If we cant get to the forest, the forest must come to us, in the form of cities designed around green spaces.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn in West Germany following his deportation from the Soviet Union in February 1974 Public domain via Wikimedia CommonsBy 1973, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was already Russias preeminent living writer, according to the New York Times. His novels, including One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, were well regarded, especially in the West. He had even won the 1970 Nobel Prize for Literature for the ethical force with which he has pursued the indispensable traditions of Russian literature.But The Gulag Archipelago, published on December 28, 1973, by YMCA-Press in Paris, stood alone. Solzhenitsyn called it his main work, threading personal experience, history and literature into a sprawling 300,000-word narrative of Soviet prison camps. His broaching of this taboo topic, however, came at a great personal cost.Solzhenitsyns troubles with Soviet authorities began in 1945. He was a member of the Soviet Army at the time, stationed in East Prussia as World War II drew to a close. Agents from Smersh, a Soviet spy agency, arrested the 26-year-old, who had been decorated for heroism in battle and was at the time a loyal Communist Party member, because he referred to Joseph Stalin disrespectfully in a letter to an old friend. Cover of a Russian-language edition of Solzhenitsyn's The Gulag ArchipelagoVicWF via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 4.0A court sentenced him to eight years in the constellation of brutal prison camps across the Soviet Union that he later called the gulag archipelago.This Archipelago crisscrossed and patterned that other country within which it was located, like a gigantic patchwork, cutting into its cities, hovering over its streets, Solzhenitsyn wrote in the preface to The Gulag Archipelago, which he composed between 1958 and 1968. Yet there were many who did not even guess at its presence and many, many others who had heard something vague. And only those who had been there knew the whole truth.As Solzhenitsyn suggested, writing about the gulag system was verboten in large part because Soviet authorities sought to deny or obfuscate its very existence. Forced labor camps in the Soviet Union began in 1919 under Vladimir Lenin, but their population ballooned into the millions when Stalin rose to power. Under Stalin, more and more intellectuals, dissidents, prisoners of war, rich farmers and innocent people were persecuted, arrested and purged.In the three-volume book, Solzhenitsyn offered a sweeping story of the Soviet prison systemfrom arrest to torture, execution, starvation and long hours of toil in the camps. He drew from his personal experience and interviews with hundreds of survivors. The New York Times called the text a heroic accomplishment. Solzhenitsyn embarked on a train journey across Russia in the summer of 1994, after nearly 20 years in exile. Evstafiev via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 3.0Its official reception in the Soviet Union, however, was less enthusiastic due to Solzhenitsyns argument that the gulag system was not just an aberration under Stalin, but embedded deep in the rotting core of Soviet ideology.In the aftermath of The Gulag Archipelagos publication, Solzhenitsyn was deported from the USSR and stripped of his citizenship. At first he went to West Germany and stayed with leading postwar German author Heinrich Bll. After brief stints in Zurich and Canada, he and his family settled in Cavendish, a village in rural Vermont. In exileyet close to Dartmouth Colleges extensive librarythe author labored away on his epic multi-volume novel about the Russian Revolution, The Red Wheel.Solzhenitsyns exploration and critique of Soviet history and authoritarian power never ceased. Neither did his desire to return home from an long exile that began with his arrest in 1945the moment when, he wrote, the gate behind us, the gate to our past life, is slammed shut once and for all.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Books, Cold War, Human Rights, Joseph Stalin, On This Day in History, Russia , Soviet History, USSR, World War II, Writers

Lightnings days have come to an end in the EU. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Apple is no longer selling its iPhone SE and iPhone 14 series in Europe the last phone models with Apples proprietary Lightning charging port as the EU shifts to a common charging solution built around USB-C. EU Directive 2022/2380 goes into force today in an effort to reduce e-waste and solve market fragmentation.A spot check by The Verge shows the iPhone SE, iPhone 14 and 14 Plus, and the Lightning-based Magic Keyboard have been pulled from stores in The Netherlands, France, and Germany. Those same devices are still for sale in the US and other countries outside the EUs 27 member states.In addition to requiring a USB-C port on a wide range of devices sold in the EU from December 28th, 2024, the Directive also requires devices that support fast charging to support the USB PD standard, allows for the unbundling of charging bricks from retail devices, and helps consumers to better understand the power requirements of the devices theyre buying through improved labeling.

The Batman 2 has once again been delayed by a year and will now be released in theaters on October 1, 2027.Matt Reeves' sequel to 2022's The Batman was originally set to arrive in theaters in October 2025 and was delayed by a year in March 2024 before this latest delay. If this date stands, it will end up being five years between the world seeing Robert Pattinson become the Dark Knight.PlayJames Gunn, the co-CEO of the new DCU, took to Threads to respond to a user worried about the time between films, saying, "To be fair, a 5 year gap or more is fairly common in sequels. 7 years between Alien and Aliens. 14 years between Incredibles. 7 years between the first two Terminators. 13 years between Avatars. 36 years between Top Guns. And, of course, 6 years between Guardians Vol 2 and Vol 3."We don't know much about this much-anticipated sequel, but Reeves did confirm that Colin Farrell will return as The Penguin following his time starring in the Max series of the same name. We also know it will exist outside of the larger DCU and sit in its own "Batman Epic Crime Saga."Those that were looking forward to heading to the theater on October 2, 2026, will be happy to know that the currently untitled Alejandro Gonzlez Irritu and Tom Cruise project will take The Batman 2's place. This film which also stars Sandra Hller, John Goodman, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Sophie Wilde, Riz Ahmed, will follow the events of what happens when "The most powerful man in the world embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanitys savior before the disaster hes unleashed destroys everything."DC Universe: Every Upcoming Movie and TV ShowIt was also annonuced that Pattinson's Mickey 17 has moved from April 18, 2025, to March 7, 2025, and Sinners has jumped from March 7, 2025, to April 18, 2025.For more, check out how The Penguin sets up The Batman 2 and everything else headed our way from the world of DC, including Superman on July 11, 2025.Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.

Brooklyn Bedding Best place to buy a mattress See at Brooklyn Bedding Purple mattress Best place to buy a hybrid mattress $1,995 at Purple Saatva Classic Best place to buy a firm mattress See at Saatva Avocado Best place to buy an organic mattress See at Avocado Nectar Best place to buy a memory foam mattress See at Nectar Allswell Best place to buy a cheap mattress $387 at Walmart Helix Luxe Best place to buy a mattress for couples See at Helix Big Fig Best place to buy a mattress for heavy people See at Big Fig The quality of your sleep matters. If your mattress isnt comfortable anymore and its preventing you from getting a good nights rest, it might be time to get a new one. If you don't want to visit a physical store to test the mattresses one by one, getting it online is more convenient than you think. Several online stores offer a huge variety to choose from for different types of sleepers, so you don't have to leave the comfort of your home. The best part? You also dont have to haul a mattress home from the store or pay the store to deliver it for you.Read more: Top Holiday Gifts for Friends and Family Who Love SleepBed-in-a-box mattresses are becoming more and more popular as people realize their convenience doesnt take away from the beds' comfort, support and durability. These mattresses are just as comfortable as some of the industrys most popular traditional beds, and theyre shipped directly to your home inside of a box. The internet houses some of the best places to buy a mattress, and some models cant be found anywhere else.Best overall place to buy a mattressBrooklyn Bedding fits the bill for almost any sleeper; from side or stomach, to petite or plus size. The brand makes its own mattresses in Arizona and offers price-friendly beds that are quality made. You almost cant go wrong with a Brooklyn Bedding mattress.Brooklyn Bedding -- Best place to buy a mattress overallMattress price scale: $ = Budget: $799 and below $$ = Average: $800 to $1,699 $$$ = Premium: $1,700 and up These reflect MSRP or list prices. Sales might make a mattress less expensive, but are always changing. Made from its own factories in Arizona, Brooklyn Bedding mattresses offer some of the best mattresses at the most affordable price points. I had the option to take home a number of mattresses from our testing facility, and I chose a Brooklyn Bedding, which speaks to how comfortable they can be.Sleepers can find a range of mattresses from Brooklyn Bedding that address certain needs, from its flagship Signature mattress and cooling bed Aurora Luxe, to a bed great for athletes and runners called the Spartan mattress. See at Brooklyn Bedding Type Hybrid mattressFirmness 7 or medium-firmTrial 100 nightsWarranty 10-year warranty Price $$$ Purple is a huge name in the bed-in-a-box industry, as the brand makes mattresses that the industry had never seen before Purple came along. Its secret sauce is the Purple GelFlex Grid, which is a slab of a gel-like material thats soft, squishy and supportive at the same time -- kind of like a Dr. Scholls insole.The brand has a wide catalog of Purple mattresses to pick from, including a list of hybrid beds. The Purple Restore mattresses come in different firmness levels and offer a similar feel to the original Purple, just with stronger constructions. The Rejuvenate line from Purple includes thick, premium pillow-top mattresses with the brands signature feel. Purple Hybrid 2 $1,995 at Purple Firm mattresses may not be everybodys cup of tea, but they offer great benefits if youre a back or stomach sleeper, and if you live with back pain. Saatva offers one of the best firm mattresses, including the Saatva Classic.It has multiple zoned layers for targeted support and pressure relief, two coil layers for an ultra supportive feel and is offered in three firmness levels. You can even pick between two heights: 11.5 inches or 14.5 inches. In nutshell, the Saatva Classic is a luxurious, fancy-hotel-worthy mattress with a very reasonable price tag.For those of you who want an ulta firm, extra supportive mattress, you can opt for the Saatva HD model. See at Saatva Organic mattresses have an appeal because they are made with sustainably sourced, natural materials, which makes them hypoallergenic, antimicrobial and much less likely to off-gas. One of the best of the best is the Avocado Green mattress, backed by a host of different certifications verifying its green stamp.The flagship Avocado Green mattress is a hybrid latex foam mattress with a firm profile, best for back and stomach sleepers. However, Id recommend getting the pillow top. The brand also just added a plush option, making it available for a wider range of sleeping positions, including side sleepers. See at Avocado When you think of memory foam, Tempur-Pedic is often a popular mattress that comes to mind. The Nectar mattress has a similarly dense, slow-responding feel that memory foam lovers look for, but its much more affordable.Nectar offers multiple mattresses to address different needs. Their flagship bed is made with all foam, but you can also get the hybrid mattress, which is more supportive, durable and long-lasting (though, its also more expensive). With that said, Nectar beds are pretty price-friendly. They offer some of the most affordable beds on this list and tend to give free bundles with your purchase. See at Nectar If you didnt know, Walmart has its own brand of mattresses, and they are on brand with its price-friendly guarantee. The original Allswell mattress is one of the cheapest hybrid beds on the market, but its actually pretty nice. I recommend it to anyone looking to spend less than $500 on a new bed.You can also get the Allswell Luxe mattress or Allswell Cool, both of which are good mattresses at incredibly low prices. The average mattress-in-a-box costs around $800 to $1,000, and thats just for a foam bed. The Allswell mattresses have hybrid (foam and coils) constructions that accommodate all body types. The Allswell 12" Luxe Hybrid Mattress, Queen $387 at Walmart The Helix catalog of mattresses is extensive, and sometimes too many options can be a little overwhelming. Helix knows that and created a simple sleep quiz to match you with the perfect Helix mattress based on your answers.I think the Helix Luxe mattresses will cater really well to couples because they come in a wide range of firmness levels, giving you and your partner a chance to find a good compromise between what you both need. The beds also have strong hybrid constructions with added lumbar and edge support and fluffy pillow tops that makes them feel real cozy. See at Helix The name Big Fig stands for bigger figures, and the brand designs mattresses to address the needs of heavier sleepers; extra support and long-lasting comfort.The Big Fig mattress is 13 inches thick, durable and has a firm, supportive profile. For sleepers around the 230-pound range, it should feel around a medium-firm, and a medium for those around 300 pounds or more. One of the reasons why it's so durable is its amount of extra supportive coils, as the Big Fig boasts 1,600 of them. Its also stacked with multiple foam layers for increased comfort. See at Big Fig What to look for when buying a mattressNot all mattresses are one size fits all. You may have to do some digging to find the mattress that fits your sleeping position, body type and any other needs you might have.FirmnessBeds fall at different places on the firmness scale; soft, firm or somewhere in between. The right firmness level for you primarily depends on your sleeping position. Medium mattresses are good for most sleeping positions, however, because they offer a nice balance between soft and firm.FeelMattress materials contribute to the feel of a mattress. Memory foam makes a bed feel dense and slow to respond to pressure. Latex and coils make a bed bouncy, and poly foam makes a mattress feel soft and neutral. It all depends on the feel youre looking to get from your mattress.Body typeBeds either have a foam or hybrid construction. Foam beds are fine for most people around 200 pounds or less, but people over the 230-pound range or so should consider a hybrid mattress. Beds should last around seven to 10 years or more, but an all-foam mattress wont be nearly as long-lasting or durable for plus-size sleepers.Sleeping positionSide sleepers should opt for a soft to medium firmness level, back and stomach sleepers should consider a medium to firm profile, and combo sleepers should look for a mattress thats in between.TemperatureIf youre a hot sleeper, live with hot flashes or are dealing with menopause, a cooling mattress may be the way to go. Most beds have some kind of technology to help them regulate temperature, but only a handful of beds help you sleep on the cool side.See more: Best cooling mattress for hot sleepersHow we test mattressesCNET editors pick the products and services we write about based on editorial merit. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission.1. Firmness: We determine where a mattress falls on our scale between one to 10, with 10 being the firmest.2. Feel: We get hands-on with our mattresses. We like to get a feel for how the materials inside the bed contribute to how we experience the bed. Some beds have a prominent memory foam feel or a bouncy latex foam feel.3. Durability: The construction of a mattress and a brands warranty policy will help us determine how durable and long-lasting we anticipate a mattress will be.4. Best body type: We try to figure out the kinds of people each mattress fits best. Hybrid beds suit heavier individuals more than all-foam mattresses do because theyre more supportive and durable.5. Best sleeping position: A beds firmness level will help determine if its right for your sleeping position. Side sleepers usually sleep better on a soft mattress while back and stomach sleepers will sleep better on a firm bed.6. Motion isolation: If you sleep with a partner youll want to consider this feature. We test motion isolation by placing a cup of water at the end of a bed and bouncing around to test how well it absorbs motion.7. Edge support: We look at the materials inside of a mattress and physically lay on each edge of the mattress to get a feel for how well it'll keep us supported.

Looking forthe most recentMini Crossword answer?Click here for today's Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands and Connections puzzles.The New York TimesMini Crosswordoften offers up answers that are more than one word. There were a couple today (6 Across, 8 Across, 1 Down), and I always find those tough. Anyway, if you're stuck on any of the clues today, we've got the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times' games collection. If you're looking for today's Wordle, Connections and Strands answers, you can visitCNET's NYT puzzle hints page.Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini CrosswordLet's get at those Mini Crossword clues and answers. The completed NYT Mini Crossword puzzle for Dec. 28, 2024. NYT/Screenshot by CNETMini across clues and answers1A clue: French body of waterAnswer: LAC4A clue: Relating to the VaticanAnswer: PAPAL6A clue: Self-serve station with salsa and shellsAnswer: TACOBAR8A clue: Way, way, way backAnswer: AGESAGO9A clue: Totally clobberAnswer: DESTROY10A clue: Sheet read before playing a new board gameAnswer: RULES11A clue: Vet's patientAnswer: PETMini down clues and answers1D clue: Ties, as hiking bootsAnswer: LACESUP2D clue: One of 12 depicted in da Vinci's "The Last Supper"Answer: APOSTLE3D clue: Nightclub such as the Moulin RougeAnswer: CABARET4D clue: Buzzing device for an on-call doctorAnswer: PAGER5D clue: Nigerian city that's Africa's most populous (21+ million)Answer: LAGOS6D clue: Teensy-weensy bitAnswer: TAD7A clue: ___ G. BivAnswer: ROYHow to play more Mini CrosswordsThe New York Times Games section offers a large number of online games, but only some of them are free for all to play. You can play the current day's Mini Crossword for free, but you'll need a subscription to the Times Games section to play older puzzles from the archives.

Clock's TickingThe Batman Part 2 has been delayed, again, but James Gunn did at least offer a pretty simple reason behind the decisionWhat's one more year anyway?Image credit: Warner Bros. Discovery News by Oisin Kuhnke Contributor Published on Dec. 28, 2024 Turns out you'll be waiting even longer for The Batman: Part 2, as the film has caught another year long delay.The Batman 2 was originally supposed to be released in October next year, but back in March the sequel received a delay of an entire year, pushing it to October 2026. Annoying for those excited about the follow-up, but what's one more year? Well, I guess the question I should be asking now is, what's two more years, as Part 2 has been delayed by another entire year, this time to October 1, 2027. That means the film will now be releasing more than five years after the original, which is quite the gap in time in comic book movie years.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn took to Threads to note big waits for sequels aren't that uncommon, though, writing "a 5 year gap or more is fairly common in sequels. 7 years between Alien and Aliens. 14 years between Incredibles. 7 years between the first two Terminators. 13 years between Avatars. 36 years between Top Guns. And, of course, 6 years between Guardians Vol 2 and Vol 3."The Superman director also shared on Threads the honestly pretty simple reason the film has received such a delay: the script isn't ready yet. "The only reason for the delay is there isnt a full script (those of you who follow me here probably know that already). Matt [Reeves] is committed to making the best film he possibly can, and no one can accurately guess exactly how long a script will take to write. Once there is a finished script, there is around two years for pre-production, shooting and post-production on big films."It's obviously not ideal for those of you desperate for more from Reeves' take on Batman, but it's better to get a good script than a rushed one. Besides, most DC fans' eyes will be on Superman right now, especially after receiving its first trailer earlier this month.

"It's feast or famine, really"Set your AlarmosLogo mock-ups, curvy docks, yee-hawOllie Reynolds, Staff WriterI've decided that enough new games have been added to Xbox Game Pass that it's time to resubscribe for a couple of months or so before dipping out again. I started Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and it's... well, great! It nails the vibe of the movies and the focus on stealth is wonderful. I plan on rinsing the campaign for Black Ops 6 once I'm done.On the Switch, I'm still playing a game for review, so keep an eye out for that soon.Have a lovely new year, everyone!Gavin Lane, EditorWith the bank balance looking worse for wear, I've stuck my fingers in my ears to resist the eShop's siren call. I've got so much to play already, but Pentiment at 40% off is calling me.Other than that, I picked up Railbound for gold points and still haven't managed to touch Arco yet. And I'm considering picking up the Lego Skywalker Saga for the kids. Loads to be getting on with!Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube790kWatch on YouTube Alana Hagues, Deputy EditorNo video game gifts for me this holiday season from anyone except myself. I nabbed Arco, Railbound (less than 1!), Minami Lane, and TOEM in the eShop sale, so Ive got some nice treats to look forward to when I need something a bit different.But Ive committed to Trails through Daybreak, hoping that Ill at least beat it before the sequel arrives in February. Im only in chapter 3, but its fantastic so far and Im enjoying playing it at a relaxed pace rather than blitzing through it.Well be in 2025 next weekend, so heres to a safe and fun new year!Nile Bowie, ContributorHappy holidays, folks! Its that time of year again, and Ive gone hog wild on the eShop. Ive scooped up a helping of acclaimed titles that have caught my eye throughout the year, all at sweet discounts. The heavy hitters include Antonblast and Pizza Tower. Being an ardent fan of the Wario Land formula, Im stoked to give these beauties a whirl.I also clinched Crow Country and am totally on board with its Classic PlayStation survival horror aesthetics. Then theres the bizarre skeletal shmup Angel at Dusk, which piqued my interest after a glowing Nintendo Life review. Though it's not my usual fare, Ive jumped on the quirky Thank Goodness You're Here! because everyone who plays it has nothing but praise. The art style is brilliant, and being prone to the holiday blues, I could use a laugh.Ive also grabbed Arco, an indie turn-based strategy RPG published by Panic thats reviewed well but hasnt garnered much buzz, as well as Kill Knight, a demonic bullet hell that sold me with its raucous gameplay trailerSubscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube790kWatch on YouTube Gonalo Lopes, ContributorNew Star GP 1990s racing season finale has become something of a wildcard with two GPs to go and 6 points between me and the leader Jeanne Asselin. May have to taker her out in one of these following races to ensure that first place. With 2024 coming to a close I decided to wrap things up with titles I have yet to complete because stuff got in the way: Yakuza Kiwami, Neva and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. The latter one I must truly complete not just because it is an excellent take on top-down Zelda but because I will not pick up Fantasian: Neo Dimension until I clear it. No way in this day and age I can manage two RPGs at once.Game of the week is Target: Renegade on The Spectrum. While I always preferred the original game I have vivid memories when me and my childhood friend discovered that this game two player mode was not turn based but simultaneous, Double Dragon like! No more need wait until someone messed up to get to play. It has aged quite well.Guess that is a wrap up for the last year of the Nintendo Switch. See you in 2025!Tom Massey, ContributorThe game of Christmas for me is definitely DoDonPachi SaiDaiOuJou, because it has an explosively festive, non-stop nuclear glow, with craft that detonate like a confetti poppers all over the place. I like to listen to Christmas Classics as I merrily Hyper the night away.Merry Christmas to you all!Oliver Revolta, ContributorBetween festivities, one game has been luring me back to my Switch over and over I picked up Super Hydorah in a pre-Christmas sale for next to nothing, and so much has impressed me about it the gameplay, the music, the balance to the levelling up and progressing.Its a difficult SHMUP, but persevering and getting better feels so rewarding Im only half way through, and Ive used almost 100 continues, but its been worth it. The game has such a great atmosphere too. I think I am in love tbh.Kate Gray, ContributorThis weekend I'm playing Fields of Mistria. I don't usually play early access games, but people kept recommending it to me, so I bit the bullet. It's good! I'm burning through it quite fast already.Other than that, it's family Christmas, so not a lot of gaming time. Unless you count jigsaws, or having to explain motion smoothing to a 60-something-year-old. We're staying at an AirBnB, which does have a Wii, but I didn't bring any Wii games with me (what am I like) so I'll have to check if there's anything in the cupboards...Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube790kWatch on YouTube That's what we have planned for the weekend, but what about you? Let us know in the following poll which games you're planning on booting up over the next couple of days.What are you playing this weekend (28th/29th December)? (17 votes)Related GamesSee Also

The 3D Printing Industry Review of the Year continues with the biggest stories from February.Following news of cost-cutting and streamlining initiatives last month, February saw companies face financial challenges. Shapeways and Uniformity Labs auctioned off assets, while Desktop Metal fundraising efforts continued with a mixed-shelf offering. On a more positive note, Core Industrial Partners raised substantial capital investments to expand its additive manufacturing portfolio.In other news, companies launched 3D printed consumer products to address end-market needs. Wilsons 3D printed basketballs hit the shelves, while additive manufacturing featured prominently within the bike market. Also in February, 3D Printing Industry reported how Oracle Red Bull Racing uses additive manufacturing to boost performance on the track. Elsewhere, a SpaceX rival successfully launched a 3D printed rocket, while researchers achieved breakthroughs for 3D printing brain tissue and multi-color additive manufacturing.Read on for February announcements from AddUp, Airbus, Bright Laser Technologies, LandSpace, EOS, DyeMansion, the European Space Agency, and more.3D printed Wilson Airless Gen1 basketballs. Image via Wilson.Fundraising efforts and financial challengesFollowing last months Arevo 3D printing hardware auction, February saw more additive manufacturing assets put up for sale. After experiencing worsening financial results since its 2021 $605 milion SPAC deal, Shapeways announced a range of cost-cutting actions, including a 15% workforce reduction.February saw the company auction $5 million of its Desktop Metal 3D printers, including P1 Production Systems, binder jet Shop Systems, and BMD 3D printers. This was the firms second hardware auction, having previously listed $4 million worth of Desktop Metal 3D printing technology in October 2023.This reflected Shapeways worsening financial position since the SPAC merger. In 2021, the firm initially projected 95% annual growth between FY 2021 and FY 2022, followed by anticipated 2024 revenues of $250 million. However, by Q3 2023, Shapeways posted total revenue of just $8.4 million, $3.4 million in gross profit, and a net loss of -$19.4 million. On 2 February 2024, the companys share price was just $1.94, down from $83.60 per share on 11 January 2021.Updates on Shapeways financial position stayed in the headlines throughout 2024. Although the outlook looked gloomy at the start of the year, later months would chart a surprising change in fortunes.Shapeways went public on September 30 2021, in a deal that saw it raise $90 million in funding. Photo via Shapeways. One company with a less optimistic future was Uniformity Labs. Questions were raised about the engineering materials specialists survival after $10 million worth of its metal 3D printing assets were put up for sale in February. This hardware included an ALD Vacuum Technologies Viga 35 Vacuum Gas Atomizer system priced at $3.5 million, SLM Solutions 280HL Dual 700W laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) 3D printer, SLM 125M 3D printer, EOS M290 LPBF system, and a Desktop Metal P1 Production System. Despite raising $38.35 million in Series B funding in 2021 and launching a new UniFuse IN625 Nickel Alloy at RAPID + TCT 2023, Uniformity Labs ceased trading soon after the auction.Also in the news was Desktop Metal. Following last months decision to initiate a $50 million cost reduction, the company filed a $250 million mixed-shelf offering. This included preferred stock, debt securities, warrants, units, and up to $75 million of class A common stock.Shelf offerings allow companies to raise capital by issuing new securities without needing to immediately sell them. The securities are stored on the shelf, and can be issued when business conditions are favorable. Desktop Metals class A common stock offering had an aggregate price of $75 million.While some companies faced financial struggles at the start of 2024, it wasnt all doom and gloom. Last month, the 3D Printing Industry Executive Survey highlighted an optimistic outlook for the future of 3D printing, with industry experts anticipating a healthy business environment.One company to capitalize on this optimism was CORE Industrial Partners, which successfully raised $887 million in capital commitments in February. This funding continued COREs strategy of investing capital in industrial manufacturing. Over the past five years, the company has raised over $1.58 billion in limited partner commitments for this strategy. Ultimately, CORE is working to build one of the largest global additive manufacturing companies by acquiring 3D printing bureaus and machine shops.Desktop Metal 3D printers. Photo via Desktop Metal.3D printing Consumer productsFebruary witnessed a keen focus on 3D printed consumer products. This was driven by US sports equipment manufacturer Wilson Sporting Goods Co. which commercialized its 3D printed airless basketball. First unveiled as a prototype last year, the Wilson Airless Gen1 hit the shelves for $2,500 in a limited release.The 3D printed basketball was co-developed by 3D design specialists General Lattice, 3D printer manufacturer EOS, and post-processing company DyeMansion. California-based SNL Creative was the primary manufacturing hub for the launch. Notably, the 3D printed lattice structure features eight panel-like lobes which remove the need for inflation. Wilson claims the ball is fully functional and meets NBA regulations for weight, size, and bounce.Wilson Airless Gen1 basketball in off-white natural color. Image via Wilson.3D printed bikes also made headlines this month. Materials specialist Lehvoss Group partnered with E-bike manufacturers Buddy Bike and Isoco Bikes to develop the Isoco X1 e-bike. Designed with sustainability in mind, this consumer product features a 100% recyclable thermoplastic frame and a 68% smaller carbon footprint than its aluminum counterparts. Thomas Collet, Lehvoss Customized Polymer Materials Director of Marketing, told 3D Printing Industry that additive manufacturing was used to develop and prototype some of the ISOCO X1s parts.In other news, 3D printing materials developer Elementum 3D partnered with German machine tool manufacturer TRUMPF to upgrade INTENSE Cycles M1 downhill race bike. INTENSE leveraged TRUMPFs capabilities to 3D print the bikes backbone as a single piece. Elementums A6061-RAM2 aluminum alloy was 3D printed using TRUMPFs TruTops Print build processor, which reduced overhang support material requirements.The Isoco X1 bike, developed in collaboration with Lehvoss and Buddy Bikes. Photo via Isoco Bikes.3D printing at Red Bull RacingIan Handscombe, Red Bull Racings Head of Quality Engineering, explained how the team uses 3D printing in Formula One. He emphasized how advanced manufacturing gives Red Bull the winning edge, stating I dont think we will continue to be on track unless we embrace [3D printing]. Handscombe, who has three decades of experience in the automotive industry, called additive manufacturing the fastest growing technology within F1.During the discussion, Handscombe highlighted the importance of technical partnerships, particularly with companies like Hexagon. Through these collaborations, Red Bull has integrated advanced technologies into their operations, pushing performance limits while ensuring race-car safety and reliability.According to Handscombe, Hexagon plays a critical role in identifying and delivering critical equipment, while assisting in development and training. Hexagon has been with us every step of the way, added Handscombe.He added that the team leverages additive manufacturing an awful lot. It is evaluating how to scale its use from 3D printed models for wind tunnel testing to having more and more 3D printed components on the race car. The automotive expert believes 3D printing will start to replace mechanical parts on the car soon.Crew poses for a photo during Red Bull Racing 2023 Pitch Black Pit Stop in Milton Keynes, England. Photo via Magenta Stills / Red Bull Content.Additive manufacturing supports space flightFebruarys 3D printing news witnessed significant announcements within the space sector. A European Space Agency (ESA) contract saw AddUp and Airbus Defence & Space collaborate to develop a system to enable 3D printing in space.The companies developed two systems to evaluate additive manufacturing capabilities and performance in microgravity conditions. The flight model 3D printer was launched to the International Space Station through the ESAs Metal3D project. It underwent testing on the Space Stations Columbus module, with operational 3D printing beginning by early March.Meanwhile, an engineering model remained on Earth. Astronauts will 3D print four samples in space, which will be returned to Earth and analyzed alongside the terrestrial 3D printed parts. Mechanical strength, bending tests, and microstructural analysis will be conducted to evaluate the effects of microgravity on 3D printing.First of the four metal 3D specimens to be printed on board the ISS. Photo via Airbus.In other space news, Private Chinese company LandSpace completed the first successful test launch of its reusable Zhuque-3 VTVL-1 3D printed rocket. This hop test mission validated the vertical takeoff and landing (VTVL) Liquid Oxygen-Methane rockets first stage. It reached an altitude of around 350 meters in 60 seconds, before setting down on a designated landing area.Bright Laser Technologies metal 3D printing capabilities played a key role in producing the rocket. The Zhuque-3 featured a slew of 3D printed components, including joint elements, igniter mounts, and its intricate free-body section. The latter required a complex internal cooling structure.Bright Laser Technologies stated that conventional manufacturing processes failed to meet the quality requirements of the free-body section. The companys BLT-S310 and BLT-S400 Metal 3D printers successfully addressed these demands. LandSpace added that additive manufacturing expedited deliveries, reduced production time, and unlocked rapid development iterations.VTVL-1 Ignition Takeoff. Photo via LandSpace.Researchers achieve 3D printing breakthroughsAcademic research projects continued to push the boundaries of additive manufacturing in February. One team from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology developed a new method for multi-color 3D printing.Conventional multi-color 3D printing approaches require the use of multiple materials. However, the researchers novel process only requires a single ink, improving sustainability and efficiency. They drew inspiration from color-changing chameleons to create a UV-assisted-ink-writing approach that allows structural colors to be changed on the fly during 3D printing.By changing the strength of UV light, the researchers successfully achieved a wide range of colors. This was demonstrated through 3D printed art pieces, including a chameleon image and a recreation of Vincent Van Goghs Starry Night painting. Both showcased the broad spectrum of yellows, greens, and blues possible with a single ink.Elsewhere, researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison developed a new approach for 3D printing human brain tissue. The novel process can create active neural networks in and between tissues.Existing methods often create an uneven distribution of neural cells. The new approach overcomes this by 3D printing the brain tissue horizontally. Thrombin was added as a crosslinking agent after the tissue was deposited to prevent the 3D printed cell bands from mixing.The team believes the 3D printed brain tissue can serve as a valuable tool for modeling brain activity under physiological and pathological conditions. The tissue was also touted as an effective drug-testing platform.Multi-colored 3D printed chameleon. Image via University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.3D Printing News Highlights from 2024: Innovations, Trends, and AnalysisSubscribe 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 3D printed Wilson Airless Gen1 basketballs. Image via Wilson.

Tarkov isn't too smooth right now. Credit: Battlestate Games / Mike StubbsThe new Escape From Tarkov wipe has had a rocky launch to say the least, with a lot of technical issues making it difficult for some players to play. A new patch was released yesterday that was supposed to fix a lot of the issues, but since its release, players have reported that there are still a lot of technical problems.When the big 0.16.0.0 patch launched, Tarkov players were excited to get in and play with some of the new content that was added, but were quickly met with a lot of technical issues. Some were obviously down to server load, with thousands of players trying to log in for the start of the new wipe, but others seemed to be more fundamental issues with the game.Players reported issues such as micro-stutters, major performance drops, and being kicked from raids as soon as the map loads. There were other issues as well, such as losing gear despite successfully extracting, dying but keeping all of their kit, and some quests bugging out and not giving proper rewards, including unlocking traders.All of this created a very mixed start to the wipe for many players, and developer Battlestate Games acted pretty quickly to get a patch out last night that was supposed to fix most of the issues. The big list of Tarkov patch notes targeted a lot of the biggest issues players were facing, and it looked like this should fix the new wipe.MORE FOR YOUHowever, shortly after the patch launched, players reported that some of the issues had not been fixed as intended in the patch. The biggest one seems to be that PvE raids still have a chance to not save properly, meaning you can extract from a raid and not get your gear at the end of it, which is a pretty big issue for an extraction shooter.The good news is that Battlestate Games is aware of this and is working on another patch that should fix this, and the other issues that remain broken. In a post on the official Escape From Tarkov social media accounts, they announced another patch is coming soon.One issue that will likely take a bit longer to fix is the performance of Escape From Tarkov, with many players noticing a drop since the most recent patch. Theres a good chance that the engine upgrade to Unity 2022 likely has something to do with this, so it may take a while to get performance levels back to what it once was. However, in the recent TarkovTV stream it was announced that one of the main focuses for 2025 is to improve performance and optimization, so it is at least something the devs are aware of.