Infinity Nikki studio details upcoming improvements for gacha hitA-dressing the fanbase.Image credit: Eurogamer/Infold Games News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on Jan. 10, 2025 Infinity Nikki developer Papergames has ushered in the new year with word on a range of improvements and optimisations it's working on for the dress-up-themed free-to-play gacha hit.According to a freshly shared post on the Infinity Nikki website, Papergames' plans for the open-world action-adventure have been formulated after gathering "millions of suggestions" from players. A significant chunk of these fall into the "optimisations" bucket, starting with improved game performance on mobile devices - which the developer says it recognises as a "significant challenge that must be addressed".Ultimately, it's hoping to not only improve frame rates but introduce a 60fps mode on mobile, but it says these efforts to "push the performance limits of current mobile devices while using Unreal Engine 5... will require a long-term and continuous optimisation process.""Optimising graphics is one of our top priorities," it adds. "Efforts to boost graphics quality, address lag, and optimise power consumption are ongoing for all devices."To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Eurogamer's Infinity Nikki review.Watch on YouTubeBroader optimisation work is also promised, with Papergames highlighting improvements to Infinity Nikki's Purification aiming system - including fine-tuning of collision sensitivity - to make it easier to hit enemies at close range and with varying height differences.Elsewhere, there's talk of precise tracking improvements for the game's mini-map so items tracked using the feature will be easier to locate. Papergames is also working on an overhaul of Infinity Nikki's prologue that'll address overly long processes and unclear tutorials it believes are preventing players from engaging with the world. "We don't want the 'first encounter' to be filled with memories of getting lost, confusion, frustration, and failure," it notes.Additionally, PC key binding customisation is in the works, as are automatic high-score recommendations for outfits, and improved controls for the Whimcycle on mobile devices. These'll take the form of two new control schemes - a joystick and button combo, plus a single joystick mode - with players able to select their preferred set-up in the options menu. Sticking with the Whimcycle, Papergames has confirmed it's issuing an update so bikes - which will soon be available for use in areas beyond the Breezy Meadow - no longer vanish from beneath riders whenever they connect with water, and will instead respawn players in riding mode. Eurogamer's Lottie Lynn is particularly delighted with that one.And finally, all material refresh times are being fixed to 4am daily. I've been reliably informed this should help make acquiring items for the likes of the Silvergale's Aria outfit "slighty easier".As for new features a little futher out, Papergames says a vertical photo mode is coming in "future versions", as is Esseling tracking, plus group photos and interactive poses with Momo. "We are committed to delivering more meaningful improvements," the studio concludes. "Let's light up the new year together with Infinity Nikki!"Eurogamer's Jessica Orr had good things to say about Infinity Nikki in her four star review last year, calling it a "true step forward for open-world gacha games" that "finally brings some much needed competition to the miHoYo monopoly."

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide Innovation can make or break a Call of Duty game. Black Ops 6 is packed with new features ranging from Omnimovement to weapon builds that allow you to use your favourite loadouts across multiplayer, Zombies, and the trouble-filled Warzone. Treyarch has struck a balance between innovation and tradition by including plenty of fan-favourite features to keep franchise veterans happy.Black Ops 6 contains a wealth of challenges to complete and its extremely tricky to keep track of which objectives players are attempting to complete while playing a match. Thankfully, Treyarch is listening. The developer has confirmed a heavily-requested feature from 2023s Modern Warfare 3 is on its way back.Black Ops 6 challenge tracker inboundAn in-game challenge tracker wasnt included when Black Ops 6 launched but the developer has since confirmed that it is working on adding one as part of a future update. While this feature was never promised for the new BLOPS game, its inclusion in MW3 was crucial for hardcore players looking to get the most out of their time. Confirmed on Twitter, Treyarch explained that the mechanic is still in the works with no actual release date planned for the Challenge Tracker. However, its nice to have some form of tracking in the game when it eventually releases. The ability to track challenges while youre playing a match may seem like a small feature but it can prove extremely useful if youre looking to complete several in a short space of time. Players will have the ability to view three challenges players have highlighted before a match begins and keep an eye on how theyre progressing with ease.Treyarch actively communicating with the requests of players is a