Baldur's Gate 3's enormous final content update - which has been undergoing public stress testing for a good few months now on PC - finally has a release date, and is launching for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC next Tuesday, 15th April. Read more

When it comes to designing a bedroom, the goal is usually about prioritizing stylish tranquility. Fixtures that remind us of hotel stays—like blackout curtains, upholstered bed frames, and luxury bedding—can be shortcuts to achieving more serene sleep. At the same time, most of us don’t want to feel like we’re checking into a hotel every night before bed.So we incorporate customizable details that don’t strip a space of its coziness, like high-quality sheets that match our sleep patterns, down pillows with customizable loft, and even high-quality toiletries like a luxurious shampoo or nourishing body wash. And while each of these details can be easily swapped out by preference or what’s decidedly on trend in color and pattern, blackout curtains, which can be a valuable tool to have in your sleep arsenal, don’t have the same versatility.“I’m a big believer that your environment should support rest and restoration, and blackout curtains can help create that,” says designer Alvin Wayne. “That said, I’ll pause on them if a space needs more natural light during the day or if the curtains visually overpower the room. It’s all about balance.”Curtains are among the most important finishing touches of a bedroom, and to ensure that yours effortlessly balances style with function, two designers are sharing their tips for shopping and hanging the best ones.How to Shop for Blackout CurtainsGiven that blackout curtains are made for utility—making it possible to sleep until noon if you’re not careful—it can be difficult to source options that don’t showcase their strong suit. After all, if the rest of your bedroom is an exercise in luxury, then function-first curtains might stick out like a sore thumb.“They should still fit your aesthetic, while also providing the light blockage that you are looking for,” says Lee Crowder, national director of design and model experience at Taylor Morrison.But before you even start the search, measure the length of your ideal panels. You want your curtains to gently “kiss” the floor of your space, ever-so-slightly touching the floor without pooling at the bottom. Next, you’ll want to make sure that the width of your panels will cover the full scope of your window—if you want blackout curtains, then they should be installed to do their job. The magic of these types of drapes is in a tightly woven middle lining that’s typically a darkened hue. Since it’s possible to select curtains that dim rather than entirely shield the sun, you’ll want to determine the level of darkness you’re comfortable with.“Always hang them high and wide, which will make the room feel taller and allow the window to feel larger,” Wayne says. “And don’t be afraid to layer! You can pair blackout curtains with sheers underneath for softness and versatility.”The Best Blackout CurtainsIf you’re hoping to find blackout curtains that will enhance the look of your space while guaranteeing a pitch-back room late in the morning, here are four designer-approved options to consider.The Shade Store Custom Blackout Drapes“Custom drapes with blackout lining from the Shade Store are a go-to when I want a tailored, elevated look,” Wayne says. “The customization options are endless—from fabric to pleat style—and the quality is top-notch.”Pepper Home Ruby Burgundy Custom Curtain“Pepper Home is my favorite online custom company for draperies and pillows,” Crowder says. “They have high quality fabric and trim options, plus customization for the material, rod pocket, width, length, and privacy lining. Currently, the floral-printed cotton curtains in ruby burgundy are my favorite.”West Elm Worn Velvet Blackout Curtain“I love the luxe texture of the worn velvet curtain with blackout lining from West Elm,” Wayne says. “The velvet adds depth to a room, and the blackout lining is incredibly effective without sacrificing style.”Pottery Barn Emery Linen Blackout Curtain“The Emery linen blackout curtains from Pottery Barn are great for a more relaxed, organic look, because they have the softness of linen but the function of a full blackout,” Wayne says. “They’re ideal for coastal or minimalist bedrooms.”Photo: Audrey LeePhoto: Audrey LeeThe Hues Cronin CurtainsFor a custom service that still has an approachable price tag, look to The Hues, a service that commerce editor Audrey Lee tested to turn her bedroom into a suite. “These curtains are amazing for keeping the sun out,” says Lee. “The first few weeks I had them, it felt bizarre to be woken up by my alarm in such darkness—however, soundproof they are not.” With everything done online, you can browse the website and choose a fabric color, grommets, header and lining type, and size. You can also either choose from pre-set standard sizes or enter custom measurements for a bespoke treatment.

