Fabulous FabricOne of the areas lacking in our texture library is fabric materials.Some years ago, Rob created some photometric stereo scans (what were starting to call light scanning which is less of a tongue twister and harder to confuse with photogrammetry) of fabric materials, which you can find here: https://polyhaven.com/textures/fabric?a=Rob%20TuytelThis is a good start, but if youve ever visited a fabric store (or taken a look inside your closet) you know there are hundreds of types of fabric that were missing.Photogrammetry is usually our primary method of capturing surface geometry and building textures, however, it has its limitations. When there is very little (relatively speaking) height variation in a surface, say for example a polished wooden tabletop, or any fabric, then you end up with a lumpy mess where the photogrammetry tool imagines height details from the image noise or simple errors in calculation.Lumpy scanned normals vs B2M faked normals. Both not great.Essentially, you have to throw away the geometry and use the photogrammetry software as a glorified panorama stitcher, and then create the normal map/height map some other way.Going with the age-old bitmap to material (B2M) technique of fudging the albedo map until you get something that looks a bit like a height map is something we want to avoid.A more accurate method is to keep the camera still and capture multiple images with different light angles, feeding them into a tool like Details Capture to compute the surface normals based on these known light angles.It, too, is an approximation, as things like material color, reflectivity, and translucency can throw it off, but the results are far better than B2M or photogrammetry.B2M (worst)Photogrammetry (eh)Light Scan (pretty great)One challenge with light scanning (photometric stereo) is that youre limited by the resolution of the camera, since the camera doesnt move around like it does in photogrammetry, rather the light moves instead.Even the highest resolution consumer cameras dont reach 8K on the vertical axis.To get around this, you can shoot multiple light scans in a grid pattern with a bit of overlap, process them as separate textures, and then stitch them together again like a panorama. Doing this in a 22 grid with our camera results in slightly more than 8K resolution.PTGui, the software we use for stitching HDRI panoramas, happens to also work amazingly well for this task too as its designed to counter distortion curvatures, blend seams dynamically along natural edges in the image, and work with many gigapixels of data. Its JSON-based project files (or templating system) also make it trivial to stitch the same panorama for both the albedo and normal maps.Side note: We played around a bit with pixel shift as well which can theoretically reach about 12K resolution without moving the camera, however, this tech is very sensitive and we couldn't reliably capture sharp images. In many of our tests, the combined pixel shift image was slightly more blurry than even a single of the lower resolution 16 brackets despite having more pixels. We should be able to solve this with more rigid setups, but then we also have to deal with inconsistencies in flash exposures as well. That could be solved with high-power video lights, but we moved on to the panorama method before investing in this.Were starting to design a workflow around this to use at scale, so we can capture dozens more fabric materials and process them as painlessly as possible. Once were happy with it, well document the workflow on our wiki (like we have all our others) and share it for you to learn from and improve upon.Well likely take the last few months of this year to plan and test things further, and then begin raiding fabric stores early next year.Wood Workshop VisitWood, one of our most popular texture categories!Wood textures are something you can never really have enough of. There are dozens of different species commonly used for furniture and construction, and a seemingly infinite number of ways to lay out planks in patterns for flooring or fences. And what about stains and finishes, roughness and polish, live edge and composites ?While more than 10% of our texture library today is made up of wood materials, Id say we havent even scratched the surface.This is actually the primary reason why we built the C-monster, and we finally got to put it to its intended use last week:We scanned a few veneer boards and piles of sawdust, and will begin processing them later this year when our to-do list is a little shorter. If those work out well, we plan to return to scan a few more types of wood.NamaqualandOur trip to the desert last month was a huge success!It was a bit more lush than we were expecting, but that also meant we could capture a lot of nice little flowers to make things more interesting.We havent yet parsed through our data completely, but Id estimate we have about 50 good assets waiting for us to process.Were also working on a behind-the-scenes video documenting the whole trip, which should be a fun watch Sadly we need to finish up our other projects before we can start work on this collection, but Im already looking forward to seeing the results.Little FallsSpeaking of other projects, Little Falls is next on our list at the moment to finish up. Progress is slow but steady, as weve been preparing for another top-secret mission you can read about on Patreon In the meantime, here are some tasty renders that Rico threw together with the assets hes working on:Hidden AlleyJamess progress on the Hidden Alley scene is coming along great! We should have some more to share soon, but for now here are some sneak peeks:Rigging StandardsYou may have noticed a number of our models have been updated with rigged versions, and affixed with a bone icon in the library:This is thanks to efforts started by Yann Kervran, who has been donating his time to help us rig existing models and come up with good standards for future rigs.A focus for the rigs is to try and be software-agnostic and unopinionated, allowing changes to control elements without needing to redo any mechanical parts of the rigs.Every animator likes their rigs to work a certain way depending on the motion they have planned, so our approach is to create a rig that is broadly useful, but still adaptable.Collection PagesFinally, I spent some time improving the layout of our collection pages, adding a nice image banner and some links for each collection.You may also notice a brand new collection: The Pine Forest.This combines several of our pine and fir tree assets, plus related textures and rocks, into a convenient bundle, also making the scene that Rob created for the project available for download.Well thats it for this Dev Log! Next time well talk more about our top-secret mission and share more progress of all our ongoing projects

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MacworldApple has officially announced its Awe Dropping special event for September 9, where well officially meet the iPhone 17 lineup. As usual, the company didnt reveal anything beyond the date and tagline, but the invitation artwork and Apples history of easter eggs give us a few strong hints about whats coming.Here are five takeaways from Apples event invite that just might confirm details about the iPhone 17 and beyond.A jaw-dropping iPhone design is comingThis years tagline, Awe Dropping, seems to tease something visually striking, jaw-dropping if you will. For months, rumors have pointed to Apple introducing a new, ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air model to replace the unpopular Plus model. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to mark the most radical change in iPhone design since the iPhone X and kick off a three-year-long iPhone overhaul.If Apple really wants to drop jaws, a radically thinner design certainly fits the bill.The Apple event invite all but confirms the iPhone 17 color options.FoundryThe iPhone 17 lineup will have bold new color optionsAs reported exclusively by Macworld, Apple has planned many new colors for the iPhone 17 models, ranging from a new iPhone 17 Pro in orange to various shades of blue. If you werent certain of the new colors before, the event invitation artwork appears to be a clear confirmation that the rumors are right.According to our sources, both the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will be available in a light shade of blue. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will come in dark blue and orange. More traditional colors, such as black and white, are also expected.Well, the Apple logo shown in the event artwork essentially features all the new colors we mentioned, which is a pretty clear sign that these are indeed the new colors for the iPhone 17 lineup. So you can start figuring out which one you want now.The iPhone 17 Pro is getting new cooling systemAccording to rumors, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a new vapor chamber cooling system to keep the device at an optimal temperature even when running intensive activities such as games. This not only ensures greater comfort when holding the phone in your hand but also helps to sustain peak performance.Interestingly, if you watch the Apple logo animation in the artwork, it looks suspiciously like a heat map, with shades of intense red and cool blue swirling around the edges. Could this be Apple confirming the new cooling system for the iPhone 17 Pro models?Will the iPhone 17 get new dynamic wallpaper?FoundryNew colorful wallpapers are comingSometimes, Apples event artwork means only one thing: new wallpapers. And that may be the case this year. For instance, the stylized Apple logo created to promote the September 2023 event was based on the wallpaper shipped with the iPhone 15 Pro.Perhaps this years iPhones will feature dark wallpapers with a heat map effect, or swirling blue and orange. Or something interactive like the image on Apple.com. Go try it outmove your finger, mouse, or Apple Pencil over the Apple logo and the colors will morph and mingle with your movements.iOS 26 and Liquid Glass are a big dealSpeaking of the interactive event logo, as you drag your finger around, its hard not to see that the effect looks a lot like what happens when you swipe your finger across Liquid Glass elements in iOS 26.Apple typically releases new versions of iOS to the public the week after its September event, and this year should be no different. Perhaps the invite is nothing more than a tease for the new interface coming to everyones iPhones in a few weeks.In fact, just this week, Bloombergs Mark Gurman reported that Liquid Glass is more than just a 2025 redesign. Its the start of a 3-year iPhone supercycle that will include a new folding phone and culminate with the launch of the 20th anniversary iPhone in 2027. That phone is expected to have curved glass that mimics the evolution of the Liquid Glass interface over the next three years. So Apple would definitely want to draw attention to Liquid Glass now.AppleMark your calendarsApples invites are always carefully designed, and this one is no exception. From new colors to the heat-map-like cooling teaser, theres a lot hiding in plain sight. Well know for sure on September 9, but if history is any guide, Apple just gave us a pretty good preview of whats coming.Of course, Macworld will have full coverage leading up to the keynote as well and all through the event. So stay tuned!

In the big-spending history of technology, theres never been a time like this, when so many companies are spending so many hundreds of billions of dollars on a still-to-be proven technology generative AI.Microsoft, Amazon, Meta and Google are expected tospend a combined $364 billion in their 2025 fiscal yearsalone. (Microsoft plans tospend $80 billion in AI capital expenditures.)Thats just the tip of the iceberg. It doesnt take into account spending by chip manufacturers like Nvidia and Intel, or by genAI startups like Anthropic, OpenAI and all the rest. And it doesnt take into account how much enterprises spend on the technology.Lost in all of this is an unthinkable thought: What if genAI cant offer the benefits its backers claim? What if its the biggest bust in a long line of tech busts?Microsoft, the largest and most valuable AI company in the world, has more to lose than any company if all the promises turn out to be illusory or overhyped. And theres increasing evidence that might just be the case. From McKinsey to Gartner to MIT and beyond, analysts and researchers are saying the quiet part out loud: There may be more hype than reality to the genAI boom.Heres what theyre saying and what it could mean for the future of Microsoft if theyre right.Researchers: Most companies say using AI has been a bustMicrosoft and other AI companies are bullish on the technology for a simple reason: Enterprises are betting big on it, spending tens of billions annually, and at an accelerating pace. IDC says enterprises willspend $61.9 billion this year on genAI alone, which doesnt take intoaccount all the other forms of AI. That $61.9 billion is nearly double the enterprise genAI spending from a year ago, the firm says.As enterprises are spending more, theyre finding that their investments arent paying off.A recent McKinsey report found that nearly eight in 10 companies report using gen AI yet just as many report no significant bottom-line impact. Think of it as the genAI paradox.McKinsey isnt alone.An MIT report,The GenAI Divide: State of AI in Business 2025has even more disturbing news: 95% of genAI pilots in businesses are failing.A survey by the data and analytics firm S & P Globaladds that 42% of companies abandoned most of their AI pilots by the end of 2024, up 17% from the previous year.Gartner has documented the booms and busts of new technologies for decades by tracking what it calls their hype cycles. The company has been tracking AIs hype cycle and warns, last years Hype Cycle for AI highlighted genAI as a potentially transformational technology with profound business impacts. This year, genAI enters the Trough of Disillusionment. The researcher also found that, Despite an average spend of $1.9 million on genAI initiatives in 2024, less than 30% of AI leaders reporttheir CEOs are happy with AI investment return investment return.What this means for MicrosoftMicrosoft became a $3 trillion company based on its investments in AI. So, if businesses continue to find little value in AI projects, the companys financial future will be endangered.But theres a silver lining to the glum findings by McKinsey, S & P Global, Gartner and the rest. They all conclude the same thing: enterprises have been unhappy with their AI investments because they havent yet found out how best to use the technology. Once they do, AI spending can bring significant benefits.For example, the MIT study found that when companies turn to outside experts and firms for their projects, they succeed 67% of the time. But when they build them internally, they succeed only 33% of the time.McKinsey found that using AI agents specifically crafted to an enterprises workflow can offer tremendous benefits. It claims that the shift to agents enables far more than efficiency. Agents supercharge operational agility and create new revenue opportunities.And chief Gartner forecaster John-David Lovelock toldThe New York Timesthat when AI leaves behind the Trough of Disillusionment phase of its life cycle, it will become a highly useful productivity tool.Microsoft is well aware of all that. At its 2025Build developers conference,execs proclaimed,Weve entered the era of AI agentsand made a host ofannouncements aboutits plans to help companies build agents using Copilotand its plans to build what it calls the agentic web.Microsoft alsooffers a guide to best practices for using Copilot in enterprises, including one titled,How to deploy transformational enterprise-wide agents: Microsoft as Customer Zero.The upshotNone of the bad news about AI should be a surprise. Its always been unclear at first whether a new technology will take off or fail. The current high rate of abandonment looks bad on the surface, but could be interpreted as a good sign it shows companiesarewilling to experiment.Its still too early to know whether genAI will crash and burn like the metaverse did or transform business and the way we live as the Internet did. Microsofts fate depends on which way it goes.

Donald Trump Jr. has joined the advisory board of prediction market Polymarket, as well as investing in the company via 1789 Capital.President Donald Trumps son is backing Polymarket, both personally as a member of its advisory board and financially through an investment of an undisclosed amount via 1789 Capital, an investment firm where he is a partner.In a statement on the partnership, Polymarket noted that Trump Jr. brings decades of experience in forward-thinking business innovation and strategic perspective, with the company looking to grow its presence globally.The investment is set to go towards expanding the global footprint of the platform. As a prediction market, Polymarket offers real-time insights into a variety of topics, from politics and economics to culture and global events.https://twitter.com/shayne_coplan/status/1960377824793010489/This strategic investment marks a significant milestone for Polymarket. Our long-term partnership with 1789 Capital will help reinforce Polymarkets leading position as a trusted source of free, transparent and accurate market information in the U.S. and around the world, said Shayne Coplan, founder and CEO of Polymarket.We are proud to formally welcome 1789 Capital as a strategic partner and Donald Trump Jr. to our advisory board as we continue building our platform to reflect real-world sentiment, in real time, for all to see.Why partner with Trump Jr?Trump Jr. highlighted his desire to see Polymarket bring truth and transparency to everyone including the US.Polymarket is the largest prediction market in the world, and the US needs access to this important platform, said Trump Jr. Polymarket cuts through media spin and so-called expert opinion by letting people bet on what they actually believe will happen in the world. I am pleased that 1789 Capital is investing in Polymarket and am honored to join the companys advisory board.Those sentiments around free expression and truth are echoed by Omeed Malik, founder of 1789 Capital, saying: 1789 Capital looks to invest in companies that are entrepreneurial, innovative, and demonstrate great potential for growth. Polymarket meets each of these criteria. Polymarket stands at the intersection of free expression and financial innovation by empowering individuals with real-time truth in a world clouded by noise, and we are proud to support its vision.Polymarket recently completed the $112 million acquisition of QCEX, a CFTC-licensed exchange and clearinghouse, which saw it cement its place in the US market. Launched in 2020, Polymarket is now the biggest prediction market globally, with $6 billion worth of predictions made in the first half of 2025.Featured image: Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0The post Donald Trump Jr. joins prediction market Polymarkets advisory board appeared first on ReadWrite.

OverthinkThis is a podcast in which two very smart people (who happen to be young and hilarious professors of philosophy) draw unexpected philosophical connections between facets of modern life. Ellie Anderson and David Pea-Guzmn have done hour-long episodes on everything from mommy issues to animal justice, with particularly sharp segments on tech-adjacent issues like biohacking and the relationship between AI and art. Whenever I think society is dealing with a brand-new problem, these two unearth someone who was pondering it centuries ago. Its a treat to listen to.A film from the tech billionaire bunkerOver the summer I was eager to watch Mountainhead, a darkly funny film by Jesse Armstrong, the creator of Succession, that follows four unlikable tech founders as they watch the world collapse under political turmoil and violence caused by AI deepfakes. I was prepared for it to seem like a documentary, but to a reporter who is in frequent dialogue with AIs movers and shakers, it felt a little too real. From their remote mountain mansion, they talk about AI accelerationism, utilitarian ethics, uploading ones consciousness to the cloud, liberating humanity to other planetsall common conversation topics among the tech elite that has had so much influence in the current administration.Music by human beingsFor much of last winter I was reporting a story about just how far AI-generated music has come.As a lifelong musician (I play guitar, bass, and drums, none particularly well), I found the songs I heardbuilt with models whose creators have been sued for training on the discographies of artists without compensationso convincingly human that they made me deeply uncomfortable. Since then, Ive had a revitalized zeal for live shows where real people in punk bands or jazz trios do things that AI is not capable of (Sophie Truax is my latest favorite).

Insights2025 Global Leadership Development Study: Fast, Fluid, and Future-FocusedIn 2025, Harvard Business Impact conducted a comprehensive global study to survey more than 1,100 leadership development professionals, examining how their work fits into the jobs to be done for organizations today. The results show that as organizations work to operationalize AI across every aspect of business, the pressure is mounting on those charged with leading learning and development to deliver fast, fluid, and future-focused learning that builds the collective intelligence of humans and machines.In this report, we explore three objectives for the coming year and three strategies for learning and development and the C-suite to consider as they tackle those objectives.Survey Highlights1,159L&D/HR professionalsand functional leaders20,000+Nearly half from organizations withat least 20,000 employees14+More than 14 countries and across industries51%from organizations with annual revenue of at least $10 billionTo download the full report, tell us a bit about yourself. 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Together well create informed and inspired leaders ready to shape the future of your business.Talk to our sales teamFind an office in your regionRelated InsightsTalent ManagementScale Innovation with Speed: The ABCs of Leading InnovationInnovation is an organization-wide capability requiring leaders who can foster collaboration, experimentation, and execution at Read more: Scale Innovation with Speed: The ABCs of Leading InnovationArticleStrategic AlignmentWhy the Tortoise Doesnt Win Anymore: Speed to Skill as a Competitive AdvantageIn a fast-changing market, sustainable advantage comes from how quickly organizations can identify skill needs, Read more: Why the Tortoise Doesnt Win Anymore: Speed to Skill as a Competitive AdvantageArticleTransformationBreaking Through: People-Centered Transformation Powered by LearningOrganizations can embed learning measures into learning for more immediate impact to enrich the experience Read more: Breaking Through: People-Centered Transformation Powered by LearningArticleFuture of WorkFPT Partners with Harvard Business Impact, Empowering Global Workforce with AI-Driven Learning SolutionsFPT partners with Harvard Business Impact to boost leadership development and talent growth. 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