In its latest earnings report, Nacon has revealed that it has games as well as accessories ready for the Nintendo Switch 2 when it launches. Going by its earnings report, Nacon expects its revenue in the first half of the 2025/2026 financial year, with the assumption that the Switch 2 will be launched in this period.Nacon is the publisher for a host of different games across various genres, including titles like Ravenswatch, RoboCop: Rogue City, Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown and Gangs of Sherwood.This essentially makes Nacon the only publisher to have any confirmed games for the Nintendo Switch 2. Even big companies like Ubisoft and Microsoft are both only rumoured to be working on titles for the upcoming console. Nintendo itself has done little more than teased a potentially new Mario Kart game.As for Ubisoft, the company is rumoured to be working on more than half a dozen titles for the Switch 2, including Assassins Creed Mirage and the upcoming Assassins Creed Shadows. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is also one of the big titles rumoured to be under development for the Switch 2.Nintendo itself will reveal more details about the Switch 2 during a Direct planned for April 2.

Arc System Works Guilty Gear Strive received Queen Dizzy, the first DLC character of Season Pass 4, back in October. Unfortunately, the next fighter, Venom, wont arrive in early 2025 as planned. Instead, he joins the roster in late March following the Arc World Tour Finals 2024 (which starts on March 21st and ends on March 23rd).Regarding the delay, producer Ken Miyauchi said this was to provide the character at the best quality possible. It hasnt affected the rollout of future DLC characters like Unika from the upcoming Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers anime or Lucy from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Theyre still set for Spring and Summer, respectively.Alongside refinements for Venom, the development team is also implementing new Training Mode features and improving Network Mode. Stay tuned for more details on what those entail and when theyll go live.Guilty Gear Strive is available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC. Its due to launch on January 23rd for Nintendo Switch.

Marvel Snap is back online in the United States but developer Second Dinner is searching for a new publisher to ensure the game remains available in the country.The title was briefly banned in the region due to its links with TikTok owner ByteDance. Marvel Snap is published by Nuverse, which is a subsidiary of the Chinese company.Now, Second Dinner has confirmed the title has returned but explained it wants to avoid a repeat scenario. At present, that means ditching Nuverse in favor of another publisher."Marvel Snap is back online in the U.S. But to make sure this never happens again, were working to bring more services in-house and partner with a new publisher. This is the start of a new era for Marvel Snap," reads a statement posted on X."We know this probably leaves you with even more questions than answers. We appreciate your patience, but in the meantime enjoy playing Marvel Snap."At the time of writing, it appears players looking to download the title from digital storefronts such as the App Store are encountering issues. Second Dinner confirmed it's working on restoring App Store availability but noted "it may take some time" to remedy the situation.The studio added that in-app purchases also remain unavailable on some platforms, but explained web shop purchases are functional.Earlier this week, Second Dinner said it was working around the clock to bring Marvel Snap back online after what it called a "surprise" outage. A message shared with players indicated the game had been banned in the United States.The news came shortly after a U.S. law banning social media platform TikTok (also owned by ByteDance) came into effect. TikTok was banned over purported links to the Chinese government, but as reported by the BBC has been granted a 75-day reprieve in the country by President Donald Trump.ByteDance must now sell its operations in the U.S. to a local buyer or face the prospect of another ban.

