Kokedama can be viewed as a descendent of the Japanese wabi sabi aesthetic philosophy, which celebrates perfection in imperfection and the transience of nature. In recent years, the humble practice of kokedama has gained international attention as a stylish and sustainable way to incorporate greenery into homes, especially in urban environments where space is at a premium.Some of the most masterful kokedamas combine species to create tiny ecosystems or boast diverse floral arrangements, using plants in visually complementary and sculpturally-unique ways. All in all, the moss-cloaked simplicity of this Japanese art form embodies minimalism and natural balance, but leaves room for imagination.How to create kokedamaThe process of DIYing your kokedama is fairly straightforward: select your plant, encase the roots in soil, swathe with layers of moss, and wrap with string to secure. However, in practice, it can be messy and difficult. Benji Le, a plant and gardening expert, recommends the below beginner-friendly technique, which uses a tea bag to enclose the roots, followed by wrapping it in a layer of sphagnum moss and finishing with sheet moss.Ive found that adding this dried sphagnum moss layer in between gives more substrate for the plant to grow on, Le explains. It also helps retain more water, which is really important for kokedama, because they dry out quickly.Step 1: Choose your houseplantArguably one of the most important steps, choosing your houseplant will determine the size and future care regime of your kokedama. Tropical plants, such as philodendron or pothos, grow quickly, and will require more room for their roots to grow, as well as frequent watering. A slow-growing houseplant, such as a peperomia or small fern, will require less care and makes a good beginners choice.Step 2: Prepare your houseplantStart by cleaning the roots of your houseplantrunning them lightly under water or sitting them in a bowl of water can help loosen the soil from the roots. Be careful not to damage the root system.Step 3: Place your plant in soilTake a tea bag or similarly sized porous mesh bag and fill it halfway with akadama, also known as bonsai soil. Then take your houseplant and gently place its roots inside the bag. Tie the bag so that the roots and soil are entirely enclosed.Step 4: Shape your moss ballUse twine as you layer moss to shape and bind the kokedama.Photo: Westend61/Getty Images

By Nerijus Adomaitis OSLO (Reuters) -Nine out of ten new cars sold in Norway last year were powered by battery only, registration data showed on Thursday, placing the country within reach of its target of only adding cars that are electric on the road by 2025. Fully electric vehicles accounted for 88.9% of new cars sold in 2024, up from 82.4% in 2023, data from the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV) showed. Top-selling brands were Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), followed by Volkswagen (ETR:VOWG_p) and Toyota (NYSE:TM). "Norway will be the first country in the world to pretty much erase petrol and diesel engine cars from the new car market," said Christina Bu, head of the Norwegian EV association. CARROT AND STICK APPROACH Oil-producing Norway penalises petrol and diesel cars with high taxes, while exempting EVs from import and value-added taxes to make them more attractive, although some levies were reintroduced in 2023. The policy has worked because it has been consistent over time, maintained by governments of various political persuasion, experts said. "Very often we see in other countries that someone puts tax incentives or exemptions and then they pull back again," Bu said. Also helpful is the fact that Norway does not have an automaker lobby. "We are not a car-producing country ... so taxing cars highly in the past was simple," said Ulf Tore Hekneby, head of Norway's biggest car importer, Harald A. Moeller. Having incentives, rather than banning petrol and diesel cars, was crucial too, said Bu. "That would (have) made people angry. People don't like being told what to do," she said. The European Union has decided to ban sales of carbon-dioxide-emitting cars by 2035, but it may allow sales of cars that run on fuels made from captured CO2. Norway's policies mean that fully electric cars last year overtook pure petrol cars on Norwegian roads. They accounted for more than 28% of all cars driven in the Nordic country as of December, according to Public Road Administration data. "That's the big lesson: put together a broad package (of incentives) and make it predictable for (the) long-term," said deputy transport minister Cecilie Knibe Kroglund. IMPACT To be sure, while nearly all new buyers of cars in Norway have gone electric, some hold-outs remain. "The main buyers of ICE (internal combustion engine) cars in Norway are rental companies because many tourists are not familiar with EVs," said Hekneby. Still, the rising share of EVs on Norwegian roads means other sectors have to adapt. At fuel stations, more and more petrol pumps are replaced with fast electric chargers. "Within the next three years we will have at least as many charging stalls as we have pumps for fuel," said Anders Kleve Svela, a senior manager at Circle K, Norway's largest fuel retailer. "In just a couple of years more than 50% of all the cars in Norway will be electric ... We have to ramp up our charging park according to that," he added. For drivers, switching to an EV means it can take a little longer to charge a car in winter due to the cold weather. "Sometimes I miss that I just can pump it full and drive off five minutes later," said Desire Andresen, 28, an in-home caregiver, charging her car at a Circle K station outside Oslo. "But I'm more comfortable with an electric car ... It's better for the environment and the diesel cars produce so much smell." ($1 = 11.0850 Norwegian crowns)

