When the wind hits in Assassins Creed Shadows the world feels alive. Leaves whip up into the air, grass dances back and forth, and Naoes hair sways from side to side. Its a stunning effect that enriches the games shifting seasonal and weather systems. According to a Digital Foundry interview with a few of the games rendering engineers, the wind isnt actually wind at all its invisible fluid.Thats right: All the realistic wind physics are actually made from a fluid simulation moving through the world. Its a common technique used in lots of games, and the math has given good effects in games as different as God of War and Dwarf Fortress. So why not here, too?The Ubisoft developers call Assassins Creed Shadows dynamic weather system Atmos, and it was created to support its seasonal theme. As Naoes revenge story oscillates between two periods of her life, the seasons shift too. You might be trudging through thick blankets of winter snow covering the Japanese countryside for one moment, and then sprinting through verdant fields after it all melts away in the next. Eventually, you can even change the seasons on command.Combined with its new ray-traced lighting effects, Assassins Creed Shadows might be one of the best looking games out there. For me, its certainly the first time ray tracing has ever felt essential for creating a mood and atmosphere that enriches the storytelling. Digital Foundrys video has the nitty gritty details, but basically the game injects ray tracing into older technology to more accurately light scenes. Shoji glows while youre standing inside buildings, and there are darker shadows on objects where the sunlight cant reach in the open world. With ray tracing off, all the contrast disappears and dulls the world. The experts at Digital Foundry call the difference a generational divide in lighting fidelity.Assassins Creed Shadows is the kind of game that makes a convincing argument for investing in a PlayStation 5 Pro or a gaming PC with a 50-series Nvidia graphics card. On the Pro, it can run at a smooth 60 frames per second with ray tracing enabled, and it will fully support Sonys PSSR upscaling technology in a future update. On PC, DLSS and Frame Generation can easily carry you to 60 fps on an RTX 4070 or newer.And youll benefit from all that horsepower because its not just the lighting. Its how dynamic features like the wind or being able to slice bamboo apart enhance the level of interactivity, or tactile feel of the world similar to what its like playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Asssassins Creed Shadows has set a new bar by using all the power of modern computing not for pure hyper-realism, but for creating a living, breathing world to inhabit.

Less than a year after raising over $9.5 million for Cyberpunk 2077: The Board Game, the crafty folks at Go On Board are now planning to adapt the Tekken fighting game franchise to tabletops via crowdfunding as well.Much like the video game on which its based, Tekken: The Board Game will focus on psychology, area control, and combos in asymmetric fights between two players at a time, who are controlling characters with unique skill cards. Success apparently relies on hiding your intentions and surprising the opponent with unexpected attacks as you move around a hexagonal game board. Matches will take from 20-60 minutes.If the player strives to win, they must do more than simply strike, the developers said. The key is to master the unique play style of the chosen character perfectly: the preferred attack zone, unique combinations of movements, and powerful Rage blows that can completely change the balance of power at a critical moment. Characteristic mechanisms adapted directly from the video game, such as Wall Break, Floor Break and Wall Blast, will also help to gain an advantage. Random events inspired by arena themes will add dynamism to the fights and test the players strategic skills.Tekken: The Board Game will also feature a tournament mode for up to eight players. Only two characters are confirmed at the moment in father-son rivals Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama, but followers of the crowdfunding campaign will also receive access to Angel Jin, complete with its own miniature and cards.Go On Board didnt share when the campaign is scheduled to go live weve reached out for more information but feel free to head on over to the projects Gamefound page in the meantime.

Google's budget phone for the masses, the Pixel 9a, will retail at $499 when it launches in April. That's a full $100 less than the iPhone 16e and $300 less than the Pixel 9. Even so, the 9a has many of the same features as the Pixel 9. It carries over the same Tensor G4 chip, and promises to feature most of the Pixel 9's AI suite.Most, but not all. Ars Technica is now reporting that the Pixel 9a will be missing some crucial AI features at launch. That's because the Pixel 9a features 8GB RAM, while the Pixel 9 has 12GB RAM, and the Pixel 9 Pro models feature 16GB RAM.While the Pixel 9a comes with on-device Gemini Nano, Ars Technica confirmed with Google that it's going to be using the Gemini Nano 1.0 XXS ("extra extra small") model. This is the company's lightest available model, and the one that runs on the Pixel 8. The rest of the Pixel 9 series phones, by comparison, all run the Gemini Nano XS (extra small) model. While you can still use Gemini AI on Pixel 9a using the power button, being limited to the XXS model means it will lack some of the Pixel line's tentpole AI features. The 8GB RAM is not enough to run the Gemini AI models in the background, and the XXS model is text-only.Because it can't run in the background, and it can't process images, it therefore can't support features like Pixel Screenshots app, which require image processing in the background. It also won't support Call Notes, a feature that uses audio analysis to provide on-device AI summaries of phone conversations. Additionally, it's possible that the Pixel line's newly announced spam detection feature might not be available on the Pixel 9a, but that's not confirmed as of yet.Luckily, the Recorder app will still work, because the app creates a transcript first (not using Gemini AI), and then uses AI on the transcribed text, something that Pixel 9a can pull off.That's all we know so far. More details on what works and what doesn't will only be available once the Pixel 9a is available in the wild, sometime in April. With this Pixel 9a release, the gap between the flagship Pixel and the budget Pixel is widening. Luckily, it's limited to AI features for now. If you don't intend to use these on-device AI features, you won't feel the pinch.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.If you want to get started on doing your own home improvements, repairs, and maintenance, but youre not sure where to begin, there are a few projects that can help you sharpen your DIY skills. Learning how to use your tools and getting the hang of techniques that you can apply when tackling larger jobs is a good way to cut your teeth on DIY home improvement. Hang some shelvesIf you havent ever tried it before, hanging shelves is a good way to get used to using a tape measure, a level, a stud finder, and a drill. DEWALT 20V Max Cordless Drill/Driver Kit $159.00 at Amazon $179.00 Save $20.00 Shop Now Shop Now $159.00 at Amazon $179.00 Save $20.00 For this project, youll use your tape measure to set the height of your shelves and make sure your shelf will fit in the area you want to hang it, your level to make sure its parallel to the ground, and your stud finder to find where the appropriate attachment points are. The drill can be used to drill holes for your shelf brackets and drive your screws into the wall. You can probably complete this project in about an hour and it should cost between $150 and $200 for all of the tools and materials you need.Patch a hole in your drywallIf hanging shelves didnt go as planned, or you just need to patch a hole from an accident or an old set of brackets, a drywall patch is a good project for a DIY beginner. You'll use a drywall patch kit that comes with sandpaper, a small putty knife, some spackle, a small patch, and some gloves. To perform your repair, youll use your patch to cover the affected area, the putty knife to apply the spackle, and the sanding block or sandpaper to even out the surface to prepare it for paint. This repair takes between 30 minutes and an hour of work time and takes a full 24 hours to cure. The materials for this can cost as little as $20, including all the materials you need.Clean out your dryer ductCleaning out your dryer vent is a chore you should do at least once per year, and its simple enough for even the most novice DIYer to tackle. Youll need either a dryer vent cleaning kit or a shop vac with a long nozzle attachment as well as some gloves and a screwdriver to detach the duct from the dryer. Sealegend 37-Piece Dryer Vent $26.95 at Amazon $34.95 Save $8.00 Shop Now Shop Now $26.95 at Amazon $34.95 Save $8.00 Youll use your screwdriver to remove the hose clamp that holds your dryer duct onto the back of your dryer and the cleaning kit with your home vacuum or shop vac with a long nozzle to clear any lint buildup from inside the duct. This project takes about 30 minutes and only costs between $35 and $55.Replace a broken fence boardFixing a fence board will give you a chance to practice using your drill, a tape measure, your chop saw or hand saw, and some screws along with your fence board. You will use your tape measure to measure the height of your fence board, your chop saw or hand saw to cut it to length, and your drill to drive your new screws into your board to attach it to the fence. This project will cost between $150 and $300 for everything you need, depending mostly on whether you decide to go with a hand saw or a chop saw. If you only have one board to replace, a hand saw is likely sufficient, while cutting several boards will be much simpler with a chop saw. You can likely complete this project in about an hour including measuring and cutting as well as attaching your board.Regrade the gravel on a walkwayIf you have a gravel path, chances are at some point the gravel will be scattered from footfalls or from weather. To regrade your path and keep it from eroding, youll need some fresh gravel, a piece of string, a pair of stakes, tape measure and a rake. Youll use your gravel to patch any bare spots on your path and your rake to spread it evenly along the path, using your stakes, string, and tape measure to ensure that the center of your path is one to two inches above the edges to allow for drainage. This project can take between one hour to an afternoon depending on how long of a path you have. The materials for this can cost between $30 and $100, depending on how much gravel you need.

