NVIDIA this week recognized the contributions of partners in Europe, the Middle East and Africa at the annual EMEA Partner Day hosted by the NVIDIA Partner Network (NPN).  Fourteen awards spanned eight categories. The recipients were honored for their outstanding efforts, dedication and innovative spirit in using NVIDIA technologies. The 2025 NPN award categories and winners are: Go-to-Market Excellence Swisscom was honored with the Go-to-Market Excellence award for its Swiss AI Platform, which helps address the challenges of industries spanning financial services, government, high-performance computing and enterprise, as well as the growing need for sovereign AI.  Swisscom’s successful marketing efforts included a digital “30 days of AI” campaign and a robust business-to-business sales campaign. Launched in just eight months, the platform onboarded several customers within two months of its launch, showcasing remarkable speed and execution.  Industry Innovation EDAG Group was recognized with the Industry Innovation award for its innovative platform that enables customers to create advanced industrial metaverse applications and digital twins. Key features of the platform, which is built with NVIDIA Omniverse, include data-driven decision-making, virtual training, quality assurance at the component level and AI-powered project management. These resulted in improved collaboration, increased efficiency and reduced costs for customers. Consulting Partner of the Year Deloitte was awarded the Consulting Partner of the Year award for creating customer success stories across EMEA. By combining its industry expertise and AI implementation capabilities with NVIDIA technologies, Deloitte has driven demand through digital marketing and events, engaging early adopters in pioneering use cases like sovereign AI infrastructure and long-term severe weather forecasting.  Deloitte serves a diverse portfolio of clients — spanning finance, government, energy and retail — and has made substantial progress in training and certifying its team, building showcases that serve as crucial accelerators in client projects. Software Distributor of the Year TD SYNNEX was named the Software Distributor of the Year. Recognizing the critical role of software in NVIDIA’s full-stack technologies, TD SYNNEX developed the NATALA Tool, which offers resellers and customers a unique, personalized model to consume NVIDIA AI Enterprise software. This significantly contributed to the organization’s exceptional revenue performance in software. Distributor of the Year PNY received the Distributor of the Year award for achieving stellar revenue across EMEA in the past year, making significant contributions to the growth of NVIDIA’s partner ecosystem across the region. Rising Star Rising Star awards honor partners with the greatest revenue growth over the past year. The winners for each region are: Northern Europe: Computacenter UK Central Europe: Swisscom Southern Europe and the Middle East: 2CRSi Star Performer Star Performer awards recognize partners demonstrating excellence in sales across the entire NVIDIA portfolio. The winners for each region are: Northern Europe: Vesper Technologies Central Europe: Amber AI & Data Science Solutions Southern Europe and the Middle East: Solutions by STC Star Performer, Software The Star Performer, Software awards celebrate partners dedicated to selling NVIDIA’s full-stack technologies, with a focus on software. The winners for each region are: Northern Europe: WWT Central Europe: Amber AI & Data Science Solutions Southern Europe and the Middle East: Computacenter France​​ Learn how to join the NPN, or find a local NPN partner.

The best class to play in Path of Exile 2 have changed little since April 2025’s “Dawn of the Hunt” update, even with the arrival of the new Huntress class. The ascendancy options it introduced for a handful of classes offer new ways to play, but they don’t radically change how each class functions. Developer Grinding Gears also tweaked every existing ascendancy, though these alterations are more like minor balance changes. Long-requested revamps for struggling ascendancies such as the blood mage are still a ways over the horizon. Our update list of the best Path of Exiles 2 classes takes into consideration how many viable skill options a class gives you, along with ease of use and how well they can hold their own in combat against mobs and bosses. Update (April 10): Updated our best class ranking to factor in new class Huntress, and the other various class changes and additions as part of the “Dawn of the Hunt” update. Path of Exile 2 best class ranking Path of Exile 2 has seven classes as of the early access version’s “Dawn of the Hunt” update. These range from traditional types with a twist — such as the Warrior, a melee brawler, and the spellslinging Sorceress — to more experimental classes. The Witch, for example, summons minions and has access to powerful debuff skills, while the Mercenary controls the battlefield with a variety of fast-firing, hard-hitting crossbow shots. Path of Exile 2’s take on the Monk is unique among that class style’s iterations throughout video games, and even the Ranger is much more interesting than you might expect from someone who just shoots arrows. In short, every Path of Exile 2 class has something going for it, though some are easier to learn and use effectively than others. The best classes in Path of Exile 2 as of the “Dawn of the Hunt” update are: Mercenary — Early access to strong combos and high potential to manage crowds and defeat bosses quickly. Witch — Self-sustaining skills, strong minions, and excellent debuff abilities make up for a slow start with their kit. Huntress (new) – Strong blend of ranged and melee attacks with multiple specialization options. Ranger — Exceptionally powerful elemental abilities, but few retreat options and no defensive skills. Warrior (moved up one place) — Excellent at taking down bosses, but weak power and slow animations make dealing with mobs difficult. Monk (moved down one place) — Dull skillset until level five, when strong combos finally show up. Sorceress — Strong elemental spells, but slow animations and no sustaining skills leave them vulnerable in solo play. 1. Mercenary Path of Exile 2’s Mercenary is an exceptional class with high damage potential, early access to powerful combos, and a flexible playstyle that, despite some complexities, makes it comparatively easy to learn for newcomers and those familiar with Path of Exile. The Mercenary fires high-powered crossbow bolts and quickly gets access to a range of much more interesting and useful skills, particularly if you choose the new Tactician ascendancy. They can launch fire grenades, freeze foes and shatter them, reduce enemy resistances, and even fire a continuous stream of arrows to whittle down the toughest bosses (like Jamanra, the Abomination). Best of all, the Mercenary doesn’t have to specialize in just one element. You can mix charged shots with fire grenades and freeze arrows and still end up with a viable build to carry you through the game. The Tactician ascendancy adds a selection of crowd control skills to your roster, including Right Where We Want Them, which prevents enemies with the pinned status from taking any action. Strategic use of that with the Suppressive Fire skill, which builds the pin effect when you use projectiles, means you can often keep whole crowds of enemies from attacking. That’s in addition to self-buff skills and a new support ability that raises party member or minion attack power. The Mercenary was already strong, and this new ascendancy just made it even better. The Mercenary might have a strong set of skills at their disposal, but getting used to them takes a fair bit of practice. They burn through mana quickly and need a careful balance of special shots and basic attacks, and, more than with other classes, you also have to develop a pattern of attacking and retreating to avoid getting overwhelmed. The wide shot spread for some of the Mercenary’s special skills means you have to be at close range for them to reliably hit, which puts you at risk of getting overwhelmed by mobs. Still, for the variety of abilities the Mercenary can learn, it’s worth putting up with the learning curve. 2. Witch The Witch is a close second for Path of Exile 2’s best class, held back only by some lackluster class ascendancy bonuses and a few balance oddities that make some of their skills less useful than others. The Witch is, ostensibly, a minion summoner, but they can specialize into a debuffer and a powerful spellcaster as well. The witch can raise minions from dead enemies, explode corpses, spread disease, cast fire and frost spells (and lightning, though it’s a bit weak in Path of Exile 2’s early access stage) pin enemies in place, buff minions and send them into a frenzy — their kit is exceptional, even before ascendancy buffs. The Witch’s Lich ascendancy bundles in some additional, useful buffs, including improvements to the energy shield, the option to curse hexproof enemies, and an option to ignore mana in favor of life to get better regeneration. However, the best addition is