More TitansThe next Godzilla x Kong movie recruits Unbroken's Jack O'Connell, who's joining newcomer Kaitlyn Dever and kaiju dentist Dan StevensTitans will be back in roughly two years.Image credit: Netflix News by Fran Ruiz Contributor Published on Feb. 20, 2025 Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire managed to replicate Godzilla vs. Kong's success last year with a $571 million haul on a well-adjusted $135 million budget. It also convinced most moviegoers, who expressed direct opposition to the critical reception. Needless to say, a new huge movie was fast-tracked at Legendary and Warner Bros. shortly after its release. Now, it's already assembling an all-star cast.Grant Sputore (I Am Mother) boarded the project on June, and word is that this new installment will put some of the spotlight back on the humans, which hasn't worked out too well in the past. However, with Toho's Godzilla Minus One crushing it in 2023 and into 2024 as well as the Apple TV+ MonsterVerse series Monarch landing a critical hit by putting human drama front and center, maybe audiences are ready for a bit more meat on those characters' bones. Honestly, it'll all come down to Dave Callaham's (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) script.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Via Deadline, Jack O'Connell (Unbroken, Lady Chatterley's Lover) has been revealed as the latest addition to a cast which had already nabbed Kaitlyn Dever (The Last of Us season 2) as one of the leads and Godzilla x Kong vet (both veteran and veterinarian) Dan Stevens, who joined the previous installment to reunite with director Adam Wingard and co-writer Simon Barrett following The Guest (2014); he seems to be happy enough with the role and paycheck to stick around for more.Plot details are being kept hidden away deep in the Hollow Earth, but (spoilers ahead for Godzilla x Kong) chances are we'll reunite with Kong lording (finally as a King) over members of his species and with newfound kaiju allies. Meanwhile, Godzilla should still be keeping threats at bay on the surface... and destroying countless towns and cities in the process. Warner and Legendary have described the threequel as an 'event film' in the vein of the GvK and GxK, so expect yet another big crossover rumble.We'll be learning more about the cast in the coming weeks and months (we doubt Stevens will be the only returning face), as the movie is targeting a 2025 production start despite its faraway March 26, 2027, release date. Like them or not, Legendary appears to be putting proper care into these.

Make your mark in archviz: Find your niche, build a standout portfolio, and position yourself for success with these practical tips, which will get you one step closer to your dream job.When it comes to making a name for yourself in archviz, persistence is key. It can feel overwhelming at times, and it may take a lot of time and effort, but in the end, having your work seen and appreciated for your unique style and artistic skill pays off. This article will help navigate you in the right direction when you are just starting out building your brand and give you some helpful tips to inspire and encourage you in your creative journey toward a successful career in archviz.Starting out in archvizArchviz is a field full of opportunities. As competition for studio internships and job positions rises, you may wonder where to begin. The good news is that it is all up to you! Ask yourself what type of projects you would like to work on and what gets your creative juices flowing, and start building a portfolio of projects that reflect your design interests and style. After all, once you land that dream job, you may not have as much time for personal projects, so embrace the creative freedom, experiment freely, and be bold.Its normal not to have any ideas at first, but make a habit of immersing yourself in other artists' work and being more observant. Inspiration might not come from a Pinterest post, but perhaps noticing a detail, such as the way the light bounces off a building on your morning commute. Or you may be on vacation laying outside your campervan, looking up at the starry sky, and suddenly realize how cool it would be to travel in space with a houseboat. And just like that, a floating thought fuels your next project. Speaking of campervans, Jake Denham, 3D Artist and Video Producer at Chaos, kickstarted his archviz journey by modeling campervans. Get inspired by his story in the From Zero to Hero recap video below.Finding your nicheTake a moment to think about what truly excites you about archviz. Is it using great interior design rendering software to create sleek interiors? Modeling rustic wooden cabins? Or maybe its creating archviz experiences through film. When you pursue what youre genuinely passionate about, it shows in your work, and thats what people connect with. Finding your niche may not always be the most obvious path and thats okay. Remember to be patient with yourself, and in time, you will find that area where your skills and passions collide. Once you establish what that is, you can start honing your skills.Formal education vs. self-learningTheres an ongoing debate in the 3D world on formal education versus self-learning. Some people prefer structured learning through online courses like Chaos Academy or a full-time program like the one offered by CG Spectrum, while others dive right in head-first by just experimenting and figuring out things as they go on their own. Both sides have valid benefits, but ultimately, it depends on your learning style. Are you more effective in a structured environment that has someone push you along who may provide deadlines, or do you learn better on your own? Being self-aware of this will definitely help you make the right choice in furthering your 3D skills in archviz.The power of mentorshipRegardless of your learning path, you should also consider the power of mentorship. Having someone with relevant archviz experience guide you, critique your work, and offer invaluable insights from their own journey, can make a huge difference in your professional growth. Having a mentor not only means that youll gain a deeper understanding of the technical aspects of archviz, but they will also help you develop a critical eye and learn to see your work through a different lenssomething you just cant get from a course or a textbook. Take the first step by joining Chaos Campus, our online community of CG creatives where you can connect with others who share your passion, find the mentorship you need, and grow in a supportive environment.Breaking into the industryWe've talked about finding your niche and honing your skills, but let's face it: When it comes to getting hired, it all boils down to your portfolio. Your portfolio is your chance to show potential clients what you are capable of. Here are some key things to keep in mind:Break away from the mold: Your projects need to reflect a distinctive and easily identifiable style that sets them apart from the competition. Experiment with various architectural rendering techniques to discover what resonates best with you.Seek inspiration outside of 3D: Broaden your horizons by looking for inspiration all around youin nature, the city, and disciplines like photography, fine art, music, and cinema.Master the technical: Be open to continuous learning to keep up with the latest archviz software and technologies, and practice regular constructive feedback in order to help you develop your technical skills.Build complete environments: Construct entire scenes before choosing angles. Leverage the freedom to explore and choose the best views just like a photographer navigating through the environment. Use tools like Chaos Vantage for quick animations to experiment with lighting scenarios. Since lighting is key to emotion, you can play around with powerful moods and discover appealing new shots. Check out these light rendering tips and try them with your next visualization.To dive deeper into how to build a portfolio that stands out, take a look at this article: Creating an impactful architecture portfolio with Bertrand Benoit.Networking for successEach social media platform offers different benefits, so spend some time evaluating the efforts needed to maintain a profile for each before creating an account. Instagrams strength is in sharing visual content, so go through your project portfolio and make sure you select your most captivating rendersboth stills and animations, for maximum exposure to studios that may be hiring. In contrast, LinkedIn is great for establishing contact directly with hiring managers, founders of archviz studios, as well as other artists who may be interested in collaborating on projects or are looking for career opportunities just like you. All it takes is a single message to get the conversation going and build meaningful connections that could lead to new opportunities.LinkedIn is the best place to find a job apart from studio websites. My current contract with RodeoFX began with a LinkedIn connection. Don't hesitate to connect with various artists at junior/mid/senior levels or even supervisors send them a message to introduce yourself in a few words, and attach your magnificent demo reel!Guillaume Hulot, 3D Artist Check out Guillaumes journey as a texturing artist, to discover how far a positive mindset and a proactive approach to learning and professional development can take you.Take your first step into archvizBreaking into the archviz industry and building your brand is a long and exciting journey. While it may seem overwhelming at times, remember that each artist had to start somewhere at one point. Finding your niche, honing your skills, refining your portfolio, and networking with the right people will put you on the right path toward success and help you secure a space for yourself in this competitive field. Stay inspired, embrace new challenges, and push your creative boundaries. The world of archviz is full of opportunitiesso go ahead and make your mark!Take your archviz to the next level.Try V-Ray Premium, free for 30 days.Get started

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube796kLast month, Playtonic gave us our first look at Yooka-Replaylee's Shovel Knight in all of his remastered glory, and today, the studio is putting the spotlight on another character to showcase its sweet new looks.The delightful dino Rextro is the focus of the latest trailer, with the new footage highlighting his revamped arcade platforming minigames.Those who played the original Yooka-Laylee will likely remember these minigames as a neat little homage to arcade gaming (punishing difficulty and all) but nothing to particularly distract the eye. The 'Replaylee' version, however, has had a complete overhaul.Rather than mirroring some classic titles, the 'Rextro Bytes Back' arcades will see you playing as the polygonal dinosaur himself. These platforming sequences appear to be all about solving puzzles, defeating enemies and making it from A to B in one piece by utilising Rextro's unique skillset and abilities including a somewhat disturbing extending neck.Completing Rextro's challenges will grant you medals, which can be exchanged for Pagies to keep the collectathon going so watch out, completionists.While the upcoming remaster hasn't been officially confirmed for Switch 2 just yet, Playtonic is heavily hinting at it. A pair of suspicious eyes bounced on top of a mysterious 'Nintendo' icon in an early trailer, and the official website tells us that the game will be playable on "PS5, Xbox Series consoles and Nintendo? (Ooh mysterious. Well have more on that as soon as poss!)" Call us suspicious if you want, but that sure sounds like a confirmation waiting to happen.The original Yooka-Laylee was a neat slice of throwback 3D platforming, even if the comparisons to Banjo-Kazooie ended up highlighting its pitfalls a little. The 2D sequel, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, however, is generally the more beloved of the two for its Donkey Kong Country-inspired gameplay. Title seemingly heading for Switch 2Yooka-Laylee returns to 'Nintendo platforms'Will you be picking up Yooka-Replaylee? What do you make of the revamped Rextro content? Let us know in the comments.Related GamesSee AlsoShare:01 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesToby Fox Shares Development Update On Deltarune Chapter 3 And 4"Still console testing"Hollow Knight: Silksong Briefly Vanishes From US Switch eShop, But It's Back NowUpdate: Restored after a few hoursSonic Racing: CrossWorlds Adds Characters From "SEGA Universes"Update: IGN has an exclusive preview upSwitch 2 Units Are Reportedly Selling For $40,000 On The Chinese Black MarketOr $50 trade-in at GameStopHands On: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition - A Decade On, Mira's Still Got ItA Skell of a good time

U.K. healthcare giant HCRG Care Group has confirmed its investigating a cybersecurity incident after a ransomware gang claimed to have breached the companys systems to steal troves of sensitive data.HCRG Care Group is one of the largest independent providers of community health and care services in the United Kingdom. The organization, previously known as Virgin Care and now owned by Twenty20 Capita, partners with National Health Service trusts and local authorities around the U.K. to deliver healthcare services, including urgent care, sexual health, and adult and child social care services.HCRG was this week listed on the dark web leak site of the prolific Medusa ransomware group, which claims to have compromised the company to steal more than two terabytes of data.Samples of the allegedly stolen data shared by Medusa and seen by TechCrunch appear to include employees personal information, sensitive medical records, financial records, and government identification documents, such as passports and birth certificates.HCRG spokesperson Alison Klabacher told TechCrunch in an emailed statement