Set sail on an adventure spanning past and present in DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined! As a bright-eyed young fisherman’s son, you’ve lived your entire life on the peaceful island of Estard. Your journey begins with a simple question: is there more to the world than this small island kingdom? On a quest for answers, you and your childhood friends discover the Shrine of Mysteries and are swept back in time. There, you uncover the shocking truth that entire lands have been sealed away by a malevolent force.
The fate of the world now rests in your hands. DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined brings a timeless classic to life in a whole new way with charming diorama visuals, updated gameplay mechanics, and a streamlined story. For seasoned adventurers, rediscover a tale of plucky companions that is brimming with joy and heartbreak. For fledgling heroes new to the series, this is a great place to begin your DRAGON QUEST journey.
Screenshots
SystemRequirements
Minimum Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows® 11
Processor: AMD Ryzen™ 3 1200/Intel® Core™ i3-6100
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: AMD Radeon™ RX 460/Intel® Arc™ A380/NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 750
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 15 GB available space
Support the game developers by purchasing the game on Steam
InstallationGuide
TurnOff Your Antivirus Before Installing Any Game
1 :: Download Game 2 :: Extract Game 3 :: Launch The Game 4 :: Have Fun 🙂
OK, It’s summer 2022. I’m making a house interior for my Renaissance-paintings-come-to-life style adventure game, Death of the Reprobate (one of three critically-acclaimed titles in The Immortal John Triptych) and I’ve ended up with more doors than I anticipated.
Fig 1 – Death of the Reprobate, Carpenter’s House (with screaming babies)
These games are made entirely from chopped up Renaissance paintings, so I can’t just remove a door – not without finding a matching piece of blank wall at least. But large areas of blank wall tend not to be the preferred subject matter of many artists.
I don’t want too many ‘corridor’ scenes because they make for annoying backtracking. And I don’t want too many loops because they tend to make navigation confusing. Also, I’m trying to keep this game small (that didn’t work out), so I’m now in urgent need of a dead end.
I have some on-brand garden/courtyard paintings in a folder called ‘village bits’, but I can’t find a way to stitch them together nicely, and they are full of bloody doors anyway, so I eventually give up and move onto something else. Maybe I go and painstakingly cut around every leaf in the silhouette of an attractive tree, or write a joke about frog’s butts, I don’t remember.
Six months later I’m aimlessly browsing museum catalogues again when I stumble across this beauty!
Fig 2 – Andreas Schelfhout, Binnenplaatsje (1820-1830)
But, Joe! 1820-1830?! That’s not a Renaissance painting! Well, yes, I admit I have been using the term ‘Renaissance art’ increasingly loosely, and at this late stage of development I have been forced to cast my net rather wider than initially intended. But look at it! Clear boundaries either side, a nice open floor area, a potentially petable dog! It even has a stable style door similar to the one exiting the previous scene… The gods have truly smiled upon me.
It will need some work though. The woman kind of has her back to us, and she is performing an action I can’t easily animate in a loop, and the boy looks like a dickhead, so let’s get rid of them. And let’s open up that door and pop a background musician in there while we’re at it (every scene in the game has diegetic music).
Fig 3 – Death of the Reprobate courtyard scene in progress
Getting there, but the scene looks a bit empty now. And I didn’t do a great job of patching that gap where the people were, so I need to find something to fill the void. I need something big enough to cover the bad patch job, but ideally something nice and easy to animate. I scroll through my “Use Me” folder and find a man in his wife’s dress, angrily wielding a large stick. It’s funny, but a nightmare to animate. I find a creepily over-sexy Adam and Eve by Hans Baldung. Again, very funny, but it’s too tall to cover the bad patch work. Finally, I move on to my “stuff” folder and stumble across this wonderfully rectangular, mercifully static bull.
Fig 4 – Jacques Raymond Brascassat, Study of a Bull (1850)
Now we have a scene. It’s time to see if we can add some interaction, The Immortal John Triptych is meant to be a game after all. The obvious first step is to see if we can get that pump working. I’ll turn the handle around so we can access it more easily, and try my best to chop some bits of river together into a passable running water animation.
That’ll do! But… Wait a minute… look at the angle the bull is standing at… its butt is… what if I just flipped and tinted that water animation…
Oh dear. I have made myself chuckle. Now I have no option but to write a puzzle involving a bucket full of pink cow excrement. The rest writes itself. Of course I’m going to let you feed the bull. Of course different food will produce different colours of poop. Of course I’m going to let you collect the poop in a bucket and refer to it as a bucket of milkshake and make you feed it to one of those screaming children in the previous room. There is literally nothing I could have done to prevent any this happening. I didn’t want a bucket full of pink BS in my video game. You certainly didn’t. But the artwork has spoken and I’m merely it’s humble conduit.
The Immortal John Triptych, for better or for worse, with my most sincere apologies, will be available on XBOX August 27. Wishlist it now.
The Immortal John Triptych
Akupara Games
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
The Immortal John Triptych is the ULTIMATE anthology of the Joe Richardson games. Four Last Things, The Procession to Calvary, and Death of the Reprobate are brought together under one glorious sun with never-before-seen deleted scenes, updated language parity across all three titles, an expanded soundtrack by Eduardo Antonello with new original recordings, manual saves for Four Last Things, backflips in The Procession to Calvary, and a button to trigger a superfluous trumpeted fanfare whenever you need to celebrate. Embrace the absurd, the profound, and the sweet soothing aesthetic of the Renaissance in The Immortal John Triptych.
Immortal John is dying. A holy war has ended in chaos. Sin itself demands reckoning. Three interconnected tales unfold across a world built from Renaissance paintings and Classical music, where the ridiculous and the profound collide.