Breaking The BankGTA 6 is projected to make over $1 billion in pre-orders, and double GTA 5's first year, no doubt letting a bunch of suits buy ten car garages they don't needYep, just a small amount of money, to help counteract an estimated budget of up to $2 billion, because numbers can be ridiculous.Image credit: Rockstar Games News by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on Jan. 2, 2025 You know GTA 6? That small game that's set to come out later this year and definitely hasn't had people on the internet going a bit wild as they try to predict when it might get a second trailer? Well, it's projected to make an obscene amount of cash when it arrives.Yup, in case it wasn't obvious, people like me and weird moon theorists aren't the only folks who're very excited to finally play the mega-blockbuster - people who're set to reap some of its profits definitely will be too.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. According to analysis by games industry consulting firm DFC Intelligence, which features in a report by the Financial Times, GTA 6 is set to pull in over $1 billion in pre-orders, as everyone and their mum fails to excercise any self-control when it comes to handing the contents of the wallets over to Lucia and Jason.That's not all either, with the firm predicting that the game will make over $3.2 billion in revenue during its first twelve months on sale, which the report cites as doubling GTA 5's mark for the same period. That game, in case you forgot, reached $1 billion in sales in just three days - faster than any entertainment release in history, a record it still holds.It's ok, though, in comments to the FT, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick's being very down to Earth about the whole thing, saying: "I never claim victory before it occurs. That said, I think Rockstar Games will once again deliver something absolutely phenomenal Certainly the anticipation is high."The report estimates GTA 6's development costs to run "from the high hundreds of millions to as much as $2 billion", so the numbers are big all around here, and the game's really under pressure to deliver the kind of obscene revenue numbers being forecasted.More pressure comes from the fact that it likely isn't just Rockstar hoping that GTA 6 is a rising tide of cash, with other ships throughout an industry that's laid off far too many workers over the past few years no doubt hoping they'll be raised by it - console makers, for example.Do you think GTA 6 will live up to these record-smashing projections - and the general hype? Let us know below!

Wukong DaysHas the truth behind Black Myth Wukong's absence from Xbox has finally been revealed? It's complicatedOne of 2024's oddest stories seems to have come to a close.Image credit: GameScience News by Connor Makar Staff Writer Published on Jan. 2, 2025 One of 2024's more bizarre stories may have come to a strange conclusion, as a developer from Game Science has posted about Black Myth Wukong's absence from Xbox on Chinese social media platform Weibo. It seems as though rumours surrounding technical limitations being a major culprit behind the game's lack of an Xbox port have some merit after all.Yongar Feng-Ji, Game Science CEO, posted the following on Weibo: "Although there were no big surprises, I still felt a little emotional after getting all of them. Everyone's fighting power is so terrifying, but the only thing missing is the XBOX robe... It seems a bit wrong (but that's 10G shared memory, it's really impossible to get it without several years of optimization experience". This is machine-translated, so take it with a pinch of salt, and it's worth noting that the Xbox Series S has 10GB of memory, which certainly implies that console is the main barrier to an Xbox version.