Tag:

Upgrade

Solana-Approves
GameFi Guides

Solana Approves Alpenglow Upgrade to Boost Network Speed

by admin



The Solana network has voted to approve the new Alpenglow consensus protocol. The proposal, known as SIMD-0326, passed with 98.27% support, far exceeding the required 66.67% threshold. 

According to a post by Solana Status on X, “The community governance process for SIMD-0326: Alpenglow is complete. The proposal has passed: 98.27% voted Yes, 1.05% voted No, 0.69% voted Abstain. 52% of stake cast a vote.” This shows strong validator participation and overwhelming support for the changes.

The community governance process for SIMD-0326: Alpenglow is complete. The proposal has passed:
98.27% voted Yes
1.05% voted No
0.69% voted Abstain
52% of stake cast a vote

— Solana Status (@SolanaStatus) September 2, 2025

Alpenglow Introduces Votor and Rotor

The Alpenglow protocol, developed by infrastructure firm Anza, will replace Solana’s current systems: Proof-of-History and TowerBFT. Currently, Proof-of-History timestamps transactions to keep them in order, while TowerBFT manages the voting process for consensus.

The upgrade unveiled on Monday introduces two powerful components — Votor and Rotor. Votor will slash transaction finality times from over 12 seconds to just 150 milliseconds, giving users near-instant confirmations.

Rotor, which will launch later, will reduce data transfers between validators, making it ideal for high-demand sectors like DeFi and blockchain gaming.

Kyle Samani, Managing Partner at Multicoin Capital, highlighted the importance of the upgrade. “Alpenglow is the most significant rewrite of the Solana protocol to date. Its passage today paves the way for faster processing and finality, and for internet capital markets to emerge,” he said.

He added, “Alpenglow will be an important mile marker on our way to 1 million transactions per second.”

Market Impact and Next Steps

As Solana prepares to roll out the upgrade, its price has seen slight movement. According to CoinMarketCap, at the time of writing, Solana is valued at $201.38. A 0.89% dip was witnessed over the last 24 hours, with the trading volume reaching $3.69 billion.

The upcoming Alpenglow upgrade for Solana aims to enhance its speed and scalability. Hence, Solana can compete with top networks and draw in high-volume applications.

Also Read: Fonte Capital Launches First Solana ETF with Staking on AIX





Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Official Hollow Knight Discord link – Destructoid
Game Reviews

How to upgrade Needle in Hollow Knight Silksong

by admin


Screenshot by Destructoid

You’ll take a long time to get an upgrade.

|

Published: Sep 5, 2025 12:24 pm

You unlock the Needle upgrade in Hollow Knight: Silksong by speaking to Pinmaster Plinney in Bellhart. It’s as simple as that, but the path to get to this point is difficult because you need to defeat two strong bosses almost back-to-back.

Bellhart is the haunted city you find right after defeating Moorwing in Greymoor. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, bad news: You’re too far from the Needle upgrade and should wait until you defeat Moorwing, which is the fifth boss in Silksong and the one that follows Fourth Chorus.

Pinmaster Plinney is in that haunted city, but before you can find and speak to him, you need to purify Belhart by defeating the area’s boss. To free the city, go all the way to the left from Haunted Belhart, and you’ll be in the new area of Shellwood.

Shellwood expands west and upwards, so you’ll need to do a lot of platform jumping to navigate it. Your key goal in this area is to defeat the Sister Splinter boss and unlock the Wall Jump, also known as Cling Grip. Once you do so, go all the way to the upper right of Shellwood to transition into the upper part of Belhart. You’re about to head to another boss fight, so make sure to save on a bench close to Bellhart.

Once in upper Belhart, head down carefully and east. I say “carefully” because almost every drop is protected by a moving bug with a huge bell on its head, which damages Hornet if she touches it. You’ll need to have precise timing and use Cling Grip to avoid damage as you head down.

Fight the Widow

You’ll eventually hear a creature groaning under you, and that’s where you’ll fight a boss called Widow. The trick here is to pay attention to where Widow’s silk strings point to at all times, as they indicate where an attack is coming to get you. If you want a preview of the fight, check the video below.

Once you defeat Widow, you’ll have to play through a jumping puzzle in a short cutscene. The trick here is to move quickly since all platforms disappear in about two seconds after you step on them, taking a few extra seconds to reappear. Use your Cling Grip to jump from wall to wall and, when holding onto a wall, dash without jumping to clear gaps between adjacent walls. Reach the end of the puzzle and you’ll be back in Bellhart, which won’t be haunted anymore.

Pinmaster Plinney location

Pinmaster Plinney is exactly where Hornet’s icon is on this map. Screenshot by Destructoid.

Pinmaster Plinney is back in Belhart, along with other NPCs. His shop is in the top right corner of the city. To get there, go all the way to the left of Belhart, staying inside the city, and jump on the metal platforms to go up. Head right, where the first shop on a platform is Relic Seeker Scrounge’s. Ignore it for now and jump to the platforms to the right of it, where you’ll see a bell house with needles painted on a sign on top of it. That’s where Pinmaster Plinney is.

This is Plinney’s hut. Screenshot by Destructoid.

Go in and talk to Pinmaster Plinney, who will upgrade your Needle for free after a cool cutscene. If you’ve done everything right, you’ll see a “Needle Sharpened” text on the bottom left of your screen after the cutscene ends.

Now, Hornet’s Needle is stronger, and you can hopefully take down enemies in fewer hits than before.

Like our content? Set Destructoid as a Preferred Source on Google in just one step to ensure you see us more frequently in your Google searches!

Destructoid is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Hornet sitting on a bench
Esports

How to upgrade your Needle in Silksong

by admin



Hollow Knight: Silksong finally launched, and if you’ve been swinging at flies only to find it takes seventeen hits to drop one, you’re not alone.

Early-game Hornet starts off feeling a bit underpowered, with damage output painfully low. But do not worry, there is a quick fix to change that. As soon as you progress through the story and reach key early milestones, you unlock a free upgrade for your Needle, Hornet’s signature weapon.

Article continues after ad

Follow this guide to get your Needle upgraded as early as possible so you can start slicing through enemies instead of whittling them down.

How to upgrade your Nail in Silksong

After you defeat the Widow boss, an NPC named Pinmaster Plinney gives your Needle a free damage boost.

Step 1: Keep going until you reach Shellwood and unlock wall jumping

Dexerto

Follow the main path through Shellwood until Hornet learns the wall jump (Cling Grip). This ability, like the Dash, is essential since it lets you return to Bellhart, a previously inaccessible region.

Article continues after ad

Step 2: Head back to Bellhart and defeat the Widow boss

Dexerto

Once you have wall jump, return to Bellhart via the upper right from Shellwood.

Article continues after ad

Watch for tricky vertical areas and spike traps, cling to walls when descending and dodge fluffy enemies by timing your slides carefully.

Eventually, you will reach and battle the Widow boss in the depth of Bellhart. Defeat her to free Bellhart.

Step 3: Return and find Pinmaster Plinney

Dexerto

After the Widow fight, make sure you rest at the bench near the boss room.

Take the path right and ride the lift down. You will be back in Bellhart, now free and populated again. The NPC you need, Pinmaster Plinney, waits in the bellhouse marked by a needle sign above the door.

Article continues after ad

Talking to Plinney triggers a short cutscene. Your Needle is upgraded with no items needed. It is called the Sharpened Needle and grants a noticeable damage boost.

Now you show those bugs who’s boss. As long as Steam doesn’t break again, you should be able to enjoy the full game alongside all other half a million players.

Article continues after ad



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
An image of iPhone 17 dummy units in five shades
Gaming Gear

Apple will need to show off truly unique AI features for the iPhone 17 to convince me to upgrade

by admin



Apple’s next big iPhone event is just around the corner, and the iPhone 17 lineup is likely to take center stage. I’ll be looking to see how Apple melds the new hardware with its AI ambitions. Because unless there’s something unique to the new devices, specifically relating to AI, I’m not sure I really want to upgrade.

There have been rumors flying around Apple’s AI plans ever since Apple Intelligence started rolling out. But that has mostly seemed like just the same set of AI features available on every device with an occasional Apple twist. If the company wants this launch to stand out, it’ll need to show how the iPhone 17 can do something that no other Apple device, perhaps no other smartphone, can do using AI. Something connected to the hardware.

My high expectations fit with Apple’s teasing of “Awe Dropping” news. Presumably, that’s not just because of how much the high-end version of the new phones will cost. But Apple will need more than just a coat of AI paint on the otherwise impressive piece of technology.


You may like

Unique AI

Apple has come off as pretty cautious about AI until now. Sure, Apple Intelligence can help with rewriting emails, summarizing notes, and making personalized emojis, but it’s hardly rewriting how people live their lives.

I admit I’m not sure what my ideal announcement would be. But it shouldn’t be just another text editor or image generator. I want an AI feature that feels like it couldn’t exist on anything but this phone. Something so tightly tied to the hardware, sensors, and Apple ecosystem that it becomes immediately obvious why this phone couldn’t have come out last year or even last week.

Perhaps it’s an AI model that can read my expression and start giving me directions home just from a confused look on my face. Or turning a still into an AI-powered GIF faster than I could type a description of one.

I’m not expecting a holographic AI double of myself to appear in the air or anything, but so many ideas we’ve accepted as common features would have been far-fetched at best a few years ago. And the new iPhones are certain to have the hardware to power some wild ideas. Faster processors, keen sensors, and neural engines that can mimic human conversation at an astonishing level are capable of doing much more than creating an emoji of a dog with a cowboy hat.

So if Apple wants to win me over at this upcoming iPhone event, I don’t need another time-lapse video of Cupertino drone shots and a Jony Ive knockoff voice; I want to see AI doing things my phone never could. Otherwise, I’m happy sticking with my already quite powerful device that’s already paid for. When Tim Cook says there’s one more thing, it should be something I won’t be able to see anywhere else.

You might also like



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Getty Images
Gaming Gear

Haven’t replaced your laptop in a few years? Here’s how to know if it’s college-ready or time for an upgrade

by admin



Everyone eyes up shiny next-gen laptops in ads and store windows sometimes and thinks about how nice it would be to have a new device – but do you really need one?

As a champion of reducing e-waste, I’d typically say no, your existing laptop is probably fine. Unless you’re using a clunker from 2016, there’s often no need to upgrade your laptop until it starts to get real sluggish at basic things like web browsing.

That said, there are some pivotal moments when upgrading your laptop is worth considering – and one of those is when you head off to college or university. After all, higher education now practically demands that you have your own computer, and who’s taking a full-size desktop with them to college?


You may like

So, if you’re heading off to college and want to know whether your existing laptop might be good enough to take with you or needs upgrading, then read on as I break down the key laptop specifications and features you’ll need for higher education.

You don’t always need to upgrade – but knowing when to upgrade is still important. (Image credit: Shutterstock/Ham patipak)

1. Raw power: what can it do?

Let’s start by considering processing power – but before I even get into that, I have an important caveat to make, which might even save you from needing to read the rest of this article (you’re welcome).

Here it is: if your laptop is more than five years old, it’s definitely time to upgrade. Sure, five years isn’t that old, and a well-looked-after laptop could still be running fine after that much time. But remember, by the time your studies are complete it’ll be eight, nine, or even 10 years old, depending on how many years your course lasts. Software changes too much in that amount of time for you to still expect reasonable performance, even if the laptop itself is still in good condition.

Anyway, let’s talk performance. How much processing power does the best student laptop need? Well, that answer depends on what you’re going to be using it for.

Some college-level courses, such as literature or business studies, will only require you to do simple tasks on your laptop – like writing assignments or online research. If that’s the case, you don’t need a ton of computational oomph.

For courses like this, you’ll probably get away without upgrading your existing laptop if it’s only a few years old already. As a general rule of thumb for the CPU, I’d recommend an Intel Core i3 (or Ultra 3), AMD Ryzen 3, or Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus as the minimum for a Windows laptop, along with at least 8GB of RAM – though 16GB is preferable.

If you prefer the best MacBooks instead, I’d say upgrading is mandatory if yours is an older Intel model; anything from the M2 chip onwards is ideal.

Getting a high-end gaming laptop for college is often overkill, but some majors will be able to take advantage of the greater processing power. (Image credit: Nvidia)

Some majors, however, will see you doing more intensive tasks on your laptop. The list is long: photo and video editing, 2D and 3D art, game design, animation, music production… lots of creative disciplines will usually require the use of more demanding software, such as Adobe’s Creative Cloud or Blender.

The same goes for many technical courses; most STEM majors will find themselves using tools like MATLAB, which will run better on more powerful hardware.

For this, it becomes more of a question of budget, since the sky is arguably the limit. If cash is no concern, something like a high-end MacBook Pro with an M3 or M4 chip is a good choice. If you prefer Windows, look for laptops with an Intel Core i7 (or Ultra 7), AMD Ryzen 7, or Snapdragon X Elite processor, with at least 16GB of RAM. You may even want a laptop with a dedicated GPU (ideally from Nvidia).

In other words, if you’re studying a subject that will require a more powerful laptop, it’s more likely that you’ll need to upgrade.

You might be lucky if you’re a PC gamer, though. If you already own a gaming laptop with a discrete GPU, preferably an Nvidia RTX 3000-series or newer, then you should be fine to use that as your primary system for college – just consider whether you’ll need to take it to classes regularly, since gaming laptops are rarely renowned for their portability and battery life.

2. Battery life: how long can it last?

On that topic, next up is battery life. Our own research into consumer needs here at TechRadar has indicated that battery quality is one of the single most important factors people think about when it comes to deciding on a laptop, and I’m inclined to agree; any laptop that can’t make it through a full eight-hour day of work or studying isn’t worth its salt (unless it’s very cheap).

With that in mind, there are ways to test out your own laptop’s battery life to figure out whether it’s up to scratch for college.

You can actually do one of our in-house battery tests yourself for free: just download VLC Media Player and the Blender short film Big Buck Bunny, then set brightness to 50% (volume off) and set the video to loop. Start with a full charge and simply time how long it takes the battery to run out.

I have watched this video far too many times.

Bear in mind that we use this test for consistency’s sake, and it isn’t necessarily indicative of how long a laptop will last in every real-world scenario. If you’re running intensive software (like playing games, for example), you can expect your remaining charge to drain faster.

You should already have a feel for whether the battery life on your laptop is good enough, though; if you struggle to use it for a few hours without hunting for a power outlet, it might be time for a new laptop.

If you decide to upgrade, check out reviews and rankings – like our very own best laptops list – to read up on the battery life and charging speed of any laptop you’re considering.

3: Portability: how light is it?

Most students want to take their laptops on the go frequently, so portability is another major concern here.

When I went to university more than a decade ago, I took my chunky two-year-old HP Pavilion 16, which was a big darned mistake. Granted, laptops in general weren’t as svelte back then, but I still wish I’d had something a bit more portable; lugging that thing to classes was a pain in the, uh, shoulders.

There are plenty of modern laptops that pass the portability test, though. Look for laptops with a display size of 15 inches or less, with a total weight of less than 2kg.

If you want something ultra-portable, you might even want to consider one of the best student Chromebooks, which are not just smaller and lighter but also cheaper than many MacBooks and Windows laptops – just remember that Chromebooks are only well-suited for basic tasks like word processing and internet research.

Chromebooks can be a viable (and affordable) option for college, but be certain you’ll only need to do basic tasks on your laptop of choice before buying one. (Image credit: Shutterstock)

4. Display: how sharp is it?

The last thing I’ll briefly talk about here is screen quality.

If you’re studying any visual media course such as photography or graphic design, you’ll want to make sure your laptop has a good display. That means a minimum resolution of 1080p (but higher is better) and decent color reproduction; look for a ‘color gamut’ of at least 100% sRGB or 95% DCI-P3, ideally Pantone-validated.

