This month marked the start of Beach of Dreams, a festival with scale, heart, and purpose. Running until 1 June 2025, the month-long creative programme is transforming the UK's coastlines into a dynamic stage for climate action and cultural storytelling, all through the lens of art. Led by participatory arts organisation Kinetika, with support from Arts Council England and Historic England, Beach of Dreams has unfolded across the shores of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, activating over 90 events, eight major artist commissions, and a national touring artwork to reimagine our collective relationship with the coast. It's ambitious in scope but rooted in local stories. It celebrates heritage, calls for resilience, and provides a platform for communities to be seen, heard, and felt. A coastline in flux As sea levels rise and storm surges increase, the UK's 19,000 miles of coastline are facing unprecedented environmental pressures. But Beach of Dreams isn't just about drawing attention to what's at risk. It's about uncovering what we love, what we fear, and what we might create together in response. "Through Beach of Dreams, we are journeying from the Beach of Broken Dreams in Thurrock to shine a spotlight on the coastal gems, organisations, people, and projects across the UK that are creating positive change and inspiring hope," says Ali Pretty, artistic director of Beach of Dreams and founder of Kinetika. "In these uncertain times, Beach of Dreams emphasises the power of local communities to shape their own futures." The silks that started it all At the heart of the programme is The Beach of Dreams Silks, a national artwork made up of 838 naturally dyed silk pennants, each one carrying a personal story and Climate Commitment from participants around the country. Installed at key moments throughout the month, the silks will ripple across beaches from Fife to Felixstowe, forming a vast, mobile artwork infused with care, memory, and intention. Each pennant represents an individual's connection to the coast, often made in community workshops using foraged materials and natural dyes. As the silks tour, they become a kind of collective archive – one that is strikingly beautiful but also quietly urgent in its call for stewardship and solidarity. Eight commissions, infinite perspectives The silks may be the symbolic thread, but the festival's soul lies in its artist commissions, each developed in collaboration with communities and exploring a different question about our relationship to the sea. In Tilbury, the festival launched on 3 May with Threads for Tomorrow, a poignant commission by designer Rahemur Rahman. Working with local sewing groups, Rahman has transformed damaged silk pennants – torn during a 2023 storm – into richly embroidered panels using waste materials and naturally dyed threads. These panels will embellish carnival structures inspired by Bangladeshi sampans, merging cultural identity with ecological reinvention in a live performance led by choreographer Charlene Low. Further north, sound artist Jason Singh brings Cyd-Wrando (Listen Together) to Colwyn Bay, Wales. Here, community participants are invited to hear the subtle signals of the environment – from honeycomb worms to ancient yews – via a site-specific soundscape accessed through AR markers along the coastline. It's immersive, interactive, and deeply tuned into the dialogue between land and sea. In South Tyneside, The Power of Nature sees photographer Tessa Bunney and writer Stevie Ronnie exploring how underwater habitats like kelp forests and oyster reefs can stabilise our coasts and boost biodiversity. Developed with local groups through Stronger Shores, a DEFRA-funded resilience programme, the project includes an outdoor photography exhibition and original poetry created by the community. Over in Northern Ireland, Our Siren Song by Beat Carnival channels myth and music. From 13–17 May, a week of coastal walks, storytelling, carnival arts and music workshops will culminate in a spectacular procession through Millisle, featuring a four-metre-tall operatic siren, community choirs, and musicians singing out across the sea. Meanwhile, in Fife, artist Julie Brook crafts Tide Line – a 100-metre sculptural intervention made from local stones and built at low tide. Accompanied by walking journeys, creative workshops, and new choral work, the project draws attention to erosion, plastic pollution, and rising seas – making visible the invisible forces shaping our shorelines. Other commissions include Collecting Dreams, Shifting Futures in East Anglia, a story-gathering project supported by Historic England and taking place in Great Yarmouth, Harwich and Orford Ness, and The Beach of Dreams Village, a striking, sustainable installation in Great Yarmouth designed with Bamboology's Joseph Williams. Both offer joyful, participatory spaces for reflection, learning and celebration. A digital storytelling platform and an invitation to act While the physical artworks form the festival's public face, Beach of Dreams is just as alive online. A digital Stories platform serves as an evolving archive of community voices, creative processes, and climate reflections, offering behind-the-scenes access and amplifying regional perspectives. Importantly, anyone can participate, whether by joining a walk, submitting a workshop idea, or sharing a Climate Commitment on the Beach of Dreams website. These tangible pledges, like planting seagrass or reducing plastic use, add up to a national network of local action. Legacy and reflection Although the festival runs until 1 June, its legacy continues later in the year. In September, Beach of Dreams will culminate in a final performance – Sonnet of Samsara – in partnership with Activate Performing Arts as part of Inside Out Dorset. The piece will weave together movement, silk installations, and storytelling along Weymouth Beach, offering a moment of collective reflection. It will also mark the start of a new residency, bringing together artists, thinkers, and local voices to explore how the festival's's creative energy can seed longer-term change. With its mix of spectacle and sensitivity, Beach of Dreams is more than a festival. It's's a model for how art can hold space for complexity – beauty and vulnerability, tradition and change, grief and imagination – all while inviting us to walk, listen, make, and care a little more deeply for the places we so often take for granted.

Cases A New Best: Fractal Meshify 3 Case Review, Thermal Benchmarks, & NoiseMay 15, 2025Last Updated: 2025-05-15We analyze the Fractal Design Meshify 3’s design, specs, build quality, LEDs, and thermalsThe HighlightsThe Meshify 3 comes with 3 fans and focuses on looksAt its price category, there’s a lot of stiff competitionOverall, we like the caseOriginal MSRP: $140 to $220Release Date: May 2025Table of ContentsAutoTOC Our fully custom 3D Emblem Glasses celebrate our 15th Anniversary! We hand-assemble these on the East Coast in the US with a metal badge, strong adhesive, and high-quality pint glass. They pair excellently with our 3D 'Debug' Drink Coasters. Purchases keep us ad-free and directly support our consumer-focused reviews!IntroToday we’re reviewing the Fractal Meshify 3. It ranges from $140 to $220 depending on the level of “integrated atmospheric lighting” you want, but to be fair to Fractal, it does look good with the angular mesh front panel. The good news upfront with this review is that we actually like the case overall.Editor's note: This was originally published on May 15, 2025 as a video. This content has been adapted to written format for this article and is unchanged from the original publication.CreditsTest Lead, Host, WritingSteve BurkeTesting, WritingPatrick LathanCamera, Video EditingVitalii MakhnovetsCameraTim PhetdaraAndrew ColemanWriting, Web EditingJimmy ThangFractal's has added some interesting new features: an air guide in front of the PSU shroud that genuinely helps GPU thermals in our testing, excellent cable aligner clips, and a bizarre PSU filter that blends seamlessly into the side of the case.This case was going to launch months ago, but was quietly pulled from shelves by Fractal at the last minute because the PCIe slots were too tight. Multiple reviewers, including us, noticed that these PCIe slots were too tight for GPUs to slot properly, an issue we had recorded in our notes for the review and were about to film when Fractal sent an email that it was halting the launch. Fractal manually reworked this, meaning someone went through all the cases and shaved them down.Originally, Fractal would have launched just before the worst of the tariffs, but now is launching into a far more expensive import situation. Fractal says that, for now, its MSRP is unchanged.But we’re here to review the case. We have a 3-hour documentary about the tariffs’ impact.The case comes with 3 fans and clearly has a focus on looks with its lighting and front panel design, but also manages to make a number of mechanical choices that affect cooling.Let’s get into the Meshify 3 review.Meshify 3 Ambience Pro RGB OverviewThis is Fractal's third generation of Meshify cases, starting with the Meshify 3 and the larger Meshify 3 XL. We're reviewing the shallow front-to-back Meshify 3 today, which is the size equivalent of the first generation's Meshify C and the second generation's Meshify 2 Compact (watch our review). The Meshify C (watch our review) was $90 at launch in 2017, followed later by the Meshify 2 (watch our review) at $110.The Meshify 3 is launching from $140-$220 (depending on SKU). It’s not distant from Fractal’s Torrent case. We liked that case. It’s priced at around $190 to $230. The increased Meshify series cost goes towards new features.The flashiest new feature is the "integrated atmospheric lighting" in the top-tier Ambience Pro RGB SKU. Fractal also has committed to proprietary connectors for these cases, which we’re not thrilled about. Fractal additionally has a web tool for the new Adjust Pro fan and RGB hub.The cases are sold at $140 for 3x 140mm fans without LEDs, $160 for 3x 14mm RGB fans using proprietary connectors, and $220 for 3x RGB fans with a lighting control hub and additional case lighting around the front panel, shroud, and power button.Meshify 3 Ambience Pro RGB SpecsMeshify 3 TG3.5"/2.5" mountsUp to 2x HDD or 4x SSDDedicated 2.5" mounts2 (6 total)5.25" drive bays0Expansion slots7Motherboard compatibilityE-ATX (max 277 mm), ATX, mATX, Mini-ITXPower supply typeATXFront interface1x USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C 20Gbps2x USB 3.0 5Gbps1x Combined Mic/AudioTotal fan mounts6x 120 mm or 5x 140 mm + 1x 120mmFront fan mounts3x 120/140 mm (3x Momentum 140 mm PWM/RGB Included)Top fan mounts2x 120/140 mmRear fan mounts1x 120 mmSide fan mountsN/ABottom fan mountsN/ADust filtersPSUFront radiatorUp to 280/360 mm (max 155 mm width)Top radiatorUp to 280/240 mm (max 148 mm width)Rear radiator120 mm (max 128 mm width)Bottom radiatorN/APSU max length180 mmGPU max length349 mmGPU max height176 mm (7 slot) including cablesCPU cooler max height173 mmCable routing space34.5 mmCable coverYesCable organizers3x Cable Aligners, 3x Internal Straps, 3x Rear External StrapsCaptive thumbscrewsTop Rad. Bracket, PSU BracketTool-less push-to-lockSide Panels, Bottom Filter, Front Panel, Top Panel, PSU BracketCase MaterialSteelLeft side panelTempered GlassRight side panelIndustrial SteelCase dimensions (LxWxH)423 x 229 x 507 mmCase dimensions w/o feet/protrusions/screws423 x 229 x 483 mmNet weight8.0 kgPackage dimensions (LxWxH)596 x 350 x 550 mmGross weight10.3 kgSpecs copied from manufacturer materials, please read review for our own measurements and opinionsThe BuildLet’s get into the build quality and features.Some of the exterior is similar to the Torrent, especially the way the top panel slides off. Unlike the Torrent, the top panel is mesh in the Meshify 3, although only the central portion is actually open due to the thick plastic frame underneath. The front panel pops off from the bottom like the North cases, and the top edge (in the Ambience Pro RGB) has pogo pins to connect the ambient front panel lighting.There are three plastic "cable aligners" that can be snapped over the main cable channel. We found them to be well-placed and surprisingly sturdy even with large bundles of power supply cables wedged behind them. Our only complaint is that they're keyed for no discernible reason other than preventing users from flipping the Fractal logo upside-down. The cable management space behind the motherboard is a uniform depth at just over 3cm across the entire case. There's a massive cutout above the motherboard that runs its entire length, although the cutout at the bottom is undersized and difficult to use when an ATX board is installed. Overall, cable management is above average thanks to the cable aligners and the amount of space, with some velcro straps on the back for exterior cable management. The PSU shroud terminates in a plastic "air guide" angled up towards the GPU. It reminds us a little of the NZXT toilet bowl fan from the 2022 H5 Flow (watch our review), but more so the extremely similar "PSU optional cover plate" from Corsair's old 5000D Airflow (watch our review). The 5000D Airflow's single intake fan wasn't positioned to make that part matter, though, whereas the Meshify 3's intake-heavy configuration will actually benefit.The only discrete dust filter in the case is for the PSU. It ejects from the side, which is always a plus for ease of removal, but it's also built into the leg of the case so that there's no externally visible handle. This is completely unnecessary, but it's one of those small features that shows the care that was put into the case's appearance and great attention to detail.Drives can be mounted to a set of adjustable brackets behind the motherboard tray; Fractal has provided a complicated compatibility matrix, but basically, you can either fit up to 2x 3.5" drives or 4x 2.5" drives. An additional 2x 2.5" drives can be attached directly to the floor of the case underneath the air guide, but if you use those slots, you may want to leave the air guide out to make cables accessible.The front of the case can fit either 3x 120mm fans or 3x 140mm fans. The rails rotate to switch between the two sizes and there are cutouts at specific heights for each individual fan, which means the rails don't obstruct the fans at all, but also there's little freedom to reposition fans or mix and match different sizes. All Meshify 3 SKUs ship with three front fans preinstalled, so this is less of an issue than it would be on a bare chassis. When fans are installed on the rails, the fans and rails can be removed as a single unit by undoing two screws, which is awesome.The removable top bracket is extremely easy to work with and fits radiators up to 280mm with plenty of room. Simultaneously installing a 360mm radiator at the front of the case would technically be possible using standard 30mm thick rads, but without much room left for fittings, fans, or thicker radiators, so we don't recommend it. Fractal notes that the front mount is compatible with 360mm (3x120) radiators of up to 420mm total length with the air guide or 445mm without it. Critically though, this does not mean support for 420mm (3x140) radiators.If any radiators are installed at the front of the case, the cable bar has to be shifted back, which makes it harder to route power cables. In addition, maximum GPU length in the Meshify 3 is already only 349mm, and installing a front radiator directly eats that clearance. We recommend relying on the top radiator slot or moving up to the Meshify 3 XL if you really need space for liquid cooling and especially for longer cards.Along the same lines, Fractal claims compatibility with so-called E-ATX boards up to 277mm wide, but that describes the maximum size that can be installed without completely blocking cable cutouts. Realistically, if you want to install anything even slightly larger than ATX, you should be looking at the Meshify 3 XL instead. Even with a normal ATX board, we shifted the cable bar all the way forward to leave space for the 24-pin power cable.As a finer detail point, we’re happy to see that Fractal has finally compromised by adding screw holes to the plastic tabs on the side panels. If you want to add some extra security while moving your case, you can put screws through the tabs to lock them down.The fans and LEDs are complicated and confusing, so that’ll require a whole section -- but we’ll get into the thermal testing first.Meshify 3 Ambience Pro RGB Thermals Grab a GN15 Large Anti-Static Modmat to celebrate our 15th Anniversary and for a high-quality PC building work surface. The Modmat features useful PC building diagrams and is anti-static conductive. Purchases directly fund our work! (or consider a direct donation or a Patreon contribution!)Fractal's review guide claims that the RGB fans are quieter, lower CFM, but higher static pressure (at max speed) than the non-RGB versions of the same fans. Our thermal results with the stock fans are representative of the RGB case SKUs, though any major physical reasons for performance would still be reflected. The standardized fan test is representative of the Meshify 3 in general.For reasons we’ll explain in the fan control section, we had no way to skip the fan hub and connect the fans directly to the motherboard as we usually would for testing. We validated that the fans reached their rated max speed of 1,800RPM +/- 10% with a laser tachometer. However, the tach signal sent back by the Fractal Adjust Pro hub doesn't line up with standard 4-pole fan behavior: HWiNFO misreports 2295 RPM when the fans are really spinning at just over 1,800 RPM in reality. Fractal's software accounts for this and reports RPM accurately.As for comparison cases, we’ll mostly focus on the Antec C8 ARGB (read our review) and Antec Flux Pro (read our review) as close matches. The closest match in appearance and function may be Fractal's own Torrent Compact RGB. We haven't added the Torrent Compact back to our charts since our testing overhaul, but in our review, it performed similarly to the larger original Torrent. That is in our charts, so we can use that as a rough equivalent.We have plenty of other cases on the charts for your own comparisons. Let’s get into the data.CPU Full Load Thermals - Noise-NormalizedWe’ll start with noise-normalized thermals. We use our hemi-anechoic chamber that we spent $250,000 building for validating the noise levels, which allows us to heavily control the noise floor and get super accurate capture.This is the chart. The Fractal Meshify 3 dominates here, planting itself as the new chart leader and within error of the prior leaders. The Meshify 3's all-core average of 40 degrees Celsius over ambient and 44 degrees for the P-cores is significantly better than previous efforts from the Meshify 2 Compact (watch our review) at 48 degrees average and the Meshify C at 54. Those two cases shared a basic design. The Meshify 3 is more of a departure; Fractal has added an airflow guide to the bottom of the case, the stock fans are higher performance, and all three stock fans are installed in the front of the case. That's an arrangement that's worked well for CPU cooling in the North XL (read our review) and Torrent using our test bench, and evidently it works extremely well in the Meshify 3, which is now the coolest case on the chart. The Torrent was a little warmer than the Meshify 3 at 42 degrees above ambient, while the Meshify 3 is instead tied with the previous best results from the Lian Li Lancool 216 (watch our review) and Lancool 207 (read our review). The Antec Flux Pro is a case that Fractal is likely specifically targeting for competition and, like the Lian Li cases, it's within one degree of the Meshify 3. This test is a weak point for the Antec C8 ARGB, which averaged 50 degrees due to its bottom intake layout.GPU Full Load Thermals - Noise-NormalizedHere’s the chart for GPU thermals when noise-normalized.GPU cooling performance in the Meshify 3 was also strong. The equivalent cases from the previous Meshify generations didn't have particularly strong stock performance, with the Meshify 2 Compact averaging 52 degrees above ambient for the GPU and the Meshify C averaging 57. This is still noise-normalized, so it's not purely a matter of more powerful fans in the Meshify 3, which averaged 43 degrees for the GPU and 46 for the GPU memory. Judging by the performance of the North XL and the Torrent here, it seems possible that the Meshify 3's air guide actually does do something. The North XL and its conventional (although ventilated) full-length PSU shroud averaged 44-45 degrees for the GPU depending on the chosen side panel, while the Torrent with its top-mounted PSU and complete lack of a shroud at the bottom of the case averaged 40 degrees. The Meshify 3 with its shroud and air guide averaged 43 degrees, right in the middle. There are more variables at work here, though, so we need another test to know for sure.As for the other highlighted competitors, the Antec C8 ARGB averaged 42 degrees and the Flux Pro averaged 41. Technically they both beat the Meshify 3's 43 degree average, but they're all among the best performing results on this chart.GPU Full Load Thermals - Full SpeedAs part of our full speed testing, we ran a test pass with a cardboard box extension taped onto the end of the PSU shroud to bring it up flush with the front intake fans. This test is at full speed case fans and controlled CPU and GPU fans.Without this extension, the GPU in the Meshify 3 averaged 41 degrees above ambient versus 45 degrees with it. That's a significant increase with the extension, and it shows that it made sense to shorten the shroud and angle it up like a skate ramp. Adding the extension also raised noise levels from a baseline of 37.5 dBA to 38.7 dBA, which we can only really confidently state is a real difference because of our investments in the hemi-anechoic chamber and our test equipment. This is a real change. Although hardly a detectable difference to the human ear, it is a real one and some people might notice it. Fractal’s new shroud design is superior to a square-edge one both thermally and acoustically.Since we've already seen that the Meshify 3 outperforms its predecessors when noise-normalized, it's no surprise at all that it outperforms them when its 1,800 RPM stock fans are maxed out. 37.5 dBA for the Meshify 3 is definitely louder than the 31-32 dBA levels from the Meshify C and Meshify 2 Compact, but thermal performance isn't even close, with the Meshify C only able to maintain GPU temperatures at 56 degrees above ambient. The C8 ARGB tied the Meshify 3's GPU temperature in this test, which is impressive for the Meshify 3 given that the C8 ARGB has bottom intake fans pointed directly into the GPU. The stock Flux Pro and Torrent remain chart toppers at 38 degrees and 39 degrees respectively thanks to their overkill stock fans; this is also evident from the noise levels, with the Torrent's powerful fans pushing it to a maximum of 42.3 dBA to the stock Meshify 3's 37.5 dBA.GPU Full Load Thermals - Standardized FansStandardized fan testing is next.All of the Meshify 3 SKUs ship with fans, so we're just going to use the standardized fan test as an opportunity to compare directly against the previous Meshify generations when they have the same loadout. The Meshify 3 has three defined 140mm fan mounting locations at the front, so rather than sticking our two 140mm intake fans somewhere in the middle, we were forced to pick either the upper two slots or the lower two.The Meshify C and Meshify 2 Compact both had GPU averages of 47 degrees above ambient, while the Meshify 3 literally bookended the chart at 41 degrees with the fans in the lower slots and 53 degrees in the upper ones. If you alter the stock fan configuration, be sure to at least keep one fan in the bottom slot at the front of the case.CPU Full Load Thermals - Standardized FansOn to CPU thermals while using standardized fans: There wasn't much difference in CPU thermals between the upper and lower slot tests; although the upper slot technically did better with an all-core average of 39 degrees, the lower slot arrangement is preferable due to the GPU thermals we just discussed. The Meshify C and Meshify 2 Compact tied at 41 degrees all-core, not that far from the Meshify 3's 40 degree average.VRM & RAM Full Load Thermals - Noise-NormalizedReturning to the noise-normalized results, the Meshify 3 tied the Flux Pro for the best VRM temperature on the chart at 27 degrees above ambient. That's significantly better than its predecessors at 35 degrees for the Meshify 2 Compact and 39 for the Meshify C. The Torrent averaged 29 degrees and the C8 ARGB with its bottom intake layout averaged 33. The ventilated case roof and airflow definitely help here.The SPD hub (or the RAM temperature average) was better, with the Meshify 3's average of 20 degrees above ambient beating all other stock case results on the chart. The Torrent at 21 degrees and Flux Pro at 22 were also high performers, while the C8 ARGB's more GPU-focused cooling left it with a warmer 24 degree average.Fans and LEDsAnd now we’re back to the topic of fans and LEDs.The Momentum RGB fans connect through daisy-chained USB Type-C connectors. Fractal describes the connector as "Proprietary USB-C," meaning that the connectors are just USB-shaped out of convenience; the fans are NOT USB devices. This part confused us, so here's a breakdown:The regular Meshify 3's fans use regular 4-pin PWM fan connectorsThe Meshify 3 RGB's fans use Fractal proprietary connectors, but they're pre-routed with an adapter that terminates in a regular 4-pin fan connector and a 3-pin ARGB connector, so the fans can be connected to a normal motherboard out-of-the-boxThe Meshify 3 Ambience Pro RGB has the same fans as the other RGB SKU, but they're pre-routed to Fractal's Adjust Pro hub. A "legacy splitter" cable is included for OUTput so that regular ARGB devices can be daisy-chained onto Fractal's devices, but the INput adapter cable from the Meshify 3 RGB is not included. In other words, if you get the Ambience Pro RGB, you're using the hub (or waiting for Fractal to sell an adapter cable separately)The Adjust Pro Hub can be controlled through a web tool or Microsoft's Dynamic Lighting feature. Fractal can get away with using a simple web app because the Pro Hub is just a USB device, so it doesn't need low-level access to control the motherboard's fan and RGB headers. There’s no launch-on-startup bloatware and the settings are saved locally to the hub. Currently, the app claims to be fully compatible with Chrome, Opera, and Edge (but not Firefox). A sustained internet connection isn't required for this. We were glad to see Dynamic Lighting compatibility, even if it's not perfect. For instance, if you enable Dynamic Lighting, it breaks Fractal's tool, and if you haven't activated Windows then you can't disable Dynamic Lighting without editing the registry.Fractal's software has a selection of prefab lighting patterns to show off the gen 2 lighting, but the default Northern Lights pattern may be our favorite. The indirect lighting around the edges of the front panel and across the PSU shroud are mostly striking in a dark room. It's unfortunate that such a big part of the case's appeal is limited to the $220 version.Meshify 3 Ambience Pro RGB Conclusion Visit our Patreon page to contribute a few dollars toward this website's operation (or consider a direct donation or buying something from our GN Store!) Additionally, when you purchase through links to retailers on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission.We like the Meshify 3 overall, but we're torn on several points. As an immediate positive, as reviewers who don’t normally comment a whole lot about looks, we do think they did well to pull off the LEDs and front panel on the Meshify 3. Fractal has consistently done well to execute on this style.As for the more difficult points: First off, the Meshify C launched at $90 and the Meshify 2 Compact at $110. Those weren't the lowest prices in context. The Meshify C, however, was on the affordable end of the scale even for that time. Given that Fractal picked the Meshify 3 MSRPs well before the new tariffs, we believe there's a good chance they'll go up. The Meshify 3 isn't in the medium-budget tier you might assume based on the history of the series. If you're looking for cases in that vein, Lian Li has options like the Lancool 217 (watch our coverage), while Antec has some equivalents to the Meshify 3 RGB like the C8 ARGB and Flux Pro.That's not to say that the Meshify 3 isn't worth the money, just that it’s embattled on all sides. There are a lot of options in this price category, which is good for consumers. The build quality is on par with what we expect from Fractal based on the last few years' worth of cases like the North (watch our review) and Torrent. It’s built well. Thermal performance was extremely good, and although the specs are different for the non-RGB fans as we've explained, we can assume that the performance is also extremely good for the non-RGB case variants. Based on that, the $140 and $160 options are the most competitive.As for the $220 Ambience Pro RGB, it's basically a $60-$80 upcharge for lighting, but we really like that lighting. That is, however, a big price jump. If you're considering the Ambience Pro RGB with the extra cost for the lighting, you should be comparing it to other flagship showy cases like the HAVN HS420 (read our review) or HYTE Y70 (read our review) (if you can buy one as they can be difficult to find in the US due to the tariffs). You should also look through Fractal's documentation carefully to make sure you like the RGB ecosystem of software and connectors before you commit.You can check out the competition like the Flux Pro, C8, and Corsair’s FRAME 4000D (read our review). We have more reviews coming up, but overall, we like Fractal’s new case.

Photo Credit: SpaceX SpaceX fires Starship upper stage in 60-sec test ahead of next flight Highlights Starship fires 6 Raptors in 60-sec static test Third static fire for Ship as SpaceX readies ninth Starship flight Flight 9 launch expected in coming weeks, no set date yet Advertisement SpaceX's next-generation Starship spacecraft has fired up in another test as the company prepares for its ninth flight. Starship conducted a full-duration static fire of its upper stage at the Starbase facility in South Texas on May 12th. The 171-foot-tall (52-metre) vehicle fired all six of its mighty Raptor engines for the full-duration burn, which took about 60 seconds. This marked the third such static fire for this specific ship, which is now undergoing final checks. SpaceX shared video and images of the trial in a post on X the following day.Starship Nears Ninth Launch as SpaceX Advances Toward Mars-Ready ReusabilityAs per a Space.com report, the static fire is one of the last key milestones before the vehicle's upcoming launch, though no date has yet been announced. The booster assigned to Flight 9 has already conducted a static fire test, sparking talk it may only be weeks from flight. Fully stacked, Starship stands 403.5 feet, making it the most powerful rocket system ever assembled. Its super-heavy booster and ship upper stage are intended for full reuse, a requirement for voyages to the moon, Mars, and beyond.Starship has completed eight test flights to date, two of them in 2025. Though the missions themselves blasted off without a hitch, the ship's upper stage flubbed both times shortly after arriving in space. During those flights, Super Heavy managed to fly back to Starbase and land with the aid of its giant launch tower's "chopstick" arms in a dramatic manoeuvre that was one of a kind for SpaceX's rocket-catching system. But both times the ship exploded less than 10 minutes after launch, a failure that has raised concerns about the stability of that upper stage.SpaceX Starship, the Mars colonisation spacecraft, has now completed more than one full static fire test run, and it is expected to be a fully reusable spacecraft after the next test flight. Until then, space watchers will have to keep waiting for progress at Starbase. The ninth launch of this giant vehicle is probably not too far off if SpaceX continues to evolve and test at the pace they are going.   For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Further reading: SpaceX, Starlink, Starship, static fire, Raptor engine, test flight, rocket launch, Starbase, Elon Musk, Mars mission, spaceflight Gadgets 360 Staff The resident bot. If you email me, a human will respond. More Related Stories

Join Fox News for access to this content You have reached your maximum number of articles. Log in or create an account FREE of charge to continue reading. By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News' Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. Please enter a valid email address. Hackers are pretty scary. Amoral, hooded figures with magical computer skills that can break into anything within minutes. At least that is what most of us think of when we hear the term "hacker." It is not exactly a realistic or particularly representative image, but, at the same time, it is not too far off the mark either. What many people do not realize is just how much hackers can learn about you from a data broker file, detailed profiles compiled from your personal information collected and sold by data brokers. This hidden industry fuels much of what hackers use to target individuals today. Illustration of a person’s personal data. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)What is a data broker, and why should you care?When most people hear the term "data broker," on the other hand, they draw a blank. Is it a person or company that buys and sells data? Basically, yes. Data brokers collect, sort, analyze, package and sell access to personal information. Whose personal information? Anyone's and everyone's, including yours.THINK YOU CAN DELETE YOUR DATA YOURSELF? HERE’S WHY YOU’RE PROBABLY WRONG Illustration of a person’s personal data. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)What kinds of personal information do they deal in?Here is a list of possible data points you, random companies, your worst enemy, your neighbors and, yes, hackers can find in a data broker file:Full namePast legal namesKnown aliasesSocial media handlesGenderSexual preferencesDate of birth or ageSocial Security number (SSN)Current and past home addressesCurrent and past phone numbersCurrent, past and secret email addressesPolitical preferences and affiliationsOccupationCurrent employerEmployment historyBusiness associatesEducationMarital statusMarriage and divorce recordsFamily status (number and ages of children)RelativesProperty informationVehicle registrationAssetsFinancial informationBankruptcies, judgments and liensLicenses (drivers license, firearms permits, etc.)Court recordsCriminal recordsMugshotsSex-offender statusHealth historyLocation dataIP informationDevice information (phone, tablet and computer models)Web browser informationShopping habitsInterests and hobbies.Quite the list, is it not? It is not exhaustive; there is more that data brokers collect and more yet that they and their customers can infer from data points like these. What exactly a given data broker has will depend on which category it falls into.HACKERS CLAIM MASSIVE BREACH OF COMPANY THAT TRACKS AND SELLS AMERICANS' LOCATION DATA Illustration of a person’s personal data. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Types of data brokers: Who's collecting and selling your information?The most visible data brokers are commonly known as people search sites or people finder sites. These are the sites that show up when you Google yourself, or a hacker Googles you. They are just the tip of the iceberg, though. There are other data brokers that do not bother indexing individual profiles with search engines, preferring instead to deal with other companies and even governments directly. These are the other major types of data brokers, in addition to people search sites:Marketing data brokers focus more on your browsing habits, past purchases and interests. They are responsible for "personalized marketing" as well as helping other companies target you with those surprisingly relevant ads you see online.Recruitment data brokers collect and process personal information to offer background screening services to organizations evaluating job candidates or performing background checks before making an offer. Unfortunately, although illegal, there is nothing actually stopping unscrupulous employers from using the much less regulated and reliable people search sites for the same purposes.Risk mitigation brokers aggregate a variety of background, criminal, property and other information to provide assessment reports to various investment and business companies. The information they collect is aimed at helping such companies manage risk in taking on new business.Financial information brokers collect various personal finance and background information for credit companies and banks to calculate your credit score and may influence your eligibility to get loans and lines of credit.Health information data brokers collect information about your general health and sell it to companies in healthcare and related fields. This information can be used to target you with health product ads and even set your insurance premiums.Hackers are most likely to use people search sites, though; they are easily accessible, eminently searchable, relatively cheap (with trial offers for as little as a dollar) and do not ask any questions. Other data brokers may also sell personal information to hackers, but they tend to sell profiles in bulk.Want your data taken off this market?It is perfectly normal to want no part in any of this. Unfortunately, there is no federal law on the books in the U.S. that would either prevent this kind of data trade or give you an easy, legally enforced way to opt out.The good news is that, thanks to an incomplete patchwork of state laws, personal information removal services can approach hundreds of individual data brokers on your behalf with legally binding data-removal requests.While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap — and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you. Check out my top picks for data removal services here. Kurt's key takeawaysIt is easy to feel overwhelmed when you realize just how much of your personal information is out there, and how many different players are collecting, selling and using it. But knowing how data brokers operate is the first step to taking back control. Whether it is people search sites or the less visible brokers working behind the scenes, your data is valuable, and you deserve to know who has it and what they are doing with it. The good news is, there are tools and services out there that can help you clean up your digital footprint and protect your privacy. So, do not just sit back and hope for the best — take action and make your data work for you, not against you.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPIn your opinion, what should be done to give people more control over their data? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/ContactFor more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/NewsletterAsk Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to cover.Follow Kurt on his social channels:Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.  

The new DC Universe is obviously very similar to the DC Extended Universe, but it also has its fair share of differences. The new trailer for James Gunn’s Superman, as well as the recent trailer for Peacemaker Season 2, have revealed that the Justice League in this universe are actually called the “Justice Gang,” and that they work for Max Lord (now played by Gunn’s brother Sean Gunn, instead of Pedro Pascal in the DCEU). This arrangement is very similar to the one in the beloved Justice League and Justice League International comic book series of the 1980s by Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire.That’s just one of the many Easter eggs, little details, and hidden DC secrets in the new Superman trailer. In our latest DC video, we’ll explain them all, including which three Superman comics this movie is most directly drawn from, contrast this continuity of Gunn’s Superman with the Christopher Reeve films, and the tiny shoutout to Max Lord that’s hidden in the background of one shot. Watch our full breakdown of the new Superman trailer below:READ MORE: Every DC Comics Movie, Ranked From Worst to BestIf you liked that video about all of the Easter eggs in the latest trailer for James Gunn’s Superman, check out more of our videos below including our breakdown of the previous Superman trailer, our wholesome (real tears!) reaction to the first Superman trailer, and our deep dive into all the Easter eggs in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Plus, there’s tons more over at ScreenCrush’s YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe to catch all our future episodes. James Gunn’s Superman is scheduled to open in theaters on July 11, 2025.Get our free mobile app’80s Foods We Wish They Still MadeIf you grew up in the 1980s, you surely have fond memories of these popular (now discontinued) snacks.

Apple’s long-brewing next generation of CarPlay is finally here. CarPlay Ultra officially launched this morning. And while anyone not driving an Aston Martin may be disappointed, Apple’s announcement actually brought good news for all CarPlay users. The future of CarPlay isn’t what Apple thought Three years ago, Apple laid out its plans for the next generation of CarPlay. It’s been a long wait, but today the newly branded ‘CarPlay Ultra’ is here—first on Aston Martin vehicles, and later other automakers. Unless you’re in the market for an ultra-premium new car (or already own one), today’s announcement may seem irrelevant to you. But the details of Apple’s announcement reveal it’s actually good news for all CarPlay users. When Apple originally presented its vision for CarPlay’s future, it felt very much like a ‘CarPlay 2.0.’ In other words, next-gen CarPlay was the future, which meant the existing CarPlay would become the past. Today’s announcement, however, makes very clear that Apple’s not taking that approach. CarPlay Ultra isn’t ‘CarPlay 2,’ and that’s good news for the rest of us For anyone worried about CarPlay’s future now that something new has arrived, Apple has reassurance for you. In its press release announcing CarPlay Ultra’s launch, Apple included a key sentence near the end: CarPlay Ultra joins CarPlay, which is beloved by drivers around the world and has fundamentally changed the way people interact with their vehicles, providing a safer, smarter way to use iPhone in the car. ”CarPlay Ultra joins CarPlay”—the word choice is important, as is Apple’s naming choice. CarPlay Ultra is not a replacement for CarPlay. Apple isn’t eventually going to phase out CarPlay as more and more automakers support its new system. Through its branding, and press release, Apple makes very clear that CarPlay Ultra is not ‘CarPlay 2.’ It’s not a replacement, but rather an alternative. Current CarPlay will continue getting better, alongside Ultra Now that CarPlay Ultra has officially shipped, I’m optimistic Apple will continue investing in the current CarPlay system—perhaps more than it has in a while. We’ve seen signs of this happening already, with new features added to CarPlay in recent iOS updates. Perhaps some of CarPlay Ultra’s features will eventually trickle down to standard CarPlay too. Likely not any time soon, since Apple still needs ways to differentiate the system. But a version of widgets coming to standard CarPlay seems likely eventually. In short: CarPlay Ultra is good news because Apple no longer sees it as the future of all CarPlay offerings. Rather, it’s a new, premium option that “joins” the existing CarPlay. And hopefully before long, all CarPlay users will start to benefit. Best CarPlay accessories Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Movella has released Xsens Animate 2025, the latest version of its motion-capture software designed for use with the Xsens range of inertial mocap systems.The release updates the software’s motion engine, introducing separate male and female anatomy models, and reworks its user interface. Users of Movella’s Xsens Awinda hardware get an experimental new Auto Sensor Mapping feature to cut down set-up time for recording sessions. Processes motion-capture data from Xsens inertial systems, for use in games and VFX Xsens Animate processes and exports raw motion-capture data generated by Movella’s inertial capture hardware: the Xsens Awinda and Xsens Awinda Starter systems, where the sensors are attached to an actor’s body with straps, and its Xsens Link mocap suit.The software is aimed at entertainment work – game development, animation and visual effects – and comes in three editions: Animate Export, Animate Live and Animate Pro. Animate Export is intended for offline recording, processing the motion of a single actor and exporting it in FBX or BVH format to DCC applications and game engines. Animate Live streams the motion of up to two actors to compatible applications, which include Blender, Maya, MotionBuilder, Unity and Unreal Engine, in real time. Animate Pro combines the feature sets of both Export and Live, plus further advanced features, and supports recording of up to four actors simultaneously. The software used to be known as MVN Animate, but was rebranded last year, Xsens being the name of its original developer, acquired by Movella, then known as mCube, in 2017. Xsens Animate 2025: separate male and female anatomy models, and a reworked UI Xsens Animate 2025 reworks the software’s motion engine, supplementing the legacy unisex profile with new male and female profiles.The latter use body proportions more typical for male and female subjects – primarily hip and shoulder widths, and placement of the center of mass. In addition, the curvature of the spine is now tracked more accurately. Both changes are intended to recreate the motion of an actor or stunt performer more accurately, reducing the time needed to clean up the raw data. The software’s user interface has also been reworked, simplifying navigation, making it possible to access key tools more quickly, and introducing a new dark UI mode. Users of Awinda systems get an experimental Auto Sensor Mapping feature which detects the sensors and attributes them to the correct parts of the body automatically. Price and system requirements Xsens Animate is compatible with Windows 11 only. The software is rental-only, and priced on enquiry on Movella’s website.For reference, when we last wrote about Movella systems in late 2023, Animate Pro subscriptions cost $10,990/year, Animate Plus subscriptions – the equivalent of Animate Live – cost $3,290/year, and MVN Record – the equivalent of Animate Export – was free. We’ve contacted Movella to see if we can get current prices, and will update if we hear back. Read an overview of the new features in Xsens Animate 2025 on Movella’s website Read a full list of new features in Xsens Animate 2025 in the online release notes Have your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

insta_photos – Shutterstock.com As the spring 2025 edition of Fiverr’s “Business Trends Index” shows, companies are looking for specialists who can effectively implement AI agents. According to new data from the freelancer platform, search queries for this expertise have risen by 18,347% in the last six months. In Germany, inquiries increased by an even larger 19,033%. According to Fiverr, this is due to technological advances in the field of agentic AI, which enable “digital colleagues” to perform tasks such as reading emails, scheduling meetings, or answering customer inquiries independently and without constant supervision. While experts predict that agentic AI could become a trillion-dollar market, many companies are struggling with the challenges of implementing the technology — so they’re turning to freelancers with these specific skills. “Nearly 30% of my Fiverr assignments are for AI agent development, with demand shifting dramatically from simple chatbots to multi-agent systems that work across web, WhatsApp, and voice channels,” says Mark Kashef, an AI consultant on Fiverr and founder and CEO of Prompt Advisors. “Companies have gone from asking ‘What can AI do?’ to ‘How quickly can we integrate AI into our workflows?’ — with automation, voice and integration requests now making up 49% of my project pipeline.” [ Related: Freelancers now represent more than one in four US workers ] Yoav Hornung, Head of Verticals at Fiverr, explains the increased demand with the strong discrepancy between companies’ ambitions and their technical realities. Despite the great interest in AI agents, most companies do not know exactly what they are or how they can be used. This knowledge gap is driving the increased demand for freelancers. “Now that generative AI is widely available, many companies are turning to freelancers to elevate their content with new perspectives, creativity, and expertise that will elevate their work beyond what automation alone can achieve,” says Hornung. According to Fiverr, this paradox is reflected in the 641% increase in global demand for freelancers who can “humanize” AI content — rewriting chatbot scripts, marketing emails, and website content to make it appear more natural. “I thought my copywriting services wouldn’t be as much in demand after the launch of ChatGPT, but I get requests almost daily to rework AI texts so they still sound human,” the platform operator quotes Gabrielle Gerbus, a freelance brand developer. In addition to AI itself, companies are also increasingly relying on freelance experts to implement workflow automation tools. Fiverr data shows a growing demand for experts in workflow tools such as Go High Level (up 1,489%) and Make.com (up 1,083%). Experts who can create newsletters on trend platforms such as Substack (up 2,028%) and Beehiiv (up 1,211%) are also increasingly in demand.

After teasing some news on its social channels earlier this week, Atlus has finally announced that a new Persona game is coming out. No, it’s not Persona 6, but rather Persona 5: The Phantom X, a spin-off that is finally making its way out of China and into other territories.Suggested Reading6 Things To Know Before Starting Persona 5 Tactica Share SubtitlesOffEnglishview videoSuggested Reading6 Things To Know Before Starting Persona 5 Tactica Share SubtitlesOffEnglishUnlike the rest of the Persona 5 games, The Phantom X doesn’t follow Joker, Ryuji, and the rest of the original game’s cast. Instead, it follows a different group of Phantom Thieves led by a high school student code-named Wonder. The team attends a different high school and is accompanied by a different mascot character, the tonfa-wielding owl named Lufel. The other major difference between The Phantom X and most Persona games is that it has microtransactions and gacha mechanics. Yes, to take part in the game’s social sim and dungeon crawling, you’ll have to either wait for a set amount of time to pass or use currency to replenish your energy. Otherwise, the game is free-to-play. Check out the announcement trailer below:Atlus WestPersona 5: The Phantom X will launch on PC and mobile devices on June 26. When Atlus first teased the announcement, some people thought it was referencing Persona 6. However, the RPGs typically shed their previous color scheme and aesthetics with each mainline entry, so most fans knew the black-and-red graphic indicated that whatever this game was, it was still part of the Persona 5 subseries. This, coupled with the owl emoji used on the social posts, clearly hinted at a Phantom X announcement, but the gameThe Phantom X was originally announced in 2023 and has been in an open beta phase in the territory since last year.With Persona 6 rumors floating around, it’s entirely possible that The Phantom X could be the final game in the Persona 5 subseries. If that’s the case, it’s kind of a bummer to end this era on a game that doesn’t star the original cast, but Atlus’ attempts at extending their story have been a bit hit or miss.

Photo Credit: Lava Lava Shark 4G (pictured) carries a 50-megapixel primary rear camera Highlights Lava Shark 5G could come in blue and gold colour options The handset may get a Unisoc T765 SoC The Lava Shark 5G is expected to ship with Android 15 Advertisement Lava Shark 5G is set to launch in India soon. The company has officially teased key features of the handset alongside announcing its launch date. The price range of the phone has been revealed as well. Key details about the upcoming smartphone had leaked recently. It is expected to have a similar design language to the existing Lava Shark 4G, which introduced in the country in March. The 4G variant gets a Unisoc T606 SoC, a 5,000mAh battery with 18W wired charging support, and a 50-megapixel primary rear camera.Lava Shark 5G India Launch: All We KnowThe Lava Shark 5G will launch in India on May 23, the company said in a press release. It is claimed to have an AnTuTu score of over 4,00,000. The phone will support LPDDR4X RAM and will be priced in the country under Rs. 10,000.Lava added that the upcoming Shark 5G handset will be equipped with a 13-megapixel AI-backed main rear camera sensor. It will have an IP54 rating for dust and splash resistance. An earlier leak suggested that the Lava Shark 5G will come with a dual rear camera unit. It will likely be offered in blue and gold colour options. The round LED flash unit placed in the camera island has a circular design around it.A Geekbench listing of the Lava Shark 5G suggests that it will likely be powered by a Unisoc T765 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM. It is expected to support 64GB of onboard storage and run on Android 15 out-of-the-box. The Lava Shark 4G variant is priced in India at Rs. 6,999 for the 4GB + 64GB option. The smartphone carries a 6.7-inch HD+ display with a 120Hz, a 50-megapixel main rear camera sensor, and an 8-megapixel selfie shooter. It is powered by a Unisoc T606 SoC and a 5,000mAh battery with 18W wired charging support. The smartphone arrives with an IP54 dust and splash-resistant rating. KEY SPECSNEWSDisplay 6.70-inchFront Camera 8-megapixelRear Camera 50-megapixelRAM 4GBStorage 64GBBattery Capacity 5000mAhOS Android 14Resolution 720x1612 pixels For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Sucharita Ganguly Sucharita is a writer with Gadgets 360 and is mostly found playing with her cat in her free time. She has previously worked at breaking news desks across organizations. Powered by coffee, The Beatles, Bowie, and her newfound love for BTS, she aims to work towards contributing to a better media environment for women and queer folk. More