The offline desk gadget that actually got me to sit up straight


Working from home has its own perils. Pets can be demanding, your back aches from hours at a desk, or you simply forget to move. There are a few apps that nudge you to move around or indicate that you’re not sitting in an ideal position, but they’re easy to dismiss.

I’ve spent the better part of a decade at a home desk, iterating on the setup as I go — gaming chair, lumbar support, the works. None of it guarantees good posture.

Then I came across Isa, a desk device from German startup Deep Care that takes a different approach entirely. It tracks posture, hydration, light, sound, and movement. And it does all of it without a camera or an internet connection, which, in an era of always-on surveillance, is a meaningful differentiator.

Here’s how it works and what’s inside. Isa has a 5.5-inch IPS HD screen and looks like a table clock. It is powered by USB-C; the company supplies a power unit with it, but you can use any of your existing chargers too, as it has a power consumption rating of roughly 2.45W.

The key sensor for the device is the Time-of-Flight (ToF) 3D depth sensor on the front — the same technology used in facial recognition and some smartphone cameras — that tracks posture and movement. It also enables beta features, such as counting the number of times you’ve had water or other liquids. The company said that the sensor works in the range of 0.15 meters to 1.8 meters. That means if the device is sitting on your desk, it can measure your movement, even when you stand up and move about. It also packs several other sensors: a ToF 1D sensor, a gyroscope, a barometer, a light sensor, a sound level sensor, a CO₂/VoC sensor, and a temperature and humidity sensor.

Image Credits: Deep CareImage Credits:Deepcare

Getting started is straightforward — the device asks for a few details about you and your work routine. I found it strange that there was no option to set the device to India time (or any other Asian time zone). The company said Isa currently supports only EU and US time zones. Fair enough for now — but broader time zone support, or even a simple world clock, feels like a basic expectation for a desk device.

On the screen, Isa displays your posture with a squircle (a rounded square) ring that fills or empties based on how well you’re sitting, while a water-tank-style widget tracks your drinking. If you are not sitting in the correct posture, the indicator will turn yellow. The Apple Watch-style ring is a surprisingly effective nudge — when I see yellow or red, I straighten up almost instinctively.

The device vibrates to alert you if you’ve been slouching for too long, and I’m okay with that kind of mild shaming. That alert also indicates if you are leaning far too forward or back and helps you correct your stance.

Image Credits: Ivan MehtaImage Credits:Ivan Mehta

A similar widget tracks movement, and if you have been stationary for a while, Isa suggests you get up, with on-device guided exercises to follow. When you return to your desk after a break, the movement tracker resets.

Deep Care chose not to include a cameras, which helps with privacy, but it comes with trade-offs.

Image Credits: Ivan MehtaImage Credits:Ivan Mehta

If a bottle or some other object sits between you and the sensor, it may read that as a person and log you as stationary. Pets or housemates passing by can trigger the sensor, too. Isa usually figures out that you’ve stepped away and goes to a digital clock display, but I would have liked a manual button to tell it I’m not at the desk so it stops tracking.

Because of the sensor-only approach, the device occasionally told me I’d been stationary for too long when I’d been sitting for under half an hour. These are minor inconveniences. On balance, the device made me check my posture more often than I used to, and the exercise suggestions are truly useful.

image Credit: Ivan MehtaImage Credits:Ivan Mehta

To process all these features, the device uses a quad-core 2 GHz processor. The device can connect to Wi-Fi for software updates, but you can turn it off at any time.

Deep Care was founded by three former Bosch employees and initially sold Isa directly to businesses. It recently expanded to consumers — a shift that signals confidence in the retail market for workplace wellness hardware, and a test of whether a subscription model layered onto premium hardware can find a mainstream audience.

Isa is priced at €299 ($354) with two subscription tiers. The core plan (€4.99 per month) gives you access to posture tracking, healthy sitting habit tracking, drinking habit detection, and its exercise library. The Pro plan(€7.99 per month) lets you track light, noise, and CO2 levels for a healthy working environment.

The company plans to use Isa’s sensor suite to venture into mental health-related tracking. It claims that by using signals like posture, head movement, and chest movement, the device can measure breathing patterns. Plus, paired with environmental data like noise, light levels, and CO2 level, the company wants to introduce a stress-related score.

Even if you skip the mental health features, Isa is a solid device for anyone serious about posture and movement. It isn’t cheap, and the subscription adds to the long-term cost. But if you or someone you know works from home and has been meaning to do something about their desk habits, it’s one of the more thoughtful options out there.

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Iridio Free Download – WorldofPCGames


Iridio Preinstalled Worldofpcgames

Iridio Direct Download

Seized by criminals, the island designated for your research needs your help. Join Yatziri and the Wazhari tribe to liberate their hostages, explore hidden secrets, craft essential items and weapons, and strategically use fire and water in challenging puzzles and life-or-death battles for survival.

Gameplay features
Dive into a vast open-world island filled with boundless exploration opportunities.

  • Experience a dynamic 24-hour day/night cycle and diverse weather conditions – like rain and snow – that actively influence your gameplay.
  • Wield a versatile crossbow with multiple modes: standard, electric, explosive, and incendiary.
  • Harness the island’s creatures: free wild tigers from their cages and lure them with food to fight for you.
  • Find essential items, trade them with the tribe or loot them from fallen enemies.
  • Gather resources to craft essential tools, weapons, and survival gear for your journey. Rogue Command
  • Face realistic AI that adapts dynamically to your actions, random events, and shifting weather.
  • Use elements like fire and water to solve puzzles, free hostages, and uncover hidden secrets.
  • Immerse yourself in an environment of lifelike physics and breathtaking panoramas, brought to life with Unity’s latest High Definition Rendering Pipeline (HDRP).

Features and System Requirements:

Top 43 3D Visualization Design Companies for Architectural Rendering & 3D Product Design Services


Today’s post shines the light on the top 43 3D visualization design companies for architectural rendering and product design services. Each one of us has our own liking to collect. Some may keep stamps from somewhere, others coffee mugs, or just simple collectible items. However, there are some who prefer something different, just as architects and product innovators impressively collect digital visuals. In this modern world, where we all depend on technology, everything can already be seen through our screens and accessed everywhere. And this is how and where 3D visualizations play a vital role.

Through a realistic design, buyers can be able to see clearly what to expect and can have a better visualization of the outcome. Moreover, this list highlights companies that surely meet expectations through 3D designs, those that put life into every output and bring reality to every creativity. Thus, if what you’re looking for is something that screams reliability and can really get the work done, Cad Crowd has a set of talented 3D design professionals across the world that would meet you through the comfort of your own digital screens.

cadcrowd-logo

1. Cad Crowd

Cad Crowd helps businesses connect to professionals who are skilled in bringing 3D visuals to life around the world. They offer a lot of specializations and services, which makes them stand out as a leading marketplace in the online platform. Whether you are looking for an expert to do the work on any designs, such as 3D product rendering and design services, or on every scale of architectural projects.

This platform guarantees clients a quality output that can meet their creative expectations with efficiency and top-notch collaboration. It doesn’t make things complicated, but rather makes everything smooth and easy for clients to get the high quality contents they visualized. Through this, a lot of companies rely on Cad Crowd as it delivers accuracy and visually reliable presentations that support decision making all throughout the process. 

Website: Cadcrowd.com

RELATED: The Power of 3D Visualizations in Improving Construction Safety and Project Efficiency

Lunas studio logo

2. Lunas

Lunas focuses on offering quality-based architectural designs, mainly tailoring 3D visualizations based on modern real estate. This platform helps ideas from architects, developers, and marketers’ visions meet halfway by creating clean, realistic 3D visuals that are impressively captivating. They bring life to every content need, from interior and exterior down to animations to conceptual visuals,  which technically show clarity in every customer’s vision, as they also put significance on how every structure flows and show consistency in visual standards. The studio consists of teams that are not just skilled but also responsive communicators and truly make the work done exactly as you’d like it to be. 

Website: Lunas.pro

fortesvision logo

3. Fortes.Vision

Fortes.Vision specializes in providing services that are realistic, clear, and designed with intent for every professional architectural visualization. This 3D architectural rendering studio mainly ensures to communicate designs in a clearer and more realistic aspect by collaborating closely with architects and developers. It offers a variety of services that give specifications on exterior renderings, interior scenes, aerial views, and animation support that will technically meet the client’s project standards.

