Our Picks View details $20 at Nuunlife View details View details $25 at Liquid IV View details View details $21 at Amazon View details View details $9 at Walmart View details Table of Contents I'm a certified personal trainer with plenty of sports nutrition education, and even I've always found sports drinks hard to figure out. Most sports drinks boast unique benefits, setting them apart from the competition. So how do you see through all the marketing to pick the best one for you?To help you pick the best sports drink, I've combined my own knowledge with input from other fitness professionals. I analyzed over 50 ingredient lists to determine which sports drinks are best for particular goals and types of training. And I've combined all of that research into this guide to help identify the best sports drinks for rapid hydration, endurance training, CrossFit, weight loss and an all-natural diet. Black Friday Live Blog CNETs shopping experts are working nonstop to find every deal worth sharing in our week long, constantly updating guide. See now Sports drinks can be a healthy hydration alternative to water, if you know what you're looking for. Getty ImagesIn recent years, smaller beverage companies and startups have gained popularity with their sports drinks, which are often targeted at niche activities and different types of exercisers, like runners or CrossFit enthusiasts.So, while Gatorade is still a popular pick, there are lots of other options out there these days. Whether you've just had an intense exercise session at the gym or need to rehydrate after sweating it out on the trail, we've found the best sports drinks that come in all flavors and forms to replenish electrolytes. $20 at Nuunlife $20 at Nuunlife Personal trainer and fitness studio owner Holly RosersaysNuun is the perfect sports drink for hydration and energy. "Made with just electrolytes and caffeine, these small tablets are easy to pop into your water and turn it into a fizzy drink," she says, adding that they're great for morning runs because of the caffeine content.Nuun's entire line of products promise to help you push through grueling workouts, but Nuun Endurance is specifically formulated to support you during a sweat session for 90 minutes or more. It's widely used by marathoners, triathletes and other long-distance exercisers, professionally and recreationally.Each tablet contains 15 grams of sugar, 380 milligrams of sodium and 200 milligrams of potassium, as well as chloride, magnesium and calcium. Together, these ingredients prevent cramps and keep your muscles moving for long workouts. I used Nuun Endurance while training for long-distance races and it hasn't let me down yet. I typically used it only for runs 8 miles or longer, but I've also popped a tablet when I felt I'd need an energy boost for a shorter run. Photo Gallery 1/1 $25 at Liquid IV Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier Best sports drink for CrossFit $25 at Liquid IV Let's do a little math here: What do you get when you have a warehouse gym, subtract air conditioning, add summer temperatures and multiply by one of the most intense fitness regimens around. The answer: sweat. Lots of sweat.Lots of sweat means lots of lost electrolytes, and Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier says it can help replace what you lose through sweat. According to Liquid I.V., one packet of Hydration Multiplier powder is equivalent to drinking three bottles of water because of something called Cellular Transport Technology -- I don't necessarily doubt the claim, but take it with a grain of salt.That said, the formula for Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier is rooted in a medical therapy developed by the World Health Organization called oral rehydration salts.Hydration Multiplier is not a medical therapy, but as it's based closely on a hydration solution used by major health agencies for decades, I'm confident it can replenish even the sweatiest of CrossFitters.According to Liquid I.V., salt, sugar, potassium, vitamin C, multiple B vitamins and, of course, water, come together in just the right amounts to deliver nutrients to your bloodstream faster than water alone. It's also gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO and vegan. Photo Gallery 1/1 Read more: How to make running on a treadmill more fun $21 at Amazon Ultima Replenisher Best sports drink for losing weight $21 at Amazon Lipsa Shah, a certified personal trainer and yoga teacher, recommends Ultima Replenisher as a sports drink for those looking to lose weight because it's sugar-free and zero-calorie."I turn to Ultima when I have a long day of teaching hot yoga in a 100-plus degree room and personal training," Shah says. "Electrolytes are essential for muscle functioning and keeping you performing your best and [Ultima] gives you that without the calories."Ultima Replenisher has no sugar or artificial sweeteners -- it's sweetened with stevia -- and the first ingredient listed on the powder packets is magnesium citrate, which is a good indicator that this product is high-quality. Magnesium is one of the electrolytes lost through sweat; that it's the first ingredient on the list means it is the most prevalent ingredient by volume in Ultima Replenisher.Ultima powder also contains calcium, zinc, manganese, chloride, potassium, sodium and phosphorous -- all essential nutrients that need replenishing after a good sweat. Photo Gallery 1/1 $9 at Walmart Harmless Harvest Coconut Water Best all-natural sports drink $9 at Walmart We're getting super natural here. No, not supernatural -- super natural, as in the most natural beverage you could possibly drink while exercising and at the same level as water.Finding an all-natural sports drink is tough, because most are chock-full of artificial sweeteners, colorings and flavors. Even the sports drinks that don't have any of that are still made in factories or labs and infused with minerals that might not be as bioavailable as those found in natural products.Shah recommends Harmless Harvest Coconut Water to those looking for a truly natural alternative. While it's not explicitly marketed as a sports drink, Harmless Harvest Coconut Water has the ingredients you should look for in a sports drink: sugar, sodium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. The only actual ingredient on the bottle, though, is organic coconut water. Coconut contains all of those minerals without the need for fortification."It has all the electrolytes your body needs without any of the artificial ingredients," says Shah, who tries to stay away from processed foods and beverages as much as possible. "Not only is coconut water hydrating, it helps your muscles and reduces soreness, and coconut water has been better than most energy drinks I've tried in the past." Photo Gallery 1/1

