MacBook deals are heating up this Tuesday, with Apple's latest M4 14-inch MacBook Pro on sale for $1,799 when equipped with 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.Save $200 on a well-equipped M4 MacBook Pro 14-inch - Image credit: AppleSave $200 on Apple's 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 chip, 24GB of unified memory and 1TB of storage. This upgraded configuration is on sale for $1,799 at Apple Authorized Resellers B&H Photo and Amazon, as the two retailers engage in a price war in an effort to earn your business. Both Space Black and Silver are eligible for the markdown. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Adobe is giving private beta users a chance to test out a long-anticipated feature allowing more than one person to access and edit Photoshop documents simultaneously.Image Credit: AdobeAdobe says the feature, dubbed Live Co-Editing, has been inspired by community input. Live Co-Editing will be implemented into both the desktop and web app versions of Photoshop, but there's no word if it will make its way to Photoshop on the iPad at this time.The feature will be a boon for Photoshop users. Multiple designers can work together on a Photoshop document and split up tasks to finish a project more efficiently. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Aspyr Medias latest trailer for Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered offers a quick look at the various bosses encountered in the upcoming remastered collection. On top of brief snatches of combat, fans can also see how the bosses have improved visually. Check it out below.The threats in question include Cleopatras Guard, Set, and Mechanical Horseman from Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation. Theres also Mechanical Head from Tomb Raider: Chronicles and Brother Obscura from Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness. Each looks pretty responsive, though if the remasters for the latter two titles are anything like the originals, it may not matter.Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered launches on February 14th for Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Xbox Series X/S. Check out our interview with the development team to learn about the various enhancements and quality-of-life features. These include confirmation that all three remasters will run in 4K/60 FPS on Xbox Series X and PS5.

Tahnoun bin Zayed al Nahyanthe UAEs chess-obsessed, jiujitsu-loving intelligence chiefcontrols vast sums of sovereign wealth. Americas AI giants are scrambling for a piece of it.

Widgets in the next generation of CarPlay will be very familiar to iPhone users, a leak of the user interface reveals.Widgets in CarPlay 2.0 - Image credit: Aaronp613/XApple is still working on the next generation of CarPlay, despite having missed its self-imposed release deadline of 2024. Whenever it does actually ship, we now may have a good idea of what it will look like.Images posted to X on Monday by @Aaronp613 claim to depict how widgets appear in the CarPlay 2.0 interface. The four images offer the same general appearance, with the central section dedicated to widgets and core functions. Rumor Score: Likely Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"VFX artist Robert Rioux has released a pair of open-source add-ons for converting a key Maya shader for use in Blender.When exporting assets from Maya to Blender, the tools automatically convert the aiStandardSurface shader to Blenders Principled BSDF shader.Convert one of Mayas key shaders to its closest Blender equivalentThe tools resolve an issue that Rioux previously CG supervisor at VFX facility Real by Fake, who also runs the Blender Bob YouTube channel says has been bothering me for a long time.They convert one of Mayas key shaders to its closest Blender equivalent, reducing manual work when adapting assets developed in Maya for use in the open-source 3D software.When exporting an asset that uses the aiStandardSurface shader from Maya, the first tool, a Python script, exports a shader definition alongside the FBX file.The second tool converts to the Principled BSDF shader on importing the asset into Blender.The tools are written specifically for the aiStandardSurface shader in the Arnold renderer included with a default installation of Maya, but it has a very similar structure to the native Maya Standard Surface shader.A quick automatic solution that