Its been over two decades since Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was first released on PlayStation 2. The game was praised for its story, characters, and possibly one of the greatest themes in video game history. After some brumation, it sheds its skin and emerges as Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater on August 28, aiming to recapture the spirit that made the original a beloved classic. After about eight hours of playing the game on PS5 Pro, Im thrilled to share how it captures and modernizes the originals spirit, and then some.Play VideoDelta is a true from-the-ground-up remake that is extremely faithful to the original work in most aspects of the game, but what was immediately apparent was the level of detail the updated visuals and textures add to the experience.A new level of visual fidelityView and download imageDownload the imagecloseCloseDownload this imageView and download imageDownload the imagecloseCloseDownload this imageView and download imageDownload the imagecloseCloseDownload this imageView and download imageDownload the imagecloseCloseDownload this imageView and download imageDownload the imagecloseCloseDownload this imageThis updated version of Snake Eater is a visual feast on PS5 Pro, especially in the lush details. For example, rain droplets trickle realistically down a poncho, and Snakes camouflage and uniforms become dirty with mud or forest debris. This filth even carries over into cutscenes, adding an appreciated level of realism.The Metal Gear series showcases a range of grizzled warriors, many with scars that tell a tale. If youre familiar with Snake Eater, you understand that scars hold a lot of importance throughout, and the devs took great care to make them stand out. One of the most notable examples is Colonel Volgins harrowingly scarred face. The believable tissue and its deformation when he speaks create a tragically beautiful portrait.Speaking of portraits, a new photo mode has been added with all the latest bells and whistles. Like most Metal Gear games, Delta definitely has its fair share of silly moments, and you can capture them all. With plenty of filters and settings, create a masterpiece on the mountainside, or dress up in a crocodile head and let antics ensue. Photo Mode is the perfect way to capture all the little details hiding within.Game controls New Style vs. LegacyA new control scheme has been introduced to bring Snake Eater to the modern gaming era, dubbed New Style. Before starting a new game, players can choose between the New Style and Legacy, which retains the controls mapped after the original PS2 release. You can switch between styles, but be warned, this will reload the level/map and take you back to the beginning of the section.New Style is geared for people who have never played the game before, or who might prefer a more modern playstyle. The control option provides a free-moving camera that lets you view your environment in 360 degrees, making it easier to avoid getting lost or having enemies catch you unprepared.Combat and shooting feel reminiscent of Metal Gear Solid V, with a third-person over-the-shoulder camera. By default, aim assist is turned on, but can be toggled off. Even in New Style, you can still switch to a classic first-person view and still fully move around as if playing a FPS title. First-person view is especially valuable when lining up the perfect shot through a chainlink fence, which I couldnt pull off in third-person.The biggest saving grace in the updated control scheme is the remapped directional buttons. Holding left brings up your non-combat inventory, and holding right brings up your currently equipped weapons. Up brings up the quick-change camouflage menu, while down brings up your radio a hugely welcome shortcut. No more digging through menus to change outfits based on your environment.Snake sneaks through a range of environments in Snake Eater, each suited to different camouflage options The quick change menu conveniently shows the optimal face and body combo from your collection based on the current environmentIn one instance, I managed to seamlessly transition from a green texture to a stone grey-black getup, then to a rust-colored camouflage, all along the same crawl route. This new quality-of-life option keeps the action flowing.Another great accessibility feature is the ability to fine-tune game hints. From always-on to none at all. I had it set to show helpful hints when they were relevant, like swimming controls appearing by a body of water and hanging controls on the cliffside. This is particularly helpful in rare gameplay situations, as it kept me from panicking in high-stress situations.What a thrillThe voice cast still delivers, and The Cobra Unit is just as compelling, with big moments still having the right impact. The ladder scene took me right back to playing the original on my grandmothers floor all those years ago.Paradoxes, easter eggs, and all the details Id expect are still in place. I didnt encounter any moments that felt off or deviated too far in any way from the script. The opening theme and intro movie have been remixed, and while it will come down to personal taste, every note still hits for me.Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater launches on August 28 for PS5, and is a day to mark on your calendar whether youre a longtime fan or series newcomer interested in discovering the celebrated origins of the storyline.Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater developers discuss the game in length in a new interview.