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Let's take a brief trip through the saga. Back in 2024, Black Myth Wukong proved an incredibly popular action game for many, doing well on PlayStation and PC. However, with no word on an Xbox version of the game, many were curious as to why the game skipped one of the major consoles. No official word was given initially, though two major theories circulated: some kind of PlayStation exclusivity deal was preventing it, or the Xbox Series S was proving to be a hurdle for the development team.On the Black Myth Wukong's pre-order FAQ page, the following is written: "PC and PS5 users can enjoy the full game starting August 20, 2024. We are currently optimizing the Xbox Series X|S version to meet our quality standards, so it won't release simultaneously with the other platforms. We apologize for the delay and aim to minimize the wait for Xbox users. We will announce the release date as soon as it meets our quality standards." This points to additional work being done on an Xbox version, but with the game releasing in August and still no Xbox version it seemed that this was proving difficult.However, a real spanner in this theory came via a Microsoft statement to Forbes. In an article written by Paul Tassi, a Microsoft representative provided this statement: "As we have said before, were excited for the launch of Black Myth Wukong on Xbox Series X|S and are working with Game Science to bring the game to our platforms. We'd prefer not to comment on the deals made by our partners with other platform holders but we can confirm that the delay is not due to Xbox platform limitations that have been raised to us."Tassi would also post on Twitter that a source informed him that as of August 2024, Black Myth Wukong was not on Xbox due to an exclusivity deal. IGN would later corroborate this report with its own seperate source. However, other journalists would say otherwise. Take Jeff Grubb, who on an August episode of the Game Mess podcast said that he heard that there was no "money marketing deal" that would lead to exclusivity, though he didn't cross out some other collaboration leading to PlayStation's lenghty headstart.So there was this period of he-said, she-said, with very credible voices hearing different things from different people in the know, deepening the mystery. Fast forward to today, and the CEO has seemingly put the questions to rest. Certainly, Game Science would not be the only developer which has struggled with the Xbox Series S. The CPO of Dune Awakening studio Funcom, Scott Junior, told us last year that making the Series S port would be a "challenge", while the Stalker devs have stated that making the Series S port felt "impossible", though followed up this statement with an optimistic take on how any developer could figure it out eventually.Now, there are only a few questions. Why did Microsoft say outright that technical problems were not the cause of the delay? Was it just a PR move, or given that credible journalists have echoed that an exclusivity deal did exist, was there some confusion or miscommunication behind the scenes? Then there's the obvious question: when will Black Myth Wukong come to Xbox? Will it ever? This story, while largely wrapped up, might still have some twists and turns in it yet.

The best new Nintendo Switch games coming soonWith so much that could happen, let's take a look at Team NL's bingo cards for the year ahead, starting with the question we've been asking ourselves since, oh, 2021?...On this page: Talking Point: Our 2025 Nintendo Gaming Predictions'Switch 2'Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo LifeWhen?Ollie: There's a lot of chatter around a potential January reveal for the successor, which sounds perfectly plausible, but we've also got Donkey Kong Country Returns HD coming later this month. In addition, Nintendo has absolutely nothing substantial lined up for February.It's quite funny looking back on last year's predictions and seeing just how confident we were that the 'Switch 2' would be revealed and launched in 2024. Still, let's go with early Feb reveal, launch in June.Alana: It's going to be soon very soon. I reckon we're going to get a teaser in January, with a full-blown February Nintendo Direct presentation focusing on it.I think June is the latest we'll see the console on shelves, too.Gavin: The echo chamber is getting pretty noisy - Nintendo needs to get out there and announce the thing before everyone's too exhausted to care! The rumoured 8th January reveal sounds realistic, although later in January also makes sense. Even assuming the trailer is ready, Nintendo staff around the world are still returning to their desks after the holidays, with brimming inboxes and untold admin to sort through - a little time to get up to speed before unleashing Switch 2 seems sensible.March feels too soon for launch, so unless Nintendo needs to boost its FY24-25 figures, May would be more likely.Jim: I'm going to have to agree with the team on this one. Sooner rather than later feels very much like the right answer to me, so I'm eyeing early January, too. Launch-wise, I'd be looking at some point in the summer. Let's be slightly contrarian and go for early June what a hot take!That said, this is Nintendo we're talking about, so brace for a teaser in March, a full Direct in September and a launch in early 2026. Oh god.Price point?Image: Zion Grassl / Nintendo LifeOllie: Realistically, I think we're looking at around 399 / $449. This puts it well clear of the current cost of the Switch OLED Model, but not high enough that it's approaching the absurdly hefty PS5 Pro price. Nintendo will want it to look competitive next to the likes of the Steam Deck.Alana: I'm on the same page as Ollie 