The Amazon Spring Sale has brought a number of discounts to Shark vacuums, both cordless and robotic varieties. On the robot vacuum side of things, you can get the well-regarded Shark AI Ultra robovac for $300, or more than $100 off its regular price. This is a version of one of our top picks for the best robot vacuums. It has strong suction power, an easy-to-use mobile app and an extra-large, self-emptying base that can hold up to 60 days worth of debris. Its great for pet hair and all-around cleaning tasks. The only major downside is that this isnt a hybrid unit, so it doesnt mop. For that, consider the Shark Matrix Plus. This 2-in-1 robovac vacuums and mops, and its currently on sale for $400. Thats a massive discount of 47 percent, as the typical price is an eyebrow-raising $750. This one also includes a self-emptying base that can accommodate 60 days of dirt and debris. It boasts a true HEPA filter and excels at mopping away deep stains. This is thanks to powerful scrubbers that operate at 100 times per minute. We couldnt truly recommend this model at its original price, as thats a whole lot of cheddar, but its a steal right now for $400. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-vacuum-deals-shark-robot-vacuums-are-up-to-47-percent-off-151615864.html?src=rss

We're still a few months out from the big Amazon Prime Day that typically happens in July, but the online retail giant is having yet another big sale to usher in spring. The Amazon Spring Sale is officially on the books for 2025, starting on March 25 and running through March 31. Considering the time of year, it's not surprising to see that Amazon is billing this as a sale for all things spring cleaning, home and fashion.We don't expect the Amazon Spring Sale to be as fruitful for tech deals as, say, standard Prime Day. But there are always some gadgets that pop up among the sales, and we'll cover all of the best tech deals we can find. For now, here are the best early Amazon Spring Sale deals you can shop right now. Best Amazon Spring Sale deals so far Anker 321 MagGo battery pack for $20 (23 percent off, Prime exclusive): This 5K power bank attaches magnetically to the backs of the latest iPhones to provide extra juice on the go. It can provide up to 19 hours of extra battery, and it's compatible with MagSafe cases as well. Sonos Ray for $179 ($100 off): This is our favorite midrange soundbar thanks to its compact, attractive design and easy setup. It's best for those who have a smaller living room or den they want to outfit with better TV sound. Also available at Sonos in their March Madness sale. Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones for $250 ($150 off): These top our list of the best wireless headphones you can get right now thanks to their supreme comfort, excellent sound quality and ANC, multipoint connectivity and 30-hour battery life. Bose QuietComfort headphones for $249 ($100 off): These Bose over-ear headphones provide excellent noise cancellation, a comfortable fit and up to 24 hours of listening time on a single charge. A quick-charge feature will net you 2.5 hours of battery life in just 15 minutes of charging, so you'll rarely have to go without them, too. Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones for $349 ($80 off): These hold the top spot in our best wireless headphones guide for excellent noise cancellation. These cans will give you a step up in ANC, blocking out most noise and chatter of those around you. General audio quality has been improved as well, and they have a comfy fit. Dyson AM09 heater and fan for $300 (36 percent off): The AM09 has been around for ages, and for good reason. It's an excellent heater during cold months and fan during warm months, so you can use it all year round. Jet Focus control lets you choose from Focused or Diffused for personal or whole-room heating or cooling, and the handy sleep timer lets you set when the device turns off in intervals from 15 minutes up to nine hours. Dyson V15s Detect Submarine for $798 ($152 off): This Dyson cordless stick vacuum and mop is a top pick in our best cordless vacuums guide thanks to its sleek design and included mop attachment that easily swap in so you can clean tile, hardwood and other flooring with liquid solution. Yes, it's expensive, but you're essentially getting two cleaning machines in one plus, when used as a vacuum, it has excellent suction power and great battery life. Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer for $280 ($70 off): A version of one of our favorite air fryers, this air fryer toaster oven has 11 cooking modes including air fry, broil, bake, roast and more, and it has a large capacity that can fit up to six slices of bread at once or a 13-inch pizza. The Pro model is also on sale, down to $300 from $400. Apple AirTags (four-pack) for $70 ($29 off): These are the best Bluetooth trackers for iPhone users thanks to their vast finding network and accurate ultra wideband features for locating your things when theyre close by. Just attach them to your keys, wallet or bag with the right AirTag holder and keep track of everything in the Find My app. 10th-gen iPad for $279 (20 percent off): The previous version of most affordable iPad gives you an A14 Bionic chip, a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, TouchID