OpinionNovember 26, 20244 min readHow the Return of Salmon to the Klamath River Shows Us Whats Possible in Wildlife ConservationOnce a tragic example of degraded wildlife habitat, the Klamath Rivers dam removal demonstrates how people can halt the decline of, and even restore, wildlifeBy Jeff OppermanThe removal of the earthen Iron Gate Dam at the Klamath River in its final phase on August 14, 2024 in Hornbrook, California. Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesImagine standing on a riverbank as thousands of dead salmon float past, belly-up and rotting in the hot California air. That's the sightand smellthat greeted people along the Klamath River in September 2002, when 35,000 fish perished there in the span of a few days. They were victims of warm water temperatures and low river levels, both caused by dams and diversions that altered the rivers flow.This dramatic loss isnt unique: according to Octobers 2024 Living Planet Report, of which I was a co-author, wildlife populations monitored around the world have declined on average by 73 percent in just the last half century. Freshwater species like salmon have suffered even greater losses. Farming and development, like dams, in natural habitats have driven these declines.But the Klamath story continues to be written. Just a little over two decades on from the massive fish kill, the Klamath became the site of the largest dam removal project in history. Since removal of the lower four dams on the river was completed last month, salmon have surged upstream to parts of the river where they havent been seen for more than a century. On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.No longer is the Klamath River a tragic example of the global nature crisis; instead, its restoration serves as an inspiring story of how people can work together to repair wildlife habitats. This huge turnaround was made possible through collaboration and unwavering commitmentespecially by the regions Indigenous people. It is an example we can learn from and start replicating across the world.The scale of that global need for restoration is daunting. The alarming results in the Living Planet Report are derived from the Living Planet Index (LPI), a set of statistics developed by the Zoological Society of London. The LPI provides a broad view of wildlife health across the planet, drawing on data from nearly 35,000 populations of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles and amphibians, across more than 5,000 species. It can also be used to track specific groups, such as migratory fishfrom tiny gobies to giant catfishwhich have experienced a staggering 81 percent decline since 1970.Haltingand then reversingthe alarming downward trends in fish and other wildlife populations will require major shifts in how we produce energy and food, and how we implement conservation. The Klamath shows that those shifts are within reach.Biologists capture juvenile Coho salmon, Chinook salmon and steelhead trout in Wooley Creek, a tributary to the Salmon River which is one of the largest tributaries to the Klamath River on August 15, 2024. The Coho and Chinook are tagged with a monitoring device and also fin clipped for a genetic study.Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesThe Klamath was once the third most productive river for salmon on the west coast of the United States. Its migratory fish were the primary foodand central to the cultureof the Karuk, Yurok, Klamath and other tribes. But, beginning in the 1920s, four hydropower dams were built on the river, blocking salmon from swimming upstream to spawn and limiting them to a reduced stretch of the river. The expansion of irrigated farming further stressed the salmon through reduced flows and high water temperaturesthe factors that caused the 2002 fish killand the runoff of chemicals and nutrients.But from that low point, the opening for recovery emerged. At the heart of the Klamaths stunning turnaround was the unwavering dedication of the tribes to restore their salmon. Their long-neglected legal rights, cultural commitment, and steadfast efforts made river restoration possible. Collectively, their breakthroughs demonstrate that implementing conservation at the scale necessary to restore wildlife will require a diversity of both leadership and strategy.A man rides past an "Undam the Klamath" mural on the Orleans Market on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023 in Orleans, CA.Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesFirst, regulators, conservation groups and tribes negotiated agreements with farmers to reduce agricultural runoff, improve water quality, and balance irrigation demands with water levels in the basins lakes and wetlands. That led to the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, signed in 2010. That agreement also set the stage for removal of the four hydropower dams, an outcome the tribes had been pursuing for decades.Another catalyst for removal was the legal requirement that the owner of the dams, PacifiCorp, renew the dams licenses, which were set to expire in 2006. In the U.S., hydropower project owners must periodically apply for new licenses through a process that considers options for reducing the projects social and environmental impacts. For the Klamath dams, regulatory agencies recommended that license renewal would require the addition of fish ladders to allow salmon to swim above the dams construction projects that would have been prohibitively expensive. Ultimately PacifiCorp signed a settlement agreement with the tribes, agencies and conservation groups to remove the four dams, which started late last year.The removal of four hydroelectric dams may seem like a major loss of renewable energy. Thanks to Californias rapid expansion of wind and solar energy generation projects, however, the loss of the Klamath damswhich provided just 2 percent of PacifiCorps generation capacitywill be offset many times over. In fact, Californias new renewable capacity added during the dam removal process will be nearly 20 times greater than that of the Klamath dams.Restoration of the Klamath clearly demonstrates the potential for leadership and resource management by Indigenous