Marvel Rivals mixes the hero shooter genre with the worlds most famous and infamous comic book heroes and villains. Players can take control of the likes of Captain America, Spider-Man, Moon Knight, and more to take on a multiversal threat in this third-person Overwatch-like.Hereswhen Marvel Rivals releases, including a breakdown based on your time zone, and what you need to know about it before launch.Marvel Rivals release time on PC, PS5, and XboxMarvel Rivals will release at 7 p.m. EST on Thursday, Dec. 5 according to a countdown clock on its website. Heres when that is in your time zone:4 p.m. PST on Dec. 5for the West Coast of North America7 p.m. ESTon Dec. 5for the East Coast of North America12 a.m. GMT on Dec. 6 for the U.K.1 a.m. CETon Dec. 6for Western Europe/Paris9 a.m. JSTon Dec. 6for TokyoThe launch will be global at midnight UTC on Dec. 6, and the game will hit the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, Steam, and Xbox Series X at the same time.What to expect from Marvel RivalsMarvel Rivals is a third-person shooter and multiplayer game. Youll matchmake into a game with a team of six, and each player will then select a hero from the Marvel Comics Universe. Only one person can play as an individual hero per team, so you cant play a game filled with Spider-Mans (at least not at launch).Heroes fit into one of three roles:Vanguards (tanks) like Thor, Venom, and Captain AmericaDuelists (damage) like Black Panther, Namor, and The PunisherStrategists (support) like Rocket Raccoon, Loki, and Adam WarlockWhen your team and heroes load in, youll be tasked with one of a few different objective modes, like capturing a point across a few different maps or escorting a chariot. In the quick match queue, each team only plays one side, and the victor is determined on if the offensive or defensive side is victorious. But in the competitive queue, matches consist of multiple rounds of an objective, and the winner is determined based on who wins the most rounds.If youre familiar with Blizzards Overwatch and other hero shooters, Marvel Rivals should feel fairly similar. But the familiar Marvel heroes (all of which have pretty unique visual designs) and third person perspective give the game a fresh feel, so youre not guaranteed to love or hate it based on your feelings on other games in the genre.Marvel Rivals is also based on a seasonal model. At launch, season 0, Dooms Rise, will last about a month. Season 1 starts in early January 2025, will run for three months, and will add new maps, heroes, and abilities.

During London Art Week 2024, Italian furniture brand Secolo and fine jewelery brand ERA came together to unveil a striking limited edition capsule collection, Through Chrome Reflections. The collaboration, which blurs the lines between furniture and jewelry-inspired aesthetics, drew in curious passersby who got a glimpse of this unexpected fusion of design.Through the distinct lens of ERA, founded by Chiara Capitani and Romy Blanga, the collection reimagines three of Secolos iconic pieces: the Sibylia Armchair, Laghi Coffee Tables, and Laghi Mirrors. Drawing inspiration from the surreal, inflated works of Erwin Wurm and the futuristic visions of Hajime Sorayama, ERA breathed new life to these timeless designs. The bold, geometric lines and utilitarian hardware add an avant-garde edge, while the playful proportions and new chrome finish give the pieces a futuristic look that embodies distorted elegance.Each piece whether it is the inflated curves of the Sibylia Armchair, the reflective surfaces of the Laghi Mirrors, or the sculptural silhouettes of the Laghi Coffee Tables captures the essence of both brands.The exhibition, which took place in the heart of London, was set in a sleek, stripped-back setting, giving visitors a respite from the citys busy streets. Perfectly timed during the bustling London Art Week and coinciding with Frieze Art Fair, Through Chrome Reflections captivated international visitors. Framed by large windows and staged against fuchsia carpeting, the chrome pieces stood out, beckoning onlookers inside.This limited edition collaboration brought together Secolos mastery of materials and Italian craftsmanship and ERAs distinct design expression. For those who missed the event, Through Chrome Reflections serves as a reminder of the possibilities that open up when two seemingly dissimilar industries collide to push the boundaries of artistic innovation, creating something truly new and exciting.To learn more about the Through Chrome Reflections exhibition, visit secolo.design.Photography by Marcello Maranzan.

