The PC Gaming Show will return on June 8th at noon PT and, as always, focus on showcasing upcoming PC titles. While the publication promised over 50 titles with “world premieres, exclusive announcements, updates, and developer interviews,” GamesRadar has confirmed some of the developers present. These include Ubisoft (Assassin’s Creed Shadows), Failbetter Games (Sunless Skies), Devolver Digital (Enter the Gungeon 2) and Astra Logical (Castle Craft). Additional publishers and developers will likely be announced, but this lineup offers enough hints at potential reveals. For example, Ubisoft could offer a release date for Shadows’ first story expansion, Claws of Awaji, and potentially detail upcoming features from its Year 1 roadmap. Devolver could provide a release date for Enter the Gungeon 2, which is also coming to Nintendo Switch 2. Time will tell, so stay tuned for further updates. Before the PC Gaming Show, you can look forward to other showcases like Summer Game Fest on June 6th, 2 PM PDT; the Future Games Show Summer Showcase on June 7th; and the Xbox Games Showcase and The Outer Worlds 2 Direct on June 8th at 10 AM PDT.

Credit: Michael Elkin Photography The University of British Columbia has officially opened the Gordon B. Shrum Building, the new home for the School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME), and Canada’s first purpose-built facility for biomedical engineering. Designed by Canadian architecture firm Patkau Architects, the building will provide a home for SBME, replacing its previously scattered locations across UBC’s Vancouver campus. The building, named in honour of the philanthropic legacy of Gordon B. Shrum, will bring together researchers, students and industry partners under one roof to advance biomedical research, education and innovation. The five-storey, 158,000-square-foot facility includes specialized labs, collaborative research spaces and teaching facilities to support biomedical engineering and life sciences innovation. Researchers will be able to use the space to develop new medical devices, artificial intelligence-driven diagnostics and lifesaving treatments, while students will gain hands-on training experience. SBME Director Dr. Peter Zandstra (right) with students in his lab. The $139.4-million project was funded through $25 million from the Government of British Columbia, $114.4 million from UBC and over $30 million in philanthropic support for SBME from donors, including the Gordon B. Shrum Charitable Fund, the Conconi Family Foundation, United Therapeutics Corporation, Dr. Jim McEwen, and Paul and Nicole Geyer. “We are grateful to the Government of British Columbia and our generous donors for helping make this building a reality,” said UBC president and vice-chancellor Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon. “B.C.’s life sciences sector has emerged as a global leader, and the Gordon B. Shrum Building will play a central role in supporting critical research and the next generation of biomedical engineers who will fuel the sector’s continued growth and bring innovative health solutions to Canadians.” The building’s visual centerpiece is a four-storey mural by biomedical artist Jen Ma. The artwork represents the multiscale nature of SBME’s research, illustrating how biology, medicine and engineering intersect—from molecular to cellular to systems levels—to advance human health. A mural by biomedical artist Jen Ma complements airy common spaces where UBC students, faculty and staff can connect and collaborate. “The School of Biomedical Engineering has been transforming health care through cutting-edge research, education, and partnerships since it was established in 2017,” said SBME director Dr. Peter Zandstra. “This state-of-the-art facility allows us to take our work to the next level—creating an environment where our faculty and partners can collaborate seamlessly and create transformative new health technologies.” The new facility includes biomechanics labs, the Conconi Family Biodevice Foundry, state-of-the-art digital labs, wet labs, and the Jim McEwen Zone for Innovators, Creators, and Entrepreneurs. Philanthropic support is also enabling SBME to recruit research expertise through the Sir Magdi Yacoub Professorship in Tissue Regeneration, made possible by a donation from the United Therapeutics Corporation. This position will drive collaborative research, education and training in cell differentiation and tissue regeneration, with the goal of making transplantable organs and organ alternatives accessible to everyone who needs them. The post UBC opens Patkau-designed Gordon B. Shrum Building appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Thursday, May 1st, 2025 Posted by Jim Thacker Open Brush 2.10 adds ‘multiplayer’ VR painting html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Icosa Foundation has updated Open Brush, its open-source 3D painting software, used to create concept designs in virtual reality. Open Brush 2.10 adds a new Multiplayer mode, making it possible for users to create designs collaboratively, and support for Logitech’s MX Ink stylus. A community-run open-source successor to Google’s Tilt Brush Open Brush is based on Tilt Brush, the room-scale 3D painting and sketching tool previously developed by Google, and open-sourced in 2021. Like its predecessor, Open Brush enables artists to paint coloured strokes that function both as paint strokes and 3D geometry, either in virtual reality or on a desktop system. Users can control the form of each stroke by curving or lathing it, and it is possible to constrain strokes to straight lines or use grid or angle snapping to sketch geometric objects. Once created, strokes can be mirrored, recoloured or erased, and users can set up lights, cameras and a background environment for the resulting 3D sketch. Completed sketches can be exported in glTF, FBX, USD or JSON format, or used directly as VR assets in game engines: Open Brush has a dedicated Unity SDK. Open Brush 2.10: new Multiplayer mode for collaborative painting The main new feature in Open Brush 2.10 is the new Multiplayer mode. Previously available in beta, it enables artists to work together in a shared VR space, either to create drawings collaboratively, or simply to showcase their work. Users create their own ‘rooms’ in which to collaborate, sharing the room name with anyone they want to join, with options to mute or kick participants, or set them to view-only mode. The initial implementation supports Open Brush’s core painting tools, but more features will be added in future: you can find a list of current limitations in the online documentation. Other new features Other changes in Open Brush 2.10 include support for the MX Ink, Logitech’s new mixed reality stylus for Meta Quest hardware. It is also now possible to erase ‘widgets‘ – including imported images and 3D models – as well as brush strokes, and to switch experimental brushes on and off without restarting. Licensing and system requirements Open Brush 2.10 is available free on Windows, Linux and macOS. It is compatible with most current VR headsets including HTC, Meta, Pico and Windows Mixed Reality headsets. The source code is available under an Apache 2.0 licence. Read a full list of new features in Open Brush in the online documentation Download compiled builds of Open Brush Download the source code for Open Brush Have your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects. Latest News Open Brush 2.10 adds 'multiplayer' VR painting Free VR sketching and concept art tool now lets you create designs collaboratively with other artists. Check out the other new features. Thursday, May 1st, 2025 Lumion releases Lumion 2025.0 Significant update to the real-time visualization software adds AI render upscaling, ray traced water and fog, and new pricing and licensing. Thursday, May 1st, 2025 Lumion releases Lumion View for SketchUp New real-time design exploration and visualization plugin lets users generate ray traced 4K renders inside the 3D modeling software. Thursday, May 1st, 2025 Kiri Engine 3.14 adds AI-enhanced Lidar scanning Mobile 3D scanning app uses new machine learning techniques to refine Lidar environment scans captured on iPhone and iPad Pros. Wednesday, April 30th, 2025 CLO Virtual Fashion releases Marvelous Designer 2025.0 Big update to the 3D clothing design tool adds a new fur material, new keyframe animation capabilities, and a modular garment library. Wednesday, April 30th, 2025 Chaos releases Vantage 2.8 Real-time renderer gets support for light linking, lens effects, and Shader Execution Reordering on NVIDIA GPUs. See all the new features. Wednesday, April 30th, 2025 More News Ziva VFX and OIDN creators win Sci-Tech Academy Awards Sparseal adds SDF modeling to Uniform 1.4 EZ-Tree is a lightweight free open-source tree generator Substance 3D creator Sébastien Deguy to leave Adobe Download free Houdini tools from SideFX's Project Grot Master FACS Rigging for Facial Motion Capture Unity 6.1: discover 5 key features for CG artists Adobe releases Photoshop 26.6 Chaos releases Corona 12 Update 2 for 3ds Max and Cinema 4D Get 260+ modular Wild West building assets for Unreal Engine Get VFX artist Thomas Marcos' free Blender clouds shader NVIDIA open-sources PhysX's GPU simulation code Older Posts

