Leading the noms are Dune: Part Two, The Wild Robot, Shgun and The Penguin.The Visual Effects Society has announced the nominees for the 23rd Annual VES Awards. The Awards will be presented on February 11, 2025 at The Beverly Hilton hotel.Special honorees at the 23rd Annual VES Award include: Actor-producer Hiroyuki Sanada, receiving the VES Award for Creative Excellence; Director and VFX supervisor Takashi Yamazaki receiving the VES Visionary Award; and VR/immersive tech pioneer Dr. Jacquelyn Ford Morie receiving the VES Georges Mlis Award.The VES Online View and Vote System will be available at 12:00 AM PST on January 20, 2025 and will close at 11:59 PM PST on February 2, 2025.Here are the nominees:OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL FEATUREBetter ManLuke MillarAndy TaylorDavid ClaytonKeith HerftPeter StubbsDune: Part TwoPaul LambertBrice ParkerStephen JamesRhys SalcombeGerd NefzerKingdom of the Planet of the Apes Erik WinquistJulia NeighlyPaul StoryDanielle ImmermanRodney BurkeMufasa: The Lion KingAdam ValdezBarry St. JohnAudrey FerraraDaniel FotheringhamTwistersBen SnowMark SoperFlorian WitzelSusan GreenhowScott FisherOUTSTANDING SUPPORTING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL FEATUREBlitzAndrew WhitehurstSona PakTheo DemirisVincent PoitrasHayley WilliamsCivil War David SimpsonMichelle RoseFreddy SalazarChris ZehJ.D. SchwalmHorizon: An American Saga Chapter 1Jason NeeseArmen FetulagianJamie NeeseJ.P. JaramilloNosferatuAngela BarsonLisa RenneyDavid ScottDave CookPavel SgnerYoung Woman and the SeaRichard BriscoeCarrie RishelJeremy RobertStphane DittooIvo JivkovOUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN AN ANIMATED FEATUREInside Out 2Kelsey MannMark NielsenSudeep RangaswamyBill WatralMoana 2Carlos CabralTucker GilmoreIan GoodingGabriela HernandezThe Wild RobotChris SandersJeff HermannJeff BudsbergJacob Hjort JensenTransformers One Frazer ChurchillFiona ChiltonJosh CooleyStephen KingUltraman: Rising Hayden JonesSean M. MurphyShannon TindleMathieu VigOUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL EPISODE Fallout; The HeadJay WorthAndrea KnollGrant EverettJoao SitaDevin MaggioHouse of the Dragon; Season 2; The Red Dragon and the GoldDai EinarssonTom HortonSven MartinWayne StablesMike DawsonShgun; AnjinMichael CliettMelody MeadPhilip EngstrmEd BruceCameron WaldbauerStar Wars: Skeleton Crew; Episode 5John KnollPablo MollesJhon AlvaradoJeff CapogrecoThe Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power; Season 2; EldestJason SmithTim KeeneAnn PodloznyAra KhanikianRyan ConderOUTSTANDING SUPPORTING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL EPISODEExpats: HomeRobert BockGlorivette SomozaCharles LabbTim EmeisLady in the Lake; It Has to Do With the Search for the MarvelousJay WorthEddie BoninJoe WehmeyerEric Levin-HatzMike MyersMasters of the Air; Part Three; The Regensburg-Schweinfurt MissionStephen RosenbaumBruce FranklinXavier Matia BernasconiDavid AndrewsNeil CorbouldThe Penguin; BlissJohnny HanMichelle RoseGoran PavlesEd BruceDevin MaggioThe Tattooist of Auschwitz; PilotSimon GilesAlan ChurchDavid SchneiderJames HattsmithOUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A REAL-TIME PROJECT[REDACTED]Fabio SilvaMatthew ShermanCaleb EssexBob KopinskyDestiny 2: The Final ShapeDave SamuelBen FabricEric GreenliefGlenn GambleStar Wars OutlawsStephen HawesLionel Le DainBenedikt PodlesniggBogdan DraghiciWhat If? An Immersive StoryPatrick N.P. ConranShereif FattouhZain HomerJax LeeUntil DawnNicholas ChambersJack Hidde GlavimansAlex GaborOUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A COMMERCIALYouTube TV NFL Sunday Ticket: The Magic of SundayChris BayolJeremy BrooksLane JollyJacob BergmanDisney; Holidays 2024Adam DroyHelen TangChristian Baker-SteeleDavid FleetVirgin Media; Walrus WhizzerSebastian CaldwellIan BerryBen CroninAlex GreyCoca-Cola; The HeroesGreg McKneallyAntonia VlastoRyan KnowlesFabrice FiteniSix Kings Slam; Call of the KingsRyan KnowlesJoe BillingtonDean RobinsonGeorge SavvasOUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A SPECIAL VENUE PROJECTD23; Real-Time RocketEvan GoldbergAlyssa FinleyJason BrenemanAlice TaylorThe Goldau Landslide ExperienceRoman KaelinGianluca RavioliFlorian BaumannMTV Video Music Awards; Slim Shady LiveJo PlaeteSara