Bang & Olufsen and Ferrari are teaming up once again, following last years successful launch of Ferrari-inspired speakers in the brands signature red. This time, the collaboration takes a more understated approach, unveiling the second Ferrari Collection featuring Ferrari-edition Bang & Olufsen speakers in the sophisticated Grigio Corsa colorway a sleek charcoal gray synonymous with Ferraris refined style. Despite the subtler palette, Ferraris iconic red accents remain present, injecting vibrancy into the designs.This collection highlights a shared passion for aluminum, a hallmark material in both Ferraris car chassis and Bang & Olufsens premium audio products. Bang & Olufsens CEO Kristian Ter explains, Both Ferrari and Bang & Olufsen have always strived for the most powerful experience possible in the pursuit of unstoppable performance. For our second collection together, we wanted to pay tribute to aluminum, which is a hallmark material of both our brands. The result is a blend of Italian passion and Danish craftsmanship, with products featuring a matte finish achieved through anodization and pearl blasting.The collection includes three of Bang & Olufsens flagship, high-end products, each reimagined with Ferraris design language: the Beolab 50 speaker, the Beosound Theatre soundbar, and the Beovision Theatre TV.Renowned for their impeccable sound quality and advanced acoustic technology, the Beolab 50 speakers feature adjustable acoustic lenses for precise sound delivery. The Beolab 50 Ferrari Edition Speakers add a striking red stripe down the center, reminiscent of Ferrari racing stripes, and retail for $95,000 for a pair.The Beosound Theatre Ferrari Edition Soundbar is an ultra-powerful soundbar with 12 custom drivers that fire in all different directions, including upward to support Dolby Atmos height channels. The Ferrari Edition boasts a Grigio Corsa finish, Ferraris prancing horse logo laser-engraved, and subtle red detailing. This soundbar is available for $18,000.Last but not least is the Beovision Theater Ferrari Edition TV. Its a 4K OLED television that combines stunning visuals with premium sound, available in 55-, 65-, and 77-inch screen sizes. The Ferrari Edition includes anodized Grigio Corsa panels and red anodized tweeters within the built-in soundbar, and comes in at $28,900.These exclusive Ferrari-edition products are available exclusively on a made-to-order basis through Bang & Olufsen. For those seeking a more accessible entry into the collaboration, products from the 2023 lineup, such as the Bang & Olufsen Beoloab Explore outdoor speaker priced at $299, are still available via bang-olufsen.com.

The 10th (and final?) edition of The State of UX report by the UX Collective is here: a critical look at our industry based on more than 1k articles published and shared with our 500k+ subscribers in2024.Things have been feeling differently for a while. That UX buzz, that peak we hit in the late 2010s, has faded. Historically, designers have always aimed to exert vast influence within their organizations, guiding the creative vision and making critical decisions that shape the product. That reality simply doesnt feel palpable anymore when you look at the state of UX more broadly. UX is increasingly a byproduct of business objectives, not the drivingforce.This is what were calling The Great Design Handoffa fundamental shift in responsibilities and a transfer of design control from designers to a complex network of algorithms, automated tools, and business stakeholders.Were handing our designs to Figma while it trains itsAI.Were handing our design systems to growth teams so they can squeeze every last penny out of customers.Were shipping new products before theyre evenready.Were shifting our focus from good design to organizational politics.Were choosing not to hire a photographer / voice actor / illustrator artist rand to use generative AIinstead.Just this one time because the budget isshort.Just to try itout.Just because our competitor is doingit.You get thepoint.For this years report, weve had the privilege to work with Manoel do Amarala designer living in Los Angeles who explores ways of connecting the dots between branding and productdesign.Read thereport:The State of UX in 2025Written by: Fabricio Teixeira, CaioBragaIllustrations by: Manoel doAmaralNarrated by: LauraVandiverPublished by: The UX Collective (ISSN: 27665267) is an independent publication built to help designers think more critically about their work. You can follow our content via our Newsletter. For more in-depth pieces, check our publication DOC.The State of UX in 2025: a love letter about change was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Leadership in design requires the humility to listen, the courage to take risks, and the patience to nurture creativity in an oftenContinue reading on UX Collective

If you use Amazon Music, you might feel out of loop this time of year, as Spotify and Apple Music users share their listening stats from Wrapped and Replay, respectively. This year, however, is a bit different: It seems Amazon has finally jumped onto the end-of-year recap bandwagon, rolling out its own version to users it calls "Delivered." (Get it? Because Amazon?)If you've ever used a platform with a yearly recap, Amazon Music Delivered seems pretty standard: The feature summarizes your listening activity for 2024, including stats like your top artists, songs, and podcasts of the yearif you used Amazon Music for your podcasting needs, of course. Amazon also says that you'll see any "hidden gems" you discovered, as well as the "top request" you made on Amazon Music via Alexa. I'm sure your social media feeds will be abuzz with that stat.Amazon does say that certain listeners may receive a message from one of their top artists. The company didn't confirm which artists provided these messages, but Amazon does say you need an "Alexa-enabled" device in order to receive messages. In any case, it's a big improvement over how things used to work: Amazon Music used to offer an annual playlist, comprising your top tracks from the past year. But this new feature, like Spotify Wrapped, is a more engaging way to review your 2024 listening habits. How to find your 2024 Amazon Music Delivered To check out your 2024 Delivered, open the Amazon Music app on your iPhone or Android, then head to your Library. Here, tap the "2024 Delivered" banner, and you're in. While all the graphics are new, you can still access a year-end playlist. You'll find these as a new "Top Songs 2024" playlist, rather than the old "My Year in Review" playlist. You can also ask Alexa to play the playlist by saying, "Alexa, play My Top Songs 2024." If you have an Alexa-enabled device attached to your Amazon Music account, you'll see a blinking yellow light if you received a message from a top artist. Credit: Amazon