may need manual refinement on complex shader setupsThe tools were written using ChatGPT, with some further work by Blender tools developer TinkerBoi, and are designed for basic shader trees.While direct file inputs in the Maya shader are converted automatically, the process does not convert other input types, like mix or ramp shaders.In addition, displacement values will need to be adjusted manually on the imported model. System requirementsRobert Riouxs free shader conversion tools are available under a GPL v3 license.Download Robert Riouxs free Maya-to-Blender shader converters from GitHubHave your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we dont post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

The inevitable future of self-driving carsPublished inThe Medium BlogSent as aNewsletter3 min readJust now-- Hello and welcome backIssue #251: wildfires, knives, and lesser-known reading recsLate last year, I was visiting one of my favorite places on Earth: Dolores Park in San Francisco at golden hour. It was starting to get cold and the sky was turning purple, which meant Id need a ride home. You have to take a Waymo, one of my friends said, referring to a brand of self-driving car. You cant visit SF without doing that at least once.Five minutes later, a signature white Jaguar pulled up and drove right past me. The same thing happened to Chris Yanda on Medium, who chased his Waymo around a corner when it got confused. Mine stopped 10 feet away, down a hill. I got in, listened to the prerecorded instructions (fasten my seatbelt, dont touch the steering wheel, stay calm) and we were off.It felt like a very slow version of the tilt-a-whirl at Dorney Park but I arrived safely at my destination. (There was a kerfuffle right after I got out, when the Jaguar backed up to turn around, almost hitting me, but besides that it was uneventful.)At the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last week, the largest exhibitions featured self-driving cars. Manufacturers like Waymo (the leader in this space, owned by Googles parent company, Alphabet) and upstart competitors like Zoox (owned by Amazon) were gearing up for what theyre hoping is an inflection point in self-driving technology. Since last spring, anyone has been able to hail robotaxis in San Francisco. Theyre already ferrying passengers around LA, Phoenix, Miami, and Austin. This year, theyll do the same in Tokyo. The rollout has been bumpy a car drove one person in endless circles, some honk at each other all night, and the safety implications are still unclear but, personally, when I was sitting in that car the main thing I felt was inevitability.Vincent Vanhoucke, an engineer at Waymo, writes: Within the first couple of rides, as the novelty inevitably fades, youre left with a deep sense that this is how personal transport ought to be. I didnt reach that point, but if youve ever been in a self-driving car did you?As with any new technology, whats most interesting arent the first-order effects but the unintended second- and third-order ones. Also on Medium, Nicholas Moryl peers into the future, imagining cars that may get radically smaller when they no longer need steering wheels or brakes. And maybe, 100 years from now, humans driving cars will be like humans riding horses: rare, expensive, and mostly done for fun in dedicated spaces. Harris Sockel Also today17 years ago, one writer and her family lost their home in San Diegos Witch Creek Fire. On Medium, in one of the most moving and insightful stories about home loss Ive ever read, she explains: Being part of a mass wildfire draws in a lot of opinions on your grief You feel the need to caveat that you know a home is just stuff and a life is not replaceable, but it really isnt just stuff. It is the story of your life.Poet and essayist Elisa Gabbert who just released a new book has shared exhaustive reading lists on Medium every year for the last decade. This years list features under-the-radar titles like Manuel Puigs Eternal Curse on the Reader of These Pages (1982), a novel written almost entirely in dialogue, and Mollie Panter-Downes One Fine Day (1947) which is literally just the story of one uneventful day. I love the honesty in these reviews. Gabbert isnt trying to sell you anything, and shes one of the most adventurous readers I know.Dont buy a knife set. Just buy one great chefs knife. Mark Laflamme, who wasted $2,000 in his quest for cutlery perfection, recommends the Victorinox 9-inch Fibrox Pro Chefs Knife. Its $60. Your daily dose of practical wisdomCynicism is easy. Building is hard, but worth it. (JA Westenberg)