significant step forward after remaining tight-lipped on the games flaws since the divisive Squid Game crossover launched on January 3rd, 2025. The developer is known for addressing issues in a timely manner but has missed the mark throughout Season 1.A worthy addition?The impending arrival of an in-game challenge tracker is a sign Treyarch is actively listening to the concerns of players. While the lack of anti-cheat is overshadowing other flaws impacting the action, its good to see the developer sharing insight on its future plans. Season 2 begins on January 28th, 2025, so it wont be long before another wave of changes aims to address the glaring problems frustrating players since the start of the year.For more CoD intel, take a look at the best Krig C loadout along with the best keyboard and mouse settings to keep you shooting straight. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6Platform(s):PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):ShooterRelated TopicsCall of Duty: Black Ops 6 Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

From 1h ago17.53CETThe US government makes its case for banning TikTokTikToks time for oral arguments before the US Supreme Court has ended. Now its time for the US government to make its case for ByteDance to either sell the popular app to a non-Chinese parent company or cut off access to it altogether in the US.Elizabeth Prelogar, US Solicitor General, said in her opening statement, The Chinese government could weaponize TikTok at any time to harm the United States.She continued, The Chinese governments control of TikTok poses a grave threat to national security. No one disputes that the PRC seeks to undermine US interests by amassing vast quantities of sensitive data on Americans and by engaging in covert influence operations. No one disputes that the PRC pursues those goals by compelling companies like ByteDance to secretly turn over data and carry out PRC directives.Key eventsPlease turn on JavaScript to use this feature'Could the president say that were not going to enforce this law?'Justice Brett Kavanaugh posed a question that has hovered over this case since Trump was elected. Though Congress passed the legislation forcing the ban or sale of TikTok with a bipartisan majority, Trump may direct the Justice Department to take a light approach towards pushing ByteDance towards either outcome. He has filed a request with the court to stay the ban, set to take effect 19 January, at least until he takes office the next day. Trump originated the idea of a US TikTok ban, but he found a large audience there during the 2024 election. Now he favors it and stands against a ban, which he sees as an achievement by Biden.Could the president say that were not going to enforce this law? asked Kavanaugh.US solicitor general Elizabeth Prelogar responded, The president has enforcement discretion. She went on to answer that third-party service providers such as Apple and Google, whose app stores control access to TikTok, may decide not to keep it available even if Trump directs the justice department towards non-enforcement, deeming the app too much of a risk. The apps disappearance could in turn prompt TikTok and ByteDance to take the possibility of a sale seriously, Prelogar said.A sale of TikTok would stop the ban. The US government said that if ByteDance divests from TikTok, it could save the app. But, foreign adversaries are not willing give up contro, US solicitor general Elizabeth Prelogar told the justices. She said requiring divestiture is something that has precedent in the US.Divestiture follows a long line of barring foreign control of US communications channels and critical infrastructure, Preloger said. No matter what level of First Amendment scrutiny applies, this act is valid because it is tailored to address compelling national security threats.TikTok has repeatedly said it cannot be sold from ByteDance. Nonetheless, there are a few potential buyers, including billionaire businessman Frank McCourt, a former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. Hes said he secured $20bn in verbal commitments from a consortium of investors to bid for TikTok. McCourt has not yet spoken with ByteDance, making a sale a far-off possibility.The ban on TikTok could be delayed by three months if TikTok shows its working on a sale. Justice Samuel Alito asked Prelogar if a divestiture would reverse that if TikTok goes dark on 19 January.Theres nothing permanent or irrevocable that happens on January 19, Prelogar said.TikTok could stay the same if it just sold to a non-Chinese company, US saysIf TikTok wants to avoid an outright ban, parent company ByteDance has the option to sell it to another business that is not based in China and therefore under government control there. According to US solicitor general Elizabeth Prelogar, the app could function the exact same way under new ownership, and the US government would have no problem with it.Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson asked, Isnt the whole point of the divestiture requirement that the content on TikTok would be different if it was owned by a different company?Prelogar said, There is nothing in the act that would directly dictate any different mix of content on TikTok. The US subsidiary could use the same algorithm, show the same content, by the same users in exactly the same order. Its not about trying to interfere with the US subsidiarys exercise of editorial judgment.Justice Elena Kagan cracked a joke about the courts tech savvy, as she has beforeKagan asked US solicitor general Elizabeth Prelogar about the governments contention that China could engage in covert content manipulation of Americans via TikTok: What do you mean by covert, though, with regards to content manipulation? Does covert its hard to figure out how the algorithm works? We could say that about any algorithm.She said of social medias recommendation algorithms, Theyre all black boxes On X, on Facebook, what are the new ones, Bluesky? You get what you get, and you think, Thats puzzling.During a case in 2013, Kagan said that supreme court justices still communicated via paper memos.The justices are not necessarily the most technologically sophisticated people, she quipped. The court hasnt really gotten to email.The US government says TikTok is hands-down a national security threat. During opening arguments, US Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar said the Chinese government could weaponize TikTok at any time. She said that means TikTok could be covertly used for harassment, recruitment and espionage.The PRC can be pulling the strings here, Prelogar said.The justices launched a line of questioning about the use of the word covert and asked Prelogar if she was just using that word because China is involved.Everybody now knows that China is behind it, Justice Elena Kagan said, which brought laughs from the crowd.Kagan said any social media platform could be manipulated; and the public doesnt know how any of these companies may be pulling the strings. The same could be said for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.Its all a bit of a black box theyre all black boxes, Kagan said. I just dont get what this covert word does for you.The US government makes its case for banning TikTokTikToks time for oral arguments before the US Supreme Court has ended. Now its time for the US government to make its case for ByteDance to either sell the popular app to a non-Chinese parent company or cut off access to it altogether in the US.Elizabeth Prelogar, US Solicitor General, said in her opening statement, The Chinese government could weaponize TikTok at any time to harm the United States.She continued, The Chinese governments control of TikTok poses a grave threat to national security. No one disputes that the PRC seeks to undermine US interests by amassing vast quantities of sensitive data on Americans and by engaging in covert influence operations. No one disputes that the PRC pursues those goals by compelling companies like ByteDance to secretly turn over data and carry out PRC directives.The fact that ByteDance owns TikTok is central to this case. The justices brought up hypothetical situations describing a world where TikTok doesnt exist and creators can only publish videos directly to Chinese-owned ByteDance. The justices asked the creators lawyer, Jeffrey Fisher, if that would change the situation.Fisher said its unusual for the government to choose what entity should be the proper owner of a speech platform in the US. In that case, Americans have no right to make documentaries with the BBC, they cant work with Al Jazeera. You cant tell creators to just go publish somewhere else, he said.Justice Elena Kagan took issue with this line of argument, saying that equates foreign corporations having the same first amendment rights as US creators.Content creators say banning TikTok is tantamount to violating their first amendment rights.The justices are now hearing from a lawyer representing influencer Brian Firebaugh and a handful of other content creators. Firebaugh is a rancher and US Marine Corps veteran, who uses TikTok to talk about agricultural issues and the ranching community.The government doesnt just get to come in and say national security and its over, said Jeffrey Fisher, lawyer for Firebaugh and the other creators. You have to say what is the real harm.Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said there are real harms that can happen on TikTok. She referenced an earlier line of questioning from Justice Brett Kavanaughs saying TikTok could covertly manipulate the data of US citizens. That manipulation, the justices said, could lead to blackmail and turning government workers and others into spies.Fisher contended that is a different topic, data security is different than content manipulation, he said.Amy Coney Barrett asks why ByteDance wont sellThe law that led to these arguments before the US Supreme Court holds that ByteDance must either sell TikTok to a non-Chinese owner or curtail access to the app in the US. TikTok has said divestment is not possible technologically, commercially, or legally. Beijing has indicated it would not approve such a sale.Justice Amy Coney Barrett asked TikToks lawyer Noel Francisco why ByteDance is so stubbornly refusing to sell: You keep saying shut down. The law doesnt say TikTok has to shut down. It says ByteDance has to divest. If ByteDance divested TikTok, we wouldnt be here, right? If ByteDance was willing to let you go, and willing to