PlayerAuctions has responded to Robloxs February lawsuit, in which the gaming company is looking to shut down the third-party buying and selling of Robloxs digital goods, in new court documents filed in late March. The company claims in its response that Robloxs rules preventing asset trading in secondary markets are fundamentally anti-competitive and a violation of California trade law. Roblox, it says, just doesnt want to miss out on fees and revenue for transactions.It denies many of the claims laid out by Robloxs lawyers, saying that Roblox players have a right to resell the accounts, in-game items, and currency they have purchased from Roblox under the first sale doctrine, which is a law that affirms a persons right to resell something like a book after theyve purchased it. (The ownership of digital goods, though, are a bit more complicated and disputed.)Roblox says in its original complaint that PlayerAuctions disrupts and undercuts its business and economy by allowing players to buy and sell their accounts, items, and in-game currencies. Roblox itself is a social gaming platform that hosts hundreds of different gaming experiences, be it games like Dress to Impress or branded worlds like a digital Universal Studios. Millions of people are playing at any given time; Roblox said in its complaint that the use of its market is comparable to that of certain smaller nations. Roblox claims the site not only infringes on its trademarks and encourages Roblox users to break its rules, but allows scammers to exploit its marketplace, too.Roblox looks forward to making its case in court, a Roblox spokesperson told Polygon. Third-party sites like these have no legal affiliation to Roblox, operate unauthorized marketplaces in violation of Robloxs Terms of Use and Community Standards, and can be confusing to Roblox users. Roblox is committed to promoting the safety and security of its users and protecting its intellectual property and will continue to be vigilant to combat unauthorized use of our platform.PlayerAuctions claims in its response to the complaint that it spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on risk management and fraud prevention measures to ensure that only legitimate trades between real gameplayers are allowed. It continued: [PlayerAuctions] has no interest in allowing scammers to use its platform to conduct nefarious transactions.Right now on PlayerAuctions, a person can buy a highly-leveled account, currency for Pet Simulator, an armor set for Dungeon Quest, or a rare pet, like a cow, in Adopt Me. Players can also pay someone to farm currency in Blox Fruit and other games. Though PlayerAuctions denies that the marketplace is rampant with scammers, some communities believe that to be true: In 2021, the Neopets community reckoned with scammers and hackers stealing rare pets to sell on sites like PlayerAuctions. PlayerAuctions is also being sued by Grand Theft Auto 5 publisher Take-Two Interactive for running what it calls a lawless enterprise.Alongside the first sale doctrine and antitrust arguments, for its defense PlayerAuctions also claims that its not infringing on Robloxs copyright. Instead, it claims its usage of its marks are covered under fair use. It also says the complaints are rendered null by the statue of limitations; PlayerAuctions has been running its Roblox marketplace for nearly ten years with no interference from the company. The suit also points to growing criticism that Roblox has not done enough to protect children from a variety of predatory practices, including exploitative advertising and incessant microtransactions. While children might not think much about the alienability of in-game items, PlayerAuctions says, adults and teens do.PlayerAuctions wants to see the lawsuit through to a jury trial.