Gillette and EA Sports FC have partnered in a global brand deal aimed at elevating how fans experience the game of soccer on and off the pitch. The deal unites Gillette, a 115-year-old men’s grooming brand, and EA Sports FC, a sports gaming brand with 30 years of history. The deal comes a day after news surfaced that EA is doing layoffs at its Respawn Entertainment division. The partnership kicked off in January with EA Sports FC 25 featuring Gillette as part of in-game LED ad banner signage and is now moving to the next level offering Football Ultimate Team packs, available to redeem for a limited time. To elevate this experience, Gillette is partnering with global content creators to showcase their “razor-sharp” skills on and off the pitch. Together, Gillette and EA Sports FC aspire to inspire athletes, fans, and gamers everywhere to feel sharp and play sharp. Building on Gillette’s storied legacy as a brand supporting sports, recently strengthened by their three-year licensing partnership with the UEFA Champions League and New England Revolution jersey sponsorship, this collaboration further elevates Gillette’s global presence across gaming and football. Gillette has consistently grown its presence in soccer and is dedicated to fostering the growth of the sport at all levels. “This partnership with EA Sports FC represents a defining moment for Gillette as we celebrate the momentum and continued growth of the brand’s presence in football on and off the pitch globally,” said Daniel Ordoñez, vice president for Gillette global brand franchise, in a statement. “As we build upon our commitment to the sport, we’re excited to deepen our roots while connecting with the next generation of men and engaging the larger global football community in authentic ways.”Gillette’s dedication shines through the precision-engineering of its products, crafted to deliver an unparalleled grooming experience. This collaboration shows how the value of Gillette’s superior performance and precision extends beyond grooming for its consumers, but also to its partnership like EA Sports FC 25. When fans feel their best, they play their best. “We’re thrilled to partner with Gillette in EA SPORTS FC 25, as their commitment and impact continues to grow in football,” said Charlie Villiers, Sr. Director, Franchise Marketing EA SPORTS FC. “Through thiscollaboration, we’re able to celebrate our shared passion for the world’s game and create innovativeand authentic ways to engage with both the Gillette and EA SPORTS FC communities.”Connecting hundreds of millions of football fans through console, mobile, online, and esports products, EA Sports FC boasts a big global audience. This partnership represents a strategic step for Gillette, leveraging EA Sports FC’s dedicated player community to further connect with gamers. By aligning with EA Sports FC, Gillette is deepening its integration in both sports and gaming, amplifying its brand presence, and reinforcing its commitment to engaging consumers in innovative and meaningful ways. GB Daily Stay in the know! Get the latest news in your inbox daily Read our Privacy Policy Thanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here. An error occured.

Evil Dead: The Game is being delisted from digital storefronts Saber Interactive says it plans "to keep our servers online for everyone" Image credit: Saber Interactive News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on May 1, 2025 Saber Interactive has confirmed it's in the process of delisting Evil Dead: The Game. The news was announced on the game's Steam page, a platform it has since been delisted on. "We can confirm we've begun the process of removing the game from digital storefronts," the developer wrote. "Anyone who has purchased the game will still be able to play it as we plan to keep our servers online for everyone. "We want to extend a sincere thank you to our community, to those who have been part of the game from the very beginning, and those who have recently joined us. We appreciate all of your support." VGC pointed out that Reddit users noticed the title had been taken down from the Epic Game Store and PlayStation Store. The publication noted the game is still available on the Xbox Store at the time of writing. Evil Dead: The Game launched in 2022, and features co-op gameplay and PvP combat. It was co-published by Boss Team Games. In September 2023, Saber Interactive announced there would be no Nintendo Switch version of the game, and development of new content on other platforms had ended. At the time, the developer said servers would be kept online "for the foreseeable future."

