Lenovo is no stranger to laptops with funky displays. The company has made a notebook with a tri-fold screen, one with a rollable panel and multiple systems with flexible displays. But this year at IFA, Lenovo is testing out yet another new design wi

This Windows 11 laptop is more than enough for everyday (basic) use. The post This HP Laptop with Office 365 Is Cheaper Than Buying Office Alone, Amazon Clears Out Stock for Labor Day appeared first on Kotaku.

Diego Argüello, Contributing Editor, News, GameDeveloper.comAugust 26, 20253 Min ReadImage via Rec RoomDeveloper Rec Room, the team behind the namesake user-generated content (UGC) driven social game, has laid off "about half" its staff.Announced yesterday via the official site, CEO and co-founder Nick Fajt wrote that both he and CCO and co-founder Cameron Brown made the decision, which they called a "business necessity based on the financial trajectory of the company" that doesn't reflect on the individuals affected."This is not a reflection on the talent or dedication of those departing—we wish we could keep every one of them," reads the announcement. "I’m gonna say that again, to make it clear this isn’t just 'one of those things you say in a layoff message'. We TRULY wish we could keep every one of these people on the team. But we can't. This is a reflection of the tough reality we face as a business and the change needed to give Rec Room a chance to thrive in the years ahead."According to the post, the laid off workers will continue to be paid for the next three months, receive health benefits for the next six months, and have the option to keep their laptop or desktop computer. Rec Room didn't specify how many people were affected.'The writing on the wall became very clear'Back in December 2021, Rec Room raised $145 million for its social platform, bringing the company's lifetime raised funds to around $294 million. According to Brown, the team invested "heavily in creation tools across PC, VR, consoles, and mobile," but the reality "has been harsh." The CEO claims the mobile and console versions never got to the point where "those devices were good for building stuff." Some of the efforts to bridge the gap, including the Maker AI tool, frustrated the studio's "more impactful creators." Related:At the same time, the lower-powered devices still fostered "millions of pieces of content," which reportedly put a strain on the team that had to come up with procedures to review it all. "Making all this run across every device was a massive technical challenge and burden. While our most skilled creators optimized their content cleverly, most creators didn’t—couldn’t, really, because we didn’t provide them with the necessary tooling."Last month, Fajt announced that Rec Room hit a "record-breaking month" for UGC sales thanks to the creations from players, with creator token earnings from room and Watch store sales increasing 47 percent year-over-year."We deliberately started with a small group of creators as the Avatar Studio tool is still in the early stages," Fajt wrote at the time. "All of the early joiners helped us iron out the workflow and onboarding, providing feedback on how to improve our systems and processes. With creators already finding success, we’re ready to expand."Related:Today's announcement continues by saying that supporting the aforementioned scope stretched the team thin, and began to "dig a financial hole that was getting larger every day." The CEO says the studio has been stuck in an "uncomfortable middle ground" during the past few years, wondering whether to keep pushing the internal UGC vision while potentially increasing the frustration of players and the team, or scale back the vision by cutting the team in half."Both paths were painful," Brown wrote. "But ultimately we got to a point where it was clear that staying the course meant low growth, a high burn rate, and no clear path forward. In a word: Unsustainable. The writing on the wall became very clear."Looking forward, Brown says the team will focus on "empowering our very best creators" and "ensuring Rec Room is a great experience for our players.""For those leaving—you will always be part of the Rec Room story," Brown wrote as a closing note about the layoffs. "We thank you for everything, and wish you the best for your next chapter. For those staying—we know this sucks. We know this hurts. Thank you for pushing forward with us—we have hard work ahead, but with a new focus we believe strongly in the future we can build together."Related:Game Developer has reached out to Rec Room for clarification on the number of workers affected.Read more about:Top StoriesLayoffs & Studio ClosuresAbout the AuthorDiego ArgüelloContributing Editor, News, GameDeveloper.comDiego Nicolás Argüello is a freelance journalist and critic from Argentina. Video games helped him to learn English, so now he covers them for places like The New York Times, NPR, Rolling Stone, and more. He also runs Into the Spine, a site dedicated to fostering and supporting new writers, and co-hosted Turnabout Breakdown, a podcast about the Ace Attorney series. He’s most likely playing a rhythm game as you read this.See more from Diego ArgüelloDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

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IntroductionHi everyone! My name is Oleh Yakushev, and I'm a 3D Artist from Ukraine. My journey into 3D began just three years ago, when I was working as a mobile phone salesperson at a shopping mall. In 2022, during one slow day at work, I noticed a colleague learning Python. We started talking about life goals. I told him I wanted to switch careers, to do something creative, but programming wasn't really my thing.He asked me a simple question: "Well, what do you actually enjoy doing?"I said, "Video games. I love video games. But I don't have time to learn how to make them, I've got a job, a family, and a kid."Then he hit me with something that really shifted my whole perspective."Oleh, do you play games on your PlayStation?"I said, "Of course."He replied, "Then why not take the time you spend playing and use it to learn how to make games?"That moment flipped a switch in my mind. I realized that I did have time, it was just a matter of how I used it. If I really wanted to learn, I could find a way. At the time, I didn't even own a computer. But where there's a will, there's a way: I borrowed my sister's laptop for a month and started following beginner 3D tutorials on YouTube. Every night after work, once my family went to sleep, I'd sit in the kitchen and study. I stayed up until 2 or 3 AM, learning Blender basics. Then I'd sleep for a few hours before waking up at 6 AM to go back to work. That's how I spent my first few months in 3D, studying every single night.3D completely took over my life. During lunch breaks, I watched 3D videos, on the bus, I scrolled through 3D TikToks, at home, I took 3D courses, and the word "3D" just became a constant in my vocabulary.After a few months of learning the basics, I started building my portfolio, which looks pretty funny to me now. But at the time, it was a real sign of how committed I was. Eventually, someone reached out to me through Behance, offering my first freelance opportunity. And thatэs how my journey began, from mall clerk to 3D artist. It's been a tough road, full of burnout, doubts, and late nights... but also full of curiosity, growth, and hope. And I wouldn't trade it for anything.The Stitch ProjectI've loved Stitch since I was a kid. I used to watch the cartoons, play the video games, and he always felt like such a warm, funny, chill, and at the same time, strong character. So once I reached a certain level in 3D, I decided to recreate Stitch.Back then, my skills only allowed me to make him in a stylized cartoonish style, no fur, no complex detailing, no advanced texturing, I just didn't have the experience. Surprisingly, the result turned out pretty decent. Even now, I sometimes get comments that my old Stitch still looks quite cute. Though honestly, I wouldn't say that myself anymore. Two years have passed since I made that first Stitch, it was back in 2023. And in 2025, I decided it was time to challenge myself.At that point, I had just completed an intense grooming course. Grooming always intimidated me, it felt really complex. I avoided it on commercial projects, made a few failed attempts for my portfolio, and overall tried to steer clear of any tasks where grooming was required. But eventually, I found the strength to face it.I pushed myself to learn how to make great fur, and I did. I finally understood how the grooming system works, grasped the logic, the tools, and the workflow. And after finishing the course, I wanted to lock in all that knowledge by creating a full personal project from scratch.So my goal was to make a character from the ground up, where the final stage would be grooming. And without thinking too long, I chose Stitch.First, because I truly love the character. Second, I wanted to clearly see my own progress over the past two years. Third, I needed to put my new skills to the test and find out whether my training had really paid off.ModelingI had a few ideas for how to approach the base mesh for this project. First, to model everything completely from scratch, starting with a sphere. Second, to reuse my old Stitch model and upgrade it.But then an idea struck me: why not test how well AI could handle a base mesh? I gathered some references and tried generating a base mesh using AI, uploading Stitch visuals as a guide. As you can see from the screenshot, the result was far from usable. So I basically ended up doing everything from scratch anyway.So, I went back to basics: digging through ArtStation and Pinterest, collecting references. Since over the last two years, I had not only learned grooming but also completely changed my overall approach to character creation, it was important for me to make a more detailed model, even if much of it would be hidden under fur.The first Stitch was sculpted in Blender, with all the limitations that come with sculpting in it. But since then, I've leveled up significantly and switched to more advanced tools. So this second version of Stitch was born in ZBrush. By the time I started working on this Stitch, ZBrush had already become my second main workspace. I've