Milan Design Week is upon us. Among a seemingly endless list of new and re-editioned products launching during the massive, city-wide event the largest of its kind by far is a slew of fresh concepts borne out of seemingly unexpected partnerships. Prestigious fashion houses cross-pollinate with edgy outdoor furniture brands and multivalent artists help reimagine iconic luminaires.One of the most compelling collaborations set to grab everyones attention at this years edition is the one forged between leading Danish electronics brand Bang & Olufsen (B&O) and long established Italian natural stone purveyor Antolini, with the Beosound Balance Natura speaker.When it comes to premium speakers, one usually pictures state-of-art textiles anchored by sleek plastics, not necessarily noble materials like intricately grained marbles and carefully sourced hardwoods. Home sound systems have undergone a revolution in recent years and B&O continues to be at its forefront.Owing to various technological advancements and a renewed appreciation for quality acoustics, speakers are no longer just being relegated to concealed credenzas or camouflaged within walls. Like other devices, theyre now being developed as standalone sculptures; either as bold statement pieces carrying their own or as near-architectural elements echoing the preexisting look and feel of an interior.With a columnar pedestal available in various finishes from Antolinis diverse range of thru-materials, the new Beosound Balance Natura stands out. The pedestal, speaker, and an anodized aluminum ring demarking the connection between both were all precision-engineered to have the same cylindrical circumference, allowing the piece to take on a monolithic appearance.For this design, we didnt want to create just a pedestal to place the speaker on, says Tiina Kierysch, B&Os Head of Design. Our vision was to create a seamless extension of the product by forming a clear sense of belonging between the speaker and its plinth. As a result, the sculptural pedestal is designed to perfectly cradle the Beosound Balance devices, making it feel like one unified product.In this regard, the new concept is a contemporary distillation of the seamlessly combined cabinet and sound systems popular during the mid-20th century.Beosound Balance Natura comes in Antolinis Exclusive Collection of natural quartz and Precioustone Collection of petrified wood, as well as Cristallo Iceberg, Cristallo Vitrum Wow, and Cristallo Rosa Wow natural quartz. Fossilized wood is available in Retro Grey, Retro Brown, and Retro Fancyblack. Much of this offering complements enhanced sound with near-visceral translucency and depth; a delicate albeit powerful interplay of light and texture.Together with Bang & Olufsen, we turned precious materials into unique sensory experiences, says Carlo Alberto Antolini, head of Antolini. On the one hand, natural stone has been shaped to tell the story of Mother Natures beauty. On the other hand, sound has been sculpted to deliver pure emotion through design that becomes art. This collaboration is not just the meeting of different materials but a dialogue between aesthetics and performance; between nature and technology; between history and the avant-garde.What this melding of expertise achieves is clever and dynamic; a game-changing proposition. What will this seemingly unlikely yet fruitful partnership spawn next?To learn more about the Bang & Olufsen and Antolini Beosound Balance Natura, which is limited to just 16 bespoke speakers, visit bang-olufsen.com.Photography courtesy of Bang & Olufsen and Antolini.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.Ive heard new parents say things like I cant even remember what my life was like before the birth of my child. Well, I dont have children, but Im pretty sure I can relate: I cant remember my life before my Instant Vortex air fryer. Ive been using this helpful appliance for three years now, and things have only gotten better since. In my kitchen, anyway.I originally got the Instant Vortex 5.7-quart so I could write more recipes for Thanksgiving food coverage. I didnt particularly want an air fryerhow much could a small countertop oven possibly help with Thanksgiving, I thought, let alone day-to-day cooking? Why would anyone even use this thing? I judged it endlesslyuntil I did start using it. Instant Vortex 5.7-Quart 4-in-1 Air Fryer (Black) $119.99 at Amazon $139.99 Save $20.00 Shop Now Shop Now $119.99 at Amazon $139.99 Save $20.00 The basics of using an Instant VortexThe Instant Vortex air fryer is a fairly simple basket model air fryer. It has a sleek pod-shaped design with a handle jutting out front, and a small turning dial on the upper section. You simply plug it in, and the appliance comes alive. The panel lights up with mode options: air fry, bake, reheat, and roast. There are two additional buttonsfor setting the temperature and setting the timerthat you control with the rotating dial. Theres a single grate that sits snugly into the basket, and thats it. It doesnt have 15 presets, or multiple grates to switch out, and simplicity is one big reason Ive grown to love it. (Read my full review of the Instant Vortex here.)How the Instant Vortex has changed my cooking over three yearsTo be clear, I still cook with my other appliances. An air fryer is not a replacement for a stove or oven, but the Instant Vortex has decidedly become a critical part of my cooking toolkit. Its become a gadget I fully rely on for a few specific situations and when cooking certain types of ingredients. Sometimes it works in tandem with other appliances, if Im orchestrating a large meal, but often I fire up the air fryer because Im tired and I dont really want to put effort into my cooking.Roasting all the vegetablesI like my vegetables roasted, sauted, or steamed, in that order. The air fryer has changed the way I tackle the first of those, and any time I go back to doing it in the oven I regret it. Roasting veggies in the Instant Vortex can take as little as five minutes (when Im roasting peppers), and it can cut the cooking time for root veggies in half. When I look back on the before times, I think of the years Ive lost roasting potatoes in the ovenand compunding matters, an air fryer baked potato is far superior to any oven-baked spud.A lazy weeknight cooking special Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann As a food writer, it might not surprise you to know I cook a lot during the day. I also wash a lot of dishes because of this (many New York City apartments do not have dishwashers). After the work day is done, Ive had enough of my kitchen. That's when I bring my Vortex down from its home atop the fridge, plug it in, drop something or other inside, and leave the room. Thats how dinner gets cooked: A marinated pork tenderloin, turkey kielbasa, or frozen steak bites go in. While the meat rests, I can char some air-fried broccoli, quickly roast nearly any vegetable (with this method), or keep it simple and serve a side of sliced pickles. This machine is clutch for lazy weeknight dinners.A take-out fried food revival machineThis weekend I went with my mom to the Asian market where they make this delicious battered and fried fish. I brought some for my brother and his family, but while it was packaged in the plastic container, it got soggy from the humidity. Was I worried? Absolutely not.Whether fried chicken, fried fish, soggy french fries, or an entire fried chicken sandwich, I revive all of my fried food in my Instant vortex in about five minutes. The basket style makes it easy, because you can do the basket shake: Grab the handle and jostle everything in the basket halfway through the cooking time for even crisping. Reheating leftover fried food in the oven for 20 minutes is a thing of the past.Easier dinner parties and family eventsI dont think I could part with my Vortex simply because it makes preparing dinner parties and holiday feasts so much better for me. Truly, it makes cooking large meals easier. I often set it up in a totally different area so it clears up space near the stove, and roasting side dishes or baking desserts in there frees up my oven for larger casseroles or the Thanksgiving turkey.What I wish I knew when I first got my Instant Vortex Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann The basket depth mattersThe Vortex has been my favorite basket model air fryer so far, but I was more familiar with how to use an oven-style air fryer because it mimics the shape of a toaster oven and a conventional oven. The basket on the Instant Vortex is rather deepjust shy of four inches to the gratewhich is great for roasting broiler chickens or thick cuts of meat, but if you place a cake pan or something wide down into the basket, you have to navigate carefully to avoid burning your knuckles on the sides of the pan. I recommend using foil strips under wide items so you can lower them down and pull them out. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann Things can go wrong in, well, an instantSpeedy cooking, as long as it's cooked well, is never a bad thing. However, if you cant see how fast your food is cooking then its easy to let it go too far. The Instant Vortex has one of the most efficient convection heating systems Ive used so far, which is greatbut it also means food can go from perfect to overcooked in a matter of one minute. I had to learn the hard way that I need to check on my food frequently when cooking with this appliance.I've written about my favorite air fryers before, but if youre interested in an easy to navigate air fryer with a roomy basket that consistently delivers evenly cooked veggies and meat, the Instant Vortex can be your helper for the long haul. Just remember to check on your food, at least in the beginning, so you dont burn anything (which is good advice for any new appliance, frankly).