the additional chaos damage the Lich Witch can deal, a damage type that’s among the most powerful in Path of Exile 2‘s current form. The Witch is also one of the easiest classes to learn, since you can let minions distract foes while you direct them from afar, which means the risk of getting overwhelmed is much lower for the Witch. Infernalist Witches benefit from a broad range of balance changes as well, most of which improve their combat performance with extra critical damage or longer-lasting Hellhounds. The Witch’s big issues — aside from the Blood Mage ascendancy being severely underpowered at launch — are how long it takes for their kit to get interesting, and how weak their minions are at first. It takes several levels and a fair bit of skill point investment for standard and summoned minions to do anything approaching respectable levels of damage and survivability. The Witch can supplement the damage shortfall, but the more serious problem is how quickly minions die at lower levels. They respawn after a short period, but the Witch is vulnerable in that time, especially if there are no corpses to manipulate. These issues fade as you level up and get access to skills such as Bone Cage and supplementary summons, but it takes longer for the Witch to feel good than it does with other classes. Pro tip: Don’t use your early uncut gems on skeletons and minions. The Witch needs spirit to summon them, and you can only acquire spirit in certain ways, none of which are available to you at the game’s start. 3. Huntress Huntress makes their debut just slightly above Ranger thanks to one important difference: They actually have viable melee attacks. That’s important, as it means the Huntress — a squishy class that relies on overwhelming opponents or evading them — has a higher chance of surviving if they get surrounded by enemies.  They also have one of the most varied sets of skills in the game, and that’s before even considering their ascendancies. The Huntress can specialize in a blocking and parrying combat style using bucklers to leave foes open to stronger attacks, or they can use elemental infusions, launch their spears, trigger melee attack chains, and then use a skill to quickly retreat to safety where they can start throwing elemental spears again.  The Huntress’ ascendancies are the unorthodox Ritualist and the more traditional, DPS-focused Amazon. Ritualist Huntress has a unique style that buffs gem and charm powers and grants random effects when you slay or absorb enemies, which makes for a different and unpredictable class, though the focus on accessories gives you freedom to choose how you want to specialize. The Amazon is a better option if you want something that’s just “Huntress, but more powerful.” Its nodes augment elemental attacks, let you create wounds that make enemies take more damage, and increase skill and movement speed, though the standout skill is Infuse Weapon. Infuse Weapon grants you different charges under certain circumstances that explode when you throw your spears. The problem with the Huntress is that, even with evasion skills and high survivability, they have no way to protect themselves. 4. Ranger Ranger might initially seem like a less impressive version of Mercenary, since it’s a ranged class that fires elemental arrows. However, it’s the best class for crowd control and can make quick work of large mobs and tough bosses alike. Rangers have a wide variety of skills, from a poison shot that gradually saps an enemy’s health — even better is the apparent lack of poison resistance for most Path of Exile 2 enemies — to more complex combos, such as one where they stake a lightning arrow in the ground and can fire additional chain lightning shots that ricochet off the stake and deal extra damage. Rangers can also equip special quivers that augment specific elements and add special effects, such as adding a pierce effect or igniting projectiles, and they’re among the best in the game at causing status ailments. The Ranger’s only drawback is a lack of defensive skills, and it’s a big one. They equip weaker armor and rely on evasive skills to stay safe, but when enemies break through, they have few ways to stay safe. Careful cooldown management and investing in skills such as Vine Arrow, which slows enemy movement can mitigate some of these issues. However, if you overcorrect and have more than one retreat ability, it takes away from how much damage you dish out. Finally, it’s worth noting the class’s balance changes in Path of Exile 2‘s “Dawn of the Hunt” update in April 2025 were minimal, and have little serious influence over how either ascendancy plays. 5. Warrior Path of Exile 2’s Warrior launched in a strange position, though its most recent ascendancy, Smith of Kitava, makes it a more viable class, moving it up ahead of Monk following the “Dawn of the Hunt” update. It excels as a defensive class and is the only character who can block enemy attacks. They stun. Their warcries offer potent self-buffs and, depending on your skill choice, can damage foes. And they hit hard with two-handed weapons. The problem is how comparatively weak and sluggish the Warrior is. It’s such a slow class. Basic skills take longer to execute and do less damage than other basic skills from other classes — it takes multiple hits to down a simple Drowned in the prologue, for example, where the Witch can defeat a foe with two hits. Many of the Warrior’s fundamental attacks have long animations as well. Most of Path of Exile 2’s enemies are pretty mobile, so it’s easy to wind up and then completely miss your target, leaving yourself vulnerable as mobs take advantage of your recovery time and swarm. Where these annoyances are less of a problem is with boss fights. The Warrior’s self-buffs, enemy debuffs,and bone-shattering attacks work particularly well in fights against big, single targets, and the class is quickly establishing a well-earned reputation as Path of Exile 2’s boss killer. Even that function has a caveat, though, as your build options are limited, and most Warrior skills are designed to work better with The Titan ascendancy. At least, they were until Smith of Kitava debuted. This ascendancy lets the Warrior bolster their elemental resistances by a substantial amount, which is helpful, but even more useful are two abilities that mitigate some of the Warrior’s slowness. Against the Anvil sees the Warrior hone their weapon for three seconds, after which the weapon will deal area-of-effect damage when it connects with an enemy. The other is Living Weapon, which creates a clone of your current weapon that will fight alongside you. It’s not quite as good as playing in a party, but having a weapon-ally lets the Warrior handle non-boss encounters much more quickly and efficiently. 6. Monk If “it gets good after 10 hours” had a picture definition, it’d be Path of Exile 2’s Monk. It’s a fun class to play with a highly distinctive style and some excellent abilities — but you wouldn’t know it initially. The Monk’s ability set is slow and unwieldy until about level five, when Path of Exile 2 finally starts leaning into unique skill effects that augment how the Monk plays. Some skills get more powerful when used several times in quick succession. Others grant the Monk’s basic attack or other attack additional effects, such as launching projectiles or, by consuming all the Monk’s mana, turning their standard attack into one that sets off electric shockwaves. Getting to that point is rough, though. Path of Exile 2 favors ranged playstyles and quick casting, and not only does the Monk almost always have to be up close until level five, but their attack animations are slow. They’re vulnerable to taking damage before they can even dish any out — a problem, given the light armor they specialize in — and can easily get overwhelmed. Like the Ranger, the Monk’s balance changes following the “Dawn of the Hunt” update are comparatively minor, and simply smooth over some of its ascendancies’ rough spots rather than changing how they play in dramatic fashion. 7. Sorceress Sorceress is fine in Path of Exile 2. It’s fine! But not much more than that. This is your standard set of magic skills, with access to the three major elements, some crowd control abilities, and, eventually, powerful buffs that boost your spellcasting power. It’s a strong class, but oddly balanced. The Sorceress’ self-buffs and combo opportunities come much later in their class progression, while other classes – even the Warrior – get them almost immediately. For example, Sorceress only has access to a shatter combo at level five. Mercenary can do the same thing at level one. The Sorceress’ biggest pain point, however, is their lack of defensive skills. They simply can’t save themselves from anything, and an evasive playstyle only gets you so far when the class’ stronger skills take a while to ramp up. A final note is that Path of Exile 2‘s “Dawn of the Hunt” update tweaks a few modifiers for both of the Sorceress’ ascendancies, but not in a way that significantly changes how they play. For more Path of Exile 2 guides, here’s how to ascend, how to respec, how to get spirit, and how to trade. Plus, here’s a list of all Trial of Sehkemas challenges and rewards, and guides on how to complete “Ancient Vows” and beat Jamanra.

Like the Nintendo Switch before it, the Switch 2 supports both physical and digital games. It offers some flexibility no matter how players enjoy to collect their games, unlike other game companies that offer digital-only versions of their consoles. It's important to note, however, that just because you buy a physical Switch 2 game, that doesn't mean you've actually purchased the game itself. In fact, for some games, there are few differences between buying the game physically or digitally—and unless you really appreciate the box art and the cartridge itself, you shouldn't make your buying decision with the wrong idea in mind. Switch 2 Game-Key cardsOnce the Switch 2 does go on sale, and games start to release in tandem, check the game boxes carefully: On select titles, you will notice a white strip along the bottom of the cover art, notably sporting a "GAME-KEY CARD" branding. Credit: Nintendo Game-key cards are new to this Nintendo generation, and separate themselves from traditional physical games in one major way: They do not contain the full game on the card itself. What you're buying instead is the key to download the full game onto your console. (Hence, game-key card.)Once you pop the game cartridge into your Switch 2, the console will present you with steps to download the full game locally. However, you'll need an internet connection for the download to actually begin, so you won't be able to play your new Switch 2 game until you've returned somewhere with a stable and relatively fast network. (Long gone are the days of buying a Nintendo cartridge and playing it then and there.) Additionally, you'll need to make sure you have enough space on your Switch 2 for that download to take place. Nintendo says