New Contest! Download a free asset pack and create a render of a 3D packshot.I hope you will join this super fun contest. Its a great way to practice some new skills. Were doing 3D Packshot as the theme. If you look up 3D Packshot on Behance, Pinterest, or Google, youll get some inspiration. You can create a packshot of any product or object. It can be an actual product or item, or a fake one. You could make one for beauty products, food, watches, shoes, technology items, or anything else. By joining this contest youll get a free mini-pack of assets to use for your design elements, youll get some great practice, and you can use the result on your social media or reel. The winners will get some rad prizes too. I hope you enjoy the contest, I think it will be TONS of fun!PrizesFirst Place: VDB Bundle from The Pixel LabSecond Place: 10 Free Products from The Pixel LabThird Place: 5 Free Products from The Pixel LabRules1. Download the mini-pack with 8 types 3D Assets: Cloth, Splashes, Cloud, and Abstract Splines(FYI, The full products on our site have complete animation sequences, but for this contest, Im giving you one of the frames from the animations for free).2. Make sure to use at least some of the assets in your render. You can use as many of them as you want, its up to you!3. Create a 3D Packshot of any real or fictional object or product. It could be anything. Search Behance for 3D Packshot to get tons of inspiration!4. Make a still render and send it to joren@thepixellab.net5. The deadline will be March 15, 2025.Our internal team of judges will look at all of the entries. We will pick the top three entries based on creativity/originality/design and we will announce the winners in early April 2025. We will fulfill the prizes shortly after.Note 1: This artwork must be created for the contest. It cannot be a previous piece you have already created. No AI is allowed.Note 2: If you want to purchase any of our products, and you end up winning, we will refund your purchase, so dont worry about buying them if you want to.Here are the included elements in the contest download:Free Mini Pack of 3D VFX Motion Graphics Design ElementsReady to roll? Download the free asset pack I prepared for this contest and lets go!

Temple (2025), mixed media. All images courtesy of Simon Laveuve, shared with permissionSimon Laveuves 1/35-Scale Dwellings Hint at a Post-Apocalyptic Way of LifeFebruary 3, 2025ArtKate MothesWhether slathered with graffiti, overgrown with moss, or decorated with found knick-knacks, Simon Laveuves sculptures hint at anonymous lives. Even though we never see those who inhabit the eclectic miniature dwellings (previously), the artist invites us to examine an alternative way of life.Crafted at 1/35 scale, tiny tables, windows, paintings, and other objects fill multi-story rooms and mezzanines. In his most recent works, Laveuve continues his characteristic assemblage-like style, imagining a post-apocalyptic reality where basic belongings provide for a simple life.Detail of Dun bout lautreIn Dun bout lautre, for example, which translates to from one end to the other the structure appears to have risen from the pier of a long-destroyed bridge. Its swampy base contains old tires and other detritus, while above, a narrow, three-story shack includes basic amenities.In this imagined existence, there is presumably no electricity grid or internet, a windmill provides enough power for a fan and a refrigerator, and a tank stores water. Laveuve taps into a kind of future past, turning to equipment and methods many of us view as obsolete today, like gramophones and metal milk jugs.If youre in Paris, you can see Laveuves solo exhibition Voir Loin at Loo & Lou Gallery through March 1. His work is also included in Small Is Beautiful, which is currently on view in Taipei. Discover more miniature worlds on the artists website and Instagram.Dun bout lautre (2025), mixed media, 52 x 40 x 31 centimetersDetail of Dun bout lautreDun bout lautreDetail of Dun bout lautreLa Volire (2025), mixed mediaDetail of La Volire Temple (2025), mixed mediaDetail of TempleNext article

ZDNETIt happens like clockwork, around the first of each month. Sites that focus on technology churn out nearly identical articles, all based on a chart like this one, prepared by the good folks atStatcounter Global Stats. You're going to see that chart a lot this week, embedded in posts that include detailed explanations of what the author thinks the underlying data points mean. Sometimes they even convince an industry analyst to share their thoughts. It's stereotypical horserace coverage. Every month, tech bloggers try to turn a chart like this one into a story, but most of them miss what's actually happening. Statcounter GSThis month, everyone will be attempting to explain why Windows 10 (the purple line at the top) is suddenly collapsing in popularity and why Windows 11 (the blue line in the middle) has regained its mojo. When I checked Google News early this morning, these stories were already up, and I'm sure more are on the way. At the start of every month, stories like these appear, all based on the same charts. Screenshot by Ed Bott/ZDNETMy favorite quote from this batch is from Forbes, which made this bold assertion: "The January stats are now out, and according to Statcounter, the Windows 11 upgrade trend has now un-reversed itself ... some 40 million hold-outs have suddenly upgraded their PCs in the last 31 days."Inevitably, these posts try to answer the question, "Why did this happen?" But maybe a better question is, "Did this happen?" followed by "Are you sure?" and "Why doesn't any of this data make sense?"Because here's the reality: Statcounter's "market share" reports are a great excuse for tech bloggers to crank out a story each month, but they bear only the most casual relation to the real world, and most of those month-to-month spikes are simply statistical noise.Also:The Excel World Championship is real, and it just crowned the king of spreadsheetsLet me show you what I mean with another chart, which I created using data I downloaded from Statcounter's site. For this one, I changed the parameters to include data from January 2022 through January 2025, covering only the United States. After plugging that data into Excel, I created a line chart like the ones they publish, but I made two changes. First, I added third-order polynomial trendlines for the Windows 10 and Windows 11 data points to show the general direction of those monthly figures over time. Then, I added a shadow on either side of that trendline to indicate a likely margin of error. Adding a trendline helps to smooth out the statistical fluctuations and reveals the real patterns in this data. Chart by Ed Bott/ZDNET; data from Statcounter GSWell, that tells a very different story, doesn't it?At the sites that use Statcounter's web analytics service, pageviews from PCs running Windows 10 are steadily declining, while pageviews from PCs running Windows 11 are steadily increasing. And those trends have been consistent over time, despite some fluctuations in the data.Also:Your Windows 11 PC is acting up? 4 essential settings I always check firstYou'll notice that description doesn't mention "market share." Statcounter's data counts pageviews, not visits, or sessions, or individual devices.And make no mistake about it, those monthly fluctuations really are just noise. Look at the teal-colored line for Windows 8.x versions from January 2024. Do you really think that 10 or 20 million people fired up their old Windows 8 devices on New Year's Day, used them for a few weeks, and then put them all back in the closet? That's unlikely.None of those other monthly spikes mean anything either. Did millions of people uninstall Windows 11 in December 2024 and then change their mind a month later? Of course not. The data is just messy!Now, let me be crystal clear here: I don't blame the Statcounter folks for taking advantage of an irresistible opportunity to generate publicity. I do, however, want to have a serious talk with every journalist and analyst who relies on Statcounter's charts without questioning the underlying data behind them, because those numbers can't stand up to even the mildest questioning. Who is Statcounter? Statcounter is a web analytics company based in Ireland. It was founded in 1999, during the Web 1.0 era, with a simple business model of counting "hits" to websites using a tracking pixel that clients embedded on their pages. If you're a website owner, adding Statcounter's tracking technology to your site can give you valuable information about your visitors.It was a good business for a long time, but over the years the company's customer base has shrunk. In 2009, it boasted that 3 million customers were using its service. By 2022, its own pages acknowledged that the customer base had been cut in half, to 1.5 million websites.Also:How to easily create a drop-down list in ExcelW3Techs, which tracks companies in this space, reported that 0.9% of all websites were using Statcounter's services in 2019. By January 2024, that number had shrunk to 0.5%, and when I checked again in January 2025, the number was down again, to 0.4%.None of that decline should be surprising. Google Analytics dominates this space today, and other big players, like Meta Pixel, WordPress Jetpack, and Adobe Analytics, have also stolen share from tiny firms like Statcounter. Where do Statcounter's numbers come from? Statcounter's customer base consists of a lot of small websites and a few medium-sized ones. The Statcounter Global Stats reports aggregate all the pageviews from those sites, with details about the visitors, including the hardware type, operating system, and browser, as collected by that tracking.Statcounter's data collection has declined dramatically in the last decade. A decade ago, thecompany's FAQ pagereported that it measured more than 17 billion pageviews in a typical month. By 2022 (the last numbers that Statcounter has provided onthe current FAQ page), that number was down to 5 billion a month.Statcounter represents a tiny sliver of actual traffic on the web, mostly from fairly esoteric websites that have chosen to embed the Statcounter tracking code on their websites, like Futbin.com,Filmyzilla.com.fj,Ask.com, andKernel.org. They can't count traffic from the most popular sites on the web, like Google, Facebook, or Wikipedia.Also:How to protect your privacy from Facebook - and what doesn't workIt's like trying to do a survey of consumer behavior without including Costco, Walmart, Home Depot, Target, CVS, or any Kroger grocery store. By leaving out those giants, your sample becomes quirky and almost certainly not representative of the greater market.More importantly, Statcounter measures only pageviews, not visits or sessions. If I go to a site that uses the Statcounter service and visit five pages on my Windows 11 PC, and you load 10 pages with your Windows 10 PC, the results in Statcounter's "market share" report will show that Windows 10 is twice as popular as Windows 11. You see the problem here, I presume.Of course, that assumes all those pageviews are even counted. On my Windows 11 PC, where I use Microsoft Edge with its tracking protection set to Strict, Statcounter's tracking code is automatically blocked. Oops.So, what's the real story?The data from Statcounter tells a perfectly valid story about how people use websites that belong to its customers. But it says nothing about the "market share" for Windows PCs.It does show, in the most general terms, that traffic to those sites from Windows 10 PCs is declining slowly and that traffic from PCs running Windows 11 appears to be increasing slowly as well. Do those numbers map to the population of PCs worldwide? Probably not, although no one can say for sure.We do know that there are a very large number of PCs running Windows 10 that are not eligible to upgrade to Windows 11. That number will probably still be very large in October 2025, when support for Windows 10 ends. Someone with access to Microsoft's telemetry servers could probably give you a pretty good estimate of how many devices are in each population, but they're not talking.The rest of us, unfortunately, are left to guess. And if you want to make a wager based on data from Statcounter, go right ahead. Just don't put any serious money on that bet.Featured

The Linux giant envisions AI development that mirrors open-source software's collaborative ethos. That won't be easy.

Update now warning for all Android usersFuture Publishing via Getty ImagesGoogle has just released Februarys Android security update, and this one comes with a zero-day sting in the tail. There are indications, Google warns, that a vulnerability within Androids core may be under limited, targeted exploitation. Put more simple, you need to update your phone as soon as the new software is released.There are a raft of high-severity updated included within the update, and Google emphasizes that exploitation for many issues on Android is made more difficult by enhancements in newer versions of the Android platform, which is another way of saying update now. There is also the usual nod to Play Protect.The Play Protect security platform is becoming ever more central to Androids defense against malware and permission abuse, and has been shored up and seen its remit expanded multiple times over the last year. Google Play Protect is enabled by default on devices with Google Mobile Services, the company points out, and is especially important for users who install apps from outside of Google Play.The most serious of the new vulnerabilities, Google warns, could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. And while the implication is that this is the usual highly targeted exploitation in the wild, we have seen multiple instances of such exploits finding their way into more widely deployed spyware in fairly short order. Once any exploit is out in the open, it quickly worsens.MORE FOR YOUCVE-2024-53104 is the exploited vulnerability, which is an escalation of privileges threat to Androids Linux kernel. Mishandling media files can trigger out-of-bounds memory issues, destabilizing the system. There will be no more detail made available until users have a chance to download and install the fix.The updates affect all current versions of Android, albeit some of the newer enhancements to Android 14 and now Android 15 are evident as many of the more serious issues affect only older versions of the OS. But critical ones go all the way up to Android 15, so this applies to everyone.As usual, the rollout schedule will be determined by manufacturer, model, region and carrier, and so you need to check your device or your manufacturers or carriers website for more information. This months update will be especially interesting for Samsung users, given the imminent release of One UI 7 / Android 15 and the Galaxy S25.We expect seamless updating to make its way onto the S25, matching Pixels, but the latest firmware released for the new device doesnt yet include Januarys security update, so its not all good news.

Even though Disneys sequel to its Lion King reboot is still in cinemas steadily adding to its already impressive $650m global haul, the studio has already released detailed information on Mufasas upcoming (April 1st) 4K Blu-ray release. And the good news is that the films apparent legions of fans can expect hours of new extra content to entertain them once theyve watched the film in all its 4K and high dynamic range (HDR) glory.Before I get into those extra features, lets look at what Disney is promising for the main movie transfer. First, the film will appear in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio on a 66GB disc. While its always nice to find 4K Blu-ray releases using 100GB discs capable of holding films with less compression, in truth Mufasa: The Lion Kings 118-minute running time is short enough to make it a solid candidate for a 66GB disc.'Mufasa: The Lion King' will be available on 4K Blu-ray in the US from April 1 in a limited edition ... [+] steelbook.Photo: DisneyThe 4K image will be available in both standard HDR10 and, as is the way with Disney these days, premium Dolby Vision HDR for those with Dolby Vision-capable TVs. The cutting edge visuals will be accompanied by a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, too (whereas the HD Blu-ray release will get a 7.1 DTS-HDMA mix).Also in increasingly typical Disney style, the 4K Blu-ray will be available in the U.S. exclusively in a Limited Edition Steelbook version.Bonus FeaturesThe promised mountain of bonus features, meanwhile, kicks off with a Full Length Singalong, where on-screen lyrics let you join in with all of the films new songs. Next up is Finding Milele: The Making Of Mufasa: The Lion King, where director Barry Jenkins and the films cast explore both how the story was developed and how the latest technology helped bring the almost photo-realistic visuals to life.Songs Of The Savanna sees Jenkins and the films songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda discussing the challenges involved with creating the music for the latest instalment in a film series as iconic as The Lion King, while Ostrich Eggs With Timon & Pumbaa features everyones favourite meerkat and warthog revealing fun facts about their latest film and pointing out its hidden references and secrets.MORE FOR YOUThe rear cardboard slip that will accompany the 'Mufasa: The Lion King' steelbook edition.Photo: DisneyA series of outtakes shows us the voice cast having fun in the recording booth as they go about bringing the films animated characters to life, and despite this being an animated film the bonus features also include a quartet of deleted scenes: Whos The Mole Rat?, What Do You Feel In There?, Have Faith In Her, and Takas Dream.Theres a music video for lead song I Always Wanted A Brother that was shot backstage at a film shoot, and the disc lets you choose to skip straight to any of the films six major songs: Milele (First Rain), I Always Wanted A Brother, Bye Bye, We Go Together, Tell Me Its You, and Brother Betrayed.Last but not least on the Mufasa: The Lion King bonus feature list is Protect The Pride, a featurette showing how Disney and The Lion Recovery Fund are working to protect lions in the wild.If you cant wait until April 1 to watch Mufasa at home, it is also going to be released on digital platforms on February 18. But the 4K Blu-ray should, of course, provide the best quality option as well as guaranteeing you will always own the film!Related ReadingDisney Unveils First Star Wars And Marvel TV Show 4K Blu-Rays With Dolby VisionThe Wild Robot 4K Blu-ray Details Revealed And Its Looking Like The Perfect Christmas Stocking FillerAlien: Romulus 4K Blu-Ray Details Revealed Including Surprise Dolby Vision Master

Something to look forward to: Teens and younger users have long been considered the most eager early adopters of advanced technology and online trends. However, a recent study suggests that this may no longer be the case in an era of Big Tech dominance and an internet flooded with AI-generated content. Meta, Apple, and other major technology corporations are investing significant amounts of money to appeal to teens and young users. However, a recently released study by Common Sense Media suggests that their efforts may ultimately be in vain, as a significant portion of US teens have little faith in Big Tech's approach and the role of AI.The study explores the relationship between teens, Big Tech companies, and trust in technology, based on a survey of 1,045 teens aged 13 18. A substantial majority (64 percent) of respondents believe that technology companies will not protect their online well-being, while 62 percent do not think Big Tech will prioritize safety over profits.CSM stated that the research provides crucial insights into how younger users perceive technology. Parents, educators, and policymakers could use these findings to foster a healthier relationship between teens and digital platforms, ensuring their safety while they navigate social media and attention-driven online services.The study also highlights additional key findings, such as significant distrust (53 percent) in major tech companies' ability to act ethically and responsibly when designing new products. A majority of teens (52 percent) do not believe Big Tech will keep their data safe, and a similar percentage (51 percent) doubt these companies will prioritize inclusion and the needs of a diverse user base.Nearly half (47 percent) of surveyed teens also believe Big Tech will not make responsible decisions about AI and its implementation in their products. Additionally, 39 percent of US teens who have used generative AI for schoolwork reported encountering inaccuracies and misinformation, CSM noted. // Related StoriesThe research provides valuable insights into how young users perceive generative AI. Around 70 percent of teens support enforcing privacy protections and transparency measures in AI services, while 73 percent want companies to clearly label or watermark AI-generated content.Researchers at CSM argue that teens are not merely passive observers in this rapidly evolving technological landscape. On the contrary, they actively navigate the growing unreliability of online information and the profit-driven practices of tech corporations.

In brief: It's now possible to run a barebones version of Discord on legacy Microsoft operating systems including Windows 98 (and even Windows 95, if you're willing to jump through a few extra hoops). Discord Messenger, from developer iProgramInCpp, is a free Discord-compatible messaging client that works across nearly three decades of Windows versions. It is officially supported back to Windows 2000 although as the dev recently highlighted on X, it technically works on even older versions as well. Its motto: It's time to ditch MSN and Yahoo.There are a few caveats to note before jumping in. For starters, using a third-party client like Discord Messenger goes against the company's terms of service. As such, they would be well within their right to disable accounts for using the program. The odds of that happening are probably low, but the risk is real and something to keep in mind.Discord running on Windows XPWhile much of Discord's core functionality is already present in the client, several other key features are still missing. Unimplemented (but planned) features includes dark mode, changing your nickname, muting channels, supporting user notes, assigning a custom status, and entering voice channels.As of now, there are no plans for other basic functions like sending friend requests, creating DM channels, and logging in using QR codes. The dev also has no plans to allow users to enter servers, as doing so would likely trigger Discord's anti-spam system and result in an automatic ban. // Related StoriesThose willing to accept the risks and limitations can grab all of the necessary files and installation instructions over on GitHub. There is also a Discord server about the client where you can chat with like-minded enthusiasts.For many, I suspect this will be less about practicality and more about tinkering with something that was never intended to run on such an old platform. It is simply neat that someone invested the time and effort into such a project, just because they were curious.

Forbes reports that hackers are targeting Microsoft advertiser accounts in an attempt to steal login information and access the advertising platform. Malwarebytes researchers discovered how hackers use malicious ads appearing on Google Search to get sensitive data.The cybersecurity company discovered that sponsored ads contained malicious links despite Googles security measures. Malwarebytes contacted Google for a statement and received a response stating, We expressly prohibit ads that aim to deceive people, and we suspend advertisers accounts if they are found to engage in this practice, as we have done here. Recommended VideosHow do hackers try to steal passwords from Microsoft users? They use tricks to hide malicious traffic from bots, security scanners, and crawlers. If you use a VPN, you are taken to a white page with fake marketing, while authentic users are directed to a cloaking page with a Are you human? verification check. After that, you see a fake Microsoft ads platform login page, which is a malicious domain. The page shows a phony error message, alluring you to change your password. It also tries to bypass any two-factor authentication protections, as Jrme Segura, senior director of research at Malwarebytes, warns. Segura gave some beneficial tips so users can stay safe:Always double-check the website before entering your login information.Use 2FA wisely and always verify requests before granting access.Review your advertising accounts for suspicious activity and any unauthorized changes.If you see any suspicious ads, report them to benefit others.Google is aware of these malicious ad campaigns and continues to take action against them. It reviews associated accounts and malicious ads and takes appropriate measures based on its policies. The news reminds us that having a strong password is important, and using one of the best password managers is a great idea.Editors Recommendations

Its hard to put a price on a solid pair of noise-canceling headphones, but the truth of the matter is that not every household can afford to splurge on a premium set of cans. Fortunately, top brands like Sony are always offering great deals on some of its best audio devices, and as luck would have it, a classic pair of Sony ANC headphones is on sale right now!For a limited time, youll be able to grab the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise-canceling Headphones (in black) at Walmart for only $228. At full price, these headphones usually cost $350. We tested the Sony XM4 a few years ago, and reviewer Simon Cohen shared the following praise: Same price, even better features. Sonys WH-1000XM4 are what perfect looks like.Hailed as a tried and true set of ANC cans in the greater world of wearable audio, theres a reason the XM4 headphones are still available brand-new, regardless of the fact that the XM5 successor has been out for going on three years and the XM6 is rumored to drop by this summer. The Sony XM4 delivers terrific sound quality with bold and thumping low-end performance. Treble and midrange frequencies get enough attention, too, though youll be able to use the Sony Sound Connect app to fine-tune the mix to your liking. You can also use the app to customize certain controls, adjust the auto-off timer, and to download firmware updates.RelatedAs for noise canceling, its hard to beat the ANC capabilities the XM4 brings to the table. Say bon voyage to annoying plane, train, and bus engines, HVAC droning, workplace chatter, and other distractions. The XM4 is great for taking phone calls, too, though we recommend doing so in a quieter environment, as the onboard mic doesnt do the greatest job in louder spaces.Other noteworthy features include Bluetooth Multipoint, Sony LDAC support, and up to 30 hours of battery life with ANC enabled. We wish the Sony XM4 would stay this price forever, but theres a lot of up and down in cost over the last several weeks. That being said, today might be your best shot at scoring this discount. Take $120 off the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise-canceling Headphones when you purchase today.We also recommend taking a look at our lists of the best headphone deals, best Walmart deals, and best Bose headphone dealsfor even more sales offers on top tech!Editors Recommendations