that the company is currently investigating an IT security incident and has recently identified a post on the dark web by a group claiming responsibility.The company declined to say what types of data were accessed but did not dispute Medusas claims. HCRG also declined to say how many individuals are affected. According to the companys website, HCRG has more than 5,000 employees and delivers healthcare services to half a million patients across the United Kingdom.Our team has not observed any suspicious activity since the implementation of immediate containment measures, and we are working with external forensic specialists to investigate the incident, the spokesperson said.HCRG said it informed the U.K.s Information Commissioners Office and other regulators about the breach.Our services are continuing to operate and safely see patients, and those with appointments or who need to access our services should continue to do so, the company said.The Medusa ransomware group is threatening to publish the allegedly stolen data unless HCRG pays the gang a ransom demand of $2 million.HCRG wouldnt confirm how it was compromised, but Medusa is known to exploit unpatched vulnerabilities in remote desktop software.Topics

Three founders who built out one of the bigger startups in risk management are scaling a new company to take on another pain point in the world of work.SmartSuites platform lets teams collaborate on projects, build automations around that work, and search and access work across larger libraries of data spanning a disparate number of apps.The company says its seen 300% growth in the last year as it quietly racked up 50,000 users from 5,000 businesses, including Apple Bank, Credit One Bank, UCLA, Georgetown University, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Sunday Riley, Lyneer Staffing Solutions, Datawatch, and UC Berkeley. Now, on the back of that growth, SmartSuite is announcing $38 million in funding to expand.SmartSuite is announcing the $38 million figure for the first time today, but that capital was invested over a few tranches.Most recently, the startup raised a $13 million Series A round led by Canapi Ventures, with Sorenson Capital and High Alpha participating. Before that, SmartSuites founders husband-wife duo Jon and Tara Darbyshire, along with Peter Novosel bootstrapped the company with their own money, investing $11 million pre-launch in 2022, and $14 million after that.The Derbyshires previous rodeo was Archer Technologies, a risk management platform that they sold to EMC (now Dell) for $200 million in 2010. Later, Archer was spun out as part of RSA, and finally acquired by Cinven in 2023, in a deal reportedly worth more than $2 billion. Novosel, the third co-founder and CTO of SmartSuite, joined Archer halfway through its life as a startup, and then stayed on for several years with EMC/Dell after the acquisition.The Derbyshires actually took an early retirement after they sold Archer and moved to Newport Beach, California, from Overland Park, Kansas (where Archer was founded), but they discovered they still had a startup itch to scratch. So they linked up with Novosel and dove back into the world of work to found SmartSuite.Beyond the money to substantially bootstrap a new business, starting and selling Archer helped the trio in two key ways: They picked up a strong list of enterprise contacts, and they had an idea for a product those enterprises needed.As Jon Darbyshire, the CEO of SmartSuite, explains it, in the course of building and operating Archers risk platform, he and his team got an insight into the shortcomings of software and cloud services, and how they worked together.Tools to manage how people work across apps have been around for a while, but Darbyshire found that end users often took a fragmented approach to using them.Customers have [for example] different tools for sales, marketing, HR, and operations. And then they were using products like Zapier to build integrations between these tools, he said. It was just a constant headache, having to put all the data from your business in one core location.SmartSuite brings three software use cases together, he said. Think of the traditional project management tools like Monday or Asana. Those are very good for projects and tasks, but not everything in a business is a task, he said, citing CRM, which may not be task or project-based work. Other tools like Slack aim to bring together peoples discussions around work with the work they do, but such tools leave a lot to be desired: A chat-led app can be extremely noisy and make it hard to follow threads of conversation.The second piece is more process management, tools like ServiceNow. And then the third category is document management. Think of Notion, Google Docs, or Microsoft Loop. So we bring those three core capabilities together into one platform.SmartSuite aims to be a platform where a person or team would be able to manage any process.To onboard customers more easily, SmartSuite has built some 200 different templates for common workflows. The startup says it supports integrations with about 5,000 applications that bring in a lot of the would-be competitive alternatives, such as Slack, Microsoft, Google, HubSpot, Salesforce, Jira, Make and Zapier. The aim here is to enable more overarching application access while letting employees use existing solutions if they choose to.The fact that SmartSuite can be used alongside the very tools its aiming to replace could be one argument against adopting it: Why add yet more software if you dont absolutely need to? The answer might lie in which kind of headache an IT or compliance team chooses to face down the road.Walker Forehand, president and general partner of Canapi Ventures, highlighted the platforms ability to remove complexity from inherently complex processes such as Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), for enterprises and financial institutions. SmartSuite already counts a number of banks among its customers. Canapi is a fintech specialist with more than 70 banks supporting it through the Canapi Alliance, so its a fair bet that financial services businesses are among the companies looking to simplify observability around how all that software works together.Darbyshire said that customers have been using SmartSuite in different ways. Some run all of their software and work through it, while others manage specific work loads for example cybersecurity, risk and compliance, or recruiting and staffing. SmartSuite uses AWS as its cloud provider as a closed-loop system for all documents and other work run on its platform.Some of the new funding will be used for recruitment. Interestingly, all of the startups traction to date has been achieved without a single marketing hire. All the growth has been viral, mostly through YouTube video content created by our partners, he said, adding that there are about 600 videos covering different integrations and uses. The startup is now hiring a more formal marketing team.

Breakdown & ShowreelsSkeleton Crew: VFX Breakdown by DNEGBy Vincent Frei - 20/02/2025 Step into the Star Wars universe with the VFX crafted by DNEG in Skeleton Crew. Over three episodes, their team crafted expansive CG environments, breathed life into otherworldly creatures, and engineered a heart-stopping spacecraft landing!WANT TO KNOW MORE?DNEG: Dedicated page about Skeleton Crew on DNEG website. Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2025

Tarragona Cruise Terminal | Simn GarcaLocated at the Muelle de Baleares in Tarragona, the Tarragona Cruise Terminal by Hombre de Piedra Arquitectos reimagines port infrastructure through the lens of modular industrialized architecture. Completed in 2024, the terminal is a critical response to the evolving needs of cruise tourism, offering flexibility, sustainability, and rapid execution through off-site prefabrication.Tarragona Cruise Terminal Technical InformationArchitects1-10: Hombre de Piedra ArquitectosLocation: Muelle de Baleares, Tarragona, SpainArea: 2,851m2 | 30,600 Sq. Ft.Completion Year: 2024Photographs: Simn GarcaThe proposed geometry represents a victory of the organic underwater world over the hardness of concrete in the ports. Hombre de Piedra ArquitectosTarragona Cruise Terminal PhotographsSatellite View | Simn GarcaAerial View | Simn GarcaTarragona Cruise Terminal | Simn GarcaStreet View | Simn GarcaStreet View | Simn GarcaEntrance | Simn Garca Simn GarcaInterior | Simn GarcaInterior | Simn GarcaTarragona Cruise Terminal Design Concept Unlike conventional terminals that prioritize rigid symmetry and rectilinear forms, this project embraces a non-orthogonal geometry inspired by organic marine structures. The irregular pentagonal grid enhances passenger movement and introduces a striking architectural identity that challenges the traditional perception of maritime infrastructure. The Tarragona Cruise Terminals non-orthogonal geometric approach is more than a formal gestureit is a strategic response to passenger circulation. The architects propose that eliminating right angles reduces congestion and improves flow efficiency, a claim that aligns with contemporary research on spatial dynamics in high-traffic environments.Hombre de Piedra Arquitectos explicitly ties the design to an underwater aesthetic, framing the architecture as a counterpoint to the stark infrastructural nature of the port. The pentagonal grid references marine motifs, subtly echoing Roman mosaics and Gauds trencads technique. Materiality and Construction LogicA key project innovation is its off-site modular construction, which significantly reduces on-site labor time and minimizes environmental impact. The structure was primarily manufactured in Almera before being assembled in Tarragona, an approach that enhances quality control and minimizes material waste. The material palette balances durability with energy efficiency and environmental responsibility:Louvered aluminum faade (Gradhermetic): Controls solar exposure while reinforcing the projects maritime aesthetic.Concrete flooring (Molins, Concretes & Aggregates): Provides resilience against heavy foot traffic.Acoustic ceilings and partitions (Knauf): Enhances interior sound control, a critical factor in high-occupancy transit spaces.Exterior carpentry (Technal): Ensures durability against coastal weather conditions.Light, Atmosphere, and the User ExperienceOne of the terminals most striking features is its use of natural light to create an immersive spatial experience. Large skylights resembling mollusks punctuate the ceiling, filtering daylight into the interior and reinforcing the projects marine narrative. This approach softens the typically utilitarian nature of transit hubs, transforming the waiting experience into one that is more contemplative and dynamic.The exposed metal framework evokes historic Catalan markets, adding a level of structural honesty to the space. This choice aligns with port architectures industrial nature while acknowledging regional precedents. The interplay of light, structure, and form in this terminal is undeniably compelling, yet its success ultimately depends on how passengers perceive and navigate the space. Sustainability, Economy, and Broader Urban ImplicationsThe Tarragona Cruise Terminal boasts significant environmental efficiencies:55% reduction in waste60% reduction in CO2 emissions80% reduction in water consumptionA energy ratingTarragona Cruise Terminal PlansFloor Plan | Hombre de Piedra ArquitectosSections | Hombre de Piedra ArquitectosElevations | Hombre de Piedra ArquitectosTarragona Cruise Terminal Image GalleryAbout Hombre de Piedra ArquitectosHombre de Piedra Arquitectos is a Spanish architectural firm known for its innovative approach to industrialized and modular construction, emphasizing sustainability, efficiency, and contextual sensitivity. Their designs often integrate advanced prefabrication techniques with strong conceptual narratives, balancing functionality with architectural expression. The firms work reflects a commitment to reinterpreting traditional architectural principles through contemporary methodologies, as seen in projects like the Tarragona Cruise Terminal, where modular construction meets organic spatial design.Credits and Additional NotesClient: Tarragona Cruise Terminal, Global Port Holding, Port of TarragonaConstruction Company: SeromModular Construction: NevoStructural Engineering: CQD IngenieraMEP Engineering: JG IngenierosDesign Team: Hombre de Piedra ArquitectosFacade System: GradhermeticFlooring: Molins, Concretes & AggregatesPartitions, Facades, Ceilings: KnaufExterior Carpentry: Technal

Places'Classifying Signs' by Harry LeesonClass, taste, and the impact of street signs and public lettering policy on our built environments.Better LettersFeb 20, 2025 5 min readThe Kindersley typeface is used for Kensington and Chelsea's street names. Photo: Alistair Hall.I am often contacted by design and communication students doing research into various facets of sign painting, ghost signs, and public lettering, and I love to see the work that they produce. I help in a variety of ways, including sharing articles I've written, and links to other writing of relevance to their work.One of the articles I've found myself recommending a lot over the years is 'Classifying Signs' by Harry Leeson, but it has never been available online since it was first published in The Recorder by Monotype in 2014. I finally got in touch with Leeson to ask if I could make the following digital copy available, and he kindly said 'yes'.Classifying SignsBy Harry LeesonPublic lettering has always been intriguing. Whether as a source of inspiration for designers and practitioners, a form of typographic archaeology, or simply as part of our everyday experience of the city, vernacular signage plays an enormous cultural role. In an early publication on the subject, entitled Signs in Action, James Sutton cast a critical eye over the public lettering of 1960s era London, with the aim of improving the field of signage design and the general typographical appearance of the city. He argued that while signage can offer wide opportunities for lively and original work, the field is rather neglected. It's a point that still holds true today.Other authors have been more concerned with nostalgia, and lettering's historic resonance. Stephen Banham's Characters: Cultural Stories Revealed Through Typography focuses on the city of Melbourne, and in particular the untold stories behind some of the city's much-loved historic signage, including some of its elaborate neon works.But aside from its vibrant design history, examining the subject raises questions about how public lettering affects our relationship with the surrounding environment, and more particularly the social cues it offers. So, what has class got to do with graphic design? The answer, it would appear, is quite a lot.Sociologist Pierre Bourdieu puts forward the theory that the key determining factor of social status lies in taste. He suggests that this isn't something we're born with, but something that's closely tied to our education and social origin, determining ideas of what is in good or bad taste. Bourdieu asserts that the distinctions in taste create barriers between classes in much the same way that the good and bad signage in London acts as a signifier for the different boroughs of London.How does a sociologist's ideas on taste and class relate to urban signage? It's evident in the stark contrast between the different London areas use of visual language, and the good and bad examples of typography from borough to borough. It's there in the conflict between the authoritative sans serifs of Hampstead, and the hastily pasted plastic signage of Southwark; the Goudy-style blackletter of Kensington and the informal mishmash of typographic styles on Peckham's shop fronts.Street signs from two of London's socially contrasting areas Kensington and Southwark offer a concise visual demonstration. Walking round parts of Kensington reveals a consistent use of serif typefaces, combined with carefully crafted execution and use of material. This ranges from personalised door numbering to the public signage that fills Kensington Gardens. The blackletter script Kensington uses for its signs potentially hand-lettered originally, and then repeated is paired with Kindersley for the street name. The use of blackletter suggests the borough's royal status, conveying heritage and prestige. It's in stark contrast to the signage found in the council estates of Southwark, which rely on laminated plastic plaques that demonstrate little or no consideration for their impact on the character of the area.Phil Baines and Catherine Dixon also hinted at the impact of public lettering in Signs: Lettering in the Environment, published in 2003, stating that:In addition to directing and instructing you in your way finding, public lettering can contribute to the way in which we identify, and to some degree, respond to the space and places we visit.This is also apparent in London's many and varied shop fronts, which play a key role in the typographic language of an area.The shopfronts of Peckham, in the London Borough of Southwark, reveal a riot of typographic styles and letterforms, with serif, slab serif, sans serif and imitation handwriting combining to reveal an absence of any formal typographic education. This education if we consider Bourdieu is one that is based on what is considered 'good taste' in design. In the middle-class environments of Kensington and Hampstead, shopfronts use more formality and refinement, with greater consideration for the relationships between type, colour, design and environment. One store on Dukes Lane uses an elegant serif font cast in metal against the shop's understated colour scheme. In harsh comparison with the shopfronts of less privileged areas, the language is minimal, and its placement and scale reveal a much more considered overall composition.Interestingly, it seems typographical consistency may owe something to strict local council guidelines. The Shopfront Design Guidelines Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea recognises the contribution of shopfronts, stating that they play a key part in establishing and defining the visual character of our high streets. The same guidelines make clear provisions for a consistent design style, advocating for uncluttered shopfronts, and avoidance of excessive signage or superfluous content.Hampstead also has its own version of design guidelines that govern what cannot be done to building exteriors. The guidelines include much advice about the appearance of shopfronts, which feature the avoidance of strident colours and internally illuminated box signs, as well as expressing concern about security shutters and grilles that are particularly unattractive. It's interesting to note that many of the features mentioned are commonly found in the visual language of shopfronts in London's more working-class environments.How do these restrictions relate to Bourdieu's own theories, and are they a rejection of what is considered bad taste? If so, what issues does this raise? Such concern about appearance demonstrated by two of London's most middle-class areas highlights an attempt to strike a visual distinction between themselves and other areas of London. In turn, this is a desire to express the distinction in class on the very surface of the city itself.Perhaps the real issue here is the lack of consistent design regulation across London's boroughs, regardless of their social status. Hampstead and Kensington's strict guidelines offer up a sharp contrast with other areas total lack of interest in typographic language. It makes for an even greater counterpoint when the number of design schools in these boroughs the London College of Communication in Southwark, Goldsmiths in Lewisham, the Sir John Cass Faculty of Art, Architecture and Design at London Metropolitan University in Tower Hamlets is taken into account. Do these schools need to provide a greater contribution to the visual language of their areas?Or perhaps, on a more basic level, what is required is a greater understanding of the impact that this seemingly overlooked aspect of visual culture has. An understanding that goes beyond the functional aspect of public lettering to recognise its social, political and cultural contributions.Thank you to Harry Leeson for giving permission to reproduce this article, which first appeared in Issue 1 of The Recorder from Monotype. And to Alistair Hall for his input into identifying the typefaces used on the Kensington and Chelsea street signs for a small edit to that paragraph.Further ReadingCharacters: Cultural Stories Revealed Through Typography by Stephen BanhamDistinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste (Originally La Distinction: Critique sociale du jugement) by Pierre BourdieuLift and Separate: Graphic Design and the Vernacular by the Herb Lubalin Study Center of Design & Typography'London Street Name Fonts' by Alistair HallLondon Street Signs by Alistair HallSigns in Action by James SuttonSigns: Lettering in the Environment by Phil Baines and Catherine Dixon

The digital landscape is entering a critical turning point, shaped by two game-changing technologies: generative AI (GenAI) and the imminent arrival of quantum computing. These technologies hold vast promise for innovation, but they also magnify the risks to privacy, data security, and trust. Organisations that want to thrive sustainably in this new era must adapt quickly, recognising that the traditional methods used to protect personal data will no longer suffice.Privacy has long been a legal obligation for organisations. Today, its much more than that. In fact, privacy has become a competitive differentiator organisations that handle customer data with integrity can build stronger relationships and earn more loyalty.Currently, around 75% of the global population is covered by modern privacy laws, which signals that privacy is increasingly seen as a universal right. However, despite these widespread legal frameworks, there are still significant gaps in how laws are executed across different regions and industries. Data breaches continue to escalate, misinformation is increasingly rampant, and consumers are becoming more sceptical about how their personal data is handled. The rise of GenAI has only intensified these challenges as machine-generated content blurs the lines between fact and fiction.Meanwhile, quantum computing looms on the horizon, introducing an entirely new set of challenges. By 2029, the computational power and availability of quantum systems is expected to make current encryption methods obsolete, putting sensitive data at unprecedented risk. For many organisations, the sheer cost of ensuring that this data remains secure could become unmanageable, potentially forcing them to purge vast quantities of personal data to prevent breaches.As the use of AI accelerates across industries, the quality of the data feeding these systems becomes even more crucial. However, too many organisations continue to focus primarily on protecting the confidentiality of data, while overlooking its integrity. This imbalance has led to a slew of problems, from poor decision-making to failed AI initiatives that fail to deliver meaningful outcomes.Gartner predicts that by 2028, organisations will invest as much in ensuring data integrity as they do in confidentiality. This is a major shift, and rightly so. For AI models to be effective, they need high-quality, trustworthy data to train on. If this data is flawed or unreliable, the resulting AI systems will be just as flawed and unreliable. Beyond AI, maintaining data integrity is critical for everything from regulatory compliance to safeguarding consumer trust in the organisations practices.In addition, data integrity plays a critical role in mitigating the risks posed by misinformation and AI-generated content. As GenAI continues to evolve, ensuring that data is accurate, traceable, and verifiable will become more important than ever. Without these measures, AI models risk becoming susceptible to manipulation, making them less effective and ultimately less trustworthy across industries.Read more on the intersection of AI and quantumQuantum computing development can benefit datacentres. Potential quantum computing uses include improving supply chains, financial modelling, and AI and machine learning optimisation.Microsoft unveiled Majorana 1, a quantum chip with eight qubits, aiming for a million. It focuses on scalability for breakthroughs in various fields despite current challenges.Middle East financial firms are investing heavily in quantum computing, with one of the worlds top quantum research centres in Abu Dhabi.The rise of quantum computing is not just a future concern; its a present reality that organisations must begin preparing for today. The concept of harvest now, decrypt later is already a reality, with malicious actors stockpiling encrypted data in anticipation of quantum breakthroughs that would render traditional encryption methods obsolete. This poses a grave risk to organisations, as sensitive information that is currently safe from hackers could one day be compromised by quantum systems.Governments around the world are already pushing for the development and adoption of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) encryption methods that are resistant to the computational power of quantum machines. But making the shift to PQC is no small feat. It requires a fundamental overhaul of existing cryptographic systems and infrastructure, a process that will take years to complete. For many organisations, the pressure is mounting to begin this transition as soon as possible to protect their sensitive data and remain ahead of the quantum curve.To navigate these challenges, organisations need to act decisively:Reassess Data Strategies: Move away from storing huge amounts of data to adopting data minimisation practices. Retaining only necessary information reduces risk and aligns with modern privacy regulations.Invest in Data Integrity: Apply robust measures to ensure data accuracy, provenance, and lineage. This is critical for AI applications and for maintaining consumer trust.Adopt Post-Quantum Cryptography: Begin developing crypto-agility and a migration to quantum-resistant encryption methods now to safeguard sensitive data before quantum computing becomes mainstream.Enhance Privacy Practices: Integrate privacy-by-design principles into every product and service, offering consumers granular control over their data.The intersection of GenAI and quantum computing represents a critical turning point for organisations. Failing to adapt to the evolving privacy and security landscape could lead to lost consumer trust, regulatory penalties, and competitive disadvantage. On the other hand, those who take proactive steps to protect data and embrace emerging technologies will not only minimise risks but also position themselves as leaders in the digital economy.Bart Willemsen is a VP analyst at Gartner, with a focus on privacy, ethics and digital society.

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNETThe world's thinnest book-style foldable, the Oppo Find N5, is finally here. I've had it for a week, and it has surprised me in more ways than one -- both positively and negatively.At 8.93mm thick when folded, it's closer to slab phones than any other foldable has ever been. But that slimness didn't come without compromises. Judging by the on-paper camera specifications, I expected it to be underwhelming, but it's better than other foldable phones in almost every regard.Also: The best phones to buy in 2025Here's what it's like to use the thinnest book-style foldable phone in the world -- from someone who has used the previous world's thinnest foldable phones.I love the new, refined design Prakhar Khanna/ZDNETThe Oppo Find N5 weighs 229 grams and measures 8.93mm in thickness, but what truly makes it feel like a slab phone is its flat sides.For the first time ever, I mistook a foldable phone for a slab phone when pulling it out of my pocket. Unlike Honor's curved sides, the Find N5's flat design eliminates the gap between the folded sides, making it feel close to seamless. Both phones are comfortable to hold, but I was pleasantly surprised by the Find N5's design. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 also has flat sides, but its odd cover screen aspect ratio keeps it from blending in with slab phones.For context, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is 8.25mm thick, and the Pixel 9 Pro is 8.5mm thick. The Oppo Find N5 is closer to slab phones than any other foldable.Alos:I used Huawei's $3,600 tri-foldable, and it made every phone I've ever tested feel outdatedUnfold it, and you're greeted with a 4.21mm-thin device that feels like a sheet of hard paper. It's not the thinnest foldable -- that title remains with the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate tri-fold phone at 3.66mm (which is fantastic) -- but Oppo's phone is the thinnest book-style foldable.The slim profile translates to a great real-life experience for reading and browsing. It's easy to unfold, the crease is as minimal as it gets, and the hinge is strong enough to inspire confidence. However, Samsung's hinge remains the most polished because it stays exactly at the angle I want. The Find N5's hinge snaps fully open after a certain degree, which takes some getting used to. Prakhar Khanna/ZDNETWhen I first unboxed the phone, I almost couldn't feel the crease with my finger. It was barely noticeable and the best I've seen on a foldable phone. After a week of use, it has become slightly deeper and can be felt when running a finger over it. A similar thing happened when I used the OnePlus Open, but it didn't worsen over time, so I wouldn't worry about it.The 8.2-inch inner display is great for reading. It seems less reflective than the cover screen, which enhances the reading and browsing experience. The front display is more reflective in direct light but offers more vivid colors. If your use cases involve productivity, browsing, and reading, you're going to love this LTPO AMOLED screen. It reaches 1,400 nits outdoors for legibility and up to 2,100 nits for supported HDR content, making for a more immersive viewing experience.Also:The best Android phones to buy in 2025The Oppo Find N5 is slightly taller than before and features a 6.62-inch cover screen with a peak brightness of 2,450 nits and 1,600 nits in high brightness mode. The 20.7:9 aspect ratio makes watching videos better, and you can use it in tent mode, half-unfolded, to avoid thick black bars on the bigger display.This is where the Huawei tri-fold is extremely helpful with its 16:11 aspect ratio on a 10.2-inch screen. Book-style foldables don't necessarily offer a better movie-watching experience than slab phones, but a tri-fold does. However, Oppo allows content to be watched on the cover screen in tent mode, which is a welcome addition.The best battery life on a foldable Prakhar Khanna/ZDNETThe Oppo Find N5 packs a 5,600mAh silicon-carbon battery with support for 80W wired charging and 50W wireless AIRVOOC charging. It might not seem big for a phone with an 8.2-inch display, but it's efficient and easily lasts a full day.Over the past week, my usage included social media (X, Instagram, and Threads), communication apps (WhatsApp, Slack, and Teams), browsing on Chrome, attending calls, and snapping photos. I consistently went to bed with at least 15% battery remaining.The Oppo Find N5 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, but it's different from the flagship Qualcomm processor found on the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the OnePlus 13. Instead of an 8-core CPU, it has a 7-core CPU, but Oppo promises similar performance and efficiency.Also:Why I'm recommending the standard Galaxy S25 over the Ultra this year - and don't regret itI haven't played recent demanding games on it yet. However, I noticed a few lags when trying to reply to an urgent email with GTA: San Andreas running in the background after 25 minutes of play. Oppo's Championship mode (accessible by swiping right from the left edge during gameplay) allows you to enter a game mode with better performance and no notifications for a more immersive gaming experience.The Oppo Find N5 runs ColorOS 15 based on Android 15, featuring numerous AI-powered tools. I like AI Unblur for improving blurry shots, and AI Eraser does a great job removing unwanted objects from photos. You also get Google's Circle to Search and Gemini, but please, write your own emails.A camera downgrade but still a good enough system Prakhar Khanna/ZDNETThe Oppo Find N5 sports a triple rear camera setup, led by a 50MP main sensor with optical image stabilization (OIS). It's a slight downgrade from the larger primary camera on the Find N3/OnePlus Open, but daylight performance remains solid.It is accompanied by a (smaller in size) 50MP periscope telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom, 6x in-sensor zoom, and OIS. You also get an 8MP ultrawide camera, which is a downgrade from the 48MP ultrawide on its predecessor.Also: The best foldable phones of 2025: Expert tested and reviewedIt's a weaker camera system overall, but would I trade it for a more capable camera setup in a thicker design? Maybe. I prefer having the best camera system available, and OnePlus delivered that with the Open -- it was the brand's best camera system yet, which is why this downgrade doesn't sit right with me. But there's a way to extract the most out of these three lenses. 1x, 3x and 6x photos captured on Oppo Find N5 Prakhar Khanna/ZDNETIn good lighting, you get vibrant, bright colors with Hasselblad tuning and excellent dynamic range. Both the primary and telephoto cameras deliver great daytime shots. Portrait quality is also good. In fact, the 6x in-sensor zoom is the best on a foldable. I've captured some very good looking photos.In low-light conditions, however, you start noticing the impact of smaller sensors. Night photos aren't as impressive. Here are some examples: Low-light portraits shot on Oppo Find N5 Prakhar Khanna/ZDNETThese photos were clicked in indoor yellow lighting at around 4 p.m., so it wasn't exactly dark. From my t-shirt to my face, the colors are off and the portrait mode didn't process well. The nighttime outdoor photos are slightly better but I believe most people click photos of their favorite fellow humans in indoor lighting, and this isn't the device for it.Also: I've used this foldable phone for more than a year - and it's not a Samsung or GoogleI've found the Master mode to help quite a bit with this while also giving me the freedom to capture RAW and play around with those photos in Lightroom. Even if you don't capture in RAW, shooting photos in Oppo's Master mode can help as it removes the Hasselblad processing and outputs non-processed results, which are sometimes better-looking.The camera system isn't the most impressive but when compared to its competitors, it still stacks up well against the likes of Samsung and Google foldables. However, the OnePlus Open was better in some regards. Oppo Find N5 and Galaxy Z Fold 6 crease Prakhar Khanna/ZDNETOverall, the Oppo Find N5 has excellent hardware and is the closest a foldable has gotten to a slab phone. It's unlikely to launch in the US, and OnePlus has confirmed there won't be an Open 2 this year. As for me, I love using it for its lightweight, comfortable form factor, excellent battery life, bright displays, and the Master mode in the camera app.Featured reviews