you'll see the amount of space necessary on the game box itself. This is another bummer: One of the perks of physical games on Switch is preserving the limited storage space you have to work with. True, the Switch 2 quadruples the internal storage of the Switch 1, but buy enough of these games, and you'll need to invest in some expanded storage, as well. (Remember: You cannot use your Switch 1 microSD cards here, either).Once the game is downloaded, you'll need to keep that internet connection active in order to launch the game. After this, however, you can choose to play the game offline as well. You'll just need to ensure you're playing with the cartridge, as you would a physical game. We don't know which games in particular will use this system yet, or how game-key cards affect pricing. (Mario Kart World, for example, is $80.)Why is Nintendo doing this?My first reaction to this new type of game cart is, simply, confusion. What's the point of this? If you aren't going to put the full game on the cartridge itself, why not just offer the title digitally? It's not like it's benefitting users who don't have a stable internet connection: You still need to download the title to your Switch 2 via the net. So, again, why bother with the game-key card system at all?Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser (no relation) has the company's answer. In an interview with The Verge, Bowser said the game key is basically a "digital game on a card," and offers developers the opportunity to create games that are too large to fit on a typical cartridge while still selling those games in retail stores. That does track from a business perspective. Nintendo doesn't publish its sales stats, but according to Christopher Dring, editor-in-chief of The Game Business, the company can expect to sell 80% of the copies for any given game physically. That number sounds a bit extreme to me, but I don't doubt Nintendo still sells a lot of games in stores, even as other sectors in the gaming industry swing heavily towards digital sales. Plus, Switch 2 is much more powerful than Switch 1, so it makes sense that large AAA games would take up a lot more space than OG Switch titles. But from a consumer point of view, none of us wins here. The main perk of buying physical games is longevity: When you buy physical media (at least, a traditional piece of physical media) it can't be taken away from you. Digital media, on the other land, is largely a license-based system: You pay for the privilege of accessing that software as long as the distributor says so. If that distributor loses the rights to that media, or decides they no longer want to offer it, you're largely out of luck.So, when you make physical carts that are digital games, it defeats the purpose of the physical media entirely. In fact, it's just a headache, since you have the downsides of needing the cart to play the game, with the other downsides of digital media. Eventually, Nintendo will stop supporting that game. Maybe you'll be able to play it as long as it's saved to your Switch 2, but if you need to download it to another console in the future, oops: That physical game is really a digital one that simply doesn't exist anymore. The good news is this won't be every Switch 2 game. There will still be titles you can buy that contain the entire game on the cart. But it's good to know going into this new Nintendo era: Unless you're the kind of person that require all of your purchases to be tangible, you might just be better off buying these game-key card games digitally.

It's 2025, so it should be no surprise that another organization has sold its soul (entered into a licensing deal with an AI company) for an undisclosed sum. A new partnership allows UK-based Synthesia to access Shutterstock's content library for training its latest AI model, EXPRESS-2. This deal isn't the first of its kind for Shutterstock, which previously teamed up with OpenAI to sell stock images made using AI generator DALL-E 2. Synthesia creates avatars for corporate videos about topics such as cybersecurity and good communication at work. It aims to use Shutterstock's video data to "try out new approaches that will improve the performance of EXPRESS-2, and increase the realism and expressiveness of our AI generated avatars, bringing them closer to human-like performances.," Synthesia stated in a release.  Typically, Synthesia uses actors to create avatars, paying to use their likeness for three years. But, now it will have access to individuals through Shutterstock's videos. Though these people will not be used to create avatars but to model body language, tone of voice and how people look at a desk or while using a whiteboard, for example.  While, it means that someone featured on Shutterstock won't suddenly see their face in a workplace video, it does mean that their existence — whether it's movements or words — is being fed to an AI company. Time and time again, companies are selling AI companies the rights to use individuals' work without any consultation (or typically compensation) for the creators or participants. Such is the case for licensing deals with the likes of DotDash Meredith, Time and Reuters, to name only a few instances. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/shutterstock-licenses-its-video-library-to-ai-corporate-video-company-120004055.html?src=rss

The OnePlus Watch 3 is now available to buy.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy released his annual letter to shareholders on Thursday.

