The Colosseum, tigers and more.Coming up this week is the release of Ridley Scotts Gladiator II. So, we thought wed go back to the first Gladiator with the VFX supervisor of that film, John Nelson. John of course won the visual effects Oscar for Gladiator, alongside Tim Burke and Rob Harvey of Mill Film, and SFX supervisor Neil Corbould.In this chat we dive deep into a number of the big sequences, starting with that very famous Steadicam shot of the Gladiators entering the Colosseum. We also talk about the Rome builds, the amazing tiger fight, and the forest battle in Germania. John shares a few fun memories from Oscar night as well. This is a really informative chat looking back at the VFX process from around the year 2000. I have to say also that Gladiator was one of those films that had an amazing DVD release with very very thorough VFX featurettes looking over the shoulder of artists at The Mill working on SGI machines, and working with tools like Softimage and Flameso try and find those featurettes if you can.This episode of the befores & afters podcast is sponsored by SideFX. Looking for great customer case studies, presentations and demos? Head to the SideFX YouTube channel. There youll find tons of Houdini, Solaris and Karma content. This includes recordings of recent Houdini HIVE sessions from around the world.The post The making of Gladiator: a look back with VFX supervisor John Nelson appeared first on befores & afters.

One of the Gmail accounts in the Aamoth household just started showing the dreaded Account storage is full banner, which means its time for a good scrubbing.Its not surprising: With all the emails, attachments, and documents we accumulate over time, its easy for our Gmail accounts to run low on available storage.Luckily, there are a few easy ways to free up Gmail space in a matter of minutes.Delete old emailOne of the simplest ways to free up space is to regularly go through your inbox and delete emails you no longer need.And being that old mail is often less important than new mail, heres a trick to start from the distant past and work your way forward.Place your cursor in Gmails search bar and then click the slider icon on the far-right side. This will open up a menu with a bunch of parameters you can use to search for specific stuff.But try this: Instead of typing in any search terms, just hit the blue Search button in the lower-right corner. Congrats: youve searched for and found every email youve got.Click the email count in the upper-right above the messages list and choose Oldest to display all your messages from oldest to newest. Then start making your way through, deleting anything you dont need anymore.Unsubscribe from and delete unwanted newsletters and promosNewsletters, promotional emails, and other subscriptions can quickly fill up your inbox.One quick way to unsubscribe: enter Unsubscribe in the search box. Thatll call up every message with the word unsubscribe in it, which is found at the bottom of most newsletters and promotional messages.You can then go nuclear on large swaths of messages and, even better, take the time to actually unsubscribe from the senders you no longer want to hear from.Delete messages with large attachmentsEmails with large attachments can eat up a lot of storage space. To manage these, place your cursor in the search bar and then click the slider icon on the far-right side.In the menu that pops up, click the Has attachment checkbox and enter 5 in the Size row. This will surface messages with attachments larger than 5 MB.Those are big attachments, so go through and delete anything you dont need. You can then repeat the process by entering 4, 3, 2, and 1 to whittle down message sizes.

Swiss architecture studio Itten+Brechbhl has created a temporary timber university sports hall in Zurich, with aspirations for its demountable construction to be "the new standard in architecture".Shortlisted in the sustainable buildingcategory ofDezeen Awards 2024, Sporthallenprovisorium Gloriarank replaces four sports halls at the University of Zurich with its glued laminated timber (glulam) structure clad in larch timber.Itten+Brechbuhl has designed a temporary sports hall that will be deconstructed after its useWith sustainability in mind, Itten+Brechbhl designed the three-storey building with wood construction company Hector Egger Gesamtdienstleistung to be easily deconstructed after 10 years of use."To design a demountable building should be the new standard in architecture," Itten+Brechbhl associate partner Daniel Blum told Dezeen. "It is only in the last, let's say, 100 years that we started glueing everything together."Larch timber clads the exterior"The development of demountable buildings gives us the possibility to cultivate our buildings, not only in form and expression but through construction and detail," he continued."If we do so, sustainability and sufficiency can become driving forces for the creation of architecture."Its form is made up of three cuboid shapesSituated on the corner of a triangular site, Itten+Brechbhl designed the building as a cluster of three combined cuboid volumes.The largest volume contains sports halls, the smallest features changing rooms and shower facilities, and a windowless volume has storage spaces and plant rooms.Read: 3XN and Itten+Brechbhl design mass-timber campus for Swiss universityAccording to Blum, as much raw timber was used as possible so elements could biodegrade if they were not reused for another project.Columns and beams were made from glulam, while untreated wood was used elsewhere in the building, including larch external cladding, oriented strand board (OSB) interior cladding, and plywood used to cover prefabricated slabs.Many of the timber surfaces were left untreatedStandardised timber elements were fixed together with screws, intending to make the temporary building easy to demount and reuse."There are three scenarios either the building will be dismantled and rebuilt somewhere else, or its parts will be reused," said Blum.OSB boards line the internal spaces"If both of these options fail, there is a lot of raw timber and other materials that can be used to create new buildings, or let the timber become soil and grow new trees on it," Blum continued."Raw timber is biodegradable, unlike treated wood, so even if the building as a whole or in parts will not be reused, it still has a low carbon footprint."Red, green and blue colours were on the floors used to distinguish different levelsDifferent colours of wall tiles and linoleum flooring were used on each level red on the ground floor, green on the first floor and blue on the second floor.Founded in 1922 by Otto Rudolf Salvisberg and Otto Brechbhl,Itten+Brechbhl has seven architecture offices across Switzerland.Other demountable structures recently published on Dezeen include a bamboo house in Germany and a forest pavilion made by students from London's Architectural Association.The photography is by Yohan Zerdoun.The post Itten+Brechbhl creates demountable timber sports hall for University of Zurich appeared first on Dezeen.

