April 10, 20255 min readWhat Defines a Star?At the lower end, and to the bitter end, defining a star is tougher than you might expectBy Phil Plait edited by Lee BillingsA view of our sun, as seen by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. NASA/Goddard/SDOI love simple questions that wind up having complicated—or at least not straightforward—answers. Astronomers twist themselves into knots, for example, trying to define what a planet is, even though it seems like you’d know one when you see it. The same is true for moons; in fact, the International Astronomical Union, the official keeper of names and definitions for celestial objects, doesn’t even try to declare what a moon is. That’s probably for the best because that, too, is not so easy.What about stars, though? Do they also confound any sort of palatable definition?In a very broad sense, a star is simply one of those twinkling points of light you can see in the night sky. But that’s not terribly satisfying in either lexicological or physical terms. After all, we also know the sun is a star—but, by definition, we never see it in Earth’s night sky, and it’s certainly not a dot (unless you’re viewing it from well past Pluto, that is).On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.If such a basic definition leaves us a bit dry, then perhaps we can do better. From centuries of scientific observations and theoretical physics, we can say more. Stars are massive, hot and roughly spherical. They’re held together by their own gravity, and they consist of plasma (gas heated so much that electrons are stripped from its constituent atoms). And, of course, they’re luminous. They shine, which is probably their most basic characteristic.That’s descriptive, certainly, but still doesn’t really tell us what a star is. What makes one different from, say, a planet? Can there be a smallest star or a biggest one?To sensibly answer such questions, we need to understand the core mechanism that makes a star luminous in the first place. Then we can use that understanding to better define what is or isn’t a star.Historically, astronomers were in the dark about this for quite some time. Many mechanisms were proposed, but it wasn’t until the early 20th century that quantum mechanics came to the rescue and introduced humanity (for better or worse) to the concept of nuclear fusion. In this process, subatomic particles such as protons and neutrons—and even entire atomic nuclei—could be smashed together, fusing to form heavier nuclei and releasing an enormous amount of energy.In a star’s core, fusion takes terrific temperature and pressure that is provided by the crushing gravity of the star’s overlying mass. For a star to be relatively stable, the outward force of the energy generated by fusion in its core must be balanced by the inward pull of the star’s gravity.There are a couple of different pathways for fusion to occur in stars like the sun, but in the end they both yield essentially the same result: four hydrogen nuclei (each a single proton) plus various other subatomic particles fuse together to form a helium nucleus, and this process blasts out a lot of high-energy radiation as a byproduct. In the sun, this process converts about 620 million metric tons of hydrogen into helium every second. That creates enough energy to, well, power a star.A critical aspect here is that once this reaction starts in a star’s core, it keeps going as long as there is enough nuclear material to fuel it. And while fusing through hundreds of millions of metric tons per second sounds like a lot to you and me, to a star, this is an infinitesimally tiny fraction of its mass, allowing it to keep shining for billions of years.So now we can say with more confidence what a star is: a huge gravitationally bound mass of luminous plasma in which the energy generated from sustained nuclear fusion in its core is balanced by gravity. Huzzah!Except (and you knew an “except” was coming) there’s a lower limit to the temperature and pressure needed to sustain fusion.For normal stars, it’s about 75 times the mass of Jupiter, or one twelfth the mass of the sun. Below that mass, there’s not enough pressure to kick-start the fusion process. But you might notice that no one is eagerly declaring anything dozens of times heftier than Jupiter to be a “planet,” either. In general, middling objects too massive to be planets but too lightweight to be stars are called brown dwarfs.This is where things get fuzzy—because it turns out that brown dwarfs can sustain certain sorts of fusion reactions, too. For example, they fuse deuterium, an isotope of hydrogen with an extra neutron in its atomic nucleus. Some can even fuse lithium with protons to form beryllium, and both these processes can occur at lower temperatures and pressures than the standard “single-proton hydrogen” fusion I described earlier. Brown dwarfs can sustain such conditions in their core, albeit only for mere tens of millions of years or so. But the question remains: Are these objects stars?For simplicity’s sake, astronomers would prefer to keep brown dwarfs in their own group and not call them stars. (Perhaps we could say they go through a brief “stellar phase” of fusion after they’re born.) So most of us would say that a star has to have sustained single-proton hydrogen fusion. It’s still a little bit arbitrary—after all, even this fusion eventually stops, though that might take up to several trillion years for some slow-burning stars. But setting this clear limit does make some sense.Stars have an upper limit on their mass, too. More massive stars gravitationally squeeze their core even harder, which can vastly increase the rate of fusion reactions. But that, in turn, hugely ramps up energy production, making the star hotter and brighter. If the star gets too massive, it can become so luminous that it literally tears itself apart. That limit isn’t well defined, but it’s somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 times the mass of the sun. We do see stars near this upper bound, such as Eta Carinae, and they are violently unstable, wracked by stellar paroxysms that blow out gas in humongous eruptions.What happens, then, after a star exhausts its nuclear fuel? Eventually the hydrogen runs out, leaving behind a core made of helium. This can get very complicated, but some massive stars can then fuse that helium into heavier elements and those elements into heavier ones yet. For true stellar heavyweights—stars with more than about eight times the sun’s mass—the end comes as a catastrophic supernova explosion that leaves behind a neutron star or black hole. Smaller, more sunlike stars have a more sedate demise that eventually blows off their outer layers to expose their dense, hot core to space. We call these slow-cooling stellar corpses white dwarfs.Besides black holes—which are so extreme they merit a category all their own—astronomers tend to refer to these stellar remnants as stars, but the lexicology there is hazier. These objects used to be a part of a star that once sustained fusion but not anymore. So while we may call them stars, we know they’re distinguished from “regular” stars like the sun. It’s a little confusing to laypeople, but astronomers have all sorts of terms that began with good intentions but are now outdated or should be deprecated.That makes sense; after all, the principal principle of science is that it learns. We get more data and we change our mind, though the terms we use may take a while to catch up. So for now we’re stuck with some words that will possibly (hopefully) fall out of use in the future.Planets, moons, stars: astronomers know the difference and know that at the edges, these terms can bleed into one another. Despite the fuzzy borders of these categories, recognizing the distinctions between the objects within them is what helps us understand the universe even better.

Nintendo opened their Switch 2 Direct with Mario Kart World, a wide-open racer that arrives some 11 years after the last mainline series entry. As the Switch 2's premier launch title, it carries huge expectations. What can we learn about the game and its tech from what's been revealed so far? Before we get into Mario Kart World itself, I think a quick overview of Mario Kart 8 is necessary, because the prior game informs a lot of World's rendering choices. Mario Kart 8 runs at 720p on Wii U and up to 1080p on Switch, both at high frame-rates, which required some key technical compromises. Chief among them is the extensive use of baked lighting; most of the game's direct and indirect lighting is pre-calculated and stored in lightmaps and ambient occlusion maps. This performance-saving measure allows MK8 to feature relatively sophisticated lighting, though its low resolution does stick out sometimes. Environmental detail looks great when moving at fast speed, but the game isn't necessarily throwing a ton of geometry around and it doesn't have super-sophisticated materials either. Most surfaces appear pretty diffuse, with shiny and normal-mapped surfaces in the mix as needed. Specular detail in MK8 is also fairly simple. There's no SSR here, given the game's vintage, with shiny surfaces instead relying on rougher static cubemaps. Water surfaces generally look quite transparent even at steep angles too, likely for gameplay reasons. Here's the tech preview of this much-anticipated Switch 2 launch title from Oliver. Watch on YouTube When we move over to Mario Kart World, the key innovation is its open-world gameplay structure and larger 24 player races. Players seem free to roam just about anywhere on the map when not racing, and events have extensive off-circuit sections too. Perhaps as a result of this grander scope, some of the same rendering choices end up in World too. Trackside lighting still relies on a lot of baking, for instance. A larger number of dynamic objects like flags and breakable lightposts use real-time shadowing instead, but the environmental lighting is still heavily pre-calculated. World apparently features some kind of real-time day/night cycle and weather, and times of day do change throughout races, but the position of the primary light source remains static, so even when the sun is low in the evening sky, the shadows are permanently set at a kind of mid-afternoon angle. Environments mostly look great when you are blasting past at high speed, though a closer inspection reveals fairly judicious placement of polygons. During free roam gameplay, where the pace of play is much more relaxed, some of these compromises become a little more noticeable. Perhaps this is engineered to keep level of detail pop-in to a minimum, as level-of-detail shifts are fairly minimal and not very noticeable during gameplay. Interestingly, building interiors seem to have real depth and parallax, though they appear fairly simple and often repeat. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. If you look a little deeper, you can spot some considerable rendering improvements in the mix here as well - which ultimately make the game look substantially better than its predecessor. World has some excellent-looking water rendering, with foaming waves and lots of geometric undulation. When you hit water, the player vehicle changes into an aquatic alternative and you drive on the water's surface, unlike in Mario Kart 8 where you simply rode the track beneath the waves. As a result, the reflection tech has evolved, and seems to be possibly using a planar reflection technique. There are some tells here that indicate we aren't looking at screen-space reflections or even something ray-traced, like alignment issues and the fact that player vehicles aren't reflected. At the same time though, the reflections match the scene too well to simply be a pre-calculated cubemap, which would probably look pretty bad on larger bodies of water. It seems that other glossy surfaces do rely on cubemaps though. Materials quality also seems to have taken a step up here. Surfaces have higher-detail textures, including better normal maps, and appear more natural. World's world often looks worn, with cracked pavement and faded, uneven paint, while Mario Kart 8 tended to have a more sterile look. Some shaders, like the one used to simulate ice, produce a more visually sophisticated appearance and more closely mimic their real-world inspiration. Water rendering has taken a generational leap forward with Mario Kart World versus Mario Kart 8, with more advanced reflections and geometric undulation in stormy seas. | Image credit: Nintendo/Digital Foundry We actually have footage of the one track that is returning from Mario Kart 8, which is Sky-High Sundae. A side-by-side reveals much better looking artwork that clearly has seen a lot more time and attention. However, I don't want to put too much stock into this admittedly stark comparison, because this is a track from the Booster Course Pass which had a more basic appearance with the mobile game Mario Kart Tour in mind. Model detail and art quality both took a big hit with these tracks, so it's not surprising that a proper art pass has produced a markedly better-looking result. Characters also typically appear quite different in this new Mario Kart outing. This is evident right from the player select screen, as each character is depicted with a distinctive animation and edge-lit lighting. The same cartoony sensibility is carried into gameplay, as the karts squish, stretch and have looser suspension. MK8 wasn't exactly realistic, but the vehicles themselves were rigid and had a bit of a more grounded feel. When the karts get hit, the animation is a bit more dramatic, and it blends more seamlessly with player-driven kart movement. There are also some changes to character designs, most of which are fairly subtle. In general, it seems like Nintendo is taking more cues from offline CG as a visual inspiration these days, and that's reflected in some of their design choices, most famously perhaps with the revised Donkey Kong model. Mario Kart World has a more detailed, worn look for many of its environments. Comparing the Sky-High Sundae map in both games exaggerates the gulf in fidelity though, given the MK8 incarnation was designed for the mobile game Mario Kart Tour. Beyond the game's core visual makeup, we should discuss the title's basic rendering parameters. In World's default visual mode in docked play, current media suggests a 1440p image in all my counts without TAA or temporal upsampling. It's a little hard to offer a precise sense of image quality, given that all the extended footage we have is ripped from Nintendo Treehouse playthroughs, but I think it generally looks fine enough. Relying so heavily on baked lighting minimises aliasing gremlins in typical play. All the material we have so far suggests a 60fps refresh, which is maintained faultlessly. The game's photo mode runs at a more modest 30fps update, however. There's also apparently a 120fps mode, though we don't have any capture of it at the moment. Split-screen play is also included here, at least for race events. The same 60fps update is evident, at least for two-player split-screen play. We don't have any footage of four-player splitscreen, though the Nintendo Treehouse footage features two consoles running with two-player splitscreen put side-by-side. Nintendo's GameChat functionality is supported here as well, like with every other Switch 2 title, and it does seem like a neat addition. The roughly 8fps camera feed is mildly distracting, and perhaps better suited for a slower-paced title, but I think the overall effect is pretty cool, and the real-time background removal works pretty well. Obviously, comparisons with streaming suites available on PC are probably not particularly flattering - but for something integrated into a low-power console platform with a limited slice of GPU time, I think it's a neat option for party play. Character models are more advanced in the new game, with animated poses on the character select screen and more advanced edge lighting. The same cartoonish sensibilities apply to the karts too, which squish, stretch and tumble more than their MK8 predecessors. Mario Kart World is in some respects an iterative upgrade over Mario Kart 8, but the extra horsepower has been put to good use to enable 24-player races and a vast open world. There are some key visual upgrades in the mix too, and resolution gets a bump, along with the maximum supported frame-rate. That's a really solid mix for a big new next-gen Nintendo game, especially one arriving so early in the Switch 2's lifecycle. I think Nintendo ran into a big issue when they sketched out the concept for World. Mario Kart 8 was such a tight, perfectly tuned game, had already explored transforming vehicles, and came loaded with content. It's