let you take the source code with you, wouldnt that be fine? Why is it impossible to divest in the 270 days, even assuming the Chinese government hadnt said you couldnt? The law requires divestiture within that timeframe.Francisco answered, There are two basic reasons. The first is that the underlying source code takes a team of engineers to create and maintain. It would take us many years to reconstruct a brand new team of engineers to do that. With respect to the sharing of contentin theory, we could send our salesmen around the world to re-sign up all of our users to a new platform.The deadline for TikTok to sell or divest is January 19.Justice Brett Kavanaugh asked TikToks lawyer what happens that day if the law is upheld.At least as I understand it, we go dark, Noel Francisco, TikToks lawyer said. He said TikTok wont be available in the app stores. That means the app wont be available for downloads or updates.It essentially is going to stop operating, he said. A short reprieve here would make all the sense in the world.Francisco brought up the possibility of Donald Trump intervening to halt the ban. Trump will be inaugurated one day after the ban is slated to go into effect.It is possible come January 21, 22, were in a different world, Francisco said.How will TikTok users be affected if the app is banned?TikToks 170 million users in the US will likely still be able to use the app after a ban goes into effect because it is already downloaded on their phones, experts say. But over time, without software and security updates, the app will become unusable.Some users have begun posting TikTok videos instructing others on how to use virtual private networks (VPNs), which mask an internet users location, as a way to circumvent the possible ban.Content creators who have built businesses from their TikTok followings are preparing for the worst. Nadya Okamoto, who has 4.1 million followers and founded August, a menstrual products brand, said TikTok helped her business grow organically through viral videos. A TikTok ban could force her and other small businesses to spend more on marketing and raise their costs.Its very stressful, she said. If TikTok goes away, well be OK, but it is going to be a hard hit.The Supreme Court justices explored whether TikTok -- as a corporation -- should have the freedom of speech.Chief Justice John Roberts questioned the idea that the ownership of TikTok is directly related to expressive conduct and free speech. He said that it may affect the speech of third parties, but hes not certain it affects the companys free speech.Noel Francisco, TikToks lawyer, responded, Im not sure I know of a time when the government has tried to shut down a speech platform.Justice Samuel Alito posed a hypothetical to Francisco, asking if he thought there would be a first amendment issue if a company was gathering an arsenal of information from US citizens. Francisco maintained it would still be a first amendment problem.

Relaxed GrindMarvel Rivals' best feature so far is that completing its seasonal passes and events doesn't feel like a second jobI like Marvel and cool skins, but I'm also a semi-functional adult.Image credit: NetEase Games Article by Fran Ruiz Contributor Published on Jan. 10, 2025 I told myself I'd work through my hefty backlog over the Christmas break. That was a lie. While I did finish a few short video games, most of my gaming time was spent on Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Diablo 4, and Marvel Rivals. All three were riddled with the traditional microtransactions, but only NetEase Games' hero shooter didn't feel like a chore to stay on top of.By and large, I'm okay with battle passes. I think they're a good alternative to gambling money on loot boxes and being tempted by overpriced premium skins, the latter of which are a thing regardless in most online games that have passes. If you're someone who plays an online regularly and cares about cosmetics, battle passes are good value and help pay for the development of actual playable content for everyone. Their traditional implementation could be better though, and one key issue with the model is the fear of missing out (FOMO). Marvel Rivals swiftly fixed that by making passes not expire, but what about the average time to complete them?To see this content please enable targeting cookies. After completely moving away from Overwatch, Marvel Rivals has felt like a winner in that same space so far. It looks gorgeous, exudes charm, is consistently fun to play, and runs well enough. Now, I've also begun to appreciate that it's the rare breed of live service game that doesn't feel like a second job if you want to complete its premium seasonal tracks and free events.At first, I was very worried (and I'm still sorta annoyed) by the game approaching battle pass progression from a 'daily/weekly challenges' angle. For a game that prides itself in letting players embody their favorite heroes and villains from Marvel's impressively rich multiverse, forcing us into certain missions and play styles a fair amount of time just to get the points needed to make progress on the passes and events isn't ideal. It's helped me spend more time with characters I wasn't really paying attention to before, but I'd like to have the opportunity to progress just by playing. Image credit: NetEase Games, VG247I was, however, quite surprised by the rate at which I progressed through the (admittedly half-length) S0 pass. The daily amount of points I could get in short one-hour-ish sessions was quite generous even if it didn't seem like much at the moment. A little below 15 hours later, I'd fully completed the pass. This would make the completion of Season 1's regular pass around 30 hours in length, which honestly feels quite relaxed if the folks at NetEase stick to the planned three-month schedule.As someone who jumps between wildly different games constantly (and not only because of work), I've given up on the idea of ever completing the battle pass for something that isn't MTG Arena (an addiction I've currently escaped) or another card game you can play in small bursts. The time commitment just seems too high and not aimed at functional adults. Marvel Rivals' devs and publisher, on the other hand, appear to be fully aware of this issue. Sure, this might translate in much less engagement when it comes to the total average of hours, but it might help with the recurring issue of players burning themselves out gradually. After completing the S0 pass, I just kept playing, and I can't wait to hit S1 as soon as possible. Image credit: NetEase GamesThe Jeff-centric Christmas event was another pleasant surprise. Even without trying, only a handful of hours allowed me to gain the required 'golden stars' to progress through the slim track that ended with a cool winter skin for our favorite land shark. I'm well aware that such things might change in the future if NetEase and Marvel want to squeeze players harder, but right now, Marvel Rivals is feeling like early days Overwatch 1 in all the right ways.Another byproduct of the first pass and event not steamrolling me is that I've been enjoying the game well enough to constantly jump into competitive matches. It turns out that letting players breathe a little bit and play 'for fun' more often leads to healthier, more curious habits. Shocker! Image credit: NetEase Games, VG247In the age of live service titles coming and going and a handful of massive whales controlling a space that's too large in the crowded online gaming market, more player-friendly approaches such as Marvel Rivals' are gravely needed. It's not perfect by any means, and there's room for both improvement and failure as the game grows bigger and gets into a groove, but as it stands, Marvel Rivals has much more going for it than brand appeal. I'm almost 33 now, and I don't want to be pushed out of online gaming because of business-first practices.Hell, NetEase and Marvel could keep hitting home runs with this banger and I might end up paying for a premium skin that's sick enough. Sorry, but as great as Sue Storm's rear looks with her Mistress of Hate skin, I'm the kind of nerd looking for legendary comic book-inspired looks instead.

WarmodsHelldivers 2 players are modding their own Warbonds into the game, and the latest one's perfect for Halo fansHey, a diver can never have too much gear to pick between before diving pod-first into the Voteless hordes.Image credit: Arrowhead/Jayypino News by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on Jan. 10, 2025 Helldivers 2's modding community has been putting out some cool stuff recently - especially if you're into games like Crazy Taxi or, in this case, Halo 3: ODST. You seem, as far as I'm aware, the first ever full-on "Warbond" mod has just dropped for the game, and it looks pretty great.Before we go any further, it's worth stating the obvious that this mod is techincally a Warbond-like rather than having all of the bells and whistles of the proper official Warbonds Arrowhead puts out, but if it's just the trying new armour element you care about, it's definitely got you covered.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. This "modded Warbond" as its principal creator, modder Jayypino, has christened it is dubbed 'Dogmatic Reach' for reasons that'll soon become very apparent.Basically, it contains a few new armour sets and helmets that're made up of blend of Helldivers 2 and Halo 3: ODST gear - meaning you'll look a bit more spartany, but not quite in as potentially jarring a fashion as mods that simply let you dress up as Master Chief or something similar. It's "something different, but familiar", Jayypino writes, with "custom vanilla styled textures" which "should match with vanilla armours nicely".Each of the new armour sets - which replace existing in-game sets - looks to come with alternative paint job options that can add some intimidating teeth to your helmet and a blue colourway that'll match another custom Warbond-style mod Jayypino's worked on, The Grave Situation Team's 'SEAF Specialists'.You'll need to grab the latest version of Teutinsa's 'HD2 Mod Manager' in order to give the mod a go, and say Halo to its three new armours - the Chimera, Hydra, and Cyclops sets.This hasn't been the only interesting thing going on in the HD2 community recently, as a dataminer's claimed to have accidentally triggered some kind of Illuminate Aurora Borealis by messing around obelisks, while a budding artist's created a 14 page mockup of what an indoor dungeon mission could look like.

Welcome to Startups Weekly your weekly recap of everything you cant miss from the world of startups. Want it in your inbox every Friday?Sign up here.The second week of the year is usually a busy one for startup news, and 2025 is no exception. From CES product launches to M&As and funding rounds, heres what you need to know.Most interesting startup stories from the weekImage Credits:May MobilitySeveral startups launched new products at CES 2025: Full Nature Farms and its farm irrigation system, Soliddd and its smart glasses for people with macular degeneration, May Mobility and its electric autonomous minibus, and more. There was other news this week too:Green light: Dutch semiconductor giant NXP announced plans to acquire TTTech Auto, a VC-backed Austrian spinoff specializing in safety software for autonomous vehicles, in an all-cash transaction valued at $625 million.Healthy match: Healthcare analytics platform H1 acquired Ribbon, a Y Combinator alum that helps patients find doctors supported by their insurance and that had raised funding from a16z and General Catalyst.Flock of lawsuits: In a new episode in its recent legal troubles, Flock Safety is getting sued by a mayor who claims the public safety tech company wrongfully terminated him.Room for partners: 3D design app Rooms secured a partnership with Google, which will invest $1 million into the startup and give it early access to Gemini AI.Wild ride: Defense tech headhunter Peterson Conway is quite the character, and his profile makes for a very good read.Most interesting fundraises this weekImage Credits:WhatnotThis year almost had its first pentacorn but not quite. And several other funding rounds of varying size also made the news.Near-pentacorn: Livestream shopping app Whatnot raised a $265 million Series E round of funding, putting its valuation at nearly $5 billion ($4.97 billion, to be precise). The company also revealed that its annual gross merchandise value (GMV) surpassed $3 billion.Blue ocean: Xocean, an Irish marine robotics startup that collects ocean data with uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), raised $119 million to expand beyond the energy and hydrography sectors.Cross-border: NomuPay, an Irish startup that was formed out of some of collapsed German fintech Wirecards regional payment licenses, raised a $37 million Series B round at a $200 million valuation to expand its payment rails in underserved markets across Asia.Paying off: OnPay, an Atlanta-based startup that develops payroll and HR solutions, secured a debt facility and over $100 million in new funding, inclusive of a $63 million Series B round led by Carrick Capital Partners, with participation from AB Private Credit Investors.Game on: Grand Games, the Turkish startup behind Magic Sort and Car Match, raised a $30 million Series A of funding led by London-based Balderton, which also recently backed Find the Cat maker Agave Games.Most interesting VC and fund news this weekImage Credits:DefiantNewcomer: Defiant, a new European early-stage VC firm, came out of stealth and announced its intention to raise as much as $70 million for its initial fund, which is focused on B2B SaaS and fintech, and for which it already secured $30 million.Trucking on: Transportation-focused Trucks Venture Capital plans to make about 30 seed investments out of its new $70 million fund. The new fund, its third to date, is backed by strategic limited partners, including an automotive supplier, tire maker, insurance company, and airline carrier.India-focused fund: Silicon Valley-based South Park Commons is raising an India-specific fund. Some VC firms found the market challenging, but others have doubled down, although Accel is taking a measured approach. In an interview with TechCrunch, partner Shekhar Kirani said the firm could have raised multi-billion dollars for its latest India fund, but chose not to.Last but not leastImage Credits:David Paul Morris/Bloomberg (opens in a new window) / Getty ImagesVC investment in some emerging markets declined by more than 40% in 2024, and over half of global VC funding went to Silicon Valley. The data comes from different sources, but the picture is the same, and as the AI boom continues, there is no indication that this might change in 2025.