Dezeen Showroom: two L-shaped aluminium sheets create "the illusion of a single rectangular base" in this characterfully geometric coffee table by New York furniture designer Orlando Pippig.A thick slab of smoked glass tops off the AL-03 table, both concealing and revealing the base structure underneath depending on the angle from which it is viewed.Orlando Pippig has released the AL-03 tableThe design is a homage to the monumental glass sculptures created in the 1960s by American artist Larry Bell a leading figure of Southern California's Light and Space movement."Following Bell's works, negative space is an equally important element in this design as the positive is," Pippig said.The smoked glass top looks opaque from certain angles"Every component of the table is based on simple geometry: the addition of squares into rectangles," he added. "Offsetting the Ls visually aligns the two opposing squares, creating a dialogue of negative-positive space to imply the illusion of a single rectangular base."The aluminium base is available in a matte brushed finish or a shiny waxed version to suit different interiors.Product details:Product: AL-03 tableBrand: Studio Orlando PippigContact: orlndofurniture@gmail.comMaterial: aluminium and smoked glassColours/finishes: hand brushed and waxed aluminium, sliverDimensions: 1016 x 508 x 368 millimetresDezeen ShowroomDezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen's huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.The post AL-03 table by Studio Orlando Pippig appeared first on Dezeen.

The clocks are rolled forward, the post-Halloween holiday festive feeling is here and Mariah Carey is beginning her journey to hitting the top of her charts with her quintessential Christmas single. Its officially winter, and instead of cranking up the heater this season (and worrying about an astronomical power bill), heres an alternative that sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel but actually isnt a body-heating blanket that uses a carbon nanotube fabric and infrared heating to keep you warm.Meet the Jartoo, an electric blanket that isnt anything like the one your grandparents used. Relying on one of the most comfortable, energy-efficient materials on the planet, the Jartoo blanket is lined with a high-performance carbon nanotube fabric that heats evenly and efficiently in under a minute. The blanket has 6 heat settings and relies on a mere 70 watts of power. Thats about as much as a ceiling fan consumes, or around 96% less power than your traditional heater or AC uses.Designer: JartooClick Here to Buy Now: $139 $299 ($160 off). Hurry, only 85/500 left! Raised over $90,000.Designed to look and feel like a sophisticated, soft, plush blanket that youd want to wrap yourself in, the Jartoo is nothing like those stiff, weirdly wiry electric blankets from decades ago. While most electric blankets were designed to be placed under you, this one is designed to be wrapped around you, which means you can wear it in bed, in your work chair, or even your sofa. The velvet exterior feels luxuriously soft, while the blankets heating tech works like magic.The magic of the 60-second heating comes courtesy of the Jartoos use of Apalos FlexHT Carbon Nanotube Filma technology more often found in aerospace. Carbon nanotubes get their name from the tube-shaped graphene cylinders suspended within the material. Known for its high-strength and incredible energy efficiency, CNT is a perfect choice for the blanket. It heats evenly, heats rapidly, and still remains much more flexible (and safe) than say a copper-wire heating element.Apalos FlexHT Carbon Nanotube Film technologyMost electric blankets use heating elements woven into the blankets fabric, but the Jartoo relies on something much more sophisticated Far-Infrared (FIR) heating. If youre not familiar, FIR technology heats objects directly rather than the surrounding air, creating a warmth often described as sun-like. This isnt just cozy; its practical, delivering a soft, radiating heat without hot and cold zones, like youd feel with older electric blankets. The entire heating process takes a mere minute, getting you from shivering cold to toasty and cozy in seconds.Carbon nanotubes energy efficiency doesnt just translate to a warmer blanket, it also means better warming with lower energy consumption. Specifically, the Jartoo blanket operates at just 70 watts, making it 60% more energy efficient than typical electric blankets and nearly 97% more efficient than a heater that operates at over 1500 watts. Plus, it runs on a safe 24V low-voltage system, meaning its a low-risk option for everyone in the family, including kids.To cater to different preferences, the Jartoo offers six adjustable heating modes. Ranging from a cozy 95F to a toasty 131F, the blanket allows for customized warmth depending on what you need, whether its a light layer of warmth on a chilly morning or full heat on a particularly snowy night. You can set it to turn off automatically with a timer, configured by a remoteso theres no need to worry about leaving it on while youre dozing off.With the toasty warmth also comes comfort. The Jartoo is made with a blended velvet fabric, designed to be soft against your skin while standing up to daily wear. The velvet is spill-resistant, which means it can take on the daily ritual of sipping coffee or tea while snuggled in your blanket. However, if youre extra clumsy, the blanket is machine-washable and doesnt require any special treatment or wash cycle. Perfect for households with kids, pets, or justpeople who like a clean blanket.The Jartoo blanket comes in a 50x60 size, which is perfect for a single person. Its designed to not just be used in bed, but even on your sofa as you curl up to watch a movie, or while youre working at your WFH setup. The blanket is accompanied by a remote control, a GaN plug-adapter to power the blanket, a charging cable for the remote, and a warranty card for your Jartoo. If an entire blanket feels like way too much of a commitment, the Jartoo comes in a small heating-pad-sized unit too, perfect for physiotherapy, dealing with cramps, or just using as a foot-warmer!Click Here to Buy Now: $139 $299 ($160 off). Hurry, only only 85/500 left! Raised over $90,000The post Game-changing Carbon-Nanofiber Heated Blanket warms you in a Minute with 96% Energy Efficiency first appeared on Yanko Design.

Apple showed us what a mixed reality headset could be capable of with the debut of the Vision Pro at WWDC in 2023. It had all the bells and whistles required of an AR and VR headset from Apple, but didnt find many takers. Perhaps because of its steep price tag or maybe, no one was ready for a headset positioning them into the spatial computing just yet.For me, per se it was the price, bulkiness, and small market size for a standalone device in the smart glasses category. Apple soon realized it after significant losses in projected sales. This is why rumors of Apple mulling the rollout of a more affordable non-Pro mixed reality headset model started doing the rounds.Designer: AppleSuch a device would be made possible by trimming down the features and functionalities of the Vision Pro, but the Cupertino company has thought otherwise (at least for now). New reports by way of Bloombergs Mark Gurman, Apple is instead planning a pair of smart glasses that would be targeted at the masses like the Metas Ray Bans and fit better in the Apple ecosystem than the Vision Pro or its stripped-down brother.The latest information suggests that the budget-friendly Vision model could have been postponed until after 2027, while the new internal study, codenamed project Atlas is running within Apple to understand from the companys employees where they stand on the topic of smart glasses. Based on the internal understanding, Apple is thinking about smart glasses that would somewhat target the consumer segment that Metas Orion augmented reality glasses intend to.The Orion glasses for now are a prototype themselves. It wouldnt be the best choice to compare or base the two non-existent devices on the same footing. But the basic idea is that Apple could have a pair of smart glasses that look like regular glasses and are a combination of slick design and useful features that would allow a connected iPhone to do most of the computing.At the time of writing, it is not known whether Apple has started building such a product. Still, we learn that feasibility studies are happening within the company to deliver eyewear that addresses the issues of convenience, weight, and battery life. Irrespective of what direction Apple intends to take with the idea of smart glasses, itll almost take a few years to reach the market. If youre in a hurry, get your hands on the Meta options!The post Apple is allegedly working on an Affordable, Consumer-grade Spatial Headset first appeared on Yanko Design.

You get 387 cards including 90 basic lands spread across all the colors and full of reprints of well-loved classics like Giant Growth, Juggernaut, Burst Lightning, Llanowar Elves, and Hero's Downfall.It's a shoebox in a box.

All in one and one in all.He was 69 years old.

...but it's a clever branding move.

Apple's 1TB M4 MacBook Pro 14-inch is eligible for a material early Black Friday discount at Amazon, along with savings on the 2024 Mac mini M4 and a record low price on the 13-inch MacBook Air 16GB.Amazon slashed prices on Apple's current Macs - Image credit: AppleIn what is the steepest price drop we've seen on the 14-inch M4 / 16GB RAM / 1TB SSD spec, Amazon has shaved $145 off MSRP when you order the laptop in the Silver colorway. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums