Hey Everyone,I made these VFX for a character in our Extraction MOBA, Seekers of Skyveil.https://www.artstation.com/artwork/lGLaYVI felt like the method I used to create the rolling rock shockwave mesh was quite efficient, so I wanted to share a little breakdown here for anyone who hoped to recreate the effect:I can also share the scripts we used in maya if anyone is interested.

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Key TakeawaysRenowned Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC has promised to invest $100 billion in the US over the next 4 years.This money will be used for the construction of 3 manufacturing units and 2 packaging units in Arizona.The announcement of this investment coincides with Trumps proposed plan to impose higher tariffs on imported chips.Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC has pledged to invest at least $100 billion over the next 4 years in chip manufacturing plants in the US. This money will be used for the construction of three new manufacturing and two packaging facilities across Arizona.This was announced in a news conference by President Donald Trump on Monday, where he was joined by TSMC chairman and CEO C. C. Wei.We are going to produce many AI chipsto support AI progress Dr. C. C. WeiTSMCs Collaboration with the USThis isnt the first time TSMC is investing in the US. The company had previously invested $65 billion in creating US-based fabrication plants, bringing its total investment in the US to $165 billion.TSMC also received a $6.6 billion grant from the CHIPS Act during Bidens tenure. This money was used to construct 3 fabrication plants in Arizona, one of which is already functional and churning out 4-nanometer chips.Note: The CHIPS Act was introduced by Joe Biden to boost domestic research and manufacturing of semiconductors.TSMC has a friendly history with the US, but the timing of this new investment is interesting nonetheless. Previously, Trump had expressed concerns over TSMCs dominance in the chip manufacturing industry and urged the company to expand its manufacturing base to the US. This coincides with the presidents recent announcement that he might impose higher tariffs on imported chips.While some experts have criticized the tariffs move, I believe it could be one of the reasons why TSMC decided upon such a massive investment in the US. Were essentially seeing the exact same thing here as we did when Apple announced a massive $500 billion investment plan for the US.Taiwans Stance on This DealWhile this collaboration is a huge win for both the US and TSMC, Taiwanese citizens are not very happy about it. Theyre concerned that a deal like this could undermine the islands security.However, the Taiwanese government has stepped in and assured the people that its most advanced semiconductor technology will not be passed to the US. They also added that this deal will have to go through extreme scrutiny first, where the interests of all the parties, especially the citizens, will be evaluated.Its important to note that although the government offices were aware of the deal, TSMC hasnt yet applied for the approval, which is usually required for such massive foreign investment.TSMC is the biggest chip company in Taiwan, making it important for the small islands economy and security. A lot of people are worried that sharing this technology will weaken their defense. However, on the flip side, Taiwans defense minister is convinced that the US would protect them.Theres a lot of confusion regarding how this deal will pan out, but its important to note that the US hasnt explicitly promised any security in exchange for this deal.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Amy Clark has extensive knowledge of the SaaS market. She started her journey managing and supporting the content at systeme.io before becoming a writer and then in-house managing editor for Techreport, where she manages the delivery and quality of the content, spanning reviews, comparisons, and buyer guides. When she's not advocating for animal rights, you'll find her lost in the world of video games. View all articles by Amy Clark Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