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Image: Tequila WorksTequila Works, the developer behind the lovely puzzler RiME, horror cinematic platformer Deadlight, and adorable League of Legends spin-off Song of Nunu, is auctioning off a number of its game rights and IPs. 19 different listings can be found on the auction website Escrapalia, including for the aforementioned IPs (excluding LoL, of course), The Invisible Hours, and a web domain. Rime and GYLT are currently sitting at 15,500 € after 150 bids on each, while the web domain sits at 270 € after 12 bids. The listings are open until 14th May 2025.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube807kWatch on YouTube In addition, there are also a handful of new games that appear to have been in-development at the Madrid-based developer, which filed for insolvency in November 2024. The Ancient Mariner is one of these newer IPs, an open-world narrative adventure that aimed to focus on human emotions. In the game, the player would have reconnected with their childhood and learned to process and move forward throughout the game. Another, called Dungeon Tour, was meant to be a "mid-core cooperative party game" where up to four players would get together to manage tourists throughout dungeons. The developer is also behind The Sexy Brutale (left) and GYLT (right) — Images: Tequila Works The hope is that someone will pick up these in-progress IPs and carry on development, but that's entirely dependent on who purchases these. It's always extremely sad to see a game developer shut down, so we hope the team's legacy can live on in some way. Of Tequila Works' games, we particularly enjoyed The Sexy Brutale and Song of Nunu, the latter of which we felt was like "old-school Zelda." In 2022, Tencent acquired a majority shareholding in the developer. Following "prolonged market conditions" Walking in a winter wonderland Turn back time to save the day [source escrapalia.com] Related Games See Also Share:0 1 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 Nintendo Confirms Switch Controllers Are Compatible With "Switch 2 Exclusive Games" But there is a slight catch... 'Switch 2 Editions' Are Supposedly A Switch Game Card And Download Code For The Upgrade Pack Update: Although My Nintendo Store reps are saying the opposite Nintendo Understands Switch Owners May Not Be "Ready To Jump To Switch 2" And it wants to keep those players "engaged" Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Game Upgrade Pack Prices Seemingly Revealed (Japan) Here's the estimated equivalent locally Nintendo Shares Plummet In Wake Of Trump Tariff Action US pre-order postponement woes

Small businesses could be crushed under President Trump’s increased tariffs, according to an open letter by 38 female consumer product founders. While Trump paused his tariff increases for 90 days for various countries – setting the rate at 10% for now  –  China’s was raised to 145%, which includes the previous 20% levy. In the letter, published Thursday, these founders urged Trump and Congress to back off the tariff increases, at least until small businesses can find affordable supply chain alternatives. Short of that, they want exemptions for small businesses. The letter was written by Allison Luvera, founder of Juliet Wine, a startup that sells upscale boxed wine direct to consumers. Luvera tells TechCrunch that she faces a surprise $200,000 bill, annually, because she’s buying a key packaging component from overseas and has no U.S. alternative. The letter documents a few other such problems, such as a home-cleaning brand that must source its refillable pouches from overseas for lack of immediate U.S. options. Tariffs threaten to increase the costs of that bit of packaging by 80%. The group of 38 say their businesses generate $800 million annually, employ thousands, and source supplies from both domestic and international manufacturers. They point out that tariffs land more heavily on small businesses. “Unlike large corporations, small businesses lack the leverage to renegotiate supply chain contracts, the margins to absorb steep costs increases, or the capital required to rapidly reconfigure global supply chains,” Luvera wrote. This group wants other small business owners – and anyone else concerned about the economic impact – to help them lobby Congress. They’re asking for a small business assessment – so the government knows the impact. Ideally, they would like small businesses to be exempt from such tariff increases. Failing that, they are lobbying for “grants, tax incentives, or technical assistance” in helping U.S. small businesses solve their supply chain pain caused by Trump’s trade policies. Among the signatories is designer Rebecca Minkoff and Alison Wyatt of the Female Founder Collective. Others include: Emily Doyle and Mei Kwok of Dune Suncare and Yanghee Paik of Rael.