peoplewhose lands encompass 40 percent of the worlds remaining natural areasand whose efforts will be central to effective conservation in the 21st century.Further, restoration was only possible through a diverse set of strategies. For centuries, nature conservation has been synonymous with setting aside large tracts of land in national parks or wildlife refuges. The Klamath Basin encompasses six national wildlife refuges, two national parks, and wilderness areasand approximately two thirds of the basin is in public land, mostly national forests. And yet the salmonone of the basins most important environmental and cultural resourcesstill found themselves on the ropes. Restoring that resource required agreements on water use, agricultural management and dam removal to restore river connectivity.Just such examples are sorely needed. In November representatives from 196 countries wrapped up the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Colombia and, while some important agreements were reached, much of the work of setting targets and designing strategies for conserving and restoring nature remains to be done. Reversing the losses of wildlife worldwide will require a diverse set of strategies. Protected areas will remain important, but so will transformations in how we produce energy and food and implement conservation. And while transformation may sound daunting, the Klamaths remarkable turnaround demonstrates that the recovery of nature remains in reach.This is an opinion and analysis article, and the views expressed by the author or authors are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

November 26, 202410 min readSearching for Underwater Treasure with Magnet FishersWith the help of a powerful rare-earth alloy, magnet fishers pull garbage out of polluted waterwaysBy Ben GuarinoFour magnet fishers pull in their lines from the harbor in Baltimore, Maryland. Haldan Kirsch/Getty ImagesMagnet fisher James Kane cradles a shiny, four-pound magnetic disk: a stainless-steel shell housing an alloy of iron, neodymium and boron. He hucks it into a lake in a public park in New York City, then tugs it slowly toward shore with a sturdy synthetic rope. As the powerful magnet bump bump bumps along the bottom, it kicks up a line of bubblesand then suddenly theres a heavy drag, as if the lake bed has turned to taffy. The magnet is stuck to something. Filmed by his partner Barbi Agostini, Kane hoists their dripping catch: a thick iron rod called a sash weight, a counterbalance used to open heavy windows a century ago.Over the next few hours on this October afternoon, Kane and Agostini also pull in a 20-year-old flip phone, a signpost, fishing hooks and lures, pliers, bottle caps, batteries and an iPhone 6. They give the smartphone to a girl whos nearby with her friends, fishing for bluegills. If it works, Im going to be so happy! she says. Then she sniffs the phone and wrinkles her nose. It smells.To magnet fish is to plumb unseen depths for sunken treasure, but it also means getting acquainted with the stinky, the scummy and the bizarre. Agostinis magnet once clanked onto the lid of a mason jar, inside which floated a dead tarantula in purple liquid. A particularly exciting catch can bring headlinesor the police. The American zeal for guns has sown firearms below the waterline, and magnet fishers harvest them with regularity. Agostini and Kane have found pistols, shotgun parts, Revolutionary Warera grapeshot and modern ammo clips. The two magnet fishers call the police whenever they find a gun, and they do so often enough that some officers recognize them. Last year Kane pulled an inert hand grenade out of New York Citys East River, summoning the police departments bomb squad to a posh waterfront block in Queens. But the pairs most notable catchand probably the most famous thing ever found by U.S. magnet fishers, which Kane says has earned them a mention in an upcoming volume of Ripleys Believe It or Not!was a safe containing stacks of waterlogged cash, pulled from a river this past May.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.The $100 bills were so degraded that Agostini and Kane dont yet know precisely how much they found, but based on the stacks thickness, they estimate the total was $50,000 to $80,000. As soon as they could do so after the catch, they took a Megabus to Washington, D.C., to hand deliver the money to the Mutilated Currency Division at the federal Bureau of Engraving and Printing. There it will be counted and eventually paid out to the pair, though processing might take a few yearsKane says theyre in line behind people who had bills blackened by last years deadly wildfires in Hawaii.Agostini and Kane, both age 40, didnt get into this pastime expecting to get rich; mostly they wanted something to do outside during the COVID pandemic. Magnet fishing, alongside baking sourdough bread and solving jigsaw puzzles, took off in the early months of 2020. Magnet fishing was so COVID-friendly. You were forced to distance yourself even if you bumped into a fellow hobbyist outdoors, says Pittsburgh-based archeologist Ben Demchak, who sells specialized magnets through his company, Kratos Magnetics. Magnet fishers, he explains, need to give each other a wide berth in the field; their powerful lures tend toward mutual attraction.Non-working revolvers found by James Kane and Barbi Agostini atop an old safe.James Kane and Barbi AgostiniSocial media algorithms boosted the hobby, too. Reddit has a magnet fishing forum with nearly 220,000 members. On YouTube, channels such as Kane and Agostinis Lets Get Magnetic emphasize the thrills, editing out hours of dragging and dipping for the moment a precious or peculiar item is yanked out of dark water. But magnet fishers say that what has lasting appeal, and makes up the bulk of their time, is taking trash out of the environment. Its a good thing to do. Youre cleaning up the water. Its an amazing feeling, says Colt Busch, a magnet fisher in Maine, who recently discovered an antique Coca-Cola bottle, intact but empty, embedded in a clump of metal scraps.Magnet fishers dont always get a warm reception. Walking near the lakeside after their latest catch, Kane and Agostini are approached by a member of a nonprofit group that partners with the city to help maintain the park. She tells them magnet fishing isnt permitted here. She adds that she hasnt called the policeat least, not this time.Neodymiums Mighty PullNo one would be able to fish with neodymium magnets at all if it werent