The European Commission (EC) has given the greenlight for Synopsys to acquireAnsys, though the companies must sell-off various software products as part of the proposed remedies. Chip design software maker Synopsysrevealed last January its plansto acquire Ansys, a simulation software developer that helps engineers model and analyze the physical behavior of products, such as chips, and evaluate their real-world performance.The $35 billion transaction, involving two publicly-traded companies, is the biggest such deal in the technology sector since Broadcom acquired VMware for $69 billion. That merger also attracted regulatory scrutiny, and was finally passed by the EC last July after the parties agreed to commitments around continued access and interoperability.The crux of the issue, as far as regulators are concerned, is that such a merger would create a comprehensive chip design and simulation giant that could stifle competitors that dont offer such a combination. And so the EC now ays that the firms will sell overlapping parts of their businesses to a suitable purchaser approved by the EC. Synopsys had already reached an agreement to sell its Optical Solutions Group to Keysight, but now it will also sell its optics and photonics software such as Code V, LightTools, LucidShape, RSoft and ImSym. Ansys will also divest PowerArtist, software that can analyze and optimize the power consumption of electronic circuits at a very granular level.The U.K Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched its own antitrust investigation into Synopsys and Ansys back in August, and earlier this week the CMA indicated that it was willing to accept a similar divestment offer from the companies to approve the deal. This is a breaking story, refresh for updates.

Businesses dependent on the physical supply chain the network of facilities and transportation systems used to move materials from one location to another chain face a number of challenges, from staff shortages to increasing customer expectations. The pressures arent easing up. According to a survey from Prologis, a real estate investment trust, two-thirds of executives say that theyre losing sleep over supply chain-related problems.Barry Conlon and David Broe ran into some of these stressors themselves while founding FreightWatch, a startup that provided cargo visibility and supply chain security solutions to corporate clients. After selling FreightWatch in 2012, Conlon and Broe saw an opportunity to address supply chain blockers in a more innovative way, harnessing telemetry and data.So, four years after FreightWatchs exit, Conlon and Broe funneled what they learned into Overhaul, a platform that helps companies track the location of their goods in the supply chain while combating theft. Overhaul also reports on the quality and compliance of products while in transit, and tries to identify areas of possible cost savings.Cargo theft is on the rise, a consequence of emboldened organized crime groups. According to CargoNet, a cargo theft network, cargo theft across the U.S. and Canada increased 14% year-over-year in Q3 2024. The total value of stolen goods exceeded $39 million for the quarter. Many in our industry struggle to gain visibility into their supply chains, especially when dealing with multiple suppliers and partners, Conlon, Overhauls CEO, told TechCrunch. Without visibility, its difficult to identify and mitigate risks.Image Credits:OverhaulOverhaul, which has roughly 350 customers today, including Microsoft, Dyson, and pharma giant Bristol Myers Squibb, develops software to anticipate freight shipping delays. Powering the software are AI models trained on in-transit telemetry and contextual data, which can detect events like when a cargo load is at risk, said Conlon.Our platform can alert our global security operations, Conlon added, who can push shipment and cargo data via a smartlink in real time to responding local law enforcement to move into action and prevent and recover cargo in the event of a theft.Overhaul certainly has no shortage of competition in the market for supply chain visibility software, which could be worth $12.5 billion by 2032, by one estimate. Tive,Altana, Project44, and FourKites are among Overhauls top rivals.And its not getting easier for supply chain startups to raise money. According to PitchBook, only $7.1 billion was invested in the sector last year through Q3 a far cry from 2021, when it brought in $63.7 billion. To stay competitive, Overhaul has launched new apps, an intelligence as a service offering, a cargo insurance program, and a cold chain quality solution for pharma and food and beverage clients.That strategy has helped the company to net new investors. Today, Overhaul announced that it raised $55 million in a funding round led by Springcoast Partners with participation fromEdison Partners and Americo. Bringing Overhauls total raised to around $150 million, the fresh cash will be put toward product development, strategic acquisitions, and growing the Austin-based firms 600-person team, Conlon said. Topics

Breakdown & ShowreelsSecret Level The Company We Keep: Making of by Goodbye Kansas StudiosBy Vincent Frei - 10/01/2025 Dive into the world of animation with Goodbye Kansas Studios as they break down the creative process behind The Company We Keep. This behind-the-scenes series of making-of videos showcases the effort and artistry involved in bringing Tim Millers Secret Level to life!WANT TO KNOW MORE?Goodbye Kansas Studios: Dedicated page about Secret Level: The Company We Keep on Goodbye Kansas Studios website. Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2025

The White Heat of Cold Water (2024), oil on canvas, 78 3/4 x 118 inches. All images courtesy of the artist and Hannah Barry Gallery, shared with permissionTime and Geography Dissolve in Otherworldly Landscapes by Sholto BlissettJanuary 10, 2025ArtKate MothesEncircled by light, water, or stone, the central subjects of Sholto Blissetts oil paintings simultaneously highlight and defy our aesthetic understanding of nature. Drawing on the rich history of landscapes, from the Dutch Golden Age to 19th-century British paintings to the Hudson River School, the artist illuminates spiritual associations and the universality of the sun, moon, the elements, and the earth. In his solo exhibition, Life in Deep Time, at Hannah Barry Gallery, Blissetts large-scale works explore the tenderness between natural architecture, ecological thought, human fantasy, and celestial forms of light and visibility, says a statement.Creatures of the Flame I (2024), oil on canvas, 78 3/4 x 118 inchesBlissett often employs classical architecture or historical references that create a kind of gulf or divide between the scene and the viewer, separating us from the scene by time, geography, and a sense of the unknown.In his most recent works, architectural facades like grand palazzos or towering obelisks have been subtly replaced by the more organic forms of trees, caves, or boulders. Were ushered into subterranean realms flooded with moonlight, suggesting a continuum of prehistory through to the future.Blissett is fascinated by the scale of human existence. Think of the way you might feel peering out the window of an airplane and comprehending the magnitude of the world beneath youhow small you feel, and yet, how connected. Compared to millions-year-old caves, tectonic shifts, or dried sea beds, the time span of human existence reads as merely a speck within that timespan.Almost portrait-like, Blissett centers trees, monuments, and natural phenomena in each composition, silhouetted in the light and framed by rock walls or foliage as if the landscape has transformed into a boundless stage. Vertigo (2024), oil on canvas, 78 3/4 x 118 inchesThe light itselfwhat it reveals or concealsis a character unto itself, reminding us of the limitations of sight, and that outside of the two-dimensional format of the painting, we are always enveloped by our surroundings. Blissett suggests that the darkness continues around and behind us, too, reiterating our focus toward the light, toward comfort and knowledge.Often more than six feet wide or nearly as tall, Blissetts expansive scenes approach immersion. He calls attention to our manufactured and shifting relationship between social constructions of nature and culturetheir cosmically entwined, spectral, and thorny coexistence, the gallery says. Life in Deep Time continues through February 8 in London, and a book published by Foolscap Editions to accompany the exhibition will be launched on January 25 with a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. The artists work is also on view in The Silver Cord at Huxley Parlour, which continues through January 18. Find more on Blissetts website and Instagram.Borrowed Light (2024), oil on canvas, 78 3/4 x 118 inchesShip of Fools II (2022), oil and acrylic on canvas, 94 1/2 x 78 3/4 inchesCreatures of the Flame II (2024), oil on canvas, 78 3/4 x 118 inchesWorld Maker II (2024), oil on canvas, 78 3/4 x 118 inchesFeral (2023), oil and acrylic on canvas, 78 3/4 x 118 inchesWorld Maker I (2024), oil on canvas, 78 3/4 x 118 inchesShip of Fools XII (20220, oil and acrylic on canvas on board, 43 3/8 x 39 3/8 inchesNext article