Indonesias antitrust agency KPPU fined Google 202.5 billion Rupiahs, equivalent to $12.6 million, on Wednesday for antitrust violation related to its payment system services for the Google Play Store.The KPPU ordered the search giant to cease the mandatory use of Google Play Billing in the Google Play Store. It also asked Google to let all developers participate in the User Choice Billing (UCB) program and give them a minimum 5% service fee discount for a year after the decision is finalized, according to its statement.The antitrust watchdog launched an investigation into Google in 2022 for its market dominance in particular, the company required Indonesian app developers to use Google Play Billing (GPB). The agency found that the Google Pay Billing System had charged fees up to 30%, higher than other payment systems.The Google Play Store handles payments between developers and users through the GPB System for in-app purchases. Google requires all purchases of digital products and services in the Google Play Store to go through the Google Play Billing system. At the same time, it prohibits other payment alternatives to Google Play Billing. The agency said that limiting the payment options led to fewer app users, reduced transactions and lower revenue.The agency noted that the Google Play Store is the only app store pre-installed on all Android devices, with a market share over 50%. As for the search engine market, Google held a market share of 95.16% in the Indonesian search market, and other search engines such as Bing, Yahoo!, DuckDuckGo, and Yandex held the rest as of January 2024, according to Statista.Google plans to appeal the ruling.We strongly disagree with the KPPUs decision and will appeal. Our current practices foster a healthy, competitive Indonesian app ecosystem, offering a secure platform, global reach, and choice, including user choice billing which enables alternatives to Google Plays billing system, a Google spokesperson, Danielle Cohen, said in an email statement.Beyond our platform, we actively support Indonesian developers through a comprehensive suite of initiatives, including Indie Games Accelerator, Play Academy, and Play x Unity, reflecting our deep investment in their success. We remain committed to complying with Indonesian law and will continue collaborating with the KPPU and stakeholders throughout the appeals process, she added.The tech industry has been closely watching a series of legal disputes involving Google being fined for breaching anti-competitive practices due to its misuse of dominant market power in various countries, including Indonesia, India, South Korea, France, the EU and the U.S. Japans antitrust regulator is likely to determine that Google has breached Japans antitrust laws and will order the tech behemoth to cease its monopolistic behaviors, according to Nikkei Asia.

The Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) has released its preliminary agenda for the 2025 AMUG Conference.AMUG 2025 will be held from Sunday, March 30, to Thursday, April 3, at the Hilton Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. It will bring together additive manufacturing engineers, designers, managers, and educators to share insights, skills, and experiences.The agenda includes a packed schedule of nearly 150 presentations, panel discussions, and interactive training workshops. Following community feedback, the organizers have expanded the AMUGexpo, which will feature 41 exhibitors and run from Sunday through Tuesday. Also of note are this years headline keynote speakers: Ryan Watkins, Research Engineer with NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and Joe Scarbo, President of the automotive manufacturer Scarbo Performance Corp.Within the 4-day, 5-night program, ample time has also been left for socializing and networking. In the evenings, the Technical Competition will return to recognize unique 3D printed designs, and the AMUGderby is back by popular demand for a second year of gravity-powered racing. Also on the cards is a Wild West-themed dinner on Wednesday evening, so dont forget to pack your Stetson hat and cowboy boots.AMUG 2025 will also honor Joe Allison, principal of 3D Ventures and CEO of Gentle Giant Studios, as the latest recipient of the AMUG Innovators Award. He will be a featured guest at the Innovators Showcase, where attendees can hear key insights in a fireside chat hosted by Todd Grimm.The full preliminary agenda for AMUG 2025, which is subject to change, can be viewed here.The Hilton Chicago will host AMUG 2025. Photo via Hilton Chicago.What is on the AMUG 2025 agenda?The AMUG 2025 conference officially opens on Sunday, 30 April at 4:00 PM with the AMUG New Member Welcome Reception. Hosted by Nick Licari, the AMUG New Member Committee Chair, this hour-long event offers a perfect chance for first-timers to meet the AMUG board and get an overview of what to expect during the week. The AMUGexpo opens at 5:00 PM, followed by a Networking Dinner.Monday kicks off with a welcome address from AMUG President Shannon VanDeren. From 1:30 to 5:00 PM, visitors will have the opportunity to attend a wide range of breakout sessions.Notable panel discussions on Monday include the role of additive manufacturing for military forward deployment, large-scale 3D printing for industrial applications, and a deep dive into Axtra3Ds Lumia X1 high-speed SLA technology. Elsewhere, Siemens Energys Tad Steinberg will discuss how 3D printing is used in military vehicles, while General Atomics Steve Fournier will highlight how AM elevates unmanned aerial vehicles. Visitors will also have the chance to get hands-on with 3D scanning and metrology during one of the educational workshop.First-time attendees gather at the New Member Welcome to kick-start the 2024 AMUG conference. Photo via AMUG.Ryan Watkins will kick off Tuesday with his keynote presentation on NASAs 3D printed crushable structures for high-speed impact attenuation applications. Following this, the winners of the highly-coveted DINO Awards and 2025 AMUG Scholarships will be crowned. Another full day of panel discussions and presentations will include insights into AM in the rail industry, how Eplus3D empowers the automotive sector, and developments in 3D printed consumer healthcare products. Tuesdays hands-on workshops will cover 3D printed fixtures the foundry in a box for metal casting.Wednesday will begin with the Innovators Showcase discussion with Gentle Giant Studios Joe Allison. Following this, the days panels will cover a range of topics spanning elastomer additive manufacturing, binder-based metal AM, and the future of 3D printing for aerospace spares and repairs. Elsewhere, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will return to AMUG for a presentation on illegal 3D printed machine gun conversion devices.The second annual AMUGderby will commence at 6:00 PM on Wednesday. Following the success of last years inaugural competition, the Pinewood Derby-inspired event will feature two racing classes Standard and Open. The Standard Class combines official BSA axles and wheels with a 3D printed body weighing under 6 ounces. The Open Class offers more freedom, with mechanical propulsion, custom wheel configurations, and a 10-ounce weight limit all permitted. The wild west-themed dinner will run simultaneously with these races. AMUG 2025s final day will see keynote speaker Joe Scarbo discuss how 3D printing in motorsports enhances vehicle performance. Following this, recipients of last years AMUG Advanced Finishing, Advanced Concepts, and Members Choice Awards will give presentations. AMUG 2025 Technical Competition winners will also be announced on Thursday morning.Other highlights from Thursday include cybersecurity in additive manufacturing, laser powder bed fusion capabilities for large aerospace structures, and a presentation from ASTM Internationals Martin White on 3D printing standards. The AMUG 2025 conference will conclude with the AMUG Family Closing Dinner.A hands-on workshop at AMUG. Photo via AMUG.Key highlights from AMUG 2024Last year, the 2024 AMUG conference saw Jason Lopes, Director of Additive Manufacturing at Gentle Giant Studios, discuss the value of 3D printing in the film industry. The returning favorite to AMUG showcased how the companys additive manufacturing capabilities have been used to develop movie props, consumer products, and fine art pieces.Tad Steinberg also took to the stage to highlight how Siemens Energy is using additive manufacturing for hydrogen combustion and gas turbine applications. He highlighted his vision that by 2030, every new Siemens gas turbine will run on 100% hydrogen. This represents a notable shift from the companys traditional focus on natural gas and methane.The AMUG 2024 expo also witnessed several 3D printing announcements. metal 3D printer developer Meltio launched its new laser metal deposition (LMD) 3D printer, the M600. The system features a Blue Laser deposition head and is designed to unlock industrial-scale manufacturing. Elsewhere, Materialise introduced its new 3D printing software, e-Stage for Metal+ software. This platform uses physics-based modeling to automate support structure generation for LPBF additive manufacturing.Chicago-based 3D printing quality assurance software developer Phase3D also attended AMUG 2024, unveiling its True Layer Thickness toolkit. This metal 3D printing monitoring and inspection tool measures the amount of metal powder distributed across a 3D printers build platform. This ensures even material distribution for each layer during powder-based 3D printing.Tad Steinberg of Siemens Energy speaking at AMUG 2024. Photo by Michael Petch.Who won the 2024 3D Printing Industry Awards?All the news from Formnext 2024.Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter to keep up with the latest 3D printing news.You can also follow us on X, like our Facebook page, and subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry Youtube channel to access more exclusive content.Featured image shows the AMUG Conference New Members Reception. Photo by Michael Petch.