Breakdown & Showreels The Electric State: VFX Breakdown by Digital Domain By Vincent Frei - 11/04/2025 A Journey Through Steel and Sand! Digital Domain delivers unforgettable VFX in The Electric State, blending emotional robot characters like Cosmo and Herman with breathtaking environments — from a haunted amusement park to the vast Exclusion Zone desert. A perfect way to kick off the weekend! WANT TO KNOW MORE?Digital Domain: Dedicated page about The Electric State in Digital Domain website. © Vincent Frei – The Art of VFX – 2025

Stratasys Ltd (NASDAQ: SSYS), the global provider of polymer 3D printers, has launched the Neo®800+, a new stereolithography (SLA) 3D printer engineered for large-format, high-accuracy applications across automotive, aerospace, and industrial sectors. Announced at the Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) conference on March 31, 2025, and later showcased at Rapid + TCT 2025, the Neo800+ is the latest addition to Stratasys’ growing SLA ecosystem. The new system builds on the Neo800 platform, delivering up to 50% faster print speeds thanks to the integration of Stratasys’ proprietary ScanControl+™ technology. Designed for demanding use cases like wind tunnel testing, tooling, and prototyping, the printer offers improved time-to-part, reduced post-processing, and enhanced reliability. “Engineered with precision and performance in mind, the Neo800+ is designed to meet the growing demands of industries like automotive and aerospace,” said Rich Garrity, Chief Business Unit Officer at Stratasys. “Whether you’re designing prototypes or manufacturing end-use parts, the Neo800+ delivers exceptional throughput and reliability.” The Neo800+ printer. Photo via Stratasys. Performance and reliability upgrades In addition to faster print speeds, the Neo800+ features several enhancements aimed at improving uptime and print success. These include Vacuum System Protection, Z-Stage Collision Detection, and real-time environmental monitoring. Together, these upgrades contribute to higher part yield, reduced machine downtime, and a lower cost per part. The upgraded laser and optics system is optimized for high-energy materials, enabling the printer to deliver exceptional accuracy across a wide range of geometries. This also reduces the need for post-processing, making the printer more cost-effective for high-throughput workflows. Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, one of the early adopters of the Neo800+, reported significant improvements in turnaround time and part quality. “The improved speed has allowed us to increase throughput and maintain open capacity as well as offer quicker turnaround times to our customers,” said Sean Schoonmaker, Director of Operations. “The quality and consistency of the prints have been outstanding, with an excellent surface finish that helps save on post-processing time for cosmetic models.” Materials and ecosystem The Neo800+ is optimized for use with ScanControl+ Ready Materials from Somos®, including the newly released WaterShed® XC+. This resin is based on the widely used WaterShed XC 11122, offering similar optical clarity and smooth surface finish, while enabling much faster scan speeds. This makes it particularly well-suited for complex transparent parts in automotive lighting, fluid flow testing, and consumer electronics. Stratasys supports the Neo800+ with a full SLA workflow ecosystem that includes the cloud-connected GrabCAD Print Build Preparation Software and post-processing solutions designed to streamline operations. These tools aim to simplify setup, reduce operator intervention, and ensure repeatability at scale. Stratasys’ expansion into high-throughput SLA with the Neo800+ signals a continued commitment to meeting industrial demands across prototyping and low-volume production. The company’s broader strategy includes multi-technology offerings across FDM, SAF, P3, and now high-speed SLA, each tailored for specific industry needs. A set of Stratasys Neo 800-3D printed aero parts. Photo via Stratasys. Evolution of industrial SLA 3D printing Across the 3D printing industry, SLA technology is being reimagined through innovations in hardware and materials. At TCT Asia 2025, UnionTech showcased industrial SLA platforms with enhanced optics and throughput, reinforcing the relevance of SLA in tooling and end-use production. Among the various applications showcased, tire mold printing stood out as the most precision-intensive. Atum3D, meanwhile, is pushing boundaries with hybrid DLP-SLA technology licensed from the University of Amsterdam, creating a hybrid SLA process that combines photo and stereolithography to enable the production of parts with high-resolution features at scale. Sprybuild has introduced a novel conveyor belt SLA system aimed at enabling continuous, automated part production, which highlights the possibility of high-volume production across various sectors such as automotive, consumer goods, aerospace, and healthcare. On the materials front, researchers from Carleton University and the University of Northern British Columbia are now integrating quantum dots into SLA resins, significantly improving part strength and thermal resistance​. These advancements highlight a growing industry consensus: SLA is no longer limited to smooth surface prototypes, it’s becoming a serious tool for industrial manufacturing.Who won the 20243D 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 NEO800 3D printing systems. Image via Stratasys.

