April 11, 20253 min readCrows Are Good at Geometry. Don’t Look So SurprisedCrows can tell the shapes of stars from those of moons and symmetrical quadrilaterals from unsymmetrical ones, new results showBy Gayoung Lee edited by Allison ParshallCarrion Crow (Corvus corone). AGAMI Photo Agency/Alamy Stock PhotoCrows sometimes have a bad rap: they’re said to be loud and disruptive, and myths surrounding the birds tend to link them to death or misfortune. But crows deserve more love and charity, says Andreas Nieder, a neurophysiologist at the University of Tübingen in Germany. They not only can be incredibly cute, cuddly and social but also are extremely smart—especially when it comes to geometry, as Nieder has found.In a paper published on Friday in Science Advances, Nieder and his colleagues report that crows display an impressive aptitude at distinguishing shapes by using geometric irregularities as a cognitive cue. These crows could even discern quite subtle differences. For the experiment, the crows perched in front of a digital screen that, almost like a video game, displayed progressively more complex combinations of shapes. First, the crows were taught to peck at a certain shape for a reward. Then they were presented with that same shape among five others—for example, one star shape placed among five moon shapes—and were rewarded if they correctly picked the "outlier."“Initially [the outlier] was very obvious,” Nieder says. But once the crows appeared to have familiarized themselves with how the “game” worked, Nieder and his team introduced more similar quadrilateral shapes to see if the crows would still be able to identify outliers. “And they could tell us, for instance, if they saw a figure that was just not a square, slightly skewed, among all the other squares,” Nieder says. “They really could do this spontaneously [and] discriminate the outlier shapes based on the geometric differences without us needing them to train them additionally.” Even when the researchers stopped rewarding them with treats, the crows continued to peck the outliers.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.Ripley Cleghorn; Source: “Crows Recognize Geometric Regularity,” by Philipp Schmidbauer et al., in Science Advances. Published online April 11, 2025 (reference)Telling shapes apart based strictly on geometric properties, such as side lengths or inner angles, is a lot trickier than it sounds, says Giorgio Vallortigara, a neuroscientist at the University of Trento in Italy. Vallortigara, who was not involved in the new study, explains that almost all animals do recognize differences in length or area of surfaces to some extent. But it requires even more cognitive sophistication to identify that, for instance, squares and triangles have different numbers of sides or different inner-angle sizes on flat, two-dimensional surfaces.“The general view among scientists was that proper geometrical, Euclidean knowledge as applied to objects ... was probably limited to humans,” Vallortigara says. Nieder’s work now “is challenging this view—because the crows show a sort of intuitive, strictly perceptual recognition of geometric properties.”But why are crows good at geometry? The reason is likely evolutionary, scientists say. “I suspect that the origin and the drive for the development of these abilities mainly has to do with spatial orientation,” Vallortigara says. “It could be that, depending on foraging habits or other things, [crows] had more need to develop that [than] other species.”On the other hand, geometric intelligence is also a key part of recognizing faces, for example, because we use the position of features such as the eyes and mouth to distinguish between individuals. If that’s the case, crows might be using their geometric intelligence for mate selection or individual recognition, Vallortigara says.Of course, such benefits could easily apply to other animals, and both Nieder and Vallortigara concur that it wouldn’t be surprising if other birds—or any other animal, for that matter—were also capable of similar feats. “All these capabilities, at the end of the day, from a biological point of view, have evolved because they provide a survival advantage or a reproductive advantage,” Nieder says.These abilities might also have evolved in many different ways. For example, our cerebral cortex, “the site in the brain that is integrating all sorts of information and making us smart and conscious,” didn’t develop in birds, who instead have much simpler arrangements of independent neurons, Nieder explains. But in spite of these genetic differences, “these animals are terribly intelligent—so, obviously, evolution found two different ways of giving rise to behaviorally flexible animals.”Nieder hopes that future research will reveal what parts of the crow’s brain are responsible for this geometric intelligence. “It is very important that we can work with animals and also can explore these animals. We learn a lot about their brains but also about our brains because we have such fundamental skills that we share with them.”