Marvel Snap is now back online in the U.S. after it was banned alongside TikTok, and its developer Second Dinner is looking for a new publisher to ensure another takedown doesn't happen in the future.Today, January 21, marks "the start of a new era for Marvel Snap," according to Second Dinner, which posted on X/Twitter to announce the digital trading card game's return alongside the search for a new publisher.TikTok was banned in the U.S. on January 19 over "national security concerns" but was brought back online after around 14 hours. TikTok owner ByteDance owns Marvel Snap publisher Nuverse too, so the game was also taken down but took a little longer to come back online.Marvel Snap Card ArtIGN's Twenty Questions - Guess the game!IGN's Twenty Questions - Guess the game!To start:...try asking a question that can be answered with a "Yes" or "No".000/250"Marvel Snap is back online in the U.S," Second Dinner said. "But to make sure this never happens again, were working to bring more services in-house and partner with a new publisher. This is the start of a new era for Marvel Snap."We know this probably leaves you with even more questions than answers. We appreciate your patience, but in the meantime enjoy playing Marvel Snap. Well continue to update with more information as soon as possible."Marvel Snap arrived in 2022 as a fast-paced TCG featuring the likes of Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, and many other Marvel superheroes and villains.In our 8/10 review, IGN said: "Marvel Snap packs bold ideas, deep gameplay, a punchy presentation and lots of love for Marvel. Its approach to building a collection and randomness in gameplay won't be for everyone, but it's still well worth playing."Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

When we first saw Cameron Diazs film debut in The Mask, audiences had a response not unlike that of Jim Carreys green-skinned protagonist. Okay, maybe we werent quite so aroused, but our eyes did practically pop out of our sockets. And with good reason. After all, Diaz is a tall, striking blonde who looked every bit like the model turned actress she was.Given her high profile beginning, it might sound weird to describe any Cameron Diaz performance as overlooked. Not only does Diaz fit well within traditional leading lady roles, but she has a knack for comic timing and a lack of ego that led to big performances in Theres Something About Mary, The Sweetest Thing, and Annie. Yet there have been several movies in which Diaz puts in admirable, exciting work, only to get overshadowed by her co-stars. No one comes away from My Best Friends Wedding, Being John Malkovich, or even Charlies Angels talking about how Cameron Diaz stole the show. But if they look closer at what shes doing, theyll find a gifted comic actress putting in a nuanced performance, often more complicated than those who got all the praise.My Best Friends WeddingFor the 1997 romantic comedy My Best Friends Wedding, Diaz takes the most unenviable of roles. She plays the other woman, the romantic rival to the movies lead, played here by Julia Roberts at the height of her popularity. Surely, Diazs character will be evaporated in the light of Roberts smile and the audience would hate her.Yet writer Ronald Bass and director P.J. Hogan do just the opposite in My Best Friends Wedding, making Roberts food critic Jules a self-satisfied jerk who wants to ruin the wedding of her best friend Michael (Dermot Mulroney) and his fiance Kimmy (Diaz). The inversion only works because of the complexity that Diaz brings to her nice-girl character. In one of the movies standout scenes, Jules weaponizes her knowledge that Kimmy hates to sing and suffers from stage fright. Jules takes Michael and Kimmy to a karaoke bar, and while the former cant control his excitement over getting the chance to sing with his best friend again, the camera stays on the latter after Jules and Michael rush off. We see Kimmy frozen in fear, a fear that continues even as she tries to get over her anxiety and support Michael in his fun.The usually indomitable Diaz has never looked smaller than when a microphone gets shoved in front of her and shes forced to sing the Bacharach and David number, I Just Dont Know What to Do with Myself. She shrinks even more after reaction shots of Jules. Diaz, like us, spots the slight grin on Roberts face that her plan is working. She also sees Michael slightly disgusted that his bride-to-be cannot share in an activity he loves.And yet, Kimmy soldiers on, singing over shouts of you suck through fumbled lines and flat notes. The commitment eventually wins over the crowd, and they begin cheering for each other even her off-key moments. And the next time the camera cuts to Jules, it pans over to Michael, looking now at Kimmy not with disgust, but with awe, fully impressed at the womans bravery and commitment.As funny and wonderful as the moment is, it works not just because we see the bitter Jules hoisted on her own petard. It works because Diaz doesnt overplay Kimmys hand. Even when shes won back Michaels affection and the crowds support, Diaz doesnt let Kimmy become her: a striking, beautiful, confident woman. She stays in character, and lets Kimmys face go flush, lets her sometimes hunch in embarrassment, lets a little bit of the anxiety remain in the corners of her smile.Its an incredibly complex supporting performance, one that never overshadows the excellent work that Roberts is doing with her complex Jules. In fact, it enhances Jules as a character by making Kimmy a real and vulnerable person, not just an unbeatable sweetheart.Being John MalkovichCameron Diaz is a consummate romantic comedy star, and she is always great in them. Unfortunately, some of her most ineffective performances have come when she attempts different genres, none worse than her disastrous turn in Martin Scorseses Gangs of New York.For that reason, people often disregard her appearance in the 1999 Spike Jonze art film, Being John Malkovich. John Cusack gets praise for committing to the part of Craig Schwartz, a bitter puppeteer who finds a portal into the mind of actor John Malkovich. Catherine Keener gets praise for her steely take on the object of affection for Craigs affection Maxine Lund, who uses Craig to get access to the portal. And of course Malkovich gets praise for playing himself as an air-headed, arrogant actor.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!None of those accolades make their way to Diaz. Diaz plays Craigs wife Lotte, a pet-lover disdained by her husband. With her mussed hair and shapeless grey sweatshirts, Diaz too often gets dismissed as one more attractive actor trying for superficial gravitas by playing ugly, unconvincingly. But Lotte is much more than the frumpy woman at home. When Lotte enters the portal into Malkovich, its not the allure of power or fame that impresses her. Its the feeling of being in the right body, its the feeling of being identified as a man.Lotte emerges from the exit from Malkovichs mind (near the New Jersey Turnpike) gleeful and childlike, jumping up and down in euphoria. As she rides away in the car with Craig, Diaz keeps the expression of confusion and joy on her face. Lotte has finally found her place.The contrast between Diazs performances as Lotte before and after the Malkovich revelation help make sense of her part in the movies first act. What so many dismissed as nothing more than a pretty actor trying to look not-pretty was, in fact, Diaz playing a trans man still identifying as a woman. The flatness and falseness in her behaviors were not mistakes but correct choices for the character. They relayed the truth of Lotte as a person who could not be who she actually was.Charlies AngelsUnlike Being John Malkovich, 2000s Charlies Angels seems like the ideal Diaz vehicle. A big flashy update of a cheesy show from the 1970s, directed with TV commercial slickness by McG, Charlies Angels was all about pretty ladies doing action sequences in tight, low-rise pants.To be sure, thats exactly what Diaz delivers as team leader Natalie Cook. Sure, Natalie might have a PhD from MIT, and she might test fighter jets for the U.S. Navy, but that doesnt prevent her from driving a speed boat in a gold bikini or disguising herself as a bearded man next to her partner Alexs (Lucy Liu) vampish corporate trainer.Charlies Angels has no qualms about being all about eye candy and over-the-top stunts, but its generally the side characters who get the attention. While new revelations of Bill Murrays bad behavior get released to this day, his deadpan approach to handler Bosley remains a fan favorite. Clips of Sam Rockwell and Crispin Glover in supporting turns make the rounds on social media whenever someone finds out that such idiosyncratic actors showed up in such a nakedly commercial film. Even among the leads, Drew Barrymore and Liu get singled out while Diaz gets taken for granted.But of the three Angels, Diaz best embodies the movies aesthetic. She leans into the sexiness, appearing in almost every scene with leather pants and tops designed for maximum cleavage. And she embraces the cheese, tripping and falling, letting herself be laughed at as a nerd onscreen and to show off that shes part of the joke. She even excels in the conspicuously fake action sequences, allowing just enough of a smirk when she performs Matrix-style kung fu in a climactic battle with a villain played by Kelly Lynch.Watching Charlies Angels feels like a watching a car accident waiting to happen. At any second, the movie could veer too far into the male gaze and make the movie feel leery and gross. The action sequences fall just on the right side of cheap, as if the poor digital effects are a choice instead of the result of incompetence and age. The rambling plot could become confusing and annoying instead of a solid scaffolding to hang the movies showcase scenes upon.The thing holding it all together is Diaz, who understands the movies tone and commits to it. If she ever looked a bit too uncomfortable, if she ever gave less than 100 percent in a fight sequence, then the entire thing would fall apart. Like Cyclops, Leonardo, and other great pop culture leaders, Natalie Cook gets dismissed as boring when shes in fact reliable, all thanks to Diaz.