Fortes.Vision stands out among others because they are very keen on details and make sure to balance creative input with technical accuracy, making sure that the clients will have a high-quality presentation. Through their team’s structured approach and consistency in putting things to work, they become a reliable choice for any clients that seek top-notch visuals that want to strengthen their marketing impact. 

Website: Fortes.vision

Applet3D

4. Applet 3D 

Apple 3D offers expertise in architectural visualization and 3D product rendering that’s perfect for clients who are seeking ready-made, high-quality presentations. It offers a variety of services that highlight creative design for interiors and exteriors, also providing top-notch 3D animation services, interactive presentations, and supporting marketing design reviews. This company mainly focuses on producing clear visuals that depict realistic designs with a touch of balanced compositions that give emphasis to the features of design without distractions.

What also makes this company stand out is that their team centralizes flexibility and adaptability to different architectural styles and approaches, and has a collaborative workflow that makes outputs dependable and aligned with branding goals. And that’s what makes Applet 3D a reliable source for businesses looking for professional visuals. 

Website: Applet3d.com

omegarender logo

5. OmegaRender 

OmegaRender mainly specializes in services that provide professional 3D visualization, which focuses on architectural renderings and product imagery designs. They deliver different kinds of expertise to clients that specify interiors and exteriors, supporting real estate marketing, design approvals, and presentations. What makes their visuals good is that they produce quality designs with clean geometry, substantial materials, and good lighting that helps people clearly understand the visual.

This studio works collaboratively with architects, developers, and manufacturers to ensure a high-quality output. Clients liked the company’s consistent quality, even on large projects, and how reliable they are in achieving structured deadlines. Overall, OmegaRender is best when it comes to dependable work, making everything smoothly done in professional-looking visuals from the start to the end of the project.

Website: Omegarender.com

RELATED: Why 3D Rendering Lighting is Crucial for Flawless Product and Architectural Visualization Companies

Render Atelier

6. Render Atelier

Render Atelier is a studio known for providing services that strongly value artistic balance and technical accuracy when it comes to architectural visualization designers. They technically work on a lot of interior and exterior renderings, along with creative animations and conceptual visuals that help best depict the story behind every design and the needs of marketing. The studio keenly pays attention to details such as lighting, materials, and how every aspect of the spaces is composed. Their team mainly believed that consistent quality is very important, especially in creating works across residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects. They are also best known for being responsive and the ability to create and produce outputs that are carefully made from the heart and visibly authentic and not overly generic.

Website: Renderatelier.com

Imagineio

7. Imagine.io

Imagine.io is a platform that creates 3D visualization designs, which helps businesses in modern digital experiences. Instead of having static images, through this, users are able to create presentations that are creatively alive through 3D visuals where they can explore, adjust, and enhance engagement online. This helpful tool is often used by manufacturers, product designers, and retailers who not just visualize but also want to be flexible in showcasing their visual content online. With diverse features such as real-time rendering and quality customization, it integrates smoothly into websites. This is truly ideal for teams who are looking for a 3D solution and who value visually accurate designs, for it meets every user’s ideals while still remaining reliable and user-friendly.

Website: Imagine.io

AIMIR CG

8. AIMIR CG

AIMIR CG mainly focuses on providing services that will bring life to real estate marketing and designs through architectural visualization and 3D rendering. This studio gives emphasis to realistic and detailed visuals as they deliver interiors and exteriors to animations and walkthroughs. Every output is made with proportions that are accurate, with natural lighting and materials that look imaginable, ensuring that every design stays true to the vision.

The 3D rendering team works together with experts such as architects and developers, making sure that every detail in the design stays the same. Many clients claim how organized and reliable the teams in this company are and how they consistently produce quality-based outputs. Thus, when you look for a dependable choice for projects that align with their expertise, they have your back in ensuring every presentation meets your professional aims on different platforms.

Website: Aimircg.com

Max Gogh Studio

9. Max Gogh Studio

Max Gogh Studio provides services that focus on putting a creative touch on architectural projects while keeping their realistic style as it is. They mainly work on interiors and exteriors, and on animations and concept visuals for projects like residential and commercial developments. This studio keenly puts attention into every detail, ensuring projects stand out while not taking away their originality at the same time.

Their team is adaptable to various architectural styles and branding throughout the process. What clients love about this studio is how collaborative they are and how they put heart and mind into every input while still giving off professionalism and content accuracy. If what you’re looking for is a studio that will make your visual creation more engaging and distinctive, and still true to design, this one’s truly the hand for you.

Website: Maxgogh.com

RELATED: Realistic Exterior Rendering: Here’s How 3D Artists Design Precision Renders for Your Company

Archicgi

10. ArchiCGI

ArchiCGI is a studio that mainly brings architectural visions into reality in a way that’s realistic and easy to visualize. Quality-based presentations from interior and exterior to aerial views and animations, that’s what they work on best, providing a clearer vision for architects and developers. Everything is carefully handled, from materials to good lighting, and every scale is just to make sure that everything aligns with the design. Their team is composed of highly organized people who follow a structured workflow to provide quality results just in time. What clients love about this company is that they produce projects that are clean and high-quality, which is worth their time. So, if you’re looking for 3D renderings that are reliable and generate polished quality, ArchiCGI is a 3D rendering team that you can rely on.

Website: Archicgi.com

Notriangle Studio

11. NoTriangle Studio

NoTriangle Studio specializes in bringing luxury architectural projects into visuals that not just impress but also inspire. In this studio, they have a team of architects who are skilled and who combine technical skill and creative flair to produce photo-realistic images and animations that are immersive. Their visual inputs are not just presentable, but they also ensure that it convinces the investors and planning boards. It’s a great choice if you want a balance of precision and creativity. And if your goal is to have a presentation that’ll truly sell and make people believe in it early on, then NoTriangle is something you need to consider.

Website: Notrianglestudio.com

Vertex3d

12. Vertex Software

Vertex Software offers a cloud-based platform that is mainly built to make large 3D data easier to share and view. It enables users to open large, complicated, industrial models to be accessible anytime and on any device are way easier. It’s very helpful because, through this, users don’t need expensive hardware or complex software to open any models. And most importantly, product design companies can work more efficiently and speed up their decision-making. Although it makes projects way quicker to open, it still has a strong focus on security, making sure that every access is secured and protected throughout the process.

Website: Vertex3d.com

Realspace 3D

13. RealSpace3D

RealSpace3D is a long-established studio that has a trusted experience in architectural visualization. This studio mainly offers a variety of services, such as creating 3D floor plans, loft renders, and many residential visuals that are creatively made from trusted and skilled teams. What clients want and love about this studio is that their teams have a transparent workflow that they follow, and that they provide free revisions and are keen on detail with multiple camera angles.

They also produced high-quality visual styles and really observed and made sure to have good light and shadow, and truly bridged imagination and visions to reality by creating just natural and truly real content. If you are about to do or make projects about individual owners or even large-scale developers, this 3D visualition firm is for you, for it delivers high-quality visuals that will truly help your projects be presented clearly and provide support throughout the entire process and quality decision-making as well.

Website: Realspace3d.com

RELATED: Understanding Real-time Rendering, How it Works, and Benefits for Architectural Companies

VisEngine logo

14. Visengine

Visengine is a well-established International large-scale virtualization studio that’s known best for combining both the traditional techniques in visual rendering with modern technology. They consist of teams that are from across major global cities such as London, New York, and Dubai, that deal with different services to different high-end client demands. This studio produces a variety of services that include interactive 3D master plans, advanced virtual reality experiences, and even photo-realistic renderings.

With skilled 3D architectural visualization teams, the studio is known for having an efficient workflow that truly handles demanding projects but is still able to provide high-quality visuals without losing its creative depth. This is the studio that will best help potential clients, such as architects and real estate professionals who aim for a project that offers high scale and sophistication to present ideas with confidence in a luxury or high-rise development market.

Website: Visengine.com

Freedes Studio logo

15. Freedes Studio

Freedes Studio is a visualization studio that mainly turns two-dimensional ideas into highly realistic three-dimensional visuals. They offer services for a global department, such as architectural visualization, product development visuals, and interior design services. They are really keen on detail and truly go above and beyond in every aspect to make sure that every texture and fabric used is suitable for what they want to achieve, a remarkable level of realism.

This studio puts high importance on the consistency of the visuals to be able to produce and help brands to maintain their exact look and make sure it consistently stays even across various campaigns. By producing high-end and clear, realistic, and impressive visual content, Freedes Studio ensures that every business gives off a presentation that is captivating enough to be able to sell their projects with confidence.

Website: Freedesstudio.com

Virtualitics

16. Virtualitics Inc.

Virtualitics, Inc. is a technology company that mainly operates at the intersection of data science, artificial intelligence, and 3D visualization, which is powered by its own AI platform. This was founded by researchers from Caltech, and it has a strong research and science-based foundation. What makes this company apart from others is that it focuses on explainable AI, which turns complex and massive data into visuals that are clear and easy to comprehend. It uses 3D space that enables users to explore more of the data instead of complex visuals.

Through their tools, plenty of users are able to explore large datasets visually and also identify patterns, insights, and trends easily. It also reduces confusion from the overload of data. And most of the users of it are trusted by the agencies, by the government, and by major financial institutions, as it is aimed at high-level decision-makers. This has an approach that is very helpful, especially when you prioritize transparency for a clear understanding and quick decision-making.

Website: Virtualitics.com

Render3D Quick logo

17. Render 3D Quick Inc.

Render3Dquick Incorporation focuses on bringing architectural ideas to life in a way that is fast and affordable to the users. The 3D architectural rendering team provides various services, from working in residential homes to commercial spaces, creating detailed 3D renderings, aerial views, and even physical 3D-printed models. Behind these high-quality content visuals is a team of people who work around the clock to be able to meet the deadlines without compromising the in-depth quality of the creativity. Whether it is just a simple design or even a full, massive industrial project, Render 3D Quick is highly recommended because it provides visuals that are realistic and produce interactive tours, which help the clients to showcase and present their properties faster and even with more confidence.

Website: Render3dquick.com

RELATED: Questions to Ask Before Hiring a 3D Virtual Tour Company for Architectural Design Firms

Techsoft

18. TechSoft 3D

TechSoft 3D platform mainly provides powerful software tools that help digital developers to visualize, create, and share three-dimensional data with ease. The services it offers include 3D PDF publishing, high-performance visualization, and CAD data translation services. That technically puts a purpose in giving developers a place to add complex 3D functionality to their own software. It also allows them to work on desktop and mobile apps. In its 30 years of experience, it is guaranteed to support digital designs and collaboration, for it acts as a strategic technology partner for most developing projects that are substantial to developers’ creation efficiency across industries.

Website: Techsoft3d.com

maverick frame studio logo

19. Maverick Frame

Maverick Frame is a large and highly skilled design studio that mainly creates high-quality 3D visuals and is known for attention to detail and its guaranteed artistic taste. It’s backed by a hundred or more specialists that produce outputs and provide services such as metaverse modeling, yacht previews, and even interior 3D visualizations.

These 3D artists are thoroughly put in an internal training school to ensure that they handle and master how lighting, materials, and composition work throughout the process. Along with their very meticulous production, they offer a very competitive pricing and individual approach, ranging from European developers to global luxury brands. This studio is very dedicated to creating beautiful, innovative visual content that brings life to both residential and workplace environments.

Website: Maverickframe.com

Render Vision

20. Rendervision

Rendervision is a boutique studio that is based in Australia. It mainly specializes in creating high-end 3D. It offers a variety of services to architects, real estate agents, and builders that include dynamic property presentations, virtual furnishings for vacant spaces, and also photorealistic renderings for property and product marketing. This boutique is a combination of creativity and cutting-edge hardware, and with its affordable rates, it produces quality-based output without compromising its in-depth creativity and visuals. Render Vision also prioritizes keeping clients transparent and communicative as they ensure every step of the rendering process feels effortless and stress-free.

Website: Rendervision.com

tejjy logo

21. Tejjy Inc.

Tejjy Inc. is a company that helps provide 3D visualization and architectural rendering services to real estate companies, design and architecture firms, and construction firms that offer services such as BIM coordination, detailed visual documentation, exterior rendering services, and interior 3D renderings. This company places emphasis on the technical accuracy and compliance of the projects, and keenly keeps attention to clear visuals for it to have an easy understanding of the complex designs.

What makes them stand out from others is that this team of people works together to provide a smooth and quality output, and how easy they are to communicate with the clients. So, if you want to have visuals that are output-based and could absolutely help you make decisions easier at every step throughout the process of making your design, TJN Corporation has got you covered.

Website: Tejji.com

RELATED: 3D Rendering Artists: What Sets Apart CGI Specialists & Talented Freelance Experts

Cylind Studio

 22. CYLIND Studio

CYLIND Studio is an architectural visualization that is focused on providing clean and contemporary visuals. This offers a variety of services that include creating concept visuals, animations, and interior and exterior renderings. In the process of creating and bringing these projects to life, they always make sure that every form and material, and space is shown clearly. Behind this architectural project is an architectural design team that consists of people who particularly focus on accurate lighting, well-balanced, and keenly into fine details without overdoing its style.

They also work closely with developers and architects to make sure that the design vision is still there while doing the process. This studio is very adaptable because it adapts to any projects, such as residential, commercial, or even hospitality ones. What clients love and appreciate about this studio is that their creative direction and they have consistency, flow in producing quality content visuals that are truly ready for presenting or sharing with the stakeholders.

Website: Cylind.com

Arktek Studio

23. Arktek Studio

Arktek Studio is an architectural visualization and 3D CAD rendering Studio that provides support to design, development, and marketing. These provide output services such as animations, interior scenes, and exterior renderings. They generate animations with a strong emphasis on their natural lighting, making sure that the materials used are realistic and have accurate proportions, to produce a clear storytelling visual.

Behind this creativity are a group of architects and developers who work to translate technical concepts into a more understandable visual narrative. ArcTech Studio values collaboration, reliability, feedback, and making sure projects are met on the exact deadlines without compromising the quality of creativity. What clients love about Arktek Studio is that it is guaranteed to produce quality visuals that are not overly done, and it has a balanced approach while also making sure that the ideas will be presented confidently with no touch of complexity.

Website: Arktek3d.com

3D power logo

24. 3D Power

3D Power is a company providing 3D visualization services. It covers both architectural rendering and product design visuals. They handle services from interior and exterior renderings to animations and create presentation materials that help businesses to present their projects effectively. Behind this company that produces quality projects is an architectural drafting team that focuses more on accuracy and consistency as they ensure every detail is clear and meets the vision of every client.

3D Power works closely across different industries like manufacturing, real estate, and commercial design. And what clients appreciate about this company is that its workflow quality and its ability to turn ideas and deliver them right on schedule without compromising its quality. This company is very suitable for brands that seek practical solutions that give balance to technical detail and have a clean and professional presentation that is perfect for presenting to different kinds of audiences.

Website: 3Dpower.in

invedus logo

25.  Invedus

Invedus helps businesses bring their ideas to life through flexible creative support with their wide selection of 3D visualization freelancers. They handle various services, from interior and exterior renderings to animations, 3D modeling design services, all following each project’s aims and goals. Their works feature thoroughly and collaboratively managed ideas with developers, architects, and design firms, which bridges visuals that are both reliable and cost-effective. Through structured workflow and flexibility, clients are even drawn to their quality. This company ensures to produce projects that are polished and professionally created while also letting clients stay in control of their timelines, budget, and creative direction.

Website: Invedus.com

RELATED: Integrating Drone Footage with 3D Architectural Animation: Aerial CGI for Companies

RNDR

26. RNDR

RNDR is a studio that turns architectural visions into a realistic and more alive output. It provides services from interior to exterior renderings, creates animations, and visual studies or concept-based visuals. They give emphasis on how lighting works in material depths and the composition of the project to create accurate visuals. In this architectural design company, they work collaboratively with architects and developers that aims to create visuals that connect clearly to the intention of the design. What makes it easy for clients to choose R&DR is that they provide projects that don’t just present vision, but also tell a story behind it without losing its technical clarity. So if you are looking for a studio that could best help you to create visuals that have consistent quality, then RNDR is the right one for you.

Website: Rendernetwork.com

easyrendercom logo 2

27. Easy Render

EasyRender is a platform that helps businesses to connect with the top 3D rendering studios across the world. They provide services such as interior visualizations, animations, architectural rendering, and product imagery from different industries. The platform makes sure that everything is handled well, especially communication flow, quality checks, and product coordination, so that clients would be less hassled and won’t be dealing with different connections. It is perfect for firms and businesses that seek reliable and professional sources without needing to connect to multiple sources. While also aiming for a high-quality and organized project output.

Brick-Visual

Website: Easyrender.com

28. Brick Visual

Brick Visual is a studio that turns architectural visualization into high-end 3D visuals. The rendering style and animation of this studio don’t just present the vision, but also communicate the story behind the visuals with a polished and thoroughly thought-out composition. These projects aren’t possible without a 3D photorealistic rendering team that has a sense, that has a strong sense of attention to detail, while ensuring visuals meet the intent of every architectural project. Thus, aside from its professionalism and creativity, clients are drawn to Break Visual for its high-quality results that are globally ready for marketing campaigns.

Website: Brickvisual.com

archx studios logo

29. ArchXStudio

ArchXStudio is a 3D visualization that has a goal in providing clear and realistic design presentations that are realistic to the eyes of viewers. They produce creations with regard to interior visuals, exterior visuals, animations, and walk-throughs for both commercial and residential projects. Throughout the process of creating this creative visual, they always make sure to focus on what the project aims to achieve by keeping attention to every material used, to the lighting, and to the proper proportions of every aspect.

what’s stands out about this studio is that they allow clients to work with them through collaborative communication and feedback, while also adapting to different styles of architecture, and don’t just limit their designs to one specific scope. Clients choose ArcX Studio for the reason that, aside from providing them a quality-based project, it also allows them to communicate what they want the project to be as an outcome. And they also meet the required deadlines while not limiting its professionality visually. It’s really a great company to choose when you want something to present in the market that is a well-created design.

Website: Archxstudio.com

RELATED: Ray Tracing in Architectural Visualization: Why It’s Essential for Design Firms and Freelance Services

The Render Unit logo

30. The Render Unit

The Render Unit focuses on turning 3D visuals into science that is easy to understand and not complicated. Their photorealistic rendering studio provides services in creating interior and exterior renderings, presentation visuals, and animations. While going through every project, they always make sure that everything clearly presents the ideas they meant to deliver, as they are also keen on detail with the materials used, the lighting, and also the proportions to ensure that every aspect stays intact with realism and balance.

What the clients love about this studio is that they don’t just provide quality projects, but also keep track of everything, and they really deliver on time. So if what you are looking for is professional visuals that communicate the intent of your design, then Render Unit is a team that you can rely on for smooth marketing presentations.

Website: Therenderunit.com

31. The Boundary

The Boundary mainly creates hyper-realistic marketing visuals for High-end brands that aim to make an impact on the market. It is an agency that is widely known across the globe, for it specializes in combining the strengths of CGI with real-time gaming technology, and operates at a high premium level of creation. They work closely with luxury brands, real estate developers, and any clients who look for a company that provides them visuals that will stand out and impress the stakeholders.

They don’t just stick with the traditional way of rendering visuals. In fact, their capabilities go way beyond, offering interactive virtual showrooms that replace traditional photography with digital environments. Their goal here is not just to present something but to make an impact. Their architectural 3D modeing team is made up of skilled individuals from London and New York, and they provide services 24/7, without even compromising the output quality of this cinematic creation. This company is highly trusted for businesses that aim to provide high-profile developments, as they are guaranteed to sell bold projects as early as they can.

Website: The-boundary.com

32. Flatworld Solutions

Flatworld Solutions is a company that focuses on providing 3D architectural visualization that combines technical accuracy with artistic quality. They deliver high-quality interior and exterior renderings that keenly outline detailed environments, which include the lighting and the landscaping aspect of every project they create. Behind this creative company is a team that is composed of skilled 3D animators and modelers who are able to quickly create projects that are customized to each client’s needs.

What’s also beneficial about them is that they are affordable and they offer creative quality. This company is strongly backed by data security and a certified ISO, so it does make them suitable for any global outsourcing. If what you are looking for is a studio that could provide you services that don’t just meet you halfway, but provide exceeding quality design results that are professionally competitive rates, then Flatworld Solutions is your hand for it.

Website: Flatworldsolutions.com

33. PixReady

PixReady is a product rendering studio that focuses on enhancing business products, aiming to have a stronger product presentation to the market. They mainly specialize in providing services such as jewelry visualization, 3D configurators, and any product rendering, and are guaranteed to turn simple client ideas into digitally created, real products that are pixel-accurate and in high-detail visuals. They are very hands-on in helping clients to turn their simple ideas come to life as they still focus on the realistic and not just the aestheticism of the style.

Through a healthy workflow and a considerable price amount, they offer quality-based products. That’s why it becomes popular with e-commerce brands because they help their products look polished and market-ready. So if you want something that could help you escalate your brand’s visual content, then PixReady is something that you can count on.

Website: Pixready.com

RELATED: How Does 3D Architectural Modeling Create Immersive Design Experiences for AEC Companies?

34. ZOA Studio

This 3D architectural animation studio specializes in creating cinematic, memorable styles out of architectural visions, which aim to create animations that promote an impact on the viewers. Their unique feature is the impression package, which produces multiple high-resolution visuals in a short span of time. It is technically ideal for businesses that are looking for a high-quality product but are tight on deadlines, and still want a competitive output design.

The third team is composed of architects who are highly skilled and worked with well-known architectural firms. which brings technical accuracy to life with creativity that is not static, but ensures to communicate the story between animations and the viewers. So if you are looking for a platform that will help your project stand out and truly leave a lasting impact, ZOA Studio is right for you. The architects who work behind this studio are making sure to bring their architectural thinking and their creative expression to life.

Website: Zoastudio.com

35. Virtual Building Studio

VirtualBuildingStudiois known for being the leading provider of building information modeling services that primarily focus on the architecture, engineering design services, and construction industries. It works closely on infrastructure and construction projects of any scale. What they technically do is that they make data that is rich in 3D models more accurate and efficient. It produces 5D cost estimations, class detections, scan-to-BIM, and ensures that they integrate the right scheduling and sustainability into projects that they generate.

Website: Virtualbuildingstudio.com

36. Renders Point

Renders Point is a studio that is based in London, which mainly focuses on turning architectural views into interior ideas that are truly impressive. They provide a lot of services that include creating still renders and 3D 360 degree panorama rendering services that include immersive VR experiences that truly make you rethink if it’s real or not, because of their realistic creation. What makes this studio apart from others is that they are very keen on details, and eco-friendly practices are truly visible in every visual that they create. They are very organized and always make sure that they don’t just deliver projects on time, but also provide them with the high-quality standards that meet their goals. Renders Point is the go-to partner for every developer or designer who aims for a high-value output and a project that meets their definition of perfection.

Website: Renderspoint.com

37. Cinatti Studios

Cinatti Studios specializes in architectural visualization, which produces immersive VR walkthroughs and cinematic videos that apply real-time rendering technology. Their services ensure professionally created designs that are easy to understand. They mainly offer Perspective camera matching along with Sun studies. Their approach technically gives emphasis to the combination of both technical precision and creativity that tells a story in each project, so that they retain the realistic aspect of it to make it have an impact. So, it is really recommended for developers who want to generate 3D experiences that will truly tell the story behind the project they visualize to present.

Website: Cinattistudios.com

RELATED: Stages of Offices and Workplace 3D Renderings for Architectural Design Companies

38. VizSource

VizSource is a studio that is based in San Diego, that was established way back in 2006, and through the years, it confidently produces thousands of projects by well-known, skillfully trained 2D & 3D design artists in the field of architecture. They offer services such as animations and photorealistic renderings. They are very keen on accuracy and presenting quality-based projects. And what sets them apart from others is that they skillfully handle projects that are seen as difficult to handle by other firms. In fact, they have been known for having a 98% client satisfaction rating, which means their reputation is truly exceptional, for they have been providing clients with the absolute best projects and generating creations with top-notch quality visualizations.

Website: Vizsource.com

39. United-BIM

United BIM mainly focuses on creating precise and clear construction ideas for BIM models. They collaboratively work with construction managers and architects to ensure that the project they are creating is specific and concise and is ready for the field. What sets them apart is their kind of approach that is consultative. They believe that it is very important to be transparent to the clients, so they act as a real partner in which they help resolving design errors and ensures they meet their needs with a reasonable solution. In fact, they have produced thousands of projects already in their over a decade of experience. All through those years, they have been consistent in delivering reliable and detailed projects and making sure they provide quality products, as it remains valuable while running everything smoothly.

Website: United-bim.com

40. The AEC Associates

The AEC Associates focuses on turning complicated architectural ideas into a creative visual that is clear and easy to understand. In their service, they meticulously integrate structure, design, elements, and materials into every project they render. Their walkthroughs expert designers create experiences that truly make the stakeholders’ vision clear and meet their own expectations, even way before the project has been done.

This company values high-quality projects, and they provide them to clients all around the world. They are also known for being reliable as they spot errors early on and try to solve them as early as they can in order to save time and avoid making the process more expensive throughout the process. So if what you’re looking for is a studio that could bring your visions to life and can create a project that meets your goals with clarity and impact, then AEC Associate is the best hand for you.

Website: Theaecassociates.com

41. Tesla Outsourcing Services

Tesla Outsourcing Services specializes in helping businesses create their visions through professional 3D visuals. The company highlights services such as providing creation from interior to exterior renderings, product visuals, and animations, and all this, they always put their mind to it as they focus on clarity, consistency, and technical precision in each project they try to generate. The team behind this creative company collaboratively partnered with developers, designers, and architects, and they really follow a significant workflow which keeps them providing projects that are not just high-quality, but also ensuring to meet them right on deadline. So if what you’re looking for is visuals that you can confidently trust to present in the market, then Tesla Outsourcing Service is the go-to partner that you can rely on.

Website: Teslaoutsourcingservices.com

RELATED: Types and Benefits of 3D Cutaway Rendering for 3D Architectural Rendering Services

42. SMAARCHVIZ

SMAARCHVIZ delivers quality 3D visualization projects to real estate teams, architects, and developers. They can help you with a lot of things, especially in the interior and exterior renderings, down to walkthroughs and animations. In each project they produce, they always rely on materials that keep the realistic aspect as it is, also assuring good lighting and clear layouts to be able to present a well-presented and clear project design. SMAARCHBIZ puts emphasis on every detail, and they are capable of handling projects on any scale, ensuring that they deliver quality products consistently and deliver them on time. So, if what you’re looking for is a project that is clearly polished and a company that could help you deliver project decisions, whether it’s a small or a large-scale project, then SMAARCHVIZ is right for you.

Website: Smaarchviz.com

43. Bottomline Studio

Bottomline Studio focuses their services on residential, commercial, and product design projects that aim at high-quality architectural visuals and 3D renders. They create services that put emphasis on the importance of 3D interior rendering services and exterior renderings, concept visuals, and even animations. And they ensure to generate a clear representation of polished aesthetics that is also technically accurate as they go through the process of producing the product.

The team always makes sure to have a collaborative effort with the clients so that they could be able to make sure that every design is created correctly and that the aims of the project will be thoroughly met. Bottom Line Studio is known for its reliable delivery and consistent quality, as they provide professionalism. So it really is a perfect partner for businesses that are looking for a project that’s made with clarity and impact, and is ready for market approvals.

Website: Bottomlinestudio.com

Final Thoughts

A great 3D visualization is more than visually appealing. It must communicate the design’s ideas, tell the intention behind its visuals, and not just convince clients, but establish credibility that will stay throughout the process. All the companies that have been highlighted in this article have their own strengths, credentials, and style in showcasing their project output designs. While every project is created uniquely and believed to have its own style, cost, and timeline, it is best to choose the one that truly stands out and can truly be of help with the entirety of your project goal.

How Cad Crowd can help

If you are looking for a company that will best meet you where you want the project to lead, CAD Crowd is guaranteed to help you bring it to life. It makes everything simple, easy, and runs smoothly. A lot of skillful 3D experts will do the job for you and deliver your project’s vision with clarity and professional realism.

author avatar

MacKenzie Brown is the founder and CEO of Cad Crowd. With over 18 years of experience in launching and scaling platforms specializing in CAD services, product design, manufacturing, hardware, and software development, MacKenzie is a recognized authority in the engineering industry. Under his leadership, Cad Crowd serves esteemed clients like NASA, JPL, the U.S. Navy, and Fortune 500 companies, empowering innovators with access to high-quality design and engineering talent.

Connect with me: LinkedInXCad Crowd

California Lawmakers Are Working On A Bill To Preserve Access To Online Games



A bill that could require game publishers to offer a way to access online games after they are no longer actively supported is making its way to a floor vote in the California State Assembly, the first step on its way to becoming law, Ars Technica reports. The bill, which was introduced as the “Protect Our Games Act,” is particularly notable because Stop Killing Games, a games preservation group pushing for similar protections in the EU and UK, advised on its creation.

If made law in its current incarnation, the Protect Our Games Act would require game publishers or “digital game operators” to warn players at least 60 days in advance of when “services necessary for the ordinary use of the digital game will cease,” and either offer a refund of the full purchase price of the game, a software patch that would make the game playable or a version of the game that works “independent of services controlled by the operator.” The law wouldn’t apply to free games or games that are only accessible via a subscription. It also would only apply to titles released on or after January 1, 2027.

Engadget has contacted the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the industry group that represents game publishers, to comment on the proposed law. We’ll update this article if we hear back.

The bill addresses a core issue of modern game ownership: no one truly owns their games, and they especially don’t own them when they rely on server support from a publisher. Live service games might be sold as a one-time purchase, but they need an internet connection and server infrastructure to function as designed. Once a developer or publisher wants to stop maintaining that infrastructure, the game is effectively dead, and in the case of Ubisoft’s open-world racing game The Crew, delisted from stores and removed from players’ game libraries. Responding to the deletion of The Crew was part of the reason Stop Killing Games was created in the first place.

Assemblymember Chris Ward introduced the Protect Our Games Act to the California Assembly in February 2026. The bill has now made it through the Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee, Judiciary Committee and Appropriations Committee as of May 14, which means the Assembly can take up it for a full vote. Stop Killing Games shared that it advised on the bill via a Reddit post in March, and the group appears to be happy with its progress. “Back shortly before Christmas, when I flew to the US to help set up SKG-US, I didn’t expect us to get this far this quickly,” Moritz Katzner, Stop Killing Games’ General Director, European Affairs, said in a separate post.

There’s still a long path through the California State Assembly and State Senate before the bill can be signed into law, but the progress is promising. Interestingly, at least one game publisher has tried to improve its handling of online games since the initial The Crew debacle. Ubisoft added an offline mode to The Crew 2 in October 2025 that means the game should remain accessible even after support for its online features ends.

160+ Juneteenth Words That Start with A – Z


I have to admit that when I first started this Juneteenth A-Z words post, I had no idea what Juneteenth was all about. I errantly thought it was about some school thing like 100th day of school or something like that.

Wow, was I wrong!! When I learned what it’s about, I am the MOST PROUD of THIS post than any of my A-Z words guides to date!!

I remember as a little girl, really latching onto the story of Rosa Parks and just loving what she did for history.

Segregation is wrong.

Abuse is wrong.

Slavery is wrong.

And to celebrate a day where there is freedom, justice, EQUALITY, I just want to cry right now. 🥹 I’m so happy I learned of this special occasion, I’m so happy we celebrate it, and I’m so happy for all people who were enslaved to finally be free!!! 🎉🎉🎉

Free from oppression, abuse, guilt, slavery. Free from it all.

Listen, I’ll be blunt…God made us ALLLLL equals. No matter what skin color we happen to have, what gender we are, or any other identifying attributes we carry as humans. God never condoned slavery in Scripture and within the pages of the Bible, we see the ugliness of man, the sinfulness of people. It was never okay.

Ah, I just love this day so much. 😍 I’m celebrating along with you on this amazing day with a fun Juneteenth A-Z words list!! 🙏

Juneteenth Vocabulary Words For Freedom, History, & Celebration

Juneteenth is such a meaningful holiday to learn about because it carries both deep history and joyful celebration. 🥳

It points back to June 19, 1865, when freedom was finally announced to enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, and it gives us a beautiful opportunity to talk about courage, hope, justice, family, community, and perseverance.

This Juneteenth A-Z list is a helpful way to build Juneteenth vocabulary words, spark conversations, create writing prompts, plan classroom lessons, or add meaningful words to printables, worksheets, bulletin boards, and holiday activities.

You’ll find words connected to history, freedom, food traditions, music, family gatherings, faith, education, and remembrance, all in one easy freedom day word list.

Use this Juneteenth word list as…

  • Juneteenth words for students
  • Words for Juneteenth vocabulary
  • A Juneteenth word bank
  • Juneteenth words for classrooms
  • Juneteenth learning resources
  • Juneteenth projects and printables
  • and more!

Be sure to check out my other A-Z lists for more fun! 🎉

Let’s dive in…

Juneteenth words that start with A

  • Abolish
  • Activist
  • African American History
  • Ancestors
  • Ancestry
  • Announcement
  • Army
  • Awareness

Juneteenth words that start with B

  • Banner
  • Belonging
  • Black History
  • Black Independence Day
  • Blessing
  • Brave
  • Breakthrough

Juneteenth words that start with C

  • Celebrate
  • Celebration
  • Ceremony
  • Change
  • Citizenship
  • Civil Rights
  • Civil War
  • Commemorate
  • Community
  • Constitution
  • Courage
  • Courageous
  • Cultural Heritage
  • Culture

Juneteenth words that start with D

  • Dancing
  • Declaration
  • Deliverance
  • Dignity
  • Dream

Juneteenth words that start with E

  • Educate
  • Education
  • Emancipated
  • Emancipation
  • Emancipation Proclamation
  • Empowerment
  • Endurance
  • Enslaved
  • Equality

Juneteenth words that start with F

  • Family Reunion
  • Federal Holiday
  • Festival
  • Finally
  • Flag
  • Free
  • Freedom
  • Freed People
  • Freedmen’s Bureau
  • Future

Juneteenth words that start with G

  • Galveston – the Texas city where the news of freedom was announced/enforced on June 19, 1865
  • Gather
  • Gathering
  • General Gordon Granger – the Union general who arrived in Galveston and issued the order
  • General Order Number 3 – the official order announcing that enslaved people in Texas were free
  • Generational Strength
  • Generations
  • Gratitude

Juneteenth words that start with H

  • Heard
  • Heritage
  • Hibiscus Tea
  • Historic Moment
  • History
  • Holiday
  • Honor
  • Honored Ancestors
  • Hope
  • Human Rights

Juneteenth words that start with I

  • Impact
  • Important
  • Independence
  • Inspirational

Juneteenth words that start with J

  • Joy
  • Joyful Celebration
  • Jubilee
  • June
  • Juneteenth
  • Justice 🎉

Juneteenth words that start with K

Juneteenth words that start with L

  • Learning
  • Legacy
  • Liberation
  • Liberty
  • Lincoln
  • Long Overdue

Juneteenth words that start with M

  • Marching Band
  • Memorial
  • Music

Juneteenth words that start with N

  • National Holiday
  • Nineteenth

Juneteenth words that start with O

  • Opal Lee – known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth, because she spent years advocating for Juneteenth to become a national holiday
  • Opportunity
  • Organize
  • Overcome

Juneteenth words that start with P

  • Parade
  • Peace
  • Perseverance
  • Persevere
  • Power
  • Prayer
  • Proclamation
  • Progress
  • Promise
  • Protection

Juneteenth words that start with Q

  • Quality – the fight for a better quality of life and equal rights
  • Quell – to end injustice and oppression
  • Quest for Freedom
  • Quiet Courage
  • Quiet Strength
  • Quietude – moments of reflection on historical significance

Juneteenth words that start with R

  • Recognize
  • Reconstruction
  • Red Foods – are part of many Juneteenth celebrations because red symbolizes sacrifice, resilience, power, and the bloodshed connected to the long fight for freedom
  • Red Punch
  • Red Soda
  • Red Velvet Cake
  • Reflection
  • Rejoice
  • Remembrance
  • Resilience
  • Resistance
  • Respect
  • Restore
  • Rights
  • Roots

Juneteenth words that start with S

  • Service
  • Shared History
  • Songs of Freedom
  • Storytelling
  • Strawberry Soda
  • Strength

Juneteenth words that start with T

  • Teach
  • Texas – Juneteenth happened because enslaved people in Texas were the last to receive the news that they were free, when General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865
  • Togetherness
  • Tradition
  • Transition
  • Triumph
  • Truth

Juneteenth words that start with U

  • Unbroken
  • Union
  • Union Army
  • United Community
  • United States
  • Unity

Juneteenth words that start with V

  • Victory
  • Victory Song
  • Voices

Juneteenth words that start with W

  • Walk of Freedom
  • Watch Night
  • Wisdom Keepers
  • Worship

Juneteenth words that start with X

  • Xenogenesis – the birth of a new era of freedom
  • Xenophilia – appreciation and love for diverse cultures

Juneteenth words that start with Y

  • Yearly Celebration
  • Young Voices

Juneteenth words that start with Z

  • Zeal
  • Zenith – the peak of freedom and the highest point of achievement

 

What Is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth is a holiday that remembers June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas were told they were free.

Even though the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued earlier, the news had not reached everyone right away. General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and shared General Order Number 3, which announced freedom in Texas.

In today’s culture, Juneteenth is a time to remember history, honor freedom, celebrate community, and teach the next generation why this day matters so very much.

Ways To Use This Juneteenth A-Z Word List

This Juneteenth word list can be used in so many meaningful ways for learning, writing, and holiday activities.

You can use these words for:

  • Juneteenth writing prompts
  • Vocabulary lessons
  • Classroom bulletin boards
  • Word searches
  • Coloring pages
  • I-Spy games
  • History worksheets
  • Notebooking pages
  • Copywork practice
  • Discussion starters
  • Holiday activity packets
  • Homeschool lessons
  • Church or community celebration activities

It’s also a great starting point if you’re creating a Juneteenth printable, lesson plan, or simple educational activity and want strong, respectful words to include.

Looking for more…see all the A-Z lists here!

NYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for May 16: Tips to solve Connections #600


Today’s Connections: Sports Edition will require some sports and pop culture knowledge.

As we’ve shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT‘s latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication’s sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes before the game ends.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here’s a hint for today’s Connections: Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

Here are today’s Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:

Looking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today’s Connections: Sports Edition #600 is…

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

  • Boston Teams: BRUINS, PATRIOTS, RED SOX, REVOLUTION

  • Last Four NBA Champions: CELITCS, NUGGETS, THUNDER, WARRIORS

  • “Blue” Teams: BLUE DEVILS, BLUE JACKETS, BLUE JAYS, BLUES

  • “Green” Teams and Players: DRAYMOND GREEN, GREEN BAY, GREEN WAVE, MEAN GREEN

Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.

If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Connections.



I’m waiting days between attempts to catch one fish in Final Fantasy 14 before it disappears for months, so don’t let anyone tell you raids are the ‘hardcore’ challenge


Final Fantasy 14 has sent my unintimidating, run-of-the-mill-looking cat girl on all manner of world-saving missions. She’s squared up with a dying god on the moon, fist fought an alien super weapon, and even confronted the literal embodiment of nihilism at the ends of the universe. My girl has been through a lot, but the MMO is pretty good at making me feel like there’s no challenge I can’t rise to meet.

Well, that is until you give her a fishing rod. For a cat person, my little Warrior of Light absolutely sucks with a rod and tackle box. You would think the hero of the universe could do a little black magic and complete her fishing log, but nah. I haven’t even caught fish that Final Fantasy 14 added over a decade ago. It’s that dire.

Fanatical's Capcom Classics Bundle Offers 8 DRM-Free PC Games For Cheap



Fanatical’s May 2026 Bundle Fest is still going strong, and one of the best ones to browse is the Capcom Classic Bundle: GOG Edition. If you’re a fan of retro games, this eight-game collection offers some of Capcom’s best, covering a few different genres like survival horror, fighting, and RPGs. Like with other build your own bundles through fanatical, you can start with choosing any three games for $8, or $3 each. Then if you get five or more games, they’re down to $2.80. If you want all eight titles, they’re each $2.75. That’s eight games for just $22 compared to the $96 full-price value.

One of the biggest draws here is the first three original Resident Evil games. These may have no aged the most gracefully, but it’s hard to deny the charms of the cheesy voice acting and the tense fixed camera angles. I know we all remember the first time the zombie dog crashed through the window in the Spencer mansion in the opening moments of Resident Evil, and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis’ Clocktower section is an iconic location that sadly wasn’t included in the 2020 remake. You can also pick up Dino Crisis and its sequel, which take the fixed camera, tank-controls, and other design sensibilities from Resident Evil and pits against new prehistoric threats.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The Coding Harness Behind GitHub Copilot in VS Code


May 15, 2026 by Julia Kasper, Megan Rogge and Aaron Munger

With each new model release, the same conversation is reignited. Which model is the smartest? Which one is fastest? Which one should we use? Those are useful questions, but for a product like Visual Studio Code the model is only one part of the agentic coding experience. What developers actually interact with is the coding harness: the layer that assembles context, exposes tools, runs the agent loop, interprets tool calls, and turns a model’s output into something useful inside the editor. In this post, we’ll look at what that harness does, why it matters, and how we evaluate it as models and developer workflows evolve.

Diagram showing that an agent is made up of a model plus a harness. The harness includes the agent loop, tools, context management, and system prompt.

What is the coding harness?

Language models do not edit files, execute commands, or run tests by themselves. They can only produce text. The coding harness is the system that acts as a bridge between the code editor and the language model. It turns that text into action and feeds the results back so the model can decide what to do next.

In VS Code, the coding harness has three main responsibilities:

  1. Context assembly: Before any request reaches the model, the harness builds a prompt. That prompt includes a system message with behavioral instructions, the user’s query, workspace structure (languages, frameworks, open editors), conversation history from prior turns, tool results, custom instructions, and memory from earlier sessions. The harness decides what the model sees, and those decisions directly affect quality.

  2. Tool exposure: The harness declares the tools the model is allowed to call: reading files (read_file), editing code (replace_string_in_file or apply_patch), running terminal commands (run_in_terminal), searching the codebase (semantic_search), and many more. Each tool has a JSON schema the model must follow and a description the model uses to decide when to invoke it. The set of available tools can change per request. Some tools are only enabled for certain models, some require user confirmation before execution, users can toggle tools on and off in the tool picker, MCP servers and extensions can contribute entirely new tools that slot into the same loop, and custom agents (.agent.md) can restrict their tool set to a specific subset.

  3. Tool execution: When the model requests a tool to be run (using JSON like {"name": "run_in_terminal", "arguments": {"command": "npm test"}}), the harness is the one that validates the arguments, runs the tool, handles errors, formats the result, and feeds it back in the next iteration. For example, if the model asks to edit a file, the harness writes the diff. If the model asks to run a shell command, the harness is what spawns the process, captures output, and relays it.

None of these tasks can be directly achieved by the language model. However, this input determines the behavior and outcome of the model and what you experience in the code editor.

The logic that orchestrates these tasks, deciding when to continue or stop iterating and how to keep the conversation coherent across many rounds, is the agent loop.

The agent loop

At its core, when you use an agent in VS Code, a tool-calling loop happens: a “think → act → observe → think again” cycle. On each iteration, the agent harness builds the prompt (system instructions + context + history + all tool results so far), sends it to the model, and checks the response. If the response includes tool calls, the harness executes those tools, captures their results, and loops back. If there are no tool calls, the loop can finish and the assistant’s text becomes the final response.

Simplified diagram of the VS Code agent loop: the user sends a chat message, the tool-calling loop builds a prompt, sends it to the model, executes requested tools, records results, checks loop-control conditions, and either continues or finalizes the chat result.

A turn is the user-visible chat exchange: you send one message, and the agent eventually produces a response. During that turn, the agent loop may perform many rounds. A round is one pass through the loop: build the prompt, call the model, receive text and/or tool calls, execute any tools, record the results, and decide whether to continue. The full execution of all those rounds is the loop’s run. A single user turn might trigger many rounds as the model searches files, reads code, edits files, runs tests, reads the output, and iterates on failures.

The tool-calling loop is bounded by loop-control checks. We enforce a tool-call limit, check for cancellation between rounds, and run stop hooks. Stop hooks are extension points that can inspect the agent state and either allow it to finish or push it to keep working. Within the loop, the prompt is rebuilt on every iteration. That means the model always sees the latest state of the workspace: if it edited a file three rounds ago, the current prompt reflects that edit. The harness also manages conversation summarization. When the accumulated history grows too large, it compresses earlier rounds into a summary so the model can keep working without hitting the context window ceiling.

Note:
Want to see the harness in action? You can explore the VS Code source code, use the Tools UI in Chat to review the tools available for a request, and open the Chat Debug View to inspect the prompts, tool calls, and results.

The harness is the product

When a new model ships, it needs to fit into an existing harness. The system prompt, the tool definitions, the loop logic, the context assembly, all of it was built and tuned over many months of real-world use. The model gets better at filling in the blanks, but the harness defines what the blanks are.

This matters even more because GitHub Copilot lets you use models from multiple model providers. And GitHub Copilot in VS Code supports a growing model ecosystem. Developers can switch between models, use auto-selection, bring their own keys, or install extra providers via extensions. This means that VS Code has to deal with a broad and continuously evolving ecosystem, not a single stable API.

The harness is what enables VS Code to handle this model flexibility without forcing developers to relearn the product every time. You should be able to switch models or try a new provider while keeping the core experience familiar: chat, sessions, tools, terminal output, debugging, and source control.

But integrating a new model is rarely just adding an extra option to the model picker. Providers differ in how they expose tool calling, structured outputs, reasoning controls, prompt caching, context limits, and error behavior. Some models are better at long planning. Some are better at terse edits. Each model has different strengths, and we work closely with model providers before each release to adapt the system prompt, tool descriptions, and loop behavior accordingly. Providers often grant us early access to new model checkpoints, which are pre-release snapshots of upcoming models, so we can start tuning the harness before the model is generally available.

Flow diagram showing VS Code and model providers iterating from an upcoming model release through Copilot API onboarding, harness optimization, evaluation, provider feedback, and launch.

Different models need different harness behavior. Claude models use replace_string_in_file for edits; GPT models use apply_patch. Gemini needs reminders to use tool-calling instead of narrating it, and breaks on orphaned tool calls in history. Some models support extended thinking and need reasoning-effort controls. Some work best with a concise system prompt; others need verbose, structured instructions to stay on track. The harness selects different system prompts per model – Claude Sonnet 4 gets a different prompt than Claude 4.5, which gets a different one than Opus.

All these per-model differences aren’t trivial. They translate into per-model system prompts, per-model tool sets, and per-model conversation management. This means that when a new model ships, we can’t just flip a switch but we need to validate its behavior. We validate tool schemas, retune defaults, and re-run full agent sessions before anything ships. Beyond the model functioning correctly, the harder question is how can we verify that a new model actually gives better results.

Evaluation keeps the harness honest

Just like you need to test a new feature before you ship it, models also need to be tested. That’s where model evaluation comes in. Before a model ships in VS Code, we evaluate it from multiple angles. We run offline benchmarks, test it internally, and compare it against the models already available in the product. After the model is live, we keep measuring: A/B tests, aggregate usage signals, and weekly reporting help us understand how the model behaves in real developer workflows.

Diagram showing an overview of the VS Code evaluation pipeline.

There are multiple public model benchmarks, which are useful as a shared reference point. We use these benchmarks to compare against the broader model ecosystem and to catch obvious regressions. But at frontier levels, they are no longer sufficient as a quality indicator. OpenAI stopped reporting SWE-bench Verified results after finding that frontier models could sometimes reproduce gold patches from memory, making contamination harder to ignore.

Coverage is another limitation. SWE-bench is valuable, but it is still centered on public bug-fixing tasks. Terminal-Bench is useful for measuring command-line competence, but many tasks look more like isolated terminal puzzles than the kinds of workflows developers actually bring to an editor. Real-world coding agents need to do more than patch a known bug or solve a shell challenge. They need to scaffold projects, migrate codebases, refactor across files, follow instructions, and handle terminals and browsers.

We still run these benchmarks, but they are only a starting point. To decide which models are ready to ship in VS Code, we need something closer to the product we are actually building.

Building VSC-Bench

That’s why we built VSC-Bench, our offline evaluation suite for VS Code agent behavior. VSC-Bench focuses on VS Code-specific developer tasks that public benchmarks do not cover well: custom agent modes, extension workflows, MCP and tool use, terminal and browser interaction, multi-turn conversations, and multi-language coding tasks across TypeScript, Python, C++, and others.

We use VSC-Bench to measure model behavior across solution correctness, agent effort, token efficiency, and latency. The chart below focuses on resolution rate and token usage, but before a model becomes part of the VS Code experience, we evaluate the full set of dimensions. That trade-off matters before a model or reasoning setting becomes a default in the editor.

Scatter chart comparing VSC-Bench model resolution rate against median total tokens for different models and reasoning settings.
This chart summarizes 40 VSC-Bench runs across eight model-effort configurations. Each point represents one model-effort configuration, with higher points resolving more tasks and points farther to the right using more tokens. For these set of VSC-benchmark tasks, xhigh uses more tokens than high but resolves slightly fewer, which may indicate that it is past the useful effort sweet spot where extra thinking no longer converts into better outcomes.

Each VSC-Bench task runs in a reproducible, containerized workspace. The harness launches VS Code, opens the workspace, sends one or more user prompts to the agent, lets the agent respond with text and tool calls, and then evaluates what happened. That gives us a more realistic view of the full agent loop: not just whether the final code looks right, but whether the agent used the editor, terminal, language services, browser, and tools in ways that match the VS Code experience.

Together with public benchmarks, VSC-Bench gives us a more balanced signal: public evals tell us how a model compares to the field, while product-specific evals tell us whether it is ready for the experience developers expect inside VS Code.

How we benchmark agent changes before they merge

Benchmarks aren’t just for shipping models. They’re also how we vet harness changes before they land. If a PR touches a core tool, a system prompt, or anything else that could move agent behavior, we want benchmark numbers before it merges.

For those PRs, the VS Code team uses an automated eval assessment flow. Adding the ~requires-eval-assessment label to a PR kicks off the process: the PR is built, shipped as an eval agent, benchmarked, and the results are posted back on the PR:

  1. Build the PR. A webhook routes the label event into a workflow in vscode-engineering, which kicks off an Azure DevOps build against the PR’s merge ref. One automatic retry on failure; the PR gets a “queued 1 of 2” comment so reviewers can follow along.

  2. Publish an eval agent. On a successful build, a publish pipeline ships a versioned agent (0.0.0-dev.<sha>) to the vscode-evals npm feed on the dev tag. The PR comment flips to “queued 2 of 2”.

  3. File an evald issue. The publish pipeline fires a repository_dispatch back at vscode-engineering, which opens a model-evaluation issue on github/evald pinned to that exact published agent.

  4. Report back. evald runs the benchmark, monitors it, and produces an analysis comment. An Azure Logic App forwards just the comment URLs (not the analysis body — that stays private on evald) back as another repository_dispatch, which posts a link on the original VS Code PR.

Screenshot of an eval assessment report showing eval evidence with terminal logs, a task comparison table, and the proposed fix.

The model is the engine. The harness is the car.

We started with a question developers ask every few months: which model is best? But for a coding agent, that question is a little like asking: which engine is best? The engine matters, but it’s not enough on its own. It’s the context the model sees, the tools it can reach, the loop that keeps it going, and the evaluation that makes sure it all works. That’s the harness, and it’s what we spend most of our engineering time on.

As models gain new capabilities like longer context, better planning, and native tool use, the harness evolves to take advantage of them. And as developers push agent mode into new workflows, we feed what we learn back into the loop, the tools, and the evaluations. Every VS Code release ships harness improvements alongside model updates.

If you’re curious about how the harness works, you can get hands-on with it today. Explore the VS Code source code, use the Tools UI in Chat to see which tools are available for a request, and open the Chat Debug View to inspect the prompts, tool calls, and results behind an agent run. Try switching models, add your own tools, and let us know what works — share your feedback in our GitHub repo.

Happy coding! 💙

RJ Scaringe has raised more than $12 billion across three startups and investors still want more


Investors can’t seem to get enough of RJ Scaringe or his ideas.

In less than a decade, the serial entrepreneur best known for his EV company Rivian, has raised more than $12.3 billion from venture capital firms, as well as strategic and institutional investors for his three — and counting — startups. If the latest $400 million raise for his new venture Mind Robotics is an indicator, investors are still happily piling in.

Outsized raises for newly minted startups have become more common in recent years. But those hundred-million-plus seed rounds have generally been reserved for buzzy defense tech startups or AI companies founded by former OpenAI or Anthropic employees.

Those supersized seeds certainly weren’t flowing toward something as niche as an electric micromobility startup. And yet in 2025, Scaringe raised $105 million for exactly that — a startup called Also, which he founded that same year. The total has since surpassed $300 million, with DoorDash among its backers.

Jiten Behl, partner at Eclipse and former chief growth officer at Rivian, has spent years watching and learning from Scaringe. His firm is now one of Scaringe’s biggest backers, leading rounds in both Also and Mind Robotics — Scaringe’s industrial AI and robotics startup that he also founded last year.

Storytelling and communication are one of his superpowers, according to Behl, who joined Rivian when the company had just a handful of employees.

“When RJ explains a certain issue, topic, opportunity, vision, he just has this very unique ability to communicate it so effectively, and it comes across so credible,” Behl said. “He’s not trying to undersell the difficulty or oversell the opportunity, and that’s an art.”

Scaringe isn’t the only serial entrepreneur to repeatedly attract massive amounts of capital, but founders who can raise billions across multiple ventures remain rare. The self-professed car enthusiast who earned his doctorate in mechanical engineering from MIT, joins a small cadre of entrepreneurs that includes Tesla CEO and SpaceX co-founder Elon Musk, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anduril and Oculus founder Palmer Luckey, and Jack Dorsey, who founded Square (now called Block) and Twitter.

The difference, at least in the view of some investors TechCrunch spoke to, is that he is able to separate selling the idea from selling himself. “He is very comfortable and confident in his own personality, and he’s not trying to be an Elon,” Behl said, noting that many have tried to make the comparison over the years.

“It’s not about him,” another insider familiar with Scaringe’s companies told TechCrunch. “When you talk to him, he has enthusiasm about the product that is completely external.”

Of course, there is confidence and even a little ego, the same source mused, but “it doesn’t weigh on you.” The source also added that Scaringe also has a unique ability to make you feel like the most special person in the room — a sentiment others echoed.

Giving that kind of undivided attention to an investor, supplier, or exec at a manufacturer is a challenge at the scale Scaringe is attempting. He is running three companies, often traveling between Palo Alto, Irvine, Rivian’s factory in Normal, Illinois, and a second factory soon to open in Georgia. And then there is family — Scaringe has three sons with his ex-wife.

Joe Fath, another partner at Eclipse, credits his open-mindedness and collaborative nature for helping him attract investment and juggle these connected, yet disparate businesses.

He noted that Scaringe also “has the rare combination of being a truly great engineer while also having an exceptional instinct for product design,” said Fath, who previously worked at a major Rivian backer T.Rowe Price. “Very few founders can operate at that level technically while also understanding what resonates emotionally with customers — both consumers and commercial buyers. That combination is incredibly uncommon and has clearly been part of what makes Rivian’s products (and now ALSO and Mind’s) so differentiated.”

The pace of Scaringe’s fundraising over the past eight years is particularly notable, and doesn’t seem to be slowing.

More than $11 billion, and by far the largest slice of VC and strategic capital, went into Rivian — most of it between 2018 and its blockbuster IPO in 2021. That’s a startling timeline especially considering the company, initially called Mainstream Motors, had existed since 2009. For years, Rivian operated as a small, unknown entity until its breakout moment in late 2018 at the Los Angeles Auto Show, when it revealed prototypes of its all-electric R1T truck and R1S SUV.

The money soon flowed, and from every direction. In early 2019 and just a couple of months after that reveal, Rivian raised a $700 million funding round led by Amazon. U.S. automaker Ford would invest $500 million and make plans to collaborate on a since-scrapped future EV program. Cox Automotive contributed $350 million. Rivian would close out the year with a $1.3 billion round — its fourth in 2019 — led by funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, with additional participation from Amazon, Ford, and funds managed by BlackRock.

In July 2020, Rivian raised $2.5 billion and another $2.65 billion six months later. As whispers of an IPO got louder, Rivian closed another $2.5 billion private funding round led by Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, D1 Capital Partners, Ford Motor and funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates Inc. Third Point, Fidelity Management and Research Company, Dragoneer Investment Group and Coatue also participated.

Then the IPO came. Rivian raised nearly $12 billion in gross proceeds after locking in $78 per share. Its market cap hit $100 billion when it debuted on Nasdaq in November 2021. Today, it stands at $18.2 billion today, a significant comedown that also reflects the broader struggles of the EV sector.

The ability to raise that much capital, despite those headwinds, is exceptional. But Scaringe didn’t stop with Rivian. If anything, the pace has accelerated. Also and Mind Robotics have together raised more than $1.3 billion so far, with Mind Robotics moving especially fast: $115 million in its first year, $500 million in March, and another $400 million just this week.

Rivian also continues to land notable backers through high-profile deals like the $5.8 billion joint venture with Volkswagen Group and a robotaxi partnership valued at up to $1.25 billion with Uber.

“Now, the big question is, how much can he do?” Behl said. “That’s a question [that] already assumes that he’s reaching his limit. The thing is, he doesn’t look at it that way. His perspective is that there is huge value to be created, there is huge impact to be created, and I just have to do it.”

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