Epic Games has tapped the members of virtual band Gorillaz to be the icons of Fortnite Festival Season 10, the company announced on Monday. Noodle, 2D, Russel Hobbs, and Murdoc Niccals make their Fortnite debut Tuesday, Aug. 26. Its an honour for all of you that I am finally to be immortalised in my own fiefdom. Watch out serfs, here I come, Niccals said in a news release.

Design career origin stories often sound clean and linear: a degree in Fine Arts, a lucky internship, or a first job that launches a linear, upward path. But what about those whose paths were not so straight? The ones who came from service, retail, construction, or even firefighting the messy, winding paths that didnt begin right out of design school who learned service instincts long before learning design tools?I earned my Associate in Science way later than planned, after 15 years in fine dining, which I once dismissed as a detour delaying my real career. But in hindsight, it was anything but. Those years built skills and instincts I still rely on daily in meetings, design reviews, and messy mid-project pivots.Your Past Is Your AdvantageI still have the restaurant dream.Whenever Im overwhelmed or deep in a deadline, it comes back: Im the only one running the restaurant floor. The grill is on fire. Theres no clean glassware. Everyone needs their check, their drink, and their table turned. I wake up sweating, and I ask myself, Why am I still having restaurant nightmares 15 years into a design career?Because those jobs wired themselves into how I think and work.Those years werent just a job but high-stakes training in adaptability, anticipation, and grace under pressure. They built muscle memory: ways of thinking, reacting, and solving problems that still appear daily in my design work. They taught me to adapt, connect with people, and move with urgency and grace.But those same instincts rooted in nightmares can trip you up if youre unaware. Speed can override thoughtfulness. Constant anticipation can lead to over-complication. The pressure to polish can push you to over-deliver too soon. Embracing your past also means examining it recognizing when old habits serve you and when they dont.With reflection, those experiences can become your greatest advantage.Lessons From The LineThese arent abstract comparisons. Theyre instincts built through repetition and real-world pressure, and they show up daily in my design process.Here are five moments from restaurant life that shaped how I think, design, and collaborate today.1. Reading The RoomReading a customers mood begins as soon as they sit down. Through years of trial and error, I refined my understanding of subtle cues, like seating delays indicating frustration or menus set aside, suggesting they want to enjoy cocktails. Adapting my approach based on these signals became instinctual, emerging from countless moments of observation.What I LearnedThe subtleties of reading a client arent so different in product design. Contexts differ, but the cues remain similar: project specifics, facial expressions, tone of voice, lack of engagement, or even the word salad of client feedback. With time, these signals become easier to spot, and you learn to ask better questions, challenge assumptions, or offer alternate approaches before misalignment grows. Whether a client is energized and all-in or hesitant and constrained, reading those cues early can make all the difference.Those instincts like constant anticipation and early intervention served me well in fine dining, but can hinder the design process if Im not in tune with how Im reacting. Jumping in too early can lead to over-complicating the design process, solving problems that havent been voiced (yet), or stepping on others roles. Ive had to learn to pause, check in with the team, and trust the process to unfold more collaboratively.How I Apply This TodayGuide direction with focused options.Early on, share 23 meaningful variations, like style tiles or small component explorations, to shape the conversation and avoid overwhelm.Flag misalignment fast.If something feels off, raise it early and loop in the right people.Be intentional about workshop and deliverable formats.Structure or space? Depends on what helps the client open up and share.Pause before jumping in.A sticky note on my screen (Pause) helps me slow down and check assumptions.2. Speed Vs. IntentionalityIn fine dining, multitasking wasnt just helpful, it was survival. Every night demanded precision timing, orchestrating every meal step, from the first drink poured to the final dessert plated. The souffl, for example, was a constant test. It takes precisely 45 minutes no more, no less. If the guests lingered over appetizers or finished their entres too early, that souffl risked collapse.But fine dining taught me how to handle that volatility. I learned to manage timing proactively, mastering small strategies: an amuse-bouche to buy the kitchen precious minutes, a complimentary glass of champagne to slow a too-quickly paced meal. Multitasking meant constantly adjusting in real-time, keeping a thousand tiny details aligned even when, behind the scenes, chaos loomed.What I LearnedMultitasking is a given in product design, just