The TikTok ban which came into effect on Sunday has been suspended for 75 days by an executive order signed by President Trump on his inauguration day. He has also said that US companies who provide services to TikTok during this time will not be prosecuted.However, legal scholars note that Trumps order does not appear to comply with the law, and say that companies who make TikTok available remain liable for hundreds of billions of dollars of fines, so Apple is unlikely to return the app to the App Store A four-day roller-coaster rideOn Friday, the US Supreme Courtupheld the law imposing a ban on TikTokin the US. That meant the ban would take effect on January 19.The Biden administrationissued a statementsaying that it didnt intend to try to enforce the law in its last 24 hours in the White House, and it would therefore be a matter for Trump to decide. Trump initially said he needed time to consider the matter, andTikTok went offline in the USon Sunday.Apple issued a statementsaying it was obliged to follow the law by removing the app from the App Store.Later on Sunday, Trump made a social media post saying that he would suspend the ban as soon as he took office the next day, and that there would be no liability for ignoring the law in the meantime. Access to the app was restored by Bytedance, as US host Oracle apparently decided it could trust Trumps promise on liability.However, Apple and other app store providers were unwilling to return the app to their app stores on the basis of a social media post. TikTok ban suspended for 75 daysTrump has signed an executive order suspending the ban for 75 days, and stating that US companies who support TikToks return will be shielded from liability.As NPR notes, the law allows for the TikTok ban to be suspended for up to 90 days, provided that there is evidence of a deal in progress.The law does allow one exception: TikTok can continue to operate if Trump certifies to Congress that significant progress has been made toward TikTok breaking away from ByteDances ownership.The law requires that Trump show Congress there are legally binding agreements in motion over ownership changes at TikTok.Executive order likely invalidTrump has not provided any evidence that the requirements of the law have been met, so lawyers continue to express doubt that the promised liability shield would have any effect.Given this, it seems unlikely that Apple, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft will risk restoring TikTok to their app stores until the legal requirements are met.China slightly softens its stanceThe Chinese government has so far rejected the idea of any sale to a US company, but a senior official yesterday suggested that it might be softening its stance.Trump had suggested that perhaps a 50/50 joint venture between China and the US might be a solution. Reuters asked for a response to this, and was given a non-committal answer.We hope the US will earnestly listen to the voice of reason and provide an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for market entities from all countries. When it comes to actions such as the operation and acquisition of businesses, we believe they should be independently decided by companies in accordance with market principles. If it involves Chinese companies, Chinas laws and regulations should be observed.While thats not exactly a ringing endorsement of the idea, it is a change from the previous outright rejection.TikTok is back in the US, but its not on the App Store: Heres what you need to knowPhoto byTabrez SyedonUnsplashAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Skip to main contentApple @ Work PodcastApple @ Work Podcast: The Mac @ Work report Bradley C|Jan 21 2025 - 3:00 am PTApple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle,the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost.Request your EXTENDED TRIALtoday and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.In this episode of Apple @ Work, I talk with Tim Lydon from Wipro about their recent Mac @ Work report.Connect with BradleyListen and subscribeListen to Past EpisodesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel Featuredfrom 9to5Mac9to5Mac Logo Manage push notificationsAllPost

Jan 21, 2025Ravie LakshmananCyber Espionage / SurveillanceA former analyst working for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) pleaded guilty to transmitting top secret National Defense Information (NDI) to individuals who did not have the necessary authorization to receive it and attempted to cover up the activity.Asif William Rahman, 34, of Vienna, was an employee of the CIA since 2016 and had a Top Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI). He was charged with two counts of unlawfully transmitting NDI in November 2024 following his arrest.He has pleaded guilty to two counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information related to the national defense. He is expected to be sentenced on May 15, 2025, potentially facing a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.According to court filings, Rahman is alleged to have retained without authorization two documents classified as Top Secret on or about October 17, 2024, and delivered it to multiple individuals who were not entitled to receive it."In the spring of 2024, the defendant accessed and printed from his workstation approximately five documents. These documents were classified at the Secret and Top Secret level," court documents filed on January 17, 2025, reveal. "The defendant transported those materials outside of his place of employment and to his residence by concealing those materials inside a backpack.""From his residence in the Eastern District of Virginia, the defendant reproduced the documents and, while doing so, altered them in an effort to conceal their source and his activity. The defendant then communicated Top Secret information he learned in the course of his employment to multiple individuals he knew were not entitled to receive it. He