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Adobe has released Substance 3D Designer 14.1, the new version of its material-authoring software for game development, visual effects and visualization work.The release updates Substance 3D Designers Spline and Path tools, including the option to scatter splines on splines, and improves workflow in the softwares node graph.Updates to the Path and Spline toolsSubstance 3D Designer 14.1 updates the softwares Spline and Path toolset for generating and manipulating 2D shapes, originally introduced in 2023 in Substance Designer 13.0.New features include a self-descriptive Scatter Splines on Splines node, used in the video above to create a snowflake-like branching embroidery pattern.It is also now possible to randomize the placement of splines generated by the Spline Bridge List node, which creates splines crossing the ones selected.The Mask to Paths node, which converts a greyscale mask to a set of path segments, has been updated to give more user control over the placement of the first vertex on the path.New Color Sampler tool tracks pixel values between nodesOther new features include a Color Sampler tool in the 2D view, which makes it possible to track the value of a selected pixel across multiple nodes.Users can place a pin on the pixel in the viewport, then track its RGBA values as they update the node graph.Workflow improvements to the node graphThe node graph itself gets a number of workflow updates, including the option to copy and paste parameter values from one node to another.The node alignment tools, which help to keep complex graphs organized visually, have been completely revamped, although the main specific change is the option to space nodes evenly.The Node Finder tool has been slightly improved, with new options to disable fuzzy search, or to enable recursive search to find nodes within the subgraphs of a node graph.Price and system requirementsSubstance 3D Designer 14.1 is compatible with Windows 10+, RHEL 8.6/9.2+ Linux and macOS 12.0+.It is available as a $199.99 perpetual license on Steam, or via Substance 3D subscriptions. Substance 3D Texturing subscriptions cost $19.99/month or $219.88/year; Substance 3D Collection subscriptions cost $49.99/month or $549.88/year. Subscriptions to the Linux edition require a Creative Cloud Plan for Teams priced at $1,198.88/year.Read a full list of new features in Substance 3D Designer 14.1 in the online release notesHave your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we dont post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

Microsofts former head of design for Windows and devices has started a new role at Amazon this week. Ralf Groene was responsible for the design of Microsofts Surface tablet, and worked closely with former Windows and Surface chief Panos Panay on a line of Surface devices over the past decade. The pair are now reunited at Amazon, working on devices again.Groene who left Microsoft in April 2024, less than a year after Panay departed for Amazon will lead design for Amazons devices and services business. Groene left Microsoft shortly after the company named Pavan Davuluri as its new Windows and Surface chief.Groene, alongside Panay, was instrumental in the creation of the Surface line of products. The original Surface tablet started off life in Groenes sketchbook, with a set of doodles about kickstands that formed the basis of months of 3D-printed prototypes that were held together with string. Microsoft went on to launch the Surface RT tablet in 2012, and the Surface Pro has had a lasting effect on hybrid laptop designs over the past 10 years.Amazons hiring of Groene comes just months after Xbox cofounder J Allard joined Panays devices and services team to work on new ideas. Allard departed Microsoft in 2010, following his work on the companys canceled Courier tablet.Groene and Allard arent the only notable recent former Microsoft hires for Amazon, though. Former Windows Cloud executive Aidan Marcuss also joined Amazon this week, leading the Fire TV, ads, and AppStore teams.