in a different form. While the pressure is less immediate, it is more layered as designers often juggle multiple projects, overlapping timelines, differing stakeholder expectations, and evolving product needs simultaneously. That restaurant instinct to keep numerous plates spinning at the same time? Its how I handle shifting priorities, constant Slack pings, regular Figma updates, and unexpected client feedback without losing sight of the big picture.The hustle and pace of fine dining hardwired me to associate speed with success. But in design, speed can sometimes undermine depth. Jumping too quickly into a solution might mean missing the real problem or polishing the wrong idea. Ive learned that staying in motion isnt always the goal. Unlike a fast-paced service window, product design invites experimentation and course correction. Ive had to quiet the internal timer and lean into design with a slower, more intentional nature.How I Apply This TodayMake space for inspiration.Set aside time for untasked exploration outside the norm magazines, bookstores, architecture, or gallery visits before jumping into design.Build in pause points.Plan breaks between design rounds and schedule reviews after a weekend gap to return with fresh eyes.Stay open to starting over.Let go of work that isnt working, even full comps. Starting fresh often leads to better ideas.3. Presentation MattersPresentation isnt just a finishing touch in fine dining its everything. Its the mint leaf delicately placed atop a dessert, the raspberry glace cascading across the perfectly off-centered espresso cake.The presentation engages every sense: the smell of rare imported truffles on your truffle fries, or the meticulous choreography of four servers placing entres in front of diners simultaneously, creating a collective wow moment. An excellent presentation shapes diners emotional connection with their meal that experience directly impacts how generously they spend, and ultimately, your success.What I LearnedA product design presentation, from the initial concept to the handoff, carries that same power. Introducing a new homepage design can feel mechanical or magical, depending entirely on how you frame and deliver it. Just like careful plating shapes a diners experience, clear framing and confident storytelling shape how design is received. Beyond the initial introduction, explain the why behind your choices. Connect patterns to the organic elements of the brands identity and highlight how users will intuitively engage with each section. Presentation isnt just about aesthetics; it helps clients connect with the work, understand its value, and get excited to share it.The pressure to get everything right the first time, to present a pixel-perfect comp that wows immediately, is intense.Sometimes, an excellent presentation isnt about perfection its about pacing, storytelling, and allowing the audience to see themselves in the work.Ive had to let go of the idea that polish is everything and instead focus on the why, describing it with clarity, confidence, and connection.How I Apply This TodayFrame the story first.Lead with the why behind the work before showing the what. It sets the tone and invites clients into the design.Keep presentations polished.Share fewer, more intentional concepts to reduce distractions and keep focus.Skip the jargon.Clients arent designers. Use clear, relatable terms. Say section instead of component, or repeatable element instead of pattern.Bring designs to life.Use motion, prototypes, and real content to add clarity, energy, and brand relevance.5. Composure Under PressureIn fine dining, pressure isnt an occasional event its the default setting. Every night is high stakes. Timing is tight, expectations are sky-high, and mistakes are rarely forgiven. Composure becomes your edge. You dont show panic when the kitchen is backed up or when a guest sends a dish back mid-rush. You pivot. You delegate. You anticipate. Some nights, the only thing that kept things on track was staying calm and thinking clearly. This notion of problem solving and decision making is key to being a great designer. I think that we need to get really strong at problem identification and then prioritization. All designers are good problem solvers, but the really great designers are strong problem finders. Jason Cyr, How being a firefighter made me a better designer thinkerWhat I LearnedThe same principle applies to product design. When pressure mounts tight timelines, conflicting feedback, or unclear priorities your ability to stay composed can shift the energy of the entire project.Composure isnt just about being calm; its about being adaptable and responsive without reacting impulsively. It helps you hold space for feedback, ask better questions, and move forward with clarity instead of chaos.There have also been plenty of times when a client doesnt resonate with a design, which can feel crushing. You can easily take it personally and internalize the rejection, or you can pause, listen, and course-correct. Ive learned to focus on understanding the root of the feedback. Often, what seems like a rejection is just discomfort with a small detail, which in most cases can be easily corrected.Perfection was the baseline in restaurants, and pressure drove polish. In design, that mindset can lead to overinvesting in perfection too soon or freezing under critique. Ive had to unlearn that success means getting everything right the first time. Now I see messy collaboration and gradual refinement as a mark of success, not failure.How I Apply This TodayUse live design to unblock.When timelines are tight and feedback goes in circles, co-designing in real time helps break through stuck points and move forward quickly.Turn critique into clarity.Listen for whats underneath the feedback, then ask clarifying questions, or repeat back what youre hearing to align before acting.Pause when stress builds.If you feel reactive, take a moment to regroup before responding.Frame changes as progress.Normalize iteration as part of the process, and not a design failure.Would I Go Back?I still dream about the restaurant floor. But now, I see it as a reminder not of where I was stuck, but of where I perfected the instincts I use today. If youre someone who came to design from another path, try asking yourself:When do I feel strangely at ease while others panic?What used to feel like just part of the job, but now feels like a superpower?Where do I get frustrated because my instincts are different and maybe sharper?What kinds of group dynamics feel easy to me that others struggle with?What strengths would not exist in me today if I hadnt lived that past life?Once you see the patterns, start using them.Name your edge. Talk about your background as an asset: in intros, portfolios, interviews, or team retrospectives. When projects get messy, lean into what you already know how to do. Trust your instincts. Theyre real, and theyre earned. But balance them, too. Stay aware of when your strengths could become blind spots, like speed overriding thoughtfulness. That kind of awareness turns experience into a tool, not a trigger.Your past doesnt need to look like anyone elses. It just needs to teach you something.Further ReadingIf I Was Starting My Career Today: Thoughts After 15 Years Spent In UX Design (Part One, Part Two), by Andrii Zhdan (Smashing Magazine)In this two-part series, Andrii Zhdan outlines common challenges faced at the start of a design career and offers advice to smooth your journey based on insights from his experience hiring designers.Overcoming Imposter Syndrome By Developing Your Own Guiding Principles, by Luis Ouriach (Smashing Magazine)Unfortunately, not everyone has access to a mentor or a guide at the start of the design career, which is why we often have to rely on working it out by ourselves. In this article, Luis Ouriach tries to help you in this task so that you can walk into the design critique meetings with more confidence and really deliver the best representation of your ideas.Why Designers Get Stuck In The Details And How To Stop, by Nikita Samutin (Smashing Magazine)Designers love to craft, but polishing pixels before the problem is solved is a time sink. This article pinpoints the five traps that lure us into premature detail and then hands you a rescue plan to refocus on goals, ship faster, and keep your craft where it counts.Rediscovering The Joy Of Design, by Pratik Joglekar (Smashing Magazine)Pratik Joglekar takes a philosophical approach to remind designers about the lost joy within themselves by effectively placing massive importance on mindfulness, introspection, and forward-looking.Lessons Learned As A Designer-Founder, by Dave Feldman (Smashing Magazine)In this article, Dave Feldman shares his lessons learned and the experiments he has done as a multidisciplinary designer-founder-CEO at an early-stage startup.How Designers Should Ask For (And Receive) High-Quality Feedback, by Andy Budd (Smashing Magazine)Designers often complain about the quality of feedback they get from senior stakeholders without realizing its usually because of the way they initially have framed the request. In this article, Andy Budd shares a better way of requesting feedback: rather than sharing a linear case study that explains every design revision, the first thing to do would be to better frame the problem.How being a Firefighter made me a better Designer Thinker by Jason Cyr (Medium)The ability to come upon a situation and very quickly start evaluating information, asking questions, making decisions, and formulating a plan is a skill that every firefighter learns to develop, especially as you rise through the ranks and start leading others.Advice for making the most of an indirect career path to design, by Heidi Meredith (Adobe Express Growth)I didnt know anything about design until after I graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a degree in English Literature/Creative Writing. A mere three months into it, though, I realized I didn't want to write books I wanted to design them.I want to express my deep gratitude to Sara Wachter-Boettcher, whose coaching helped me find the clarity and confidence to write this piece and, more importantly, to move forward with purpose in both life and work. And to Lea Alcantara, my design director at Fueled, for being a steady creative force and an inspiring example of thoughtful leadership.