for metallurgist John Croat and engineer Masato Sagawa. In the early 1980s Croat, then at the General Motors Research Laboratories, and Sagawa, then at the Sumitomo Special Metals Corporation, were both searching for alternatives to cobalt and samarium magnets, which are powerful but expensive. Independently and almost simultaneously, Sagawa and Croat identified the sameintermetallic compound, which is a substance with a fixed ratio of elements: in this case, two atoms of the rare earth element neodymium to 14 iron atoms to one boron atom. That didnt exist yet, Croat says. The discovery of that intermetallic compound is the invention. You cant trip over a rock with the chemical composition Nd2Fe14B. Such magnets must be created artificially, through sintering or bonding. In what Croat describes as a shock, each happened to announce their discovery at the same conference in Pittsburgh in November 1983. Then they changed the world.Neodymium magnets werent simply more affordable. They were strong enough to enable miniaturized computer hard drives and tinier, mightier electric motors. Wind turbine cores have neodymium magnets to efficiently turn kinetic energy into electricity. They are also key components of headphones and speakers, and they remain the most popular rare-earth magnets sold commercially. I dont think they will ever come up with a better magnet, Croat says.Neodymium magnets, despite their name, are mostly iron. Such magnets contain regions where all the electrons are lined up like soldiers on parade, all facing in the same direction, says Andrea Sella, a professor of chemistry at University College London. In neodymium magnets and other permanent magnetswhich dont require electric currents or other external help to stay magneticmultiple layers of these aligned electrons stack up. The result can be imagined as a pattern like three-dimensional wallpaper. Sella likens the structure to a series of unending nightmares. Every time you move a certain distance, oh, my God, youre back where you started, he says. The neodymium, even in a relatively tiny amount, helps pin the iron atoms in place in this repetitive crystalline lattice.Magnetism is really a reflection at a macroscopic scale of the quantum phenomenon called spin, Sella says. This property is often described in terms of an atoms nucleus or its particles spinning about an axis. But thats a fairly crude mental picture, he says. The reality is that spin represents something about the fundamental nature of the particle.As a quantum phenomenon, magnetism might seem ethereal. But it can quickly become much less so when handling actual neodymium magnets: Agostini says she once found herself stuck to a subway seat, held fast by a magnet in her backpack. If two neodymium magnets get too close, they can slam together, crushing a wayward finger in a painful metallic sandwich. When two of them accidentally bump each other, Kane strains to separate them, like hes breaking apart the worlds most frustrating KitKat bar.Stores like Demchaks sell neodymium magnets according to their shape and pull force, measured in the thousands of pounds. A 360, for instance, is a solid magnet housed in a metal cylinder. To comply with the regulations for shipping these objects by air, Demchak nests them in boxes of foam to buffer the magnetic fields. Shipping magnets in the U.S. by ground doesnt have such restrictions, he says, although he now packs those parcels carefully, too. He learned his lesson after selling his first 360which never made it to the customer. It probably got stuck somewhere in a mail processing plant, he says. Or maybe its still out there, clamped to the belly of a delivery truck.Deep Cleaning?Once the Bureau of Engraving and Printing sends them the funds from the mutilated cash, Agostini and Kane say they want to use the money toward a down payment to move out of New York City. Agostini would like to buy a place with enough space to raise chickens, dogs and goats. She loves animals, she says, and considers magnet fishing to be an extension of this because it helps clear pollution from their habitat.If you really talk to magnet fishers, you can tell they have a sense of pride about ittheyre cleaning up the waterways, Demchak says. For example, he notes that magnet fishers recently helped pull hundreds of electric scooters out of a river that runs through the campus at Michigan State University. Busch says he has caught more than 140 bicycles since he began magnet fishing. And theres plenty more trash to collect. As much as I clean up the water, Busch says, I feel like theres three times as much junk left to pull up.If there have been comprehensive scientific reports on the environmental impact of magnet fishing, they arent in any mainstream databases. Only a handful of studies even reference the hobby, such as a 2024 analysis in the journal Hydrobiologia of Hungarian magnet fishers social media posts that evaluated how much discarded fishing gear had been recovered since 2016. Photographs and videos posted online showed that magnet fishers pulled in more than 2,000 pieces of gear, including rods, reels, hooks and other items, from Hungarys waterways.Its helpful when magnet fishers remove sharp bits of metal, which can be physical hazards to swimmers and wildlife, points out Timothy Hoellein, an aquatic ecologist at Loyola University Chicago, who studies trash in freshwater environments. Electronic devices and batteries also contain heavy metals, such as cadmium and mercury, plus other chemicals that are potentially toxic to microorganisms, or invertebrates, or fish or people, he says. Dull iron is not a particular danger to anything, though, he says; soils already contain natural iron and rust.Various objects found by magnet fishers including jewelry, coins and an old beer can.James Kane and Barbi AgostiniBut lake beds can host things worse than rust. Toxic chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, can stick to charged particles in sediments. Fine silts and clays also retain pollutants such as microplastics and particles from nuclear fallout, as well as nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorous, which can harm ecosystems if concentrations are too high. Releasing these trapped materials presents a possible downside to magnet fishing. Any practice that could disturb the sediment at the bottom of a lake, especially an urban or periurban lake, has the potential to resuspend this sedimentand any associated pollutantback into the water column, says Phil Owens, an environmental sciences professor at the University of Northern British Columbia. Whether magnet fishing has a net positive or net negative effect on lakes and ponds could depend on the individual body of water, its surroundings and the intensity of magnet fishing activity.Hoellein hypothesizes that such disturbances are minor relative to magnet fishings potential benefits. There could be some sediments with industrial chemicals or other pollutants that are released back into the water through magnet fishing, but I dont know if it would be that different than a major storm coming through and agitating a lake floor, he says.Plus, magnet fishing dredges up an additional perk: it gets people outdoors, where they can enjoy often-overlooked waterways. A few urban bodies of water are shunned for a good reason, thoughthe Environmental Protection Agency says New York Citys sludgy Gowanus Canal is one of the most contaminated water bodies in the U.S. (Kane would love to magnet fish there but says he hasnt because the canal water is very bad for your health if you get it in your facial area.) But many other aquatic areas in cities are unfairly dismissed as too dangerous or unpleasant to be around, Hoellein says. Or theyre treated as junkyards. Thats a counterproductive attitude, he says, especially in places where we also drink from that same water. He welcomes anyone who wants to contribute, in their own style and with the time they have, to fixing the problem of environmental trash. For some people, thats magnet fishing, Hoellein adds.Know before You ThrowAt the shore, the magnet fishers and the nonprofit staffer reach a dtente; the discussion turns to a mutual appreciation for local history. Later, privately, Kane insists he has played by the book: he has a fishing license and a metal-detecting license, and this lake is in a public park.Magnet fishing is permitted in publicly accessible places in the U.S. But it might also be subject to local rules and regulations. Although magnet fishing is not specifically mentioned by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation in its publicly listed regulations, using magnets to retrieve sunken metal objects can have negative impacts on local wildlife and is against [Parks] rules in any bodies of water under Parks jurisdiction, wrote a spokesperson for the department in an e-mail to Scientific American. The spokesperson added that the applicable rule is Section 1-04(b)(1)(iii), which prohibits disturbing vegetation.Demchaks rule of thumb is that if you could fish with a fishing pole, for the most part, you can magnet fish. Certain historic sites, however, can be off-limits to magnet fishers. In fact, fearing the destruction of delicate submerged artifacts, South Carolina has outlawed magnet fishing under the states Underwater Antiquities Act. Its the only U.S. state to have made the hobby illegal in public areas.If you ever decide to toss a magnet into a lake (where legal), Kane and Agostini offer a few pointers: Be up-to-date on your tetanus shots. Bring a first aid kit for scrapes and pokes and a large bucket for the garbage you will inevitably find. Dispose of that junk properly or sell it to a scrapyard. Wear thick, protective gloves and clothes you dont mind getting muddy. And look out for the clickthe haptic sensation that travels up a rope when a magnet has stuck to something hard and hollow, such as a safe. Itll probably be trash, but then again, you wont know until you pull it out of the water. We still get excited, Agostini says, because its a mystery every time.

The Witcher 4 has entered "full-scale production", CD Projekt confirmsThe "most intensive phase of development".Image credit: CD Projekt Red News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on Nov. 26, 2024 The Witcher 4 - AKA Project Polaris AKA "the first instalment in the new Witcher saga", as it continues to be referred to in lieu of a publicly announced name - is another step closer to release, with CD Projekt confirming its development has shifted to "full-scale production"."I'm proud to confirm that several weeks ago the Polaris team wrapped up preproduction and moved on to full-scale production the most intensive phase of development," joint CEO Michał Nowakowski wrote in a statement accompanying its Q3 2024 earnings report. "We are very pleased with our progress on this project, and I wish to thank the team for its dedication."Nowakowski's update follows a progress report in August anticipating Project Polaris' full production phase would start "soon", and CD Projekt's confirmation that milestone has now been reached was celebrated on social media by Polaris game director Sebastian Kalemba. "With new challenges just around the corner," he wrote, "it's the talented and hard-working people who make me believe we can together make the upcoming Witcher Saga a remarkable experience. No stopping now! Stay tuned for what's on the other side of the coin!"Digital Foundry revisits The Witcher 3's next-gen update.Watch on YouTubeIt has, of course, been a little over two and half years since CD Projekt revealed development on the next game in The Witcher series had begun, but the project still remains a bit of an enigma. About all we know so far, beyond whatever speculation can be eked out of the single bit of tantalising promo art shared alongside Polaris' announcement, is that it "won't focus" on Geralt of Rivia. That bit of news was shared by Geralt actor Doug Cockle earlier this year, although he did at least confirm the character would be a "part of" the new game.Alongside CD Projekt's Witcher news, the studio has provided updated sales figures for some of its older titles, confirming Cyberpunk 2077 has now surpassed 30m copies sold. That's 5m more than the company had shifted last October, with the well-recieved Phantom Liberty expansion also selling a further 5m copies in the same timeframe, bringing its total sales up to 8m. "These are impressive figures," Nowakowski added. "I'm very happy to see a large, dedicated community coalesce around our Cyberpunk games."Additionally, CD Projekt has reiterated, as per a teaser in September, it'll be following the success of 2022's acclaimed Cyberpunk: Edgerunners with a brand-new Netflix animated series set in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe, although no further information has been revealed.CD Projekt previously announced Cyberpunk 2077 is launching for Mac next year, but one thing the game won't be getting is any kind of update for PS5 Pro.

