Do a (kick) flip!In what is quickly becoming one of the worst-kept secrets in the biz, a blurred image of what appears to be the key art for the as-yet-unannounced Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 remaster has leaked online (thanks for the heads up, Push Square).Shared to Twitter by reliable leaker @billbil_kun (who previously correctly called the Super Mario Bros. Wonder Switch OLED bundle, amongst other things), the art shows a skater in purple, assumed to be The Birdman, pulling off an areal trick over what appears to be a Pro Skater 3 + 4 logo.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Image: Level-5Note: This article previously incorrectly stated that Keiji Inafune designed Mega Man. We have corrected the error and apologise for the mistake.A brand new blog post from Level-5 has revealed some of the development woes its upcoming title Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time.Namely, the game's producer Keiji Inafune, who is perhaps best known as a character designer for the Mega Man series left the company in mid-2024. This also means that Level5 comcet, which was created after Level-5 acquired Inafune's studio Comcept, has also been shuttered, with all projects transferred over to Level-5's Osaka Office.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube797kWatch on YouTube Since Inafune's departure in 2024, Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino has now taken over as producer of the project, and has not been shy about sharing the difficulties of development in the blog post."...we had to reassess and restructure the project", Hino writes, "Meanwhile, internal test players had given the game harsh evaluations, making it clear that major revisions were necessary. In response, I decided to take on the role of producer, shifting the core development team from Osaka to our headquarters."Since coming under Hino's wing, the project has "evolved into a collective effort across our whole company", with teams from Fukuoka, Tokyo, and other locations pitching in. Hino says that this allowed Level-5 to expand the team and "focus on fine-tuning the game's quality right up until the very end."Images: Level-5Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time has been growing in size since its announcement in 2023, but it's also faced multiple delays. The game settled on a final release date earlier this year, and also confirmed the game was going multiplatform.Since its initial announcement, Fantasy Life i has added open-world elements and parkour-inspired action, a complete rehaul of the game's progression system and flow, and a refinement of the main story "to be even more emotionally impactful." Cross-Play, Cross-Save, and UI improvements have also been promised."Thanks to the solid foundation of the games core mechanics, these additions didnt just fit inthey enhanced what was already great about the game, making the experience significantly more enjoyable", Hino states in the post, confirming that the game is "finally nearing completion".You can read the full blog post, where Hino promises to share regular updates of game development progress, on the Level-5 website.Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time launches on Switch on 21st May 2025. Are you looking forward to the game? Are you surprised about Inafune's departure? Let us know in the comments. Sequel is finally launching later this yearIncluding English language support[source level5.co.jp]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:02 Alana has been with Nintendo Life since 2022, and while RPGs are her first love, Nintendo is a close second. She enjoys nothing more than overthinking battle strategies, characters, and stories. She also wishes she was a Sega air pirate. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Confirms Removal Of Switch Online SNES GameSuper Soccer will "no longer be available"Nintendo Highlights Four Brand New Games "Coming Soon" To SwitchMarch is going to be an exciting monthStunning New Physical Edition Of Stardew Valley Is Now Available At FangamerIncludes comic, poster, art cards, and more

Google announced Monday a series of changes to its widgets system on Android that will make it easier for app developers to reach their users. Widgets, which offer at-a-glance views of an apps most important information like the days weather or upcoming meetings on your calendar are a key aspect of Android home screen customization. However, Google admits developers needed a better way to have their widgets discovered.Widgets arent just decorative ways to make a home screen more visually interesting. A well built widget can increase a users engagement with an app and help keep it top of mind as the widget continually shares updates on their home screen.To address developers complaints over widget discovery, the company is preparing to roll out new features to Android phones, tablets, and foldable, as well as on Google Play. On the Play Store, Google is adding a new visual badge that will display on an apps detail page to let users know the app offers a widget. This feature could help to sell an app to a new user whos looking for an app with specific functionality and may opt to download an app with a widget over one without. Also on Google Play, users will now be able to directly search for apps offering widgets thanks to a dedicated search filter, driving more targeted downloads.Google is rolling out a curated Editorial Page to highlight great widgets. The page will educate users on the value of widgets and showcase apps that have well-designed widgets included with their app download. The page will also offer developers who take the time to build widgets the ability to access a wider audience, and potentially boost their app installs.

Fintech startup Ramp has crossed $700 million in annualized revenue as of January of this year, according to a source familiar with the companys internal operations.The company had crossed $100 million in annualized revenue before its third birthday in March 2022, passed $300 million by August 2023, and now effectively more than doubled that in less than 18 months.While Ramp has not formally released its revenue numbers, CEO and co-founder Eric Glymantold TechCrunch that Ramp now accounts for between 1-2% of the U.S. card market, impressive for such a young company but also a nice way of saying we have a lot of room to grow, Glyman added.The company, however, is not yet profitable by choice because it is reinvesting its money. When it wants profits, we could do so very quickly, Glyman said. Over half of every dollar we spend on payroll goes into R&D. Which means over half goes into our products and the people who build them. Thats very different from most software companies.Ramp has plenty of capital on hand to run in the red from operations. It raised a fresh $150 million in a Series D extension co-led by Khosla Ventures and Founders Fund last April.Interestingly, Glyman also says that AI is helping the company reduce its cash burn to less than $2 million a month.Every team at Ramp is using AI to augment the way they work and scale their output, from sales, to marketing, to product and engineering, Glyman says.For example, he said AI is helping sales development representatives to book more meetings. The company has built data signals and automations so that by the time the representatives do get on the phone, leads are pre-qualified, he described.Another example lies in Ramps recently producing a Super Bowl ad in 10 days from concept to completion.AI tools like Midjourney allowed us to test hundreds of different iterations with just 3 days before filming, Glyman told TechCrunch. That kind of speed would have been impossible before.On Monday, Ramp announced that it has nearly doubled its valuation to $13 billion after a $150 million secondary share sale. New and existing backers including VC Stripes, GIC, Avenir Growth, Thrive Capital, Khosla Ventures, General Catalyst, Lux Capital, 137 Ventures and Definition Capital bought the secondaries from employees and early investors.Its a massive bump in valuation for Ramp, which was valued at $7.65 billion last April when it raised the $150 million series D extension. With that raise, Ramp had secured $1.2 billion in equity financing and $700 million in committed debt funding since its 2019 inception.The startup crossed the 1,000 employee mark by the end of 2024, Glyman said up from 730 at the time of its raise last April.Want to reach out with a tip? Email me at maryann@techcrunch.com or send me a message on Signal at 408.204.3036. You can also send a note to the whole TechCrunch crew at tips@techcrunch.com. For more secure communications,click here to contact us, which includes SecureDrop (instructions here) and links to encrypted messaging apps.Fintech startup Ramp nearly doubles valuation to $13B in secondary share sale

Professional Houdini Workflow with Salah HusseinLearn how to create complex material simulations using a tried-and-tested production workflow. This step-by-step character FX workshop is taught by Salah Hussein, a senior FX and CFX artist with over 8 years of production experience. Salahs 4-hour workshop guides artists through his professional workflow using the Houdini Vellum Solver to simulate 3D materials.Using Salahs unique and innovative techniques, he breaks down the entire process to show how to take character assets and animations including multiple layers of cloth and different types of objects and convert them into proxy geometry that works efficiently for a simulation. He also details how to build a constraints network to help artists fine-tune and debug simulations quickly while also advising how to address fixes with professional tips and tricks. To conclude the workflow, Salah demonstrates how to keep all the essential point deforms and the original geometry with a clean export without changing or damaging any attributes or topology.By completing this workshop, artists will be confident in creating clothing assets for characters and understand how to make them dynamic using realistic cloth simulation in Houdini. Salahs helpful Alembic and Houdini (Indie) files are provided as a downloadable resource for subscribers.WATCH NOW

Houdini & Nuke Production Workflow with Jon PerezThis introduction to lighting and compositing by Jon Perez provides insight into a professional workflow used at studios for cinematic production. The goal is to provide the necessary knowledge to help artists improve the quality of their environments, assets, and animations using industry-trusted lighting and compositing techniques.After gathering and reviewing relevant references using PureRef, Jon walks through the setup of his production software. He then demonstrates how to develop the chosen scenes using Houdini before moving into the final compositing work in Nuke. Artists can follow Jons workflow to see and experience the strength of a professional pipeline and understand how to utilize Houdinis tools and extensive configuration possibilities, from Bundles and Operators to AOV settings. Jon also provides helpful Nuke tips and tricks for effective image treatment.This 4.5-hour workshop is oriented to those looking to specialize in lighting and compositing and develop their understanding of studio workflows; it provides the knowledge and tools needed to create work according to industry standards. Additionally, an environment is provided with the workshop to help artists develop their own lighting scenarios and create create successful portfolio pieces.This workshop utilizesCiro Cardosos Environment ArtandBig Medium Smalls asset Water Village collection.WATCH NOW

