Samsung Flip Switch.A new patent from South Korean tech giant Samsung suggests that the company may be tinkering with a potential handheld gaming console.That's not all, though. The patent suggests that such a device may follow in the footsteps of the company's Z Flip and Fold phone lines and boast its own foldable screen. As reported by 91Mobiles (thanks, Tom's Guide), the patent was registered earlier this month via the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), showcasing some pretty clear cut images of a device that closely resembles the Switch in design, but with a few obvious differences.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Image: Nintendo LifeThe Switch eShop is full of a lot of rubbish these days, that's no surprise to us. The rise of 'scam games' has been a quick one, with results ranging from keyword bingo titles like Cop Car Police Simulator Chase - Car games simulator & driving to more blatant rip-offs. Today, one that straddles both camps has been brought to our attention.As flagged on BlueSky by Daniel Vuckovic, the eShop is now home to a title called 'Unpacking: Deluxe Edition'. Now, you may reasonably assume this is some kind of expansion to 2021's indie darling, Unpacking, but you would be wrong. Instead, this 'Deluxe Edition' just adopts Witch Beam's instantly recognisable name. And its basic format. Ugh.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube786kWatch on YouTube 'Unpacking: Deluxe Edition' is currently listed on the Australian and Japanese Switch eShops for $17.99 / 1,280 yen, though a not-so-deluxe version called 'Unpacking Universe Dreams' is available on the European and North American storefronts, boasting the same AI-generated key art.This one comes from publisher CGI LAB, the team that has released at least 13 titles on the eShop this year alone, including such *ahem* hits as Video Game Store: Supermarket Simulator, Car Parking Legends: Drive & Park Adventure and Anime Puzzle Quest: The Magical Girls Adventure.As we said, this is no rare occurrence these days, but it's still disappointing when such a blatant clone crops up. According to its eShop page, Universe Dreams lets you "Unpack and arrange items in vibrant locations, each with its own unique atmosphere," and "Discover hidden treasures and delightful surprises as you create your perfect space". Ringing any bells?Nintendo's seemingly happy to let the eShop rot, the AI eWaste wasn't enough now we just have straight up copyright infringement. With the next console backward compatible, this crap can't be allowed to continue. This new release on the right, come on. Daniel Vuckovic (@vook64.bsky.social) 2024-11-28T13:46:29.301ZBy the look of things, Universe Dreams doesn't carry over Unpacking's delightful puzzling or heartfelt story (it certainly doesn't appropriate the pixel art visuals), but there's more than enough to suggest it's misleading, we'd say.Whether this one sticks around to actually catch anyone out remains to be seen, though the eShop has been so full of these practices in recent years that we'd expect to see another rear its head in no time, either way.As noted in the above post, 'Switch 2' is officially set to be backwards compatible, so we can't help but wonder if Nintendo will implement any rules to reduce this type of stuff on its next hardware. Gosh, we hope so. Sea of low-qualityWhat do you make of this blatant eShop rip off? Let us know in the comments.[source bsky.app]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:01 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related Articles133 Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's 'Cyber Deals' Switch eShop Sale (North America)Every game we scored 9/10 or higher62 Switch Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's Black Friday Sale (Europe)Every Switch game on sale that we rated 9/10+Review: Loco Motive (Switch) - A Stunning Whodunnit With Impeccable LucasArts VibesMurder on the Point-and-Click ExpressRollercoaster Tycoon Classic Is Making Its Way To Switch Next MonthFasten your seatbelts

Thanksgiving weekend has long been seen as the traditional start to the most important sales period for retailers, and so far, the indication is that were in for a strong holiday season for e-commerce. Salesforce is tracking activity in real time and has just put out its first figures for the day. It says that as of 2pm ET, online sales are up 7% globally and and 4% in the U.S. compared to 2023, respectively generating $15.6 billion and $3.1 billion in sales.For a point of comparison, last year saw a sluggish Thanksgiving when it came to online shopping. Salesforce said the full day raked in online sales of $31.7 billion with the U.S. seeing sales of $7.5 billion. Each was up only 1%.Salesforce said its 2024 figures are based on shopping data from 1.5 billion consumers that are captured across its customers and other data feeds in its Commerce Cloud, Marketing Cloud, and Service Cloud. You can see morehere.Well be updating this post later with more figures, including numbers from Adobe, which also tracks online sales. Last year Adobe Analytics said that people in the U.S. on Thanksgiving spent $5.6 billion online, which it calculates at an increase of just 5.5% on the year before.The economy indeed still remains wobbly in multiple markets, so retailers are sweetening the deal to get shoppers to part with their money. Discounts are averaging 24% globally and 27% in the U.S.Thanksgiving Day has shaped up to be a key mobile shopping day in the U.S.. Most physical stores are closed, and many people are with friends and family, so people reach for their phones as a more subtle way to grab sale items.Salesforce predicts that the strongest period of buying will be in the evening, after feasting, with 35% of all sales happening between 7pm and midnight. It also predicts that Thanksgiving will be the biggest mobile shopping day of the week overall, with 73% of all sales made today expected to be on mobile devices.The internet has led to a lot of spread when it comes to holiday shopping. Black Friday used to be a uniquely American shopping phenomenon, coming the day right after Thanksgiving and kicking off the holiday shopping season.Now, not only can you find Black Friday sales events around the world (where Thanksgiving Day is nonexistent except for in syndications of American TV specials), but those and other holiday sales days have started to get packaged up as Cyber Week, which starts days before any turkey is carved or pumpkin is pied.Salesforce counted Tuesday of this week as the start of Cyber Week, and it said that sales were up 7% and 14% respectively globally and in the U.S..It sometimes feels like we may have reached an innovation lull when it comes to e-commerce, but generative AI might have something to say about that. Salesforce said that use of digital agents and GenAI by retailers is up by 32% compared to a week ago.Salesforce obviously sees a business opportunity in building these AI bells and whistles, so that could be why theyre teasing out those particular details. Up by 32% does not tell us how many actually have AI tools in place let alone how useful they have been in sales conversions, or whether they have led to people fleeing sites in frustration. Well have to see if more concrete statistics materialize this year.Holiday shopping momentum is building throughout Cyber Week with online traffic and sales on the rise. After waiting all year for the best deals of the season, shoppers are finally ready to make their holiday purchases and are flocking to their favorite sites via their mobile devices, said Caila Schwartz, Director of Consumer Insights, Salesforce, in a statement.

Photonics a field that underpins light-based systems for manipulating data has a bright future, as the rise of AI demands better computing performance, but it has yet to be fully applied to a new generation of chips. German startup Akhetonics hopes to change that. Its raised a 6 million seed funding round (approximately $6.33 million) to deliver on this promise, TechCrunch can exclusively reveal.While several companies are working with photons on tangential issues or point solutions that mix electronics and photonics, Akhetonics whose name is a portmanteau of Akhet, an Egyptian hieroglyph for horizon, and photonics is outright aiming to build a general-purpose chip.General purpose in this context means chips that it could be used for all sorts of tasks and software applications. And sinceAkhetonics is taking anall-optical approachthat willalso be digital and compatible with existing workloads,unlike analog approaches,it could be particularly useful in environments that require high-performance in real time, such as networking, avionics, and space.Speed aside, energy efficiency is another aspect where photonics can help and one that is increasingly tied to geopolitics, as is chip sovereignty. For us, the most interesting part is that we have a supply chain that is very diverse, co-founder and CEO Michael Kissner told TechCrunch.Potentially, Akhetonics could make its general-purpose chip anywhere, making it possible for companies to access locally sourced high-performance compute if it works. Thats a big if; or more precisely, when.Most observers agree that photonics will make its way to chips but French VC firm Daphni, for instance, recently said it wont invest in general-purpose chips at the moment. While Lightmatter, a photonics company that initially focused on chips, pivoted to interconnects to great success, bringing faster data transfer between CPUs and GPUs within data centers.While it still seems far-fetched to some, Matterwave Ventures, the VC firm that led Akhetonics new round, believes that the time is right for fully optical technology to be applied to general-purpose computation. For us, it felt like there are sufficient things that are coming together to make this a reality, principal Silviu Apostu told TechCrunch.This will still take time, but maybe not as much as some may think; Akhetonics plans to deliver its first commercial product to customers mid-next year. Kissner is confident that its already confirmed feasibility thanks to its previous funding round by deep tech VC firm Runa Capital in 2023. Our big goal was to show that you can do general purpose computing using only optics, and that is something that we have now shown, he said.The key to Akhetonics approach and what makes this feasible, according to Apostu is to rethink the architecture from first principles.People think you need billions of [optical transistors], Kissner added. But with the right architecture, you dont. For instance, the company explained in a recent paper how it can do without the usual optimization that the likes of AMD, Intel and Nvidia have applied to current-gen chips.This also makes the development process cheaper than for regular chips hence the relatively small round size for a chipmaking business. Akhetonics said most of the seed funding will go into growing headcount to 30 people as the team works towards delivering prototypes to customers. For us, its actually a lot of money, Kissner suggested. In our world, you can design a chip for 50,000.Cheaper costs and a local supply chain are two big differences compared to existing AI semiconductors; Kissner seems genuinely baffled that the trillion dollar Al industry relies on chips made in geopolitically troublesome areas. And Akhetonics alternative positioning has evidently resonated with investors. They really support our mission to create this European, almost democratized version of high-performance computing, he said.With all that said, there are still questions over commercial demand for high-performance computing, and whether it might be better served by integrated photonics for specific use cases. But for Akhetonics, and competitors like LightSolver, all-optical chips are the best answer.

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Heres our 30-minute walkthrough of a new commercial Blender add-on by Hvard Dalen: Lens Sim, for simulating photorealistic lenses.Simulate vintage lenses like Helios 44-2, anamorphic bokeh, realistic lens effects and more, at virtually no performance cost. Photorealistic rendering in Blender has just got an upgrade, with Lens Sim add-on.Buy Lens Sim on Blender Market (affiliate link)

Thomas Teasley, a liquid propulsion engineer at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), explains how additive manufacturing is a key component in developing the Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE), a transformative propulsion system that leverages detonative combustion.The Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine generates thrust through continuous, spinning detonation waves within a circular combustion chamber. Compared to traditional subsonic combustion engines, it achieves higher efficiency and specific impulse or how effectively a rocket uses its propellant.This engine may enable more efficient and reusable propulsion systems for future missions. This innovation relies on additive manufacturing (AM) laser powder bed fusion and specialized NASA alloys, such as GRCop-42 for thermal conductivity and GRX-810 for extreme temperature resilience. These materials and techniques facilitate the creation of complex integrated structures, including coolant channels and injector orifices, that are impossible to machine traditionally. Rigorous testing of temperature, pressure, and vibratory responses ensures reliability under the severe conditions of spaceflight.The NASA MSFC Rotating Detonating Rocket Engine together with Venus Aerospace and REM Surface Engineering is nominated for the 2024 Aerospace, Space or Defence Application of