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  • Ulanzi Studio Deck Dock D200H

    Ulanzi Studio Deck Dock D200H

    The older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve realised how convenient having studio-grade tools is as part of your workstation. Thankfully, these tools have gotten cheaper and more readily accessible over time, and they’re all vying to be the best in the market. 

    High-quality sound output is a great example of this. For sound, you can choose to have a sound card within your case, or even output to a mixer on your desk. You’ve got a plethora of options, and it doesn’t take much to get a massive boost in audio quality just by spending $40-60 more. 

    That’s not the only place that these tools have seen huge competition in. Elgato’s Stream Deck is arguably the king of this castle, and has been so for many, many years. That’s very clear in how they price it. However, like every empire, they’re constantly having to fend off the attacks by rogue competitors who want a piece of the pie, and now and again, these empires fall. 

    And that’s what Ulanzi Studio is trying to do.

    The Deck Dock D200H is a macro-key competitor to the 15-key Elgato Stream Deck. That is, if the Stream Deck were also compatible with their external USB Hub like the Stream Deck + is. Visually, both Decks are extremely similar – offering 14/15 keys on the face that are mapped via software that you run on your PC, which must be running in the background at all times to use it, and they’re both using very similar-looking software that is extremely customizable and easy to use. 

    But that’s where the similarities stop, because unlike having to spend over $200 with Elgato to get the same functionality as a Stream Deck with a USB Hub, it all comes in one $65 package. 

    The Deck Dock D200H has a USB A 3.0 and USB-C 3.0 ports on the right side, an SD and Micro SD card slot on the left side, USB-A 3.0 and USB-C 3.0 ports, and a PD100W power supply on the rear next to the PC connection port. It’s all extremely convenient, as if designed as a middle finger to Elgato’s insane broken-up and expensive product catalog. It not only saves money, but it’s a huge bonus to have one or two less USB hubs on a desk.

    However, one of the areas where Elgato is stronger is the Plugin catalog. With Elgato’s offering, you not only get a massive collection to choose from that’s almost never-ending, they’re also custom-built by multiple different creators. With Ulanzi, you’re limited to what they’ve created themselves, and that means you’re waiting on one developer to update any flagged issues. 

    One thing I don’t like about the Deck Dock D200H is how it sits on the desk. It’s as if it’s designed more for a standing desk user, since its face points upwards at a 20-30° angle. Unfortunately, they don’t provide an additional 45° stand to mount it in, and it has a habit of slipping if you try to lean it against something. If you’re like me and have information displayed on the screen, like CPU usage or are trying to navigate multiple menus, it can be inconvenient having to lean over the screen to read it. 

    Other than that, the buttons feel like a weird in-between of a membrane and scissor-switch keyboard, and need to be interacted with in the dead center for it to read your input. If you were using this as your go-to day in, day out, and you had to constantly interact with the button for it to read your input, you’d quickly get irritated.

    At the end of the day, I really like what Ulanzi has put together – but where it falls short, it falls hard. It provides a lot of usability through USB-A/C and SD card ports, but it feels inconvenient to use at times. If you can get past its faults, I don’t see why this couldn’t be a great budget option to go with.

    Review Guidelines

    75

    Ulanzi Studio Deck Dock D200H

    Good

    The Deck Dock D200H is a great all-in-one budget solution for those wanting a macro keyboard, USB hub, and Micro SD/SD card reader. Its software is extremely easy to use, extremely customizable, and works directly with the software I use daily. However, just like with every budget option, there are distinct flaws – the buttons aren’t satisfying to press, it has a habit of not reading my inputs, and it sits at a very inconvenient angle if you’re sitting at your desk.

    Pros
    • Huge amount of usability packed into one device
    • Paired with very easy-to-use software
    • Insanely affordable, especially against competitors like Elgato
    Cons
    • Sits at a weird 20-30° angle
    • Buttons aren’t satisfying to press and must be interacted with in the dead center for it to read an input
    • Animated GIFs don’t seem to work properly on the display
    • Limited plugin options via Ulanzi Studio

    This review is based on a copy provided by GamingTrend.


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  • 3D Artist Reimagines Demon Slayer’s Mitsuri Kanroji With Maya & UE5

    3D Artist Reimagines Demon Slayer’s Mitsuri Kanroji With Maya & UE5

    While the days when the Kimetsu no Yaiba, a.k.a. Demon Slayer, series was all the rage and the talk of the town within the anime/manga community have long passed, it without a doubt still stands as one of the most iconic franchises with countless fans all across the world.

    Proving that point is 3D Character Artist known as Clear777, who recently showcased a stunning 3D recreation of one of the series’ most memorable supporting characters, Mitsuri Kanroji. As the artist noted, this fan work helped them study XGen, Mari, and Unreal Engine 5, three of the key applications used to bring the model to life. In addition, they also utilized such software as ZBrush, Maya, Substance 3D Painter, Marmoset Toolbag, and Marvelous Designer.

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  • Singer Tamar Braxton says she ‘almost died’ in weekend accident

    Singer Tamar Braxton says she ‘almost died’ in weekend accident

    LOS ANGELES — Singer, actor and reality TV star Tamar Braxton said Tuesday that she “almost died” in a weekend accident that she doesn’t remember.

    “I was found in a pool of blood from my friend with a face injury,” Braxton wrote in an Instagram post. “I fractured my nose, lost some teeth and mobility.” She added, “I don’t even know what happened to me.”

    Braxton, 48, earlier in the day had posted “Thank you God for waking me up today,” in an Instagram story.

    She said she was getting calls after and was struggling to talk so she shared what had happened to her.

    The post also said “the way I look at life now is totally different. As my health is on the mend my mental journey begins… pray for me for real.”

    An email to Braxton’s manager seeking more details was not immediately answered.

    Braxton was part of a singing group with her sisters, including Toni Braxton, who went on to a major solo career.

    They and other family members appeared on the reality series “Braxton Family Values” starting in 2011, and Tamar Braxton has since appeared in spin-offs and other reality shows.

    As an actor, her recent credits include the TV series “Kingdom Business.” And she has spent much of the year on a solo singing tour.


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  • Bank Indonesia front-loads easing amid growth concerns | articles

    Bank Indonesia front-loads easing amid growth concerns | articles

    Bank Indonesia has lowered its policy rate by 25 basis points to 5.00%, marking a second consecutive surprise cut. While we had expected BI to hold off on further easing until the fourth quarter – given the recent strength in GDP and CPI data, as well as weak transmission to lending rates – the move signals BI’s increasing concern over the growth outlook.

    The decision also suggests that BI is taking advantage of periods of Indonesian rupiah (IDR) strength to ease policy without risking currency instability. Despite headline inflation ticking higher, it remains well below BI’s upper target of 3.5%, giving the central bank room to act pre-emptively to support domestic demand.

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  • Act Now to Get the Sonos Era 100 for a New All-Time Low Price

    Act Now to Get the Sonos Era 100 for a New All-Time Low Price

    The exceptional Sonos Era 100 is one of the best speakers of 2025, and one of our favorites overall. While it used to sit at $249, the device recently got a notable price drop, bringing it down to $199.

    On top of that, there’s currently a sale on, which means that you can get it for $179, which is the cheapest it’s ever been. This thing is a powerhouse, and it looks stylish as well. But this is a limited-time deal, which means you’re not going to have long to get it before it’s gone.

    CNET reviewer Ty Pendlebury hailed this compact Sonos smart speaker for its impressive sound quality and noted that it offers some serious versatility, making it a great buy. It supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Apple AirPlay connectivity for easy wireless streaming, and it has an aux and a USB-C cable input so you can connect it to TVs, turntables and other devices as well.

    Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

    Plus, it’s equipped with Sonos’ Trueplay technology, which analyzes the acoustics of your space and automatically optimizes the EQ for the ideal listening experience. It’s also equipped with a built-in microphone. It has Amazon Alexa compatibility, so you can easily control it using voice commands, check the weather, set timers or control other smart devices on your network hands-free.

    Top deals available today, according to CNET’s shopping experts

    Curated discounts worth shopping while they last.

    Why this deal matters

    Even at full price, this Sonos Era 100 is our overall favorite speaker on the market right now. So a chance to pick it up at an all-time low price makes this deal a pretty serious bargain. It’s compact, versatile, boasts excellent sound and has tons of convenient smart features that make it a great addition to your home’s network.


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  • Jackie Chan tells us why snowboarding is his Olympic sport, the Olympian who inspired him, and a Milano Cortina 2026 food choice

    Jackie Chan tells us why snowboarding is his Olympic sport, the Olympian who inspired him, and a Milano Cortina 2026 food choice

    Can you imagine Jackie Chan on a snowboard?

    That’s the sport the superstar actor and martial arts specialist told us he would be best at in the Winter Olympics.

    Speaking to the @Olympics social media team, Chan explained why: “If you watched ‘First Strike’,” he told us, in reference to his 1996 movie as part of the ‘Police Story’ film series. “At the beginning of the movie, I do the snowboard jumping to the helicopter.”

    Chan made the comments on a visit to the Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, where the International Olympic Committee is based on the shores of Lake Geneva.

    The native of Hong Kong, China, is still constantly active at the age of 71, practising his moves in the halls of the IOC headquarters. “I’m ADD, I cannot sit still for two minutes,” he shared.

    When asked who his biggest inspirations were, the action filmmaker named “Bruce Lee, and Muhammad Ali”, referencing his fellow Hong Kong martial artist Lee, and the American boxer and Olympic gold medallist Ali.

