By TREVOR HOGGImages courtesy of Universal Studios.Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) get a private tour of the Royal Palace of Oz.In recent years, exploring the backstories of iconic villains has become more in vogue with the release of Maleficent, Joker and now Wicked, a Universal Pictures production that brings the Broadway musical adaptation of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire to the big screen. No stranger to musicals is filmmaker Jon M. Chu, who has been making them ever since he was a USC film school student, but this time around, the scale is a throwback to Hollywood classics such as The Wizard of Oz, with the added benefit of the visual effects industry, which didnt exist back then.There is this grandiose nature to Wicked, but from the beginning, we always wanted it to feel touchable and immersive, director Jon M. Chu explains. We wanted to break the matte painting of Oz that we have in our mind. What happens if you could live in it? What happens if you can touch the dirt and textures? Visual effects are extremely powerful to be able to do that. Of course, we worked hand in hand with building as well by planting nine million tulips and having a real train and Wizards head, but were all in it together.Jonathan Bailey as Prince Fiyero performs in front of the rotating university library set, which was constructed by the special effects team led by Paul Corbould.Massive sets were built. I firmly believe youve got to build as much set as you possibly physically can, or do as much for real as you possibly physically can because the real photography on that set informs visual effects on how everything should look, states Production Designer Nathan Crowley. That is fundamental. You cant just put a bluescreen up because youre going to get enough of that anyway. Youve got to try to balance it. The act of physical construction is extremely informative. Crowley says, The thing is, if you do a concept and dont build it, then you miss out on the art direction of making it. Doing concept art in 3D was imperative. We will build, paint and finish a 3D model and will deliver it rendered to Pablo Helman [Visual Effects Supervisor]. Pablo has to rebuild it because visual effects have to go into a lot more specific areas, but at least he knows what it should look like. We also go scout places, and even if we dont film that place, well say to Pablo and Framestore, which does a lot of the environments, Thats what we need it to look like. We need to go to the south coast down to Poole and Bournemouth and get that set of cliffs, and that becomes Shiz. Emerald City is a hard one because youre going much higher [digitally]. I would try to build enough below 50 feet so he would have textures.Cinematographer Alice Brooks stands behind director Jon M. Chu as he discusses a shot she captured with custom-made lenses by Panavision.Cynthia Erivo decided to go with practical the stairs, and it all becomes this one long Steadicam shot that makeup for the green skin of Elphaba, which was then finessed digitally in post-production.Special Effects Supervisor Paul Corbould built the The Emerald Express, which was designed personal motorized carriage for the Wizard of Oz.Unreal Engine influenced the shot design. Emerald City was the last set that was built and was behind schedule, states Cinematographer Alice Brooks. We had this idea for when Elphaba and Glinda get off of the train, and we start to push down the stairs, and it all becomes this one long Steadicam shot that ends on a crane that lifts up. We had been working on this for months but couldnt get into the set to start rehearsals because all of the construction cranes and painters were in there. What we did do was take the game controller, go into Unreal Engine and start designing the shot. When walking the set in Unreal Engine, we realized that this big stepping-onto-crane move didnt show off the city in any spectacular way; that being low was the way you saw the city in this amazing way. Then, we threw out our amazing Steadicam idea, which our A camera operator was bummed out about, and we created something new in Unreal Engine that was perfect.Glinda, portrayed by Ariana Grande, makes use of her bubble wand.This aerial shot of Munchkinland showcases the nine million tulips that were planted.Numerous production meetings were held to discuss how to deal with the green skin of the future Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, portrayed by Cynthia Erivo. We wanted to have all of the options on the table then work with Cynthia herself to know what she needed as an actor, Chu explains. We did a lot of tests with a double to show Cynthia real makeup, semi-makeup where you only do the main areas, and completely non-green makeup because we knew that makeup every day for that long of a shoot could be grueling and would also take away time from actually shooting. Cynthia was like, I need the makeup. Of course, there is some cleanup that we needed to do because sometimes her hands were thinner on certain days than others. The green skin had to look believable and work in any lighting condition. David Stoneman, who is a chemist who makes products for our industry, took my green design, which was from products called Creamy Air and Illustrator, and the discontinued product that I had found, and put three drops of yellow neon into the base, explains Hair Designer/Makeup Designer/Prosthetics Designer Frances Hannon. It reflected off the dark skin tone and made it look like it was her skin, not like it was green-painted on the surface, and more than that, it worked in every light.A lens flare, rainbow and the Yellow Brick Road are incorporated into an establishing shot of the Emerald City.The head of the Wizard of Oz was a massive animatronic puppet hung from the ceiling of the studio.Prosthetic makeup was required to show the characters of Boq (Ethan Slater) and Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) being transformed into Tin Man and Scarecrow. One of my most important things was working with Mark Coulier [Prosthetic Makeup Designer] again, Hannon remarks. For Tin Man, we wanted to achieve something sympathetic because it should have never happened to Boq. In our story, Elphabas spell goes wrong in Nessarose [Marissa Bode]s office, and everything metal in that room attaches to Boq; his breast plate would be the tray on the table, and his hands become the thimbles, salt and peppers. Then, the visual effects took over because all the joints were blue. With Scarecrow, Jon and Mark particularly wanted to keep Jonathan Baileys face shape. We also kept his nice teeth and natural eye color for Scarecrow. I