399 / $449 is about what I'm expecting, and I can't see Nintendo going above 449 / $499. The latter pairing will probably be reserved for some kind of upgrade, but I'm also being pessimistic what with rising costs and potential tarifs. I'm praying it's the lower price.Jim: I'll keep the pessimism a-flowing, then. I can totally see the 'Switch 2' launching with the same $499 / 449 price tag that select analysts predicted last year. I wouldn't want to cough up that much dough, but I know that I would. And in a world of 699 PS5 Pros, I'd wager that a bunch of other people would too.Gavin: I'm not looking forward to it, but I am preparing for some old-fashioned gouging for us Europeans. $449 USD is in the ballpark, I'd say, but I can see Europe getting an extra 50 currency units slapped on top (the PS5 Pro is a mind-melting 799 over here), and the GBP total closer to US dollars than we're used to. Let's spice things up and say 429 / $449 / 479.Launch games?Image: Zion Grassl / Nintendo LifeAlana: Gosh, it really depends on when it launches. I would've pegged Metroid Prime 4 as a potential, but I feel like we're getting it in the fall.Regardless, I think the launch period will focus more on updates for existing games and a very limited selection of new releases. I actually don't think Mario Kart 9 will be a launch title, but it will be out within a few months. How about a new Smash Bros.? Sakurai teased a new project in a video earlier this year, and it'd be amazing to see that return.An Elden Ring re-release is a safe bet, right? Am I being too ambitious? The DLC will be a year old come the summer.Ollie: I'd love to see a new 3D Mario game at launch; it's been long enough now. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we're desperate for a new entry.A new Mario Kart seems equally likely, though I question whether we're really ready for a new entry after the Booster Course Pass for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Hmm, it's a tough one... I'd rule out Metroid Prime 4, though, I think Nintendo will keep that on the sidelines for a little while yet (assuming it's a cross-gen title).In short, I would expect one 'big' game, one gimmicky party-style game, and a whole bunch of third-party titles to bolster the lineup. How about one of those legally-binding Call of Duty games?Jim: Yep, Mario feels like a no-brainer for the 'big' tentpole launch, but I agree with Ollie on the party game front, and I can definitely imagine 'Nintendo Switch Sports Resort' slipping in there. The OG is still selling like hotcakes and a sequel feels like a good excuse for some heart-touching 'Even Nanna can get involved!' marketing in the console's reveal trailer.I wouldn't be surprised to see some 'Switch 2 Enhanced' options in there, too. A 4K Tears of the Kingdom with bonus 'Master Mode' content? An Echoes of Wisdom minus the dodgy frame rate? 'Super Mario Bros. Wonder Deluxe'? It all feels sufficiently plausible, whether they're free/paid upgrades or entirely new releases.Gavin: It's got to be Mario for launch, either Kart or the next 3D platformer, with the other one coming later in the year. Given Super Mario Bros.' 40th anniversary, there's no better way to kickstart the next generation.Beyond that, a couple of surprises (ARMS: Secondhand, anybody? Anyone?... Hello?), and the mysterious Playtest title seems like a gimme. Blimey, that came and went, didn't it?2025 Nintendo release predictionsWon't somebody think of the puns!? Image: NintendoJim: I'll be boring and throw those fabled Wind Waker and Twilight Princess ports into the ring. A substantial part of me would actually prefer a Phantom Hourglass / Spirit Tracks remake at this point, but I've harped on about the Zelda ports for too long now to completely give up hope. That said, four Zelda games in three years feels like a stretch.Let's go for a new Smash Bros., then. It won't come at launch, but I can see it being a good Holiday '25 release.Alana: Uhh, just like last year, I have no idea what to expect. I'd love to have a weird, unexpected year from Nintendo.I know there's a danger of oversaturation, but isn't it time we get a new Donkey Kong game? Country Returns HD feels like such an odd release to me. Why not jump on a new title? Especially with a new console coming?Also, I think it's time for a new Animal Crossing game. It's been nearly five years since New Horizons, Nintendo! People would run to Switch 2 with an Animal Crossing game.Gavin: We'll get the tentpoles and I imagine there'll be a Splatoon 4 announced in the next year or so, but given backwards compatibility, I'm also hoping to see some smaller series getting a late-cycle 'Playable on Switch 2' release. The twilight titles on 3DS (Samus Returns, Shadows of Valentia) were fantastic but got a little lost. A new Rhythm Heaven that'll play on Switch 2 but also the millions of Switches already out there? You know it makes sense.Ollie: It's likely the OG Switch systems will continue to receive strong third-party and indie support in the coming months while Nintendo shifts focus, but I also think it's possible we'll see some more ports in the same vein as Donkey Kong Country Returns HD and Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition. And of course, we know the Switch is getting both Metroid Prime 4 and Pokmon Legends: Z-A.Aside from that, who knows? New Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo XL?Switch Online additions?Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo LifeGavin: There are gaps to fill in the current libraries, but first-party-wise there's not a huge amount missing at this point. DS is the console I'd be most excited to see added. Having all Zelda games ever on one Nintendo console is a tantalising prospect.Ollie: I suspect Nintendo will probably add in a new console to bolster interest when the Switch 2 launches. Could it be GameCube? DS? Dreamcast?! I'd love the former in particular, but I feel like there are so many first-party GameCube games that Nintendo would rather just give the full remaster treatment.We'll definitely see additions to the current lineup, at least. Nintendo's done a good job of boosting the value of NSO with the likes of Nintendo Music, but more SNES and N64 games really get us hot under the collar.Alana: More Pokmon on NSO, please? How are we still missing old-school Pokmon games, especially with GBA being on the service?I don't think we'll get new consoles, at least until the Switch 2 has settled. How about a Nintendogs app for NSO members, though?Jim: Yeah, Pokmon is the big one for me too, but considering how many people would buy a classic collection at the $70 mark, I wouldn't be surprised to see NSO miss out.Nintendo Music has me thinking that separate tie-in apps for subscribers will be the way forward, and I can totally imagine a revamped take on StreetPass falling into that category.Non-gaming Nintendo newsImage: Damien McFerran / Nintendo LifeOllie: We'll get our first glimpse at the Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel in 2025. Even if it's not a full-blown trailer, we'll at least get a short look at how Yoshi fits into things and the general premise of the movie. As for the Zelda movie..? Hmm, not sure about that one. Maybe some casting announcements?I would expect a boatload of additions to Nintendo Music. We got Super Mario 64 recently, but otherwise, new content has been a little bit slow. I suspect Nintendo will want to ramp this up throughout 2025.Gavin: A Nintendo store in a country I live in would be nice. Honestly, given the interest and how merch sells out instantly in the existing stores/pop-up shops/museum, most European capital cities should have a Nintendo Store, right? Expanding the retail footprint slowly and steadily would fit in with the firm's brand awareness goals and all that game. So yes, more Nintendo Stores opening.Jim: Movies are one thing, but I can see Nintendo getting back into the short-form space this year. Recent Echoes of Wisdom trailers (even the boring ones) have put me in mind of the adorable Pikmin shorts from back in the day, and with Dynamo now rebranded under the 'Nintendo Pictures' label, I'd love to see them make a comeback. Serialise it and put it on a NSO-subscribers-only streaming service. That feels like a Nintendo move.Alana: Well, Super Nintendo World should be opening in Orlando! Tying a Mario Movie sequel teaser in with that would be fun and safe, and easily attract tons of kids to the new park.More Lego is a safe bet a Nintendo Switch Lego set would be very nice but too recent? So maybe a SNES. I'd blow a lot of money on that. Otherwise, sod it, Nintendo releases a sports watch.Wild cards!Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo LifeOllie: A Pokmon/Palworld collaboration..? Heh, no.It might finally be time for that long-awaited F-Zero GX sequel. I think F-Zero 99 demonstrated that fans really love this series, and a new console would prove the perfect opportunity for Nintendo to finally bring the iconic racing franchise back from the brink. Come on. Do it for me.Alana: With all four Xenoblade available on Switch from March 2025, it's time for either a new game or a crossover game. Xenoblade Warriors has been thrown around many a time by fans, so why not bite, Monolith Soft and Nintendo?StreetPass will return with the Switch 2 in some form. Not as it was, but something similar.Chrono Trigger turns 30 in 2025. If that goes by without anything, I'll be shocked. Give us crumbs, please. Also, less of a Wild Card, but can we have UFO 50 on Switch (2?).Jim: Let's go for some shocking ports. Baldur's Gate III, Metaphor: Refantazio, Final Fantasy VII - the lot of 'em. Anything that feels like it shouldn't run on Switch 2, I want on Switch 2.I'll also hesitantly go for a new Star Fox. The era of 'grey space games' is firmly in the rear-view now, but something big and open world feels like it could fit. Probably with Troy Baker as Fox. Probably.Gavin: Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Collection. REM4KE for Switch 2. Majora's Mask: Return to Termina.Aaaaand Silksong?Image: Team CherryOllie: I officially don't care anymore!Alana: I'm sticking my neck out here Silksong will be a third-party launch title on Switch 2. It'll be cross-gen, obviously, but it'll be there day one on Switch.Gavin: Still haven't finished Hollow Knight.Jim: Silksong? Now that's a name I've not heard in a long time.Those are some of our 2025 Nintendo predictions, but what about yours? Place your bets in the usual place. And feel free to debate our use of the "'20s" in the intro to refer to this decade and not the roaring 1920s. Everything about the "Switch successor"57 games with big birthdays this yearSee AlsoShare:00 Gavin first wrote for Nintendo Life in 2018 before joining the site full-time the following year, rising through the ranks to become Editor. He can currently be found squashed beneath a Switch backlog the size of Normandy. 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Shadow trumps Sonic.With Sonic and co. currently making waves in the global box office with Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Samsung has revealed that it is launching a new set of 'Pro Plus' MicroSD cards based on key characters from the franchise (thanks, Hot Hardware).No release date has been set at the time of writing, but prospective customers can currently sign up for more information in addition to a cheeky 30% discount on the listed price.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Tesla delivered fewer cars last year than it did in 2023, marking its first year-to-year drop and signaling that the company is struggling to reach new buyers. That means Teslas Cybertruck, which is the companys first true new model since 2020, did little to boost the companys growth in its first full year of sales. The company announced Thursday that it delivered 1.77 million vehicles globally in 2024, down from 1.81 million in 2023. Just 85,133 of those vehicles delivered were what Tesla refers to as other models, which includes the aging Model S sedan, Model X SUV, and the Cybertruck. Teslas stock, which has been on a run since CEO Elon Musk helped Donald Trump win re-election in November, dropped in pre-market trading.This story is developing

AI is fundamentally dependent on data, but the vast majority of health data goes unused for understandable reasons chiefly patient privacy, regulation and IP protection.This is the core underlying problem of building AI solutions for life sciences and related areas like pharmaceutics, said German entrepreneur Robin Rhm. And not only that: collaboration when it comes to sensitive data can be a challenge. Apheris, Rhms startup, aims to address this through federated computing: making data securely accessible for AI model training without moving it by taking a decentralized approach. Its customers include Roche and several hospitals, he said.The core philosophy of federated computing is that computations are executed locally where data resides, and only the outputs (e.g., model parameters) are aggregated centrally, says Marcin Hejka, a co-founder and managing partner at OTB Ventures. Hejka has now co-led an $8.25 million Series A into Apheris alongside fellow deep tech investor eCAPITAL.Hejka believes Apheris could become a critical component in the federated data networks that are starting to emerge. We see a maturing ecosystem of third-party software tools (open-source federation engines, data quality tools, and security products), he told TechCrunch. Apheris also enables seamless integration with complementary privacy-enhancing technologies (homomorphic encryption, differential privacy, synthetic data).Apheriss new funding comes in the wake of a pivot. Originally, Rhm and his co-founder Michael Hh started the company in 2019 with the goal of building a federated learning framework that competed with open source approaches, based on their experiences at their previous startup, Janus Genomics. But after raising a large seed round in 2022, the duo made a major pivot in 2023 to focus on the data owner side and double down on pharma and life sciences.According to Rhm, this paid off. The startup found product-market fit with the new product it launched in the last quarter of 2023, and multiplied its revenue by 4 since then. Also backed by existing investors including Octopus Ventures and Heal Capital, its new round brings its total funding to $20.8 million, which will help the company hire senior talent with life science backgrounds, also on the commercial side.The Apheris Compute Gateway, the software agent that serves as a gateway between local data and AI models, is already being used by the AI Structural Biology (AISB) Consortium, a joint initiative that sees members such as AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Johnson & Johnson and Sanofi collaborate on AI-driven drug discovery.Protein complex prediction will be one topic Apheris will further focus on with this new funding. While use-case agnostic, it understands that it can add value when there is very limited public data available, yet much more valuable and diverse data that wont be unlocked unless life sciences companies feel safe doing so. Without addressing the data owners concerns in providing data to AI, we dont think that the impact of AI can really be unlocked, and thats ultimately the core mission of what were building, Rhm said.

A lot can change in a few months.The climate tech world hasnt exactly been turned upside down, but its definitely more askew than it was in the summer. The U.S. federal election results may have imperiled the startup-friendly Inflation Reduction Act, likely throwing a wrench into many companies business plans.Yet at the same time, AIs skyrocketing computing needs have driven data center operators scouring the earth for sources of electricity, bringing a surge of interest in a range of power sources, including nuclear, renewables, batteries, and even fusion.As 2025 dawns, its a good time to look at the trends that are likely to define the coming 12 months.Advanced nuclearNuclear power received a lot of love this past year, from Microsoft restarting a reactor at Three Mile Island to Google signing a 500-megawatt deal with startup Kairos. The driver? Data centers, data centers, data centers. With AI servers facing a power shortage as soon as 2027, tech companies have been racing to get their hands on electricity wherever they can find it.Nuclear power is one of those places. Historically, adding nuclear capacity meant big power plants that take a decade or more to build. But a new wave of startups has been proposing smaller designs that can be more easily mass produced, or so the thinking goes. They havent been tested at scale yet, and the success of nuclear startups will depend on how the first few go.In their favor, those companies have the benefit of a newly streamlined regulatory process, which should help speed the time from proposal to construction.But theyre also facing stiff competition from renewable power sources, which are proven and quick to deploy. Unless theres a breakthrough in efficiency for AI model training or inference, expect to hear more about techs love affair with nuclear in the coming year.Fusion powerWere just over two years out from the National Ignition Facilitys groundbreaking announcement that it had produced the worlds first controlled, net-positive fusion reaction. Fusion startups undoubtedly used the news to kickstart their fundraising efforts. Among the winners this year: Acceleron Fusion, Marvel Fusion, Marathon Fusion, Type One Energy, Xcimer Energy, and Zap Energy.Expect more this year, too. Building a fusion power plant, even a demonstration unit, is expensive. Several startups have begun work on prototypes, demos, and even commercial reactors, including Commonwealth Fusion System and Zap Energy. Many have goals of hooking power plants up to the grid in the early 2030s, which means they have a lot of work to do in the coming years. And that means theyll need more money soon.Its a risky technology, but the rewards include remaking the trillion-dollar energy sector. If companies are able to hit scientific and engineering milestones, expect more investors to line up in 2025.HydrogenFew sectors are as exposed to potential changes to the Inflation Reduction Act as hydrogen. Many startups are hoping to eventually deliver the gas at $1 per kilogram, but not until later this decade or early next.To get there, theyve been optimistic that the two-year-old IRA can help them bridge the gap by way of a $3 per kilogram subsidy for hydrogen produced by renewable electricity. If that provision is nixed, a number of hydrogen startups could be in danger of going belly up. Large companies have already grown skittish.At the same time, scientists and investors have warmed to so-called geologic hydrogen, or hydrogen thats produced naturally within the Earth. Could it save the industry? The next 12 months might be a make or break moment.What else?The coming year will almost certainly bring more changes, especially as politicians and regulators grapple with growing power demand from AI. Changes in the permitting process could drive a wave of investment in grid-related technologies, but if those efforts stall, expect more companies to sign deals with power providers to sidestep the grid and connect directly to data centers.Investors have told me that it will probably be challenging for many startups to raise new funding in the coming year. The most exposed companies are those that are overly dependent on vulnerable subsidies.But 2025 is just as likely to throw a curveball its helpful to remember that the current climate tech wave emerged during the first Trump administration. Next year might have some surprises in store, too.

Explore the really cool visual effects crafted by beloFX across The Acolyte, Wolfs, Disclaimer, and My Lady Jane. From magical landscapes to gritty realism and historical fantasy, the studio showcases its talent in bringing every genre to life with breathtaking precision! Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2025The post beloFX Showreel 2024 appeared first on The Art of VFX.