Xsolla today pledged to open its new APAC HQ in Busan, and collaborate with the city to build a talent development center for game creators.Read More

Game District acquires majority stake in Gleam GamesCompany says decision "reflects its commitment to strengthening Trkiye's position as a regional innovation hub"Image credit: Gleam Games News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Nov. 19, 2024 Game District has acquired a majority stake in Gleam Games.Game District says the stake in Gleam "reflects its commitment to expanding into key international markets and strengthening Trkiye's position as a regional innovation hub."As a result of the stake, Gleam - a "fast-growing mobile gaming startup" in Trkiye - will see its CEO Eser Yoğurtcu assume the role of chief strategy officer at Game District."This acquisition is a major step toward our mission of becoming a global mobile gaming powerhouse. By joining forces with Gleam Games, we aim to lead on both innovation and creativity in our industry, leveraging our collective expertise to set new standards in gaming," said Saad Hameed, Game District's CEO."Gleam Games' technological edge in AI and data-driven game development would enrich us to offer more dynamic, immersive experiences for players."Gleam Games said Trkiye has emerged as a vibrant gaming landscape, "capturing substantial investor interest and producing globally popular games" and has "grown remarkably" in recent years.

Former Quantic Dream writer forms new studio Republic GamesDeveloper has received an undisclosed investment from Krafton, is working on untitled RPGImage credit: Republic Games News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Nov. 19, 2024 Former Quantic Dream lead writer Adam Williams has debuted a new studio with the backing of Krafton.Led by Williams, Republic Games has received an undisclosed investment from the South Korean publisher.The studio is described as a "small but very experienced international group of developers" working on an untitled RPG."We founded Republic Games to make entertaining and meaningful experiences," said Williams. "We're only focused on giving players what they actually want: great gameplay, great story, inspiring characters, and a fantasy experience they will remember."Krafton investment director Mike Hong added: "Republic Games is committed to finding the next level of interactive storytelling. They're all about great story, player freedom, meaningful choices, and letting players pursue their own fantasy."Williams left Quantic Dream earlier this year, where he wrote Detroit: Becoming Human and the upcoming Star Wars: Eclipse.

Within a week, Farming Simulator 25 has been a bountiful harvest for developer GIANTS: not only has it sold 2 million copies, it's now become the "most successful launch" in the franchise's history.According to the studio, the simulation game peaked at 135,970 players as of November 17. It also added that "thousands more" played the title across Mac, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S throughout the past week. Sales-wise, its performance is a step up from Farming Simulator 22, the developer's first self-published entry, which sold 1.5 million copies during its launch week back in 2021."Thank you to our fans, partners, and the team for all your support and hard work," GIANTS wrote on November 12. "It's looking like we did well."Player numbers for prior Farming Simulator games are trickier to determine than other series, since some games didn't release on PC or consoles in a particular year. The last PC-bound entry was Farming Simulator 22, which holds the franchise's second-highest player peak at 105,636 players from three years ago. Other entries like the 2016 and 2018 installments come in considerably lower at 32,313 players and 59,466 players, respectively.Looking ahead, GIANTS affirmed its plans to add "more machines, features, and fun" through Farming Simulator 25's first year with expansion packs and updates. It's also eyeing more mods to bring to its ModHub platform, which holds "awesome creations from our community."

Justin Carter, Contributing EditorNovember 19, 20241 Min ReadImage via PlayStation.At a GlanceThe new leaders for PlayStation's mobile division previously worked at Disney, EA, and Meta.PlayStation has uploaded a new pair of executives to lead its mobile division. As of today, Olivier Courtemancheand Justin Kubiak hold respective positions as the head of mobile and leader of mobile business development and partnerships at Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE).Both men have been at SIE since 2022: Courtemanche, an alum at EA and Meta, started out as a senior director for PlayStation Studios' mobile division, and just last year, became mobile's co-head alongside Kris Davis. Meanwhile, Kubiak joined SIE in licensing mobile partnerships, and previously worked at Samsung and NCSoft.Major moves for Sony's mobile businessThe duo mark the first major hires for PlayStation's mobile side since the departure of VP Nicola Sebastiani in 2023. At the time, PlayStation's ambitions for the phone market were quiet, save for acquiring Savage Game Studios, which saw the exits of CEO Mikhail Katkoff and general manager Sophie Vo not long after Sebastiani left.In the time since, Savage Game rebranded to Neon Koi, which was closed down alongside Concord developer Firewalk back in October. Prior to its end, Neon Koi was working on an action-RPG for phones which was never fully revealed.This past May, reports alleged Sony was aiming to make a mobile PlayStation store for free-to-play titles. It's unknown how Cortemanche and Kubiak's new positions will factor into that, or its other plans (or commitment) for the phone space beyond that hypothetical storefront.Read more about:[Company] PlayStationAbout the AuthorJustin CarterContributing Editor, GameDeveloper.comA Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.See more from Justin CarterDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

Cant wait until Black Friday to start your holiday shop or score a killer deal on a gadget youve been eyeing? You may not have to. Although Black Friday isnt until November 29th, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target have begun rolling out their holiday discounts, many of which are available elsewhere. Some retailers will even refund you the difference if an item drops further in price later this year, meaning you dont necessarily have to worry about shopping ahead of time.New deals are popping up weekly, so weve rounded up the cream of the crop below to make sorting through them easier. Current promos include steep discounts on a range of our favorite tech, too, from the Beats Solo Pro headphones and Apples AirTags to some of our favorite holiday string lights. Well continue updating this roundup as more deals drop, so bookmark this page and keep checking back.RelatedThe best Apple dealsApple AirTag (four-pack)$73$9926% off$73$73$9926% offApples AirTags are unobtrusive, waterproof, and tap into the massive Find My network for out-of-range locating. Read our review.$73 at Amazon$73 at Best BuyApple AirPods (third-gen) with Lightning charging case $94$16944% off$94$94$16944% offApples third-gen AirPods sport an updated design and sound significantly better than their predecessors. They also support newer features, including head-tracking spatial audio. Read our review.$94 at WalmartTheGPS-enabled Apple Watch Series 10is down to its best price of $349 ($50 off) in the 42mm configuration at Amazon and Walmart. Apples latest flagship wearable features the companys new S10 SiP chip and an added depth and water temperature sensor. It also offers faster charging than the prior model, as well as a larger wide-angle display. Read our review.You can buy the last-gen iPad with Wi-Fi and 64GB of storage for its all-time low of $199.99 ($129 off) at Best Buy and Target. The 2021 tablet features a smaller 10.2-inch screen than the newer model, a slower A13 Bionic chip, and a Lightning charging port. However, its still snappy enough for streaming, browsing the web, sending emails, and performing other typical tablet tasks, making it great for kids or anybody looking for an affordable tablet. It even features a 3.5mm headphone jack a welcome rarity.Apple AirPods Pro 2 $189$25024% off$189$189$25024% offThe second-gen AirPods Pro improve upon Apples original pair with much better noise cancellation, sound quality, and onboard volume controls. The latest refresh also ships with a USB-C charging case, as opposed to Lightning.Read our review.$189 at AmazonThe best speaker and headphone dealsSamsung Music Frame$248$40038% off$248$248$40038% offSamsungs Music Frame is a 12.9 x 12.9-inch picture frame with a physical print at the front that you can customize with art or a photo. Along with support for Dolby Atmos, its compatible with Amazon Alexa and Samsung Bixby.Beats Solo 4$130$20035% off$130$130$20035% offWith lossless USB-C audio, 50-hour battery life, Find My, spatial audio, and more comfy ear cups, the Beats Solo 4 gained significant quality-of-life improvements over their eight-year-old predecessors. They still deliver that bass-rich Beats sound, too. Read our review.Beats Studio Pro$250$35029% off$250$250$35029% offCompared to their predecessors, the Beats Studio Pro feature improved noise cancellation, sound quality, and comfort. They were the first Apple headphones to support lossless audio over USB-C, too, and probably are your best option if you frequently switch between iOS and Android devices. Read our review.Jabra may have stopped selling consumer earbuds, but that doesnt there arent discounts available on the existing models. Right now, for instance, you can purchase theJabra Elite 10Gen 2 for an all-time low of $199.99 ($80 off) at Best Buy.In addition to noise cancellation, the semi-openElite 10 come with an LE Audio charging case, which lets youwirelessly transmit audio from an external device. They also feature physical buttons and support other essentials, including multipoint Bluetooth connectivity.You can also pick up Jabras Elite 8 Active Gen 2 for $169.99 ($60 off) at Best Buy, which is one of the better prices weve seen. The fitness-focused earbuds offer a robust IP68 rating water resistance rating that can withstand sweaty workouts, along with a secure fit and adaptive ANC. They also support multipoint pairing and wireless charging, and like the Elite 10, come with an LE Audio charging case.Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds$229$29923% off$229$229$29923% offWith dynamic, rich sound and the best noise cancellation available in true wireless earbuds, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are a terrific pick if you want to listen to your music in peace. Read our review.Shokz OpenRun Pro$100$18044% off$100$100$18044% offShokzs flagship bone conduction headphones are designed for sports and outdoor use, allowing you to keep abreast of your surroundings. The open-ear headphones weigh just 29 grams and are IP55-rated for water and sweat resistance.$100 at Best Buy$160 at AmazonThe WH-1000XM4, Sonys last-gen flagships, are on sale starting at $228 ($122 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. Thats not the shockingly low $130 they dropped to earlier this year, but its still a great price for a pair of cans that offer some of the best sound quality and noise cancellation performance around. They offer 30 hours of battery life, a foldable design, and flexible ambient audio modes, including a speak-to-chat feature that reduces volume while youre talking. Read our review.Sony WH-CH720N $86$15043% off$86$86$15043% offSonys wireless headphones offer noise cancellation and up to 35 hours of battery life on a single charge. They also come in blue, white, and black. The best smart home dealsRoomba Combo j9 Plus $1199$139914% off$1199$1199$139914% offThe Combo j9 Plus is the first Roomba that can refill its own mop tank and empty its own bin. With a redesigned dock that doubles as a table, increased suction power, and a new SmartScrub feature that moves back and forth to mop more effectively, its the best Roomba available. Read our guide to the best robot vacuums.$1199 at Best Buy$1200 at TargetiRobot Roomba j7 Plus$359$79955% off$359$359$79955% offThe Roomba j7 features obstacle avoidance that allows it to navigate around furniture and smaller objects that it deems hazardous. Besides cleaning on a set schedule, the j7 can also jump to work via voice commands or the Roomba app. Read our review.$359 at Best BuyThe iRobot Roomba Combo j7 Plus is on sale for around $899 ($100 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target, which is one of its better prices to date. The j7 Plus is similar to the Roomba Combo j9 Plus,as it offers AI obstacle avoidance and a mop that automatically lifts to keep your carpets dry. The main difference is that the Combo j9 Plus offers longer batter life and can refill its own mop tank; it also features a new dirt detection feature. Read our review.Nanoleaf Skylight Smarter Kit (three-panel)$200$25020% off$200$200$25020% offDesigned to mimic an actual skylight, Nanoleafs smart ceiling lights offer tunable LEDs as well as hundreds of lighting scenes including AI-generated dynamic effects.You can buy Philips Hues 26.2-feet Festavia string lights with 100 color-changing LEDs for $83.99 ($36 off) directly from Philips Hue (the 65-feet variant is also on sale for $153.99). The Festavia lights can display a range of colors and a wide selection of premade, festive effects and scenes. They also offer Matter support for use with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and other smart home platforms when paired with a Philips Hue Bridge, along with IP54 weatherproofing that allows you to hang them up outside for up to 90 days.Eeros Pro 6E mesh router is available for an all-time low of $159.99 ($90 off) at Amazon and Best Buy, or as part of a two-pack for $259.99 (Amazon, Best Buy) or a three-pack for $349.99 (Amazon, Best Buy). It doesnt support Wi-Fi 7 like the newer Eero Max, but it does support the 6GHz Wi-Fi band with speeds of up to 1.3Gbps. It also can cover up to 2,000 square feet per unit and conveniently features a pair of ethernet ports. Read our review.Google Nest Wifi Pro $199$30034% off$199$199$30034% offThe Nest Wifi Pro is an upgraded version of the standard model, and its equipped with Matter and Thread support in addition to Wi-Fi 6E connectivity.Read our review.$199 at Amazon (two-pack)Kasa smart plug HS103 (four-pack) $20$3033% off$20$20$3033% offKasas smart plugs are a solid, inexpensive option that can monitor your energy usage and are compatible with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.$20 at AmazonThe best smart security dealsBlink Outdoor 4$40$10060% off$40$40$10060% offThe 1080p Blink Outdoor 4 security camera offers support for motion detection, night vision, and two-way audio. Theres the option of local recording with the Sync Module 2, and unlike the third-gen model, it supports person detection and has a wider field of view.Blink Video Doorbell$30$6050% off$30$30$6050% offBlinks buzzer is the best if youre looking for a budget-friendly option with motion-activated recording and alerts, night vision, two-way audio, and up to two years of battery life. Rings Stick Up Cam Batteryis on sale for an all-time low of $54.99 ($45 off) atAmazon and Best Buy. The battery-powered 1080p camera offers weatherproofing, so you can mount and use it outside and inside, but youll have to pay for a Ring Protect plan to record video. Thankfully, basics like two-way audio, night video, and motion alerts are available for free.The second-genRing Indoor Cam is available atAmazonand Best Buy for $29.99 ($30 off), which matches its best price to date. Unlike its predecessor, the indoor security camera features color night vision and a physical privacy cover, allowing you to turn off video and audio recording. The wired camera is similar to its predecessor otherwise, though, and features sharp 1080p HD resolution, a built-in siren, and two-way audio. Google Nest Cam with floodlight (wired)$208$28026% off$208$208$28026% offA Google Nest Cam attached to two bright, adjustable floodlights, this camera has free video recording, powerful lights, and on-device processing of smart alerts for people, vehicles, and animals. Theres no siren, but there is 24/7 recording and facial recognition. Read our review.The best fitness tracker and smartwatch dealsGoogle Pixel Watch 3 (41mm, Wi-Fi)$280$35020% off$280$280$35020% offGoogles new Pixel Watch 3 is bigger and brighter than its predecessor. It also features more advanced running capabilities, offline Google Maps functionality, and deeper integration with other Google devices. Read our review.Withings ScanWatch Light $200$25020% off$200$200$25020% offThe Withings Scanwatch Light is a hybrid analog smartwatch that tracks the basics like steps and activities, while delivering up to 30 days of battery life. Read our review.$200 at WithingsIf youre looking for a terrific Fitbit alternative, the Garmin Venu Sq 2 is a great pick thats down to an all-time low of $149.99 ($100 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Garmins online storefront. Its a shame it lacks built-in GPS, but it does offer a lot of health features not found on rivals like the Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4, including hydration tracking and access to Garmin Coach, which provides marathon training plans. These features arent locked behind a paywall, either, making the wearable an even better deal. Read our review.Oura Ring Gen 3$249$29917% off$249$249$29917% offThe Oura Ring Gen 3 is a discreet sleep and recovery tracker that tracks heart rate, body temperature, and activity. It comes with a six-month free trial, with a $5.99 subscription after that. Read our review.The Garmin Fenix 7S Pro, one of the best fitness trackers you can buy, is on sale exclusively for Verge readers. Now through Cyber Monday, you can get the multi-sport fitness watch for just $529.99 ($270 off) at Wellbots with promo code VERGEBF270. In addition to a smorgasbord of health sensors and workout tracking, it has reliable multiband GPS, solar charging, military-grade durability, and weekslong battery life. Read our review.The best TV and streaming device dealsAmazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (second-gen)$33$6045% off$33$33$6045% offAmazons highest-end streaming stick is faster than its predecessor with Wi-Fi 6E and double the storage. It also now displays widgets and artwork when idle while continuing to offer a terrific selection of streaming apps and Alexa integration.Amazons Fire TV Stick Game Pass bundle is back. Right now, you can pick up the newest Fire TV Stick 4K, an Xbox Wireless Controller, and a month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at Amazon for just $74.99 (about $62 off), or the same package with a Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $79.99 ($66.98 off). Both bundles include everything you need to start streaming hundreds of Game Pass titles no expensive console required.LGs G4 OLED TV is on sale in the 55-inch configuration starting at $1,796.99 (about $803 off) at Amazon and Best Buy, which is its best price yet. The 4K TV sports many of the C4s standout features including a 144Hz refresh rate but it offers brighter picture quality and more accurate colors.LG C4 OLED (65-inch)$1197$12000% off$1197$1197$12000% offThe LG C4 is similar to its predecessor, with support for Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync variable refresh rate tech. However, it now sports a max 144Hz refresh rate, a brighter panel, and overall better picture quality.The LG B4 OLED is another solid gaming TV, and you can get a 48-inch model for $599.99 ($200 off) at Best Buy or a 55-inch model for $999.99 ($400 off). It has an older processor and a dimmer screen than the costlier Evo models, but its a fine option if youre looking for a relatively affordable way to experience 4K 120Hz gaming on an OLED panel.Other miscellaneous deals$490$490$60018% offThe Xbox Series X is Microsofts flagship console, serving as its most powerful (and biggest) option focused on fast, 4K gameplay. Read our review.$490 at WalmartPowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller$23$3839% off$23$23$3839% offThe PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller is a good budget-friendly alternative to the Switch Pro Controller. It features remappable back buttons as well as Bluetooth connectivity and comes in a variety of designs and colorways. $23 at Best Buy$30 at AmazonOne of Best Buys early doorbusters is the Asus ROG Ally, which is matching its all-time low of $499.99 ($150 off) with a Z1 Extreme processor and 512GB of storage (My Best Buy Plus and Total members can save another $50). The handheld lets you play PC games on the go thanks to its seven-inch 1080p display, and while there are faster alternatives, its still serviceable for esports shooters, indie gems, and other lightweight titles. Read our review.DJI Osmo Mobile 6$89$13936% off$89$89$13936% offThe DJI Osmo Mobile 6 is a compact smartphone gimbal that allows you to easily stabilize your videos. The latest version is similar to previous models, only it touts a small OLED display to manage various shooting modes and a more portable, foldable design.Hoto 3.6V Electric Screwdriver Kit$35$7050% off$35$35$7050% offHotos electric screwdriver is perfect for making small to medium-sized repairs around the house. In addition to a USB-C port, the screwdriver comes with a magnetic case and 25 steel bits.The EcoFlow Wave2is a heat pump that is uniquely powered by both a battery and solar power, and its currently available for $799 ($200 off) from both Ecoflow and Amazon (for Prime members). The highly portable device combines an air conditioner and heater, and while it struggles with more extreme climates, it does a particularly good job of cooling and heating small spaces in temperate ones. Read our review.Ember Mug 2 (14-ounce)$112$15025% off$112$112$15025% offThe Ember Mug 2 is a temperature-controlled smart mug that keeps beverages hot. The accompanying iOS and Android apps allow you to dial in a specific temperature, from 120 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit.$112 at Amazon$112 at Ember (with code BLACKFRIDAY24)A number of other Ember smart mugs are also on sale right now including the 10-ounce Ember Mug 2,Amazon starting at $92.62 (about $38 off). The 12-ounceTravel Mug 2 Plus is also available for $149.96 ($50 off) directly from Ember through December 1st when you apply promo code BLACKFRIDAY24. Unlike the Mug 2, the Travel Mug 2 Plus supports Apples Find My network, so you can keep tabs on it using an iPhone or Mac. It also comes with onboard controls and LED status lights.PowerA Fusion Pro 3 $61$8024% off$61$61$8024% offThe Fusion Pro 3 is the latest version of PowerAs affordable alternative to premium controllers like the Xbox Elite Series 2. It comes with swappable sticks, friction rings, a compact zip-up case, and features four programmable buttons built into its rear.$61 at Amazon$68 at Best BuyThe Hori Split Pad Pro, our favorite Nintendo Switch controller for handheld mode, is on sale for $38.99 ($11 off) at Best Buy and Walmart. The comfortable Joy-Con alternative is outfitted with large triggers, analog sticks, and a set of easy-to-reach buttons, along with more than enough grip that it shouldnt pose any problems over long gaming sessions.Nomad Stand One Max (third-gen, Qi2) $135$15010% off$135$135$15010% offNomads updated 3-in-1 Stand One Max adds Qi2 support for charging compatible iPhones at 15W. It can simultaneously charge AirPods and fast-charge an Apple Watch.$135 at NomadNow through November 29th, Moft is taking up to $60 off a variety of cases, stands, and other accessories. The ongoing promo includes MoftsInvisible Phone Stand and Wallet, which is capable of holding up to three cards and was our favorite adhesive phone grip in 2022. To get the $60 discount, youll have to order over $200 and apply the code BF60. However, you can also spend much less and still save, with Moft offering $10 off if you spend over $50 (with code BF10); $20 of if you spend more than $100 (using code BF20); and $37 off if you spend over $150 (with code BF37).Headspace (annual subscription)$35$7050% off$35$35$7050% offHeadspace offers hundreds of guided meditations that are destined to relieve stress, improve productivity, and help you exercise. Right now, you can subscribe to an annual plan for $34.99, which is a 50 percent discount.$35 at HeadspaceAeroPress Original Coffee Maker$30$4025% off$30$30$4025% offThe AeroPress has made a name among enthusiasts for its great brewing ability. Its simplistic hands-on operation can make your morning coffee rituals more fun and engaging than a traditional drip-style maker.You can buy theGlocusent book lightfor $17.99 ($15 off) at Amazon, which is its best price yet. The light hangs around your neck to illuminate whatever youre reading, while offering adjustable brightness and warmth settings.As part of its early Black Friday promo, Oaky is taking up to 25 percent off several desks, chargers, docks, and other wooden accessories. Right now, for instance, you can buy its attractive Laptop Stand for $120 ($30 off) or an 80 x 19-inch Floating Shelf for $195.50 ($35 off), both of which are available with either oak or walnut construction.Update, November 19th: Updated to include a selection of new deals, including those for the third-gen Oura Ring, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, the Ember Mug 2, and more.

The IMG_0001 website features a frame with an old TV static effect and a floating retro Panasonic remote that you can click to start watching random YouTube videos from over a decade ago that were recorded and uploaded from devices such as 2010s iPhone 4. Riley Walz, a tech worker who helped stage a fake steakhouse restaurant in Manhattan last year, built the site. He credits this blog by Ben Wallace for the idea and says the iPhone is the reason the project is possible.As described on the site, there was a novel (at the time) Send to YouTube feature on iPhones between 2009 and 2012 that let you upload recordings directly from your iPhone for anyone to see which often arent accompanied by any text descriptions.Each video is titled something like IMG_XXXX, which follows the default naming conventions of recordings from iPhones (and many, many cameras).As youre presented with videos such as this random white cat that jumps at the cameraman, some Wu-Tang Clan concertgoer, or the homies jumping into a swimming pool, the site shows you the upload date and the number of views. View counts are under ten most of the time. If you click on the numbers, it takes you to the original YouTube page for the video so you can comment or just take a moment to appreciate how immortalizing YouTube makes the world.If this site is ringing a bell, youre probably thinking about a similar project called Astronaut from 2017. It had a similar idea to IMG_0001 where you watch original filename videos; however, Astronaut focused on videos that could be newly uploaded (with low view counts) and only showed small portions of each one unless you intervened.

Blender 4.3 Released / News / November 19, 2024 / BlenderThe Blender Foundation just released Blender 4.3. This release is loaded with nice new features, the five best of which (IMHO) are:New windowing system with much improved user experience as well as the ability to drag of panels to new windowsGrease Pencil 3.0. A rewrite of grease pencil, with a new UI tray of all the available brushes as well as a completely new erasing system as well as grease pencil now supporting geometry nodesSculpting improvements. Like Grease Pencil, sculpting got the same UI brush panel that makes it easy to find and sort available brushes. There are also several new brushes added in this releaseNew SLIM algorithm based UV Unwrap algorithm for more even distribution of textures we cover in more detail in this video hereVulkan backend is now available as an experimental featureOf course this just scratches the surface of new features in Blender 4.3. You can read more details in the release notes.Key LinksBlender 4.3 Release NotesBlender HomepageYou can learn more about the top 5 new features mentioned above in the video below.

The Unreal Engine monthly giveaways are now bi-monthly giveaways, the second one on the third Tuesday each month. However, the number of assets given away will be lower and each giveaway will only be free for two weeks. If purchased during the free period, the assets are yours to keep forever. On the plus side, assets will be available for more game engines than just Unreal, for example this month assets also includes an asset that can be used directly in the Unity game engine.This Months free assets include:Dragon Temple (Temple, Cathedral, Temple Interior, Cathedral Interior)Ancient Constructions and PlatformsStylized Fantasy Creatures BundleIf you are interested in getting these assets into other game engines, check out our various guides available here:You can learn more about the November 2024 part two asset giveaway and see the assets in action in thevideobelow.

The machine learning community faces a significant challenge in audio and music applications: the lack of a diverse, open, and large-scale dataset that researchers can freely access for developing foundation models. Despite advances in image and text-based AI research, the audio domain lags due to the absence of comprehensive datasets comparable to those available for computer vision or natural language processing. The community has long struggled with access to high-quality, diverse datasets that encapsulate real-world, contextually rich audio data, which has been a bottleneck for innovation in music and audio foundation models.Introduction to LAION-DISCO-12MTo address this gap, LAION AI has released LAION-DISCO-12Ma collection of 12 million links to publicly available YouTube samples, paired with metadata designed to support foundational machine learning research in audio and music. LAION-DISCO-12M draws from the publicly accessible sections of YouTube, ensuring that all the linked content complies with open access standards. By providing metadata, such as timestamps, descriptions, and other semantic details, researchers can effectively explore and contextualize the rich audio content available. The aim is to bridge the gap between the scale of data available for training AI systems in vision and text and the relatively limited datasets available for audio and music, enabling a significant leap forward in developing capable foundation models in these domains.Technical Details and BenefitsThe LAION-DISCO-12M dataset stands out due to its immense scale, meticulous metadata, and the careful curation process that ensures content diversity and quality. With over 12 million audio samples, the dataset provides extensive coverage of different music genres, soundscapes, spoken word, and various environmental sounds. The dataset is particularly valuable for those researching large-scale transformer models for music generation, audio classification, or generic audio-to-text translation. Moreover, each sample is accompanied by detailed metadata, including title, description, keywords, and timestamp information, which can be instrumental in training models for multimodal tasks, such as audio-visual learning or audio classification aligned with contextual cues.A key advantage of LAION-DISCO-12M is its scale and diversity. Researchers often face limitations due to the size or lack of contextual data in existing audio datasets, which can hinder model performance in real-world scenarios. LAION-DISCO-12M addresses these challenges by providing a larger dataset with enriched metadata, enhancing the models ability to learn complex relationships in audio data. The alignment of metadata to each audio clip provides valuable contextual information, facilitating more effective learning. For instance, models can use timestamps to localize sound events within longer samples, enabling new possibilities in event detection and audio understanding. LAION-DISCO-12M supports training and fine-tuning of advanced models, such as MusicLM or Wav2Vec, on a dataset that offers both breadth and depth.Significance and Initial ResultsThe availability of this dataset represents a meaningful advancement in foundation model research for audio. While existing datasets like Googles AudioSet have been valuable, LAION-DISCO-12M offers an important resource for open and community-driven AI research. It provides researchers worldwide with access to a comprehensive dataset, free from licensing fees or restricted access. Initial tests using subsets of LAION-DISCO-12M have shown promising improvements in the generalizability of music classification models, with preliminary results indicating up to a 15% accuracy increase compared to models trained on smaller datasets. This dataset also opens up possibilities for research into multimodal music generation and more context-aware voice assistants capable of understanding complex audio environments.ConclusionIn conclusion, LAION-DISCO-12M represents an important step forward for the machine learning community, particularly for those working on audio and music research. By providing a large and diverse collection of publicly accessible YouTube audio samples, LAION AI has made foundational research in audio more accessible. This dataset aims to support advancements in generative music models, contextual audio understanding, and multimodal AI research, similar to the impact of large text datasets in natural language processing. LAION-DISCO-12M serves as a valuable resource for expanding access to audio research and fostering innovation in AI-driven audio and music technologies.Check out the Details and Dataset on Hugging Face. All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also,dont forget to follow us onTwitter and join ourTelegram Channel andLinkedIn Group. If you like our work, you will love ournewsletter.. Dont Forget to join our55k+ ML SubReddit. Aswin Ak+ postsAswin AK is a consulting intern at MarkTechPost. He is pursuing his Dual Degree at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. He is passionate about data science and machine learning, bringing a strong academic background and hands-on experience in solving real-life cross-domain challenges. LinkedIn event, 'One Platform, Multimodal Possibilities,' where Encord CEO Eric Landau and Head of Product Engineering, Justin Sharps will talk how they are reinventing data development process to help teams build game-changing multimodal AI models, fast