And that’s it! Hopefully, you now have the information you need to make an informed purchase – or not, if you already have a laptop that’s only a couple of years old.

Ultimately, only you can decide whether you really need to upgrade, but here’s my advice: if you think your laptop is pretty decent and nothing in this article has set off alarm bells in your head, stick with it. We could all stand to make our tech last a little longer.

You might also like…



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Anycubic Kobra 3 V2
Gaming Gear

Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 Review: Kobra Gets an Upgrade

by admin



Why you can trust Tom’s Hardware


Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

The Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 Combo is an upgraded version of the Kobra 3 we reviewed last May, but the most significant improvements are in the software. This means if you have an Anycubic Kobra 3 and are still happy with it, you’ll now be ecstatic. The new software gives greater control to the printer’s filament purge, allowing the user to significantly reduce waste. The improved Anycubic Slicer also improves the performance of the Anycubic Kobra S1, a machine that we continue to enjoy using at the Tom’s Hardware test lab.

The hardware upgrades from the Kobra 3 to the Kobra 3 V2 Combo are subtle, but significant. It now has a better hotend, a camera for AI spaghetti detection, and a beefier frame. Fortunately, the camera and hotend can be installed on older Kobra 3, so there’s no need to replace the machine entirely if you want these benefits.

  • Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 at Amazon for $449.99

Specifications: Anycubic Kobra 3 V2

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Build Volume

255 x 255 x 260 mm (10.04 x 10.04.3 x 10.23 in)

Material

PLA/PETG/TPU (up to 300 degrees)

Extruder Type

Direct Drive

Nozzle

.4mm High Flow

Build Platform

Double sided PEI spring steel flex plate

Bed Leveling

Automatic with Auto Z Offset

Filament Runout Sensor

Yes

Connectivity

USB, LAN, Wi-Fi, App

Interface

4.3-inch Touch Screen

Machine Footprint

452 x 505 x 483mm (17.79 x 19.88 x 19.01 in)

Machine Weight

9.37kg (20.65 lbs)

Today’s best Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 deals

Included in the box: Anycubic Kobra 3 V2

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 arrived mostly assembled and securely packaged in two boxes. Included are two power cords, one for the printer and one for the ACE Pro, a signal cable, and four Bowden tubes for connecting the printer to the ACE Pro. The toolhead, touch screen, cable holder, purge wiper, camera, and an optional single-spool holder ship unassembled. Also included are grease, spare nozzle cleaners, cable organizers, hex keys, wrenches, metric hardware, a small filament coil, a USB drive with a copy of the slicer for Windows and Mac, and a paper copy of the manual.

Assembling the Anycubic Kobra 3 V2

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 is easily assembled, as it ships with the gantry already installed. The printhead is quickly attached to the X carriage with four M3*6 screws. The printhead cable is installed on top of the printhead using two M2*14 screws. The touchscreen mounts to the right side of the machine with two M4*16 screws, and a ribbon cable plugs into the back. The cable holder slots into the left side of the X-axis, and the purge wiper is attached to the right side with one M3*8 screw on the top and one M3*10 screw on the bottom. The X-axis cable is plugged in next to the camera mount.

You need to print a case for the camera before installing it, but this only took a few minutes. It’s installed on the left side of the gantry, with a cable running to a USB slot in the front of the printer.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The ACE Pro connects with one signal cable and four Bowden tubes. I left the blue clips off of the collets on the ACE Pro because, in my experience, the collets hold fine without them, and they are a pain to remove if you need to clear broken filament out of the tubes.

Leveling the Anycubic Kobra 3 V2

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Leveling the Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 is done automatically with the initial calibration, including vibration compensation and PID tuning, at initial startup. Anycubic’s Levi Q3.0 auto leveling works fine as it taps the bed and sets the Z-axis offset perfectly.

At the start of each print, the software allows you to re-level, redo the resonance compensation, turn on flow calibration, and set AI-spaghetti detection. Since print quality was very good, I did not see the need to recalibrate often. The AI detection was initially way too sensitive, but a recent firmware upgrade now allows it to be adjusted.

Loading Filament in the Anycubic Kobra 3 V2

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 has a direct drive tool head with a reverse Bowden and a filament runout sensor tucked into the tool head.

When using a single spool on the spool holder, you run the filament through the tube, and after pushing it into the tool head, the machine takes care of the rest. When using the ACE, spools are placed in the slots, and the filament is poked into the filament inlet a few centimeters. The machine’s gears will grab onto it quickly and feed it about halfway through the tubes. It will complete the journey once a print is started.

Anycubic brand filament has RFID tags to automatically identify the filament type and color. When using third-party filament, you can manually enter the filament information from the printer’s screen or from the slicer suite.

Design of the Anycubic Kobra 3 V2

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 shares its matte silver finished aluminum color scheme with the rest of the Kobra 3 line, though I still miss the old black and blue design, which was more unique. As with the Kobra 2 and Kobra 3 this printer uses metal rails and metal wheels on the bed and on the X-axis while the Z-axis runs on rubber V wheels in slots on the gantry. A single stepper runs dual belted lead screws for the Z-axis.