used contact lenses on Jonathan for Fiyero, so we had a nice change there. Then, for his head element, I put masses of gold blonde through his look as Fiyero, which carried onto Scarecrow in a straw-colored wig; that kept Fiyero attractive because Elphaba and he fall in love.Most of the 2,500 visual effects shots were divided between ILM and Framestore, with other contributors being OPSIS, Lola VFX, Outpost VFX and BOT VFX. The CG creatures were difficult because they also talk, but they are mainly animals, Helman remarks. They dont walk on two legs. If its a goat that talks and is a teacher, its basically a goat if you look at it, then he talks. It was a fine line stylizing the talking so that it doesnt feel like a completely stylized character, but also finding the expression, the eyebrows, eyes and mouth, the phonemes, and how articulate those creatures are. We had an animal unit of about 10 people or so that would play animals on set, and we would shoot a take or a few takes with them. We had a transformation scene where the monkey transforms and gets wings, so we had the whole animal unit performing and being directed by Jon. Sometimes, the second unit would stay there to shoot plates. Besides the music, dancers, choreography and huge sets, then there were the animals.The mandate was to capture as much in-camera, which gave Nathan Crowley the freedom to construct massive sets.Magic was always treated in a grounded manner. Its not a cutesy, glowing, sparkling thing, Helman notes. There is nothing wrong with those kinds of things; its just that this version of Oz is not magical. You have to remember, when you go back to the original story, the Wizard of Oz is not really a wizard. Creative solutions had to be applied to achieve the desired effect. How do you make a book glow without making it look completely fantastical and cartoony? Helman explains, Maybe what you do is provide a language inside of the book with words that may become golden that wasnt golden in the beginning. So, you see a transition between a word that is on a black ink parchment to something golden that produces a glow and is completely grounded. Broomsticks are a form of aerial transportation. We worked with the stunt department to get the center of gravity correct and to be able to move the actors around. Cynthia Erivo wanted to do her own stunts, so she did. All of that wirework was closely planned. There are two things: Theres the center of gravity and what the body is doing in the air, and the lighting. If we get those two things right then were fine, Helman says.Water was seen as the key method of transportation to Shiz.Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) begins to master the art of flying a broom.An establishing shot of Shiz University.Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) decide to take a more relaxed approach to flying by taking off in a hot air balloon.A major accomplishment was the practical realization of the Emerald City Express, which is the personal train of the Wizard of Oz. It was Nathan Crowleys vision, states Special Effects Supervisor Paul Corbould. We built the running gear and the track and motorized it. Its hydraulically driven. Construction clad it with all of the fiberglass panels. The motion was repeatable. The train could be programmed to drive to a particular spot, run down and stop at a position, and when told to start again, make its next move and run to the end of the track. You can take it back to the beginning and keep on doing that, remarks Special Effects Design Supervisor Jason Leinster. Equally impressive was the construction of the Wizards head. Jason reverse-engineered the scale model and changed the electric servos to hydraulic rams and a whole control system, Corbould explains. It progressed from that. The head was suspended from the ceiling of the stage. It was a civil engineering project to have something like that floating in the middle of space, Leinster notes. It was 22 axes and puppeteered by one person. Most of it was done live and was often changing.Anti-gravity architecture serves as the basis for Kiamo Ko, which is a castle located on the peak of Knobblehead Pike.Other complicated rigs included the rotating library. Because it was first up in the schedule, we built one wheel and ladder, and the dancers with Chris Scott [Choreographer] rehearsed on that one, Corbould states. As we built another one, they were rehearsing on that with more dancers, and we built a third one. It took three months. An amazing prop was the fountains. The petals opened up, and they wanted water to come out, Corbould remarks. Weve got these hydraulic motion bases, and in the middle is a slit ring that allows you to turn a rig round and round without winding the cable up. We had to take a slit ring off, which you normally run a hydraulic oil through, and put that on the fountain. It ruined it because we were running water through it; that was quite a challenge. A bricklaying machine gets pulled by a bison. There was no bison to pull it, so the machine was self-driven, Leinster reveals. You could sit back and steer it. We had a roadway of foam bricks rolled up inside, and as the machine drove forward, it unrolled the Yellow Brick Road. Eventually, it drove off into the sunset, being pulled by the bison. You probably wont realize that is an effect.Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) has the ability to control the weather, so there is a cloud motif to her hairstyle.To convey the impression of a floating castle, the concept of anti-gravity architecture was developed. Kiamo Ko isnt just a castle, Crowley observes. Its a defiant emblem of a bygone era, a testament to the forgotten magic that once pulsed through Oz. Its architecture, though ancient, utilizes lost principles of levitation, defying gravity yet remaining grounded in a sense of order and purpose. The key to Kiamo Kos defiance lies not in defying gravity entirely but in manipulating it subtly. Imagine a series of inverted arches, their points reaching skyward. These arches wouldnt be perfect mirrors of one another; instead, they possess a slight asymmetry, a calculated tilt that interacts with the forgotten magic of the land, generating a gentle, constant lift. This subtle slant would also provide a visual cue, hinting at the castles orientation even from a distance. By incorporating these design elements, Kiamo Ko transcends the trope of a generic floating castle. It becomes a character itself, a silent testament to a forgotten age and a beacon of hope for Elphaba and Fiyeros new beginning.Skies played a major role in setting the proper tone for scenesThroughout the whole