the year. Review the 3D Printing Industry Awards and vote now.3DPI: Can you describe your application and how it differs from existing approaches in the market?Thomas Teasley: The Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine uses detonative combustion instead of slow or subsonic combustion like traditional rockets to achieve superior combustion and specific impulse efficiencies. The improvement in efficiency is so dramatic that the combustion environment is nearly impossible to contain and keep hardware cool. This is where additive manufacturing and specialized NASA alloys like GRCop-42 and GRX-810 have enabled the RDRE to become a reality. Ultimately, propulsion systems for space exploration must become more efficient and reusable which AM, specialized alloys, and the RDRE itself allow for.3DPI: What specific problem does your application solve, and what makes it a groundbreaking solution in the 3D printing space?Thomas Teasley: The RDRE requires complex integrated structures such as coolant channels, flow paths, and injector orifices that just cannot be traditionally machined with typical alloys. Propulsion systems are always improving in performance and the combustion environment is only becoming more extreme. This engine technology requires the use of AM and specialized alloys to become a reality and enables a broader trade space of future human crewed missions to the Moon and Mars.3DPI: Can you elaborate on the specific additive manufacturing techniques and materials you employed in your project and why they were chosen over traditional manufacturing methods?Thomas Teasley: Laser powder bed fusion is the primary AM technique along with a copper alloy known as GRCop-42 and Nickel alloy known as GRX-810. GRCop-42 is a high conductivity alloy that is used for the primary hot wall of the thrust chamber and can rapidly transfer heat away from the wall to meet a minimum temperature requirement and prevent melting. GRX-810 is an extreme environment super alloy that allows for high strength at high temperature.3DPI: What measures have you implemented to ensure the reliability, consistency, and quality control of your AM components, especially given the rigorous demands of aerospace, space, or defense applications?Thomas Teasley: We have made numerous temperature and pressure measurements in critical manifold interfaces in addition to thrust and dynamic vibratory responses of the engine system. Each of these measurements allow us to confirm the severity of the combustion environment and prove how enabling AM and these specialized alloys have been.NASA Subscale 1,000 lbf class RDRE. Methane/Oxygen. World record-holding test at 750 psi for an RDRE. Photo via NASA.3DPI: How does your innovation address the industrys current pain points, such as supply chain vulnerabilities, production lead times, or material performance limitations?Thomas Teasley: The RDRE requires the use of GRCop-42 and GRX-810 which opens up the existing supply chain to improving the availability of these alloys. This is particularly the case when dozens of industry partners are expressing interest in the technology and investing in these alloys for use with their specific engine applications.3DPI: What role does collaboration play in your work, whether with research institutions, government agencies, or industry partners, and how have these collaborations contributed to your success?Thomas Teasley: Direct collaboration with industry, government, and academia is what enables the development and widespread use of the RDRE propulsion technology. Without partnerships, its maturation would not be possible.3DPI: Is there anything else you would like to add?Thomas Teasley: The RDRE has been stated to be the next step in space exploration propulsion technology by multiple industry and government partners. Its performance benefits are real and substantial and will very likely be flying on a space vehicle in the next 5 to 10 years given its current rate of development.NASA Full Scale 5000 lbf class lander RDRE. Kerosene/Oxygen. Photo via NASA.What will the future of 3D printing look like?Which recent trends are driving the 3D printing industry? Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter to stay updated with the latest news and insights. Stay connected with the latest in 3D printing by following us on Twitter and Facebook, and dont forget to subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry YouTube channel for more exclusive content.Featured image shows NASA Full Scale 10,000 lbf class lander RDRE. Methane/Oxygen. Photo via NASA.

At Formnext 2024, Munich-based 3D printer manufacturer EOS unveiled the P3 NEXT, its new industrial SLS 3D printer.Fitting the same 340 x 340 x 600mm build volume as its predecessor, the EOS P 396, into a smaller footprint, the new 3D printer features updated software, enhanced scanning algorithms, and accelerated recoated speeds. Consequently, the P3 NEXT reportedly offers a 50% productivity increase and over 90% machine availability, reducing manufacturing costs by 30%.During the Frankfurt-based trade show, I spoke with Fabian Krauss, Head of Growth Polymer Solutions at EOS, to learn more about the new system and its value for verticals like medical, aviation, and eyewear.He discussed how the P3 NEXT supports companies scaling to serial production, with some customers reaching hundreds of thousands and even million-part production runs. Its ability to enhance sustainability and slash the total cost of ownership (TCO) was also highlighted.Krauss shared his insights on key additive manufacturing trends and how EOS contends with the growing market share of low-cost, entry-level 3D printers. Additionally, EOS introduced two new SLS powder materials at Formnext, PA 2220 and ALM PA 950, which are both optimized for reusability.The new EOS P3 NEXT 3D printer at Formnext 2024. Photo by 3D Printing Industry.Introducing the P3 NEXT at Formnext 2024 According to Krauss, the P3 NEXT was developed using feedback from existing customers and new companies looking to adopt additive manufacturing. According to Krauss, the company had been balancing high reliability and industry-leading quality with a less favourable TCO.The new system reportedly overcomes this by increasing productivity, increasing material efficiency, and driving down TCO. Krauss pointed to a 50% increase in productivity and an 80% material reuse rate up from 50% for the previous P3 3D printers. This is driven by accelerated heating, faster re-coating, and external cooling of parts, contributing to over 90% machine availability. The result? A 30% reduction in TCO for most applications.Krauss emphasized, We offer an option where users can access new applications, realize new business cases, and fuel growth because this industry has been stagnating a little.How does the P3 NEXT differentiate within the SLS 3D printer market? Krauss argued it is not always about offering the best surface finish, but providing the right quality at the right cost and reliability. He added that EOS products are designed to last for years, with the companys machines and processes able to provide the right quality from the very beginning.With validated 3D print modes for quick deployment and open systems for parameter tuning, users can prioritize either productivity or quality based on application needs. The P3 NEXTs open system is optimized for industrial users wanting to tweak 3D printing parameters to enhance productivity and improve part quality.EOS 3D printed surgical guides at Formnext 2024. Photo by 3D Printing Industry.EOS new sustainable 3D printing materialsKrauss showcased two new materials from the EOS and ALM brands. For the former, PA 2220 HighReuse, part of the PA 12 family, enables a 70:30 reuse ratio of old to new powder without sacrificing quality. According to Krauss, the white-colored material retains the same mechanics as the companys previous PA 12 offering while increasing isotropy and reducing TCO. This has been launched at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5 with fully proven parameters.On the ALM side, PA 950 a black PA 12 material offers an 80% reusability rate. Krauss emphasized that the material unlocks zero-waste production for most print jobs. This plays straight into sustainability and lower TCO, offering customers the best cost per part.By launching it under the ALM brand, EOS has been able to introduce PA 950 to the market more quickly at TRL 3, with scope for additional certification to achieve TRL 5 in the future. Krauss also explained that additives can be mixed into this material to improve its mechanical properties. These include glass spheres, glass beads, glass fibers, carbon fibers, and flame retardant fillers.Both materials are fully validated and ready to run on EOS SLS 3D printers from launch. Its going to be interesting to see how the market adopts these materials, particularly the shift between homogeneous black, traditional white, and potential color applications, Krauss added.Eyewear frames 3D printed using EOS new PA 2220 HighReuse material. Photo by 3D Printing Industry.Targeting regulated applicationsKrauss added the importance of being business case driven and application-driven. Specifically, EOS is targeting regulated markets, with aviation and medical customers set to be the biggest adopters of the new 3D printer.Compatibility with certified medical materials, including the companys PA 2201, makes the P3 NEXT especially well-suited to in-mouth applications. Krauss pointed to a customer scaling the production of 3D printed palatal expanders and sleep apnea devices. While the volume of parts can vary depending on the use case, this customer reportedly produces hundreds of thousands of in-mouth applications. Krauss highlighted another producing millions of 3D printed mascara brushes.He acknowledged that while injection molding still dominates the mass production of simple parts, EOS is complementing injection molding where it has difficulties. According to Krauss, the majority of 3D printing applications are in the thousands of parts, while prototyping remains a healthy business.However, EOS does not believe industry growth will come from prototyping, but rather production applications where additive provides value. Previously, 3D printing technology was acquired because companies didnt want to miss out on the hype. Now, Krauss noted that its the ROI and business case driving the growth, with some applications accounting for 5% of the overall business. These high growth production businesses want a system with full access to differentiate, to optimize, to scale, and to achieve maximum uptime.Other key target markets include aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) where EOS flame retardant materials offer significant value for aeroplane interiors. Krauss also called drone production a super high growth market, with both commercial and defense drones gaining a lot of traction. On the consumer side, eyewear was identified as a leading market, where EOS meets requirements for surface finish, dimensional accuracy, and sharp contours.Drone components 3D printed using EOS new ALM PA 950 Black material. Photo by 3D Printing Industry.EOS addresses market competition The 3D printing industry has seen the emergence of low-cost, entry-level FDM 3D printers that offer functions and capabilities suitable for certain purposes where advanced materials are not required. Driven by Chinese companies like Bambu Lab and Creality, these systems are cannibalizing the sales of industrial 3D printers, for particular applications. Market intelligence firm CONTEXT reported that entry-level 3D printer sales increased 65% YoY in Q2 2024. Bambu Lab experienced sales growth of 336% during the quarter. Conversely, shipments of industrial shipments fell by 25% YoY in Q2.Despite these figures, Krauss stressed that the growth of entry-level 3D printers is helping to increase the adoption of EOS industrial SLS systems. He explained that the time when we are competing against the likes of Bambu Labs is minimal, as most EOS applications cannot be served on affordable desktop 3D printers.While SLS 3D printers are beyond the reach of the market Bambu Lab has found the most success in, there have been a number of attempts to bring the powder based 3D printing process to a broader group. One notable example is the Formlabs Fuse 1 3D printer.Rather than viewing these systems as competition, EOS sees emergent low-cost 3D printers as critical to fostering innovation. Krauss explained that entry-level machines help companies adopt 3D printing by encouraging experimentation and design for additive manufacturing.We dont equip our sales teams to fight against these lower-entry systems. Instead, we try to build a bridge and reach out a hand, added Krauss. This strategy involves guiding users from hobbyist systems to industrial-grade solutions as their applications scale.When operating in the industrial space, application engineers and access to global experts are invaluable for users. Krauss has also observed a growing trend of companies beginning their additive manufacturing journey with powder bed polymer 3D printers. This facilitates a smoother transition to industrial production on EOS SLS systems. Its fantastic to see academia, labs, and smaller companies starting with powder-based systems, as the transition to scale is far simpler compared to FDM or SLA, Krauss explained.The Bambu Lab booth at Formnext 2024. Photo by 3D Printing Industry.Looking ahead, Krauss believes the 3D printing industry will continue to evolve from prototyping toward scaled manufacturing. While rapid prototyping will remain valuable, its share of the additive manufacturing market is shrinking. Weve gone from 90% prototyping to 3D printing mainly used for production applications. He predicts that in 10 years, prototyping will become a niche market, and scaled, TCO-driven manufacturing will dominate.EOS is positioning itself for this future, aligning its portfolio and organization to meet the demands of high-volume manufacturing. EOS is setting up its portfolio to help scale customers with fleets of factory modules and running tens or hundreds of tons of material, Krauss added. In 10 years, our bet is that this shift will have paid off.All the news from Formnext 2024.Who are the leaders in additive manufacturing? Vote now in the 2024 3D Printing Industry Awards!Want to share insights on key industry trends and the future 3D printing? Register now to be included in the 2025 3D Printing Industry Executive Survey.What does the future of 3D printing hold?What near-term 3D printing trends have been highlighted by industry experts?Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter to keep up with the latest 3D printing news.You can also follow us on Twitter, like our Facebook page, and subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry Youtube channel to access more exclusive content.Featured image shows the new EOS P3 NEXT 3D printer at Formnext 2024. Photo by 3D Printing Industry.

