Nintendo Switch 2 is not getting achievements but it wont say whyMichael BeckwithPublished April 7, 2025 6:20pm Nintendo must just not care for the idea (YouTube)A platform-wide achievement system has been ruled out for Nintendo Switch 2, but that doesnt mean they wont feature in individual games.Achievements in video games have been a thing for decades, with Microsoft making them something that every game on the Xbox 360 had to have. Sony quickly copied the idea on the PlayStation 3 but, predictably, Nintendo did not.Achievements, trophies, and other similar systems have persisted ever since but while theres been a handful of Nintendo games that feature achievements (Metroid Prime 3 on the Wii was one of the first) theyve never been present for every game on a console.When the Switch 1 launched, some were dismayed to see it lack any sort of achievement system for games. There was hope this would be rectified for the Switch 2, but Nintendo has already made it clear that wont be happening.In an interview with Polygon, Bill Trinen, Nintendo of Americas vice president of player and product experience, was asked if the Switch 2 will feature system-wide achievements.Not only did Trinen answer with a blunt No, he didnt give a reason as to why. Frustrating, but also typical for Nintendo. The implication is simply that they dont like them and/or they dont like using other peoples ideas (not they havent in the past).The omission of achievements might feel a bit surprising when the Switch 2 has caught up to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X in other areas. It can support 4K visuals, run certain games up to 120 frames per second, and comes with a traditional online chat feature.That said, Nintendo still isnt opposed to adding achievements to individual games. For example, early Mario Kart World footage shows that it has some kind of challenge checklist for when youre roaming around the open world.The Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild and its sequel, Tears Of The Kingdom, will also have achievements in the form of medals for reaching certain milestones, though these wont be in the games themselves.More TrendingThe achievements are locked to an accompanying Zelda Notes service included with the Nintendo Switch Online app (which is set to be renamed the Nintendo Switch App in May). Other Zelda Notes features include navigation guidance and the ability to share items with other players.While this is bound to disappoint certain gamers, its the least of peoples concerns with the Switch 2. There are much stronger points of contention, such as the high price of games and the lack of proper physical versions for Switch 2 Edition games.Not to mention there are concerns the console itself will instantly increase in price thanks to new tariffs imposed by Donald Trump, which have already prompted Nintendo to delay when pre-orders open up in the US. Youll have to make do with games like Mario Kart World incorporating their own achievements (Nintendo)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Elon Musks war on fraud and abuse has impacted the Social Security Administrations ability to distribute payments, according to a new report. In particular, frequent outages of the agencys website in recent weeks have been linked to its expansion of fraud checks earlier in the claims process. From the Washington Post: The network crashes appear to be caused by an expansion initiated by the Trump team of an existing contract with a credit-reporting agency that tracks names, addresses and other personal information to verify customers identities. The enhanced fraud checks are now done earlier in the claims process and have resulted in a boost to the volume of customers who must pass the checks. But the technology staff did not test the software against a high volume of users to see if the servers could handle the rush, current and former officials said. Connectivity issues and bugs with the expanded system have caused the portal that manages log-ins and authentication for many Social Security applications to go down, officials said. It has been widely reported that the Social Security Administration is struggling in the wake of widespread cuts directed by President Trump and Musks DOGE government efficiency team. Fewer employees are available to provide phone support, which many older individuals prefer, and Musk has repeatedly alleged widespread fraud in the claims process. In one instance, he stated during a Wisconsin rally that 40% of calls to the agency are fraudulent, a claim that has not been supported by evidence. The new software-based checks are reportedly supposed to root out this supposed fraud, but DOGE has also directed the SSA to cut its IT staff and, pushing more individuals to the website, it has been unable to handle the increased load. Outages of government websites are nothing new, and some on social media have commented that the SSA website experienced regular outages before the new administration began