also transmitted the reproductions of the Secret and Top Secret documents to multiple individuals he knew were not entitled to receive them."Rahman is also said to have shared an additional 10 documents classified at the Top Secret level in a similar manner in the fall of 2024. Then on October 17, he printed two more Top Secret documents pertaining to a United States ally and its planned kinetic actions against a foreign adversary.The defendant then proceeded to photograph these documents from his residence and used a computer program to edit the images. The documents were then shared with unspecified people who were not supposed to them. These individuals are believed to have shared the information with others, eventually causing the documents to appear on several social media platforms on October 18.While the names of the countries were not disclosed, multiple reports from Axios and CNN revealed around that time that the release was linked to Israel's plans to attack Iran. The documents, prepared by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, were posted on Telegram by an account called Middle East Spectator.Rahman has also been accused of deleting the files and altering journal entries and written work products on his personal electronic devices in an effort to conceal his personal opinions on U.S. policy. He further drafted entries to paint a false, seemingly benign narrative regarding his deletion of records on his personal device and the CIA workstation."Government employees who are granted security clearances and given access to our nation's classified information must promise to protect it," said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Security Branch. "Rahman blatantly violated that pledge and took multiple steps to hide his actions."Philippines Arrests Chinese National and 2 Filipinos for EspionageThe development comes as the Philippines' National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) disclosed the arrest of a Chinese national and two Filipino citizens suspected of conducting surveillance on critical infrastructure facilities for over a month.The three individuals, Deng Yuanqing, Ronel Jojo Balundo Besa and Jayson Amado Fernandez, are part of a group consisting of six members who engage in surveillance operations by unlawfully obtaining sensitive information related to national defense. The remaining three members, two hardware engineers and a financier (aka Wang), are currently in China, the agency added.Deng, per the NBI, is a software engineer with specialization in automation and control engineering and is allegedly affiliated with the PLA University Science and Technology, a Nanjing-based academic institution under the control of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA).The investigation also uncovered that a white vehicle was procured and fitted with information and communications technology (ICT) equipment so as to facilitate the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operation."From December 13, 2024 to January 16, 2025, subject vehicle was monitored traversing to and fro the National Capital Region and the general divisions of Luzon, conducting detailed scouting, collating comprehensive image of the terrains and structures and the over-all topography of the potential targets, without consent and authority from the Philippine Government," the NBI said.The agency also noted that an onsite search led to the discovery of a Chinese character user account with device ID 918 452 619 controlling the computer system inside the subject vehicle, such as the portable keyboard, files, and cameras.The Philippines has been a target of several Chinese threat actors in recent years, primarily driven by geopolitical tensions in Southeast Asia over ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea.Found this article interesting? 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Kip Havel, Chief Marketing Officer, DexianJanuary 21, 20254 Min ReadRawpixel Ltd via Alamy StockAs an IT leader, youre no stranger to helping executives decipher and understand groundbreaking technology. The process usually takes persistence, careful abstraction, and a stockpile of success stories to make a persuasive business case. With luck, you eventually persuade the board of the value of your next significant IT initiative.But selling the board on AI implementation is another challenge altogether.Its not surprising that many boards are undecided about AI. A recent Deloitte study on AI governance found that Board members rarely get involved with AI:14% discuss AI at every meeting25% discuss AI twice a year16% discuss AI once a year45% never discuss AI at allOnly 2% of respondents considered board members highly knowledgeable or experienced in AI. These circumstances present a serious hurdle as IT teams not only try to implement AI solutions but also strive to build the appropriate guardrails into the AI strategy.Helping the board understand the power of black sky thinking can help to counteract some of their reservations about pursuing AI. Heres what you need to know:Black Sky Thinking Offers a New Approach to InnovationArtificial intelligence is taking enterprises to a place where no man has gone before. Even though the market is starting to define AI norms, establish regulations, determine the technologys shortcomings, and pinpoint when we need a human in the loop, were collectively flying through unfamiliar skies. As a result, IT leaders need to persuade the board of directors to embrace a more transformative way of solving problems. Enter black sky thinking.Related:The black sky thinking concept emerged during the 1960s space race and was then popularized by Rachel Armstrong, author and futurist, at the FutureFest in London in 2014 as she described the mentality necessary for humans to thrive on the cusp of unparalleled disruption.In a follow-up essay, she explains the difference between blue sky thinking (where were at now) and black sky thinking this way:Blue sky