Microsoft is raising the prices of its Xbox Series S / X consoles, Xbox controllers, and even some new Xbox games around the world. Starting today, Microsoft says it has adjusted its recommended retailer pricing for its Xbox consoles and controllers, with the Xbox Series X being bumped by $100 to $599.99. Microsoft is also planning to adjust the pricing of some of its new first-party Xbox games this holiday season up to $79.99.Microsoft’s Xbox Series S (512GB) model is moving from $299.99 to $379.99, a price hike of $80. The Xbox Series S 1TB model is moving to $429.99, and the Xbox Series X digital edition will now be priced at $549.99, with the 2TB galaxy black special edition model now an eye-watering $729.99.Xbox wireless controllers and headsets are also having their recommended retail pricing adjusted in the US, with the base controller moving to $64.99 and the Xbox wireless headset now at $119.99. You can already find both of these accessories at this type of pricing right now.Some new Xbox games are moving from $69.99 to $79.99 this holiday, in a move that matches the more expensive pricing of Nintendo’s top Switch 2 launch titles. Xbox Game Pass pricing will remain the same, though.The Xbox console and controller price increases will also impact European countries, including the UK, as well as markets like Australia. In Europe and the UK the Xbox Series S (512GB) will now be priced at €349.99 / £299.99, with the Xbox Series X (1TB) rising to €599.99 / £499.99. Sony also increased the price of its PS5 consoles in Europe and the UK earlier this month.Microsoft last hiked the price of its Xbox Series X console in June 2023, as part of price increases that also impacted Xbox Game Pass. The subscription service also saw a price increase last year, alongside the launch of a new standard tier.The price rises come amid uncertainty over the Trump tariffs, and just a day after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed that Microsoft “ended the quarter as the top publisher by preorders and preinstalls on both Xbox and PlayStation Store” during the company’s Q3 fiscal earnings call. Microsoft also saw PC Game Pass revenue increase by 45 percent year-over-year.See More:

Explainable AI: How to Make Machine Learning Decisions Understandable 1 like April 30, 2025 Share this post Last Updated on May 1, 2025 by Editorial Team Author(s): Jayita Gulati Originally published on Towards AI. Learn about Explainable AI and its Methods and how to implement them in Python.Photo by Randy Fath on Unsplash Imagine using an AI system to decide who gets a loan — but no one can explain why it approved one person and rejected another. That’s the challenge many modern AI systems face. As machine learning models grow more powerful, they often become less transparent. These “black box” models make decisions that can impact lives, yet their inner workings are hidden from users. Explainable AI (XAI) is a solution to this problem. It focuses on creating tools and techniques that make AI decisions understandable to humans. Instead of just giving an output, explainable models can show why a certain prediction was made, what factors influenced it, and how reliable the decision is. In this article, we explore several methods of Explainable AI (XAI) and demonstrate how to implement them using Python. Here are some important reasons why explainability is essential: Accountability: If something goes wrong, we need to know what happened and why. Explainability supports legal and ethical responsibility.Trust: When users understand a model’s decision-making, they are more likely to trust and use it. Clear explanations help reduce fear around AI.Debugging: Developers use explanations to find bugs, biases, or weak points in a model. This helps improve the… Read the full blog for free on Medium. Join thousands of data leaders on the AI newsletter. Join over 80,000 subscribers and keep up to date with the latest developments in AI. From research to projects and ideas. If you are building an AI startup, an AI-related product, or a service, we invite you to consider becoming a sponsor. Published via Towards AI Towards AI - Medium Share this post

A new TMNT graphic novel written by The Last Ronin team and TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman with a cheeky preorder discount? Yes please. Pokémon fans have three great options up for grabs, too. Amazon has Temporal Forces ETBs back in stock and a Poké Ball tin bundle packed with Scarlet and Violet booster packs. Then Sam's Club has the Pokémon TCG Premium Classic Box $200 below retail. These are solid picks for anyone expanding their collection or looking for a high-quality gift. Oh, and did I mention a Pokémon TCG 2004 trick or trade pack for over half off?TL;DR: Deals For Today Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II--Re-Evolution Apple AirPods Pro 2 Temporal Forces Elite Trainer Box$55.42 at AmazonThe Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered Dark Brotherhood Medallion$26.99 at IGN StoreAuto-Alignment Screen Protector for Nintendo Switch 2The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered - The Oblivion Gates by Ingot$39.99 at IGN StoreCorsair Vengeance i7500 Gaming PC2024 Trick or Trade BOOster Bundle Pokémon TCG: Iono’s Bellibolt ex Premium CollectionOblivion Remastered Akatosh$34.99 at IGN StoreTycoon Titans BundlePokemon TCG Classic Boxid & Friends Humble Game BundlePoké Ball Tin Bundle 2024Pokémon TCG Paldean Fates Booster Bundle$66.99 at AmazonPokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet - Surging Sparks Booster BundlePokémon TCG: Shining Fates Collection Pikachu V BoxPokemon TCG: Azure Legends Tin - 5 Packs$29.99 at AmazonLexar SaleSee it at AmazonPokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Twilight Masquerade Elite Trainer Box