built into the lock button and more. Its compatible with the first-gen Apple Pencil and the keyboard folio, plus we found it to have solid performance and a matching battery life. AirPods Max (USB-C) for $480 ($70 off): If youre looking for over-ear headphones with all of the conveniences of in-ear AirPods, the AirPods Max are one of your only options (with the others being Beats devices). The latest models have the same design as the originals, but now charge up via USB-C instead of Lightning. Apple Watch SE for $169 ($80 off): Those on tighter budgets can opt for the Apple Watch SE and know theyre getting the core Apple wearable experience with few compromises. We consider it to be the best smartwatch for newbies. Audible (three months) for $3 ($42 off): This deal gives you access to Audible Premium Plus, which includes one credit each month that you can spend on any book you'd like, along with listening access to thousands of other books, podcasts and Audible Originals. You also get to take part in Audible's exclusive member sales. Blink Mini 2 for $20 (50 percent off): Blink's latest wired, indoor security camera is one of our favorites, particularly if you're just starting out building a security camera system. It's easy to set up and use, and it works seamlessly with Amazon's Alexa. Plus, if you want a local storage option, you can buy the Blink Sync Module 2 and a thumb drive to store video clips locally. Beats Fit Pro for $169 (15 percent off): These are the best wireless earbuds for working out thanks to their comfortable, secure fit, good sound quality with thumping bass and handful of convenient features provided by Apple's H1 chipset. It provides quick-pairing and switching between Apple devices (and quick pairing with Android phones), Find My compatibility and hands-free Siri. Levoit Core 400S air purifier for $187 ($33 off): Our top pick for the best air purifier for most people, the Core 400S has easy-to-use onboard controls, powerful filtering technology that isn't too loud and relatively affordable replacement filters. It reliably improved air quality in our testing, and even though its mobile app is a little overstuffed, it gives you another way to control and monitor the device. TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro mesh Wi-Fi system for $280 (30 percent off): Our current pick for the best mesh Wi-Fi system you can get, this TP-Link bundle may be no-frills, but it gets the job done nicely. It's easy to set up and provides excellent Wi-Fi 6E performance, plus the three included nodes can cover up to 7,200 square feet. Shark AI Ultra robot vacuum for $300 (31 percent off): This is a version of one of our top picks in our best robot vacuums guide. Shark makes excellent robovacs with strong suction power and convenient bagless, self-emptying bases. This model in particular can hold up to 60 days worth of debris before its base needs to be emptied. If you want a machine that can mop in addition to vacuum, consider Shark's Matrix Plus robovac, which is 47 percent off and down to $400. iRobot Roomba Combo Vac and Mop for $159 (42 percent off): This "essential" Roomba is relatively no-frills, but it has the added benefit of being a mopping robot in addition to a vacuum. It includes a washable mopping pad and a water reservoir so you can clean hard floors, and it will autonomously vacuum just like all of iRobot's other basic robovacs. Samsung Evo Select microSD card (512GB) for $35 ($5 off): A value pick in our best microSD cards guide, this Evo Select card provides respectable read and write speeds, and it comes with a full-sized adapter. Samsung T7 portable SSD (2TB) for $140 (48 percent off): We're on the T9 series now, but if you're looking to save a bit of cash, the T7 remains a great option for on-the-go storage. It supports read and write speeds up to 1,050/1,000 MB/s and sports a pocket-friendly design. Amazon Spring Sale FAQs When is the Amazon Spring Sale? The Amazon Spring Sale 2025 runs from March 25 through March 31. What is Amazon's Spring Sale? The Amazon Spring Sale is a multi-day sale event that has taken place at the end of March since 2024. Do I have to be a Prime Member to shop the Amazon Spring Sale? No, Amazon Spring Sale deals are available to all, including those who do not subscribe to Prime. What types of deals can I expect to find during the Amazon Spring Sale? In the past, we've seen a lot of spring cleaning and fashion items in sale during the Big Spring Sale. We expect this year to be no different. We at Engadget in particular will be on the lookout for discounts on our favorite spring cleaning tech, including robot vacuums, cordless vacuums and air purifiers, along with deals on kitchen and smart home gear. Are there deals I can shop now ahead of the Amazon Spring Sale? Yes, check out our list of the best Amazon Spring Sale deals you can get right now above. How long does the Amazon Spring Sale last? The Amazon Spring Sale lasts seven days this year, running from March 25 through March 31.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-2025-the-best-tech-deals-from-apple-bose-sonos-anker-and-others-130607433.html?src=rss

I've already tested Ugreen's new Genshin Impact collection and they're perfect if you want to play on the go.