Yellow, which was first released on June 26, 2000 in the UK, is a track that put Coldplay on the map internationally. Now, 25 years later the British band takes the stage at Wembley Stadium for a record-breaking 10-day run, bringing with them a change in the landscape. To mark the occasion, Wembley Park enlisted Pantone for a large-scale public art installation on the Spanish Steps, a main pedestrian thoroughfare connecting Wembley Stadium to the OVO Arena. Experts at the Pantone Color Institute created YELLOW 25, drenching the 58 steps in specific shades of yellow by using the Pantone Matching System.YELLOW 25 a new art installation by Wembley Park x Pantone, celebrating the 25th anniversary of Coldplays hit song Yellow, released on 26 June 2000, ahead of the bands UK tour and record-breaking 10 nights at Wembley Stadium \\\ Photo: Ben Pipe / Wembley ParkPantone approached the project with more than just a surface-level color match. Every choice from the intensity of the shades to the depth and spacing between them was designed to echo the rhythm and flow of the music. The installation unfolds like the song itself, translating verses and melodies into a visual journey. The outcome feels understated yet expansive, drawing viewers in regardless of whether they recognize Coldplays Yellow or not.YELLOW 25 a new art installation by Wembley Park x Pantone, celebrating the 25th anniversary of Coldplays hit song Yellow, released on 26 June 2000, ahead of the bands UK tour and record-breaking 10 nights at Wembley Stadium \\\ Photo: Ben Pipe / Wembley ParkBeginning with pale, muted hues all the way to deeper, more golden tones, the yellows follow the songs progression. An iconic line from the song, And it was all yellow, emblazons the steps with a white background in the beginning, slowly building into various sunny shades up at the top. The tones deepen in intensity as the steps go on, an homage to the musical and emotional journey thats made the song such a hit.YELLOW 25 a new art installation by Wembley Park x Pantone, celebrating the 25th anniversary of Coldplays hit song Yellow, released on 26 June 2000, ahead of the bands UK tour and record-breaking 10 nights at Wembley Stadium \\\ Photo: Ben Pipe / Wembley ParkYellow is an expansive color of bright sun, lemons, and taxicabs. The first line of the song, Look at the stars/look how they shine for you, inviting the listener to consider the possibility of life. Allegedly, the song was written in just a night, the title derived from an errant Yellow Pages sitting on the studio floor. As park goers ascend the steps, each holds many vertices of the color within, much like music. With the whole stairs visible, the iconic Pantone chip-style graphics come into view.YELLOW 25 a new art installation by Wembley Park x Pantone, celebrating the 25th anniversary of Coldplays hit song Yellow, released on 26 June 2000, ahead of the bands UK tour and record-breaking 10 nights at Wembley Stadium \\\ Photo: Ben Pipe / Wembley ParkColor, just like music, is a very emotional form of communication. We were inspired to explore how sound and color can work together to express the feeling of Coldplays iconic Yellow, and how the emotional journey of the song could be visually represented through the steps at Wembley Park. It was a creative exercise that engaged all the senses and invited us to explore the songs emotion and lyrics in a new way. We hope fans and visitors will enjoy the installation and connect with the music and Coldplays legacy from a new colorful perspective, says Jane Boddy, Creative Director, Pantone Color Institute.YELLOW 25 a new art installation by Wembley Park x Pantone, celebrating the 25th anniversary of Coldplays hit song Yellow, released on 26 June 2000, ahead of the bands UK tour and record-breaking 10 nights at Wembley Stadium \\\ Photo: Ben Pipe / Wembley ParkThis isnt the first time the steps have undergone a transformation. Last year, British artist Frank Styles brought his fan-favorite Auras to celebrate Taylor Swifts Eras Tour.YELLOW 25 a new art installation by Wembley Park x Pantone, celebrating the 25th anniversary of Coldplays hit song Yellow, released on 26 June 2000, ahead of the bands UK tour and record-breaking 10 nights at Wembley Stadium \\\ Photo: Ben Pipe / Wembley ParkPantone has been the global color authority for decades, developing the Pantone Matching System to help with colorwork in a variety of industries. This system was utilized on the YELLOW 25 exhibition, working within Pantones framework to give each step its own hue. As we learn more about the power color holds in our lives, Pantones work becomes ever more important, teaching us to craft smarter, more respectful pieces in the future.Photo: Pantone Color InstituteTo learn more about the Pantones YELLOW 25 at Wembley Park, which is free to the public until September 30, 2025, please visit wembleypark.com. Photography by Ben Pipe / Wembley Park.