EOS, a leading provider of additive manufacturing solutions, has installed its 5,000th industrial 3D printer. This achievement underscores a key moment for both the company and the digital manufacturing sector. EOS, known for supplying industrial 3D printing machines, materials, training, and services, has established itself as a pioneer in additive manufacturing with products deployed across six continents.The latest installation, an EOS M 400-4 metal 3D printer, is located at Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing (KAM) in Statesville, North Carolina. KAM, founded by race car driver and entrepreneur Brad Keselowski, is a company that applies advanced engineering solutions and 3D printing technologies to drive industrial innovation. According to Marie Langer, CEO of EOS, Our organization was a startup within a startup industry. There was no such thing as additive manufacturing when EOS was launched with a clear vision from my father. We can proudly call ourselves AM pioneers, but it is our continued innovation and unwavering desire to ensure our customers are successful that has allowed us to reach this milestone. While 5,000 machines are impressive, we have barely left the starting blocks.The addition of this system brings KAMs total EOS machine count to 18, signaling an expanding need for high-precision metal parts. According to Joe Calmese, CEO of ADDMAN, AM is now integral to many industries defense, space, energy, tooling and medical, to name but a few. We have long relied on EOS AM technology for producing many highly engineered and complex applications and are thrilled to be a part of the EOS story. EOS has attributed its growth to maintaining a strong focus on quality, as noted by Glynn Fletcher, president of EOS North America: To this day, we remain true to Hans original vision For us, this has resulted in consistent business growth, and Im confident well reach 10,000 installations much faster than the first 100.Joe Calmese, CEO of ADDMAN, and Glynn Fletcher, president of EOS North America, mark the installation of EOSs 5,000th industrial 3D printer. Photo via ADDMAN.Broader Industry Developments and Market OutlookEplus3D, a company that specializes in large-format laser powder bed fusion systems, has delivered over 100 metal 3D printers globally. Founded in 2014, Eplus3D focuses on deploying multi-laser technology to meet the complex needs of aerospace, space, and energy industries. Its systems, such as the EP-M2050, feature X, Y, and Z axes all over one meter in length, enabling the high-speed production of large-scale metal parts.Meanwhile, market intelligence from CONTEXT offers a positive outlook for 2025 despite earlier challenges. Analysts project a 15% increase in shipments of high-cost industrial 3D printers, driven by rising demand for laser powder bed fusion systems, particularly in China. The report notes that while 2024 experienced declines in shipments across several printer segments due to economic pressures and high interest rates, the outlook for 2025 appears brighter. Expectations include a rebound fueled by increased adoption of midrange systems and continued interest in high-volume production applications for aerospace, automotive, and healthcare sectors.Eplus3D Large-format Metal PBF 3D printers installed in JINGYE Additive Manufacturing. Photo via Eplus3D.Ready to discover who won the 20243D Printing Industry Awards?What will the future of 3D printing look like?Which recent trends are driving the 3D printing industry, as highlighted by experts?Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter to stay updated with the latest news and insights.Stay connected with the latest in 3D printing by following us on Twitter and Facebook, and dont forget to subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry YouTube channel for more exclusive content.Featured image shows Joe Calmese, CEO of ADDMAN, and Glynn Fletcher, president of EOS North America, mark the installation of EOSs 5,000th industrial 3D printer. Photo via ADDMAN.

A new version of VFExtra released for UE5.5nielsdewitte.beVFExtraToolset for VFX artists in unrealIf you scroll down to the resources section youll find I also added a separate resources pack with niagara modules and vfx materials.Because of this the plugin will now be purely editor only (which should avoid the build issues some users were having)As usual please let me know if you have any issues or feedback in the thread or on discord!

Tech A new security seal of approval is coming to your smart home gadgets A smart solution to protect your connected home from cyber threats Published January 22, 2025 6:00am EST close A new security seal of approval is coming to your smart home gadgets The U.S. Cyber Trust Mark will appear on smart products sold in the United States later this year. The White House has unveiled a groundbreaking initiative to enhance the security of internet-connected devices in American homes.The U.S. Cyber Trust Mark, a new cybersecurity safety label, is set to appear on smart products sold in the United States later this year.This program aims to help you make informed decisions about the safety of the smart devices you bring into your home. U.S. Cyber Trust Mark (FCC)What is the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark?The U.S.Cyber Trust Mark is a label designed for consumer smart devices, including home security cameras, TVs, internet-connected appliances, fitness trackers, climate control systems and baby monitors. This mark signals that a device meets a set of security features approved by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).How does it work?Vendors can label their products with the Cyber Trust Mark logo if they meet NIST's cybersecurity criteria. These criteria include:WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?Using unique and strong default passwordsProviding software updatesImplementing data protection measuresIncorporating incident detection capabilitiesConsumers will be able to scan a QR code next to the Cyber Trust Mark label to access additional security information. This information includes:Instructions for changing the default passwordSteps for securely configuring the deviceDetails on automatic updates and how to access themThe product's minimum support periodNotification if the manufacturer doesn't offer updates for the device U.S. Cyber Trust Mark (FCC)Why is this important?There is a growing concern about cybercriminals remotelyhacking into home security systems and malicious actors tapping into insecure home cameras. With the average U.S. household having 21 connected devices, according to a Deloitte study, the threat of cyberattacks is increasingly significant.When will we see it?The program is set to launch in 2025. Companies will soon be able to submit their products for testing to earn the label, and major retailers like Best Buy and Amazon have committed to highlighting labeled products. The program has garnered support from major electronics, appliance and consumer product makers, including Amazon, Google, Best Buy, LG Electronics U.S.A., Logitech and Samsung Electronics.What's not on the Cyber Trust Mark menu?While the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark aims to cover a wide range of smart home gadgets, not everything in your tech arsenal will be sporting this new seal of approval. Here's a rundown of what's left out:GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HEREMedical devices overseen by the FDA: Your smart pacemaker won't be getting the mark.Cars and car equipment that are under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's watchful eye: So, no Cyber Trust Mark on your fancy new electric vehicle.Wired devices: This program is all about wireless wonders.Industrial and enterprise gear: It's focused on consumer products, not factory floors.Any equipment on the FCC's naughty list (aka Covered List) or made by companies on that listIoT products from companies flagged for national security concernsGadgets made by companies banned from federal shopping spreesAnd here's a surprise: Your trusty personal computer, smartphone and router won't be getting the Cyber Trust Mark either, at least not yet. The program is kicking off with wireless consumer IoT products, but who knows? It might grow to include more devices down the road. For now, NIST is cooking up some cybersecurity rules for those consumer-grade routers we all rely on.So, while you might not see the Cyber Trust Mark on everything in your tech toolkit, it's a solid start in making our connected homes a bit safer from digital ne'er-do-wells. Home devices and cellphone (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Kurts key takeawaysThe U.S. Cyber Trust Mark is a game-changer for you and me as consumers in our hyper-connected world. Let's face it: Understanding device security can be a headache. But this program cuts through the tech jargon, giving us clear, easy-to-grasp info about the gadgets we're considering bringing into our homes.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPHow do you think the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark will impact your future purchasing decisions for smart home devices? Will you actively look for this label when shopping for new gadgets? Let us know what you think by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.Follow Kurt on his social channels:Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurts free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Warnings about power supply issues and the scarcity of suitable sites to build new server farms have led to persistent concerns about how sustainable the UK datacentre markets growth is, with demand for compute capacity in the London region increasingly outstripping supply.Real estate consultancy CBRE released figures in August 2024 that confirmed vacancy rates in the Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin (FLAPD) region reached an all-time low by the end of the first six months of the year. Last year also marked the fifth consecutive year that vacancy rates across FLAPD have declined.As acknowledged in CBREs accompanying report, London was the only region during the second quarter of 2024 to have a new supply of datacentre compute capacity come online, in the form of a 30MW facility in West London.With colocation and hyperscale providers looking to procure as much spare compute capacity as possible to serve the enterprise markets appetite for public cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) services, many more developments of this ilk will be needed.The new Labour government has acknowledged this since its election in July 2024 by making moves to lower the planning permission barriers that have stopped new datacentre developments coming online, particularly in London and the South East.The governments pre-election manifesto talked up the wider economic benefits of supporting the growth of the UK datacentre market, which gives some indication of the source of its pro-datacentre sentiment.Since coming to power, decisions made by the previous government to block large-scale datacentre developments from being built on protected green belt land have been overturned to free up large parcels of undeveloped land so that more hyperscale facilities can be built.In Whitehalls view, sacrificing large swathes of the countrys protected green spaces is a price worth paying to ensure the UKs datacentre market continues to grow and prosper.However, an alternative solution to meeting the growing need for new datacentres is being put forward by UK-based startup EdgeNebula, which involves converting existing pockets of disused commercial property and office spaces into micro-datacentres.These edge-like sites will be connected together to form an amorphous mass of compute capacity that can be collectively used to host cloud and AI workloads, according to EdgeNebula CEO Peter Hannaford. Were not looking to convert the [whole] building into a datacentre, he tells Computer Weekly. What were looking to do is distribute cloud and AI [workloads] using redundant real estate and power.Data from IT market watcher Synergy Research Group, published in January 2025, suggests the average size of a hyperscale datacentre is on the rise, as a direct result of the growing demand for generative AI (GenAI) workloads.So much so, Synergy is predicting that hyperscale datacentres will double in size over the next four years, which is not great news for operators already struggling to find sites in the UK large enough to accommodate hyperscale datacentre campus developments.In Hannafords view, the concept EdgeNebula is proposing is the answer to this problem, as it will enable operators to access the datacentre compute capacity they need in a much more eco-friendly way.This is because its datacentres will be housed in pre-existing sites, meaning the environmental cost involved in creating them is substantially lower than building a hyperscale facility from scratch.Read more about the UK datacentre industryThe UK government has unveiled its 50-point AI action plan, which commits to building sovereign artificial intelligence capabilities and accelerating AI datacentre developments but questions remain about the viability of the plans.The Labour government has wasted no time in lowering planning permission barriers to new datacentre builds, with its disclosure that two previously denied projects are being placed under review.On this point, Microsoft went public in October 2023 about the work its doing to reduce the amount concrete used to build its hyperscale datacentres as part of a wider body of work to become a carbon-negative entity by 2030.The buildings already exist, so we wont need to use concrete and generate huge amounts of carbon emissions to create our datacentres, says Hannaford. Well also be [linking our sites] up to district heating networks, and making the heat generated from our operations commercially available.The types of sites EdgeNebula is targeting will already be connected to local electricity grids, which will accelerate the time it takes to repurpose an office space into a datacentre, he said.Some operators are having to wait years to get regulatory approval for power supplies, says Hannaford, when there are pockets of stranded power attached to the disused commercial properties ready and waiting to be tapped into.While the government has committed to lowering the planning permission barriers to building datacentres in the UK, securing approval for projects can still take months. By repurposing underutilised urban real estate and stranded power, our AI-ready datacentres scale in weeks, reducing costs, minimising strain on the grid and avoiding disruption to natural landscapes, he adds.The other thing about what were doing is that you dont need planning permission to put a few racks in [an existing site].Industry veteran Hannaford launched EdgeNebula in November 2024, having previously chaired sector-specific recruitment firm Datacenter People until April 2020. While working there, he founded datacentre-focused executive search and strategy consultancy Portman Partners in 2018.That work involved finding the right people to work for the big datacentre operators, and we know how difficult that can be, but we also know the pressures operators face when trying to find the right location for their datacentres, too, he continues.As well as power and space, EdgeNebula will also take care of the cooling and connectivity requirements of its sites, but the responsibility for kitting them out will be on Abu Dhabi-based Maerifa Solutions.The two firms signed a strategic partnership in November 2024 that will see Maerifa supply the high-performance computing (HPC) hardware needed to run cloud and AI workloads in EdgeNebula environments.Since going public with its concept in November 2024, Hannaford claims to have received positive feedback on its vision from around the world. Weve had all sorts of inquiries in from potential investors, to people looking to get rid of their portfolios of empty real estate from all over the world, but [wholesale site conversions] are not what were looking to do, he reiterates.With analysts forecasting that hyperscale datacentres will need to get even bigger in size to accommodate the demand for public cloud and GenAI workloads, Hannaford is of the view that now is the time for the industry to rethink its approach to delivering these power-hungry workloads.This is particularly true in light of the UK governments recently announced AI opportunities action plan, which advocates creating designated zones where AI-ready datacentres will be built to meet this demand. The governments AI blueprint is an exciting step forward and the mission is to be applauded, he says. However, how we provide the datacentre capacity to achieve this goal is important.Referencing the overturning of Buckingham Councils decision to block a US-based company from building a 65,000m2 hyperscale datacentre in Iver, Buckinghamshire, by secretary of state Angela Rayner, Hannaford says this type of project simply is not necessary.There is currently over 30 million square feet of office space vacant in the UK today, and a similar amount of unused industrial space, he says. Weve also identified at least 1,000 sites with the power required for a network of smaller datacentres.Designed for sustainable AI growth, our approach aligns with the governments priorities while addressing the challenges of high startup costs and lengthy timelines associated with traditional hyperscale datacentres, says Hannaford.Its certainly a compelling proposition for a market that needs to urgently find new spaces to grow into, so for now its simply a case of watching and waiting to see if the industry takes him up on his offer.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 lineup and new AI features are on the docket for the Galaxy Unpacked event today. Maybe we'll be in for some fun teasers, too.

The Asus RT-BE86U is loaded with security tools, letting you enjoy the next generation of high-speed internet safely. But should you upgrade to one?

While GenAI offers game changing opportunities, its adoption comes with several hurdles that businesses must address to unlock its full potential.

Fast forward to today, and theres no doubt that the role of a lawyer is on the verge of significant transformation, largely driven by AI.