We're expecting big AI announcements at Zendesk Relate this year

South Korea's Samsung Electronics said Tuesday that its co-CEO Han Jong-hee has passed away at the age of 63.

Firefighters in North and South Carolina were battling multiple wind-driven wildfires Monday in rugged terrain that complicated containment efforts, officials said.Millions of trees knocked down byHurricane Helenelast year combined with long stretches of dry weather this spring are making for a long and active fire season in the Carolinas, North Carolina State University forestry and environmental resources professor Robert Scheller said.Helene just dropped tons of fuel on the ground, Scheller said. Then these flash droughts allow that fuel to dry out very fast.Both South Carolina and North Carolina have issued statewide bans on outdoor burning.North Carolina firesMandatory evacuations continue for about 165 properties in parts of Polk County in western North Carolina, about 80 miles west of Charlotte, according to county spokesperson Kellie Cannon.Three fires burned at least 7.5 square miles in the county and the two larger blazes were completely un-contained, Cannon said in a social media update Monday morning. The Black Cove Fire, one of the larger ones, was moving toward neighboring Henderson County, Cannon said.Kim Callaway, who lives near one of the evacuated areas in Polk County, has prepared her home,WLOS-TV reported.Weve already actually evacuated everything that we thought that was important, Callaway said. And now were just staying at the house and trying to do what we can to get our house prepared if the firemen need to show up and hold the line.A downed power line sparked the Black Cove Fire, but the causes of the other two fires in Polk County were under investigation, according to North Carolina Forest Service spokesperson Jeremy Waldrop.A number of other wildfires burning across the state including one that damaged 500 vehicles at a salvage yard in Burke County, officials said.South Carolina firesTwo fires in the South Carolina mountains have led Gov. Henry McMaster to declare a state of emergency.One fire was in Table Rock State Park in Pickens County and the other was on Persimmon Ridge in Greenville County. Winds and difficult mountainous terrain allowed blazes to grow, the South Carolina Forestry Commission said.The Table Rock Fire expanded to more than 2 square miles, including several hundred acres that firefighters intentionally burned to try to contain the flames, officials said.The Persimmon Ridge Fire, which started Saturday, spread to more than 1.25 square miles despite many dozens of water drops, the commission said.Human activity ignited both the Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge fires. No injuries had been reported, and while no structures were imminently threatened, voluntary evacuations of about 100 homes remained in place.How a September hurricane is creating March firesScheller, the North Carolina State University professor, predicted thisbusy fire seasonif the region saw dry weather following Helene.Scientists saw something similar in 2022 when a fire burned more than 51 square miles of timberland in the Florida Panhandle. The Bertha Swamp Road Fire almost directly followed the eye pattern from 2018s Hurricane Michael and the fallen pine trees left behind.Pines and their waxy needles dry out and become very flammable, Scheller said. The fallen trunks can also block roads and paths used to fight fires, experts said.The last ingredient to fuel wildfires is dry weather. Despite recent rain, the Carolinas are undergoing an extreme drought,according to federal monitors.The common denominator for many fires on the East Coast is human activity, whether people burn debris, light a campfire that isnt well watched or toss out cigarette, Scheller said.And more people living next to areas that can burn make fires a bigger threat, he said.New Jersey fireA forest fire burning in New Jerseys million-acre Pinelands region was 100% contained on Monday morning, the New Jersey Forest Fire Services said in a post on X. The fire was first spotted Saturday and burned through about 3.5 square miles.That blaze led authorities to evacuate two campgrounds in Wharton State Forest, officials said. The cause was under investigation.Fire forecastA front moving off the East Coast brought rain and more humidity to the area, helping firefighters Monday.But not much rain fell and temperatures are expected to get warmer and the air drier as the week goes on, likely meaning another round of wildfires unless people follow burn bans and fire safety.It is absolutely paramount that folks respect the statewide ban on all open burning, North Carolina Forest Service spokesperson Philip Jackson said.