movie, there is this idea that the sun is always rising for Glinda (Ariana Grande) and setting for Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo).Jonathan Bailey plays the role of Fiyero, who goes on to be transformed into the iconic Scarecrow.Lenses were developed specifically for the production (which evolved into the new series of Ultra Panatar II) that were paired with the ARRI ALEXA 65 cameras. Jon told me that he wanted Wicked to be unlike anything anyone had ever seen before, and the photography needed to represent that, Brooks states. I was on the movie so early I was able to design them with Dan Sasaki at Panavision in Woodland Hills. We called them the Unlimiteds after Elphaba singing Unlimited in Wicked because at the time they didnt have a name. Those lenses capture all of the pictures that Nathan, Jon and I put together for so many months, and they wrap the light beautifully on our actors. Usually, youre matching close-ups on the same lens, but on Elphaba, we shot her on a 65mm lens and Glinda on a 75mm lens, and we matched the size, but those two lenses did different things to their faces. Oz is a different place, and something is a little bit off everywhere. Our A and B 65mm lenses were not the same. It was a collage of lenses. Each one had such a different characteristic, and that made our movie feel different. Elphaba even has one line in the movie that goes, Some of us are just different. Thats what we want our Oz to be.Musical numbers were as complicated to plan and execute as action sequences.Various animals are part of the faculty at Shiz University, with Peter Dinklage doing facial capture and the voice of Dr. Dillamond.Apple Vision Pro is an essential part of the editorial process. I am overseeing the edit in the Vision Pro, Chu explains. Instead of being trapped in a monitor on a desk, which isnt the most creative, I can be like I am in the room with Myron Kertstein [Editor] where Im walking around or sitting on the couch. We can do visual effects approvals there too. I can bring it on and draw with my finger where certain areas need to be improved or whatnot. Hannon looks forward to seeing everything being brought together. For me, its seeing those finishing touches. The sets were 60 feet high. then we would have bluescreen. I do believe Paul Tazewell [Costume Designer] and myself, to the best of our abilities, gave Jon the spectacular, extraordinary and timeless look that he was after.Wicked is spanning two movies, with the first one centered around the song Defying Gravity and the second song For Good. Its in two parts, but we shot the whole movie in one lifetime! Helman laughs. I look at every project as a traumatic project where you develop these scars and learn from those scars, but you wear them proudly. Teamwork reigns supreme for Chu. Each department can make everything, but the reality is that we need to work together to make the thing that none of us can make alone. I feel lucky to be working with a team at the highest level, with the bar at the highest place for us to cross. It has been an amazing journey.

Promo cards have a lot of variance in Pokmon TCG Pocket. Some can be easily purchased from the shop, while others can only be obtained from limited time events. Right now, all promo cards are part of the Promo A series.If you were a late adopter of Pokmon TCG Pocket, you may have missed out on some of the Promo cards from the early events and Premium Passes. Unfortunately, there has been no indication that any cards no longer available will return to the game, but for posteritys sake, heres every promo card in the Promo A series.Heres a list of every Promo A card in Pokmon TCG Pocket and how to get them. Or if you have all of these, see the full list of Mythical Island cards.All Promo A cards list in Pokmon TCG PocketHeres every Promo A card listed in a handy table:Card #CardTypeHPAttack/AbilityObtained from1 / P-APotionItem—Heal 20 damage from 1 of your Pokémon.Shop2 / P-AX SpeedItem—During this turn, the retreat cost of your active Pokémon is 1 less.Shop3 / P-AHand ScopeItem—Your opponent reveals their hand.Shop4 / P-APokédexItem—Look at the top 3 cards of your deck.Shop5 / P-APoké BallItem—Put 1 random basic Pokémon from your deck into your hand.Shop6 / P-ARed CardItem—Your opponent shuffles their hand into their deck and draws 3 cards.Shop7 / P-AProfessors ResearchSupporter—Draw 2 cards.Shop8 / P-APokédexItem—Look at the top 3 cards of your deck.Not available9 / P-APikachuLightning60Gnaw (20)Premium shop10 / P-AMewtwoPsychic120Power Blast (120) — Discard 2 psychic energy from this Pokémon. Premium mission reward11 / P-AChanseyColorless120Gentle Slap (60)Meowth and Chansey Wonder Pick Event12 / P-AMeowthColorless60Pay Day (10) — Draw a card.Meowth and Chansey Wonder Pick Event13 / P-AButterfreeGrass120Gust (60)   Powder Heal (Ability) — Once during your turn, you may heal 20 damage from each of your Pokémon.Lapras ex Drop Event14 / P-ALapras exWater140Bubble Drain (80) — Heal 20 damage from this Pokémon.Lapras ex Drop Event15 / P-APikachuLightning60Gnaw (20)Lapras ex Drop Event16 / P-AClefairyPsychic60Slap (20)Lapras ex Drop Event17 / P-AMankeyFighting50Reckless Charge (30) — This Pokémon also does 10 damage to itself.Lapras ex Drop Event18 / P-AVenusaurGrass160Mega Drain (80) — Heal 30 damage from this Pokémon.Venusaur Drop Event19 / P-AGreninjaWater120Mist Slash (60)   Water Shuriken (Ability) — Once during your turn, you may do 20 damage to 1 of your opponent's Pokémon.Venusaur Drop Event20 / P-AHaunterPsychic70Surprise Attack (50) — Flip a coin. If tails, this attack does nothing.Venusaur Drop Event21 / P-AOnixFighting110Land Crush (70)Venusaur Drop Event22 / P-AJigglypuffColorless50Sing — Your opponent's active Pokémon is now Asleep.Venusaur Drop Event23 / P-ABulbasaurGrass70Vine Whip (40)Bulbasaur and Magnemite Wonder Pick Event24 / P-AMagnemiteLightning60Lightning Ball (20)Bulbasaur and Magnemite Wonder Pick Event25 / P-AMoltres exFire140Inferno Dance — Flip 3 coins. Take an amount of fire energy from your energy zone equal to the number of heads and attach it to your benched fire Pokémon in any way you like.   Heat Blast (70)Premium mission reward26 / P-APikachuLightning60Gnaw (20)New Year 2025 Event mission27 / P-ASnivyGrass60Tackle (20)Blastoise Drop Event28 / P-AVolcaronaFire120Volcanic Ash — Discard 2 fire energy from this Pokémon. This attack does 80 damage to 1 of your opponent's Pokémon.Blastoise Drop Event29 / P-ABlastoiseWater150Hydro Pump (80+) — If this Pokémon has at least 2 extra water energy attached, this attack does 60 more damage.Blastoise Drop Event30 / P-AEeveeColorless60Growl — During your opponent's next turn, attacks used by the defending Pokémon do –20 damage.Blastoise Drop Event31 / P-ACinccinoColorless90Do the Wave (30x) — This attack does 30 damage for each of your benched Pokémon.Blastoise Drop Event32 / P-ACharmanderFire60Ember (30) — Discard a fire energy from this Pokémon.Charmander and Squirtle Wonder Pick Event33 / P-ASquirtleWater60Water Gun (20)Charmander and Squirtle Wonder Pick Event

Riot has released a new teaser for the upcoming League of Legends competitive season, and the developer is once again collaborating with Fortiche. The new trailer, Welcome to Noxus, shows an assortment of Noxian champions scheming and battling including Mel, the council member from Piltover, who is travelling to the Immortal Bastion in search of answers.Welcome to Noxus is, in some ways, exactly what you might expect from a pre-season cinematic. There are some cool battles between champions, with Katarina and Elise duking it out at a fancy ball in Noxus while Trundle and Darius engage in a bare-knuckle brawl up in the icy region of the Freljord. But theres a startling amount of story development here, and the cinematic ends with the leaders of the Black Rose scheming about their next steps.The next season of League of Legends, which begins on Jan. 9, will bring a Noxus-themed season to the map, changing the terrain and turrets to fit the militant nations themes. Theres also a new skin line, the Masque of the Black Rose, which has a handful of champions attending a fancy dance ball hosted by the Black Rose. Welcome to Noxus shows us bits and piece of this party, which is rudely crashed by Katarina. Katarina is an assassin loyal to Swain, the current leader of Noxus, so it seems theres still plenty of in-fighting amongst the Noxian power players.Intriguingly, we get to see LeBlanc and Vladimir appear at the end of the cinematic. They dont match their in-game appearances, unfortunately, but theyre still recognizable as characters. This may be a teaser to a future visual update for these champions. It also seems to confirm LeBlanc as the mysterious mage who confronted Mel in season 2 of Arcane. In fact, this new season, the Masque of the Black Rose, and the conversation between LeBlanc and Vladimir seem to be a direct continuation of the end of Arcane season 2. This suggests that Arcane is definitely the mainline canon, which is an interesting revelation.If youre interested in learning more about the Black Rose, League of Legends lore, and how Arcane ties into it all, the above video by Necrit is a solid deep dive into the topic from a long-time curator of the games complex canon.Well have to see more of Noxus and how this cinematic struggle plays out throughout the first season. Theres plenty of narrative potential around Noxus: the ticking time bomb of Mordekaiser hidden within the Immortal Bastion, Swains bargain with a devious demon named Raum, Threshs pilfering of souls from unlucky Noxian bar staff, and the ongoing conflict led by Darius into the Freljord.The new season of League of Legends releases on Jan. 9 at 12 p.m. PST/3 p.m. EST.

The Color Cup: Great League Edition is a limited-time cup in Pokmon Gos Go Battle League that only allows four types of Pokmon to compete. These types are inspired by the colors red, blue, green, and yellow which just so happen to be the names of the original Pokmon games.As with most themed cups, putting together the best Color Cup team possible is going to take quite a bit of consideration. Many of your go-to favorites wont be eligible here.If youre looking for some inspiration, weve rounded up the top Pokmon for the Color Cup in Pokmon Go and their optimal movesets.Color Cup: Great League Edition restrictionsOnly four types of Pokmon are allowed to enter the Color Cup: fire-, water-, grass-, and electric-type Pokmon. Theres also a 1,500 CP limit for each member of your team.This is one of the more restrictive cups in the Go Battle League, although all four eligible types of Pokmon are fairly common, so chances are youll have a decent collection already to choose from. The ability to use dual types also increases the pool of eligible Pokmon.Because the Color Cup has the same CP limit as the Great League, youll find that theres some crossover between the two when it comes to the top-ranking Pokmon. If you want to compete in the Color Cup on a budget, try using Pokmon youve already optimized for the Great League rather than powering up new ones specifically for this cup.Color Cup best teamHeres one of the best teams you can use for the Color Cup: Great League Edition in Pokmon Go:Alolan MarowakMorpekoQwilfishAll three of these Pokmon have dual typings, which gives them unique resistances and access to some excellent moves. Between them, youll have access to fire-, ghost-, ground-, electric-, dark-, psychic-, poison-, ice-, and water-type attacks. There arent many Pokmon you wont have an answer for there!Alolan Marowak is a Great League favorite that looks like it will perform even better in the Color Cup, especially as many of the Pokmon that could exploit its weaknesses arent eligible to compete here. Its got great stats and an excellent, varied moveset that can target plenty of fierce opponents.Morpekos not-so-secret weapon is its signature charged move, Aura Wheel. Its relatively cheap to use, alternates between electric- and dark-type damage for extra coverage, and increases the Pokmons Attack by one stage every time its used. Morpeko might be fragile on the battlefield, but it can dish out some serious damage while it lasts.Finally, we have Qwilfish. With a total of eight resistances (which includes fire and water), its got an advantage against many opponents in the Color Cup. Its poison sub-typing also means Qwilfish doesnt have a weakness to grass-type moves, which most water-type Pokmon do.If you dont have those Pokmon in your collection (or you dont have enough resources to optimise them), there are plenty more great Pokmon to try on your team. These include Salazzle, Hisuian Electrode, Jumpluff, Gastrodon, Toxapex, Emolga, and Magmar. You can find more details about these Pokmon in the next section.Color Cup best Pokmon moves and IVsHere are some of the top Pokmon to use in the Color Cup, as well as their optimal movesets and IVs:PokmonTypeBest Fast MoveBest Charged MovesPerfect IVsAlolan MarowakFire/GhostFire SpinBone Club and Shadow Bone0 / 14 / 14MorpekoElectric/DarkThunder ShockAura Wheel and Psychic Fangs1 / 15 / 15QwilfishWater/PoisonPoison StingAqua Tail and Ice Beam0 / 12 / 14SalazzlePoison/FireIncineratePoison Fang and Dragon Pulse2 / 15 / 13Hisuian ElectrodeElectric/GrassThunder ShockWild Charge and Swift1 / 14 / 14JumpluffGrass/FlyingFairy WindAerial Ace and Energy Ball0 / 14 / 14GastrodonWater/GroundMud SlapBody Slam and Earth Power1 / 15 / 14ToxapexPoison/WaterPoison JabBrine and Sludge Wave0 / 15 / 15EmolgaElectric/FlyingThunder ShockAcrobatics and Discharge0 / 13 / 15MagmarFireKarate ChopFire Punch and Scorching Sands0 / 15 / 15Weve not included Shadow Pokmon in our recommendations, as they can be quite rare and not every trainer will have caught them during their limited appearances. If you do have a Shadow Magmar or a Shadow Jumpluff, though, its worth trying them out with the same movesets listed above.When running the Color Cup format through PvPokes simulator, Toxapex comes out on top of the rankings. Things dont always work out the same in reality as they do on paper, of course, but it would be wise to have at least one strong Toxapex counter to hand. Our team recommendation has two: Morpeko and Alolan Marowak.The best thing about the Color Cup is that there are loads of promising Pokmon to try out, so hopefully, we wont be in for a run thats dominated by just one or two Pokmon. Whatever team you end up using, power them up, make sure youve got plenty of coverage options, and give it your best shot!

This article is a sponsored by CloudwaysProduct launches and sales typically attract large volumes of traffic. Too many concurrent server requests can lead to website crashes if youre not equipped to deal with them. This can result in a loss of revenue and reputation damage. The good news is that you can maximize availability and prevent website crashes by designing websites specifically for these events. For example, you can switch to a scalable cloud-based web host, or compress/optimize images to save bandwidth. In this article, well discuss six ways to design websites for high-traffic events like product drops and sales:Compress and optimize images,Choose a scalable web host,Use a CDN,Leverage caching,Stress test websites,Refine the backend.Lets jump right in!How To Design For High-Traffic EventsLets take a look at six ways to design websites for high-traffic events, without worrying about website crashes and other performance-related issues.1. Compress And Optimize ImagesOne of the simplest ways to design a website that accommodates large volumes of traffic is to optimize and compress images. Typically, images have very large file sizes, which means they take longer for browsers to parse and display. Additionally, they can be a huge drain on bandwidth and lead to slow loading times.You can free up space and reduce the load on your server by compressing and optimizing images. Its a good idea to resize images to make them physically smaller. You can often do this using built-in apps on your operating system.There are also online optimization tools available like Tinify, as well as advanced image editing software like Photoshop or GIMP:Image format is also a key consideration. Many designers rely on JPG and PNG, but adaptive modern image formats like WebP can reduce the weight of the image and provide a better user experience (UX). You may even consider installing an image optimization plugin or an image CDN to compress and scale images automatically. Additionally, you can implement lazy loading, which prioritizes the loading of images above the fold and delays those that arent immediately visible. 2. Choose A Scalable Web HostThe most convenient way to design a high-traffic website without worrying about website crashes is to upgrade your web hosting solution.Traditionally, when you sign up for a web hosting plan, youre allocated a pre-defined number of resources. This can negatively impact your website performance, particularly if you use a shared hosting service.Upgrading your web host ensures that you have adequate resources to serve visitors flocking to your site during high-traffic events. If youre not prepared for this eventuality, your website may crash, or your host may automatically upgrade you to a higher-priced plan. Therefore, the best solution is to switch to a scalable web host like Cloudways Autonomous:This is a fully managed WordPress hosting service that automatically adjusts your web resources based on demand. This means that youre able to handle sudden traffic surges without the hassle of resource monitoring and without compromising on speed.With Cloudways Autonomous your website is hosted on multiple servers instead of just one. It uses Kubernetes with advanced load balancing to distribute traffic among these servers. Kubernetes is capable of spinning up additional pods (think of pods as servers) based on demand, so theres no chance of overwhelming a single server with too many requests.High-traffic events like sales can also make your site a prime target for hackers. This is because, in high-stress situations, many sites enter a state of greater vulnerability and instability. But with Cloudways Autonomous, youll benefit from DDoS mitigation and a web application firewall to improve website security. 3. Use A CDNAs youd expect, large volumes of traffic can significantly impact the security and stability of your sites network. This can result in website crashes unless you take the proper precautions when designing sites for these events. A content delivery network (CDN) is an excellent solution to the problem. Youll get access to a collection of strategically-located servers, scattered all over the world. This means that you can reduce latency and speed up your content delivery times, regardless of where your customers are based. When a user makes a request for a website, theyll receive content from a server thats physically closest to their location. Plus, having extra servers to distribute traffic can prevent a single server from crashing under high-pressure conditions. Cloudflare is one of the most robust CDNs available, and luckily, youll get access to it when you use Cloudways Autonomous.You can also find optimization plugins or caching solutions that give you access to a CDN. Some tools like Jetpack include a dedicated image CDN, which is built to accommodate and auto-optimize visual assets.4. Leverage CachingWhen a user requests a website, it can take a long time to load all the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript contained within it. Caching can help your website combat this issue.A cache functions as a temporary storage location that keeps copies of your web pages on hand (once theyve been requested). This means that every subsequent request will be served from the cache, enabling users to access content much faster.The cache mainly deals with static content like HTML which is much quicker to parse compared to dynamic content like JavaScript. However, you can find caching technologies that accommodate both types of content.There are different caching mechanisms to consider when designing for high-traffic events. For example, edge caching is generally used to cache static assets like images, videos, or web pages. Meanwhile, database caching enables you to optimize server requests. If youre expecting fewer simultaneous sessions (which isnt likely in this scenario), server-side caching can be a good option. You could even implement browser caching, which affects static assets based on your HTTP headers. There are plenty of caching plugins available if you want to add this functionality to your site, but some web hosts provide built-in solutions. For example, Cloudways Autonomous uses Cloudflares edge cache and integrated object cache.5. Stress Test WebsitesOne of the best ways to design websites while preparing for peak traffic is to carry out comprehensive stress tests.This enables you to find out how your website performs in various conditions. For instance, you can simulate high-traffic events and discover the upper limits of your servers capabilities. This helps you avoid resource drainage and prevent website crashes.You might have experience with speed testing tools like Pingdom, which assess your website performance. But these tools dont help you understand how performance may be impacted by high volumes of traffic.Therefore, youll need to use a dedicated stress test tool like Loader.io:This is completely free to use, but youll need to register for an account and verify your website domain. You can then download your preferred file and upload it to your server via FTP. After that, youll find three different tests to carry out. Once your test is complete, you can take a look at the average response time and maximum response time, and see how this is affected by a higher number of clients. 6. Refine The BackendThe final way to design websites for high-traffic events is to refine the WordPress back end.The admin panel is where you install plugins, activate themes, and add content. The more of these features that you have on your site, the slower your pages will load.Therefore, its a good idea to delete any old pages, posts, and images that are no longer needed. If you have access to your database, you can even go in and remove any archived materials.On top of this, its best to remove plugins that arent essential for your website to function. Again, with database access, you can get in there and delete any tables that sometimes get left behind when you uninstall plugins via the WordPress dashboard.When it comes to themes, youll want to opt for a simple layout with a minimalist design. Themes that come with lots of built-in widgets or rely on third-party plugins will likely add bloat to your loading times. Essentially, the lighter your back end, the quicker it will load.ConclusionProduct drops and sales are a great way to increase revenue, but these events can result in traffic spikes that affect a sites availability and performance. To prevent website crashes, youll have to make sure that the sites you design can handle large numbers of server requests at once. The easiest way to support fluctuating traffic volumes is to upgrade to a scalable web hosting service like Cloudways Autonomous. This way, you can adjust your server resources automatically, based on demand. Plus, youll get access to a CDN, caching, and an SSL certificate. Get started today!

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.You can get thousands of free e-books over the course of 2025 if you know whereand whento look. All year long, Amazon is offering up free Kindle e-books to readers, with new opportunities popping up every month. This month, Prime members canget two free Kindle e-booksfrom Amazon's First Reads program in January.What is Amazon's First Reads?Amazon First Reads is a program aimed at Prime members that offers early access to new e-books across many genres, as curated by First Reads editors (one of your many Prime Member benefits). Prime members can choose to download one free e-book every month from a rotating listthough some months that number is bumped up to twoand non-members get them for a discounted price. These e-books can be read on any compatible Kindle device or via the free Kindle app. Amazon Kindle (16 GB) Display size: 6 glare-free, Resolution: 300 ppi, Storage: 16 GB, Battery life: Up to 6 weeks. $109.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $109.99 at Amazon How to get your free Amazon Kindle e-books in JanuaryGo to the First Reads landing page to see the full list of e-books available this month. Once you find a book that seems interesting, click the "Shop Now" button from the First Reads landing page. Make sure youre not being redirected to the Kindle or Amazon mobile application, because you won't see the free book option there; instead, use your internet browser on your phone or computer. Make sure youre not clicking the Pre-order for... button, as that will direct you to pay; instead, click the Read for Free or the "Buy Now with 1-Click" button under the "First Reads" banner on the book's Amazon page (don't worry, you won't be charged). This will send the e-book directly to the Kindle linked to your Amazon account. You can see what it should look like from the screenshot below. Credit: Daniel Oropeza Youll know you did it right when you see a Thanks, [your name]! order summary indicating the e-book is being auto-delivered to the Kindle Cloud Reader.Free Amazon Kindle e-books available in January 2025This month, you can choose two from ten new Kindle e-books. Amazon notes the genre for each of the books above the title, offering a quick way to narrow down your options. If you hover over the "See Editor Notes" under the "Shop Now" button, you'll be able to read a short description from the First Reads editor who picked the book. Here are your options for January 2025. Choose two of these 10 e-books: Family Drama by Danielle Prescod (Author), Mindy Kaling (Introduction). The Rules of Fortune: A Novel $5.99 at Amazon Get Deal Get Deal $5.99 at Amazon Short Story by Lee Child. Eleven Numbers: A Short Story $1.99 at Amazon Get Deal Get Deal $1.99 at Amazon Domestic Thriller by Tamara L. Miller. Into the Fall: A Thriller $1.99 at Amazon $3.99 Save $2.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1.99 at Amazon $3.99 Save $2.00 Historical Fiction by Megan Chance. Glamorous Notions: A Novel $1.99 at Amazon $4.99 Save $3.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1.99 at Amazon $4.99 Save $3.00 Women's Fiction by Angela Brown. Some Other Time: A Novel $1.99 at Amazon $5.99 Save $4.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1.99 at Amazon $5.99 Save $4.00 Dark Fantasy by Mallory Pearson. Voice Like a Hyacinth: A Novel $1.99 at Amazon $4.99 Save $3.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1.99 at Amazon $4.99 Save $3.00 Crime Thriller by Sherry Rankin. The Killing Plains $1.99 at Amazon $3.99 Save $2.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1.99 at Amazon $3.99 Save $2.00 Romantic Comedy by Sonali Dev. There's Something About Mira: A Novel $1.99 at Amazon $3.99 Save $2.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1.99 at Amazon $3.99 Save $2.00 Historical Fiction by Peter Golden. Their Shadows Deep: A Novel $1.99 at Amazon $3.99 Save $2.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1.99 at Amazon $3.99 Save $2.00 Romance by Heidi McLaughlin. The Art of Starting Over $1.99 at Amazon $3.99 Save $2.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1.99 at Amazon $3.99 Save $2.00 SEE 7 MORE

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.If youve been eyeing an iPad for work or creative projects, this 13-inch iPad Air (wifi + cellular) is currently on sale for $999.97, down from $1,249the lowest price its ever been, according to price trackers. At 11.04 by 8.46 by 0.24 inches and 1.36 pounds, this is reportedly the heaviest iPad yet, but it still feels portable. Additionally, its aluminum chassis gives it a more premium, sturdy feelthough it lacks an IP rating, so maybe dont put it to the test near water. For connectivity, the cellular model skips the physical SIM card tray in favor of eSIM-only support.This iPad impresses with its 2,732 x 2,048 resolution, 600 nits of peak brightness, True Tone for white balance, and LED-backlit IPS LCD with P3 color support. However, creators who value OLEDs deeper blacks and higher contrast might find the LCD screen subpar. That said, the Airs display handles glare well and resists fingerprints effectively. Audio is another highlight, with its stereo speakers delivering rich bass, especially in landscape mode, enhancing the experience for movies and music. The front cameras new placement along the long edge is a welcome change, making video calls feel more natural. Speaking of, both the front and rear 12MP cameras of the Air produce sharp, vibrant images, though performance in low-light settings could be better.Powered by the M2 chip and running on iPadOS, the Air feels snappy (even with its 60Hz refresh rate)multitasking is smooth, and tasks like editing in iMovie or using GarageBand are nearly as fast as on the Pro, notes this PCMag review. And, with 512GB of storage and 8GB RAM, its more than capable of handling app switching, media streaming, and general use with ease. Battery life is standard Apple fare (about 7 hours in real-world use) and charging caps at 20W. As for accessories, the Air is compatible with the Magic Keyboard ($319, down from $349) and Apple Pencil Pro ($114.99, down from $129), adding flexibility for work and/or creativity.

When a sickness is tearing through your home, you may not feel like cleaning, whether because youre down and out yourself, or youre taking care of a family member who isor maybe both. Unfortunately, when someone in the household has a virus, its more important than ever to stay on top of your disinfecting game.But how much cleaning do you actually need to do? It can be tough to know where to begin, especially if youre feeling ill, so heres a guide on where to start.Disinfecting is more important than just cleaningRight now you don't just need to clean, you have to disinfect. Viruses that cause sickness can stay on surfaces after normal cleaning, so you need to take extra steps to kill them. Look for products that have the word "disinfectant" front and center, or make your own disinfectant using diluted bleach. You can also consider using an EPA-certified disinfectant. Don't spend too much effort on this step, however: Lysol is an effective disinfectant, and you can get two cans for under $14. Start by cleaning your surfaces with soapy water as normal (this is perfectly fine place to stop if no one in the house is sick). During flu season or after someone's fallen ill, the next step is disinfecting. Spray your surfaces with disinfectant or diluted bleach, then let it sit for 10 minutes before wiping it off. Which surfaces to prioritize when there's sickness in the houseWork smarter, not harder, when you're cleaning up during and after a bout of sickness, and focus on the surfaces and areas that matter most. These are high-touch, high-use spots like the following:The bathroom, including the toilet, the faucets, and all hard surfacesThe kitchen, including dishes and cups that were touched by the sick person, as well as drawer and refrigerator handles, shelves, keypads on appliances, and all hard surfacesAll the door handles in the homeAny fabrics touched by the sick person, including clothes, robes, towels, stuffed animals, and bedding (which should be washed on the hottest setting in your machine)All the hard surfaces, including light switches, tables, remotes, and especially anything in the area the sick person tends to stayElectronics, like phones and tabletsThe garbage cans around the houseKeys, wallets, and anything that is regularly grabbed, touched, or toted aroundAll of these items should all be cleaned and disinfected. Some viruses can linger on surfaces for days or even weeks, so disinfect regularly for at least two weeks after you think the sickness has passed. Other steps to consider:Toss out the family toothbrushes and replace them with new ones. The same goes for sponges in the kitchen, or any other disposable cleaning products you only use for a short time. When cleaning each room, use different cloths, sponges, or cleaning tools to avoid bringing germs from one location into another. Change pillowcases daily, especially for the sick person(s), and leave the final bedding cleaning until the sickness is over. As mentioned, you need to wash all linens on the hottest setting in your washing machine. Wash them by themselves and use a disinfecting detergent for good measure.How soon do you need to clean when youre sick?Clean during the sickness to the best of your ability. Take garbage out daily and disinfect the cans. Wipe down surfaces and try to keep a supply of clean laundry on hand. The quicker you rid your home of the germs that are clinging to your stuff, the bettereven if the most you can manage in your time of illness is spraying everything down with the Lysol, it's a good start.Unfortunately, viruses can have some longevity on different types of surfaces, so it's important to start the disinfecting routine as soon as the first person gets sick.

The Lenovo Legion Go is sort of like the SUV of gaming handhelds. Its big, beefy, comes with a lot of extra equipment like detachable controllers and it supports vertical mouse functionality that lets it adapt to all sorts of situations. All of that versatility is great, but it makes the device kind of bulky. But for CES 2025, Lenovo is announcing a slightly more portable version called the Legion Go S with support for not one but two different OSes.Before we get too deep into the details, its important to mention that I only got a chance to check out the Windows 11 model. However, for anyone whos ever wanted a Steam Deck with better performance, Lenovo is also making a version that comes pre-loaded with SteamOS.That said, the specs on both variants are nearly identical. They feature either an AMD Ryzen Z2 Go chip or the Z1 Extreme APU Lenovo used on the previous model, with up to 32GB of RAM, 1TB SSD and a 55.5Wh battery. You also get a microSD card slot for expandable storage, two USB 4 ports and a 3.5mm audio jack. The main difference is their color (and release date, but more on that later) as the Windows 11 Legion Go S comes in white while the SteamOS model will be available in black.Compared to the original Legion Go, the S features a smaller but still large 8-inch 120 Hz OLED display (down from 8.8 inches) with a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution and VRR instead of 2,560 x 1,600 144Hz panel like on the original. It also doesnt have detachable controllers or a kickstand. The benefit of this is that the whole system feels much sturdier, which should make you feel better about tossing it in a bag before your next trip. Its also noticeably lighter at 1.6 pounds versus 1.9 for its older sibling.Notably, you still get analog sticks with Hall Effect sensors, which you dont get on rivals like ASUS pricey ROG Ally X. Lenovo also moved to a new pivot-style D-pad, though Im not sure that counts as a true upgrade as I tend to prefer the classic cross-style ones. Another nice bonus for tinkerers is that on the inside, the Go S comes with a shorter 2242 SSD module even though it can accommodate desktop-size 2280 sticks.Initially, I got a chance to check out the Windows 11 version, whose performance felt quite snappy thanks to the drop in resolution to 1,920 x 1,200, which feels like a more suitable match for its components. Lenovo has also made some improvements to its Legion Space app, so it functions much better as a general game launch and a place to tweak performance and settings. I also appreciate little touches like how even though it's much smaller, the Legion Go S still has a touchpad in front, which is such a huge help when you need to exit Legion Space and navigate around in Windows. Id even say that despite its size, the pad on the Go S is more responsive, as it feels more like a trackball than a tiny touchpad. And around back, theres a small toggle for adjusting how far you can pull the shoulder buttons.As for the Legion Go S powered by SteamOS, I found it remarkable how similar it felt to the Steam Deck despite not being made by Valve. The UI is almost identical, the only differences are some subtle tweaks Lenovo added to support things like the handhelds RGB lighting and higher 30-watt TDP. In person, the SteamOS models casing looks more like a dark purple than pure black, which is a nice subtle touch. However my biggest takeaways is that Valves OS felt slightly more responsive that it does on the Steam Deck, which Im attributing to the Legions newer APU.The small hiccup is that a higher-end version of Legion Go S running Windows 11 is expected to go on sale first sometime later this month starting at $730 with an AMD Z2 Go processor, 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Unfortunately, that means anyone who wants one of the more affordable models with 16GB of RAM or running SteamOS will have to wait a bit longer, as those variants wont be available until May. On the bright side, the Legion Go S powered by SteamOS will have a lower starting price of $499 compared to an equivalent Windows model which will start at $599.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/ces-2025-the-lenovo-legion-go-s-is-the-first-third-party-steamos-handheld-160001642.html?src=rss

Afeela is coming back for a curtain call. After dominating the Sony press conference on the opening night of CES 2025, the debut EV from Sony Honda Mobility (a joint venture between the two Japanese concerns) is getting its own breakout event today.What to expect at Afeela's CES 2025 press conferenceWe know a lot more about the Afeela 1 than we did 24 hours ago, thanks to Sony's earlier presser. The Afeela 1 Origin and Afeela 1 Signature are priced at $89,900 and $109,900, respectively. Customers in California are now able to reserve a Signature trim for a refundable fee of $200 and the first deliveries are planned for mid-2026. The Origin variant is set to arrive the following year. Both variants factor in three years of access to services including Level 2+ driver assistance, the Afeela Personal Agent and a range of entertainment options.At the Afeela keynote, we should learn much more about the Afeela 1. Expect a closer look at a near-final version of the EV, which is packed with tech.Watch the Afeela CES 2025 livestreamYou can watch the Afeela CES 2025 press conference live right here. The keynote starts Tuesday, January 7 at 7:30PM ET.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/sony-honda-mobility-ces-2025-keynote-learn-more-about-the-afeela-1-ev-live-here-212536780.html?src=rss