a very hard game to top on its own terms. With World, Nintendo hasn't really tried to, instead veering off in a very different direction in gameplay terms - even beyond the obvious shifts to scope. The changes are numerous: tracks are wider, handling is a little looser and mini-turbos charge more slowly, items have been tweaked, automatically trail the player, and have generally been made less punishing, gliders have been replaced with wings, watercraft have been introduced, it's possible to trick off the ground, and there are new rail grinding and wall riding mechanics. Even though we have a fair bit of off-screen and direct-feed footage of the game, the intricacies of these mechanical changes aren't fully understood. Some mechanics, like ground tricking and wall riding, will hopefully be balanced carefully to avoid degenerate gameplay. It looks like fun to me, but it also looks like it will take a bit of getting used to coming off of 8. Single-player and two-player split-screen looks to run at 60fps, though a single-player 120fps mode is included and three or four-player splitscreen might necessitate a lower frame-rate. I do share certain community concerns though about the game's gameplay structure. The Grand Prix and Knockout Tour modes take you through long stretches of track between individual circuits, which definitely has some appeal and sells the open-world fantasy. But these highway segments have long straights, few turns, and don't look as interesting as the actual proper circuits. Of course, I haven't played the game, and it could just be the case that less twisting tracks remain interesting because of boost pads, traffic, and 24 player play. 200cc racing speeds could help, though it hasn't been confirmed as an option, and neither has mirror mode. But on the flipside, the game's new open-world structure seems like it could introduce a lot of opportunities for interesting single-player gameplay. A mix of challenges, races, and collectables would be nice here - perhaps taking some cues from Forza Horizon. Nintendo is keeping their cards close for now, but they are hinting at some exciting possibilities. As someone who mostly enjoys Mario Kart offline, I think these bits of open-world fun could keep me returning for many months to come.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here There’s a lot of amazing games to anticipate for release this year. GTA 6 is obviously the big experience everyone cannot wait to play, but there’s also Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yotei, and plenty others. Now, there’s another game players can add to the list in Where Winds Meet. It is scheduled for launch sometime this year, and PS5 players can now sign up to play a free beta of the open-world RPG in May. How to sign up for Where Winds Meet beta Where Winds Meet is an exciting open-world action-adventure RPG from China. The PlayStation YouTube channel recently uploaded another trailer, and the game looks absolutely magnificent. While we don’t know exactly when it will fully launch this year, players on PS5 and PC can sign up to try to play a closed beta. Before getting started, it should be known that, per the FAQ, this beta is only eligible to players who live in the United States, Canada, Korea, and Japan. In addition, this is a closed beta, meaning not everyone who applies will be given access. However, it’s free to sign-up, so it’s at least worth the effort if you’re at all interested in playing the game. To sign up for the beta, you must apply before May 15th. You can sign up for the beta here, and, if you are successful, you will receive an invite via email. If you are lucky enough to participate in the beta, it will run from May 16th until the 19th. Again, the game looks incredible. It is “set in ancient China at the tenth century,” and “Players will assume the role of a young martial artist as they embark on a journey to uncover the mysteries of their own identity”. In other PlayStation news, Sony has confirmed PS Plus price increases for even more countries Related Topics ps5 Subscribe to our newsletters! By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime. Share

If that’s too much, wipe it down once a week—or at least once a month with warm water and a bit of dish soap. Any grime is less likely to turn into buildup with that frequency of cleaning. The more often you clean the oven, the less intense the cleaning has to be, and you will actually save time overall.Why is it important to clean the oven?If you value health, hygiene, the scents in your home, and the taste of your food, then oven cleaning is important. It’s always recommended to clean any area that comes into close contact with food. When it comes to the oven, a dirty interior can affect the taste of your food, and may even be harmful to your health.“Having a clean oven not only enhances the flavors of your culinary creations, but also prevents the accumulation of grease, burnt residue, and potentially harmful bacteria,” adds Mock. “It also helps prolong your oven’s lifespan, maintain its efficiency, and reduces the risk of unpleasant and unwanted odors.”Is using oven self-cleaning safe?