making changes. But in the same way you cannot cut the legs off a table and expect it to function, these service issues were predictable. Musk surely feels emboldened by his takeover of Twitter, though, in which he laid off the majority of staff and managed to keep the service functioning (although it is riddled with problems and arguably has not changed materially since the acquisition). Distribution of payments necessary for living into retirement is of course more important than the uptime of a social network, though. The Post cited one such instance of a retiree struggling to get access to her new benefits: In Upland, California, 72-year-old Kathy Stecher began trying to apply for retirement benefits more than a week ago. One of her first steps was to visit the Social Security website to book a required appointment at her local field office, because she believed she had to authenticate her identity in person first. But over several days stretching from last month through Wednesday, the website wouldnt let Stecher schedule a visit. The site displayed a small bar reading, Make an appointment, she said, but whenever she clicked on it, nothing happened. When she finally reached someone on the phone, the websites booking tool wasnt working, she said. The employee sighed and told her that similar problems have become routine, forcing customers to wait on hold for hours. So much was changing so fast at the agency, the employee said. Retirees and others rely on Social Security payments for basic survival, and President Trump has repeatedly insisted he would not make changes to the program, which would be deeply unpopular. But perhaps deliberately crippling the agency is the point. The program could be rendered ineffective and outsourced to private industry, as conservatives have long wanted to do. Under President Bushs administration, there was a proposal to privatize Social Security that could have required individuals to convert their 401(k) holdings into annuities (payments made in intervals for the rest of ones life), thereby making their retirement payments influenced by the markets. Following the past couple of days, it is not hard to see why that is a bad idea. But people like Musk and Trump are rich beyond belief and do not have to worry about such working-class issues. Perhaps the greatest irony is that the ongoing trade war started by President Trump is expected to hurt his base, working-class Americans, the most. Apparently, it is unfair that the United States has to buy rare earth metals from other countries because they are not naturally found domestically.The White House, for its part, has continued to reiterate that nothing is changing at the Social Security Administration. A spokesperson said in a recent statement, With a resounding mandate from the American people, President Trump is moving quickly to fulfill his promise of making the federal government more efficient. He has promised to protect Social Security, and every recipient will continue to receive their benefits.

Villa SOFIA / nm+a | T | L | nestor medina arquitecturaSave this picture! Julin MedinaArchitects: nm+a | T | L | nestor medina arquitecturaAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:332 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2021 PhotographsPhotographs:Julin Medina Lead Architect: Nstor Medina Aguilar More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Inside the highlands of eastern Antioquia is Villa Sofia, a project conceived from memory and remembrance, which seeks to continue the generational legacy of its owners, from the time of the colonial typology characteristic of the area, as the origin of the new home that intends to continue growing over time.Save this picture!The main premise of the approach to the project was to conserve the existing old house, which is due to the emotional burden it has for its owners, as it is the house of their grandparents and parents; adding the joint resistance to the growing real estate pressure in Llano Grande, given by the rise of sumptuous contemporary constructions, radically removed from the essence of the paisa colonial typology. In this way, the project departs from this real estate trend and decides to honor the construction that for more than seventy years has given shelter to an entire family legacy and has it available to reinterpret its new use.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!This challenge of conserving the existing house begins by studying its typology, which corresponds to the basic and first description of this type of housing, made up of a single-level construction, protected by a traditional hipped roof made of clay tiles, a large perimeter eave whose main use is social, and functions as a transition space between interior and exterior; and a very closed interior that operates as the main sheltered housing area whose few openings unfold in a succession of solids and voids from openwork doors and windows, which resolve the interior-exterior connection by breaking a direct connection with the imposing social contemplation garden, and a tree that is the protagonist of the place, also based on revolving walls that allow this new opening and relationship, but that by remaining closed keep the image, the volume and the relationship of the spaces identical.Save this picture!Save this picture!Proposing this change of use in the existing house and proposing the rooms and private areas in the new construction, generates particular dynamics around the way of inhabiting the spaces and the place; establishing the need for interaction and continuous interior exterior path between the two houses, that is, they can be one without the other, but they complement each other; housing, the pre-existing block: living room, dining room, kitchen and laundry, while the added block, the bedrooms, bathrooms, and family study. Proposing a subtle relationship between the volumes, by means of two eaves projected in the same type of roof in clay tile, which approach each other, but do not touch, and which result in a small uncovered expansion that represents the symbol of transition of uses.Save this picture!Save this picture!This is how the new construction is structured by "duplicating" the existing volume, intervening in it for the benefit of the ideal way of living for its owners at the present time, which consists of actions such as: reducing the length of the eaves taking into account that its function as a space for social use is not required in this new volume; the inclusion of a central patio as a current need of life for the owners, which seeks to maintain independence towards the outside without giving up the closeness of nature and the quality of greater natural lighting; respect for the original typology in terms of the rhythm and repetition of its openings, adding imperceptible windows that allow maintaining an image of traditional Paisa housing when they are closed, but with the possibility of transforming its interior spaces in our reinterpretation of the large windows contemporaries.Save this picture!Save this picture!Finally, this new construction presents the appearance of two upper volumes in glass, which originate in the interest of the owners to be able to enjoy a view never experienced before: a contemplative panoramic view of the distant landscape and its surroundings in the form of a 360 viewpoint. . Volumes that, arising from a totally new requirement in relation to the original typology, are resolved as volumes that are frankly alien to the construction and that, instead of seeking to blend in, seek to highlight the new way of living that they represent.Save this picture!This is how the project understands the relevance for the client of the passage of time reflected in the way of living, embraces the position of an architecture of permanent change and offers the user new dynamics of use; These are punctual architectural interventions, but not static ones that will give the possibility of adapting to different times, users and ways of life according to the generations that pass through... "The duration of things is subject to change."Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officePublished on April 07, 2025Cite: "Villa SOFIA / nm+a | T | L | nestor medina arquitectura" [Villa Sofia / nm+a | T | L | nestor medina arquitectura] 07 Apr 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1028781/villa-sofia-nm-plus-a-t-l-nestor-medina-arquitectura&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

As I was making this I had a moment of reflection about how hard I would have found this when I started out in Blender so thought it was a fun video to demonstrate how a few tricks really can totally change how you use Blender for quick solutions.Machin3 Tools: https://blendermarket.com/products/machin3tools/?ref=834 Machin3 Tools Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnqmLZKRm5CYGKLbXGa3l74XPxTi45ft2 Support the channel on Patreon and get videos a week early: https://www.patreon.com/ArtisansofVaul Free Add OnsRePrimitive: https://github.com/eXzacT/RePrimitive Old Modifier Panel: https://bluenile3d.gumroad.com/l/sexoc Quick Snap: https://github.com/JulienHeijmans/quicksnap CharMorph: https://github.com/Upliner/CharMorph Simple Tabs: https://chippwalters.gumroad.com/l/simpletabs Edge Flow: https://github.com/BenjaminSauder/EdgeFlow Sculpt Bridge: https://blendermarket.com/products/sculpt-bridge-tool (Affiliate links) SUPPORT THE CHANNEL BY BUYING SOME STUFF YOU WERE GOING TO GET ANYWAY ;pMachin3 Tools: https://blendermarket.com/products/machin3tools/?ref=834 nSolve: https://blendermarket.com/products/nsolve?search_id=31807585/?ref=834 Hard Ops and Boxcutter discount bundle: https://blendermarket.com/products/hard-ops--boxcutter-ultimate-bundle/?ref=834 Hard Ops: https://blendermarket.com/products/hardopsofficial/?ref=834 Boxcutter: https://blendermarket.com/products/boxcutter/?ref=834 Mesh Machine: https://blendermarket.com/products/meshmachine/?ref=834 Mass STL Exporter: https://sonesson.gumroad.com/l/mass-stl-exporter Just Panels: https://blendermarket.com/products/just-panels/?ref=834 Construction Lines: https://blendermarket.com/products/construction-lines/?ref=834 Cablerator: https://blendermarket.com/products/cbl/?ref=834 Mesh Copier:https://blendermarket.com/products/mesh-copier/?ref=834 Grid Modeler: https://blendermarket.com/products/grid-modeler/?ref=834 Curve Machine: https://blendermarket.com/products/curvemachine/?ref=834 Decal Machine: https://blendermarket.com/products/decalmachine/?ref=834 Punch It: https://blendermarket.com/products/punchit/?ref=834 One Click Damage (OCD)/Cracker discount bundle: https://blendermarket.com/products/ocd--cracker-damage-bundle/?ref=834 One Click Damage (OCD): https://blendermarket.com/products/ocd/?ref=834 Cracker: https://blendermarket.com/products/cracker/?ref=834 Flowify: https://blendermarket.com/products/flowify/?ref=834 Simple Bend: https://blendermarket.com/products/simple-bend/?ref=834 Conform Object: https://blendermarket.com/products/conform-object/?ref=834 Curves to mesh: https://blendermarket.com/products/curves-to-mesh/?ref=834 Mesh Materializer: https://blendermarket.com/products/mesh-materializer/?ref=834 Favourite modifiers: https://blendermarket.com/products/favourite-modifiers/?ref=834 Wrap Master: https://blendermarket.com/products/wrap-master/?ref=834

Cosmos Website Link: https://x.la/l/LMY6y4UrLeartes Entire Store 210+ Assets on 30% Discount: https://gumroad.com/a/39658451 30% Discount Coupon Code: CG30 MY SOCIAL MEDIA:Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/coldwave Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/CGDealers Telegram: https://t.me/YTcgdealers-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#unrealengine5.5 #blueprints #ue5tutorial #openworld #openworldgames #gamedevtutorial #gamedevelopment #unrealengine #unrealenginetutorial #unrealengine #gamedesign #rvt #runtimevirtualtexture #realtimerendering #ai #aianimation #animation #pcg #unrealpcg #unrealenginetutorial #blender #gamedevelopment #unrealenginetutorial #ue5gamedev -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The smart windows could display flight information and local landmarks. Credit: ZeissGet the Popular Science daily newsletterThe optical systems company Zeiss has supplied NASA and the ESA with high-grade glass components for years, including lenses for the James Webb Space Telescope and lunar cameras for the Apollo astronauts. For its next generation of products, the German company is eyeing airplanes instead of spacecraft. According to an announcement earlier this month, Zeiss wants to upgrade commercial jets with touch-free holographic Multifunctional Smart Glass systems.The new technology is on display from April 8-10 during the Aircraft Interiors Expo 2025 in Hamburg, Germany. The company wants to move beyond the showroom floor and into more planes within the coming years.The smart glass may also help lighten a planes overall weight. Credit: Zeiss To create transparent glass like an airplane window, Zeiss relies on a combination of micro-optical structures and holographic optical components, depending on the need. This may take the form of windows that display flight information, geographical orientation, and moving maps for commercial plane passengers. Smart glass panesinstead of opaque cabin section dividerscould also become interactive digital surfaces through the use of touchless holographic buttons that respond to motion using ultraviolet- and infrared-based sensors.However, one of the systems biggest features isnt seenits felt. According to Zeiss, swapping out existing heavy physical dividers and bulky display tools with multifunctional smart glass can cut down on a planes overall weight. The lighter the plane, the less fuel it generally uses, leading to cheaper overall operating costs and less pollution.Zeiss isnt restricting its holographic smart glass to airplane cabins, either. The company is already testing augmented reality HUD cockpit displays that reduce the need for pilots to look away from their surroundings. To accomplish this, the smart glass relies on infrared and microwave camera sensors to capture environmental data and transmit them directly onto a pilots field of vision.The multiple detection systems help pilots, crew and (semi-)automated assistance systems monitor various tasks inside and outside the aircraft, the company explains on its website.The technology could serve as an invaluable tool during low-visibility situations such as evening flights, fog, and inclement weather. Future uses could also include turning an entire cockpit window into a single, augmented reality HUD display. Doing so may also minimize collision risks, as well as unnecessary holding patterns and flight diversions.

Nature, Published online: 07 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01069-0Curious about using artificial intelligence to boost your research? Here are the programs you shouldnt miss.