How good are Switch 2's mouse controls? Eurogamer's verdict from the big reveal event "You have to create a new claw-like way to hold your hand." Image credit: Eurogamer Feature by Robert Purchese Associate Editor Published on April 11, 2025 The Nintendo Switch 2: you've got questions, and now that Tom P and Ian have returned from the Parisian reveal event, we've got answers. Our full conversation was recorded for the Inside Eurogamer podcast, which you can listen to now if you're a Supporter. That show is especially for Supporters and it's where we elaborate on the work we do, and where we answer your questions. If you don't know, supporting Eurogamer costs £3/€3/$3 a month or £30/€30/$30 a year, and it removes adverts from the site as well as gives you exclusive content like this. However, since Switch 2 is currently such a hot topic, I thought I'd share a few excerpts here. Without doubt, one of the most questionable new features of Switch 2 is the mouse-like use of the new Joy-Con. Both Ian and Tom got a chance to try this, however neither particularly liked it. "I found it really difficult to get on board with," Tom told me, who used the mouse controls in the underwhelming Drag x Drive wheelchair basketball game. "And partly maybe that's just me getting to use a control scheme I've never used before. But also for a fast-paced competitive game... You really have to get involved with the controls. You have to twist and turn, almost similar to being in a wheelchair and trying to do this movement yourself. I came out of it and my arms were aching. I remember saying to you Ian, 'I'm exhausted after playing that.' I only played it for five minutes. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Separately, here's Ian's chat with Jim about Switch 2 following the Parisian reveal event.Watch on YouTube "Yeah," Ian added. "Most games that Tom played, I filmed first and I'd be like, ooh I can't wait to have my go. But that one I was like, no, I think I'll skip that one." One of the things that concerns me about the Joy-Con being used as a mouse is that it's a thin, rectangular device when turned on its side, which is very different to the long-settled-on design of a computer mouse: wide and flat and round so as to hold the wait of your hand without tipping over. Does it feel as awkward to hold as it looks? "I used it for two things," Ian said, "for Metroid Prime 4 Beyond and for the demo [the Welcome Tour], and I found them fairly uncomfortable to hold. You have to create a new claw-like way to hold your hand to be able to touch the face buttons and things. There were often times where I'd have to look down to work out where my thumb was to find the face buttons I needed to press. "I would struggle to think of any game that I would want to play using the mouse function, unless Nintendo launched a Mario Paint" "If you've used a mouse before, which pretty much everyone has, you are used to holding a mouse in a certain way which is your hand out flat. Now, your hand is in this little kind of pincer way. Yeah, it was uncomfortable for me to hold. Maybe after I've trained my hands it'll be fine." In use, though, the mouse functionality worked well. Ian said it was accurate and responsive and he didn't encounter any tracking issues, though I should add that neither of them tried rubbing it on their legs. We hope to do that at a follow-up event in London this week, by the way. Ian also said the mouse functionality offered faster aiming in Metroid Prime 4 as opposed to using a controller. "But as Tom said, who wants to play their console in front of a desk?" Ian said. "You're going to want to relax on your sofa, sit back, and play Metroid that way. I would struggle to think of any game that I would want to play using the mouse function, unless Nintendo launched a Mario Paint." Mario Kart World: an undeniable high point of the Switch 2 reveal event.Watch on YouTube If Drag x Drive and its mouse controls were a low-point of the presentation, though, an undeniable high-point was Mario Kart World. Both Ian and Tom were bowled over by it, specifically by the new knockout tournament mode, which is a sort of racing take on Battle Royale. It apparently revitalises the fairly staid design of Nintendo's long-running racing series, and in tandem with the open-world features of the game, makes Mario Kart World feel like the boldest entry in the series in years. To hear them talk about it makes me very excited indeed. They were also both impressed by Donkey Kong Bananza, which closed the Nintendo Direct show to a relatively lukewarm response, perhaps because people expected a Mario game there instead. Regardless, in play, DK Bananza convinces - the gorilla-powered level destruction in particular. "This is something that definitely feels new and definitely feels like you need new hardware to play it," Tom said. "The destruction stuff is really impressive. I'm surprisingly enthusiastic for it to be a pretty important title for Switch 2." This is but a snippet of a longer conversation, which takes in the Paris reveal event itself, Switch 2 pricing issues, what it's like to hold and use the new hardware, and what the screen is like. Nintendo's Switch 2 will be released 5th June in the UK and pre-orders are scarce but open. Check out our Nintendo Switch 2 'everything we know' article for everything you, um, need to know.

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 The Diablo 4 2025 roadmap has been released and fans aren’t particularly happy. With the game’s update schedule revealing a new seasons and a concerning amount of IP Collabs, even former-Blizzard president Mike Ybarra has complained about the game’s plans. Nevertheless, Blizzard is adamant that the update schedule for Diablo 4 will be satisfying for fans. With players hoping for more than just a few typical seasons, Blizzard has claimed that there’s a lot more to come. Diablo 4’s roadmap isn’t complete Speaking to fans on Twitter, Blizzard director of social and content marketing Adan Fketcher explained that the roadmap fans have been given is incomplete. While the roadmap does include some of the additions coming to the ARPG, there’s also more that the studio has yet to reveal. “It isn’t the full roadmap,” Fletcher told fans on social media. “More details [will come] as we get further in the year become less and less as those are still in development.” Fletcher explained that “there are some good surprises” coming to the game that Blizzard didn’t confirm in the recent roadmap. While Blizzard isn’t revealing any of these surprises anytime soon, Fletcher claims that cans will be “pleasantly happy about [what’s] coming up”. With annual expansions no longer happening, the next major expansion for Diablo 4 is coming out sometime in 2026. Likely bringing a brand-new area and a new class, hopefully a Holy Class, there’s a long wait until the next major chapter in the game’s story. Nevertheless, it does seem like Blizzard has something else in the works for the game. Perhaps a brand-new gameplay feature will be added, or a huge extension of the game’s endgame content. Whatever the case, it would be nice to have something outside of seasonal content to look forward to. For more Diablo 4 news, read about the teased Switch 2 port of the game. Additionally, read our thoughts on what Blizzard really needs to change to make that port actually fun to play. Diablo 4 Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X Genre(s): Action, Action RPG, RPG Subscribe to our newsletters! By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime. Share

The cosmopolitan fashion and design capital of Milan is one whose style is best exemplified by the style-setting interiors the city is known for, in our opinion. The luxury accommodations there in particular reflect the old-world elegance of their surroundings through regal, velveteen decor, views of the Piazza della Repubblica and and beyond, plus fine-dining establishments that epitomize Italian hospitality.As Milan Design Week (the fair that beckons thousands in our industry each March) comes to a close, we’re sharing a few of the Milan hotels our editors call home when they’re in town for Salone—including one with a scene-y lounge where design editors flock in between appointments and a serene beauty in the heart of the city (converted from a former monastery) where you can peacefully recover from jet lag. Below, read up on all our favorite spots for sneaking in a workout, taking tea on the terrace, and proximity to the Duomo for traversing the town.Portrait Milano - Lungarno Collection“The Portrait is my favorite place to stay in Milan. What was once an old seminary is now one of the most beautiful hotels in the city. Many of the rooms look out onto the courtyard, and they’re all so comfortable and quiet the way that they’re laid out. I’ve never heard street noise staying there.The courtyard’s so beautiful, the Beefbar is right there to eat at, and the rooms are perfectly designed with everything you need. Each one features elegant touches of red and feels opulent and old world, but still modern. A lot of them even have little private terraces. Room service is really fast and they have such a good in-room bar for tea. I love that there’s a proper kettle and lots of sachets, and I always appreciate that the service is excellent there.” —Amy Astley, global editorial director and U.S. editor-in-chiefFrom $1,600 per night.BOOK NOWMax Brown Missori“Last year during Milan Design Week I stayed at Max Brown Missori Milano, a hotel that had just opened near one of my favorite buildings, the Brutalist Torre Velasca, by BBPR. Designed by the Amsterdam-based Saar Zafrir, the hotel’s 64 ’70s-inspired rooms are filled with vintage furniture that feel uniquely suited to the city. (Most even have their very own record player, charming!) Rooms range in size from itty bitty (at a quite reasonable price point) to roomy, and, located just a few blocks from the Duomo, it's the perfect home base for canvasing the city.” —Hannah Martin, senior design editorFrom $380 per night.BOOK NOWPark Hyatt Milan“I was lucky enough to stay at the Park Hyatt once upon a recent Salone del Mobile as the guest of a global luxury brand—which tells you all you