“As long as your oven is in good working order, using the self-cleaning oven feature is safe and effective,” says Mock. However, the process typically takes around three to six hours to complete, using high temperatures (around 900 to 1,000 degrees) to incinerate leftover food particles.An oven’s self cleaning method uses high heat to burn away food. Photo: Glasshouse Images/Getty ImagesThis can create strong odors and may potentially release harmful fumes into the air. To avoid any odors from collecting in the home, keeping the space well ventilated while you run the self-cleaning oven feature is advised. Note that each oven is different and it’s important to follow your oven’s manual carefully before attempting the self-clean option.How often should I clean my oven?Ask yourself, “How often do I use my oven?” The more frequently you use the oven, the more splatters you’ll accrue. An avid baker should aim to give the oven a deep clean once every three months. For someone with a less-than-regular cooking habit, a cleaning every six months, or even once a year, can work.If you ever notice significant residue lurking in the oven, or something drips to the bottom of the oven while cooking, wipe the mess once the oven cools. You don’t want the gunk baking, and undoubtedly smoking, every time the oven is on. The primary oven maintenance cleaning tip: Wipe down the interior with a damp cloth and hot water and dish soap once a month, and the grime is less likely to turn into buildup.How do you keep an oven clean?Once you’ve cleaned your oven to the point that it’s sparkling, you’ll want it to stay that way for as long as possible. To start, pop in some nonstick oven liners, like these ones from Amazon, to help you fight off future grease. These mats catch drips and spills, are easy to remove, and clean quickly. Alternatively, place a sheet of foil beneath cooking dishes that could drip food. Just note that the foil should go on an oven rack and not on the bottom of the oven as it can damage the appliance if it gets too hot.What is the easiest way to clean a really dirty oven?If you want an easy way to clean a truly soiled oven, turn to some excellent cleaning products. Toby Schulz, CEO and cofounder of Maid2Match, suggests Bar Keepers Friend as his go-to product. “Just make sure you’re using the cleanser powder, and ‘rinse’ the interior with a damp cloth afterwards,” Schulz explains. “Bar Keepers Friend also works well for cleaning oven racks. Either sprinkle damp oven racks with some of the cleanser powder, or make a paste with Bar Keepers Friend and water then apply it to the racks. Let the solution sit for a minute or two, then scrub with an abrasive sponge and rinse the racks thoroughly before using them again.”What is the best safe way to clean an oven?Using either the baking soda or soap method described above are both extremely safe ways to clean an oven, as they involve no harsh chemicals and do not use intense heat, which can release harmful particulate matter into the air. That said, as with your own health, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; wipe the oven’s interior down regularly with a damp cloth and a touch of dish soap and fewer deep cleans will be necessary.How do I clean stubborn oven spots?“For stubborn stains on oven interiors, try a mixture of white vinegar and baking soda,” recommends Mattie Sheppard, strategic interior designer and cleaning advisor at Real Estate Bees. Apply the paste, let it sit for 15 minutes, and then scrub it away with a non-abrasive sponge. And for spots on the glass, another effective hack is using a razor blade for scraping off that tough, baked-on grease. Just be cautious and use the razor at a flat angle to avoid damaging the surface.

What just happened? The technology business is feeling the first, massive consequences of import tariffs introduced by Donald Trump. If industry sources are to be believed, Washington's new policy just forced some of the world's largest laptop manufacturers to delay shipments to the US. According to Taiwan sources quoted by Commercial Times, Lenovo, Dell, HP, and other laptop manufacturers will stop sending new devices to the US for at least two weeks. Technology and consumer electronics businesses are being hit hard by the tariffs imposed by Trump, even though the US president has recently paused the majority of these additional levies for 90 days except for a 10 percent baseline global tariff. However, tariffs against China are now at 145 percent according to White House sources. Earlier this week, Razer and Framework decided to halt sales in the US and cancel preorders for new laptops. Micron is raising prices of SSDs and other memory products, while Chinese sellers on Amazon are being forced to significantly increase prices or abandon their US sale prospects altogether. Industry insider sources are now forecasting a significant drop in revenue in April, with laptops, smartphones, and network equipment suffering the worst effects of Trump's tariffs. Before Trump decided to pause the enforcement of "reciprocal tariffs" for three months, Taiwan was hit with a 32 percent levy. The US president is definitely acting fast and breaking things, which means companies are forced to adapt to increasingly uncertain conditions in the global market. Trump's tariffs now have their own, heavily edited Wikipedia page. Taiwan sources are lamenting the confusion surrounding the US economy and tariffs, and many organizations are taking a wait-and-see approach for the time being. Some laptop and component manufacturers are seemingly reaching their biggest customers in the US, seeking a "tariff-sharing" cooperation plan to try and reduce the impact of the new levies. // Related Stories Other manufacturers, including those working in the passive component business, said they still plan to ship their products in line with the previously decided schedule. Meanwhile, Chinese security company Qihoo 360 said that new shipments are halted, but its US subsidiary should have enough supplies for now.

Helldivers 2 players might not have gotten the big update some of them were hoping for this week, but their latest mission at least looks like it's coming with some pretty lofty Galactic War stakes. If you're sick of the purple Meridian death ball destroying planets, here's a chance to stop it. Read more

Image: Nintendo LifeWe already know that, of course, scalpers are attempting to spoil the Switch 2 party — which must be particularly frustrating to US consumers who can't even pre-order the console right now. But fans are pushing back against extortionate listings, and rightly so. IGN reports that some people are heading to online auction sites and reporting some of the most expensive listings. Simply by searching on eBay for Nintendo Switch 2, you can find listings for the console at over the RRP to varying degrees, with some consoles available for Buy It Now prices of over USD $700. Even though pre-orders have gone live in other countries, scalpers are still an issue in the UK, where some are selling the console for over £500. Over on the NintendoSwitch2 subreddit, some fans have shared just how they're dealing with scalpers, and it's with a healthy amount of reporting. While not all attempts are successful, it's heartening to see people pushing back against those trying to take advantage of the market. We shouldn't have to deal with this. But the increase in success rate is notable. As IGN notes, eBay's own Terms & Conditions state that presale listings must have "presale" in the description, must ship within 40 days of purchase, and must list the date the item is available to ship. Many of those scalped listings are violating these terms, hence the removal of some of them. Unfortunately, that may well be about to change, given that we are now less than 40 business days from the Switch 2's launch. Fingers crossed that eBay can actually crack down on this, as no one should be paying out of the nose for a new console from people who are exploiting the market. Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders are still yet to go up in North America and Canada, and there's been much controversy around the pricing of games for the new console. With the financial market turbulent right now, we don't know what will happen next. Have you reported any scalpers on online auction sites? Let us know in the comments. We know what he's saying DKK Wrap Two months and counting! Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information. [source reddit.com, via ign.com] See Also Share:0 0 Alana has been with Nintendo Life since 2022, and while RPGs are her first love, Nintendo is a close second. She enjoys nothing more than overthinking battle strategies, characters, and stories. She also wishes she was a Sega air pirate. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment... Related Articles Where To Pre-Order Nintendo Switch 2 Where to buy Switch 2 consoles, accessories & games Upgrade Pack Price For Zelda: BOTW And TOTK Has Been Confirmed A pleasant surprise! Nintendo Confirms US Price For 'Switch 2 Welcome Tour' Quick, act surprised! My Nintendo Adds A Switch 2 Reward (North America) It's a keychain! Switch 2 GameChat Choppy Frame Rate Explained By Nintendo It's about ensuring the "game experience" is at its best

OpenAI will soon retire GPT-4, an AI model it launched over two years ago, from ChatGPT, according to a changelog posted on Thursday. Effective April 30, GPT-4 will be “fully replaced” by GPT-4o, the current default model in ChatGPT, OpenAI said. GPT-4 will remain available for use via OpenAI’s API. “In head‑to‑head evaluations, [GPT-4o] consistently surpasses GPT‑4 in writing, coding, STEM, and more,” wrote OpenAI in the changelog. “Recent upgrades have further improved GPT‑4o’s instruction following, problem solving, and conversational flow, making it a natural successor to GPT‑4.” GPT-4 was rolled out in March 2023 for ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot chatbot on the web. Several versions of GPT-4 had multimodal capabilities, allowing them to understand both images and text — the first for a widely deployed OpenAI model. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has said that GPT-4, reportedly massive in size, cost more than $100 million to train. It was succeeded by GPT-4 Turbo in November 2023, a faster and cheaper model. GPT-4 is one of the models at the heart of copyright disputes between OpenAI and publishers that include The New York Times. Publishers allege that OpenAI trained GPT-4 on their data without their knowledge or consent. OpenAI claims that fair use doctrine shields it from liability. GPT-4’s coming retirement will likely follow the release of new models in ChatGPT. According to reverse engineer Tibor Blaho, OpenAI is readying a family of models called GPT-4.1 — GPT-4.1-mini, GPT-4.1-nano, and GPT-4.1 — as well as the o3 “reasoning” model the company announced in December, and a new reasoning model called o4-mini.

Chicago-based 3D printing quality assurance software developer Phase3D has introduced a new inspection system designed to improve quality assurance (QA) in cold spray additive manufacturing (CSAM).  Supported by $1.25 million in funding from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the system, called Fringe Inspection: Cold Spray, uses structured light to capture surface data in real time during the spray process. It was tested at the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) and later validated in an operational environment at Ellsworth Air Force Base. CSAM has long presented challenges in maintaining consistent quality due to the nature of the material deposition process. Phase3D’s system addresses these challenges by providing real-time data that allow for immediate identification of surface-level defects such as cracking, cratering, and pitting.  The system also evaluates the flatness and overall shape of the deposited surface, offering technicians the opportunity to adjust process parameters dynamically, thereby reducing material waste and improving efficiency. “The successful completion of this project underscores the importance of real-time inspection in additive manufacturing, ”said Niall O’Dowd, Founder and CEO of Phase3D. “The deployment at Ellsworth AFB proves that structured light inspection is a game-changer for cold spray applications. This technology not only ensures higher-quality repairs but also delivers significant cost and time savings for the Air Force.” Fringe Inspection : Cold Spray attaches to the robotic control arm and scans cold spray deposits during the printing process. Photo via Phase3D. Validated through real-world testing The Fringe Inspection : Cold Spray hardware is mounted to a robotic arm, where it collects millions of measurement points related to layer thickness, roughness, and shape. Phase3D developed and deployed both the hardware and its accompanying software suite, Fringe Operator, which is used to interpret inspection data and document part-specific quality metrics.  Working with Air Force engineers, the team established data-driven benchmarks for acceptable and unacceptable deposition quality, drawing on cold spray samples created with helium and nitrogen as carrier gases. These examples informed the creation of a go/no-go threshold system to evaluate parts during the manufacturing process. To validate this approach, Phase3D conducted a blind test using the quality thresholds it had developed. Components were evaluated using real-time data collected during the build process, and defects such as uneven spray patterns and surface discontinuities were identified and categorized.  The successful classification of test specimens further confirmed the utility of the system for in-situ inspection in cold spray environments. This project was conducted under the STTR Phase II Proposal F2-16465 – In-Situ Monitoring for Blown Powder Additive Manufacturing contract. A separate case study involving a laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) component 3D printed on an EOS M270 machine further demonstrated the practical benefits of Fringe Inspection technology.  An undisclosed aerospace manufacturer faced part failures caused by inconsistent porosity and internal geometries, traced to powder buildup on the recoater blade that intermittently dropped onto the build surface, an issue technicians suspected but couldn’t confirm using standard imaging tools. After installing Fringe Inspection on the machine, the issue became immediately visible through high-resolution heightmaps. The system detected powder drops of up to 200 µm, four times the normal layer thickness, falling onto the melt pool.  The discovery led to a simple fix: adding a fixed blade at the recoater’s home position to prevent powder buildup. After implementation, powder-related build failures stopped entirely, reducing annual losses of $63,000 by over 90%, not including indirect engineering and troubleshooting costs. Following these successful implementations, Phase3D plans to expand the application of its structured light inspection systems beyond cold spray. The company is currently engaging with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and private-sector partners to explore additional use cases and support broader adoption of real-time quality monitoring in additive manufacturing. The case study is based on reported findings and represents a real set of events. No confidential figures were used, and all data has been recreated to protect customer privacy. Quality Chart output from Fringe Inspection identifying when the process is out of control during the process. Visualized in Fringe Qualification. Image via Phase3D. Quality assurance in 3D printing In-situ quality assurance is essential for industries like aerospace and space, where standards are high, prompting many AM companies to develop their own novel solutions. For example, Siemens Energy and risk management firm DNV partnered to develop a new industrial quality assurance platform by integrating Siemens’ AM Cockpit with DNV’s Independent Quality Monitor (IQM). The platform enables real-time monitoring, digital validation, and comparison of 3D printed parts against approved models.  It provides automated certification and aims to support zero-defect manufacturing, particularly in powder bed fusion processes. Developed under the EU-funded InterQ project, the combined system is designed to strengthen confidence in AM for critical sectors like energy, with Siemens highlighting its role in enabling gas turbines to operate on low-carbon fuels such as hydrogen. During the Formnext 2022, MakerVerse and ZEISS introduced enhanced quality assurance tools on the MakerVerse platform through the integration of ZEISS’s specialized metrology solutions. These additions included Tactile CMM, Optical 3D Scanning, Industrial CT and X-Ray capabilities, along with surface roughness measurement. MakerVerse CEO Dr. Markus Seibold emphasized that this alliance “is the perfect solution for our customers needing industrial-grade quality inspections and reports for their AM parts.” What 3D printing trends should you watch out for in 2025? How is the future of 3D printing shaping up? To stay up to date with the latest 3D printing news, don’t forget to subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter or follow us on Twitter, or like our page on Facebook. While you’re here, why not subscribe to our Youtube channel? Featuring discussion, debriefs, video shorts, and webinar replays. Featured image shows Fringe Inspection : Cold Spray attaches to the robotic control arm and scans cold spray deposits during the printing process. Photo via Phase3D. Ada Shaikhnag With a background in journalism, Ada has a keen interest in frontier technology and its application in the wider world. Ada reports on aspects of 3D printing ranging from aerospace and automotive to medical and dental.

Dubai’s Vertical Forest | © Stefano Boeri Architetti As ecological crises deepen and cities face mounting pressure to mitigate their environmental impact, architecture is increasingly being called to act as a regenerative agent. Few typologies exemplify this shift more than Stefano Boeri’s Vertical Forest, which merges high-density living with vertical biodiversity. This model is being reimagined for one of the world’s most extreme climates—Dubai. Presented at COP27 and currently under development, this project marks a significant evolution in the Vertical Forest series. It introduces a new paradigm for integrating architecture with ecological systems in the Middle East and North Africa region. Dubai’s Vertical Forest Technical Information Architects1-8: Stefano Boeri Architetti Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Project Year: 2022 – Ongoing Images: © Stefano Boeri Architetti The idea of building a tower completely surrounded by trees came to me in early 2007 in Dubai – one of the cradles of the new oil and financial capitalism. – Stefano Boeri Dubai’s Vertical Forest Photographs Model | © Stefano Boeri Architetti © Stefano Boeri Architetti © Stefano Boeri Architetti © Stefano Boeri Architetti Contextualizing the Vertical Forest in the MENA Region The Vertical Forest’s location in Dubai is far from incidental. It positions the project within one of the planet’s most environmentally and politically charged urban territories. Defined by vertical growth and resource-intensive development, Dubai represents both a cautionary tale and a unique laboratory for speculative urbanism. Introducing a Vertical Forest into this context asks pressing questions about the viability of ecological architecture in hyper-arid environments. Unveiled at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh—just one year ahead of Dubai’s hosting of COP28—the project was not merely an architectural announcement, but a symbolic gesture. It offered a prototype of what the future city in the MENA region might look like if environmental goals are integrated into the DNA of urban design rather than appended as technological afterthoughts. This is also the first Vertical Forest explicitly conceived for an arid climate. The departure from temperate zones, such as Milan, necessitates reconsidering both botanical strategy and environmental performance. This version is not a carbon copy, but a regionally attuned reinterpretation, raising vital questions about the adaptability of iconic ecological models across divergent environmental and cultural landscapes. Architectural Design and Spatial Strategies The design comprises two towers, rising to 190 and 150 meters respectively. Their proportions follow a principle of visual counterbalance while maximizing surface area for vegetation. The towers are not standalone monoliths but vertically orchestrated ecosystems. Their façades operate as living membranes, embedded with planters that accommodate 2,640 trees and 27,600 shrubs—creating a layered landscape from ground to sky. Spatially, the towers reflect a porous organization, with interstitial spaces where architecture and vegetation coexist. The integration of hydroponic gardens and greenhouses further challenges the conventional zoning of vertical structures. These programmatic insertions suggest a hybrid building typology—part residential, part agricultural infrastructure. Crucially, this vegetation is not an applied surface treatment. Instead, it is embedded into the logic of the architecture. The façade becomes a mediating threshold, negotiating between environmental exposure and interior comfort. From a spatial perspective, the vegetated envelope offers dynamic shading, enhanced privacy, and contributes to reducing urban heat through evapotranspiration. The result is a tower that functions not only as a container of domestic life but also as a scaffold for ecological processes. It shifts the conversation from verticality as a purely densifying strategy to one offering environmental reciprocity. Material Ecology and Technological Innovation Beyond its botanical ambitions, the Dubai Vertical Forest proposes a complex integration of renewable technologies and circular systems. Photovoltaic surfaces across the towers are projected to generate 5,100 kWh of clean energy harvested and stored using hydrogen batteries. This approach to energy independence is forward-looking, particularly in a region where fossil fuel dependency still defines the economic and infrastructural landscape. Water management, perhaps the most critical issue in this context, is approached with equal innovation. The towers employ desalination systems and greywater recycling to minimize water demand while maximizing reuse. These technologies are not peripheral systems but constitutive elements of the building’s performance and identity. From a material standpoint, the project remains in development, with ongoing research into construction technologies and material systems suited for the site’s climatic and ecological demands. The challenge lies in selecting systems that balance thermal resistance, structural efficiency, and environmental impact—particularly in light of the embodied carbon inherent in construction within the Gulf region. Integrating energy, water, and waste systems into the architectural narrative reflects a broader ambition: to dissolve the boundary between infrastructure and form. This convergence invites architects to consider the building as an active participant in its environment, rather than a static object. Dubai’s Vertical Forest Image Gallery About Stefano Boeri Architetti ​Stefano Boeri Architetti, founded in 1993 and based in Milan with offices in Shanghai and Tirana, is an international architectural firm renowned for integrating living nature into urban design. Their multidisciplinary approach encompasses architecture, urban planning, and interior design, strongly emphasizing sustainable development and urban regeneration. Notable projects include the Vertical Forest in Milan, a pioneering model of biodiversity in architecture. ​ Credits and Additional Notes Founding Partner: Stefano Boeri Director: Hana Narvaez Design Team: Yulia Filatova, Silvia Raiano Client: Impact One Botanical Consultant: Vannucci LCA (Life Cycle Assessment): ESA Tower Heights: Tower 1: 190 meters; Tower 2: 150 meters Vegetation: 2,640 Trees; 27,600 Shrubs; Integrated hydroponic gardens and greenhouses