A Carlo Bugatti throne chair in a Greenwich Village home designed by Studio Shamshiri.Photo: Stephen Kent Johnson / Styling: Michael ReynoldsCarlo Bugatti FurnitureFor most, the word Bugatti conjures images of sleek, sculptural, speedy automobilesor maybe some song lyrics referencing them. But for a growing number of design aficionados, thats no longer the case. What comes to mind, rather, are tassels, carved wood, inlaid pewter, and vellum-sheathed formsall hallmarks of the fantastical turn-of-the-20th-century furnishings of Italian designer Carlo Bugatti. More than 50 lots of his work went up for auction this year at Bonhams from the Merle and Peter Mullin collection, and fetched a pretty penny. (A rare 1907 sterling silver dragonfly bowl sold for a whopping $191,000.) The sales success sheds light on a growing interest in Bugattis works, which have been cropping up in interiors and at design fairs in recent years as a younger set of collectors looks to Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts eras with fresh intrigue.A silver pitcher and candlesticks in Adam Lippess Berkshires kitchen.Art: Patrick Demarchelier/Trunk Archive. Robert Wilson/RW Work Ltd.Grandmas SilverSilvera material whose antibacterial properties lend it to culinary usehas been a tabletop status symbol since ancient times. Through the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, as silversmithing entered its heyday across Europe, elaborate table services were an indication of social standing and wealthafter all, the material corresponded directly to currency in many nations. Even in the 20th century, silver still dazzled on the tables of those who could afford it, and a woman might inherit her mother or grandmothers service and then pass it on to her own daughter in due time. But in recent decades, a younger generation has been ditching the heavy metal tableware, gravitating towards a more casual, contemporary aesthetic. But hold on to that silver, people: The pendulum is mid-swing back in its direction.APPLY NOWGrow your business with the AD PRO DirectoryArrowThe tented dining room created by AD100 designer Josh Greene for a young family on New Yorks Upper East Side.Photo: Tim Lenz / Styling: Mieke ten HaveRuched RoomsIn the opening scene of Feud: Capote vs. the Swans, a distraught Babe Paley, played by Naomi Watts, pulls her friend and confidant Truman Capote (Tom Hollander) into her sitting room to unload about the latest transgressions of her husband, Bill Paley. As she laid bare the gory details, all I could look at was the rooma recreation of the one Billy Baldwin conceived for the real-life Babes St. Regis apartment, with walls curtained in a pleated tobacco-brown Indian calico cotton, block-printed with pale pink flowers. Fabric-sheathed spaces like this oneoften dubbed tented roomshave a rich history in 20th-century decorating. But recently, more contemporary spaces have been embracing the timeless trick. For a young familys home on Park Avenue, for instance, AD100 interior designer Josh Greene recently used 290 yards of fabric to create a delightfully ruched dining room. It was cut, sewn, stapled, and pulled to the brink, then gathered on the ceiling to a central point which the chandelier canopy covers, Greene explains of the precise, rather mathematical process.

Since were in and out of our closets every day, closet organizers are some of the best tools to keep our most overwhelming spaces in tip-top shape. But with so much hanging, limping, stuffed, and crowded into our closets and entryways, it can still be a challenging feat to find storage solutions that fit all of the items we love. Plus, when the seasons change, our closets have to change with them. We need a closet system that not only works for our daily life, but can also be routinely adjusted based on the items we need to quickly access.If closet organization feels like a daunting task, were here to answer your FAQs on all things storage systems. We tapped six organization experts for their secrets on making every closet organized and aesthetically pleasing. Read on for closet organizers' approved tips and products to get every inch of your closet under control.1. Clear the clutterOne of the most intimidating parts of closet organization is deciding where to begin. Karine Bouganim, owner of Karine OCD, advises sorting through your clothing and accessories first. You want to take the time to go through your belongings and keep only what you love and know you will wear, she says. Then, she recommends eliminating all bulky and mismatched hangers and replacing them with nonslip velvet hangers to create uniformity in your closet space.Zober Non-Slip Velvet Hangers (50-Pack)Brightroom Suit Flocked Hangers (30-Pack)2. Use wall hooks to organize accessoriesMaster closet organizer Shaniece Jones recommends installing wall hooks to an empty wall inside a walk-in closet to display hats, scarves, jewelry, purses, and belts. This adds functionality, easy access, and decoration to any open space.Modern Home by Bellver Brass Round Wall Hooks (Set of 4)Schoolhouse Remy Single Hook3. Display shoes and handbagsWhether you have a walk-in closet or a small vertical space, installing floating shelves is an effective way to organize and display your beloved shoes and handbagsno built-ins or custom closets required. This is a simple DIY solution that youll turn to time and time again when accessorizing. Be sure to measure the depth of the space so you know the depth and width of the type of shelving you will need, Jones says. If you dont have space to install floating shelves, opt for a shoe rack to make use of the horizontal space you have on the groundwe recommend one with an adjustable length so it can suit your closet storage down to the eighth of an inch.ClosetMaid Wire Shelf KitYamazaki Expandable Shoe Rack4. Utilize shelf dividersIf you have shelf space in your closet, its tempting to toss sweaters and pants into every nook and cranny without proper organization. Jessica Haizman, the viral organization expert on TikTok, recommends shelf dividers as a simple and effective way to create order on your closet shelves. They do a great job at keeping items where they are supposed to be, she says. Theyll keep your designated areas nice and tidy!Richards Acrylic Shelf Dividers (Set of 4)Elfa Dcor Shelf Divider5. Discreetly store out-of-season itemsItems you do not access day to day are best contained in storage bins, Lisa Jacobs, founder of Imagine It Done, explains. This is one storage solution where closet space isnt necessary, as you can utilize underbed storage or stack your out-of-season items on those handy shelves youve installed in your closet (see item three) to increase hanging space and allow room and easy access for items. Storage bags can be tucked away in tight spaces too.ClearSpace Vacuum Seal Bags (10-Pack)IKEA Rensare Clothes Bag (Set of 3)6. Hang pants and skirts on clipsTo maximize hanging space on your closet rods, Haizman recommends using tiered hangers with clips to consolidate the space you need for your pants and skirts. These add storage space and eliminate the need for more hangers, as well as prevent your pieces from sliding off of them and onto the floor.Zober 5-Tier Metal Skirt Hanger With Clips (3-Pack)The Container Store Clear Slim Hanger Clips (10-Pack)7. Use drawer dividersIf you have drawer space in your closet, Ashley Murphy, cofounder of Neat Method, recommends using drawer organizers to keep all of your items orderly. They are the absolute best way to keep your items separated by category and prevent them from getting all jumbled up, she notes.mDesign Bamboo Adjustable Drawer DividersCambridge Expandable Drawer Organizer by The Container Store8. Dont sleep on shoe organizersIf shoes take up most of the floor space in your closetand for those of us dwelling in small spaces, they absolutely doditch the dignified shoe racks for something more storage-forward. Annie Schmidt, founder of SOS Home Organization, recommends stackable, open-front shoe boxes to increase your shoe storage and keep them clean. If you have closet shelves, try using shoe risers to double up the shelf space you already have. The configurations of storage bins are endless. Weve also listed an underbed storage option for those suede boots or flip flops that just dont merit year-round display.Premium Stacking Shoe BinUnderbed Shoe Storage (Pack of 2)9. Think outside the closetClothes racks dont have to stay behind closed doors. If you dont mind showing off your collection (some pieces are worth showing off!), a garment rack can be a chic decoration in your space. Some options are heavy duty, too, and can hold up to 200 pounds (weight starts to add up quicker than youd think for anyone with a few too many fur coats). Some garment racks come with their own shelving units so you can store shoes as well as hang your best pieces.Schoolhouse Maple Garment RackHAY Colour Rack

The streets of the Savannah Historic District in Georgia are hugged by dreamy oaks draped in Spanish moss and carved fountains that anchor squares steeped in history. And its a must-visit for architecture buffs: The colonial city boasts charm and a sampling of American architecture unlike others of its age. On even a short walk, youll spot Corinthian columns, Gothic arched windows, and cast-iron craftsmanship as if leafing through an architecture guide book.The colony of Georgia was founded in 1733 as a proposed solution to Londons poverty problemand Savannah was meant to be the hub. The goal was to relocate the urban poor into the New World and set them up as farmers with plots of land for farming and gardens. This resulted in four (then six) squares, which were called wards and likely modeled after the squares in the West End, says David Gobel, professor of Architectural History at Savannah College of Art and Design.While admirable, the plan to resettle the poor was foolish in retrospect as the Low Country soil is sandy and the weather too hot for farming. However, the area did flourish from 1791 to 1851 as a mercantile city because of its port on the Savannah River just 17 miles from the Atlantic.Forsyth Park in Savannahs historic districtPhoto: Amy Luo/Getty ImagesSlowly, those original six squares blossomed into 22, which now make up the Savannah Historic Landmark District. Over the years, new buildings in Savannah often reflected the nations architectural trends in terms of style, Gobel says. This means that, today, the densely packed buildings in Savannahs original layout create an easy place to study the history of architecture in one snap, says Jonathan Stalcup, founder of Architectural Savannah, a tour company that covers 300 years of history in just a few blocks.The Historic Landmark District is well preserved, granted a bit of luck was involved. Savannah had moments of poverty at the right time for preservation, Stalcup explains. They couldnt tear anything down in the 1860s because of the Civil War, and during the 1950s modernization [era] our economy wasnt booming. This means few buildings were built at the time, fatefully saving the historic ones. By the 1970s, the city established the Historic Review Board which gave the city more teeth to preserve the buildings.Take a peek at seven American architecture gems you dont want to miss while visiting Savannah.

Forward-looking: If you're thinking of buying a next-generation graphics card, you might want to do it sooner rather than later. Nvidia and AMD are reportedly increasing the production and shipping rate of their upcoming GPUs so they can avoid the Trump administration's tariffs, which could push prices up by 40%. The rival tech giants, along with other companies who will be impacted, are rushing to get their products into the US before January 20, which is when Trump's new tariffs are believed to come into effect.Trump plans to impose 10% to 20% tariffs on imported goods, while imports from China will be hit with a special 60% tariff. Their aim is to bring manufacturing back to the US.Manufacturers will certainly pass some of these new costs onto consumers in the form of higher selling prices. That means the likes of laptops, smartphones, monitors, desktop computers and TVs, most of which are primarily manufactured in China, would become more expensive.While Nvidia and AMD use the likes of TSMC and Samsung for chip manufacturing, the assembly and packaging of their graphics cards, including cooling systems, PCBs, and other components, are often done by companies in China, such as Foxconn or BYD. AIB partners like Asus, MSI, Gigabyte, and Zotac carry out much of their assembly in China, too.According to Ctee, GPU manufacturers have been rushing to ensure their products arrive at US warehouses before the January 20 inauguration. // Related StoriesAlso read: Economists warn that Trump's tariffs could cause tech prices to skyrocketNvidia is set to unveil the RTX 5000 series at CES in just over a week, while AMD will reveal the Radeon 9000 series. The tariffs have the potential to push selling prices of these next-gen cards up significantly. If, for example, Nvidia's flagship RTX 5090 does come with the rumored $1,799 MSRP, a 40% selling price increase due to the new tariffs would push that figure to over $2,500.Manufacturers are trying to stockpile goods in the US before January 20 to avoid passing the tariff increases onto customers, as a sudden jump in prices would undoubtedly impact demand. But companies won't be able to avoid raising prices forever.It's not just graphics cards that could become much more expensive as a result of the tariffs. A recent Consumer Technology Association (CTA) report notes that laptops could go up by 45%. Smartphone costs are expected to rise by 25.8 percent, monitors are anticipated to see a 31.2 percent increase, and game consoles could become 40% more expensive.

David Nield December 24, 2024 Credit: Screenshot / MegaLag, "Exposing the Honey Influencer Scam"Honey, which is owned by PayPal, is a popular browser extensionwith 19 million users on Chrome alonebut the shopping tool is being accused of some seriously shady practices, including keeping users away from the lowest online prices and blocking creator affiliate links to deprive them of revenue. The scandal surfaced through a comprehensive video posted by MegaLag, who calls it "the biggest influencer scam of all time" based on an investigation that's apparently been ongoing for several years. MegaLag claims to have reviewed masses of documents, emails, and online ads in the course of the investigation, as well as having spoken to victims and personally falling foul of Honey's methods.What is "the Honey trap" influencer scam?Honey is a browser extension meant to give you any relevant discount codes available when you shop online and automatically apply them to your checkout price, instantly saving you money. The idea is that using the extension means you don't have to hunt for coupons and codes, and in several influencer video promotions, it's described as free money. But Honey seems too good to be true: In tests across multiple sites, MegaLag was able to manually find working coupon codes when Honey couldn't find any, or better coupon codes than the ones automatically Honey applied. What's more, when bigger discounts are applied at checkout, Honey doesn't appear to add these codes to its database.This is allegedly how Honey strikes deals with retailers, by giving them control over the discount codes that shoppers can access. MegaLag found further evidence in Honey's own FAQs and in a podcast produced by Honey, which was intended to promote its services to online businesses. In certain cases, users are limited in what coupon codes they can use if Honey is installed.The practice of limiting coupon codes that users can use obviously doesn't fit with Honey's promise to "search for the internet's best coupons," which is the claim on its homepage at the time of writing. "If we find working codes, well automatically apply the best one to your cart," Honey says. The extension will certainly find you codes, sometimesjust not always the best ones.It seems that the extension has an influence on revenue sharing too. Honey has been heavily promoted by a long list of online influencers in the past, including MrBeast and Marques Brownlee. According to MegaLag, the Honey extension deletes affiliate link cookies from these influencers when people click through to products from their YouTube videos and other sites, which would mean the influencers aren't paid for the referral. Instead, Honey would get their commission. This allegedly happens even if no discounts are applied, and when users go for the PayPal Rewards cashback scheme too: The original affiliate link data is edited, and Honey pockets the bonus. In one example, Honey intercepts a $35 commission for a NordVPN subscription, leaving the original affiliate with nothing, then returns $0.89 of that back to the customer as cashback reward.In an email to MegaLag, Honey confirmed this is how the extension works, as Honey ultimately directs the customer to the best possible deal, not the influencer. The extension "follows industry rules and practices, including last-click attribution" PayPal's Josh Criscoe told The Verge. As yet, PayPal hasn't commented on the practice of limiting access to coupon codes.MegaLag is promising additional videos soon, so there's more to come on thisbut Honey's reputation has already taken a serious hit. It seems you might be better off trying to find discount codes yourself.David NieldDavid Nield is a technology journalist from Manchester in the U.K. who has been writing about gadgets and apps for more than 20 years. Read David's full bioMore by DavidAndroidAll the Samsung Galaxy S25 Rumors We Know so Far (Including a Potential Launch Date) December 23, 2024

CHOOSING WISELYIndiana Jones may have arrived too late for many awards ceremonies, but its definitely one of the best games of 2024 regardlessIndy's first video game outing in forever is one for the ages, and the fact it released too late for some of the biggest gongs can't change that. Article by Alex Donaldson Assistant Editor Published on Dec. 27, 2024 I was there at The Game Awards 2024, on the ground in Los Angeles. I dont know how it all felt and played out online, how the onslaught of ads, Muppet Interludes, and occasionally rushed awards categories worked online - but in the room, my first time experiencing that way, it totally just works. Witnessing it that way left me with only one predominant thought: god, 2024 was a pretty great year for video games.One game not actually represented in the nominations for Geoff Keighleys industry-leading awards event was Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. The game had a moment on the night thanks to an on-stage appearance by Indy originator Harrison Ford, video game depictor Troy Baker, and Bethesda mastermind Todd Howard - but the actual game released a couple of weeks too late for the cut-off.Because for some reason The Game Awards is in December every year, its calendar year runs roughly from late November or early December through til the same time the next year. I never quite got this - the Oscars are in March and Golden Globes in January for exactly this reason: so the awards cover a calendar year. For whatever reason - I suppose due to the need for advertising and reveals to power the show - The Game Awards falls awkwardly in the run-up to Christmas.That means that each year theres a couple of games that release too late to be considered for the awards the year they were released in. This year, one such game is Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which means no GOTY nominee, no best performance nominee, no best direction or design nominee all things the game rather deserves. Im kicking myself as I write this, because in doing so I've realized that we didnt even give it a wee nod in our Alternate Awards. I hope all my fellow judges and panellists keep it in mind for 2025s awards, when itll be eligible. Image credit: Microsoft/Bethesda/MachineGamesAnyway, all of this is to say that Indiana Jones is absolutely one of my Games of the Year for 2024. Is it my actual game of the year? Probably not, no, because this is the year in which Balatro released - I have 170 hours logged on that on Steam, and god knows how many more on my phone. But somebody else on Team VG247 had already decided to write about Balatro, and The Great Circle is probably my second favorite game - which is no small feat in this stacked year.I mean, seriously. I am the nerd whose hyper Final Fantasy fandom led to my founding an FF fansite as a tween, which then later morphed into one of the biggest RPG fan nerd destinations on the internet. This is a year in which Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth released - the best Final Fantasy game in at least fifteen years, a total certified banger - and it isnt my game of the year. It isnt even second! This is also the year in which Dragons Dogma 2, a game I quite literally dreamed about, came out. Image credit: Microsoft/Bethesda/MachineGamesBut theres something magical about a game like Indiana Jones. This is a title I wasnt even ultimately all that bothered about. I like first and third films in particular, but later messy outings somewhat soured me on the whole series - and with the mess that is modern Star Wars, I wasnt entirely sure I could trust Disney. Plus, Harrison is too old - how can you possibly replace him?Basically, I wasnt sure if I really wanted this. In fact, I was pretty sure I didnt. And yet what MachineGames managed to do is provide something I didnt know that I wanted - a little bit Riddick, a little bit Immersive Sim, something thats actually a bit like what I dream and hope IO Interactives upcoming James Bond game will be.I could spend more time rehashing my glowing five-star review, but I dont really need to. The point is that regardless of how well people manage to remember it when filing their Game Awards ballots after whatever 2025 holds, this game should be held up as one of the very best in an absolutely killer year. Its brilliant. Play it. Cheers.

Image: Nintendo LifeIf you are the proud owner of a Nintendo Switch (and if you're reading this, we'd wager that you are), then it will come as no surprise when we say that the eShop is a wild place in 2024.While gaming may have never been better, Nintendo's storefront has never been worse. Discoverability is a thing of the past with new titles added in waves of 30 or more each week, and keyword-dumping scam games are more prevalent than ever.But compared to several years ago, and with the backwards compatible 'Switch 2' looming, what's it like from the perspective of those trying to sell a game on Switch in 2024?Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube789kWatch on YouTube We spoke to developers and publishers from across the industry to learn their thoughts on the current Switch eShop and gauge what kind of improvements they would like to see Nintendo make in the future.Here's who we spoke to:Andy Pearson - PQube (Potion Permit, Gal Guardians: Demon Purge)Callum Owen-Valentin & Jrme Chtelain - Kepler Interactive (Cat Quest III, Tchia)Dan Muir - Hound Picked Games (HyperParasite, Welcome to Empyreum)Joshua Van Kuilenburg - HomeBearStudio (NAIRI: Tower Of Shirin, Nairi: Rising Tide)Kate Gray - Freelance (Moonstone Island, Dimensional Double-Shift - and former Nintendo Life staffer!)Lincoln Hershberger - Big Fan (a new publishing label from Devolver Digital)Paul Dolby - Fossil Games (Camp Sunshine, Sunshine Manor)Sophie Smart - No More Robots (Let's Build A Zoo, Fashion Police Squad)Note. We spoke to another dev who wished to remain anonymous - their responses are marked below as Anon. Not everyone was able to answer every question (and we've edited several responses that cover the same ground), but the following answers give an insight into the state of the eShop today.Compared to previous years, how important is a Switch release to you in 2024?Jrme Chtelain (Kepler Interactive): Switch remains a strong platform for us. Depending on the title, the platform can even be the strongest in terms of net revenue. Switch is very important, especially later in the consoles lifecycle when discounts are more important for the conversion of wishlists into sales.Sophie Smart (No More Robots): Definitely less so than in previous years. We love the Switch, and so many of our games are on there, but with sales slowing down across all platforms, we now really need to pick and choose which games are worth porting to Switch for us. The cute and cosier games always make sense since they sell better on Switch, but some of our grittier, more tactical titles have been hard to justify porting over at this stage.Image: Fossil GamesDan Muir (Hound Picked Games): The visibility tails off so quickly now, compared to recent years. Previously, games would consistently sell before boosts were needed from entering sales to increase the visibility of the titles.Paul Dolby (Fossil Games): Nintendo Switch is one of the platforms that we were most excited about releasing both Camp Sunshine and Sunshine Manor on. Having played games on there for years, it feels like an enormous milestone to release onto the eShop.Andy Pearson (PQube): It depends on the titles, but we have seen Switch releases drop through 2024. There was a pretty clear switch during 2022 where in some cases we saw Switch sales for certain games consistently outperforming Steam as high as 80% Switch / 20% Steam. There was a period of parity between the platforms on certain games, but in the last 12 months, the tide has swung very much in Steam's favour on games where weve had simultaneous releases on both platforms. This is to be expected, however, as we enter the latter part of Switchs lifespan.Callum Owen-Valentin (Kepler Interactive): Switch releases remain very important to us in 2024 due to its massive install base (over 140 million units sold!) with strong player engagement, even eight years into the consoles lifecycle.Kate Gray (Freelance): Still important, and most likely easier, since porting studios have a lot of experience in Switch releases now. But the difficulty of working with Nintendo's strict guidelines and the lack of peripherals/keyboard support means that I'm not surprised a lot of games don't bother coming to Switch, especially those which work better with a mouse and keyboard, or have text too small to work in handheld mode Her Story and Baldur's Gate 3 come to mind. Depending on the kind of game I make next, those are the kinds of factors I'd have to weigh up to see if it was worth it.Image: No More RobotsHow have you found Switch eShop visibility in recent years? Do you think it suffers from having too many games?Joshua Van Kuilenburg (HomeBearStudio): There seems to be little curation for quality, which impacts consumer trust. Thats not great for small developers who depend on players taking a leap of faith on smaller indie titles from companies theyre not familiar with. If they actually manage to find your game after scrolling past 50 Highschool Hentai games, that is.Callum Owen-Valentin: Discoverability is challenging due to the sheer volume of titles released, with well over 10,000 titles on the store now. However, this issue is not exclusive to the eShop; for example, Steam saw over 18,000 releases in 2024 alone. That said, there are efforts on the eShop to improve discoverability, such as the 'Recent Releases' tab, whats in the Charts, and the 'Current Offers' tab. [...] Its also important to consider the eShop visibility opportunities external to the eShop itself such as the Switch News notifications and being included in the weekly 'Whats New' article, plus the chance to feature in the 'Nintendo eShop Highlights' video series on their YouTube channel (if you're lucky).Jrme Chtelain: The eShop is more a place to buy than a place to browse. [...] A lot of our campaigns are self-service, which gives us a certain amount of flexibility in our communications with players, but it would sometimes be beneficial to have more themed events, with fewer games curated by Nintendo, to guide the community and encourage them to discover other games. Steam has regular events for certain genres that publishers and developers can apply to take part in more easily.Image: HomeBear StudioAndy Pearson: Due to the non-algorithmic nature of the eShop, new releases are always prioritised by date, which doesn't always allow games to stay there for very long. This can also be something of a blessing, as it allows all games, to a certain degree, to get some time in the spotlight something that isnt always the case on Steam.Kate Gray: Oh, it's terrible. It's a multi-pronged problem, too.First, you've got the sheer number of games. Every storefront has this problem, and so does every developer the barrier to entry for making games is lower than ever, and that's great for accessibility, but it does mean that bad actors can make games, too. And a lot of them are, therefore, low-effort trash.That's the second issue. There's a LOT of trash on the eShop, and Nintendo doesn't seem too bothered about cracking down on that. To be fair, I don't know how they could XBLIG (Xbox Live Indie Games) suffered from it, Steam suffers from it, basically every platform that exists tends to attract low-priced trash. But Nintendo could do a few things: checking for AI content, clones of successful games, and weird pricing changes would get rid of a lot of the worst stuff. But Nintendo's Lot Check is just about checking that the games work, and I imagine the studios that crank out most of this stuff know the loopholes at this point.Thirdly is the interface and the algorithm (or, lack of algorithm, really). Nintendo has really made no effort to make sure that the eShop is easy to navigate, geared towards individual customers, or weighted towards the less-crappy games. I don't ever go on the eShop unless I already know what I'm looking for, and that really seems like leaving money on the table imagine if I went there to window-shop, and there was an algorithm that surfaced similar games to me, based on the ones I like. Nintendo has that data, why not use it? Better discoverability means easy sales for everyone. It's baffling that Nintendo just doesn't care!Sophie Smart: There is no doubt that the eShop has become flooded over the last few years. The upcoming/soon-to-be-released sections are jam-packed. Its become really difficult for players to find our games unless they are directly searching and already know it, or unless we undertake some more tactical decisions, such as deep discounting to try and get in the trending/top sellers sections.Anon.: Its not just too many games but the overall quality of them. There is a real glut of what I would consider 'junk'. As a consumer, after a few pages of junk, you just give up. I know from watching my kids browse the store (one way I research how the store is presented to consumers) that theres sometimes a complete page of nothing but junk.Image: Raw FuryHow do your eShop unit sales compare to other storefronts and have you noticed this change over the consoles lifespan?Lincoln Hershberger (Big Fan): eShop unit sales are a relevant part of our overall mix. While the numbers have started to trend down lately (in a manner to be expected for any platform approaching its eighth year), its stayed relatively consistent over the past few years.Callum Owen-Valentin: Our eShop sales have been solid, but since some of our releases launched on other platforms first, it's difficult to make a fair assessment based solely on our own sales data. However, with Cat Quest III, which launched simultaneously on all platforms, the Switch version achieved a very healthy share of sales despite being late into the console's lifecycle.Dan Muir: Sales have definitely decreased. Switch always dominated previous games that we, and our partners, have released. However, over the last 18-24 months, theres been a significant tail-off and quite often, Xbox and Steam lead. This is partly from fatigue of the actual hardware itself and part awful visibility. Lots of very, very good games are being missed by gamers!Sophie Smart: Sales are down for us across all storefronts and console sales in particular are heavily suffering. Most of our games sell less on console in general than Steam and this has always been the case, but the percentage of Switch sales to Steam has also dropped.Jrme Chtelain: For indies, Switch is an important platform because there are fewer competitors and big AAA games, and the console itself also makes it easier to play indie titles especially when you can play short sessions anywhere. Portability has undoubtedly been a major advantage in that sense.Andy Pearson: Historically, and especially on some genres/titles, we would see Switch as a lead platform. This was perhaps less so this year. While Switch games could perform strongly, Steam has been consistently the best-selling format for us in 2024, and in some cases, weve seen PS5 and Xbox out-perform Switch too.Paul Dolby: For us, the eShop sales are definitely higher than the other consoles, but that initial rush of sales when a game is released is definitely lower.Image: Kepler InteractiveHow big of an impact do eShop discounts have on your game sales?Andy Pearson: It definitely helps, but not to the extent of other platforms which have much stronger wishlisting and notification tools. Just deleting a title from your wishlist once purchased would definitely help!Joshua Van Kuilenburg: Discounts result in much-needed exposure, but consistent discounts also create expectations. As is certainly the case with larger publishers (like Ubisoft), customers are trained to wait for discounts down the line rather than buy the game during launch.Sophie Smart: A huge impact! If we didnt have our games on sale they would sell very minimally. As a result, its hugely important we have all of our games on sale at every opportunity we are allowed to. A developer's perspective after three years of experimentingLincoln Hershberger: Discounts are always a key part of our game sales strategy. It helps with visibility, especially for older games, and helps back catalogue sales, which has been a key part of our overall business.Anon.: Its still a big driver, but now so many games are on sale that its just part of the natural flow. I do think the overall 'value' of games is eroded.Unless you have a 'hit' youre going to struggle. Its feast or famine, really. Just too many games, too many discounts or free stuff. And people won't spend more than two minutes browsing.Callum Owen-Valentin: Discounts drive the majority of our eShop sales. You can see the spikes during sale periods, for sure. Ive noticed some other games get heavily discounted to try and break into the charts and boost visibility that way. While this is a valid tactic, I think it could risk devaluing games in the long term, potentially leading to a "race to the bottom" in pricing, so its about finding that balance.What do you make of the rise of AI-generated content and scam games on the Switch eShop?Kate Gray: It's depressing, but inevitable. The reason AI fans are excited about it is that they no longer need talent to create things. Anyone who has an idea can make a game, which sounds good on the face of it (I'm all for lowering barriers and increasing accessibility) but actually, it just means creative bankruptcy and widespread artistic theft. [...] Most of the AI art games I've seen have fallen into several categories: low-effort porn, scams that are hardly worthy of the word 'game', clones of popular, trending games aimed to trick people into thinking they are sequels and DLC, and well-meaning aspiring indie developers who can't afford artists. I have some sympathy for the latter, but I still fundamentally disagree with the use of AI, and from what I've seen, most customers/other developers feel the same way, and can easily identify AI based on a few of its hallmarks. I worry that being able to pick out AI will get harder as the technology gets better. We'll see.Image: PQubeAndy Pearson: It's definitely not helping the discoverability of good quality games and will also impact the consumer over time. This trend isn't isolated to just Nintendo, though; it's something we need to tackle as an industry and not by individual platforms.Joshua Van Kuilenburg: While developers are free to go about their assets as they please, we do believe customers deserve to be made aware by Nintendo of AI-generated content (which may be difficult to discern at first glance). [...] Consumers should be empowered to discover content theyre actually interested in. As for scam games and asset flips, well, these shouldnt be allowed to make it through Nintendos curation process in the first place.Anon.: Im just curious as to why there is no filter from Nintendo. It feels like there should be some curation. Quality is subjective, but blatant scams or copycat games clearly should not be on the store. Sea of low-qualityWhat changes would you make to the Switch eShop so Switch 2 can get off to a good start?Joshua Van Kuilenburg: Enhanced performance: browsing the eShop is painful on the Switch. Quality assurance: I bet developers wouldnt mind postponing release for the sake of consumers not having to wade their way through pages of low-effort shovelware to reach their game. Ideally, such games wouldnt exist on the eShop in the first place. Charm: a pet peeve of mine, and not nearly as important, but bring back some of that Iwata-era Nintendo charm! The UI currently feels rather bland with little personality.Andy Pearson: A redesigned storefront with good curation and good filtering options. It's fine to have a lot of great content, but the consumer needs to be able to browse it efficiently. Ensuring cross-buy support is there. Stronger demo filtering, so users can find content they want to try more effectively. [...] Recommendations based on your playtime within specific game genres and titles.Sophie Smart: It would be great to have more curated sale events and more opportunities for publishers and devs to get featured spots like the daily deals Steam has. It would give so much opportunity to developers to get their games noticed and reach greater heights.Kate Gray: A gentle limit on game studios' outputs, to discourage studios from releasing one game a week. An easier way to purchase DLC from within the game, instead of having to navigate through a million menus. The ability to pay with a foreign card, because some of us live in Canada and want to access the UK store, thank you very much. [...] Something useful to do with Platinum Points that isn't locked to a profile that basically no one ever looks at give me Switch themes, or dashboard music, or ANYTHING.Image: Hound Picked GamesLincoln Hershberger: The eShop could have better sorting and search functionality, such as sorting by genre. Adding more sorting options and improving discoverability would help players find the right games more easily.Dan Muir: Nintendo desperately needs to get the clones of various games under control. Whats happening right now is baffling and both developers and publishers alike are concerned about their games being cloned/themed/skinned without granting permission, and Nintendo is allowing this to happen.We know that Switch software will run on Switch 2, how do you hope Nintendo integrates the old eShop into the new?Paul Dolby: I would love to see 'Switch 1' and '2' games existing on the store, but clearly labelled as such. If needed, you could filter out 'Switch 1' games on the 'Switch 2'. So long as the AI-generated games and shovelware are moved to the bottom to disincentivise dubious developers who want to make a quick buck and incentivise developers who have poured every ounce of their creative output into a game. Creativity should be rewarded!Kate Gray: I don't. Burn it down and create something far better instead. Nothing from the eShop is worth saving, and all its good parts (the wishlist, the charts, recent releases) are done better by other storefronts, anyway.Andy Pearson: Cross-buy support, filtering by 'Switch 2' platform to help the new content be more discoverable (i.e 'Switch 2 optimised'), and good migration support so users can easily swap between devices when they upgrade.Dan Muir: Nintendo isnt stupid. I imagine it will have a universal store that operates almost akin to the AppStore in that titles displayed will run on the hardware youre navigating the store on (apart from via a browser, obviously). Anything that wont will simply be filtered out.Image: Kepler InteractiveSophie Smart: The simplicity of the eShop has always been a huge merit. I hope they continue to bring that over to the 'Switch 2', but just with a few more additions to help showcase titles which wouldnt have been possible on the Switch eShop. On day one, they will have an enormous library of Switch games available on the 'Switch 2', so lets get people playing more varied titles from new and small dev teams!Joshua Van Kuilenburg: What makes sense to me personally is that 'Switch 1' games would be present on the eShop within their own separate category. As the owner of a 'Switch 2', you would want to have an easy time identifying actual new content (rather than have everything mixed together).Anon.: Im very curious how this will work and if itll be like how Xbox did it with a small section of 'enhanced' titles for the new hardware. But the fact its backwards compatible is great for consumers and less so for devs. The Switch having an all-new store was amazing for devs. Now itll mean there are essentially two stores on the same platform, which will result in even worse discoverability, I think.These responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.Thank you to everyone who took the time to talk to us. "I had to grit my teeth and try a 'can't beat them, join them' approach"Block and move onPlease note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.See AlsoShare:00 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related Articles161 Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's 'Hits For The Holidays' eShop Sale (North America)Every game we scored 9/10 or higherPSA: Switch 2 Is Getting Revealed In The Next 100 DaysSet your Alarmos54 Games You Should Pick Up In The Nintendo Switch eShop Holiday Sale (Europe)Every game we scored 9/10 or higherBest Nintendo Switch Games Of 2024The finest Switch games of 2024

It was another record-breaking year for ransomware. When file-locking malware wasnt causing widespread disruption, like downing online services and lasting outages, ransomware was the cause of unprecedented data theft attacks affecting hundreds of millions of people, in some cases for life.While governments have struck some rare wins against ransomware hackers over the past twelve months, including the disruption of the prolific LockBit gang and the seizure and takedown of Radar, these data theft and extortion attacks continue to increase dramatically, both in terms of frequency and sophistication.We look back at some of the most notable ransomware attacks of 2024.JanuaryLoanDepotMortgage and loan giant LoanDepot said at the start of the year that it had been hit by a cyberattack involving the encryption of data, or ransomware. The attack left customers unable to access account information or submit payments, and forced the Florida-based company to shut down certain systems. Weeks later, LoanDepot said that the personal data of more than 16 million individuals were compromised.Fulton CountyThe notorious LockBit ransomware gang claimed a January cyberattack on Fulton County, the largest county in Georgia with a population over one million. The attack led to weeks of county-wide disruption, including IT outages affecting phone lines, the courts, and tax systems. LockBit published troves of data from the Georgia county, including confidential documents, but later removed these claims from its dark web leak site, which can be an indication that the victim paid the hackers a ransom. While the LockBit gang claimed Fulton County had paid, security experts reckon that LockBit likely lost most of the data it had stolen when the gangs servers were subsequently seized the following month by U.S. and U.K. law enforcement.Southern WaterU.K. utility giant Southern Water said early in the year that it was investigating a data theft incident, before weeks later confirming that ransomware hackers had stolen the personal data of more than 470,000 customers. The attack on Southern Water, which provides water and wastewater services to millions of people across the south-east of England, was claimed by the Black Basta ransomware group, a Russia-linked gang that previously took credit for a 2023 hack on U.K. outsourcing giant Capita.FebruaryChange HealthcareFebruary saw one of the biggest data breaches of the year and by far the largest data breaches of U.S. health and medical data in history. UnitedHealth-owned health tech company Change Healthcare was hacked by the ALPHV ransomware gang, which at the time claimed to have stolen millions of Americans sensitive health and patient information. Change Healthcare reportedly paid $22 million to ALPHV before the gang vanished in March, only for the ALPHV contractor who carried out the hack to demand a second ransom payment from Change.UnitedHealth conceded in April that the hack led to a data breach affecting a substantial proportion of people in America. It wasnt until October that UnitedHealth confirmed that at least 100 million people were affected by the data breach, which included sensitive data including medical records and health information, though the precise number of affected individuals is expected to be far higher.MarchOmni HotelsHotel chain Omni Hotels & Resorts shut down its systems in late March after identifying hackers on its network, leading to widespread outages across Omnis properties, including phone and Wi-Fi issues. In April, the hotel giant confirmed that cybercriminals stole the personal information of its customers during the March ransomware attack, which was claimed by the prolific Daixin gang. According to reports, this gang claimed to have stolen 3.5 million Omni customer records.JuneEvolve BankU.S.-based banking-as-a-service giant Evolve Bank was the target of a ransomware attack in June that had widespread effect on Evolves banking customers and the fintech startups that relied on the bank, including Wise and Mercury. The LockBit gang claimed credit for the attack on Evolve, with the gang posting data it claimed to have stolen from Evolve on its dark web leak site. In July, Evolve confirmed that the hackers had obtained the personal data of at least 7.6 million people, including customers Social Security numbers, bank account number, and contact information.SynnovisThe NHS was forced to declare a critical incident in June after a ransomware attack on a major pathology services provider, Synnovis. The cyberattack led to canceled operations and the diversion of emergency patients, and also saw the NHS issue a national appeal for O blood-type group donors in the weeks that followed because of delays in matching blood to patients as a result of the weeks-long outages. The Qilin ransomware gang claimed responsibility for the attack and eventually leaked 400 gigabytes of sensitive data allegedly stolen from Synnovis, or around 300 million patient interactions dating back years, making it one of the largest ransomware attacks of the year.JulyColumbus, OhioSome 500,000 residents of the City of Columbus, Ohios state capital, had their personal data stolen during a July ransomware attack, including names, dates of birth, addresses, government-issued identification documents, Social Security numbers, and their bank account details. Rhysida, the cybercrime gang responsible for last years devastating cyberattack on the British Library, claimed responsibility for the attack against Columbus in August, saying it had stolen 6.5 terabytes of data from the city.SeptemberTransport for LondonTransport for London, the government body overseeing the U.K. capitals public transit system, experienced weeks of digital disruption following a cyberattack on the authoritys corporate network in September that was later claimed by the infamous Russia-linked Clop ransomware group. While the London transit network continued operating without issue, the incident nevertheless resulted in the theft of banking data on some 5,000 customers and forced the transit authority to manually reset the login passwords of every single one of its 30,000 employees in-person.OctoberCasioJapanese electronics giant Casio was the victim of an October cyberattack, confirming to TechCrunch that the incident was ransomware. The cyberattack, which was claimed by the Underground ransomware gang, rendered several of Casios systems unusable, causing weeks of delays to product shipments. The attack also saw the theft of personal information belonging to Casio employees, contractors, and business partners, along with sensitive company data including invoices and human resources files. Casio said the hackers also accessed information about some customers, but did not say how many were affected.NovemberBlue YonderA November ransomware attack on Blue Yonder, one of the worlds largest providers of supply chain software, had a knock-on effect at several major U.S. and U.K. retailers. Two of the U.K.s largest supermarket chains, Morrisons and Sainsburys, confirmed to TechCrunch, that they had experienced disruption as a result of the ransomware attack, and U.S. coffee giant Starbucks was also affected, forcing store managers to pay staff manually. Blue Yonder has said little about the incident, including whether any data was stolen, but both the Clop ransomware gang and the newer Termite crew claims it has stolen 680 gigabytes of data from the supply chain giant company, including documents, reports, insurance documents and email lists.DecemberNHS HospitalsSeveral NHS were disrupted (again) by ransomware in December after a prolific Russia-linked ransomware gang dubbed Inc Ransom claimed to have compromised Alder Hey Childrens Hospital Trust, one of Europes largest childrens hospitals. The Russian ransomware gang, which similarly breached a major NHS trust in Scotland earlier this year, claimed it obtained Alder Hey patient records and donor reports, along with data from several other hospitals in the nearby area. Separately, the Wirral University Teaching Hospital another NHS location not far from Alder Hey was forced to declare a critical incident after also falling victim to ransomware.ArtivionDecember continued to be the month for healthcare-targeted attacks, as Artivion, a medical device company that manufactures implantable tissues for cardiac transplants, this month confirmed a cybersecurity incident that involved the acquisition and encryption of data which reads as ransomware. Artivion said it took certain systems offline in response to the cyberattack.

Breakdown & ShowreelsOne Hundred Years of Solitude: VFX Breakdown by El RanchitoBy Vincent Frei - 27/12/2024 Invisible yet essential. The visual effects crafted by El Ranchito for One Hundred Years of Solitude elevate Netflixs adaptation, crafting subtle, immersive visuals that honor Gabriel Garca Mrquezs timeless masterpiece. The line between real and unreal has never been so refined!WANT TO KNOW MORE?El Ranchito: Dedicated page about One Hundred Years of Solitude on El Ranchito website. Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2024

The 3D Printing Industry Review of the Year has returned for 2024, offering an opportunity to reflect on the years biggest 3D printing stories, many of which regular readers would be among the first to learn about.The mergers and acquisitions saga between Nano Dimension, Stratasys, and Desktop Metal, which dominated last years headlines, continued into 2024. While M&A activity would heat up throughout 2024, January saw Nano Dimensions Stratasys takeover efforts continue with a new all-cash offer.Januarys business news also saw several enterprises target cost-cutting and streamlining initiatives. However, it was too late for one company, as an asset auction spelled the end of a once-promising venture. Also in the news was the emerging dominance of entry-level 3D printers, new open-source offerings, promising research, and a slew of technology launches at CES 2024.Read on for Januarys key 3D printing updates and breakthroughs from Bambu Lab, Formlabs, Ansys, Velo3D, MIT, and more.Nano Dimension 3D printed electronics. Photo by Michael PetchAdditive manufacturing mergers and acquisitions 2024 kicked off with the news that Nano Dimension had submitted a renewed bid for 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys. This continued the Israeli firms long-term efforts to acquire Stratasys to build a leading 3D printing company and defend against a takeover bid by activist shareholders.Nano Dimensions attempts to purchase Stratasys date back to July 2022, when the firm announced it had purchased 12.12% of Stratasys ordinary shares. March 2023 saw Nano Dimension submit a $1.1 billion cash offer for Stratasys, worth $18.00 per share. The Stratasys board unanimously rejected this proposal, which was soon followed by failed offers of $19.55, $20.05, and $25.00 per share in cash.Nano Dimensions January 2024 proposal was worth $16.50 per share. At the time, Nano Dimension claimed that this Stratasys acquisition offer represented a 40% premium from the companys volume-weighted average share price of $11.75 since September 28, 2023. In addition to available cash, Nano Dimension reportedly initiated discussions with other financing sources to support the deal.This offer was not immediately rejected, with Stratasys announcing that its board would carefully review and consider Nanos unsolicited preliminary proposal. However, as the months unfolded, Nano Dimensions M&A activity proved to have more surprises in store.Elsewhere, US-based chip design software provider Synopsys planned to acquire Ansys in a cash-and-stock deal worth $35 billion. This deal valued Ansys, a leading simulation software developer, at $390.19 per share. The companys shareholders would receive $197 in cash and 0.345 shares of Synopsys common stock for each share of Ansys.Synopsys, a US-based chip design software provider, hoped this deal would expand its customer base and market position by producing silicone-to-system product sets. Ansys process simulation software is heavily utilized by companies looking to optimize designs for 3D printing. The proposed merger is currently under review by the UKs Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).Ansys headquarters. Photo via Ansys.3D printing companies face financial challengesAt the start of January, Metal 3D printing company Velo3D made headlines with a series of announcements. This included unveiling the new Velo3D CEO. Benny Buller, the companys former CEO, resigned at the request of the Board of Directors. He was subsequently replaced by interim CEO Brad Kreger who was later appointed permanently.Velo3D also unveiled plans to raise $18 million through a registered direct offering. This saw the company sell 36 million shares and warrants at $0.50 each, exercisable at $0.565. Additionally, the firm entered into securities purchase agreements with an existing lender and new investors. It hoped this move would enhance working capital, capital expenditures, and corporate goals.Another company facing restructuring in January 2024 was Desktop Metal. The Massachusetts-based industrial 3D printer manufacturer announced a $50 million cost-reduction plan, cutting 20% of its workforce.Desktop Metals cost reductions formed part of a broader strategic business review and other streamlining actions, including the continued consolidation of facilities and product rationalization. These moves sought to accelerate the companys path to profitability amid what Desktop Metal called a downturn in the additive manufacturing industry.Former Velo3D CEO Benny Buller. Photo via Benny Buller, Linkedin. Was the 3D printing industry on a downward trajectory at the beginning of 2024? Despite pessimistic rhetoric from certain quarters, many possessed a more positive market outlook.Published in January 2024, the 3D Printing Industry Executive Survey saw additive manufacturing leaders share their insights on the future of 3D printing. Most respondents predicted a healthy business environment for 3D printing in 2024. 62% shared a positive view of external conditions, while 68% called internal business conditions favorable or very favorable. The number of 3D printing executives sharing a negative view fell by 80%, with only 3% anticipating an unfavorable or very unfavorable 2024.The surveys results contradicted doom-laden social media posts and tightly scripted investor earnings calls. It suggested that most in the industry entered January in a healthier position than the handful of players announcing cost-cutting efforts.French 3D printer manufacturer and service provider Prodways Group was another company to make strategic changes. In January, it discontinued sales of its small wax and resin jewelry 3D printers. The company reallocated resources to high-volume, industrial 3D printers which, according to Prodways, possess higher added value.The small-scale 3D printers, sold under the Solidscape brand, reportedly generated weak sales and significant operating loss in 2023. Discontinuing their formed part of the companys growth and profitability strategy to improve turnover and market position.Elsewhere, Arevo announced a 3D printing hardware auction, marking the end of the companys existence. Having started life as a promising venture offering its AQUA 3D printers and automating carbon fiber composite production, Arevo soon shifted focus to 3D printed SuperStrata bikes. Despite raising $70 million in B Bridge, B1, B2, C, and crowdfunding, January 2024 saw the firm sell its assets and cease operations.Closeup of Prodways 3D printer. Photo via ProdwaysThe rise of low-cost FDM 3D printersThroughout 2024, the rising market share of low-cost 3D printers was a prevailing theme. The year started with the news that industrial 3D printer shipments had been stagnating towards the close of 2023, while entry-level systems were the fastest-growing segment in the industry.The report from market intelligence firm CONTEXT highlighted that global industrial polymer 3D printer shipments fell 17% YoY in Q3 2023, while entry-level 3D printers grew 9%. According to Context, low-cost systems are cannibalizing the sales of more high-end offerings. Notably, the report indicated that 8.1 million polymer FDM 3D printers were shipped during the period.The growth of entry-level 3D printers has been driven by the meteoric rise of Bambu Lab, a Shenzhen-based desktop 3D printer manufacturer. Bambu Lab adopts a closed-source approach to its 3D printers, calling this the Apple approach. In January, the company responded to open-source 3D printing community demands.A project by third-party firmware developer X1Plus sought to jailbreak the companys X1 3D printer and run external firmware to unlock new community-made features. Bambu Lab initially patched this loophole but changed tack in January after a meeting with X1Pluss leading developer.In a compromise, the Chinese firm offered an optional firmware update which allowed users to install third-party firmware on the X1. Described as a one-way ticket, this agreement revokes the 3D printers warranty.January also saw 3D printing hardware developer BIQU release plug-and-play mods and upgrades for Bambu Lab P, X, and A Series 3D printers. Featured in the Panda Series, the mods included the Panda Revo Hotend, Panda Lux LED upgrade kit, Panda Fur protective leather cover, and Panda nPEI Build Plate. BIGTREETECH, a partner brand of BIQU, also announced Panda Touch, a new Bambu Lab 3D printer touchscreen.The Panda Pad. Image via BIGTREETECHNew technology innovations at CES 2024CES 2024, a consumer technology trade featuring global names like Amazon, Google, and Samsung, was held in January. Despite criticism from some quarters that the show has become too gimmicky over recent years, CES 2024 featured several new 3D printing technology launches.On day one of CES 2024, resin-based 3D printer manufacturer Formlabs unveiled a new resin pumping system and two new materials, Polypropylene Powder and Premium Teeth Resin. These offerings seek to boost the efficiency, versatility, and scalability of the companys 3D printing ecosystem.Formlabs resin pumping system launched at CES 2024. Photo via Formlabs.The resin pumping system can reportedly accelerate production speeds with lower associated resin costs and reduced waste. Formlabs Polypropylene Powder targets low-cost production of parts commonly made with polypropylene, the second-most widely produced commodity plastic in the world. Premium Teeth Resin is a nano-ceramic filled FDA-registered Class II biocompatible material. It can be customized to mimic natural teeth translucency and opalescence.CES 2024 also saw Doser enter the 3D printed personalized medication field with DoserRx1. This desktop-sized 3D printer is optimized for the production of personalized pharmaceutical pils. Elsewhere, Shenzhen-based 3D printing manufacturer Creality launched its K1C 3D printer and introduced the Ender-3 V3.The Doser Rx1 at CES 2024. Photo via Doser.3D printing research breakthroughsIn January, a team from Italys Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia and the University of Montpellier in France developed an autonomous additive manufacturing system. This snake-like robot can continuously 3D print its own body to grow longer.As the robots head rotates, it pulls PLA filament through itself. This is then extruded through a nozzle in its head, 3D printing extra layers to its tubular body. Called the FiloBot, the robots creators drew inspiration from climbing plants like vines. It uses sensors to determine the direction in which it grows, reacting to stimuli like light and gravity.The researchers believe this technology offers value for search and rescue operations, environmental monitoring, exploration, interaction with unstructured environments, and autonomous construction of complex infrastructure.Finally, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers 3D printed self-heating microfluidic devices to support the development of affordable disease detection tools. The team leveraged cost-effective multi-material 3D printing to fabricate the devices in a single step with just $2 worth of materials. The low-cost process offers value for those living in remote regions or developing countries with limited access to expensive lab equipment. The FiloBot. Photo via Science Robotics.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 the CES Convention Center in Las Vegas. Photo via Lynxter.