Beautifully animated, wonderfully voiced and witty to boot, Loco Motive ticks a lot of right boxes for point and click likers. If only its underlying mystery wasn't quite so sidelined and predictable.Loco Motive is one of those games that's very easy to enjoy and feel like you're having a jolly good time while you're playing it. A point and click adventure in the vein of old LucasArts games, this is a funny and exquisitely animated romp across a 1930s Orient Express-alike that delights at almost every turn. It's a murder mystery at its core, albeit one that isn't afraid to laugh at its own expense and employ the same kind of daft puzzle logic as Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle did before it. There are so many things I like about it, so why did I feel increasingly indifferent to it by the time I hit the end credits?Loco Motive reviewDeveloper: Robust GamesPublisher: ChucklefishPlatform: Played on PC and Steam DeckAvailability: Out now on PC (Steam, GOG) and Nintendo SwitchI suspect that part of this is down to its underlying mystery, which mostly boils down to a fairly rudimentary will dispute, a little bit of tax fraud and not a lot else. Inheritance squabbles aren't the most scintillating of subjects at the best of times, and there's only so much comedic mileage that developer Robust Games manages to get out of jokes about tax evasion and predictably empty coffers (though to its credit, what it does manage to eke out of this rather dry subject matter is routinely very good and got more than a couple of smiles from me). More broadly, though, it's also the kind of setup that just makes it easy to predict who its major villains and suspects are going to be. Train puns aside, there is nothing 'loco' about anyone's motives here, and when the big reveal does finally come, it's the kind of inevitable shoulder shrug you saw coming a mile off in the middle of act two.Watch on YouTubeIt's a shame, especially when Loco Motive gets off to such a strong start. Set in and around the murder of the moneyed Lady Unterwald - who's mysteriously dropped dead during the reading of her own much anticipated and constantly updated will aboard a steam-powered express train - you first take control of her paperwork-loving estate lawyer Arthur Ackerman. As this bumbling giant with a heart of gold gets thrust into the role of a makeshift detective, he makes for a very affable lead as you get to grips with the game's item-based puzzles. Character dialogue does a good job of signposting potential puzzle solutions, though some solutions are still a bit more leftfield than you might imagine. | Image credit: Eurogamer/ChucklefishIn that classic adventure game mould, Loco Motive is all about applying the correct-shaped item to any given problem, grabbing and occasionally combining items from your Tardis-like jacket pocket to create new and increasingly silly gadgetry to get round the issue at hand. Most solutions are fairly self-evident, though some definitely stray into that 'one leap of logic too far' bucket that will have you tearing your hair out or repeatedly rushing toward the onboard tips phone to help you make those missing connections. Certain puzzle objects can come from all sorts of unlikely places, too, calling for careful interrogation of your environment to root out exactly what you need from it. Point and click games are generally best suited to mouse and keyboard controls, but I started Loco Motive on my Steam Deck before switching to desktop and it was a fantastic game pad / controller experience. | Image credit: Eurogamer/ChucklefishIndeed, with some items or information nuggets often lying behind several nested lines of dialogue, Loco Motive uses this opportunity to put its witty script front and centre. The genuinely funny writing does a lot of heavy lifting here, elevating its cast so they feel like they've all been plucked straight from the pages of an Agatha Christie novel. Ranging from snarky wealthy widows and idiot sons to sleazeball con artists, crafty accountants and overly stressed chefs to name just a few of the passengers you'll be rubbing shoulders with here, nearly every single character in Loco Motive works extremely hard to keep you entertained. Every line is beautifully voiced, with even the most minor characters receiving characterful and endearing performances from their respective voice actors - though after a couple of hours of thorough excavation, the appeal of such verbose flavour text definitely started to wear a bit thin for me. I quickly stopped seeking out those extra lines, keeping my enquiries to the topic at hand rather than choosing to spend more time in their company.The construction of the game's individual puzzle arcs is almost too neat for its own good as well. The emphasis for solving them is always squarely focused on how items and events relate to the next link in the ongoing puzzle chain, not with the hows and whys of who actually dunnit. The murder itself ends up getting pushed into the background as a result, which is perhaps why the eventual climax falls so flat. Your motivation for helping these characters is never really in the service of finding Lady Unterwald's killer, but simply to see what the next funny puzzle solution might be. What's more, Loco Motive has an increasingly bad habit of wrapping up a character's storyline as soon as their puzzle arc has been completed, effectively ruling them out as potential suspects and thereby narrowing its potential murder pool even further. Sandwiched between affable Arthur and the energetic can-do attitude of Diana, wet blanket Herman comes across as a pretty bad hang by comparison. | Image credit: Eurogamer/ChucklefishLoco Motive accessibility optionsDedicated sliders for master, music, sound effects, ambient and voice volume. Dyslexic font option. Options to adjust the speed, size and background colour of subtitles. Size options for hover text, and dialogue choice text. Options to tweak camera sway and distortion effects. Hold/toggle options for hotspot visibility.There's a pretty good attempt at playing about with the overarching timeline of the murder to add in fresh details and layers of intrigue, as once Arthur's story is wrapped up, the torch is passed to not one, but two additional protagonists. First up is the rather more tiresome detective novelist Herman Merman, whose grating cries of "No!" and "That doesn't work!" with each incorrect puzzle attempt make him an infinitely worse hang by comparison. His storyline sheds fresh light on events leading up to Lady Unterwald's murder, but once again the game does such a good job with typing up any loose plot threads it introduces here that there's barely anything left for its third and final protagonist - Inland Revenue secret agent Diana Osterhagen - to actually investigate. Indeed, her story arc feels particularly truncated compared to her male counterparts, which is disappointing when she's so much more fun to hang out with than the interminable Herman. Developer Robust Games wring a huge amount of characterful detail out of its chunky pixel art - screenshots don't do it justice. | Image credit: Eurogamer/ChucklefishBut even though Diana's act is perhaps a little rushed on its own, Loco Motive does just about manage to pull it back for a great final puzzle finale that makes excellent use of all three protagonists. Again, though, it's the cerebral set pieces that stick in the memory here rather than the nuts and bolts of the main mystery, which for some may well be enough. For me, it's that tight marriage between plot and puzzles that makes for a truly great detective game in my books, and Loco Motive just never quite strikes the right balance. It's a perfectly enjoyable way to spend six to eight hours, but after the thrilling ingenuity of more recent murder mystery games, such as The Rise of the Golden Idol, Loco Motive ultimately feels a bit flat by comparison. All that said, I'm dying to see what Robust Games end up doing next, as this studio has a clear passion for point and click games, and it's already nailed the sense of humour that really makes them sing. If it can join up those dots to a meatier kind of mystery story, I suspect their next game could be absolutely killer.A copy of Loco Motive was provided for review by publisher Chucklefish.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereFortnite Chapter 2 Remix is almost over and players are all set to launch into the next Chapter 6 Season 1: Hunters which will bring ancient legends like Godzilla to the island. However before the new season arrives, Epic is bringing fans a concert experience like no other on the Battle Royale island in the form of a Remix Finale live event.The event is said to feature performances by Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Ice Spice, and Juice WRLD as massive avatars roaming around the island, similar to what happened during the Travis Scott concert in Chapter 2 Season 2. Often times in Fortnite whenever a live event of this magnitude is hosted, players often face issues in queueing into lobbies and tend to miss the event altogether. However, Epic has now found a solution and vows to fix the problem in the upcoming event.Fortnite Remix Finale announced to have a second show after the live eventFinally, on November 30, 2024, at 2 PM ET, Remix: The Finale will dominate Fortnites Battle Royale Island, closing out Chapter 2 Remix. Among the new singles set to be performed during the event are Another Part Of Me (feat. Sting) by Snoop Dogg and Empty Out Your Pockets by Juice WRLD, which will be a global premiere.Remix Finale will have a second show after the main live event ends. Image by Epic Games.Epic has suggested players to log into Fortnite early on November 30 to beat the queue, and join Remix: The Finale from the Homebar in Discover (the top row) to watch the show when it starts at 2 PM ET.However, the big news here is that they intend to run an encore of the performance later in the day on November 30 assuming no technical issues arise. A similar format was followed with Travis Scotts Astronomical which featured three additional shows after the main event concluded to accommodate players across different regions.While the timings for the second show havent been revealed, its worth checking out Fortnites social accounts and in-game messages after the first show ends for more details. Well also update this section once more info is out. FortnitePlatform(s):Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter9VideoGamerSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide November is always an exciting month for gamers thanks to huge discounts as part of Black Friday tradition. Sony has already begun their offerings, and Valve isnt too far behind for Steam. The Steam Autumn Sale 2024 start date and time countdown is nearly over, and its a sale that runs through both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. While Valves price slashes are yet to begin, Sonys PSN store Black Friday offerings have already begun. If you own a PS4 or PS5, then now is your best and most cost-effective time to resubscribe to PS Plus if youre not already a member. As for Steam, the Autumn Sale 2024 is scheduled to start very soon, and it will be a great opportunity for PC gamers to buy some excellent titles at affordable discounts. Steam Autumn Sale 2024 start dateTheSteam Autumn Sale 2024 start date is November 27th. This is confirmed over on SteamDB, and its Valves penultimate sale of 2024 before this years Winter bargains. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are both part of the Autumn event rather than having individual sales. The Autumn Sale will last until December 4th, so you will only have a week to take advantage of the discounts offered on Valves platform. When does the Steam Autumn Sale 2024 start? The Steam Autumn Sale 2024 start time is 10AM PT/1PM ET/6PM GMT on November 27th. Again, this is confirmed by the countdown on SteamDB. Unfortunately, no list of games has been revealed before the event begins. However, there should be dozens of great games included from throughout the year. Its possible there could be slight cuts to recent releases such as the Silent Hill 2 Remake and Metaphor ReFantazio as they currently have discounts on the PSN store as part of Sonys Black Friday. Start time US 10AM PT on Wednesday, November 27th 1PM ET on Wednesday, November 27th Start time UK 6PM GMT on Wednesday, November 27th Countdown Below is a visual countdown to when the sale will start: When is the next Steam sale Below are Valves next set of events confirmed up until July 2025: Winter Sale 2024 Dec 19th Jan 2nd Real-Time Strategy Fest Jan 20th 27th Idler Fest Feb 3rd 10th Couch Co-Op Fest Feb 10th 17th Next Fest February 2025 Feb 24th Mar 3rd Visual Novel Fest Mar 3rd 10th Spring Sale 2025 Mar 13th 20th City Builder and Colony Sim Fest Mar 24th 31stSokoban Fest Apr 21st 28th Wargames Fest Apr 28th May 5th Creature Collector Fest May 12th 19th Zombies vs Vampires Fest May 26th June 2nd Next Fest June 2025 Jun 9th 16th Fishing Fest Jun 16th 23rdSummer Sale 2025 Jun 26th Jul 10th In other gaming news, Helldivers 2 files added in a new Steam update suggest the Illuminate are on the way, meanwhile, the Dishonored director has criticized bad reviews for Stalker 2. Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

Home Accent Black Friday DealsSsenses Black Friday sale section is well-stocked with hard-to-find and handmade decor. Think vintage-inspired amber glass, bold mirrors, and colorful objets dart at up to 50% off.Houseplant Strut LampMENU Orange Large chasse BowlAudo Copenhagen Polished Brass Nimbus MirrorForma Rosa Studio Wave Form VaseKitchen and Tabletop Black Friday DealsThe tabletop is where Ssenses Everything Else section really shines. The retailer offers classic (and very giftable) kitchen gadgets and appliances from brands like Smeg, Fellow, and Alessi, but also more experimental hand-crafted ceramics, flatware, and fine Italian glassware.Sophie Lou Jacobsen Teal Wave PitcherNatalia Criado Gold Stone Cutlery SetSmeg Retro-Style 2-Slice ToasterSoft Good Black Friday DealsWhether youre looking to refresh your bedding, stock up on new bath towels, or find a new throw blanket for the couch, there are a wide range of soft and cozy options to wrap yourself in this winter.Studio Variously Treacle ThrowTekla Pure New Wool BlanketSUNNEI Green Striped BlanketTekla Green Linen Table ClothFurniture Black Friday DealsCovetable clothes and smaller decor pieces make up the bulk of Ssenses stock, but the site also sells a few larger furniture pieces from innovative brands like Muuto and Ann Demeulemeester, alongside classics like Herman Miller and Vitra.Temporary.Company The Flatpack Jeanneret ChairFerm Living Travertine Side TableVitra Panton Junior ChairPolspotten Twister Side TableHerman Miller Fully Upholstered Eames Molded Plastic Side ChairAccessories and Loungewear Black Friday DealsGifting season should be top of mind when browsing the womenswear and menswear side of the Ssense Black Friday sale this time of year.Sporty & Rich French Lounge PantsSleeper White Party Pyjama SetOTTI Pink Drawstring HoodieTekla Original BathrobeCandle Black Friday DealsThe candle sales at Ssense are pages and pages worth of scrolling fodder. The retailer offers a number of scented candles from favorite brands like DS & Durga and Maison Louis Marie, along with smaller and up-and-coming brands.Soft-Geometry Tall Gola CandleClment Boutillon Candle & Candle Holder SetD.S. & Durga Lightable Latkes CandleMaison Louis Marie No.08 La Petite Louise Candle

Article: Save up to 40% on a selection of Articles best and brightest new furniture finds, from swanky new couches to sleek tables and chairs. See our list of the best deals from the sale right here.Burrow: Just imagine how much cozier your holiday movie marathons will be on a new couch. Right now, Burrow is offering staggered tiers of savings depending on how much you spend. Take up to $1,000 or more on purchases over $4,000, and up to $300 off for all items under $1,999.Castlery: Take up to $600 off your order when you spend big at Castlerys (early) Black Friday bonanza.Crate & Barrel: Theres up to 30% in markdowns up for grabs at Crate & Barrel, between some enviable tabletop decor to bigger furniture finds (faux burl, anyone)? Read up on our favorite finds from the Crate & Barrel sale here.DWR: Design Within Reach is currently serving up sleek modern furniture and home decor at cant-miss priceswere talking 25% off sitewide. That includes everything from new Herman Miller Eames lounge chairs to Kartell Componibili storage units.Floyd: Floyds Black Friday sale is marking down a glut of its stylish, minimalist furniture. From modular sofas to durable bed frames, get the pieces thatll grow with youand your spaceat prices that wont cost a whole rent check. All sectionals are 40% off and ship out for free, while everything else is 20% off.Pottery Barn: You can take as much as half off at Pottery Barn for Black Friday, and that sounds like a pretty sweet deal to us.Sabai: Snag stylish, sustainable furniture thats as good for the planet (and your bank account) now that items at Sabai are marked down by 40%.Sundays: There are no Sunday Scaries at Sundays Black Friday sale. With up to 40% off sitewide, you can score deep discounts on everything from solid wood dining tables to groovy accent chairs.Wayfair: Yes, you read the sale banner right. Up to 80% savings are already on the table way before the turkey is done, thanks to Wayfair.West Elm: You dont have to wait for Santa to put a woven throw blanket, fluted glassware, or velvet pillow covers under your Christmas tree. Theyre available now at West Elm, and theyre up to 70% off.SleepIf the goal for the new year is to upgrade your sleep, its time to start thinking ahead. Discounts on everything from mattresses to sheets, comforters, and pajamas are plentiful at the moment.Tekla Gingham BlanketParachute Down Duvet InsertBrooklinen Classic Percale Core Sheet SetSerena & Lily Albion Mohair ThrowSaatva Classic MattressBuffy Breeze ComforterAvocado Mattress: Sweet dreams at sweet discounts? Sign us up. Avocados eco-friendly mattresses and sleep accessories are now up to 50% off.

UVPackmaster 3 - new release adding Vulkan acceleration and new tutorial By glukoz on November 27, 2024 Add-ons UVPackmaster 3.3.0 adds a considerable performance boost, and more. Glukoz reports on the changes. Dear Blender community,I am happy to announce a new UVPackmaster 3 release: 3.3.0: Support for the Vulkan API to accelerate packing on AMD Radeon GPUs. Significant performance optimizations for processing heavy UV maps on Linux. Support for Blender 4.3. Option to move the target box together with selected islands inside: https://uvpackmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/Blender/ReleaseNotes/MoveIslandsWithBox.gifGet UVPackmasterWe have also released a new tutorial about a powerful UVPackmaster feature, allowing to combine stacking and packing into a single click operation: Stack Groups. Check it out:The tutorial was created in cooperation with Markom3D.Best regards,UVPackmaster team.