thinking is a way of innovating by pushing at the limits of possibility in existing practices.Black sky thinking is more aspirational, producing new kinds of future that enable us to move into uncharted realms with creative confidence.Rather than being constrained by current paradigms, organizations boards and leaders need to envision the future they want and reverse engineer the steps necessary to reach the desired destination. Its like planning for oceanic voyages or trips to the moon but at a societal level.Related:You might be saying, Thats great, but how does it apply to convincing the board to embrace AI use cases? Before you can unlock the power of AI, you need board members to shift from blue sky to black sky thinking and embrace aspirational, limitless potential.Leadership Is on Board with Black Sky Thinking: Now What?Even when theyre onboard with black sky thinking, most board members are going to focus on mitigating risk and maximizing profits for shareholders and the corporation. Thats a fine strategy if youre trying to maintain stasis, but not if youre attempting to break barriers and drive innovation. Your next goal is to convince the board that AI is an acceptable investment if theyre going to achieve their black sky-driven goals.Fortunately, you can increase the success of your petition by getting two key board members on your side: the CEO and general counsel.The CEO is often an easier sell. KPMG surveys indicate 64% of CEOs treat AI as a top investment priority. Since your goals align, the CEO can be a co-champion, providing profiles on each board member and answering these key questions:Which specific industry AI use cases will be the most persuasive?Related:Will AI examples from Fortune 500s carry the most weight?Which biases will you need to combat in your argument?When it comes to in-house counsel, you need to demonstrate a strong command of the legal and ethical implications of what youre proposing. General counsel and CFOs, being naturally risk-averse, require you to come prepared with your:Recognition of potential risksAwareness of pending legal casesCommitment to ethical implementationWith your CEO and general counsel as AI champions, your next step is to demonstrate ROI if the board is going to approve investment in AI. Showcasing results from programs that have already yielded measurable success can reduce barriers to an AI-forward mentality. For example, in healthcare, Kaiser Permanente has demonstrated how AI can save clinicians an hour of documentation daily -- a powerful use case to highlight.Ultimately, youll need to show them that the risk of doing nothing at all can be just as catastrophic as taking a big gamble on emerging technology. Tailored pitches to board members, both individually and collectively, can embolden them to step out of their comfort zones. This approach encourages the embrace of unconventional -- or even unknown -- solutions to complex challenges. When everyone embraces black sky thinking, no horizon is completely out of reach.About the AuthorKip HavelChief Marketing Officer, DexianKip Havel is the chief marketing officer of Dexian, forging strategies that bridge the gap between the brand and its diverse audiences. Passionate about collaboration and black sky thinking, his vision and execution have strengthened company partnerships and grown Dexians footprint in the market. He led the creation of the Dexian brand and has earned honors such as the American Marketing Associations4 Under 40 and PR Weeks Rising Star. A University of Miami alumnus, Kip has held senior marketing roles at Aflac, Randstad US, Cross Country Healthcare, and SFN Group.See more from Kip HavelNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports

Early 2000s building to be wrapped in red cladding in nod to Bristols Byzantine revival architectureSheppard Robson's designs for the refurbishment include three new storeys and a red cladding inspired by Bristol's Byzantine Revival buildings1/4show captionSheppard Robson has been given the green light to refurbish and extend an early 2000s office building in the centre of Bristol.Designed for a joint venture between Ardstone Capital and CBRE Investment Management, the scheme will retain nearly 90% of the existing building while adding three storeys to its roof.The existing structure was completed in 2002 and is located on a prominent site on Temple Way, close to Bristol Temple Meads station.Sheppard Robsons plans will see its facade stripped back and replaced with a cladding of vertical fins with a dark red colour, intended as a nod to the Bristol Byzantine architectural style popular in the city in the late 19th century.Space between two wings of the building will also be infilled to create larger and more flexible floor plates, which will be orientated around a new central core.Extensions to the north will form a two-story colonnade at ground floor, framing a new double-height reception which has been reoriented towards Temple Quarter.The three new storeys at roof level will replace the buildings current top floor plate and a plant enclosure, stepping back as the building rises to create a series of planted terraces wrapping around the top of the building.The existing building was completed in 2002Mark Kowal, partner at Sheppard Robson, said the project was an example of the retention of late 20th century buildings which would until recently have faced the pressure of demolition.Our design reimagines this outmoded building into a workplace that is aligned with the requirements of modern tenants and their sustainability aspirations, he said.The transformative nature of the project is balanced with resourcefulness. We have retained as much as we possibly can whilst using bold architectural ideas to signal the arrival of a major new development and public spaces for Bristol.Energy will be supplied through a district heating network, with photovoltaics contributing to around 30-40% of the buildings electricity use depending on how its operated and occupied.