There arent many extant buildings with direct ties to the Salem witch trials of the 1690s, but this First Period house on Centre Street in Danvers is one of them! This is the Thomas Haines House, built in 1681 for Thomas Haines. During the witchcraft hysteria of 1692, Thomas testified in the trials of Elizabeth Howe and John Willard, who were accused of witchcraft. Elizabeth would be executed by hanging on July 19, 1692 and John was hanged on August 19, 1692. Less than a year following the frenzy of the trials, Thomas received a license to keep a public house of entertainment & sell strong drink as an innholder. He remained here until 1703, when he sold his home and land to John Allen, a gunsmith, and removed to Salem, New Jersey. The First Period home with saltbox roof is in great condition and was restored to its historic appearance in the 20th century. The property is privately owned.

EventsThe Burds Are Back in Town, and It's BristolTozer Signs hosts the third Burds of the Brush meet with a Halloween theme in Bristol, UK.Better LettersNov 28, 2024 5 min readThe moment they knew their future was in hand-painted signs and lettering.The 'Burds of the Brush' (see BLAG 03) movement was back for its third edition last month, and host with the most Tozer Signs is here to share what went down in Bristol town.The Burds in action in Bristol. Burds of the Brush in BristolLast month I hosted the third annual Burds of the Brush; a two-day event welcoming female, trans and non-binary signwriters from the world to my little corner of Bristol. With it being mid October, and me being Queen of Halloween, I had to add a little spooky spin, so the local community hall was adorned with bats and ghosts, as well as the usual pile of dibond panels, paints kindly sponsored by A.S. Handover, and easels crafted with the help of my partner Cobra Signs when I realised I had a little too much on my plate!**For anybody considering hosting a Letterheads meet of any kind, accept help in whatever form it comes in, be that heavy lifting, reaching out to potential sponsors, decor, filling the tea dispenser 50 times a day, etc.Halloween-themed decoration and event signage.There were over 50 attendees, ranging from those with 20 or 30 years' experience, to complete beginners interested in seeing what its all about, to those like me who have about a decade behind them and are still learning everyday.Panel jamming.Rachel and Hana of Bungo Sign Co. held the first edition of Burds of the Brush two years ago in Scotland (see BLAG 03), and passed on the feedback that participants would love a workshop or two. I managed to pull in a few experts to give demonstrations, expecting only a few to leave their easels to watch these. However, almost everyone paused their panels to see Hana Sunny Whaler leading a fantastic layout workshop, Veronika Jrgensen holding an oil gilding and burnishing demo, and Ellie Heywood showing her incredible calligraphy with the help of Pilot pens. (Pilot kindly gifted each attendee a beginners pack, and A.S. Handover sent over bespoke stamped brushes specially for the event.)Surface gilding with Veronika Jrgensen.Over the entire weekend, guests collaborated on a mural for the community centre that hosted us, which was laid out by Hana Sunny Whaler. We also held an auction at the end with almost 3,000 raised for Bristol Animal Rescue Centre.Hana Sunny Whaler and Miranda Ensink (Amsterdam Sign Painters) doubling up on the Windmill Hill Community Centre mural.All in all it was an incredibly fun, wholesome weekend, allowing seasoned pros and some first timers to ease into the Letterheads spirit in a way they felt comfortable with.And Ive already received questions about when and where the 2025 edition of Burds will be held! Who wants to take it on?Report: Tozer Signs / @tozersignsPhotography: Siddiqui Media / @siddiqui_mediaPaints, Burds, and vibes.The Scottish Burds unveiled the movement's new banner; definitely not no frills."We rise by lifting others."Host with the most: Tozer Signs.More LetterheadsBLAG 03This issue, available in the BLAG shop, has Rachel E Millar's article reflecting on the first ever Burds of the Brush event in Glasgow.Future Meet Listings