need to know. This hotel has long been a favorite of jet-setting fashionistas on account of its central location, comfortable yet understated accommodations, and see-and-be-seen La Cupola restaurant, which is tucked beneath a central 30-foot tall glass dome. That’s where I happily ate breakfast each day, making multiple trips to the generous buffet before embarking for the day, making my way across the nearby Piazza del Duomo or through Galleria Vittorrio Emanuele II to my myriad appointments and events.Whenever possible, I would retreat back to my comfortable yet tailored room, which, along with the rest of the accommodations, was recently refurbished by Italian architect Flaviano Capriotti. In Milan, for me, the Park Hyatt is the place to be.” —Samuel Cochran, global features directorFrom $1,300 per night.BOOK NOWHotel Principe Di Savoia“I love staying at the Principe for three reasons: the quintessentially Italian service, the clubhouse-like feel of the lobby breakfast (you're bound to run into your design colleagues), and the absolutely divine sun-drenched gym complete with a wrap-around terrace. It's one of the best hotel gyms in the world. I love an old-school European hotel and the Principe always delivers.” —Madeline O’Malley, market director“The lobby lounge at the Principe is the best, and it’s a great scene. You can have breakfast, you can eat, you can have tea, you can have drinks, or whatever you like. You see everybody during Design Week at the Principe.” —AstleyFrom $760 per night.BOOK NOW

Every week, hundreds of artists share their work on the Blender Artists forum. I'm putting some of the best work in the spotlight in a weekly post here on BlenderNation. Source

Not a Science Agency Trump White House budget proposal eviscerates science funding at NASA "This would decimate American leadership in space." Eric Berger – Apr 11, 2025 9:15 am | 102 The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is scheduled for launch later this decade and will observe planets and galaxies. But will it be canceled? Credit: GSFC/SVS The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is scheduled for launch later this decade and will observe planets and galaxies. But will it be canceled? Credit: GSFC/SVS Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more This week, as part of the process to develop a budget for fiscal-year 2026, the Trump White House shared the draft version of its budget request for NASA with the space agency. This initial version of the administration's budget request calls for an approximately 20 percent overall cut to the agency's budget across the board, effectively $5 billion from an overall topline of about $25 billion. However, the majority of the cuts are concentrated within the agency's Science Mission Directorate, which oversees all planetary science, Earth science, astrophysics research, and more. According to the "passback" documents given to NASA officials on Thursday, the space agency's science programs would receive nearly a 50 percent cut in funding. After the agency received $7.5 billion for science in fiscal-year 2025, the Trump administration has proposed a science topline budget of just $3.9 billion for the coming fiscal year. Detailing the cuts Among the proposals were: A two-thirds cut to astrophysics, down to $487 million; a greater than two-thirds cut to heliophysics, down to $455 million; a greater than 50 percent cut to Earth science, down to $1.033 billion; and a 30 percent cut to Planetary science, down to $1.929 billion. Although the budget would continue support for ongoing missions such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope, it would kill the much-anticipated Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, an observatory seen as on par with those two world-class instruments that is already fully assembled and on budget for a launch in two years. "Passback supports continued operation of the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes and assumes no funding is provided for other telescopes," the document states. Other significant cuts include ending funding for Mars Sample Return as well as the DAVINCI mission to Venus. The budget cuts also appear intended to force the closure of Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland where the agency has 10,000 civil servants and contractors. The passback process The cuts are in line with what Ars Technica exclusively reported last month, that the Trump administration was considering a massive 50-percent cut to NASA's science programs. Publicly, some officials downplayed these concerns. As recently as this week, NASA's acting administrator, Janet Petro, characterized this reporting as "rumors from really not credible sources." However, science policy experts have been more alarmed, characterizing such cuts as an "extinction level" event for what is seen as the crown jewel of the space agency. Nearly all of NASA's most significant achievements over the last 25 years have been delivered by the science programs, including feats such as Ingenuity flying on Mars, New Horizons swooping by Pluto, and Cassini's discovery of water plumes on Enceladus. This passback document represents just the opening salvo of the process to establish a federal budget for fiscal-year 2026, which begins on October 1 of this year. The budget is produced by the White House Office of Management and Budget, which is overseen by Russell Vought, who has long made his anti-science budgeting priorities clear through his Center for Renewing America. The Trump administration nominee to lead NASA, private astronaut Jared Isaacman, said during a confirmation hearing this week that he strongly supported NASA's science programs. It is unlikely that Isaacman was involved in drafting this document, as he has not yet been confirmed by the US Senate. Nominees, typically, are excluded from policy prior to confirmation. After receiving passback documents, NASA usually has 72 hours to review the materials and then submit appeals and justification for changes. Any modifications are then incorporated into a final document that becomes the "President's Budget Request" for the next fiscal year. It is not clear when the Trump administration plans to release this budget request, a public document. It could happen within the next four to six weeks. Congress will likely fight back Following this, the White House will work with Congress to actually set the budget. The US House and Senate each have separate appropriations committees that consider (or not) the White House priorities in establishing a final budget that the president must then sign into law. Fierce opposition to some of these NASA cuts is likely in Congress. "This massive cut to NASA Science will not stand," US Rep. George Whitesides, D-California, told Ars. "For weeks we have been raising the alarm about a rumored 50 percent cut to NASA's world-leading science efforts. Now we know it is true. I will work alongside my colleagues on the Science Committee to make clear how this would decimate American leadership in space and inflict great damage to NASA centers across the country." One concern, however, is that should the budgeting process be delayed—as is often the case with the federal budget—the White House could force agencies to make operational plans based on the president's budget request once the new fiscal year begins on October 1. Again this will depend on negotiations with Congress, but, using a process called impoundment, some Trump officials believe it may be possible to turn the budget request into an actual budget for all intents and purposes. Eric Berger Senior Space Editor Eric Berger Senior Space Editor Eric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, covering everything from astronomy to private space to NASA policy, and author of two books: Liftoff, about the rise of SpaceX; and Reentry, on the development of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon. A certified meteorologist, Eric lives in Houston. 102 Comments

Mouse Rules I just gave the Nintendo Switch 2 a go, and found the best demo of the new hardware in the most unexpected place You could argue it’s a brave decision to hide away some of the best tech work in the remaster of a 3DS game, with very little fanfare. Image credit: VG247 Article by Dom Peppiatt Editor-in-chief Published on April 11, 2025 Today, I visited the Nintendo Switch 2 experience in London. It was a really pleasant atmosphere; lots of kids of all ages visibly brimming with excitement to get their hands on the Switch 2 for the first time. Roars of excitement as gaggles of mates played the abysmally-named Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV. Hollering and whooping as one middle-aged bloke beats a handful of crestfallen kids in Mario Kart World. My primary purpose in coming here was to test out the hardware for the Switch 2. It’s all well and good that we’re getting shinier games, faster loading times, and better performance, but - for the average punter - the main difference with the Switch 2 is going to be in the hardware. In the bigger screen, the updated JoyCons, and those new custom CPU/GPU units making everything come to life. But, perhaps the most fascinating prospect is ‘the mouse’. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. The mouse! Now, the price point for entry, $449.99, is steep. But if Nintendo is packing the Switch 2 full of quirky gimmicks and funky toys, hey, maybe it’ll live up to its cost, after all. Whilst we’ve got amazing experiments like Switch 2's Welcome Tour showing us what to expect of all the bells and whistles squirreled away beneath the plastic and glass of the hardwear proper, how will other games implement this functionality? Will it be as instrumental as the touchscreen in the DS family of machines, or will it be as… forgettable… as the touchscreen in the Vita family of machines? Well, there’s one game I played today that really surprised me when it comes to incorporating this new functionality. It was in Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster (stop me if you’ve heard this one before), and it was tucked away in the mini-games. Yes, really. There are two new mini-games in this RPG re-release that specifically leverage the two JoyCon and their mouse functionality; a rhythm game where you basically guide your chosen character through a Theatrhythm/Persona Dancing All Night-inspired sequence, and an absolutely unhinged airship mini-game in which the collective characters all backseat drive the dandy, and part-protagonist, Ringabel, as he tries desperately to pilot his vehicle through an aerial course of madcap nonsense. Now, for a start, these mini-games seem like they’ll only work on Switch 2 - I can’t imagine a Steam port making you plug two mice in to play the rhythm game, for example (though maybe they could use the Steam Deck'?'s trackpads?). Secondly, they’re… excellent? All the functionality and playfulness of the Welcome Tour, but within an actual honest-to-God game where there’s something at stake. The mini-games are tucked into the ‘Game Corner’ menu from the main screen, but a handler at the event tells me they’ll also be accessible in the main game, and will offer actual awards. It even looks like something from Persona Dancing All Night, right? | Image credit: Square Enix The rhythm game (Luxencheer Rhythm Catch) is my favourite, and from what I could see at the event, it was popular with the masses, too; a couple of players would finish their slot and immediately join the queue to play it again. It mostly reminds me of the Persona Dancing games, but with a touch of the readable and gorgeous UI from Theatrhythm to make it a bit easier on the eyes. Using the mice, you’d click, swing, and glide your hands across a your play surface to - in essence - do a little dance with your hands to match the action on screen. I always thought they way you used your stylus in Theatrhythm made you feel like a little tiny conductor, tapping out rhythms and conducting the undulations in melodies with your little baton. I feel Bravely Default HD makes you do the same with your hands; making you tap and jive like you’re a jazz dancer in a ‘40s club. Or something. It shows off how precise the JoyCon’s mouse functionality can be, and how entertaining it can be to make you position, click, and tap along with some good music. The second game (Ringabel's Panic Cruise!) is less impressive from a hardware point-of-view, but has the playfulness I’d expect from a first-party Nintendo game, if I’m being honest. You pilot an airship through a series of rings whilst fulfilling busywork shouted at your by your allies (‘Pop these balloons! Flip these switches! Wrench this nut!’) It’s… absurd. It’s called ‘panic cruise’ for a reason, I guess. Your left-hand mouse will need to control altitude via a vertical lever that pilots you up and down, and your right hand will need to crank a wheel left or right in order to steer. If that wasn’t enough, various bits and pieces of your cockpit will break, leak, or make nosies at you every few seconds, requiring you to pull (click and drag) on a rope to toot your whistle, flip switches (click) to satisfy a crew member, or wrench (click, drag, up, down) to stop a valve from spitting steam into your face. Again, it’s only a couple of small actual mechanics, but the creativity and ingenuity Square Enix has shown in shaping them into a distinct, fun, and most importantly weird experience actually gives me hope that non-first party developers will find the joy and the funkiness in what this odd offering of hardware can do. I think this will be a ery fun game to play if you've had a whiskey or two. | Image credit: Square Enix Given that games will retail at $80 per unit, you’d expect that we’d get some extra features crammed into the overall experience. It’s easy to be cynical about this; I certainly was when I sat down to play Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster. But, if I have to pay for my games twice and shell out full price for a 3DS remaster, I’m glad there are little surprises like this to make it worthwhile. For Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster has gone from being a weird little niche game that looked quite odd on the launch line-up to a proper example of what this this hardware can achieve. I was going to buy it anyway, but now I’ll buy it and use it to show my friends and family why this isn’t just ‘a slightly bigger Switch’. It’s a good launch game, and something the Switch 2 desperately needs to prove itself out the gate, I feel. Good job, Square Enix.

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube807k In under two months, the world will be graced with a brand new Mario Kart game on a new Nintendo console. Mario Kart World launches alongside the Switch 2 on 5th June 2025, but many have questioned whether this new title, which comes 11 years after the last brand new console Mario Kart, is actually a stop up. Thankfully, the folks over at Digital Foundry (via Eurogamer) have taken a look at all of the official footage we have, and some some crucial comparisons to the previous Mario Kart game on both Wii U and switch. Comparing it to Mario Kart 8, DF's Oliver McKenzie says that the key innovation with World is the new, open-world structure, which we've only seen and experienced glimpses of up until now. On top of that, there can now be up to 24 racers on the track at any given time. But many similar tech choices have been made in the new game, even if it looks a step up. For example, McKenzie points out that World still uses a lot of baked lighting, with some environmental lighting "heavily pre-calculated" implanted for certain objects. Breakable items and flags do use real-time shadowing, but the rendering is a little simple elsewhere. The light source, essentially, stays in the same spot regardless of what time of day it is on the course. Also similar to Mario Kart 8, World's polygonal placement is a little loose, which McKenzie thinks is to "keep level of detail pop-in to a minimum". There are some big rendering improvements across the board, though, particularly in the water, which looks absolutely beautiful. Cube mapping isn't used on water for reflections either, but it is used on other surfaces like glass. Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube807k Details in the tracks and roads are much more prominent in World, which you can see on the icy courses and in the tarmac itself. There are actually cracks in the road, for instance, and you can see where the paint has faded from too many cars driving across it. One course McKenzie looks at in particular is Sky-High Sundae, a Booster Course Pass track in 8 Deluxe that is returning in Mario Kart World. It's immediately apparent that the artwork and presentation is much better and more detailed — but many Booster Course tracks did seem to be a visual downgrade from the base game anyway. Other aspects with big, if subtle, improvements include character animations, designs, and even court animations. Everything is a lot more expressive across the board, with lots more detail and lighting to help make World look even better than 8 Deluxe. There's a lot to dive into, so make sure you watch the full video from Digital Foundry. Plus, when the game launches, we're sure the team will be testing everything on the race track. You can also have a look at our own comparison with Mario Kart 8 to see just how different they are. Are you excited for Mario Kart World? Do you think it's a step up from 8 Deluxe? Let us know down below. The race begins this June Next-gen Mario Kart arrives this June Racing to find the best deals [source youtube.com, via eurogamer.net] Related Games See Also Share:42 2 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 It's Official, Switch 2 Joy-Con Will Not Feature Hall Effect Sticks Controllers have been designed from the ground up Select EU Retailers Are Abandoning Nintendo's Suggested Retail Price For Switch 2 Games Let's see if others will follow suit Nintendo Delays Switch 2 Pre-Orders In The US Amidst New Trump Tariffs Release date remains unchanged Round Up: The First Impressions Of Mario Kart World Are In The race begins this June

In Brief Posted: 11:27 AM PDT · April 11, 2025 Image Credits:BrightDrop GM cuts 500 jobs because of weak demand for BrightDrop electric vans General Motors is laying off 500 workers at a factory in Canada because of weak demand for its all-electric BrightDrop vans, according to CNBC. GM told CNBC that the cuts were not related to the ongoing trade war being waged by President Donald Trump. The company is cutting one of the two shifts at the CAMI plant in Ontario, and will idle the facility for 20 weeks beginning in May. The cuts are the newest twist in BrightDrop’s short but somewhat tumultuous history. It created BrightDrop as a separate entity within GM in 2021, but absorbed it in 2023. In 2024 BrightDrop’s vans suffered a recall after a few battery fires. Later last year, GM moved BrightDrop under the Chevy brand. Topics

Spanish 3D technology provider Sicnova has officially launched the Center for Special Applications and Process Certification for the Military and Defense Sectors (CEDAEC), the first facility of its kind in Spain, dedicated exclusively to advanced manufacturing and the certification of components for the defense sector. The inauguration took place on April 4th at Novaindef’s facilities, renowned for their expertise in producing and securing critical defense components. The event was attended by María Amparo Valcarce García, Secretary of State for Defense, who formally opened the center. Lieutenant General Miguel Ivorra praised the collaboration, stating, “I have faith in the vision and capabilities of this emerging technology. This project will revolutionize advanced manufacturing and strengthen the strategic autonomy essential for our defense.” María Amparo Valcarce García, Secretary of State for Defense, at the opening ceremony of the Center for Special Applications and Process Certification for the Military and Defense Sectors. Photo: Sicnova CEDAEC: Advancing Logistics and Defense Manufacturing The launch of CEDAEC is a key element of a defense partnership between Sicnova Solutions and the Ministry of Defense, managed by Sicnova’s subsidiary, Novaindef. This collaboration aims to implement a comprehensive digitalization strategy that will streamline the production of parts and spare parts, optimizing supply chains and logistics for the Armed Forces. Its primary objectives include improving the operational efficiency of fleets and resources, addressing obsolescence issues, and enhancing performance through cutting-edge design and additive manufacturing technologies.The center is equipped with an array of advanced capabilities, including 3D printing in metal and polymers, next-generation machining centers, reverse engineering systems, post-processing techniques, and high-precision testing equipment. Among its key assets is one of Europe’s most advanced tomographs, designed to inspect and certify military components, ensuring the highest standards of quality and durability for defense-related parts and spare parts. “The integration of advanced technologies such as 3D printing and component certification demonstrates that by working together, we can overcome traditional manufacturing methods and address the strategic challenges of complex environments,” said Ángel Llavero, CEO of Sicnova. Opening ceremony of the Center for Special Applications and Process Certification for the Military and Defense Sectors. Photo: Sicnova Enhancing Defense Capabilities through Additive Manufacturing Spain is not alone in its commitment to strengthening defense capabilities through additive manufacturing (AM). Other countries have begun investing in AM technologies and forging partnerships to enhance their defense sectors and supply chains.This month, in South Korea, the Republic of Korea Army has officially adopted and deployed Meltio’s wire-laser technology. In partnership with AM Solutions, the Korean Marine Corps Logistics Group now uses a mobile 3D metal printer to manufacture discontinued and hard-to-source components on demand. The unit has become the first military group in the country to employ a mobile robotic metal 3D printer. This system is being used to support amphibious assault vehicles (KAAVs), reducing downtime and dependence on external supply chains. In the United States, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jim Tressel, and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik announced the opening of the state’s fourth Innovation Hub in Youngstown. The hub, backed by $26 million from the Ohio Innovation Hubs Program and an additional $36 million from federal, local, and private sources, will expand research and workforce development in additive manufacturing for the defense and aerospace industries. Elsewhere, America Makes, the national accelerator for additive manufacturing in the U.S., operated by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), has launched a new open project called the Allied Additive Manufacturing Interoperability (AAMI) Program. This initiative, supported by $1.1 million from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering’s Manufacturing Technology Office (OSD(R&E)), aims to improve AM equivalency and interoperability between the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the UK Ministry of Defense (MoD). Specifically, the project will focus on laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) technology for producing critical parts, identifying barriers to interoperability, and contributing to the development of international qualification standards. Who won the 2024 3D Printing Industry Awards? Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter to keep up with the latest 3D printing news. You can also follow us on LinkedIn, and subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry Youtube channel to access more exclusive content. Featured image shows María Amparo Valcarce García, Secretary of State for Defense, at the opening ceremony of the Center for Special Applications and Process Certification for the Military and Defense Sectors. Photo: Sicnova