MustafaCameron JacksonAndries CourteauxTokyo DisneySea; Peter Pans Never Land AdventureMichael Sean FoleyKirk BodyfeltDarin HollingsBert KleinMaya VyasParis Olympics Opening Ceremony; RunBenjamin Le SterGilles De LusigmanGerome ViavantRomain TinturierOUTSTANDING CHARACTER IN A PHOTOREAL FEATUREBetter Man; Robbie WilliamsMilton RamirezAndrea MerloSeoungseok Charlie KimEteuati TemaKingdom of the Planet of the Apes; NoaRachael DunkAndrei CovalJohn SoreNiels Peter KaagaardKingdom of the Planet of the Apes; RakaSeoungseok Charlie KimGiorgio LafrattaTim TeramotoAidan MartinMufasa: The Lion King; TakaKlaus SkovboValentina RosselliEli De KoninckAmelie TalarmainOUTSTANDING CHARACTER IN AN ANIMATED FEATUREInside Out 2; AnxietyAlexander AlvaradoBrianne FranciscoAmanda WagnerBrenda Lin ZhangThe Wild Robot; RozFabio LigniniYukinori InagakiOwen DemersHyun HuhThelma The Unicorn; Vic DiamondGuillaume ArantesAdrien MonteroAnne-Claire LerouxGaspard RocheWallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl; GromitJo FentonAlison EvansAndy SymanowskiEmanuel NevadoOUTSTANDING CHARACTER IN AN EPISODE, COMMERCIAL, GAME CINEMATIC, OR REAL-TIME PROJECTSecret Level; Armored Core: Asset Management; Mech PilotZsolt VidaPter Krucsaignes VonaEnric Nebleza PaellaDiablo IV: Vessel of Hatred; NeyrelleChris BostjanickJames MaYeon-Ho LeeAtsushi IkarashiDisney; Holidays 2024; OctopusAlex DoylePhilippe MoineLewis PickstonAndrea LacedelliRonja the Robbers Daughter; Vildvittran the Queen HarpyNicklas AnderssonDavid AllanGustav hrenNiklas WallnOUTSTANDING ENVIRONMENT IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURECivil War; Washington, D.C.Matthew ChandlerJames HarmerRobert MooreAdrien ZeppieriDune: Part Two; The Arrakeen BasinDaniel RheinDaniel Anton FernandezMarc James AustinChristopher AnciaumeGladiator II; RomeOliver KaneStefano FarciJohn SeruFrederick ValleeWicked; The Emerald CityAlan LamSteve BevinsDeepali NegiMiguel Sanchez Lpez-RuzOUTSTANDING ENVIRONMENT IN AN ANIMATED FEATUREKung Fu Panda 4; Juniper CityBenjamin LippertRyan PrestridgeSarah VawterPeter MaynezThe Wild Robot; The ForestJohn WakeHe Jung ParkWoojin ChoiShane GladingTransformers One; Iacon CityAlex PopescuGeoffrey LebretonRyan KirbyHussein NabeelWallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl; AqueductMatt PerryDave Alex RiddettMatt SandersHoward JonesOUTSTANDING ENVIRONMENT IN AN EPISODE, COMMERCIAL, GAME CINEMATIC, OR REAL-TIME PROJECTDune: Prophecy; Pilot; The Imperial PalaceScott CoatesSam BesseauVincent lHeureuxLourenco AbreuDune: Prophecy; Two Wolves; Zimia SpaceportNils WeisbrodDavid AnastacioRene BorstRuben ValenteShgun; OsakaManuel MartinezPhil HanniganKeith MaloneFrancesco CorvinoThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; Season 2; Doomed to Die; EregionYordan PetrovBertrand CabrolLea DesrozierKaran DhandhaOUTSTANDING CG CINEMATOGRAPHYBetter ManBlair BurkeShweta BhatnagarTim WalkerCraig YoungDune: Part Two; ArrakisGreig FraserXin Steve GuoSandra MurtaBen WiggsHouse of the Dragon; Season 2; The Red Dragon and the Gold; Battle at Rooks RestMatt PerrinJames ThompsonJacob DoehnerP.J. DillonKingdom of the Planet of the Apes ; Egg ClimbDennis YooAngelo PerrottaSamantha ErickstadMiae KangOUTSTANDING MODEL IN A PHOTOREAL OR ANIMATED PROJECTAlien: Romulus; Renaissance Space StationWaldemar BartkowiakTrevor WideMatt MiddletonBen ShearmanDeadpool & Wolverine; Ant-Man ArenaCarlos Flores GomezCorinne DyChris ByrnesGerald BlaiseDune: Part Two; The Harkonnen HarvesterAndrew HodgsonTimothy RussellErik LehmannLouie ChoGladiator II; The ColosseumOliver KaneMarnie PittsCharlotte FargierLaurie PriestOUTSTANDING EFFECTS SIMULATIONS IN A PHOTOREAL FEATUREDune: Part Two; Atomic Explosions and WormridingNicholas PapworthSandy la TourelleLisa NolanChristopher PhillipsKingdom of the Planet of the Apes; Burning Village, Rapids and FloodsAlex NowotnyClaude SchitterFrdric ValleurKevin KelmTwistersMatthew HangerJoakim ArnessonLaurent KermelZheng Yong OhVenom: The Last Dance; Water, Fire & Symbiote EffectsXavi Martin RamirezOscar DahlenHedi NamarYuri YangOUTSTANDING EFFECTS SIMULATIONS IN AN ANIMATED FEATUREKung Fu Panda 4Jinguang HuangZhao WangHamid ShahsavariJoshua LaBrotMoana 2Zoran StojanoskiJesse EricksonShamintha Kalamba ArachchiErin V. RamosThe Wild RobotDerek CheungMichael LosureDavid ChowNyoung KimUltraman: RisingGoncalo CabacaZheng Yong OhNicholas Yoon Joo KuangPraveen BoppanaOUTSTANDING EFFECTS SIMULATIONS IN AN EPISODE, COMMERCIAL, GAME CINEMATIC, OR REAL-TIME PROJECTAvatar: The Last Airbender; Legends; KoizillaIoan BoieriuDavid StopfordPer BalaySaysana RintharamyShgun; Broken to the Fist; LandslideDominic TiedekenHeinrich LweCharles GuertonTimmy LundinStar Wars: Skeleton Crew; Pilot; Spaceship Hillside TakeoffTravis HarkleroadXiaolong PengMarcella BrownMickael RiciottiThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; Season 2; Shadow and Flame; Balrog Fire and Collapsing CliffKoenraad HofmeesterMiguel Perez SenentMiguel Santana Da SilvaBilly CopleyThree Body Problem; Judgement DayYves DIncauGavin TemplerMartin ChabannesEloi Andaluz FullOUTSTANDING COMPOSITING & LIGHTING IN A FEATUREBetter ManMark McNichollGordon Spencer de HasethEva SnyderMarkus ReithofferDune: Part Two; Wormriding, Geidi Prime, and the Final BattleChristopher RickardFrancesco DellAnnaPaul ChapmanRyan WingKingdom of the Planet of the ApesJoerg BruemmerZachary BrakeTim WalkerKaustubh A. PatilThe Wild RobotSondra L. VerlanderBaptiste Van OpstalEszter OffertalerAustin CasaleOUTSTANDING COMPOSITING & LIGHTING IN AN EPISODEShgun; Broken to the Fist; LandslideBenjamin BernonDouglas RoshamnVictor KirschCharlie RaudStar Wars: Skeleton Crew; Episode 6; JawsRich GrandeTomas LefebvreIan DodmanRey ReynoldsThe Boys; Season 4; Life Among the SepticsTristan ZerafaMike StadnyckyjToshi KosakaRajeev BRThe Penguin; After HoursJonas StuckenbrockKaren ChangEugene BondarMiky GirnOUTSTANDING COMPOSITING & LIGHTING IN A COMMERCIALVirgin Media; Walrus WhizzerSebastian CaldwellAlex GreyKanishk ChouhanShubham MehtaCoca-Cola; The HeroesRyan KnowlesAlex GabucciJack PowellDan YarcigiCorcept; MarionetteYongchan KimArman MatinYoon BaeRajesh KaushikDisney; Holidays 2024Christian Baker-SteeleLuke WarpusPritesh KotianJack HarrisOUTSTANDING SPECIAL (PRACTICAL) EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL PROJECTBlitzHayley WilliamsDavid EvesAlex FreemanDavid WatsonConstellationMartin GoeresJohara RaukampLion David BogusLeon MarkThe Penguin; Safe GunsDevin MaggioJohnny HanCory CandrilliAlexandre ProdhommeEMERGING TECHNOLOGY AWARDDune: Part Two; Nuke CopyCatBen KentGuillaume GalesMairead GroganJohanna BarbierFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga; Artist-driven Machine Learning CharacterJohn BastianBen WardThomas RowntreeRobert BeveridgeHere; Neural Performance ToolsetJo PlaeteOriel FrigoTomas KoutskyMatteo Oliviero DancyMufasa: The Lion King; Real-Time Interactive Filmmaking, From Stage To PostCallum JamesJames HoodLloyd BishopBruno PedrinhaThe Penguin; Phase Synced Flash-Gun SystemJohnny HanJefferson HanJoseph MenafraMichael PynnOUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A STUDENT PROJECTDawn (entry from ESMA cole Suprieure Des Mtiers Artistiques)Noah MercierApolline RoyerLorys StoraMarie PradeillesStudent Accomplice (entry from Brigham Young University)Spencer BlanchardLisa BirdAnson SavageKiara SpencerPittura (entry from ARTFX Schools of Digital Arts)Lauriol AdamLassre TitouanVivenza RmiMarre HellosCourage (entry from Supinfocom Rubika)Salom CognonMargot JacquetNathan BaudryLise DelcroixThe post Here are all the nominees for the 23rd Annual VES Awards appeared first on befores & afters.

Canadas ambassador to Washington said Monday that Canada is prepared to buy more from the United States, including its next fleet of submarines, to appease President-elect Donald Trumps concerns about the U.S.-Canada trade deficit.Ambassador Kirsten Hillman also warned Americans in an interview with the Associated Press that prices will go up for Americans almost immediately if Trump follows through with his plan to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian products.The ambassador also dismissed Trumps talk of Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state, saying thats how Trump negotiates.He has a negotiating style which involves positioning himself in the best way he can for discussions. I think that is what this is, Hillman told the AP.Trump continues to erroneously cast the U.S. trade deficit with Canadaa natural resource-rich nation that provides the U.S. with commodities like oilas a subsidy.Hillman noted Canada buys