The Kobra 3 V2 received a 20 mm wider stance for the rails supporting the bed. Cable management on the Kobra 3 V2 looks good until you add the signal cable to the ACE Pro and the camera cable to the front ports. The cables can be tucked under the machine, but the front placement of the ports mar an otherwise attractive look. The unnecessary USB cover is still flapping awkwardly in the breeze.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The 4.3-inch touchscreen is bright and responsive and is adjustable for the best viewing angle.

The one-piece hotend with nozzle releases from the tool head with a simple lever, but the heater and thermistor are attached with screws and wiring firmly attached to the printer. The wire connectors are easily accessible, which is nice.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The included .4mm nozzle is brass. Anycubic has 0.6mm and 0.8mm nozzles listed on the website, but I hope you like brass because it’s your only choice. There are a bunch of aftermarket options for hardened nozzles, but it’s buyer beware. The nozzle is threaded into the heater block and glued in place to prevent filament leakage. If you try to unscrew it, you will likely break the tip off the nozzle. Don’t ask me how I know this. Parts cooling is provided by a beefy 50 x 20mm blower fan attached to the front cover of the printhead.

The printer does have a pretty good camera, which enables monitoring from the workbench of the slicer software and can be used for time-lapse photos of your prints. The quality of the time-lapse function is not great due to the camera being only 720p, and it’s pretty jerky from the moving bed. In the slicer workbench, the camera is given a tiny window, and there doesn’t appear to be a way to make it larger for easier viewing. But it does give extra comfort to be able to see your prints via the Anycubic app and stop them if problems occur.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The ACE (Anycubic Color Engine) Pro is unique in that it offers active filament drying, even while printing, up to 55 °C, which is enough to dry PLA, PVA, and PETG. TPU would require more heat for best results.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The ACE Pro appears similar to the Bambu Lab AMS design, but does not have an independent feeder for each filament. The feed mechanism can only load one filament at a time and will occasionally have problems with filament misfeeding when trying to load. It is an interesting design that has more in common with the MMU3 from Prusa Research.

The ACE Pro has sensors to detect nozzle clogs, spool tangles, and filament running out. Unfortunately, when the filament does run out or is set to auto refill from another spool, the filament can’t be retracted, and all the filament between the ACE Pro and the tool head must be pushed through the nozzle as poop before continuing.

When an error is detected, the printer will pause the print and alert you via the printer’s screen and the Anycubic app. This system works extremely well and can be counted on for flawless recovery during multiday prints

The machine also has sensors in the tool head-mounted buffer to detect nozzle clogs. When it runs into trouble, it will pause the print and alert you via the Anycubic app.

I tried several different brands of filament in the ACE successfully. Like the Bambu AMS, it can’t use small sample spools, some cardboard spools that are delicate, or larger than standard spools.

Preparing Files / Software

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 came with a copy of Anycubic Slicer Next, now based on Orca Slicer. If you are familiar with Orca or Bambu Studio, you should feel at home with Anycubic SlicerNext. Earlier versions of Anycubic Slicer really hamstrung the entire Anycubic ecosystem. The current version is a huge improvement.

One of the newest upgrades is the ability to intelligently handle precolored 3MF files made for other printers. Since most designers are only offering pre-colored files for Bambu Lab 3D printers, this is a really nice addition.

Printing on the Anycubic Kobra 3 V2

My review unit came with a sample coil of filament, which won’t get you far or fill that ACE Pro. You can check out our guide to the best filaments for 3D printing for suggestions on how to feed your Kobra.

My first print was a traditional Benchy, using the printer’s normal speeds. However, the “speed” Benchy rules for uniformity require 2 walls, 3 top and bottom layers, 10% grid infill, a 0.25 layer height, and a 0.5 layer width. The boat is nice and smooth, with a rough line at the deck level, which is pretty common amongst all printers. This was printed in ordinary black Inland PLA.

3D Benchy (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

For PLA I printed a flock of Flexi Baby Dinos from Thingiverse, using a .2 layer height and the default slicer settings. These six critters printed in a little over 8 hours and 40 minutes at an average speed of 130 mm/s. The print quality is excellent, with no bleeding in the white portions. The print did waste about 100 grams of filament, which could be further absorbed by using a purge object. This used blue, black, and white Creality Hyper PLA, with some eSun Silk PLA in purple.

Flexi Baby Dino Brachiosauruses, by 3DGOB (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

For PETG, I printed another fairy door by Jukka Seppänen, with a 0.2 mm layer height and an average speed of 90 mm/s; it finished in 2 hours and 4 minutes. I put the door flat on its back to cut down on print time. There were just a few wisps of stringing, but the surface detail is fantastic. It wasted about 15 grams of filament, mostly the light grey.

Jukka Seppänen’s Fairy Door (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

For TPU, I ran a pair of colorful Summerwave Koosies. Since I needed these to fit a water bottle, I lengthened them 120% and shrunk the X and Y to 97% in the slicer. With a .2mm layer height and an average print speed of 50 mm/s, this print took 8 hours and 50 minutes each in MicroCenter’s Inland Rainbow TPU. Print quality was excellent, with clean, smooth layers. I could have probably run the TPU a good deal faster, as the default setting was only 3.2mm/s³.

Summerwave Koosies by James The Printer (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Bottom Line

The Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 Combo represents an evolutionary rather than a revolutionary change over the Kobra 3 Combo. The revised hardware and camera are nice additions, and I appreciate that the camera and hotend are available to purchase for owners of the original Kobra 3. Having a fully functional slicer makes this printer and, honestly, the entire multicolor Kobra line an outstanding value.

The machine has impressive speed, and the ACE Pro material system runs smoothly. The added benefit of being a filament drier saves the user from needing to purchase additional accessories.

If you’re interested in a smaller format, extremely beginner-friendly color printer, check out the Bambu Lab A1 Mini Combo for $399. Or if you want a color printer with an enclosure for tricky high-temperature filaments, then the Kobra S1 is on sale for an amazing price of $498. If a single color is more to your liking, the Elegoo Centauri Carbon is a steal at $299.

Anycubic Kobra 3 V2: Price Comparison



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Large open bank vault door symbolizing secure bitcoin storage
GameFi Guides

Solana Community Approves Alpenglow Upgrade

by admin



Welcome to The Protocol, CoinDesk’s weekly wrap of the most important stories in cryptocurrency tech development. I’m Margaux Nijkerk, a reporter at CoinDesk.

In this issue:

  • Solana Set for Major Overhaul After 98% Votes to Approve Historic ‘Alpenglow’ Upgrade
  • Ethereum Foundation to Unload Another 10K ETH Following SharpLink Deal
  • ‘OP_CAT Isn’t My Invention. It’s Satoshi’s,’ Says Bruce Liu as OPCAT_Labs Pushes to Reboot Bitcoin’s Code
  • Ethereum to Close Its Largest Testnet, Holesky, After Fusaka Upgrade

Network News

ALPENGLOW APPROVED BY SOLANA COMMUNITY: The Solana community voted overwhelmingly in favor of the long-awaited Alpenglow upgrade, bringing the network one step closer to the most significant technical transformation in its history. According to Solana Status on X, 98.27% of SOL stakers that voted approved the proposal, with only 1.05% voting against and 0.36% abstaining. In total, 52% of the network’s stakers participated in the vote. The upgrade introduces a new consensus protocol designed to dramatically improve transaction finality and network efficiency. At the heart of Alpenglow are two new components, Votor and Rotor, which will replace Solana’s existing systems, Proof-of-History and TowerBFT. Currently, Proof-of-History timestamps transactions to preserve their order without slowing the network, while TowerBFT handles the voting process among validators. Alpenglow will overhaul both systems. Votor will slash transaction finality times from over 12 seconds to around 150 milliseconds, delivering near-instant confirmation for users. Rotor, scheduled for a later rollout, will minimize data transfers between validators, a crucial improvement for high-demand applications such as decentralized finance (DeFi) and blockchain-based gaming.With approval secured, Solana is now preparing to implement the upgrade, a milestone expected to unlock greater speed, resilience, and scalability across its ecosystem. — Margaux Nijkerk Read more.

EF TO SELL 10K ETH OVER NEXT FEW WEEKS: The Ethereum Foundation (EF) shared in a post on X on Tuesday that it plans to sell 10,000 ETH through centralized exchanges over the next several weeks to support work toward research & development, ecosystem grants and related donations. According to CoinMarketCap, the ETH will amount to roughly $43 million at Tuesday’s prices. “Conversions will take place over multiple smaller orders, rather than as a single large transaction,” the EF wrote in the post on X.The news follows the EF’s rollout of a new treasury policy in June that caps annual operational spending (opex) at 15%, establishes a multiyear reserve buffer and sets a gradual pace toward even leaner spending long-term. The foundation sold an additional 10,000 ETH to SharpLink Gaming in July, making the online casino marketing firm the first publicly traded company to buy ETH from a key firm in the network’s ecosystem. — Margaux Nijkerk Read more.

A CHAT WITH BRUCE LIU ON OP_CAT: Without OP_CAT, Bruce Liu says Bitcoin is as “useful as a jumbo jet without wings” capable of much more than it’s allowed to do, but stuck on the ground while Ethereum and Solana soar. Liu, the founder of OPCAT_Labs, says a single opcode, OP_CAT, could transform bitcoin from static digital gold into programmable money that rivals other layer-1 chains. OP_CAT is a long-disabled opcode in Bitcoin’s code that, if re-enabled, would allow developers to concatenate data in scripts and unlock new possibilities, from vaults and covenants to decentralized exchanges and zero-knowledge proofs. The Bitcoin blockchain, if OP_CAT was re-enabled, would be as programmable as Ethereum or Solana, said Liu. “OP_CAT is not new code. It was never deleted, just commented out and disabled. We are not adding my opcode or somebody else’s. It’s Satoshi’s,” Liu told CoinDesk during an interview on the sidelines of BTC Asia in Hong Kong. — Sam Reynolds Read more.

HOLESKY SUNSET IS COMING AFTER FUSAKA UPGRADE: A fresh slate of Ethereum testnets is replacing Holesky, the once-massive staging ground now set for shutdown after two years of service.The wind-down will occur two weeks after the Fusaka upgrade is finalized later this year, at which point client and infrastructure teams will cease providing support. Fusaka is set to make Ethereum rollups cheaper and faster by spreading out the “data storage work” more evenly across validators. Holesky went live in 2023 to stress-test Ethereum’s proof-of-stake machinery at scale. It quickly became the largest public testnet, providing thousands of validators with a platform to trial upgrades before they were deployed on the mainnet. Major milestones, such as the Dencun and Pectra upgrades — which lowered transaction costs and upgraded validator efficiency, among other features — were run through Holesky first. However, cracks began to appear as the network aged. Holesky encountered “inactivity leaks” after Pectra’s activation in early 2025, a term referring to validators going offline in large numbers, which created a significant backlog for those attempting to exit. The result was months-long queues that made it impractical to test the full validator lifecycle. For developers needing fast feedback loops, Holesky had become more of a roadblock than a tool. — Shaurya Malwa Read more.

In Other News

  • Digital asset investment firm Galaxy Digital (GLXY) is bringing its stock onto blockchain rails as equity tokenization gains steam.The Nasdaq-listed company is working with blockchain firm Superstate to make its Class A common stock available as tokens on the Solana network through Superstate’s Opening Bell platform. The arrangement preserves the full rights of SEC-registered equity while allowing investors to hold and transfer shares on-chain, the firms said. Tokenization of traditional assets has gained traction across the financial sector as firms experiment with moving equities, bonds and money-market funds onto blockchain infrastructure. A slew of tokenized equity products hit the market in the past few months predominantly for EU investors, including by Robinhood, Gemini with Dinari and xStocks by Kraken and Backed Finance. However, some offerings drew concerns such as limited shareholder rights and fragmented regulations. Unlike synthetic or wrapped tokenized stocks that operate without issuer involvement, Galaxy’s shares are issued directly on-chain and tracked by Superstate as a transfer agent, recording changes to the shareholder register instantly as tokens move between verified wallets. This approach seeks to combine compliance with blockchain features such as fast settlement, transparency and around-the clock-availability, the firms said. — Kristzian Sandor Read more.
  • Ondo Finance launched its tokenized equity platform dubbed Ondo Global Markets, offering non-U.S. investors access to more than 100 U.S. stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on-chain. The tokenized equities, first announced in February, have gone live on Ethereum and are backed by securities held by U.S.-registered broker-dealers, the firm said.The offering includes crypto token versions of Apple (AAPL), Nvidia (NVDA) and the QQQ ETF among others. Investors in Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa and Latin America can mint and redeem shares around the clock during trading days, with access to underlying exchange liquidity. The service is not available for U.S. users. The tokens are designed to move freely between wallets, exchanges and decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols. The firm has also partnered with BitGo, Ledger, Chainlink and other infrastructure providers to support the rollout.— Kristzian Sandor Read more.

Regulatory and Policy

  • European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde urged European Union (EU) lawmakers to impose stringent requirements and safeguards on foreign stablecoins.
  • Lagarde argued they should comply with the bloc’s regulatory standards before operating on EU soil, she said in a speech at a European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) conference in Frankfurt. The ECB president cautioned that during a stablecoin run, investors would be more likely redeem in jurisdictions with stronger protections, such as the EU, where Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation prohibits redemption fees, potentially depleting local reserves. “The risk of liquidity mismanagement across jurisdictions is one we have seen before. Banking groups, for example, are already required to ensure that reserves are available in the part of the group where and when they are needed,” Lagarde said. — Jamie Crawley Read More.
  • The U.S. government has begun using blockchains to disseminate key economic data, starting with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s release of gross-domestic product (GDP) numbers, which was described as a “proof of concept” for doing more in the future. “We are making America’s economic truth immutable and globally accessible like never before, cementing our role as the blockchain capital of the world,” Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said in a statement that announced the new approach to distributing the data. In a deliberate effort not to pick blockchain favorites, the department put out last week’s data on Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, TRON, Stellar, Avalanche, Arbitrum One, Polygon PoS and Optimism, identifying the transaction hashes for each in its announcement. The agency said it also sent the data through Chainlink and Pyth and noted that exchanges Coinbase, Gemini and Kraken helped out.— Jesse Hamilton Read more.

Calendar

  • Sept. 22-28: Korea Blockchain Week, Seoul
  • Oct. 1-2: Token2049, Singapore
  • Oct. 13-15: Digital Asset Summit, London
  • Oct. 16-17: European Blockchain Convention, Barcelona
  • Nov. 17-22: Devconnect, Buenos Aires
  • Dec. 11-13: Solana Breakpoint, Abu Dhabi
  • Feb. 10-12, 2026: Consensus, Hong Kong
  • Mar. 30-Apr. 2: EthCC, Cannes
  • May 5-7, 2026: Consensus, Miami



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Gold ether coins in a small pile, symbolizing ETH investment
NFT Gaming

Stellar Upgrade Triggers Trading Pauses on Major Exchanges, XLM Faces Resistance

by admin



South Korean crypto exchange Upbit temporarily suspended trading in Stellar’s XLM token on Tuesday, a precautionary move as the Stellar network readies for its Protocol 23 upgrade.

The scheduled modernization, set for Sept. 3, is expected to enhance scalability and accelerate transaction speeds, prompting several exchanges to adopt stability measures during the transition.

XLM traded in a narrow band between $0.36 and $0.37 in the 24 hours leading up to the upgrade, with volume spikes coinciding with tests of resistance at the upper end of that range.

Despite multiple attempts to break through $0.37, selling pressure kept prices capped, while strong support formed at $0.36. Analysts suggest this consolidation reflects institutional accumulation, with market participants watching closely for a decisive breakout.

The final hour of trading before the suspension saw heightened volatility, with XLM briefly touching $0.37 before slipping back to $0.36. The price action underscores the network’s importance in cross-border payments and the growing institutional focus on digital asset infrastructure.

Broader momentum is also being fueled by rising interest in central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and enterprise blockchain adoption, including partnerships involving Hedera.

With Stellar’s Protocol 23 upgrade underway, traders are eyeing two critical levels: the $0.45 resistance, which XLM has failed to clear on four separate occasions since June, and the $0.30–$0.32 support zone, seen as a potential accumulation area. Market observers say the outcome of the upgrade could dictate whether Stellar finally breaks through its ceiling or retreats to rebuild support at lower levels.

XLM/USD (TradingView)

Principal Technical Indicators
  • Price Parameters: XLM traded within a $0.36-$0.37 corridor during the 24-hour period with 3% aggregate volatility.
  • Volume Assessment: Peak trading activity of 28.91 million during resistance examination at the $0.37 threshold.
  • Support/Resistance Dynamics: Robust resistance established at $0.37 with support maintaining integrity around $0.36.
  • Breakout Configurations: Multiple unsuccessful attempts to sustain valuations above the $0.37 resistance threshold.
  • Institutional Participation: Volume surges coinciding with key technical levels suggest accumulation patterns amongst sophisticated market participants.

Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk’s full AI Policy.



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Solana’s Alpenglow upgrade vote passes with 98% approval
NFT Gaming

Solana’s Alpenglow upgrade vote passes with 98% approval

by admin



The Solana community has approved Alpenglow, a highly anticipated upgrade designed to ramp up the blockchain network’s scalability.

Summary

  • Solana community has passed the governance vote for Alpenglow upgrade with 98.27% in favor.
  • Alpenglow is a consensus mechanism upgrade that will slash transaction finality from 12 seconds to 150ms.

Solana (SOL) stakers approved with over 98% of the vote the governance proposal dubbed Alpenglow, with the historic move setting in motion the journey towards a consensus algorithm overhaul for the network.

According to Solana Status, the community greenlit the Alpenglow proposal with 98.27% of the vote.

Onchain data show only 1.05% of the votes were against, while 0.69% abstained. In total, 52% of stake participated in the vote.

The community governance process for SIMD-0326: Alpenglow is complete. The proposal has passed:
98.27% voted Yes
1.05% voted No
0.69% voted Abstain
52% of stake cast a vote

— Solana Status (@SolanaStatus) September 2, 2025

More about Alpenglow

The proposal, SIMD 326, has attracted a lot of bullish sentiment from ecosystem participants. 

Mainly, it’s down to Alpenglow’s key technical feature – a consensus mechanism aimed at bringing a 100x speed boost to transaction processing on Solana. If implemented, the upgrade will see Solana’s transaction latency drop from 12 seconds to 150ms.

Alpenglow seeks to achieve this via two consensus aspects – Votor and Rotor.

These will replace the current Proof-of-History and Tower Byzantine Fault Tolerance, or TowerBFT. On the Solana network, Proof-of-History allows for timestamping of transactions to ensure blockchain security and efficiency, while TowerBFT powers the validator process.

The Alpenglow upgrade will activate Votor to slash transaction finality times, replacing TowerBFT. Meanwhile, Rotor is set to replace PoH’s timestamping system, implementing a new data dissemination model that drastically cuts the time nodes take to agree on network status.

Anza, a Solana-focused development firm, unveiled the proposal in May 2025.

While a timeline for mainnet rollout is yet to be announced, the expectation is that as a major protocol upgrade, Alpenglow will catapult Solana to the next level of adoption across payments, trading, and gaming, among other use cases.





Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
SOL Futures Are More Popular Than Ever as U.S. Inflation Report Looms
Crypto Trends

Solana Set for Major Overhaul After 98% Votes to Approve Historic ‘Alpenglow’ Upgrade

by admin



The Solana community voted overwhelmingly in favor of the long-awaited Alpenglow upgrade, bringing the network one step closer to the most significant technical transformation in its history.

According to Solana Status on X on Monday, 98.27% of SOL stakers that voted approved the proposal, with only 1.05% voting against and 0.36% abstaining. In total, 52% of the network’s stakers participated in the vote.

The community governance process for SIMD-0326: Alpenglow is complete. The proposal has passed:
98.27% voted Yes
1.05% voted No
0.69% voted Abstain
52% of stake cast a vote

— Solana Status (@SolanaStatus) September 2, 2025

The upgrade introduces a new consensus protocol designed to dramatically improve transaction finality and network efficiency. At the heart of Alpenglow are two new components, Votor and Rotor, which will replace Solana’s existing systems, Proof-of-History and TowerBFT.

Read more: What Is Block Finality?

Currently, Proof-of-History timestamps transactions to preserve their order without slowing the network, while TowerBFT handles the voting process among validators. Alpenglow’s enhancements will overhaul both systems.

Votor will slash transaction finality times from over 12 seconds to around 150 milliseconds, delivering near-instant confirmation for users. Rotor, scheduled for a later rollout, will minimize data transfers between validators, a crucial improvement for high-demand applications such as decentralized finance (DeFi) and blockchain-based gaming.

With the approval secured, Solana now prepares to implement the upgrade, a milestone expected to unlock greater speed, resilience, and scalability across its ecosystem.

Read more: Solana Targets Near-Instant Finality as Alpenglow Upgrade Heads to Vote





Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Close