This article contains spoilers for Andor season 2 episodes 4-6. Despite the fact that Star Wars takes place in a galaxy far, far away and is populated by a vast number of different alien species, Star Wars projects have historically struggled to capture the potential of a diverse storytelling universe – particularly when it comes to queerness. The closest we’ve come to solid queer representation thus far is Mother Koril (Margarita Levieva) and Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith) from The Acolyte and Vel (Faye Marsay) and Cinta (Varada Sethu) in Andor. But unfortunately neither of these stories were able to escape a tragic ending. Before The Acolyte and Andor dared to show two women in love with each other on screen, a background kiss between two women rebels in The Rise of Skywalker was considered to be the franchise’s first foray into showing a sapphic relationship on screen. And just like when the MCU touted a cameo by one of the Russo brothers as the franchise’s first canonically queer character, this act of representation felt hollow. Queer people want to see themselves front and center in this world just like everyone else, not just a part of the background. This is why the inclusion of Vel and Cinta in Andor season 1 felt like such a step in the right direction. Even though the two don’t make like background rebels and kiss in the first season, their relationship still feels real, intimate, and like it has stakes – it’s not just set decoration or representation for the sake of checking boxes. The first three episodes of Andor season 2 reveal that they both still care for each other. Fast forwarding a year to episodes 4-6 of season 2, and the two women are finally reunited. They are both sent by Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) to help the Ghorman Front steal Imperial weapons, but after an intimate conversation, are ready to put their relationship first after this mission is over. We finally get to see them consummate their bond with a kiss, and it seems like they might be able to have a future together, even in the midst of rebellion. But during the heist, a young Ghor man accidentally fires his blaster during a scuffle, and Cinta is caught in the crossfire. She dies and Vel is left to pick up the pieces. The nature of this season of Andor means that a lot of things feel fast-paced. The show is moving through four years in the span of 12 episodes, after all. But to finally have Cinta and Vel reunite just to have one of them die feels like a misstep in an otherwise stellar show. When asked about killing Cinta off so soon after their reunion, series creator Tony Gilroy told TVLine “Look, this [season] is taking place over four years during a war. If people don’t go down in a variety of ways, it would really be disingenuous. I don’t think it would feel right to people.” Which is a fair and valid point. War doesn’t care who you are or who you love. War kills indiscriminately. But at the same time, even though Gilroy says that this was a “tough decision to make,” the decision misses an important bit of context about LGBTQ representation in television. Queer characters dying on screen has become so common in media that it’s often referred to as the “bury your gays” trope. One of the most frequently-referred to examples of this is from the TV show The 100, which saw lead characters Clarke (Eliza Taylor) and Lexa (Alycia Debnam-Carey) finally kiss after three seasons of buildup and romantic tension only for Lexa to be shot and killed in the same episode minutes later. Fans were rightfully upset by this, and proceeded to point out how this is just one example of many in media where queer characters don’t get to have a happy ending. It further adds to the idea that queer people are seen as more expendable than heterosexual characters, and makes us feel like we don’t matter, even in fictional worlds. It was wonderful to see Vel and Cinta finally share an intimate moment in a show as high profile as Andor, especially after the hate The Acolyte previously received for its portrayal of non-straight characters. That series was review-bombed, dubbed “The Woke-alyte,” and became the center of multiple right-wing hate campaigns. Although these loud, but vocal commentators seemed to be in the minority amidst the greater Star Wars fandom, the show was cancelled after only one season, making it feel like Lucasfilm was giving into the hate, though Disney’s stated motivation was financial. It’s nice to know now that queerness hasn’t been entirely shunted aside by the Lucasfilm powers that be. With the success of Andor’s first season, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if the studio heads became more involved in the process this time around. But it seems like they once again let Tony Gilroy and his team of writers cook without muddling their artistic vision, and I commend them for that. And yet at the same time, to have Cinta die mere moments after her and Vel’s queer love is fully canonized makes this victory feel cheap. Are we really winning the fight for more queer representation when we have to keep watching queer characters, especially sapphics, die on screen?  Join our mailing list Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! Obviously, going into Andor expecting a happy ending of any kind is a losing game. This show is setting up Rogue One, which is one of, if not the most tragic Star Wars film of all time. But it’s still disappointing to see a cliche trope recur in a show as intentional as Andor. Andor season 2 episodes 1-6 are available to stream on Disney+ now. Three new episodes debut per week on Tuesday nights, culminating with the finale on May 13.