more from the United States than any other country but is prepared to buy more.We are happy to source what we can from the United States. And we have some big military procurements coming up for example, replacing our entire submarine fleet, she said. Maybe those are some purchases that can happen from the U.S.Hillman said 70% of Canadas military procurement is American sourced. That includes a plan to purchase 88 F-35 fighter jets.Albertas Premier Danielle Smith said earlier Monday she favors appeasing Trump by trying to narrow the trade gap, saying the solution is that Canada finds ways to buy more American goods. Smith visited Mar-a-Lago, Trumps home in Florida, over the weekend and spoke to Trump.Hillman has said the U.S. had a $75 billion trade deficit with Canada last year but noted a third of what Canada sells into the U.S. is energy exports.Hillman said trade with Canada supports over eight million jobs in the United States and Canada is the number one customer to 36 U.S. states. She said Canada provides a lot of primary materials that go into U.S. manufacturing.Adding 25% tariffs to those products will raise the price for Americans almost immediately, Hillman said. And at a time when the cost of living is challenging, when food prices are high, it seems like the wrong direction to go in.Hillman also reiterated that Canada will retaliate if tariffs are placed on Canadian goods and that will mean a cost for Americans.Canada will respond, she said. Therefore your number one customer will make American products more expensive and Canadians will probably look for alternatives to those products.Hillman said Canada is not interested in a trade war but said it will be hard for the Canadian government to not respond if the U.S. government makes choices that hurt Canadians.She said it doesnt make sense for Trump to reverse what he accomplished in his first term when he renegotiated the free trade deal with Canada and Mexico.We are 99% tariff free with the United States, 99% tariff free. And that tariff level is as a result of the USMCA, Hillman said, referring to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. That was negotiated by President Trump. He achieved that success so why would we backtrack from this success that he achieved in his last administration. It just doesnt make a lot sense.Hillman gave Trump credit for accelerating Canadas plans to increase security at the border. Trump initially threatened to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian goods if the government does not stem what Trump calls a flow of migrants and drugs in the U.S.even though far fewer of each crosses into the U.S. from Canada than from Mexico, which Trump has also threatened.Canada now has a billion plus border security plan.We have moved really quickly, Ill be honest, because President Trump focused the mind to put together a full package of improvements, Hillman said.Hillman said also said the U.S. and Canada are in a generational struggle with China, a powerful adversary. Trump has been clear about the economic and security threat that Beijing poses, she said. The ambassador said Canada has the energy America needs to drive the artificial intelligence revolution.That is really not possible, based on our experts and American experts, without greater cooperation with Canada through oil and gas, through nuclear, through hydro electricity, Hillman said.If we are working at odds then frankly China wins. China is trying to drive us apart. That is clear. They look for every opportunity to do so. Thats not good for us, our citizens and Americans.Rob Gillies, Associated Press

Promotion: the enduring popularity of Humanscale's iconic Freedom Chair is attributed to its radical design approach around ergonomics and comfort, according to its CEO Bob King.The global ergonomics brand is reflecting on the 25th anniversary of a chair which, said King, was "designed to improve the human condition", and became a milestone in workplace design.Speaking to Dezeen, King said he and Freedom Chair's designer Niels Diffrient approached the chair less like furniture and more "as an ergonomic tool" ahead of the Freedom Chair's launch in 1999.Humanscale is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Freedom ChairTo mark the anniversary, Humanscale is launching a special collection of the chair called Freedom 25, comprising 250 models of the office chair."He approached it by trying to solve a health problem rather than a mechanical problem," said HumanscaleCEO Bob King in attributing what lay behind Diffrient's "breakthrough" design.The late American industrial designer Diffrient, dubbed the "father of ergonomics", designed the Freedom Chair for Humanscale in a bid to challenge traditional office chairs particularly those that required adjustments tediously made with knobs and levers, reducing natural movement.It was designed in 1999 by "father of ergonomics" Niels DiffrientKing said Diffrient had been working on the challenge for 20 years. "He figured that to solve that problem, you had to allow people to move. So you had to get rid of these obstacles to movement," King added.King developed a friendship with Diffrient after collaborating with him for the Freedom chair. "He had seen people sitting still and hunched over their desks, just like I had. And we often talked about how posture is really unhealthy for spine health."It is intended for home or office environments, "wherever work happens", says HumanscaleHumanscale was set up by King in 1983 at the time computers entered the office at scale. "It was mayhem. People had neck, back and wrist issues. I figured it made sense to start a company that made tools allowing you to adjust your work to your body, rather than adjust your body to your work."King said he approached Diffrient in 1997 to design a chair that's easy to use. Shortly afterwards, King recalled, Diffrient showed him a prototype of a chair he had been working on for seven years without a client.Freedom Chair is celebrated for its self-adjusting designOne of the chair's main points of difference compared to office chairs of that era was it used the person's weight rather than springs. It also had a responsive headrest and synchronous arm rests.The weight-sensitive recline mechanism for the Freedom Chair automatically adjusts to each user, negating the need for manual adjustments.Humanscale has launched a special Freedom 25 to mark the anniversaryThe Freedom Chair's comfort is further enhanced with armrests that move synchronously, and with a dynamic headrest.While marking a shift in ergonomic seating design, it also became synonymous with dignitaries leading Humanscale to name it "the chair of power".The chair is known to have been enjoyed by employees at NASA as well as by leaders including former US president Barack Obama and Apple CEO Tim Cook.The limited edition special features aluminium detailingKing said the chair also reflected design for the sake of function as opposed to "making something pretty"."Restyling something is quick, inexpensive and predictable, but doing real innovation and coming up with something that that that works better is really slow, really expensive and really unpredictable," he said.The armrests move synchronously, for "effortless adjustment""People recognise this as a chair that is designed to improve the human condition," King said."They may not understand that all of this design came from function but on a subconscious level, I think people understand that this design is honest."To mark the anniversary, Humanscale is launching a special collection of the chair called Freedom 25th Anniversary Signature Edition, comprising 250 models of the office chair with updated upholstery and added aluminium detailing, on its backrest, headrest and handles.Freedom 25th Anniversary Signature Edition features Diffrient's signature alongside an edition numberIt also features Diffrient's signature alongside an edition number and an authenticity certificate will be available with each chair.The Freedom chair will also be made available as part of Humanscales growing Ocean collection, in which furniture is made with ocean plastic such as reclaimed fishing nets.To learn more about Freedom 25, visit www.freedom-25.humanscale.com and for more information on office furniture brand Humanscale visit www.humanscale.com.Partnership contentThis article was written by Dezeen for Humanscale as part of a partnership.Find out more about Dezeen partnership contenthere.The post Humanscale reflects on how its Freedom Chair transformed ergonomic design appeared first on Dezeen.