used it to deliver tons of commercial projects, I work in it almost daily, and most of my portfolio was created using this tool. I found some great reference images showing Stitch's body structure. Among them were official movie references and a stunning high-poly model created by Juan Hernández, a version of Stitch without fur. That model became my primary reference for sculpting.Truth is, Stitch's base form is quite simple, so blocking out the shape didn't take too long. When blocking, I use Blender in combination with ZBrush:I work with primary forms in ZBrushThen check proportions in BlenderFix mistakes, tweak volumes, and refine the silhouetteSince Stitch's shape isn't overly complex, I broke him down into three main sculpting parts:The body: arms, legs, head, and earsThe nose, eyes, and mouth cavityWhile planning the sculpt, I already knew I'd be rigging Stitch, both body and facial rig. So I started sculpting with his mouth open (to later close it and have more flexibility when it comes to rigging and deformation).While studying various references, I noticed something interesting. Stitch from promotional posters, Stitch from the movie, and Stitch as recreated by different artists on ArtStation all look very different from one another. What surprised me the most was how different the promo version of Stitch is compared to the one in the actual movie. They are essentially two separate models:Different proportionsDifferent shapesDifferent texturesEven different fur and overall designThis presented a creative challenge, I had to develop my own take on Stitch's design. Sometimes I liked the way the teeth were done in one version, in another, the eye placement, in another, the fur shape, or the claw design on hands and feet.At first, considering that Stitch is completely covered in fur from head to toe, sculpting his underlying anatomy seemed pointless. I kept asking myself: "Why sculpt muscles and skin detail if everything will be hidden under fur anyway?"But eventually, I found a few solid answers for myself. First, having a defined muscle structure actually makes the fur grooming process easier. That's because fur often follows the flow of muscle lines, so having those muscles helps guide fur direction more accurately across the character's body.Second, it's great anatomy practice, and practice is never a waste. So, I found a solid anatomical reference of Stitch with clearly visible muscle groups and tried to recreate that structure as closely as possible in my own sculpt.In the end, I had to develop a full visual concept by combining elements from multiple versions of Stitch. Through careful reference work and constantly switching between Blender and ZBrush, I gradually, but intentionally, built up the body and overall look of our favorite fluffy alien.Topology & UVsThroughout the sculpting process, I spent quite a bit of time thinking about topology. I was looking for the most balanced solution between quality and production time. Normally, I do manual retopology for my characters, but this time, I knew it would take too much time, and honestly, I didn't have that luxury.So I decided to generate the topology using ZBrush's tools. I split the model into separate parts using Polygroups, assigning individual groups for the ears, the head, the torso, the arms, the legs, and each of Stitch's fingers.With the Polygroups in place, I used ZRemesher with Keep Groups enabled and smoothing on group borders. This gave me a clean and optimized mesh that was perfect for UV unwrapping.Of course, this kind of auto-retopology isn't a full substitute for manual work, but it saved me a huge amount of time, and the quality was still high enough for what I needed. However, there was one tricky issue. Although Stitch looks symmetrical at first glance, his ears are actually asymmetrical. The right ear has a scar on the top, while the left has a scar on the bottomBecause of that, I couldn't just mirror one side in ZBrush without losing those unique features. Here's what I ended up doing: I created a symmetrical model with the right ear, then another symmetrical model with the left ear. I brought both into Blender, detached the left ear from one model, and attached it to the body of the other one. This way, I got a clean, symmetrical base mesh with asymmetrical ears, preserving both topology and detail. And thanks to the clean polygroup-based layout, I was able to unwrap the UVs with nice, even seams and clean islands.When it came to UV mapping, I divided Stitch into two UDIM tiles:The first UDIM includes the head with ears, torso, arms, and legs.The second UDIM contains all the additional parts: teeth, tongue, gums, claws, and nose (For the claws, I used overlapping UVs to preserve texel density for the other parts)Since the nose is one of the most important details, I allocated the largest space to it, which helped me to better capture its intricate details.As for the eyes, I used procedural eyes, so there was no need to assign UV space or create a separate UDIM for texturing them. To achieve this, I used the Tiny Eye add-on by tinynocky for Blender, which allows full control over procedural eyes and their parameters.This approach gave me high-quality eyes with customizable elements tailored exactly to my needs. As a result of all these steps, Stitch ended up with a symmetrical, optimized mesh, asymmetrical ears, and the body split across two UDIMs, one for the main body and one for the additional parts.TexturingWhen planning Stitch's texturing, I understood that the main body texture would be fairly simple, with much of the visual detail enhanced by the fur. However, there were some areas that required much more attention than the rest of the body. The textures for Stitch can be roughly divided into several main parts:The base body, which includes the primary color of his fur, along with additional shading like a lighter tone on the front (belly) and a darker tone on the back and napeThe nose and ears, these zones, demanded separate focusAt the initial texturing/blocking stage, the ears looked too cartoony, which didn’t fit the style I wanted. So, I decided to push them towards a more realistic look. This involved removing bright colors, adding more variation in the roughness map, introducing variation in the base color, and making the ears visually more natural, layered, and textured on the surface. By combining smart materials and masks, I achieved the effect of "living" ears, slightly dirty and looking as natural as possible.The nose was a separate story. It occupies a significant part of the face and thus draws a lot of attention. While studying references, I noticed that the shape and texture of the nose vary a lot between different artists. Initially, I made it dog-like, with some wear and tear around the nostrils and base.For a long time, I thought this version was acceptable. But during test renders, I realized the nose needed improvement. So I reworked its texturing, aiming to make it more detailed. I divided the nose texture into four main layers:Base detail: Baked from the high-poly model. Over this, I applied a smart skin material that added characteristic bumps.Lighter layer: Applied via a mask using the AO channel. This darkened the crevices and brightened the bumps, creating a multi-layered effect.Organic detail (capillaries): In animal references, I noticed slight redness in the nose area. I created another AO-masked layer with reddish capillaries visible through the bumps, adding depth and realism.Softness: To make the nose visually softer, like in references, I added a fill layer with only height enabled, used a paper texture as grayscale, and applied a blurred mask. This created subtle dents and wrinkles that softened the look.All textures were created in 4K resolution to achieve maximum detail. After finishing the main texturing stage, I add an Ambient Occlusion map on the final texture layer, activating only the Color channel, setting the blend mode to Multiply, and reducing opacity to about 35%. This adds volume and greatly improves the overall perception of the model.That covers the texturing of Stitch’s body. I also created a separate texture for the fur. This was simpler, I disabled unnecessary layers like ears and eyelids, and left only the base ones corresponding to the body’s color tones.During grooming (which I'll cover in detail later), I also created textures for the fur's clamps and roughness. In Substance 3D Painter, I additionally painted masks for better fur detail.FurAnd finally, I moved on to the part that was most important to me, the very reason I started this project in the first place. Fur. This entire process was essentially a test of my fur grooming skills. After overcoming self-doubt, I trusted the process and relied on everything I had learned so far. Before diving into the grooming itself, I made sure to gather strong references. I searched for the highest quality and most inspiring examples I could find and analyzed them thoroughly. My goal was to clearly understand the direction of fur growth, its density and volume, the intensity of roughness, and the strength of clumping in different areas of Stitch's body.To create the fur, I used Blender and its Hair Particle System. The overall approach is similar to sculpting a high-detail model: work from broad strokes to finer details. So, the first step was blocking out the main flow and placement of the hair strands.At this point, I ran into a challenge: symmetry. Since the model was purposefully asymmetrical (because of the ears and skin folds), the fur couldn't be mirrored cleanly. To solve this, I created a base fur blocking using Hair Guides with just two segments. After that, I split the fur into separate parts. I duplicated the main Particle System and created individual hair systems for each area where needed.In total, I broke Stitch's body into key sections: head, left ear, right ear, front torso, back torso, arms, hands, upper and lower legs, toes, and additional detailing layers. The final fur setup included 25 separate particle systems.To control fur growth, I used Weight Paint to fine-tune the influence on each body part individually. This separation gave me much more precision and allowed full control over every parameter of the fur on a per-section basis.The most challenging aspect of working with fur is staying patient and focused. Detail is absolutely critical because the overall picture is built entirely from tiny, subtle elements. Once the base layer was complete, I moved on to refining the fur based on my references.The most complex areas turned out to be the front of the torso and the face. When working on the torso, my goal was to create a smooth gradient, from thick, clumped fur on the chest to shorter, softer fur on the stomach.Step by step, I adjusted the transitions, directions, clumps, and volumes to achieve that look. Additionally, I used the fur itself to subtly enhance Stitch's silhouette, making his overall shape feel sharper, more expressive, and visually engaging.During fur development, I used texture maps to control the intensity of the Roughness and Clump parameters. This gave me a high degree of flexibility, textures drove these attributes across the entire model. In areas where stronger clumping or roughness was needed, I used brighter values; in zones requiring a softer look, darker values. This approach allowed for fine-tuned micro-level control of the fur shader and helped achieve a highly realistic appearance in renders.The face required special attention: the fur had to be neat, evenly distributed, and still visually appealing. The biggest challenge here was working around the eye area. Even with properly adjusted Weight Paint, interpolation sometimes caused strands to creep into the eyes.I spent a lot of time cleaning up this region to get an optimal result. I also had to revisit certain patches that looked bald, even though interpolation and weight painting were set correctly, because the fur didn't render properly there. These areas needed manual fixing.As part of the detailing stage, I also increased the number of segments in the Hair Guides.While the blocking phase only used two segments, I went up to three, and in some cases even five, for more complex regions. This gave me much more control over fur shape and flow.The tiniest details really matter, so I added extra fur layers with thinner, more chaotic strands extending slightly beyond the main silhouette. These micro-layers significantly improved the texture depth and boosted the overall realism.Aside from the grooming itself, I paid special attention to the fur material setup, as the shader plays a critical role in the final visual quality of the render. It's not enough to simply plug a color texture into a Principled BSDF node and call it done.I built a more complex shader, giving me precise control over various attributes. For example, I implemented subtle color variation across individual strands, along with darkening near the roots and a gradual brightening toward the tips. This helped add visual depth and made the fur look significantly more natural and lifelike.Working on the fur took up nearly half of the total time I spent on the entire model. And I'm genuinely happy with the result, this stage confirmed that the training I've gone through was solid and that I’m heading in the right direction with my artistic development.Rigging, Posing & SceneOnce I finished working on the fur, I rendered several 4K test shots from different angles to make sure every detail looked the way I intended. When I was fully satisfied with the results, it was time to move on to rigging.I divided the rigging process into three main parts:Body rig, for posing and positioning the characterFacial rig, for expressions and emotionsEar rig, for dynamic ear controlRigging isn't something I consider my strongest skill, but as a 3D generalist, I had to dive into many technical aspects of it. For the ears, I set up a relatively simple system with several bones connected using inverse kinematics (IK). This gave me flexible and intuitive control during posing and allowed for the addition of dynamic movement in animation.For facial rigging, I used the FaceIt add-on, which generates a complete facial control system for mouth, eyes, and tongue. It sped up the process significantly and gave me more precision. For the body, I used the ActorCore Rig by NVIDIA, then converted it to Rigify, which gave me a familiar interface and flexible control over poses.Posing is one of my favorite stages, it's when the character really comes to life. As usual, it started with gathering references. Honestly, it was hard to pick the final poses, Stitch is so expressive and full of personality that I wanted to try hundreds of them. But I focused on those that best conveyed the spirit and mood of the character. Some poses I reworked to fit my style rather than copying directly. For example, in the pose where Stitch licks his nose, I added drool and a bit of "green slime" for comedic effect. To capture motion, I tilted his head back and made the ears fly upward, creating a vivid, emotional snapshot.Just like in sculpting or grooming, minor details make a big difference in posing. Examples include: a slight asymmetry in the facial expression, a raised corner of the mouth, one eye squinting a little more than the other, and ears set at slightly different angles.These are subtle things that might not be noticed immediately, but they’re the key to making the character feel alive and believable.For each pose, I created a separate scene and collection in Blender, including the character, specific lighting setup, and a simple background or environment. This made it easy to return to any scene later, to adjust lighting, reposition the character, or tweak the background.In one of the renders, which I used as the cover image, Stitch is holding a little frog.I want to clearly note that the 3D model of the frog is not mine, full credit goes to the original author of the asset.At first, I wanted to build a full environment around Stitch, to create a scene that would feel like a frame from a film. But after carefully evaluating my skills and priorities, I decided that a weak environment would only detract from the strength of the character. So I opted for a simple, neutral backdrop, designed to keep all the focus on Stitch himself.Rendering, Lighting & Post-ProcessingWhen the character is complete, posed expressively, and integrated into the scene, there's one final step: lighting. Lighting isn't just a technical element of the scene — it’s a full-fledged stage of the 3D pipeline. It doesn't just illuminate; it paints. Proper lighting can highlight the personality of the character, emphasize forms, and create atmosphere.For all my renders, I rely on the classic three-point lighting setup: Key Light, Fill Light, and Rim Light.While this setup is well-known, it remains highly effective. When done thoughtfully, with the right intensity, direction, and color temperature, it creates a strong light-shadow composition that brings the model to life. In addition to the three main lights, I also use an HDRI map, but with very low intensity, around 0.3, just enough to subtly enrich the ambient light without overpowering the scene.Once everything is set, it's time to hit Render and wait for the result. Due to hardware limitations, I wasn’t able to produce full animated shots with fur. Rendering a single 4K image with fur took over an hour, so I limited myself to a 360° turnaround and several static renders.I don't spend too much time on post-processing, just basic refinements in Photoshop. Slight enhancement of the composition, gentle shadow adjustments, color balance tweaks, and adding a logo. Everything is done subtly, nothing overprocessed. The goal is simply to support and enhance what’s already there.Final ThoughtsThis project has been an incredible experience. Although it was my second time creating Stitch (the first was back in 2023), this time the process felt completely different at every stage. And honestly, it wasn't easy.But that was exactly the point: to challenge myself. To reimagine something familiar, to try things I'd never done before, and to walk the full journey from start to finish. The fur, the heart of this project, was especially meaningful to me. It’s what started it all. I poured a lot into this model: time, effort, emotion, and even doubts. But at the same time, I brought all my knowledge, skills, and experience into it.This work became a mirror of my progress from 2023 to 2025. I can clearly see how far I've come, and that gives me the motivation to keep going. Every hour of learning and practice paid off, the results speak for themselves. This model was created for my portfolio. I don't plan to use it commercially, unless, of course, a studio actually wants to license it for a new film (in that case, I'd be more than happy!)It's been a long road: challenging, sometimes exhausting, but above all inspiring and exciting. I know there's still a lot to learn. Many things to study, improve, and polish to perfection. But I'm already on that path, and I'm not stopping.Oleh Yakushev, 3D Character ArtistInterview conducted by Gloria Levine

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At Gamescom, NVIDIA is releasing its first major update to Project G‑Assist — an experimental on-device AI assistant that allows users to tune their NVIDIA RTX systems with voice and text commands. The update brings a new AI model that uses 40% less VRAM, improves tool-calling intelligence and extends G-Assist support to all RTX GPUs with 6GB or more VRAM, including laptops. Plus, a new G-Assist Plug-In Hub enables users to easily discover and download plug-ins to enable more G-Assist features. NVIDIA also announced a new path-traced particle system, coming in September to the NVIDIA RTX Remix modding platform, that brings fully simulated physics, dynamic shadows and realistic reflections to visual effects. In addition, NVIDIA named the winners of the NVIDIA and ModDB RTX Remix Mod Contest. Check out the winners and finalist RTX mods in the RTX Remix GeForce article. G-Assist Gets Smarter, Expands to More RTX PCs The modern PC is a powerhouse, but unlocking its full potential means navigating a complex maze of settings across system software, GPU and peripheral utilities, control panels and more. Project G-Assist is a free, on-device AI assistant built to cut through that complexity. It acts as a central command center, providing easy access to functions previously buried in menus through voice or text commands. Users can ask the assistant to: Run diagnostics to optimize game performance Display or chart frame rates, latency and GPU temperatures Adjust GPU or even peripheral settings, such as keyboard lighting The G-Assist update also introduces a new, significantly more efficient AI model that’s faster and uses 40% less memory while maintaining response accuracy. The more efficient model means that G-Assist can now run on all RTX GPUs with 6GB or more VRAM, including laptops. Getting started is simple: install the NVIDIA app and the latest Game Ready Driver on Aug. 19, download the G-Assist update from the app’s home screen and press Alt+G to activate. Another G-Assist update coming in September will introduce support for laptop-specific commands for features like NVIDIA BatteryBoost and Battery OPS. Introducing the G-Assist Plug-In Hub With Mod.io NVIDIA is collaborating with mod.io to launch the G-Assist Plug-In Hub, which allows users to easily access G-Assist plug-ins, as well as discover and download community-created ones. With the mod.io plug-in, users can ask G-Assist to discover and install new plug-ins. With the latest update, users can also directly ask G-Assist what new plug-ins are available in the hub and install them using natural language, thanks to a mod.io plug-in. The recent G-Assist Plug-In Hackathon showcased the incredible creativity of the G-Assist community. Here’s a sneak peek of what they came up with: Some finalists include: Omniplay — allows gamers to use G-Assist to research lore from online wikis or take notes in real time while gaming Launchpad — lets gamers set, launch and toggle custom app groups on the fly to boost productivity Flux NIM Microservice for G-Assist — allows gamers to easily generate AI images from within G-Assist, using on-device NVIDIA NIM microservices The winners of the hackathon will be announced on Wednesday, Aug. 20. Building custom plug-ins is simple. They’re based on a foundation of JSON and Python scripts — and the Project G-Assist Plug-In Builder helps further simplify development by enabling users to code plug-ins with natural language. Mod It Like It’s Hot With RTX Remix  Classic PC games remain beloved for their unforgettable stories, characters and gameplay — but their dated graphics can be a barrier for new and longtime players. NVIDIA RTX Remix enables modders to revitalize these timeless titles with the latest NVIDIA gaming technologies — bridging nostalgic gameplay with modern visuals. Since the platform’s release, the RTX Remix modding community has grown with over 350 active projects and over 100 mods released. The mods span a catalog of beloved games like Half-Life 2, Need for Speed: Underground, Portal 2 and Deus Ex — and have amassed over 2 million downloads. In May, NVIDIA invited modders to participate in the NVIDIA and ModDB RTX Remix Mod Contest for a chance to win $50,000 in cash prizes. At Gamescom, NVIDIA announced the winners: Best Overall RTX Mod Winner: Painkiller RTX Remix, by Binq_Adams Best Use of RTX in a Mod Winner: Painkiller RTX Remix, by Binq_Adams Runner-Up: Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines – RTX Remaster, by Safemilk Most Complete RTX Mod Winner: Painkiller RTX Remix, by Binq_Adams Runner-Up: I-Ninja Remixed, by g.i.george333 Community Choice RTX Mod Winner: Call of Duty 2 RTX Remix of Carentan, by tadpole3159 These modders tapped RTX Remix and generative AI to bring their creations to life — from enhancing textures to quickly creating images and 3D assets. For example, the Merry Pencil Studios modder team used a workflow that seamlessly connected RTX Remix and ComfyUI, allowing them to simply select textures in the RTX Remix viewport and, with a single click in ComfyUI, restore them. The results are stunning, with each texture meticulously recreated with physically based materials layered with grime and rust. With a fully path-traced lighting system, the game’s gothic horror atmosphere has never felt more immersive to play through. All mods submitted to the RTX Remix Modding Contest, as well as 100 more Remix mods, are available to download from ModDB. For a sneak peek at RTX Remix projects under active development, check out the RTX Remix Showcase Discord server. Another RTX Remix update coming in September will allow modders to create new particles that match the look of those found in modern titles. This opens the door for over 165 RTX Remix-compatible games to have particles for the first time. To get started creating RTX mods, download NVIDIA RTX Remix from the home screen of the NVIDIA app. Read the RTX Remix article to learn more about the contest and winners. Each week, the RTX AI Garage blog series features community-driven AI innovations and content for those looking to learn more about NVIDIA NIM microservices and AI Blueprints, as well as building AI agents, creative workflows, productivity apps and more on AI PCs and workstations.  Plug in to NVIDIA AI PC on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X — and stay informed by subscribing to the RTX AI PC newsletter. Join NVIDIA’s Discord server to connect with community developers and AI enthusiasts for discussions on what’s possible with RTX AI. Follow NVIDIA Workstation on LinkedIn and X.  See notice regarding software product information.

Whether you need a new MacBook for the upcoming semester or you've just been itching to upgrade from an older machine, now's a good time to buy. Amazon has a sale on the latest M4 MacBook Air that knocks up to 20 percent off many configurations. The

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Definitive Edition is marching onto GeForce NOW, expanding the cloud gaming platform’s library to over 2,300 supported titles. Battle is just a click away, as the iconic real-time strategy game joins seven new releases this week. Commanders can prepare their squads and steel their nerves on any device — including laptops, Macs, Steam Decks and NVIDIA SHIELD TVs. Microsoft’s surprise announcement at Quakecon is now available in the cloud: legendary fantasy shooters Heretic + Hexen have been conjured out of the shadows and are streaming on GeForce NOW. And don’t miss out on in-game rewards for the popular, free-to-play, massively multiplayer online game World of Tanks as publisher Wargaming celebrates the title’s 15-year anniversary. GeForce NOW will be at Gamescom 2025 — the world’s largest gaming tradeshow — starting Wednesday, Aug. 20. Stay tuned to GFN Thursday for all the latest updates. The Emperor’s Call  Make your victories shine from the cloud. The grimdark future calls. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Definitive Edition storms onto the battlefield with ferocious, squad-based real-time strategy. Command the Space Marines, Orks, Chaos, Eldar and more across four legendary campaigns and nine playable armies. From bolter roars to Waaagh! cries, battles erupt with uncompromising brutality, tactical depth and a healthy dose of swagger. Fully remastered with enhanced 4K visuals, a refined camera, an improved user interface and more, Dawn of War: Definitive Edition preserves the iconic chaos of the original game while throwing open the gates for creative mayhem. Every charge, psychic blast and last-stand is rendered sharper than ever as cunning, courage and unrelenting war decide the fate of worlds. GeForce NOW delivers the firepower needed to join the frontlines without having to wait for downloads or lengthy installs. Gamers can leap straight into battle, resume campaigns and join multiplayer chaos with just a few clicks. No frames lost to underpowered hardware — every skirmish, every decisive strike is rendered in full glory in the cloud. Time to Celebrate Make your victories shine from the cloud. Roll out the tanks for World of Tanks’s 15th-anniversary celebration. Join the party by logging into the game every day through Sunday, Aug. 31 for exclusive commemorative rewards. Here’s what’s on deck: daily in-game giveaways, deep discounts, a pulse-pounding limited-time game mode and a special Battle Pass chapter packed with surprises. Watch for Twitch drops, enjoy increased credit earnings when playing with veteran tankers and dive into a unique photo-album event where each day reveals a new chapter in the evolution of maps, vehicles and epic memories. Enjoy smooth, lightning-fast gameplay on GeForce NOW — even on modest hardware — and share every explosive moment with friends, fans and fellow commanders. No download hassles, just pure, seamless action. Get Hexed Suit up, pick a class and let chaos reign. Step into the shadowy worlds that shaped fantasy shooters — fully restored by Nightdive Studios. Heretic + Hexen, the cult classics forged by Raven Software, are back with a vengeance, bringing their spell-slinging attitude and dark magic to a whole new generation. This definitive collection brings together Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders, Hexen: Beyond Heretic and Hexen: Deathkings of the Dark Citadel — plus two brand-new episodes, Heretic: Faith Renewed and Hexen: Vestiges of Grandeur, crafted with id Software and Nightdive Studios. Dive into over 110 campaign maps, 120 deathmatch arenas, online and split-screen multiplayer modes, 4K 120 frames-per-second (fps) visuals, modern controls and more spell-slinging action than ever. Experience the arcane might of Heretic + Hexen with GeForce NOW, which offers instant gameplay on nearly any device, with cloud-powered graphics, ultrasmooth performance and zero downloads. Ultimate members can crank up the magic and stream at up to 4K 120 fps — even without the latest hardware, so every exploding tome and fireball looks spellbindingly sharp. All Aboard for New Games Outwit the future. All aboard, Trailblazers. Honkai Star Rail’s new Version 3.5 “Before Their Deaths” is available to stream on GeForce NOW — no need to wait for patches or updates to downloads. The latest version brings two new playable characters, Hysilens and Imperator Cerydra, who bring fresh abilities and strategies to the game. Journey back a thousand years to ancient Okhema, face the ever-shifting menace Lygus and explore the dazzling streets of Styxia, the City of Infinite Revelry. Between epic battles, serve fairy patrons in the Chrysos Maze Grand Restaurant, mix drinks with old friends and uncover secrets that could change everything. Get ready — the next stop on the Astral Express is about to be unforgettable. In addition, members can look for the following: Echoes of the End (New release on Steam, Aug. 12) 9 Kings (New release on Xbox, available on PC Game Pass, Aug. 14) Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Definitive Edition (New release on Steam, Aug. 14) Supraworld (New release on Steam, Aug. 15) Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time (New release on Steam and Battle.net) Guntouchables (Steam) Heretic + Hexen (Steam and Xbox, available on PC Game Pass) What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below. What's a classic game that you still love to play? — NVIDIA GeForce NOW (@NVIDIAGFN) August 13, 2025

There's arguably no piece of tech more important for a college student than a good laptop. Whether you’re working on an essay, doing research for a paper or just need some downtime streaming your favorite show, a solid laptop for college is an invest

An Arizona woman was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison for her role helping North Korean workers infiltrate US companies by pretending to be US workers. From an article: According to court documents, Chapman hosted the North Korean IT wor