PlayStations 30th anniversary is here, and in addition to running over 500 sales, Sony is celebrating by giving PS5 owners a little bit of nostalgia.As part of an update released yesterday, PlayStation 5 owners can now customize their home screen, menus, and system sounds to resemble the interfaces of past PlayStation consoles instead, all the way from the original to the PS4 (portable consoles notwithstanding).Its the systems first real go at themes, which are a standard feature over on Xbox, but sadly, the changes will only work for a limited time, with no announcement yet on when the fun will be over.Personally, my husband and I are running the PS3 theme on our PS5, since hes got a soft spot for the old XMB menu. It doesnt quite replicate that, but we do get the old soft click sound when moving between games and apps, and theres a PS3-style abstract background that now sits just under our app bar. Putting the PS5 to rest also now sees our console thank us for 30 years of play (they dont know I personally skipped the PS3), which youll also see regardless of how you customize your UI.The PS1, PS2, and PS4 all have different menu effects (personally, Im partial to the PS2 cube background), and theres also a general 30th Anniversary theme that highlights the classic PlayStation shapes. Regardless of which option you pick, they all share one especially neat trick powering on a PS5 running the anniversary update, regardless of which console youve chosen to apply as your theme, will run the original PSOne boot screen, complete in all its compressed glory.Again, theres currently no word on when the anniversary update is set to expire, or if enterprising gamers will be able to keep their hands on these themes somehow. Regardless, heres how to get the anniversary themes and the PS1 boot screen on your own PS5.How to get the PS1 boot screen on your PS5Boot up your PS5. You should be prompted to download the anniversary update, but if not, go to Settings > System > System Software and select System Features Update.Download the update and restart your console. Youll see the original PS1 boot screen and get a few pop-ups introducing you to the feature.Click through the pop-ups to be taken to a page where you can select one of the available themes. Click Appearance and Sound and choose your desired theme.To change your theme again after your initial boot, simply navigate to Settings > PlayStation 30th Anniversary > Appearance and Sound.

Apple has wrapped up all your listening stats in a bow with its annual recap of your entire year in music streaming. This time, you can view the full Replay experience in the Apple Music app via the home, new and search tab yes, no need to go to a microsite for your vital listening statistics. You can save a playlist of your most-played songs in 2024, though that and your stats will be cemented in January if youre looking to kick out a particularly embarrassing song thats wormed its way into your head, you could spam other tracks? You can even access your Replays from previous years (something Spotify doesnt offer with Wrapped).More widely, the most-listened-to song on Apple Music overall this year was Kendrick Lamars Not Like Us, his most recent Drake-diss track. Benson Boones Beautiful Things, meanwhile, was the most identified song on Shazam. Beautifully hard to identify. Mat SmithGet this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest tech stories you missedWalmart completes its $2.3 billion purchase of VizioChina has banned certain metal exports in retaliation for the US chip restrictionsJaguar unveils polarizing concept EV as part of its rebrandMSIs new Claw gaming handhelds have Lunar Lake processorsIntel unveils its budget Battlemage Arc GPUsThe $249 Arc B580 is reportedly faster than NVIDIAs RTX 4060.IntelWho cares if Intel doesnt have a boss! The companys second-generation Xe2 Arc GPUs are real, and once again, they could be compelling options for gamers looking for capable video cards under $250. Confirming leaks from the past week, Intel today unveiled the $249 Arc B580 and the slightly less capable $219 B570, both of which target 1,440p gaming. We liked Intels last cards, but that hasnt stopped its overall GPU market share from falling to zero percent. The Arc B580 cards will be available on December 13 for $249, while Arc B570 models will arrive next month, on January 16, for $219.Continue reading.Firing Pat Gelsinger doesnt solve Intels problemsTurning around 20 years of bad decisions.As Intel searches for a new boss, Daniel Cooper explores the state of things at the chip manufacturer, the missteps made by the outgoing CEO including a disastrous aside about Taiwan and where Intel goes from here.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-intels-ceo-just-suddenly-retired-121513539.html?src=rss

The connected fitness boom of pandemic-era lockdowns is long behind us (hopefully), but Growl, a new startup, is still looking to bolt a workout to the wall of your home. Think of Tonal, except instead of resistance training, it's a boxing-inspired heavy bag session.The wall-mounted Growl is, according to the company, powered by AI and Unreal Engine and appears to have overhead projectors, which beam the image of a life-sized coach onto the convex punching surface. 3D motion tracking technology claims to gather information about your form and technique and provide insights.Besides the projection, the bag has an interactive coaching system to help motivate users. It also supposedly supports side-by-side training, which works great for training partners.Growl isn't available yet, but pre-sales are likely to open in April 2025. Pricing is projected to be between $150 and $190 a month, putting it on the steeper end of fitness devices, if it ever ships. And keep in mind you'll need to install this thing into a wall that can withstand hours of punching.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/this-new-startup-wants-to-be-your-ai-powered-boxing-coach-120022634.html?src=rss

Otoy has released OctaneRender 2025.1 in beta. See what's new in the next production build of the GPU renderer, including a new decal system, rest attributes for texture projection, and the realistic lens camera.https://www.cgchannel.com/2024/12/otoy-releases-octanerender-2025-1/