Weekly curated resources for designersthinkers andmakers.The main thing Ive realized after talking with dozens of designers in 2025 is that design cant be a cost center and hope to survive. In an uncertain economy, many organizations are looking to reduce costs. If youre seen as nothing but a cost with little benefit, your team may be on the choppingblock.So if executive whims are throwing you around, dont just learn to follow orders or question them to the point of being seen as a roadblock. Learn to get executives to realize that what theyre proposing is a bad idea on theirown.How do you deal with an executive demanding features? By KaiWongThe easiest feedback tool for UX teams & designers [Sponsored] Tired of chasing screenshots, Slack threads, and vague emails? With Pastel, clients leave all their feedback in one place, no login required. Loved by 10,000+ creatives including teams at Calendly, Dropbox Bentobox andmore.Editor picksWhy good UX isnt enough Lessons from the internal combustion engine.By JonDaielloGenerative AIs dehumanization problem The defects of traditional media, on steroids.By NeelDozomeAI + the age of choice Less noise and more quality.By Chris RBeckerThe UX Collective is an independent design publication that elevates unheard design voices and helps designers think more critically about theirwork.Dicing an onion the mathematically optimal wayMake methinkWe must build AI for people; not to be a person AI companions are a completely new category, and we urgently need to start talking about the guardrails we put in place to protect people and ensure this amazing technology can do its job of delivering immense value to the world. Im fixated on building the most useful and supportive AI companion imaginable.Vibe coding and the illusion of progress While artificial intelligence has revolutionized how we write code, it hasnt touched the fundamental human work of discovering genuine user needs, validating solutions through real-world testing, and adapting products based on market feedback. This distinction matters now more than ever, as AI-powered development tools create a dangerous illusion of progress that threatens the very foundation of successful product building.Easy will always trump simple Simple and easy arent inherently in conflict, but are instead orthogonal. Simple is an absolute concept, and easy is relative to what the software designer alreadyknows.Little gems thisweekWhat GPT-5 could have learned from Apples headphone jack By YoujinNamFrom skim to substance: designing the future of reading By Wira IndraKusumaWhats human agency, anyway? By Helena MathiesenTools and resourcesAI in UX research What to automate, augment, or keep in human hands.By JuheeDubeyDesigning how AI thinks A scrappy guide to prototyping conversational AI.By MikeWaszazakDesign beyond sight How to make your product work with screen readers.By Gabriella ChuffiSupport the newsletterIf you find our content helpful, heres how you can supportus:Check out this weeks sponsor to support their worktooForward this email to a friend and invite them to subscribeSponsor aneditionDealing with feature requests, AIs dehumanization problem, AI in UX research was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I prefer to sleep in pitch darkness and absolute silence, which I am on the record about, but I never really get to do it. My partner can't sleep without the TV on, I've never dated anyone who values the silent darkness the way I do, and I live next door to a bar that put its smoking section directly beneath my window. I have spent a lot of time, energy, and money devising workarounds that enable me to approximate my ideal sleeping conditions, even when circumstances conspire against me.I tend to use YouTube for my white noise and sleep sounds, for a few reasons. First of all, there's a wide variety on there and you can find a bunch of videos that run for 10 hours or more. Secondly, I used to use Spotify, but listening to eight hours of washing-machine noises every night completely destroyed my algorithm; the app would suggest box fan sounds to me in the middle of the day. I don't even want to tell you what happened to my beloved Spotify Wrapped results. Whether you need to drown out external noise or just quiet your own mind, these are some great channels to start with. Cozy Sound A lot of these channels might strike you as strange if you're not familiar with the landscape here. Unlike when we're looking for fitness instructors or beauty tutorials, you aren't likely to find identifiable influencers. Instead, you find big channels run by unknown people, which is what Cozy Sound is like. Many of the channels have very few subscribers and views, and are likely AI or slop. That's not the case with Cozy Sound, which is why I like itand 52,000 other subscribers do, too. You get to pick from a variety of weather-related noises. Take, for instance, the live clip the channel is running right now: "Rain touches the cabin roof, fire guards the silence, and sleep comes like a gentle tide." For a few days at a time, the channel runs the same type of soundscapes, whether they're blizzard sounds or rain storm sounds, on 24-hour loops, which makes