Help locals with their daily tasks, only to find the Devil lurking in the shadows. Chase a tyrant across kingdoms while assisting inept magicians and negotiating with God Almighty. Navigate sin, death, judgement, heaven and hell, all topped with a cherry of gleeful flippancy.
From quiet countryside kindness spiraling into madness, to holy vengeance wrapped in absurdity, to cosmic philosophy delivered with a wink and a nudge, The Immortal John Triptych proves that the most intelligent thing you can do is embrace the utterly ridiculous.
Unreliable backups, limited alerting, and phishing risks can make customer protection harder to manage at scale.
Vivid Computers adopted the Acronis Cyber Platform to manage backup and cybersecurity services through a single platform, cutting complexity and making customers easier to support. That shift also opened the door to move from break-fix work to recurring data protection revenue.
Read this case study to see how Vivid Computers did it while also growing a more scalable business in the process.
In this case study, you’ll learn:
Reduced complexity by managing multiple customers through a single integrated platform
Strengthened customer protection with reliable backup and email security services
Drove steady recurring revenue growth by showing clients the value of proactive protection
I don’t need to explain what Baldur’s Gate 3 is since it’s one of those games you hear about endlessly, whether you want to or not, because it remains a universally acclaimed phenomenon. PC Gamer’s Fraser Brown gave it our highest score ever in his review, a positively covetable 97, and everyone I know who’s played it did not stop once the credits rolled. But if you’ve yet to take the plunge, now might be a good time: it’s the cheapest it’s ever been on Steam.
Granted, that’s just 30% off, but it’s still a historic low which takes the game down from $60 to $42. That’s 28 Costco hot dogs, and I can personally say I’ve gotten slightly more enjoyment out of Baldur’s Gate 3 than I would get out of 28 Costco hot dogs. In the following paragraphs, I will try to advocate for why that is.
For one, BG3 takes Dungeon & Dragon’s fifth edition and turns into a buildcrafter’s playground—its turn-based combat is a meticulous recreation of the real thing that combines 5e’s RAW with Larian’s trademark elemental field combos and prop destruction, lending the improvisational feel which characterizes tabletop play. The purchase of 28 Costco hot dogs prescribes a very specific sort of evening that invariably ends in physical agony.
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BG3 is also a compelling bit of fantasy fiction in its own right, with an action-blockbuster story that’ll have you battling otherworldly horrors, adjudicating the fates of entire towns, and falling in love with your troubled companions. Its sense of choice and consequence is shocking given the 100+ hour scale of its campaign, offering you the agency to become a paragon of virtue or an angel-murdering psychopath. 28 Costco hot dogs, on the other hand, only offer you one choice: sitting on the commode until your legs go numb.
Anyway, BG3 is quite a good RPG that feels like a bold step forward for a very old style of game. If you like 5e, there’s not a better way to experience it in a videogame, and if you don’t like 5e or are unfamiliar with it, it’s such a solid fantasy game in its own right that it might just make you a believer.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Rumors about Apple’s 2028 iPhone are already starting to circulate, offering an early look at how the company plans to evolve the iPhone’s design, display, and cameras.
The 2028 device will follow the 20th anniversary iPhone, which is set to introduce a display that curves down around all four edges for a near borderless effect. Reports suggest the first version of that design will launch with some visible compromises, and that the 2028 model is where Apple intends to resolve them. As with all rumors this far out, the details remain subject to change.
Because the 2028 iPhone is expected to refine the anniversary design rather than replace it, it should carry over much of what defines the 2027 model. That includes the curved all-glass body with a display that wraps around all four edges, a crater-shaped light diffusion layer that keeps brightness uniform across the curved screen, and a potential shift to solid-state haptic buttons integrated into the frame.
Apple’s goal of moving the Face ID system and front camera beneath the display for a front free of cutouts remains, and the 2028 model may stand a better chance of achieving an uninterrupted display if the technology is not ready in time for 2027. Here are the six key rumors about the 2028 iPhone:
Refined curved-glass display: The 2028 iPhone is expected to use a more advanced version of the four-edge curved display debuting on the 2027 model. Where the anniversary iPhone is said to use a magnesium-silver alloy in its cathode layer, which can introduce image distortion and brightness loss in the curved areas, the 2028 model is reported to switch to more transparent indium zinc oxide cathodes. According to Korea’s ETNews, the change should deliver less distortion, more even brightness, and fewer heat issues at the curved edges.
Hole-Punch Dynamic Island: DSCC’s Ross Young has said under-display Face ID is unlikely to be ready in time for 2027, meaning the 20th anniversary model may retain a Dynamic Island similar to the one on the iPhone 18 Pro. That would leave the 2028 iPhone as the more likely candidate to take the next step toward a cutout-free front, whether through an even smaller hole-punch or a move to place the Face ID system and front camera under the display.
Narrower bezels: The move to indium zinc oxide cathodes is also expected to let Apple narrow the bezel further than on the 2027 anniversary model, bringing the design closer to a true all-screen front. It is one of several improvements ETNews attributes to the more transparent cathode material.
Tandem OLED: Apple is reported to be weighing tandem OLED technology for the iPhone as early as 2028, having already adopted it on the M4 iPad Pro. The structure stacks two organic light-emitting layers for improved brightness, a longer lifespan, and better power efficiency than the single-layer panels used in current iPhones. LG Display is said to be promoting a “simplified tandem” approach that stacks two layers for the blue sub-pixel only, though the final decision rests with Apple.
‘A22 Pro’ chip: The high-end 2028 models are expected to move from the 2-nanometer process used in 2027 to a 1.4-nanometer “A22 Pro” chip. Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman reported that the chip will be built on TSMC’s A14 node, which is said to offer up to 15% better performance than a 2nm chip, or the same performance with 30% lower power draw. TSMC is expected to make the majority of the chips, though Apple is also apparently considering Intel for some of them.
200-megapixel telephoto camera: Apple is reported to have tested a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto sensor in prototypes, but the technology is unlikely to reach the iPhone before 2028, according to the leaker known as “Digital Chat Station.” Morgan Stanley similarly reported that Apple is working to bring a 200-megapixel camera to the iPhone as soon as 2028. The higher resolution would capture greater detail and allow photos to be cropped further or reproduced at larger sizes without a loss of quality.
With the 2028 iPhone still around 26 months away, none of this is settled, and the further out a rumor sits, the more room there is for Apple’s plans to change before the device reaches production. Still, rumors about the device are more relevant than they might first appear.
Anyone buying an iPhone 18 Pro this September on a common two-year upgrade cycle will be due their next iPhone in 2028, meaning this is the model many of this year’s buyers will actually upgrade to. The picture forming now is an early look at what that upgrade could hold, and part of a longer redesign arc that begins with the 2027 anniversary model before reaching its more polished form the following year.
An exhausting, overwhelming process, hardware startups are found to be difficult and challenging to build and scale. Compared to software companies, which operate in environments with physical constraints, including supply chains, manufacturing, logistics, and high capital intensity. Due to this, there are risks that can be found, yet these can be minimized with various solutions. It is vital that mistakes and errors are corrected and carefully studied, because they cause companies, such as hardware startups, to fail. They fail because of the errors and mistakes, and not because of their ideas that are not good enough for the company.
Think of an error that is not taken into account, it was overlooked and never solved. It may lead to significant disruption and delays, and it may even cost the startups a lot of money and resources. When delays happen, it can even lead to a lot of problems that can be hard to solve, yet with the right experts and professionals that Cad Crowd offers, this will help aid the problem.
This blog gives you the 11 most common reasons as to why hardware startups fail, and it also includes solutions as to how the startup founders can solve them immediately.
The following are the 11 reasons and actionable fixes:
1. Building before validating demand
Startup founders may likely have an idea and concept about their project that is so hard and impossible to put into real-life work. It is crucial to have an attainable project where not only the founders would like but also the potential and target customers and users. Hardware products are costly when iterations occur, so it is necessary to have everything in place to avoid mistakes that can be very expensive.
Founders should know that what they are building is what people need, and not just some products that sit down and do nothing. Build something that people will really love and use. To add, founders typically spend a lot of time, it may even take years, to think that what they are planning for the product is something that people do not even need. Knowing the demands of a certain product can help you brainstorm
How to fix it?
Conduct interviews with the people who you think are the target users of the product you would want to make. But before that, it’s essential to create a problem you know you can solve. With its help, you can make a product that can be an answer for all of the target users. Know their complaints, if there are any, because this can lead you to an idea that can improve your product.
You can test your idea by creating a prototype design, which allows you to see the final design of your product. A prototype bridges the gap between the ideas you have and the product’s real-world output. Using a prototype gives you a view of the product’s flaws and errors, which you can improve.
2. Not knowing the real costs
Startups usually have limited resources. The problem with startups is that founders usually think that their product is just cheap. With all the processes, they do not think that a lot could happen.
How to fix it?
It is necessary to list all of the parts you will need, such as materials, packaging design, and logistics process. Listing the product from beginning to end can help the startup see how much it will cost. Sticking to the budget sometimes is not good. It is better to expect additional costs along the way, but it is really important to plan ahead. When you know and check the cost of your product, you are gaining profits and not losing money.
When you are only having one supplier throughout the development process, and when it fails, not just the product fails, but your company. The problem with sticking to a single supplier is that it limits your perspective on what they have. When the demands increase, sometimes their stocks can only be limited.
How to fix it?
When things go rough, and demands are high, seeking the ideas of other suppliers can be a help. Find a backup supplier that meets the quality of your product, and bonus points if it is much better than the usual suppliers you use for your product. Even if there are problems in your product design or even in the materials used, when you build a connection and relationship with your suppliers, they can make it easy for you to fix the problem as early as possible.e.
Suppliers can help you when problems arise; they are not just the ones who supply, but they can also give you tips on how to improve your product. You can even ask them for advice and guidance on specific aspects of the product so you can continuously improve it. It must also be taken into account to keep track of the inventories and receipts, so that you can hand them to the suppliers when miscommunications happen.
4. Designing something that is hard and impossible to build
If you are designing a product, make sure it is not too complex or expensive. A complex design can cost a lot, which the budget cannot sustain. Always keep in mind that startups usually have limited budgets for certain things.
Excessive tools are also used, which can also lead to something that is not worthy of the attention of the customers you would like. Yes, having a unique design is something that will attract; however, too much of this can just lead to nothing. Having a realistic mindset can minimize the creation of things that are impossible.
How to fix it?
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” as they say. Having a simple design makes it more achievable rather than having something that is too complex to make. A complex design tends to require more budget, since materials that will be used for it can be too hard to find. Having an expert who offers guidance can greatly improve the design’s realism.
One thing about designing a product is thinking about how it should be built, and not just focusing on how it should work. When you know how a product is built, you also think about how to fix it when errors and mistakes happen. Work hand in hand with the team that is providing the services, because they do not just offer a service; you are in a partnership with them to make the product’s designs not just visually pleasing but also durable and functional. Realistic designs make startups more successful in the field of business because they can be made truthfully and can reflect the visual world.
Startup founders tend to have more ideas for making their product better than they do for actually achieving it in real life. Sometimes, when you have concepts that are too far from reality, it creates a problem that cannot be solved, and from that, you tend to repeat processes, which delays development.
Performance issues can also happen when you involve a lot of features that are not really related to what you are trying to solve. It can slow down the product as they compete for the available resources they need. When a customer uses the product, they tend to be more frustrated because a lot of features can lead to a product that can be too hard and confusing to use.
How to fix it?
Before anything else, think and reflect on what you are really trying to solve. Go back to the problem you want to solve. If you are a startup looking to build a sure and successful product, start with a simple version so you can see which parts or features need additional features or improvements.
A good production launch is what makes it more exciting. A development process that takes too long can lead to more mistakes, increased risks, and higher costs. Why would there be more costs? As time passes, you see a lot of things you want to improve, which would delay the launch.
Risks could happen, even if the product is already good for launching, you, as the founder, are not ready for it. Preparation should be finalized, so you will not have any problems launching a product.
How to fix it?
To have a product ready for launch, it is important to set deadlines, as they give you and your other service providers a sense of urgency and accountability toward the goal of making the product a success. A clear deadline improves productivity as they can sharpen their focus mainly on the products and the development process, and not be distracted by other things. Deadlines to measure progress because it only means that launches are not falling behind and are still on track.
One action to take is to build a product and test the prototype design quickly, because by being able to test the product, you know what things need to be improved. Seeing the flaws and mistakes made can make it easier to pinpoint the improvements one would like to see. As much as possible, to avoid incurring much cost, the existing parts can be utilized in order to avoid delays. One does not need to launch a product that is not ready, and delays should not occur, as they can affect the overall performance one should see in the product.
7. No marketing or no idea how to sell a product
Even if you have a product that is perfect, but if the case is that you do not know how to advertise it and put it into a market firm that people would love, your product will still not succeed in the public. As we enter a competitive market where products seem to have the same functions and uses, it is necessary that you know how to sell products using technology.
How to fix it?
It is a must that as the technology advances, you, as the founder, also advance and step up the game. Know what the basics are and learn from them, even if it is not yet perfect, but still you are learning. Decide what do you want for your product, do you want it to have a retail shop where people can just go to your location and buy the product, or launch it online so that even if people from the far flung areas can be still able to have an access and buy your products, or you might just want it to put it in the business scale where you are the one will be providing the stores your product.
Having a good partnership can benefit you a lot; they can endorse you to the people they know, even if they do not need the product. They can guide you toward your goal and give you tips on how to sell more of your product and which platforms can help you boost sales.
While selling the product, take note of what the customers are saying, as they can teach you about it, and as time passes by, you know how it will sell more and target the ones you are aiming for. Over time, you know what you are selling, together with the product’s aim.
8. Ignoring the rules and certifications
Even if you are just starting out or working in a big company, everyone needs to meet the requirements. You must be informed about what protocols are needed, which sometimes can be forgotten by the startups.
Knowing what the do’s and don’ts are, whether it be local or national, is crucial because they are the ones who will approve if your product is up for launch. At the earliest time, research for the required papers and certifications so that even if you are in the middle of the development process, you have no problem with it already.
Allocate time and money for testing; testing materials is typically required not just for improvements, but also to ensure the product is good for people and the environment, so they are not carrying any toxins that could harm them. As much as possible, even if you do not have many resources, seek the guidance of those who are already experts in the field because they could help and aid with your problem, and guide you towards making the product a success in the market.
When a customer tells you about a problem with your product, and you do not pay attention to it, it will lead to a dissatisfied customer. It is important that customer feedback should be taken into account, because they are the ones who make the business run. Poor customer support not only annoys and frustrates people, but it also affects the reputation of your business.
Customers tend to leave and never come back when they are treated poorly; they give you negative reviews, which can really affect you as they spread quickly within the community. As time passes, this negative review shows a decline in sales.
How to fix it?
Make your product reliable and trusted so that customers will be satisfied with its performance. Provide clear instructions on warranty policies so it will be easier to assist customers when problems with the product arise. Clear instructions and communication could mitigate and be really helpful, as sometimes people can get so frustrated when they are not satisfied with the way you handle the problem.
When poor customer support happens, respond as fast as possible to the customers and try to understand and meet halfway so that the problem will be solved right away. A customer experience is more than just the interactions that are happening; it is more about how the customer adores the product itself.
Good customer support is all about training, being responsive to the needs, to the feedback, and being resourceful in solving problems. Take every review and complaint lightly, improve on it so that customers will be happy and will continue trusting the product. Make the feedback a foundation for starting again. By taking this feedback, you are ready for the challenges that could help you achieve success in the long run.
10. Out of resources
A hardware product typically requires substantial resources. Usually, investing in the services could cost a large amount of money. When poor financial planning is made, it can totally affect the overall process of the product. Once you have no resources, it will be hard to proceed in the next steps, which can lead to delays.
How to fix it?
Track all the expenses you are making, whether the money is going out or going in. Invest in a service that you know you can afford, and do not incur expenses that could cause your budget to break. Start with a small production so that you know if the product will sell out in the market fast or not. If you notice it sells out fast, use a pre-order method so it funds the production. Basically, you should know how to make the money roll so that in the end, you will not be breaking the bank.
Every step should be carefully thought out because it can break your bank with its cost, and the business could slow down. Scaling a hardware product too fast can hurt your business firm. You might be excited at first with the large number of orders, but as time passes, it slows down, yet you have produced a lot, which can result in losing a lot of resources.
It is necessary that your company or startups have a strong system that can really cater to a lot. Including problems that could happen along the way, because if the system is not strong enough and is not ready for any challenges, it could result in something not good, which can happen quickly.
Growing too quickly could look like you are producing a lot of products that you know no one, or only a few people, ordered, and you have not done any testing yet. You forgot to test, which overlooked all the flaws, which can really affect your business. It is crucial to set a plan so that things like this do not happen.
How to fix it?
It is much better to start small so that you know what to improve as time goes on. Test the product in batches because consistency matters throughout the process of the product. When you want to have a large production, make sure everything is well organized and smooth so it will not be a waste of time and resources for you.
Hardware startups are typically challenging, but it is not impossible for them to happen. Failures do happen because of poor planning and poor decision-making. When you want to improve, start with small steps and carefully test every product. Utilize the things you have and focus on building something that you want and that people will use and buy.
How hardware startup failure can be prevented using Cad Crowd
Hardware startups usually fail because of poor decisions, not because their ideas are bad or far-fetched. They only need the right platform as well as the experts who can do the job and help them make their dreams possible.
A platform called Cad Crowd consists of various experts from different parts of the globe who could be a help with what you are starting. It has vetted professionals who are passionate and specialized in making your product a success. Rather than hiring a full-time in-house team, which can be expensive, with the help of Cad Crowd, you can just hire based on what you need.
Cad Crows plays a vital role by connecting every businessman, company owner, and founder with specialized professionals who can help validate ideas before proceeding to the next steps.Cad Crowd professionals could also help make the designs more realistic and improve poorly planned initial planning. Startup founders can rely on the guidance of professionals and experts to make smart decisions that could really help in making the product a success in the competitive market.
Cad Crowd is really a valuable partner for anyone who is starting. They offer a partnership that can be a service for anything that concerns what you need. It also bridges the gap to the overall concept planning until the production, until the product is released in the market.
Rather than just trying to combat all of the challenges and problems that could happen right before the product is launched publicly, a platform can be an answer to them. Cad Crowd provides assistance, which is provided by the experts and specialists who are really knowledgeable about a certain field. They can answer all your inquiries, whether you are in the process of making the product and are confused or do not know what to do anymore.
In the end, making an actionable plan to fix the problems can prevent failures. It is essential to be prepared early and to know what you are trying to make. Being able to learn shows that you are interested and not just someone who just wants to build. Build something that makes you confident, build a product that you are happy with because it provides a function and service to customers.
With the right thinking, right partners, and the right platform, such as Cad Crowd, startups can be successful in the field, and successful hardware is something that is built not just for its own sake but also for others.
Our hardware design services will allow you to produce products that meet your company and client’s expectations. Regardless of where you are in the process, our team wants to help you get the design assistance you need. If you are ready to hire an exceptional designer, we invite you to request a free quote today!
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.
Back to school means balancing assignments, deadlines and downtime. GeForce NOW makes it easy to have it all.
With cloud gaming, everyday laptops used for class can also become GeForce RTX-powered gaming setups.
When it’s time to switch from studying to gaming, members can jump into Halo: Campaign Evolved, as GeForce NOW is bringing one of the gaming world’s most celebrated titles to nearly any device through the cloud, alongside eight total games joining the GeForce NOW library this week.
From A+ to AAA Gaming
This back-to-school season, the easiest upgrade isn’t replacing laptops in backpacks. It’s unlocking even more from these same laptops, from creating to gaming.
With a GeForce NOW membership, Chromebooks, Macs and Surface devices can become GeForce RTX-powered gaming PCs in the cloud. The GeForce NOW library features thousands of supported PC games, letting members stream titles they already own from digital stores like Steam, Xbox PC Game Pass and Epic Games Store in just a few clicks.
The cloud keeps games up to date and ready to play, making it easy to jump into a match between classes, after homework or whenever there’s free time. Time spent waiting on downloads, patches and installs becomes time spent in game instead.
The Ultimate membership enables best-in-class experiences by delivering 5080-class performance in the cloud with NVIDIA DLSS, ray tracing and NVIDIA Reflex technologies for responsive, visually rich gameplay — all on the hardware gamers already own.
A creator known as “Menguiny” recently put this to the test after picking up a MacBook Neo. GeForce NOW turned the laptop — usually the creator’s go-to for editing videos and everyday work — into a top-notch gaming machine, too.
Another creator, “TechWithSeong” highlighted that same versatility GeForce NOW offers. Rather than juggling separate devices for work and gaming, he used GeForce NOW Ultimate to stream supported PC games across the devices he already owns — from a MacBook used for editing to gaming on the go with handheld devices.
Gamers can start with a day pass and experience all the premium benefits without a monthly commitment. Plus, the cost of a day pass can be applied toward a first membership purchase — it’s like earning a little extra credit along the way.
Everyone, at Their Stations
Needlers never looked so sharp.
Experience the Master Chief’s iconic journey on GeForce NOW in Halo: Campaign Evolved — a modernized remake of Halo: Combat Evolved’s campaign— rebuilt with high-definition visuals, updated cinematics and refined gameplay. Whether discovering Halo for the first time or returning after 25 years to finish the fight, it’s as the Master Chief says: “We’re just getting started.”
Crash-land on the mysterious ringworld alongside Cortana and uncover great secrets while battling overwhelming Covenant forces. Fight through the rebuilt campaign, then continue the adventure with three brand-new missions featuring the Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson. Expanded weapons, iconic vehicles, hijackable Wraith tanks and optional Skull modifiers offer even more ways to play.
Suit up across PCs, Macs, Chromebooks, handhelds, mobile devices, TVs and more with GeForce NOW Ultimate, powered by GeForce RTX 5080-class performance in the cloud. Experience Halo with NVIDIA DLSS, ray tracing and NVIDIA Reflex technologies delivering higher frame rates and ultralow latency that keep every firefight feeling responsive and worthy of a Spartan.
From solo gaming to online co-op modes, GeForce NOW cloud saves let members log in and pick up exactly where they left off across supported devices — no lengthy downloads, extra storage space or expensive hardware upgrades required. The only thing left to carry is the mission.
Let’s Play Today
In addition, members can stream the following games this week:
Halo: Campaign Evolved (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass July 28)
The YoloBox Extreme’s recording capabilities go well beyond basic program capture. Recent firmware updates added ISO recording at 4K/60, timeline export for editing software, and flexible storage options that together create a complete capture-to-post workflow. Here’s exactly what’s available and why it matters.
The YoloBox Extreme records two types of content simultaneously:
Master program feed — the switched output, exactly what your audience sees. Includes all transitions, graphics, and layouts as they happened live.
ISO recordings — every individual video source recorded as a separate file simultaneously. Each camera, NDI source, or input gets its own independent recording. Up to 4K/60 per source.
ISO recordings are essential when you want post-production flexibility. If a camera angle was slightly off, a guest spoke over a graphic, or you want to recut the show for a different platform — the raw ISO files give you everything you need to rebuild the production in editing.
Where to Record
Recording destination is selectable per session:
Internal storage — built into the YoloBox Extreme, immediately accessible
SD card — insert a card and record directly to it; easy to pull and hand off
USB drive — connect any compatible USB storage for higher capacity or faster offload
For productions where footage needs to move quickly — same-day delivery, immediate post-production, handing media to an editor — SD or USB recording means you eject and go without connecting cables to the device.
Recording Settings — Per Source Control
For each recording source you can independently set:
Resolution — 4K, 1080p, or lower depending on output needs
Frame rate — match your production or delivery spec
Bitrate — balance file size against quality for storage capacity
You also set a recording limit: 10, 20, 30, 60 minutes, or continuous. For long productions — multi-hour events, extended church services, all-day conferences — continuous recording means you’re not managing file splits mid-show.
FCPXML / FCP Timeline Export — The Post-Production Game Changer
This is the feature that most significantly changes the post-production workflow.
When you record on the YoloBox Extreme and make live switching decisions during the production, those cuts, transitions, and source selections are logged. At the end of the recording, the YoloBox can export an FCPXML or FCP timeline file that maps those live switching decisions onto your ISO recordings.
What this means in practice:
Import the timeline file into Final Cut Pro or a compatible editor alongside your ISO recordings. The edit is pre-built — your live switching decisions are already there as a timeline. Instead of watching the program recording and manually recreating every cut, the editor starts with the live cut as a baseline and refines from there.
Need to swap a camera angle? The ISO file for that source is already in the project. Change the cut point, drop in the better angle. Done.
For productions that record regularly — weekly services, recurring podcasts, sports seasons — this turns a multi-hour post-production task into a fraction of that time.
System Monitoring — Know What’s Running During Recording
Swipe down from the top of the YoloBox Extreme screen during a production to see:
CPU temperature and utilization
GPU utilization
RAM usage
Fan speed (manual or auto)
Incoming resolution and frame rate for every active input
This real-time monitoring means you can confirm that all sources are coming in at the expected specs before you start recording, and catch any performance issues during a long production before they affect your output.
Fan speed control is particularly useful for productions in noise-sensitive environments — dial the fan down during quiet passages, let it run at full speed during breaks.
Six twentysomethings in East London have built what they say is the anti-San Francisco hacker house. The goal is a “holistic improvement in life,” rather than “12 weeks, Demo Day is coming,” Rowan Aldean, 26, explained.
Intrigued, I spent an afternoon visiting the house, meeting its residents, and doing a vibe check. I arrived after Aldean escorted me through the clean sidewalks of a new East London development to where the six-story building stood facing the water.
The house is called the London Island Founder House — or “Lift House” — and Aldean and his wife, Zahraa, 22, an upcoming pharmaceutical research PhD candidate, have lived there since May, just a few months after it officially launched in March. Aldean sold his previous company last year for millions, he said, and now runs an “applied AI” startup that helps companies learn how to deploy agents.
Like all hacker houses, Lift House is part startup workspace, part co-living space. The house is named after both its lift — that is, its elevator — and its mission to uplift tech founders, Aldean said. It’s one of the very few co-living hacker houses to exist in London (compared to San Francisco, where dozens — if not hundreds — are scattered around the city at any given time).
Lift House is a bet that U.K. founders can build successful companies without mimicking the over-the-top hustle culture of Silicon Valley.
Founders have described stories of San Francisco hacker houses illegally running in warehouses, throwing full-on galas, or setting up in a tent or espousing punishing, 72-hour sprints typical of the “996” work culture.
“I don’t expect the performative and over-the-top events will be a thing here,” Aldean said, and pointed to one of London’s most successful AI companies, DeepMind. “They’ve won Nobel prizes and built frontier innovation without any song and dance.”
Instead, Lift House is part of a trend called “Londonmaxxing,” in which founders attempt to optimize everything the London tech scene offers. The London ecosystem feels less showy and less startup bro-y than San Francisco, but its founders share similar ambitions: success, wealth, and market domination.
London AI startups have raised $12 billion so far in 2026, out of $14.7 billion raised by all London startups, according to Dealroom. Six companies have raised more than $500 million: Wayve, Superintelligence, ElevenLabs, Recursive, Ineffable Intelligence, and Isomorphic Labs, the latter three of which were founded by DeepMind alumni.
The excitement from AI has boosted the morale of the U.K. tech scene, inspiring a new generation of founders, like those in the Lift House, to take big swings.
LIFT TourImage Credits:TechCrunch
Journaling vs. demo day
The timeline for living on Lift House is flexible — some people have stayed for a month; others intend to stay for at least six months. They buy their own groceries, Aldean said, although they often cook together and share ingredients. Cleaning is split among the group. Everyone declined to share information about the rent they pay.
The residents of Lift House aim for a balanced approach toward ambition, each one of them tells me — an almost unheard-of idea by San Francisco startup standards.
On Sundays, the group will journal together, a practice introduced by David Amor, 28, who runs a brain coaching and training company, helping founders and business leaders understand more about their brain and how it can help optimize business performance. The idea of journaling is to help everyone track how much time they spent in nature that week, how well they ate, and how much they moved their bodies.
“I’m eating healthier, working out more, and sleeping more,” Luke, 27, who runs an AI-marketing company, said about living in the house. “I always make sure to have lunch now, which is something that is simple, but I wasn’t doing before I lived here.” (Luke asked that his last name be withheld.)
Tuesdays evenings are for volleyball, where the founders play on the house team in a local league.
After dinner on other evenings, Wan Ying L, 25, who just left an AI startup and is working on a new idea, might play the piano in the living room. Sometimes the group plays Catan or visits art exhibitions together.
Presence Plumb, 25, is a tech strategist. She likes to host rooftop dinner parties, serving dishes that reflect the different nationalities in the house — from Iraqi to Spanish — while invited founders, researchers, investors, and operators chat about tech trends and investments.
“It’s a bit calmer, balanced, authentic in a way,” she said of people in the London ecosystem. “They don’t want too much of that only startup tech bro vibe. They want a bit of balance.”
Each founder follows their own schedules for a typical workday. Amor, for example, is up by 8 a.m. and gives himself exactly 30 seconds after waking up before jumping into his morning work. “I have a clear objective of ‘this is what I want to do in the first half of the day, when there’s no distractions.’” After his morning work routine, he takes a cold shower, “because it increases your dopamine by 250% and that gives me that motivation, that spark,” he said.
Wan playing the pianoImage Credits:TechCrunch
Luke, meanwhile, is up at around 8:30. His co-founder, Varun, 27 (who asked that his last name be withheld), typically travels to the Lift House to co-work, and the duo starts work at around 9 a.m. with a team call.
Aldean rarely wakes before 10 a.m. unless something big is happening, like a “crazy angel [investor] call,” he said.
When asked what makes this house uniquely British rather than a wellness-focused Silicon Valley founder house, Aldean joked: “Well, we drink tea together like Brits, and in SF folks just drink filtered coffee.”
More seriously, he spoke of how British founders face a different kind of pressure than those in the U.S. They must navigate a cultural aversion to risk, an inclination toward humility, and a shame associated with failure. Instead of forgoing sleep for hustle and grind, they deal with what they call the “tall poppy syndrome,” when the media builds one up only to ruthlessly tear them down should they become too successful, investors and founders say. It makes some founders in the ecosystem wary of displaying too many wins.
Still, Luke said London is a strong choice for an early-stage founder: There’s a good network, ample early capital opportunities, and an option for a life outside of tech. In many ways, it is much more like New York culturally for founders than in San Francisco.
“London is so diverse that if you look properly enough, you’ll always find something fun to get involved with,” Amor added, “whether that’s a founder-run club, wellness events, [or going] to jazz nights.”
Luke and Varun write marketing terms on the whiteboard. They stand for top of funnel (TOFU), middle of funnel (MOFU), and bottom of funnel (BOFU).Image Credits:TechCrunch
Luke and Varun largely avoided venture capital funding by taking advantage of the U.K. government’s SEIS/EIS, which is supposed to help attract more angel investments into local startups. “There’s people who will pay basically the same rate of tax if they give us the money versus if they pay income tax,” Luke explained as another reason he liked starting out in London.
Aldean also feels the London ecosystem is less cutthroat than the Valley. He recalls his days living in a hacker house in the Bay — everyone’s desk had to face the wall, and it was heads-down, product-building. He felt the ecosystem, at times, was too willing to gossip, which is apparently done quite differently in the U.K.
“There’s nothing like ‘oh my god did you hear that the CTO just, like, did this,’” Aldean said. “It’s like you’re always worried,” he said, that someone would spread negative stories, especially if it benefited them.
Aldean also thinks London startups, more than Silicon Valley ones, sell into slow-moving large corporations rather than to each other, meaning one could build without having to kiss up or posture to get their peers to like them.
To the selling point, Varun and Luke mentioned another difference between the U.S. and U.K. ecosystem. “It’s a relatively fleeting market,” Varun said of the U.S. “You get quick wins. Here, it’s hard to close a customer, but if they close, they stay with you longer.”
Coming to America
Eventually, though, the road for many U.K. startups goes straight to the U.S.
In the U.K., founders have access to affordable top talent from universities like Oxbridge and a time zone that makes it easier to work with the rest of Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and parts of North America. In the U.S., however, they have access to the world’s largest economy and, most importantly, a lot of investors willing to write large checks, from pre-seed to growth stages.
“It’s almost like a factory line in a way,” Varun said. “You start here, and then you expand there or vice versa.”
American investors are also playing a role in luring British talent away from the country. I told the Lift House residents about one startup founder who said a top investor wouldn’t even back the company unless she relocated to the U.S. She ended up doing so, though decided to keep her family based in the U.K. to raise her children.
“We had an investor in Miami who said the same thing,” Luke said of an investor trying to get him and Varun to move to the U.S. “It’s quite a common practice.” He and Varun have already begun their U.S. expansion, and despite loving London, the duo hasn’t ruled out moving to the U.S. to be closer to their customers.
David, who has a brain coaching startup, is the one who introduced journaling into the household. Image Credits:TechCrunch
That’s the tension bubbling beneath not just the U.K.’s tech ecosystem but most of Europe’s. “I work with a lot of people trying to support the European ecosystem more,” Plumb said.
Yet, founders “talk about London; everyone is bullish on the country until they get the opportunity to leave,” Aldean added.
The Lift House lease has about a year left, and there is sentiment in the house to keep it going for as long as they can. After all, there aren’t too many in London, though the city sees many short-term gatherings, like the Solana Hacker House meet-up series. Some of the more public co-living hacker houses are part of a global chain, like the San Francisco-based network The Residency, which expanded into London last year, and BaseJump, which is announcing a London version of its hacker house program soon.
In 2024, two founders tried the opposite version of the Lift House called “The London Founder House,” which Sifted covered under the headline “The people here don’t want work-life balance.” That home is noted as London’s first-ever hacker house, and though it wound down last year, it left an influence through its concept, events, and connected players around the ecosystem. To even be considered for the London Founder House, one had to have raised at least half a million dollars.
For Lift House, prospective residents need to show a hobby outside their companies and an interest in fitness. It’s the same pitch many in the Londonmaxxing ecosystem are using to keep people from leaving: That here one can have it all.
“The culture is to build something that lasts,” Aldean said, “not necessarily burn out chasing a flash.”
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Flooring is an important part of a home’s look and feel, yet it often goes unnoticed. Whether you’ve just moved in, are planning a renovation, or want to update your space, good flooring can make a big difference. It sets the tone for your decor and affects how the entire room feels. The right flooring adds warmth and style, making your home more welcoming to guests.
Choosing flooring can seem overwhelming. There are many materials, colours, and styles to consider, but it doesn’t have to be hard. With a few careful choices, you can enhance your floors without spending too much or doing major renovations. Let’s look at ways to make your flooring a highlight in your home.
Choose the Right Material
The material you choose affects how your Markham flooring looks and feels. Hardwood, laminate, tile, and carpet each have their own appeal. Hardwood looks elegant and warm but needs more care. Laminate is cost-effective and looks like wood, while being more resistant to scratches and moisture, which is great for families and pets.
Tile comes in many designs, colours, and finishes, allowing for creative choices. It’s especially useful in kitchens and bathrooms, where durability and cleanliness matter. Carpet adds comfort, making it a good option for bedrooms and family rooms, and comes in many patterns and textures. When choosing a material, find a balance between style and practicality that meets your needs.
Colour Matters
After choosing the material, colour is key to enhancing your flooring’s look. Light colours can make a space feel larger and brighter. Darker shades can provide a cozy, rich feel, depending on your decor. If you want a fresh, modern look, consider light oak or whitewashed laminate. These options fit well in contemporary settings and match a variety of colour schemes.
On the other hand, deeper colours like walnut or dark grey can create a sophisticated feel, especially with lighter walls or accents. Don’t be afraid to use bold colours or patterns if you’re adventurous. Bright tile patterns or a unique carpet can add personality to your space. The colour should reflect your style and fit with your overall decor.
Area Rugs
Area rugs can add texture and warmth to your floors. They help define areas, like a living room or dining space, and can bring the room together visually. Pick a rug that complements your flooring while adding new colours and patterns. For example, a soft neutral rug can balance hardwood floors, while a bold-patterned rug can stand out against subtler tiles.
Placement is important. Make sure your rug is large enough to fit under all furniture without leaving empty spaces. This creates a unified look and lets your flooring shine. Area rugs are also easy to change out for different seasons, making them a practical choice for refreshing your decor.
Add Finishing Touches
You can make your flooring and ceramic tiles look better and more attractive with some thoughtful finishing touches. Baseboards and mouldings are often ignored, but they can greatly enhance your space. Choose styles that match your flooring, whether it’s modern or traditional. Painted or stained, these features can help connect your flooring to your walls.
Furniture placement is also important for showing off your flooring. Avoid cluttering the room with too much furniture, as it can hide your flooring. Instead, arrange furniture to draw attention across the room. Light furniture on dark floors stands out, while dark furniture on light floors gives a solid look.
Consider Lighting
Lighting can change how your flooring looks. Natural light highlights the texture and colour beautifully. If you have large windows, use light, sheer curtains to let sunshine in while keeping the space open. If natural light is limited, use floor lamps and well-placed lighting to emphasize certain areas.
Accent lighting can showcase special features in your flooring, such as an attractive wood grain or an interesting tile design. Dimmer switches can help set the mood, creating a cozy space in the evening while showing off your flooring’s beauty during the day.
Accessorize Wisely
Finally, choose accessories that improve the look of your flooring. Pick furniture and decor that match your style while respecting your flooring’s character. Simple furniture works best with bold flooring, while decorative pieces can complement simpler flooring. Artwork and decor can help create a unified feel in the room.
The key is to find balance. Let your flooring stand out without overcrowding it with too many competing items. Thoughtful accessorizing can make your flooring look elegant, attractive, and fit well into your space. Your flooring can greatly affect your home’s overall feel. Smart choices in materials, colours, and decor can turn your floors from just functional to a display of style and warmth. With these tips, your flooring will look attractive and enhance your home’s beauty.