We've got tons of deals to get through today and not much time to detail them. Obviously, the biggest ones on my radar include the headliner deals of Monster Hunter Wilds and Sniper Elite Resistance, but also Assassin's Creed Shadows (which was too verbose a title to fit in there). As always, I've even sprinkled in some old gold gems going for next to nada. Get amongst it all below!In retro news, I'm celebrating the twin 37 year birthdays of some NES greats. The original Metroid needs very little introduction, as it's a franchise that continues to kick goals and acquire new fans today. Conversely, the bodaciousness of Rad Racer might be lost on many of you. It was basically one of the best racers on the system and featured prominently in a 1989 filmNintendo's 1h 40m advertisement called The Wizard.Happy Bday Metroid This Day in Gaming Aussie birthdays for notable games.- Metroid (NES) 1988. eBay- Rad Racer (NES) 1988. eBay- Kirby's Pinball Land (GB) 1994. eBay- Devil Dice (PS) 1999. eBay- WoW: The Burning Crusade (PC) 2007. eBay- Assassin's Creed III: Liberation HD (PS3) 2014. eBay- Dr. Luigi (WiiU) 2014.Table of ContentsNice Savings for Nintendo SwitchHogwarts LegacyThe Harry Potter RPG I've always wanted to play. Its open-world adventure captures all the excitement and wonder of the Wizarding World. 9/10, amazing.Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (-15%) - A$684 in 1 Charging Dock (-21%) - A$18.99MGS: Master Col. (-28%) - A$64.95Persona 5 Royal (-36%) - A$64.25Mortal Kombat 1 (-60%) - A$23.98Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 (-85%) - A$8.24Expiring Recent DealsOr gift a Nintendo eShop Card.Switch Console PricesHow much to Switch it up?Switch OLED + Mario Wonder: $539 $499 | Switch Original: $499 $448 | Switch OLED Black: $539 $479 | Switch OLED White: $539 $479 | Switch Lite: $329 $299 | Switch Lite Hyrule: $339 $299See itBack to topPurchase Cheap for PCSteelSeries Arctis Nova 5This shines with great, detailed positional audio suited for competitive gaming, and with perks like tailored EQ presets, a good mic with sidetone, and seamless Bluetooth and 2.4GHz capabilities, the Arctis Nova 5 nails down versatility.Lethal Company (-35%) - A$9.42Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (-60%) - A$39.98Civilization VII (-12%) - A$105Ghostwire: Tokyo (-80%) - A$19.99American Truck Sim (-75%) - A$7.37Expiring Recent DealsDynasty Warriors Origins (-18%) - A$97.80Ready or Not (-40%) - A$44.10Far Cry 6 (-78%) - A$19.79V Rising (-30%) - A$35.66Or just get a Steam Wallet CardPC Hardware PricesSlay your pile of shame.Official launch in NovSteam Deck 256GB LCD: $649 | Steam Deck 512GB OLED: $899 | Steam Deck 1TB OLED: $1,049See it at SteamBack to topExciting Bargains for XboxMonster Hunter WildsThe concept is as simple as it is addictive. Hunt gigantic monsters, strip them of materials, create equipment, then head back into the next hunt. Best done with a group of like-minded mates.Expiring Recent DealsAssetto Corsa Ult. (-75%) - A$13.11LEGO The Hobbit (-90%) - A$5.49Borderlands 3 NL Ed. (-90%) - A$10.79Space Marine 2 Ultra Ed. (-33%) - A$127.46Wolfenstein Alt History Bndl (-80%) - A$19.99Or just invest in an Xbox Card.Xbox Console PricesHow many bucks for a 'Box? Series X: $799 $729 | Series S Black: $549 $545 | Series S White:$499 $471 | Series S Starter: N/ASee itBack to topPure Scores for PlayStationThe Last of Us Part 1A gorgeous and well-honed remake of one of the biggest boppers in the PlayStation pantheon, The Last of Us Part I is the best way to play or replay Naughty Dogs esteemed survival classic. 9/10, amazing.F1 24 (-46%) - A$59.95Monster Hunter Wilds (-17%) - A$99RoboCop: Rogue City (-35%) - A$55.12Sniper Elite Resistance (-21%) - A$79Cyberpunk 2077: Ult. (-29%) - A$75.50Far Cry 6 (-71%) - A$29Expiring Recent DealsResi Evil 4 (-50%) - A$27.47NBA 2K25 Tournament Ed. (-60%) - A$55.98Dragon's Dogma 2 (-47%) - A$57.21Hitman WoA (-70%) - A$13.48PS+ Monthly FreebiesYours to keep from Jan 7 with this subscriptionSuicide Squad: KTJL [PS5]NFS Hot Pursuit Remastered [PS4]The Stanley Parable: Ultra [PS4/5]Or purchase a PS Store Card.What you'll pay to 'Station.PS5 Slim Disc:$799 $759 | PS5 Slim Digital:679 $678 | PS VR2: $899 | PS VR2 + Horizon: $899 | PS5 Pro $1,199 | PS Portal: $329See itBack to topLegit LEGO DealsMinecraft The Fox LodgeBuild this, finally find out what the fox says, probably.Expiring Recent DealsIcons: McLaren MP4/4 (-25%) - A$75Imperial Star Destroyer (-17%) - A$249.29Architecture Notre-Dame (-13%) - A$306Back to top Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube.