The devastating California wildfires have led to a number of benefit events, from concerts to comedy shows, with the intention to fundraise for wildfire recovery efforts.The team at Critical Role, meanwhile, is going to do what they do best: play Dungeons & Dragons.Critical Role announced a special live one-shot D&D adventure titled Freaky Thursday, featuring Bells Hells, the characters from its third D&D campaign. The charity event stars Ashley Johnson, Marisha Ray, Taliesin Jaffe, Travis Willingham, Sam Riegel, Laura Bailey, and Liam OBrien, with game master Matthew Mercer.Lets do some chaotic good, wrote OBrien on X, sharing the announcement.The Freaky Thursday adventure will be livestreamed on Critical Roles membership service Beacon, as well as its Twitch and YouTube channels, on Thursday, January 30, at 7 p.m. PT. Fans, affectionately known as Critters, will be able to make donations or purchase rewards to shape the story through Tiltify.The group has set an ambitious goal of raising $180,000 with the livestream. Each milestone will unlock in-game surprises like new allies, unexpected adversaries or even character sheet swaps, ensuring an unpredictable and exciting adventure shaped entirely by the communitys contributions, Critical Role said. Story elements with the most donations will take center stage in the game.Where the money will goDonations will be split between the California Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund, the Latino Community Foundation, and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation. The company added that 10% of each donation will be stashed into our overall emergency fund, which allows [our foundation] to send help quickly in the event of a future unforeseen natural emergency.Through its Critical Role Foundation (CRF) nonprofit arm, the company has already contributed $30,000 from its emergency fund to the California Community Foundations Wildfire Recovery Fund. Even before the launch of the CRF in September 2020, Critical Role and its network of Critters have been active in raising money for a range of causes, including 826LA and First Nations Development Institute.Critical Role Foundation is just one of the many ways that Critical Role has expanded into new areas in recent years. Aside from its core show, one-offs, and spinoff web series, the group has also branched into comics and books, an animated series, and their own subscription-based streaming platform, Beacon. Its impressive work from what began as a show that highlighted the joy of playing Dungeons & Dragons with friends.You can donate and learn more here.

Legoland Floridaplans to lay off 234 workers, primarily performers, in an effort to be more competitive in central Floridas thriving theme park market, company officials said.The theme park resort in Winter Haven, Florida, said in a notice to the state of Florida last Friday that the permanent layoffs would start at the end of March and last through the beginning of April.Three quarters of the workers cited for layoffs were performers, and another fifth also was involved in the entertainment side of the theme park, according to the notice.The theme park resort, whose workers are nonunion, has about 1,500 employees.The theme park resort is owned by Merlin Entertainment. Merlin spokeswoman Julia Estrada said in an email Wednesday that the change would allow it to operate more flexibly in a competitive market by using an outside company to provide some of the entertainment while maintaining a core in-house entertainment team.We will continue to have a core in-house entertainment offering, which we will scale up to meet our brand and guest experiences during the year, Estrada said.Besides the Lego-themed park, the resort has a Peppa Pig-themed park, a water park and a soon-to-open aquarium.Winter Haven is located between Tampa, home to Bush Gardens Tampa Bay, and Orlando, home to Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld Orlando.

To mark Chinese New Year today, Dezeen rounds up the 12 most anticipated architecture projects set to complete in China this year, including a fan-shaped opera house and an earth-covered sports complex.Photo is by Ye JianyuanSuzhou Museum of Contemporary Art, Suzhou, by BIGInformed by corridors known as lng typical of traditional gardens in Suzhou the museum designed by BIG will comprise a series of pavilions under curved metal roofs.The roofs will connect its indoor and outdoor spaces, creating sheltered walkways through gardens populated with artworks and water features.Find out more about Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art Quzhou Sports Campus, Quzhou, by MADQuzhou Sports Campus will host a series of stadiums that will rise from a green park, designed to resemble undulating volcano-like mounds.MAD said they wanted the park to look like an "extraterrestrial fantasy" a cross between Earth and Mars.According to the architecture studio, it will also be "the largest earth-sheltered complex in the world". The first phase of the project, a stadium with a halo-like roofscape, opened in 2022.Find out more about Quzhou Sports Campus China Merchants Bank Headquarter, Shenzhen, by Foster + PartnersThis 388-metre-tall building in Shenzhen, designed by British firm Foster + Partners, will have a staggered shape informed by China's rocky peaks and forests.Its south facade will feature rounded vertical sections covered in triangular glass panels, informed by shapes in traditional Chinese paper folding, while the north facade will have a simple rectilinear form to contrast the south.Find out more about China Merchants Bank Headquarter Shanghai Grand Opera House, Shanghai, by Snhetta, in partnership with East China Architectural Design&Research Institute (ECADI), Theatre Projects and Nagata AcousticsSnhetta's winning design for Shanghai Grand Opera House will feature a helical roof surface informed by an unfolding fan that opens up to Shanghai's Huangpu River.According to the studio, the sweeping form will evoke "the dynamism of dance and the human body", while inviting artists and the public to gather under one shared roof.Find out more about Shanghai Grand Opera House Hangzhou LOFT 49 Regeneration, Hangzhou, by Line+ StudioLocal studio Line+ will transform a former textile factory in Hangzhou into a cultural and commercial complex, with two historical buildings kept and renovated.The original assembly lines will be used to organise various functions within the buildings, while a new walking bridge will be added to link the previously separated buildings.New office buildings will be created around the historical centre. These will feature facades made from dark-red glazed pottery plates to contrast the rusty panelling on the old industrial site.Pujiang Viewing Platform, Chengdu, by MVRDVPerched on the hills to the south of Chengdu, Dutch studio MVRDV's design of the viewing platform intends to capture the surrounding natural environment while also blending into it.Earth-covered timber arches will frame an expansive viewing window and balcony that cantilevers over the sloping hill and was designed to be the main feature of the project.Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum, Shenzhen, by Zaha Hadid ArchitectsAiming to become a landmark for Shenzhen's new Guangming Science City district, this pebble-shaped museum designed by UK studio Zaha Hadid Architects will feature a vast atrium at its centre.One side of the streamlined building will break up into a series of terraces that frame a large glazed wall. This will be used as the entrance to the museum and open up into the atrium.Find out more about Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum Suzhou Science and Technology Museum, Suzhou, by Perkins&WillLocated within Suzhou's Lion Mountain Park, this museum designed by architecture studio Perkins&Will will feature an expansive green roof that starts from the foot of the mountain and extends along the lake.Its sweeping form will culminate in a spiral that faces the lake. The museum, together with the mountain and the lake, was designed to create an infinity loop that symbolises the connection between nature and technology.Adjacent to the museum is Suzhou Lion Mountain Opera House, designed by Japanese studio SANAA, which was completed last year.City University Hong Kong Dongguan, Dongguan, by HennCity University Hong Kong Dongguan will combine the research facilities from City University of Hong Kong and the manufacturing ability of Dongguan to create a new science and development hub in the country.The project will be constructed in two phases. The first campus phase will be organised along an elevated platform, named the Academic Spine, which will extend into a large plaza featuring the central library.The building's strikingly angular design with a 50-meter cantilever will serve as a symbol of the university and a new landmark for the city of Dongguan.The Yard, Dalian, by Neri&HuAnother adaptive reuse project on the list is The Yard by Chinese studio Neri&Hu, which will convert a former industrial research office and staff dormitory into a creative space comprising galleries, retail, hotels, offices and a library.The previously separate buildings on the site will be connected via a new spatial system of walls, screens, and canopies, which was informed by traditional Chinese gardens.A new courtyard will be located at the centre of the compound and feature a rock landscape.Zhuhai Hengqin CRCC Plaza, Zhuhai, by AedasA series of sky bridges, green terraces and rooftop gardens will connect four towers located in the central business area of Zhuhai's Hengqin District, which will house offices, retail and entertainment facilities.Designed by architecture studio Aedas, rooftop gardens on top of the two middle towers will link to green terraces on the two taller towers on either side via sky bridges, creating a walking loop that wraps around the towers.Community Center of Aranya Jiulonghu, Guangzhou, by Vector ArchitectsThis multi-functional community centre designed by Vector Architects will be built on a natural rock formation next to Jiulong Lake in Guangzhou and have a yellowish granite facade that complements the natural rock material.Comprising exhibition spaces, event spaces, a clock tower, and a cafe, it will serve as a cultural venue for the local community.A series of geometric volumes will be arranged along the changing elevation of the site, with a gradually ascending walkway connecting the ground floor and the elevated platform.The post Twelve upcoming Chinese projects set to complete in the Year of the Snake appeared first on Dezeen.

The Porsche 911 Carrera has always been considered a hallowed combination of speed, precision, and timeless design. Now, that ethos has been distilled into two wheels. The Porsche Caf Racer, a concept by Piano Marek and Radek Stepan, reinterprets the Carreras DNA in a form that feels both radical and inevitable. This machine draws inspiration from the Porsche, embodying its spirit in a way that makes you wonder why the German automaker hasnt built one already.The silhouette is unmistakably Porschesmooth, sculpted, and purposeful. The elongated, seamless bodywork evokes the Carreras iconic teardrop shape, tapering into a sharp, minimalistic tail. Theres no clutter, no excess, just pure aerodynamic intent. The monolithic silver finish echoes Porsches classic color palette, while the Carrera script on the side cements the connection. Even the proportions feel like a nod to the 911, with a balanced yet aggressive stance that suggests speed even at a standstill.Designers: Radek Stepan & Piano MarekThe silhouette is unmistakably Porschesmooth, sculpted, and purposeful. The elongated, seamless bodywork evokes the Carreras iconic teardrop shape, tapering into a sharp, minimalistic tail. Theres no clutter, no excess, just pure aerodynamic intent. The monolithic silver finish echoes Porsches classic color palette, while the Carrera script on the side cements the connection. Even the proportions feel like a nod to the 911, with a balanced yet aggressive stance that suggests speed even at a standstill.At the front, the Caf Racer makes a bold statement with its futuristic headlamp design, a floating circular element that mirrors Porsches four-point LED signature. The fork shrouds, emblazoned with the Porsche name, act like aerodynamic winglets, reminiscent of the Carreras subtle yet functional design elements. The wheels, wrapped in wide, low-profile rubber, hint at the kind of high-speed stability that made the 911 a legend on both road and track.In a unique twist, Marek and Stepan outfitted the racer with a Harman/Kardon speaker system integrated into the motor area, sort of mimicking a cars entertainment system. Except, this speaker can replicate the raw symphony of a Porsche engine, giving riders the aural experience of a flat-six roaring through the gears, even on an electric drivetrain. Or, if youre parked, it transforms the bike into a high-end audio centerpiece, turning any pit stop into a private concert. Its the kind of fusion of technology and emotion that Porsche has mastered over the years, now reimagined for a new generation.Beneath the sculpted bodywork, the exposed mechanical components add an industrial contrast. The open triangle cutouts in the frame subtly reference the air-cooled era of Porsches past, while the rear suspension setup has the same sense of mechanical honesty found in the 911s rear-engine layout. The contrast of brushed metal, deep black elements, and striking blue highlights around the speaker grill gives the bike an aesthetic that feels both vintage and futuristica balance that Porsche has always strived for.The Porsche Caf Racer takes the principles that have made the Carrera a legend and translates them into an entirely new format. Every design choice reflects the same balance of performance, aesthetics, and engineering precision that defines Porsches approach to automobiles. Whether it ever sees production or remains a concept, one thing is certain: it makes you want to throw on a leather jacket, twist the throttle, and chase the horizonjust like a Carrera always has.The post A Tribute to the 911 Carrera: This Porsche Electric Cafe Racer is a Design Masterpiece first appeared on Yanko Design.

The leaks seem to be all over Apple has great plans for the 2025 iPhone lineup. What the Cupertino giant has in store for the smartphone series is absolutely uncertain, with rumors of a camera bar design, as well as of an iPhone Air making the waves. Multiple sources have, however, confirmed that the latest iPhone lineup will see one large change in the form of a horizontal camera island of sorts, borrowing directly from the Google Pixels design.Putting visuals to those rumors is Phone Industry, a YouTube channel dedicated to realizing concepts and leaks into full renders. To that very end, heres what the iPhone 17 Pro might just look like if it had that camera island. The short answer is that its a spitting resemblance to the Pixel. The long answer is lets just wait till September to see what Tim Cook has to say. Until then, heres more about this design.Design: Phone IndustryEvery year, Apple launches a new iPhone and it features a few standard upgrades. The phones usually have some design changes to help differentiate them from older models. They also have one standout feature that makes them functionally better than previous variants, and lastly, they push the boundaries of what their cameras are capable of. This phone embodies all those things.The first and most obvious upgrade is the design change manifested in the form of a new camera layout. Every Pro iPhone since the 11 Pro has had a square-shaped camera bump in the top left corner, with three lenses in the shape of a triangle. The iPhone 17 Pro concept shakes that up, putting the camera lenses in a single line running from left to right.From the looks of it, you have a wide and ultra-wide lens on the left, a flash in the middle, and that tetraprism-style telephoto lens on the right, capable of taking pictures with an incredible optical zoom capability. The rectangular shape of this lens probably indicates a larger sensor size, giving you zoom along with immaculate low-light performance. Its all speculation really, but hey, a boy can hope, right?The unique part about this new camera layout is that aside from being the biggest design change to the Pro line-up since the dynamic island it also gives the iPhone a fair amount of stability. The phone doesnt rock when placed camera-down on flat surfaces. It also gives your finger a nice place to rest while you browse Tik Tok for as long as the app lasts, I guess.Along with design and camera upgrades, every subsequent iPhone tries to introduce something new. One iPhone introduced a Dynamic Island, the next ditched the Mute switch for the Action Button, and finally last years iPhone introduced us to Capture Control. This time, the Capture Control gets refined and placed right near the power button. It gets a red inlay, works just the way you want it to, and for the first time, is within reach of your thumb when youre holding the phone vertically.The current Capture Control button is notoriously placed in a way that only allows it to be accessed in Landscape mode. Hold your phone in Portrait and the control sits underneath your palm, making it impossible to use. This new placement means photo and videography are just as intuitive in Portrait as they are in Landscape.But dont get your hopes up. Were 8 months away from the new iPhone, which means weve got 8 months of new leaks and rumors to look forward to. This current iPhone, as flashy as it looks, might be a little too similar to the Pixel for Apples comfort. It has a split rear fascia with an upper and lower glass panel and a metallic camera bump thats unmistakably a Pixel design feature.I assume that, if these rumors are true, the iPhone would have a single-piece glass back like the current phones do. Theres a lot of hearsay that this particular bar-shaped camera phone wont be the Pro version, but rather the Slim or Air version, giving you a phone that looks and feels cutting-edge. A square-shaped camera bump would destroy that illusion but a horizontal camera array might just end up creating that wedge-shaped aesthetic that the MacBook Air first popularized back in 2008!The post iPhone 17 Pro Concept shows a Radical Camera Bar Design inspired by the Pixel and a New Surprise first appeared on Yanko Design.

China-based DeepSeek has exploded in popularity, drawing greater scrutiny. Case in point: Security researchers found more than 1 million records, including user data and API keys, in an open database.

President Trump had sued Meta and other tech firms in 2021, arguing that he had been wrongfully censored by them. Meta also reported a 21 percent increase in quarterly revenue.

The electric car company run by Elon Musk is facing increasing competition, but investors have focused mostly on the prospects for Teslas self-driving technology.

If you love binging your favorite shows on Netflix, a new-to-iOS and iPadOS feature makes it even easier.Netflix brings Season Download button to Apple devicesStarting Wednesday, Netflix has rolled out a much-requested feature to the Netflix iPhone and iPad App. You can easily binge your favorite Netflix series by tapping the Season Download button.To find the new button, head to a show's display page. The button will be next to the Share option. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Amazon's $1,399 M4 MacBook Pro deal made headlines over the weekend, but inventory levels slipped to 1-2 months out. B&H has now matched the deal and limited supply is in stock with free 2-day shipping.Limited supply is available for this MacBook Pro deal - Image credit: AppleYou can grab the $200 discount on the 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 chip, 16GB RAM and 512GB of storage at both B&H and Amazon but B&H has units in stock and ready to ship, while Amazon reports an ETA 1-2 months out. B&H is also throwing in free 2-day shipping on orders shipped within the contiguous U.S. so you can begin using your new laptop right away.Buy for $1,399 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums