically positioned off-center, counterbalanced by a stack of wooden discs on one side. The edge of the tabletop features a slight fold, creating an impressive hovering effect.This tables design is both simple and ingenious, incorporating a discreet height-adjustment feature that allows users to select from three different heights by repositioning a small wooden rod. Its innovative form sets it apart from other tables on the market, challenging conventional ideas of balance and stability.What we likeUnique design creates an illusion of hovering.Adjustable height adds versatility for different uses.What we dislikeThe off-center design may not appeal to all tastes.Limited surface area may not accommodate larger items.The post Top 10 Innovative Wooden Furniture Designs To Elevate Your Home Dcor first appeared on Yanko Design.

Most office workers now spend their entire workday seated at desks, with the majority facing computer screens for hours on end. Despite this being our reality for decades, poor sitting posture remains a persistent problem affecting millions of professionals worldwide. The physical toll of prolonged slouching contributes to back pain, reduced productivity, and long-term health issues that many continue to ignore despite knowing better.While awareness of proper ergonomics exists, the implementation often falls short in daily practice. We generally understand how we should sitback straight, shoulders relaxed, feet flat on the flooryet maintaining this posture throughout an eight-hour workday proves challenging for even the most health-conscious individuals. The disconnect between knowledge and practice has inspired designers to rethink posture correction through more accessible and engaging approaches.Designers: Chaimae El Jyidi, Myeonryun Kim, Seoyoung Kang, Sumin Kim, Junghyun Kim, Kyungwoo SonEnter CRIX, a cyberpunk-inspired posture monitoring device that offers a fresh perspective on addressing this common workplace health concern. Unlike expensive ergonomic chairs that many companies dont provide, this square-shaped gadget sits on your desk facing you, using motion tracking technology to monitor your sitting position throughout the day. The compact design makes it suitable for any workspace, regardless of size constraints or budget limitations.What sets CRIX apart is its intuitive visual feedback system featuring pixel-art graphics that create an immediate connection with users. The device displays a digital avatar that mirrors your current posture in real-time, providing gentle reminders when you begin to slouch. This visual representation acts as a constant yet non-intrusive accountability partner, helping users develop greater body awareness without disrupting workflow or causing additional stress.The device goes beyond simple posture monitoring by incorporating stretching exercises into its functionality. When it detects prolonged periods of sitting or consistent poor posture, the digital avatar demonstrates proper stretching techniques, encouraging users to take brief movement breaks. These animated guides help prevent muscle stiffness and promote blood circulation, addressing multiple aspects of sedentary workplace health concerns.CRIX leverages gamification principles to transform posture correction from a chore into an engaging experience. Users can customize their digital avatars, creating a sense of ownership and personal investment similar to character creation in video games. This emotional connection increases motivation and promotes consistent use, which is essential for developing lasting posture habits that extend beyond the workday.The devices cyberpunk aesthetic appeals to tech-savvy professionals who appreciate both functionality and design. Glowing pixels and retro-futuristic visuals make CRIX a conversation piece in any office environment, potentially normalizing posture awareness among colleagues. This social element could help create workplace cultures where ergonomic health becomes a shared value rather than an individual concern.Accessibility remains central to CRIXs design philosophy. While high-end ergonomic solutions often price out average workers, this compact device aims to democratize posture health. Its straightforward setup and operation eliminate barriers to entry, allowing users of all technical skill levels to benefit from its features without extensive training or complicated installation procedures.The post Cyberpunk-style Desk Device Concept Aims to Correct Our Slouching Habits first appeared on Yanko Design.

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