this one easy to access. Along with the sounds, you get a cozy picture, like a cabin or the interior of an apartment during a rainstorm. Relaxing White Noise There are actually celebrity-esque creators in this space. Take, for instance, Relaxing White Noise, which has over four million subscribers.RWN is like Cozy Sound in that it runs live videos, making access simple: You can just open the channel and it'll start playing. There's no guesswork or poking around on your part, which is perfect because you really don't want to be staring at your phone or computer while you're trying to wind down for bed. If you're not into whatever the live offering is at a given moment, though, you do have loads of options. RWN has not only the weather and storm sounds that are so popular, but box fans, the hissing of plain white noise, and whooshing described as "celestial noise." The whooshing makes me feel anxious and I can't explain that, but if you like it, good for you! I prefer box fan or washing machine noises, so I'm happy to find them here. Ambient Worlds RWN occasionally makes references in their video descriptions to being part of "the weird side of YouTube," but they have nothing on Ambient Worlds, where you and one million subscribers can find immersive tracks designed to make you feel like you're in a specific, often fictional place. Above, see the Ambient Worlds take on Lord of the Rings, for instance. If you've ever wanted to fall asleep pretending you're in the Shire, boy, do I have a deal for you. Instead of white noise or rain sounds, you get soft music with these and the tunes are usually reinterpretations of themes from movies or video games, so you'll recognize them. From Star Wars to Elder Scrolls, you can find the intellectual property you like here and then fall asleep to it. I love LOTR, but if it's on, I will certainly not be falling asleep; I'll be staying up to watch it all the way through for the 267th time. Worse, if I do fall asleep, I'll almost certainly be rudely startled awake by a battle scene. This channel allows a best-of-both-worlds situation where I can still drift off to something I know well without any issues. A word of caution, however: The clips are usually only about three hours long. The Honest Guys I included the Honest Guys in my roundup of best YouTube meditations, but their videosshared with some one million subscribersare tailored for meditating while falling asleep. It's not noise so much as a guided walk through some deep thinking, so it's not for everyone, but if you're searching for a meditation to fall asleep to, try these. You can find regular daily meditations, a selection of relatively word-free sleep sounds, and sleep-specific "guided sleep talk-downs" here. I appreciate that there's a variety because it helps you find something that meets a number of needs and stick to it.

SpaceX's massive Starship rocket is scheduled to lift off from the company's Texas launch site as soon as this evening for its 10th flight. After scrubbing the launch initially planned for Sunday, August 24, things are apparently back on track for Monday, August 25. The launch window opens at 7:30PM ET (6:30PM CT). As always, the flight test will be livestreamed on the SpaceX website and on X, with a webcast starting 30 minutes before launch.Yesterday, the weather looked iffy for launch; SpaceX said on Saturday that conditions were looking only 45 percent favorable. Ultimately the Sunday launch was cancelled "to allow time to troubleshoot an issue with ground systems," according to a SpaceX post on X.Standing down from today's tenth flight of Starship to allow time to troubleshoot an issue with ground systems SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 24, 2025 Flight 10 follows a series of failures this year during SpaceX's seventh, eighth and ninth test flights. And in June, a Starship vehicle exploded on the ground during preparations for a static fire test of its six Raptor engines. If all goes according to plan for Flight 10, Starship will deploy eight dummy Starlink satellites and perform "several experiments focused on enabling Starships upper stage to return to the launch site." It won't actually be returning to the launch site this time, though. The test is expected to last a little over an hour, and end with a splashdown in the Indian Ocean.Update, August 25, 2025, 11:30AM ET: This story was updated to note that Sunday's launch was scrubbed and that SpaceX will try again tonight.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/spacex-is-about-to-launch-starship-for-its-10th-test-flight-215652105.html?src=rss

Sennheiser has announced a major software update for its flagship Ambeo Max, a soundbar first released in 2019.

Elon Musk's X and xAI sued Apple and OpenAI on Monday, accusing the pair of an "anticompetitive scheme" to thwart AI rivals.

Wt Workshops suit and animatronics are on on display in this bts video from Screen Rant, and stills posted by the director. View this post on InstagramA post shared by Screen Rant (@screenrant)See photos post by director here and here.The post Alien: Earth practical Xenomorph creature effects behind the scenes appeared first on befores & afters.