Jackbox has been making fun party games for well over a decade at this point, but it just held its first-ever direct livestream event. The company had plenty of news to share, including the pending release of both a new minigame collection and a standalone trivia title.The Jackbox Party Pack 11 includes "five brand-new game concepts to bring the party game experience to the next level." These include an audio-based game in which players compete to make the best sound effects. Theres also a fantasy-themed trivia title and a head-to-head joke-writing game.The pack is rounded out by a social deduction game thats centered around a court trial and a "cozy drawing game." That last one tasks players to create designs based on "bizarre prompts." If its anything like Drawful, which is a fantastic drawing-based game by Jackbox, we will be extremely pleased. The Jackbox Party Pack 11 will be available this fall for just about every platform.If you feel like you haven't heard from Jackbox Games in a while, thats because it didnt release a party pack last year. The company said it took a year off to "innovate and deliver some long-requested products for fans."The showcase concluded with the reveal of Trivia Murder Party 3, the next entry in the franchise. This one brings online matchmaking into the mix, though folks can still play locally via the classic Jackbox room code. This installment is set in a summer camp with a serial killer on the loose. Only answering trivia questions can stop the murderous rampage. It will be available as an early access title on Steam later in the year, with a general release date set for 2026.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/jackbox-is-back-with-new-party-games-including-one-based-on-sound-effects-184524066.html?src=rss

Lexar debuts the worlds first 1TB microSD Express card, delivering up to 900 MB/s read speeds for next-gen gaming and high-speed transfers.

UBS sees iPhone prices going up, a concern that's shared by investors and customers due to President Trump's tariffs.

As the European Union looks at how best to respond to Donald Trumps trade war, officials are considering further escalating things, taking them to a point where it could really hurt Big Tech companies.Sophie Primas, a spokesperson for the French government, said the EU is deciding on its response to Trumps blanket tariffs that would include not just tech goods, but tech services as well, an area where the U.S. enjoys a massive trade surplus. That would potentially target companies like Google, Meta, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and X.Apple is already under pressure as tariffs on imported goods will likely result in higher prices for the companys products, such as the iPhone and iPad, but Microsofts stock has largely escaped the drubbing other tech companies have seen on Wall Street since Trump announced the tariffs. (Shares are down just 5% in the past five days vs. 10% for Nvidia and 18% for Apple.)Thats because Microsofts chief products are software and services, such as cloud storage and Microsoft 365. Should the EU place tariffs on those, it would cause more pain for tech companies, which are already sore after a series of tariff-inspired body blows in recent days.Other examples of tech services include Googles ad and cloud network; Metas ad network as well as the Quest (and digital store); Apples Music, Arcade and TV+ offerings; Amazons Web Services and Prime loyalty program; and Xs AI offering and planned financial services unit.The nuclear optionThe EU, its important to note, has not imposed these reciprocal tariffs yet. On Monday, the European Commission said it had offered a zero-for-zero tariff proposal to Washington. Michal Baranowski, deputy economy minister of Poland, following a meeting by the Commission Monday, said EU officials did not want to be trigger-happy. (Elon Musk has espoused a similar zero tariff proposal, in a video call to Italys right-wing, co-ruling League Party.)The White House has, so far, shrugged off talk of zero tariffs, with Peter Navarro, Trumps top trade advisor who is seen as the architect of the tariff plan, dismissing Musk as a car assembler that relies on parts from other countries.When it comes to tariffs and trade, we all understand in the White Houseand the American people understandthat Elon is a car manufacturer, but hes not a car manufacturer. Hes a car assembler, Navarro said. Hes a car person. Thats what he does, and he wants the cheap foreign parts.Should the Trump administration refuse to deal, which has not yet been discussed, EU officials said nothing was off the table, though there appears to be different schools of thought among members about whether placing a tariff on services would be wise.Irish Foreign Minister Simon Harris said doing so would be very much the nuclear option.The likelihood of putting tariffs on services is part of what the EU calls the anti-coercion instrument (ACI). Adopted in 2023, it was designed to defend the EU against a trade war with China, but now its being seen as a tool to battle Trump, if necessary. Some EU officials refer to it as the bazooka.The ACI has wide ranging potential powers. It can be used to limit American banks access to certain EU markets or it could also increase tax and regulatory pressure on American digital platforms, said European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen last week.Talk that the EU could be considering a tariff on services from U.S tech companies comes as the market continues to show extreme volatility. On Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average saw trading range from 36,705 to 39,198- a nearly 2,500-point swing.

Did you know: 85-90% of car journeys are made by only one person per vehicle. Big, heavy cars, taking up a lot of space on our roads, creating congestion and environmental issues. What if a car would fit you like a shoe? That is what YKS1 One offers: right-sized mobility for one. View the full project here

Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), in collaboration with bioSEA, a local ecology and biomimicry design firm, have developed an innovative building material inspired by the remarkable heat-regulating properties of elephant skin. These fungi tiles, made from mycelium and organic waste, offer a sustainable and energy-efficient approach to keeping buildings cool, particularly in tropical climates.Designer: Nanyang Technological UniversityElephants, lacking sweat glands, rely on the intricate wrinkles and crevices of their skin to dissipate heat. This unique texture allows them to retain water, which then evaporates to provide a cooling effect. Inspired by this natural design, the research team created tiles with a bumpy, uneven surface using computational modeling and algorithms to optimize the texture for heat regulation. The fungi tiles are created by mixing the root network of oyster mushrooms (mycelium) with bamboo shavings, along with oats and water, and then packing this mixture into hexagonal molds featuring the elephant skin-inspired texture. The tiles are then left to grow in the dark for two weeks, followed by another two weeks in the same conditions outside the mold. Finally, they are oven-dried to remove moisture and halt further growth.Laboratory experiments have demonstrated the effectiveness of these biomimicry-inspired tiles. The cooling rate of the textured mycelium tile was found to be 25% better than a completely flat mycelium tile, while its heating rate was 2% lower. Notably, the cooling effect of the elephant skin-inspired tile improved by a significant 70% in simulated rain conditions. This enhanced cooling in wet conditions is attributed to the hydrophobic nature of the mycelium-bound composite. The fungal skin that develops on the tiles surface repels water, allowing droplets to remain in the crevices rather than immediately rolling off, leading to more effective evaporation and cooling.Eugene Soh, a researcher at NTU and the studys first author, explained that the tiles design effectively slows down heat absorption while also allowing for rapid cooling of the underside. The water-repellent surface further enhances the cooling process by holding water droplets for longer evaporation. This innovative approach to building materials offers several potential benefits. By utilizing mycelium, a renewable resource, and organic waste like bamboo shavings, the fungi tiles present a more sustainable alternative to conventional energy-intensive building materials. Furthermore, their passive cooling capabilities could significantly reduce the energy consumption associated with air conditioning, contributing to a greener and more energy-efficient built environment, especially in tropical regions. While still in the early stages of development, these elephant skin mycelium tiles hold immense promise for the future of sustainable building design, offering a unique blend of nature-inspired innovation and environmental consciousness.The post Elephant Skin Mycelium Tiles can cool down buildings first appeared on Yanko Design.

Can you tell the difference between Emma Frost, Dagger and Invisible Woman?