John Pitkin Norton (1822-1852) was a successful educator, chemist, and author, who at just 27-years-old, built this stately mansion on Hillhouse Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut, for his young family. John P. Norton studied chemistry underBenjamin SillimanatYale College, and was eventually appointed Professor of Agricultural Chemistry at Yale in 1846. He helped to found the Department of Philosophy and the Arts at Yale College and authored many scientific papers, dealing with the chemistry of crops. Coming from an established family and beginning a successful career himself, John hired New Haven-based architect, Henry Austin, to design this large, Italianate villa. The window surrounds, canopies, and flamboyant Moorish entryway are typical of Austin, with the general form and detailing taking cues from architect Alexander Jackson Davis work. The Norton Mansion was purchased by Yale University in 1923 and was long the home to theYale School of Managementand is now occupied by the Jackson School of Global Affairs.

Hybrid #7 (2024), porcelain, Paperclay, and glaze, 19 x 9.5 x 15 inches. All images courtesy of Shiyuan Xu, shared with permissionBiological Cells and Chinese Ceramic Traditions Coalesce in Shiyuan Xus Porcelain SculpturesMarch 3, 2025Kate MothesFrom seeds to the worlds smallest organisms, the inspiration for Shiyuan Xus porcelain sculptures (previously) originates in biology. Fascinated by the patterns, shapes, and structures of a wide variety of creatures, the artist creates intricate interpretations of cells, the essential building blocks of all life forms.Working meticulously with porcelain Paperclaya mix of clay and cellulose fibersand glaze, Xu sculpts webbed, amorphous forms that appear amoeba-like, as if expanding and contracting. She is deeply influenced by the work of Scottish mathematical biologist DArcy Thompson (18601948), whose seminal book On Growth and Form traces the scale and shapes of living things.Hybrid #9 (2024), porcelain, Paperclay, and glaze, 19 x 8.5 x 21.5 inchesA diagram of forces is how Thompson described the form of a specimen. For Xu, this dynamic evaluation shapes how she translates micro life forms into her work. It is about movement, time, and space, she says. It records the way they move and grow; the way they react to the surrounding environment by interacting, altering, evolving and adapting to generate infinite new forms.Xu views the history of porcelain as deeply intertwined with her own memories and identity, and she often employs a classic Chinese ceramic color palette in her pieces. The irregular structures and ombre colors reference the artists personal experiences. She says:Being an outsider in America for the past decade, my experience offers me a new perspective to reflect my own cultural heritage The repetitive and labor-intensive process serves as a therapeutic response to the challenges of my experience in navigating dual cultures. My pieces are in many ways like living organisms, a metaphor for the evolving nature of life itself, and my own journey and roots.If youre in London, you can see Xus work in a small exhibition dedicated to Chinese contemporary studio craft at the V&A, and her work will be included in a handful of forthcoming juried exhibitions in Portugal, Italy, and Missouri. Find more on her website.Blue Vein #15 (2024), colored porcelain, Paperclay, and glaze, 23 x 10 x 15 inchesDetail of Blue Vein #15Vena Celadon #5 (2025), porcelain, Paperclay, and glaze, 24 x 9 x 14.5 inchesDetail of Vena Celadon #5Hybrid #6 (2023), colored porcelain Paperclay, and glaze, 23 x 11 x 10.5 inches. Photo by Guy NicholHybrid #5 (2023), porcelain, Paperclay, and glaze, 20 x 11 x 17 inches. Photo by Guy NicholHybrid #8 (2024), porcelain, Paperclay, and glaze, 19.5 x 8.5 x 16.5 inchesNext article

Several smartwatches offer blood pressure monitor capabilities - but they require extra equipment. Here's how Huawei's wearable works.

Compact and durable, the NexTool E1 pocket tool combines 10 functions. I tested them all and found they stayed sharp even after extended use.