Over the last year, there has been no shortage of new career trends: From the great stay to revenge quitting, employees are rethinking their careers, their relationship to their employers, and redefining what success looks like as we potentially head into a recession. The latest trend: the glass elevator. Just like in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the glass elevator can take you in any direction in your career. “We are seeing a new glass elevator trend in the workplace, where more people are opting for horizontal job moves at their current employer instead of seeking a different role at a new company,” shares Jennifer Roberts, AVP of talent and organizational development, AT&T. “This glass elevator takes you not just up and down but sideways and, in any direction, people looking for growth and new career possibilities are moving to other disciplines or organizations.”  Roberts shares that she has seen many of their employees switch careers every 3 to 4 years to gain new experience, without having to leave the company. In fact, she says that at AT&T, they saw 12,800 lateral moves in 2024. She and other leaders expect to see more job-function crossover in the years to come. So, should you get on the glass elevator or not? Are you better off making a horizontal move or taking that set of stairs towards your next promotion? Here’s three things to consider before you decide to get on this elevator: Will this help with your job security?Layoffs are continuing only a few months into 2025. A number of companies either cut jobs already this year or have more layoffs planned. And for many organizations, a potential recession plus the inflation rate will force leaders to make tough calls when it comes to their workforce this year. They won’t just be eliminating roles that are no longer needed, but may also need to let go of individuals in order to survive as a company. If you are concerned about stability in your current role and notice that your projects are no longer a priority for the company, it’s time to get your resumé ready. And consider both internal and external opportunities. This might be a moment to look at a horizontal move: to go and take an assignment in a part of the organization that’s growing, and where they need more talent to scale their efforts. You can look at internal openings, and you can also make connections and meet leaders overseeing new initiatives where they may need your skillset. Or they like your background and experiences and are willing to invest in upskilling you. A horizontal move in this case can help you with job security and also help you gain new experience and continue to grow in your career. Will you have training and support to take on this assignment?Before stepping on the glass elevator and accepting a horizontal move, be sure to ask if you will have the support to be successful in this role. Here are questions to consider before taking on this move: How long will this assignment be for?Gain an understanding of how long you are expected to be in this role. Things may change in the organization, and knowing how long leadership expects you to be in this role can help you mentally prepare for this commitment. Will my prior role be backfilled?Ensure your manager and leadership is aligned to your moving to this new assignment. Don’t put yourself in a position where you are required to do your old job and your new job for an extended period of time. You and the team won’t be set up for success. What does success in the role look like?Review the job description with your future manager. Also ask what success looks like for them. What will they have hoped you would have accomplished a year from now? Are there KPIs/goals/metrics they can share? Will you have access to training and on-boarding? Are there mentors you will be paired with who can help you learn how this team works and how to get your job done? Reflecting on these questions and getting some of the answers will help you determine if this is the right next move for you. What’s next after this ride on the glass elevator? One of the best pieces of career advice my father ever gave me was this: Every assignment is a stepping stone to what you are meant to do next. And sometimes, I was so busy getting that next assignment, that next promotion, that next big initiative, I didn’t stop to think about what happens after it ends. I never asked myself or others what I should plan to do next; I wish I had been more proactive, instead of reactive, in my career. If you are going to get on the glass elevator, and take a horizontal job, make sure to ask the question: What comes after this? It’s important to discuss this with your network at work before committing to this new assignment. Talk to your current manager, former managers, the person who may be your future manager on this assignment, and trusted colleagues and mentors at work. Get their advice and perspective, particularly if they have taken on a horizontal assignment in their career. Once you finish this assignment, what would you do next? Would you go back to your former division, or take on another assignment on this team? What does the path to promotion look like after taking on an assignment like this? How does this make you more or less marketable internally as a candidate for roles? The glass elevator may or not not be the right next career move for you. And in this current market, it’s important to explore all options, particularly if you want to stay and try to grow in your current company. So whether you take the stairs or get on the glass elevator, make sure you ask the right questions so you can make the best decisions, both in the short term and long term, for your career.

Metallic furniture represents a fascinating intersection of modern design, engineering innovation, and artistic expression. These furniture designs serve functional purposes and also capture the imagination with their inventive use of materials and form. We have curated a collection of the five best metallic furniture designs – specifically chairs and stools- each offering an innovative and impressive take on contemporary aesthetics and utility. These metallic seating solutions showcase the incredible potential of metal as both a functional and artistic medium. Each design invites users to experience the intersection of innovation, simplicity, and elegance in their everyday living spaces. These creations are sure to elevate any interior with their distinct style and thoughtful craftsmanship. 1. Walle The Walle Stool is the perfect culmination of minimalism and functionality, designed to enhance those brief moments of rest with a touch of literary leisure. This ingeniously crafted metal stool recognizes the importance of transitional seating spaces, where we often pause to recharge or reflect. It incorporates clever book storage directly into its structure, ensuring that two to three books are always within arm’s reach, inviting users to enjoy a brief literary escape during their short rest. The stool comprises just four components that are easily assembled with four screws. The bottom shelf slots seamlessly into place using notches in the opposing legs, eliminating the need for additional hardware. This design simplifies assembly and allows the stool to be packaged compactly, making it ideal for shipping, storage, and transport in a space-conscious world. What we like Integrates book storage, making it ideal for quick literary breaks. Simple to assemble and transport, perfect for small spaces. What we dislike Can hold only a few books, which may not suit avid readers. May not appeal to those who prefer more ornate design elements. 2. Fold Chair The Fold Chair offers radical simplicity and efficiency in design, transforming a single sheet of powder-coated steel into an impressive seating solution. This chair challenges conventional seating designs by showcasing how manufacturing constraints can inspire innovation rather than limit it. The Fold Chair emerges from a flat sheet of metal cut into a cloverleaf pattern with four extended “legs” projecting diagonally. Using precise folding techniques, this two-dimensional cutout morphs into a three-dimensional chair, with curved edges forming the backrest and sides while the extensions fold down to create sturdy legs. This origami-like transformation requires no additional components, like screws or bolts, highlighting the chair’s manufacturing efficiency. What we like Made from a single sheet of metal, emphasizes sustainability. Allows for easy storage and space-saving when not in use. What we dislike The all-metal construction may lack the comfort of cushioned chairs. The minimalist design may not accommodate additional features like armrests or cushions. 3. Morph Chair The Morph Chair is a stunning piece of metallic furniture crafted by designers Jiung Yun and Minji Kim and is specifically created to offer a serene retreat amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life. Our everyday routines often become hectic and overwhelming, leaving little room for relaxation and reflection. This elegantly designed chair provides an inviting space for those precious moments when you need to pause, unwind, and gather your thoughts. It is designed as a sanctuary for peace, offering users a place to momentarily escape from the pressures of their busy lives. By providing a calming environment, the chair helps individuals clear their minds and organize their thoughts, effectively reducing stress levels. Its understated elegance and thoughtful design invite you to take a momentary break, encouraging a sense of balance and well-being. What we like Includes a built-in storage compartment beneath the seat, ideal for keeping books and various other items organized and within easy reach. What we dislike The design may appear too plain and stark for some individuals who prefer more visually stimulating aesthetics. 4. Optical Illusion Stool This extraordinary stool captivates with its illusionary design, using a single sheet of metal bent to mimic the appearance of fabric draped over wooden rods. At first glance, the flowing lines suggest a textile, perhaps canvas or linen, suspended in mid-air. This optical illusion challenges the viewer’s understanding of materials and form, representing the pinnacle of material manipulation where rigid steel adopts the seemingly impossible characteristics of flowing fabric. The stool captures the moment when cloth settles into gentle folds and curves, freezing this ephemeral state in a permanent metal form. This design is a triumph of production efficiency—a single sheet of steel, precisely cut and bent, with minimal waste and maximum impact. The stool is a beautiful specimen of sustainability meets innovation. What we like Creates a stunning focal point with its illusionary design. Utilizes minimal material waste, aligning with modern eco-friendly practices. What we dislike The metal surface may not provide the comfort of traditional upholstered seating. The design’s impact relies heavily on the visual illusion, which may not be appreciated by all. 5. Tila Chair The Tila Chair by Shepherd Studio is an impressive example of innovative furniture design, crafted to explore the concept of density. Composed of hundreds of shiny spheres, this chair is functional, and also serves as an artistic centerpiece that captures attention and starts conversations. Its unique form challenges traditional design norms, making it an attention-grabbing piece in any room. Drawing inspiration from the traditional game of marbles, known as Tila, the chair is constructed from 210 stainless steel spheres supported by a tubular frame. This design not only highlights the playful essence of marble but also demonstrates a sophisticated exploration of shape and density. The Tila Chair seamlessly merges art with functionality, offering a visually captivating experience that enhances any contemporary space. What we like Features an appealing chrome finish that mirrors its surroundings, enhancing the chair’s aesthetic appeal. Produces a fascinating interplay of light and shadow, adding visual depth and interest. What we dislike The small spheres may present challenges in terms of cleaning and upkeep, requiring extra care to maintain their shine. The post Top 5 Cutting-Edge Metallic Seating Solutions For Modern Design Enthusiasts first appeared on Yanko Design.

Arco game artist and indie dev Max Cahill explains why Lua and the LÖVE engine are a great combo.

We’re testing the gadgets that keep showing up in our feeds. Here's what deserves the hype—and would make awesome presents.