In context: Google was officially declared a monopoly in 2024. The Department of Justice under the Biden Administration was looking for a significant change of course in Google's business. Now, the company is courting Trump's DoJ in an attempt to get a different outcome. Google is trying to convince the Trump administration that breaking up the company could have chilling effects on US national security. Quoting unnamed sources familiar with the matter, Bloomberg said that Alphabet representatives met with government officials last week, asking for a more lenient approach to Google's alleged monopoly over online search and advertising.The Department of Justice's investigation into Google's business reached a significant milestone in August 2024, when a US judge decided that the company had broken antitrust laws with its search agreements. Biden's DoJ was looking to force Google to sell the Chrome browser and make other strategic changes to its online empire. Mountain View lamented the "unprecedented overreach" by the federal government.Google proposed changes to its search agreements with tech partners to limit the upcoming "remedies" the DoJ had in mind while also appealing the unfavorable ruling. With the Trump administration now in charge, Alphabet is looking to directly influence the DoJ while waiting for a new ruling from a federal judge next month.Google spokesman Peter Schottenfels told Bloomberg that the company routinely meets with regulators, including the DoJ. The current proposals for a business breakup would harm the American economy and national security. To this last assertion, Google is working with the US government to develop an AI technology that defends against cyberthreats.Mountain View's position aligns with recent statements from Trump, VP JD Vance, and other administration members against excessive government regulations. The White House lamented Europe's approach to tech monopolies and antitrust matters, stating that essential EU laws such as the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act are trying to turn US Big Tech into a source of revenue. // Related StoriesGoogle's antitrust case goes through its final phase in a few days. Interim Assistant Attorney General Omeed Assefi will share a new decision regarding Google's predicament later this week. It's a dice shoot whether the DoJ breaks up Alphabet, makes it sell Chrome, or cancels its investments in AI companies like Anthropic.

TL;DR: YouTube has announced a more affordable tier of its Premium subscription service for U.S. users. Dubbed Premium Lite, this new option offers an ad-free viewing experience for most videos while removing several features. Subscribers will lose access to background play, offline downloads, and ad-free music and music videos, but in exchange, they'll pay a lower monthly rate. Premium Lite members will be able to enjoy most videos on YouTube ad-free, with the exception of music and music videos. Lite also does away with downloads and background play. The biggest difference, of course, is in the price.A standard Premium subscription with all the bells and whistles commands $13.99 per month following a 17 percent price hike in the summer of 2023. Premium Lite, however, will set you back just $7.99 a month.While convenient in certain situations, features like background play and offline downloads don't appeal to everyone. If you simply want an ad-free experience while watching traditional YouTube videos without all the fluff, Premium Lite certainly fits the bill.At a time when subscription rate hikes are commonplace, it's refreshing when cheaper alternatives emerge. Again, perks can be nice to have at times, but some would argue that they've gotten a bit out of hand.Imagine if Amazon suddenly launched a new Prime tier that only offered shipping benefits but at a fraction of the cost of its current membership. How many people actually use everyone Amazon offers with Prime? If a new Prime tier with only delivery benefits launched, it'd no doubt be a hit.The new tier comes less than a month after YouTube revealed that TV screens have overtaken mobile as the primary device for viewing content in the US. Features like Premium that eliminate advertising from the equation only help to make the living room takeover more seamless and natural.YouTube Prime Lite is rolling out now in the US as a pilot and will be available to everyone in existing pilot countries Australia, Germany, and Thailand in the coming weeks. If you don't yet see it, keep checking back.

If youve been waiting for a great soundbar promo to land in your lap, allow us to be the first to tell you about this fantastic Samsung offer: For a limited time, when you purchase the Samsung HW-Q990D Dolby Atmos Soundbar directly through Samsung, youll pay $1,500. The full MSRP on this audio system is $2,000.Why you should buy the Samsung HW-Q990DFar more than an upgrade for your TV speakers, the Samsung HW-Q990D is the kind of soundbar that can virtualize an entire surround sound configuration. Thanks to Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support, the Q990D leverages up and side-firing speakers to fill your living room with floor-to-ceiling sound. And thanks to the wireless sub and rear speakers, youll get plenty of low-end and background effects, too.The Q990D features HDMI 2.1 connectivity and 4K passthrough at up to 120Hz. This means youll be able to hook up a PS5 or Xbox directly to the soundbar, and it will send audio and video data to your TV via HDMI eARC. The Q990D also has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi inputs, so youll be able to stream music from a phone or tablet through popular services like Spotify Connect and Apple AirPlay.RelatedWere not sure how long this sale is going to last, so if youre interested, your best bet is to buy ASAP. Take $500 off the Samsung HW-Q990D Dolby Atmos Soundbar when you purchase right now.Are you looking for even more discounts on top soundbars? Check out our roundups of the best soundbar deals, best Sonos deals, and best Bose deals for additional savings on top AV hardware! Editors Recommendations

When it comes to noteworthy TV brands, Sony has been one of the most popular companies on the market for several decades. Unfortunately, premium picture and sound quality often mean higher prices, especially when were talking about Sony. But that doesnt mean you wont find great sales on Sony screens now and then. As luck would have it, we came across this awesome promo earlier today:For a limited time, when you purchase the Sony 65-inch Bravia 9 4K QLED at Amazon, Best Buy, Sony, and a handful of other retailers, youll only end up paying $2,800. The full MSRP on this model is $3,000. We tested this TV back in August, and reviewer Caleb Denison said the Sony Bravia 9 [Is] the best combination of OLED and mini-LED TV picture quality weve seen yet.Mini-LED technology is the name of the game with the almighty Sony Bravia 9. The manufacturer claims this QLED has some of the smallest LEDs on the market, allowing the TV to dial in some of the most accurate local dimming weve ever seen on an LCD panel.RelatedNot only does this result in a nearly bloom-free picture when watching movies and shows in a dark room, but youll also be treated to astonishing SDR brightness levels, making the Bravia 9 an excellent choice for brightly lit rooms, too. And thanks to Sonys experience in film and TV production, the Bravia 9 delivers a wide color gamut, terrific color volume, and top-shelf HDR performance.Thanks to HDMI 2.1 connectivity on ports 3 and 4, along with VRR and ALLM support, the Bravia 9 is a great TV for gaming, especially if youre a PlayStation devotee. Expect lightning-fast response times and low input lag when using the TVs Game Mode.When it comes to streaming apps, casting, and smart home management, the built-in Google TV OS is your all-in-one entertainment hub and Internet-of-Things command center.Save $200 when you purchase the Sony 65-inch Bravia 9 4K QLED today, and be sure to take a look at our lists of the best Sony TV deals, best QLED TV deals, and best Amazon deals for even more discounts on top tech!Editors Recommendations

By John Bolton T.S. Eliot wouldnt have minded Robert D. Kaplans expropriating the title of his most famous poem for Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis. The decline of the West and the birth of modernism are among the poems themes; Mr. Kaplans book, on the unhappy and precarious state of the globe, is similarly pessimistic on many fronts. Grab a Copy Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis By Robert D. Kaplan Random House 224 pages We may earn a commission when you buy products through the links on our site. Buy Book Mr. Kaplan, a scholar at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and the author of many books on global affairs, makes three broad points. First, he analogizes the current world, all of it, to Germanys interwar Weimar Republic. He argues that, as Weimar was in permanent crisis, so the entire planet is now an interconnected system of states in which no one really rules. That has long been true, but the extraordinary density and rapidity of modern communications now create a closeness that people in earlier eras did not experience. And since complexity leads to fragility, as Mr. Kaplan says, instability and conflict are riskier and more pervasive than in bygone days when geography prevented local conflicts from becoming global.Second, Mr. Kaplan argues that America, China and Russia are all in decline, although at varying rates and for widely different reasons. The U.S. suffers from decay in the culture of public life, especially the media, Mr. Kaplan writes. As the media has become less serious, so have our leaders. He compares Dwight Eisenhower, general and war hero, to Donald Trump, whom the author calls the epitome of self-centered, emotional impulses.Drawing an analogy with the late Ottoman Empire, Mr. Kaplan thinks contemporary Russia is the sick man of Eurasia. But he stresses that Russias decline is on a different scale entirely and that its in a far more advanced state of rot than the U.S. Both America and Russia had their own disastrous wars of choice, in Iraq and Ukraine respectively, but Iraq was not nearly as important to American interests as Ukraine is to Russias. U.S. decline, he says, is subtle and qualitative, while Russias civilizational slide is fundamental and quantitative. TrackingChinasworsening political leadership, Mr. Kaplan contrasts the underrated record of Chinas Deng Xiaoping with that of his successor Xi Jinping, a Leninist ideologue who has returned China to a die-hard authoritarianism comparable to the totalitarianism of Mao Zedong.Copyright 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8