Construction Specialties, Inc. designs and manufactures specialty architectural products, particularly healthcare facilities. They make this unusual door, which has a second door within it:So what's the application?"Our barrier-resistant doors offer a unique solution for behavioral health facilities. [They] feature a small compact door within the main door providing staff easy access to a room if a barricade is used by a patient."Additionally, the door stiles are replaceable, should the patient damage them.

Jeans are a staple in most peoples wardrobes. The moment it starts to fray or fade (unless thats part of your fashion statement), you either give it to someone else or just throw it away. There are those who donate it to organizations that upcycle or recycle but oftentimes, it just gets thrown in the trash. Since the material is strong enough, there are a lot of things you can do with it and this designer experimented with combining it with different materials to make it the main character.Designer: Junghyun KimThe Denim Project turned discarded denims into something that may last longer than if youre wearing it. They were able to bundle and ground it and then combine it with various other materials like wood glue, plaster, and resin. What they were able to create are decorative plates which can serve as part of your aesthetic and decoration in the kitchen or living room. Well, technically you can also actually use it as plates for when youre eating. If youre an Asian mom though, those plates will remain on the shelf. The decorative plates have a white and blue colourway since denim is of course colored blue. This color combination is pretty familiar to a lot of households especially those that like the aesthetics of The Great Wave of Kanagawa, a woodblock print by Japanese artist Hokusai. There are hexagonal plates that also can serve as trays while there are coaster-like smaller versions that have stands. As the denim is reborn as these plates, they will have a longer lifespan than when they were used as clothes. Well, unless of course theyre dropped and broken but even those can be recycled and re-used. The post Discarded denim reborn as decorative plates first appeared on Yanko Design.

The new features, tools and projects to shake things up for 3D artists.

Don't cancel therapy just yet, but these portable and at-home massagers might just be the hack you need after stressful days.

The industry is pumping ever more oil and natural gas, but it is doing so with only about three-quarters as many workers as it employed a decade ago.

MacworldAt a glanceExpert's RatingProsFolded into impressive anti-malware suiteKillswitch and other advanced featuresDecent speedsConsFewer servers than some rivalsInConsistent geoblockingOur Verdict Malwarebytes Privacy VPN service is an added extra for anyone using the companys anti-malware scanner and preventative tools, but is it worth looking into as a standalone product? Wed argue yes, with a suite of safety tools as well as a no-logs VPN that has better performance than many of its rivals. Wed have liked additional servers, sure, but whats here offers a pretty compelling package of features, VPN or otherwise.Price When ReviewedThis value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefinedBest Pricing TodayTo preface this review, were primarily focused on the VPN side of Malwarebytes offering, so while well touch on the total package including the malware protection side of things, we have already given that a deeper look in our review of Malwarebytes Premium.With that out of the way, does Malwarebytes VPN tick the boxes for Mac users looking to keep traffic private? Yes, but there are some caveats namely that it features fewer server locations than its rivals, and getting around geoblocks for different versions of streaming services can be a tad inconsistent.See how Malwarebytes VPN compares to other Mac VPNs in our Best Mac VPN recommendations. We also look at the Best Antivirus for Mac. Still, in terms of privacy and performance, its hard to argue with whats on offer. The app is easy to use, and speeds are better than many of its rivals for both downloads and uploads. It also has split-tunnelling via its Connection rules, and a Kill Switch to cut all traffic if the VPN drops out.Theres no multi-hop server jumping, but the company does have a verified no-logs policy in place which means information isnt held about a users activity.Of course, the biggest boon Malwarebytes offers is that it has a whole antivirus suite built in, letting you not only scan for malware on your device but also runs a blocker to prevent them getting there in the first place. Theres an Identity Protection scanner, too, but after you get the results itll cost you an extra fee to take action.ScreenshotFoundryFeatures & AppsMalwarebytes VPN is available just about anywhere youd need it, meaning it runs across Windows, Mac, iPad, and much more. It has Windows, iOS, iPadOS, Android, and plenty more apps.While some rivals have higher device limits, Malwarebytes has five devices included. Thats a shame, but you can use them simultaneously. If your family has more than five devices under one roof you might want to look at one of the other options in our VPN roundups (see Best iPad VPN). Were focusing on the Mac version today, and its a really slick app. The Dashboard gives users access to the scanner tool to run malware scans, as well as a nifty Protection Score from what Malwarebytes calls Trusted Advisor.The score is made up of scan data, auto updates and Real-Time Protection, which is also found on the dashboard. That should help prevent malware getting onto your device in the first place.Still, were here for the VPN today, and its easy to select a location and hit the On switch to connect. There are over 500 to choose from across 40 locations, which admittedly pales in comparison to industry leaders like the thousands offered by NordVPN.Theres also no way, like with some rivals, to see which servers are better for streaming. That makes circumnavigating geoblocks to see whats on a different countrys Netflix library a little hit or miss.Thankfully, theres a Kill Switch and Split Tunnelling is available via the Connection Rules menu. You cant switch between VPN protocols, though, so youre stuck with WireGuard. Thats one of the slickest and lag-free options, but it would have been nice to be able to adjust for compatibility purposes.256-bit AES encryption comes as standard, too.ScreenshotFoundryPerformanceConsidering its doing the not-so-minor task of running defence on your active internet connection, I was expecting there to be a steep drop-off on download speeds through Malwarebytes VPN but I was wrong.While I saw between 27 and 33% drop-offs on a wireless connection, thats a step above many rivals, and the company doesnt charge any extra for certain servers so theyre all included in the same price.Its easy to pick your server from the list and get started, with the option to select by country, but Id have liked a little bit more information before connecting a server in Helsinki is great, but other apps let me see the estimated latency from connecting before I hit the button.As mentioned before, hopping between servers to find the optimal ones for streaming was also an exercise in trial and error. Its not that its not possible, its just that Ive grown accustomed to seeing servers signposted as streaming friendly on rivals.Its the kind of thing it feels like Malwarebytes could add with time, though.Privacy & SecurityWhile Malwarebytes is headquartered in the US (meaning its in the jurisdiction of certain intelligence agencies which some VPN providers are not, it still has a no-logs policy in place.That means the company wont collect data about a users activity while using the VPN, and the company says it will never track, store, or share any of your network data.Its worth noting that, as far as we can see, theres no third-party audit to verify the policy.Pricing and plansYou can get the Malwarebytes Privacy VPN for $39.99/29.99 a year (for one device). Or, for $59.99/49.99 (for one device) for a year with the addition of antivirus and malware detection, which could be a saving on what youd be paying for a rival option and an additional piece of software.Thats something to consider, but even if youre just looking for a slick VPN its hardly going to break the bank.Should you buy Malwarebytes Privacy VPN?Malwarebytes strength lies in its malware scanning toolkit, but the VPN is a solid option in a sea of alternatives. If you need both of those things, theres no better option, but if you just need a more feature-packed VPN (with additional servers), then there are better options for you.

Its looking like 2025 will be one of the most consequential years for Microsoft in a long time.Since Satya Nadella became CEO in early 2014, the company has been on an upward trajectory, despite a few bumps along the way. Today its the most powerful AI company on the planet and the worlds third-most-valuable company, worth more than $3 trillion.But in these volatile times, that can change quickly thanks to a still evolving AI market, the federal government targeting high tech, and the coming wild-card Trump presidency. What challenges will the company face in 2025, and how will it handle them?Here are my top five.Microsoft and OpenAI will go from frenemies into enemiesNot so long ago,the Microsoft-OpenAI relationship was techs biggest bromance. Microsoft invested $13 billion in OpenAI, OpenAIs influence and valuation skyrocketed, and Microsoft used the companys generative AI (genAI) technology to vault to the top of the AI heap.Last year, the bromance soured andthe companies became frenemies; as OpenAI openly courted major Microsoft clients, Microsoft laid the groundwork for developing its own AI technology.Nadella disparaged OpenAI, saying, If OpenAI disappeared tomorrow, we have all the IP rights and all the capability. We have the people, we have the compute, we have the data, we have everything. We are below them, above them, around them.Dont be surprised if theres open warfare between the companies this year.OpenAI will be transforming itself from non-profit to a for-profit company, possibly changing the terms of its contract with Microsoft and allowing it to more easily pursue partnerships with other companies. In addition, the terms of the Microsoft-OpenAI deal says that when OpenAIs ChatGPT achieves whats called AGI and can reason on its own, Microsoft will lose its stake in the company.OpenAI CEO Sam Altman keeps hinting thats coming sooner rather than later. Meanwhile,Microsoft has been busy building AI technology that could replace OpenAIs as the basis for Copilot and other AI products.The upshot? Expect open warfare between the two.Microsoft will get hit with at least one US government antitrust suitDecades ago, Microsoft was Big Techs bad boy, mowing down competitors with shady actions that drew the wrath of the federal government an antitrust suit that dropped the company from the top tier of tech and led to a lost decade in which it became an also-ran.After Nadella took the helm,Microsoft became Big Techs choirboy, largely avoiding any federal suits, while Amazon, Meta, Google, and Apple were hit with antitrust actions that threaten the core of their businesses.That will probably change in 2025. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched awide-ranging investigation into what it believes may be Microsofts anticompetitive practices. The agency is looking at the very heart of the company and its business practices AI, cloud computing, its productivity suite, and Teams. The suit could also endanger the companys billion-dollar contracts with the US government,because the FTC began looking at the company thanks to its poor security practices.Whats unclear is whether the Trump administration will continue the investigation, and ultimately prosecute the company. My bet is it will. Top Trump advisor Elon Muskhas become a Microsoft competitor with his AI company xAI, and hell most certainly use his high-level access to push for prosecution.Hes already suing Microsoft and OpenAIfor trying to use their power to get a monopoly on AI.Intellectual property battles will come to a headMicrosoft and other genAI companies face an even bigger problem than antitrust lawsuits the lack of content on which to train genAI tools like Copilot and ChatGPT. Improving them requires massive amounts of intellectual property. So far, the companies have simply hoovered up anything they can find, largely without paying, claiming they can use the material under fair-use doctrine.Thats led toplenty of lawsuits against Microsoft and other AI companiesfor intellectual property theft. In one of the biggest,The New York Timesis seeking billions of dollars in statutory and actual damagesbecause of what it calls the unlawful copying and use ofThe Timesuniquely valuable works.Microsoft and other AI companieshave begun making deals with publishers to pay for the content to train their AI models. In November, Microsoftinked a deal with the publisher HarperCollinsin which itcan use many of the companys nonfiction books to train a new genAI product.That deal might well beMicrosofts first in a series of similar agreements with other companies. Expect more to follow this year.Nadella will try to keep Trump at a distanceSince Donald J. Trumps election, a number of Big Tech executives and companies have gone full-blown MAGA.In one of the more extreme makeovers, Metas Mark Zuckerberg has gone all in, donating $1 million to Trumps inauguration, eliminating fact-checking on Meta platforms, backing away from policing hate speech, ending the companys diversity efforts, killing transgender and nonbinary themes from its apps, and even removing tampons from its mens bathrooms, which it had provided for nonbinary and transgender employees.Hes not the only one. Top executives from Google, Amazon, Apple, and others have also bowed to Trump. Microsoft had been the lone holdout until early January,when it donated $1 million to Trumps inaugural. Aside from that, though, the company hasnt curtailed diversity efforts or in any other way changed its culture to put it in line with Trumps way of thinking. And Nadella hasnt visited Trump in Mar-a-Lago, as have so many other tech execs.The big question: Will Nadella continue keeping Trump at arms length, and not try to make the company culture more like Trump would like to see it? My guess is hell stay the course. But well see.We may get real revenue numbers for AI or notFinally comes perhaps the biggest issue of all for the companys financial health: Can Microsoft sign up enough customers to make its genAI ambitions worth its while? Were no longer in the early hype days when mere possibilities were more important than revenue. In 2025, the ROI rubber will meet the road of reality.This is particularly important because the investments that need to be made in genAI are far greater in scale than in any technology before it. Microsoft can spend all the billions it wants for infrastructure, electricity, data centers, training, and development. But if businesses and people dont find AI useful and open their wallets for it, that will mean nothing.Microsoft claims its got plenty of customers, but it isnt giving out details, such as how many people pay for Copilot on a monthly basis and how much revenue it gets from that. Instead,it publicizes potentially misleading statisticssuch as More than 85% of the Fortune 500 are using Microsoft AI and Nearly 70% of the Fortune 500 are using Microsoft 365 Copilot. Most likely those numbers are based on companies launching small pilot programs testing whether AI is useful. Pilots dont bring in much revenue only full deployments do.Well know in 2025 if AI is starting to pay off when Microsoft touts real revenue numbers or the number of people actively paying for AI subscriptions. Until then, consider those numbers smoke and mirrors.