University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) has a plan to increase student housing across its campus by 2029. The lofty goal is already underway, last March SOM and Mithun shared conceptual renderings for San Benito Student Housing, new dormitories that will deliver 2,200 student units across seven buildings, on a hilly 6-acre site. Now, SOM, Mithun, and OLIN shared the latest iteration of the project, located at the corner of Mesa and Stadium Roads in San Benito County. The ensemble takes advantage of the area’s climate and geography, channeling natural airflow patterns, the designers shared, by creating site-wide breezeways through a collection of slender residential bars and ground-level courtyards. The residential bars are positioned to capture stunning views of the Santa Ynez Mountains. (SOM/Mithun) The seven buildings range between 3 and 8 stories, and comprise a total 721,000 square feet. A central pedestrian promenade, what the team calls The Connector, stitches the seven buildings together through a series of bridges and terraces that offer stunning views of the Santa Ynez Mountains. The site has a 20-foot grade change, so the design team ideated a 2-story plinth that anchors the residential buildings, programmed with various student life amenities such as a market, lounges, and other uses. The program is broken up into seven buildings across the 6-acre site. (SOM/Mithun) The Student Center will have a sawtooth profile and generous clerestories. (SOM/Mithun) A sawtooth canopy and large clerestory windows define the Student Center and maximize natural light into the deep space, designers continued. Each of the buildings are intentionally staggered to capture natural light, ocean breezes, and northward views of the Goleta Slough and coastal range. A network of pathways connects the seven buildings and the courtyard spaces between them. OLIN is the landscape architect on the project. The courtyards welcome a variety of uses, such as picnics, yoga, and studying. The textured facades which face the courtyard, light-colored precast concrete, reduce heat gain and reflect natural light back into the interior spaces. Colored paneling on the exterior of each of the buildings will demarcate one residence hall from another, as a means of wayfinding. The access circulation is large exterior stairwells wrapped in perforated aluminum screens. The dorms will come in a variety of configurations. (SOM/Mithun) Dormitory layouts will come in various configurations, ranging between singles to double quads. Residents will have access to shared communal spaces as well. Architects are targeting LEED Platinum certification. San Benito Student Housing is slated for completion in fall 2027.

European Union (EU) president Ursula von der Leyen has said the EU could impose retaliatory tariffs on US digital products, according to a report in the Financial Times - a move that would set a precedent that directly affects the ability of IT leaders to execute their IT, digital and artificial intelligence (AI) strategies. While she used a levy on digital advertising as an example of the pressure the European Commission (EC) could put on the US, there are numerous digital services that rely heavily on products whose manufacturing is already being affected by changes the US government has made. As Computer Weekly has previously reported, in spite of a 90-day reprieve from the White House, existing tariffs are now affecting every country where manufacturers export to the US. Tech industry executives are having to adapt their sourcing strategies on the fly following China’s tit-for-tat tariff hikes and the fact that they source their products across a diverse global supply chain that includes significant manufacturing partnerships in China, Taiwan, South Korea and Southeast Asia. The tariffs are set to have a knock-on effect on the price of datacentre equipment and will affect IT buyers, whether they are purchasing wholly for on-premise deployments or are acquiring greater public cloud capacity. Discussing the implications, Forrester principal analyst Lee Sustar said: “The trade wars will impact the public cloud platform in multiple ways. In the near term, cloud providers face price shocks in their supply lines. As bulk buyers of chips, cables and other materials, they have some near-term flexibility. “But their ambitious plans – like Microsoft’s proposed $80bn buildout of AI-oriented datacentres – will become significantly more expensive to execute due to price increases for building materials. At the same time, the demand for cloud services, especially pricey AI offerings, will drop at least in the near term due to uncertainty over the wider economy. Cloud providers will face pressure to pull back on big investments and pass costs to customers with price increases.” Datacentre equipment manufacturers appear to have adopted a wait-and-see approach as they assess the impact of the current and impending tariffs on manufacturing costs. According to the transcript of its latest quarterly earnings call posted on Seeking Alpha, Dell chief operating officer Jeff Clarke said the company had built a globally diverse, industry-leading supply chain that he claimed is agile and resilient to minimise the impacts of trade regulations and tariffs. In the transcript of the company’s latest quarterly filing posted in March, HPE’s chief financial officer Marie Myers said: “Recent tariff announcements have created uncertainty for our industry, primarily affecting our server business. We are working on plans to mitigate these impacts through supply chain measures and pricing actions. Through these efforts, we expect to mitigate to a significant degree the impact on the second half of the year and to a lesser extent the impact on Q2 as it takes time to implement mitigations.” HPE CEO Antonio Neri added that HPE intended to leverage its global supply chain to mitigate aspects of the expected impact, warning to expect “pricing adjustments”.  Lenovo claims that when faced with unexpected challenges it has the ability to move customer orders between sites. The company’s supply chain resiliency is based on owning the supply chain end to end. It has also put in place a geodiversity programme to enable sourcing of commodities from locations other than China and Taiwan. There is no mention of tariffs in the earnings calls of either Alphabet – the owner of Google Cloud – Amazon or Microsoft. However, all public cloud providers are likely to experience greater costs as a result of the White House’s actions, according to Forrester vice-president and research director Mark Moccia. He points out that the cost of PCs, IT infrastructure, cloud and chips will be affected: “The new US tariffs have set the stage for increasing IT costs. The impacts will evolve over the next two to three quarters as vendors consider, develop and roll out new pricing strategies.” Moccia warned that IT infrastructure will likely see significant price increases as major manufacturing nations face high tariff rates, especially in the US. “The rising costs could balloon budgets and force CIOs to delay or prioritise the most important projects,” he added. Moccia recommended IT leaders proactively analyse costs, diversify sourcing, optimise inventory and prioritise the projects that do not sacrifice their AI strategy. Looking at public cloud services, he said: “While not currently subject to tariffs, the cost of cloud, software as a service, and other services could go up as their underlying costs increase and exchange rates fluctuate. More concerning would be if other countries retaliate by directly targeting US services where there is a surplus to many countries.”  What is interesting about Moccia’s remarks is that IT leaders could use the 90-day reprieve to negotiate new contracts, both with hardware suppliers and public cloud providers, before more tariffs are enforced. According to analyst Canalys, there has already been an uplift in PC shipments in the past quarter as IT buyers look to refresh PCs ahead of US tariffs. It may well be a good negotiating tactic for IT buyers to rush through orders for datacentre infrastructure now, rather than delay purchases until later in the year. Similarly, purchasing reserved instances on the public cloud now could buffer against potential price rises. Read more about how the US trade tariffs affect IT US tariffs drive PC sales boost: IT buyers appear to have spent the past few months refreshing PCs in preparation for the new US tariffs. What is the impact of US tariffs on datacentre equipment costs: Moore’s Law predicts that every 18 months, IT buyers can get more for the same outlay. But US tariffs may mean they end up paying a higher price.

Google Fi is practically giving away the Pixel 9a. Here's how you can snag it for free or get a $200 discount, no strings attached.