    Chan is passionate about the Olympic Movement, having participated as a torchbearer in the official Olympic Torch Relay on multiple occasions, including the Beijing 2008 and Beijing 2022 Games. He also carried the Paralympic flame ahead of Paris 2024.

    He named the Olympic Torch display as his favourite feature of the Olympic Museum – “It’s the torch, from the first edition to the last,” Chan explained.

    The ‘Karate Kid’ star is looking forward to the next Winter Games, Milano Cortina 2026, which take place next year from 6-22 February. What Italian cuisine would he recommend to visiting fans? “Parma ham with a honey melon,” said Chan.

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  • Scientists uncover sugar pathway driving aggressive childhood cancer

    Scientists uncover sugar pathway driving aggressive childhood cancer

    A new study delving into the genetic drivers of a rare and aggressive childhood cancer called Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor (MPNST) has revealed metabolic frailties in the cancer cells that might be exploited to improved treatments for patients.

    MPNST is a rare and deadly childhood cancer, which mainly affects teenagers and young adults. These tumors grow quickly, spread easily, and don’t respond well to current treatments. Metastasis is the leading cause of death in MPNST and there currently are no targeted treatments for metastatic disease.

    The study, led by University of Iowa researchers Eric Taylor, PhD, professor of molecular physiology and biophysics, and Rebecca Dodd, PhD, associate professor of internal medicine, identifies a specific metabolic pathway that is critical for MPNST cells’ survival and growth, which could potentially be targeted with future therapies.

    Targeting cancer metabolism to slow tumor progression

    To better understand these tumors, the UI researchers used gene editing to create new research models that closely match the cancer-driving mutations found in patients. Using these models, they then applied state-of-the-art genomic and metabolomic tools to map the metabolic pathways that fuel tumor growth in MPNST.

    The study, published in Science Advances, found that these cancers rely on a key metabolic pathway to help them survive oxidative stress and drive tumor growth. This pathway, known as the Pentose Phosphate Pathway (PPP), metabolizes sugar to produce a critical antioxidant molecule that the cancer cells require to combat oxidative stress. When the researchers blocked the PPP, the tumors grew more slowly and were more vulnerable to chemotherapy.

    “This is the first time this specific metabolic pathway has been linked to MPNST tumor growth, making it a completely new target for therapy in this cancer type,” Dodd says. “It opens the door to treatment strategies that haven’t been explored before and could lead to more effective treatments and better outcomes for patients who urgently need new options.”

    The highly collaborative study combined Dodd’s expertise in cancer biology with Taylor’s expertise in metabolism. The lead author was UI graduate student Gavin McGivney, PhD, from Bayard in Guthrie County, Iowa, who was co-mentored by Dodd and Taylor. McGivney graduated from the UI Cancer Biology graduate program in 2024, and is now a postdoctoral scholar at University of Chicago. Dodd and Taylor are both members of UI Health Care Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Taylor is a member of the UI Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center.

    In addition to Dodd, Taylor, and McGivney, the research team also included UI researchers in the Departments of Internal Medicine, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, and Radiation Oncology at the UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the University of Toronto, were also part of the team.

    The research was funded in part by grants from the Children’s Tumor Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the American Cancer Society through Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center.

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  • The Strad News – Jerusalem Quartet violist to step down

    The Strad News – Jerusalem Quartet violist to step down

    Read more news stories here 

    Ori Kam has announced he will be stepping down as the violist of the Jerusalem Quartet from October.

    In a video posted to social media, Kam mentioned challenging times for the quartet over the last few years, which ’has made it harder for the four of us to hold onto a single musical and professional vision.’

    He also cited changes in his personal life and new professional opportunites as reasons for leaving the quartet, of which he has been a member for 15 years.

    Kam thanks the ensemble’s management, concert presenters, as well as his former quartet members.

    ’Your dedication to the music and the traditions we hold dear, not to mention to the audience, has always been at the heart of this ensemble.’



    ’As Ori embarks on new paths, we wish him the very best of luck and continued success,’ the Jerusalem Quartet said in a statement.

    The ensemble will be joined by two violists in the upcoming 2025/26 season; Mathis Rochat, who will perform in the quartet’s North American tours, and Alexander Gordon, who will perform in the quartet’s European and Israeli concerts.

    Best of Technique

    In The Best of Technique you’ll discover the top playing tips of the world’s leading string players and teachers. It’s packed full of exercises for students, plus examples from the standard repertoire to show you how to integrate the technique into your playing.

    Masterclass

    In the second volume of The Strad’s Masterclass series, soloists including James Ehnes, Jennifer Koh, Philippe Graffin, Daniel Hope and Arabella Steinbacher give their thoughts on some of the greatest works in the string repertoire. Each has annotated the sheet music with their own bowings, fingerings and comments.

    Calendars

    The Canada Council of the Arts’ Musical Instrument Bank is 40 years old in 2025. This year’s calendar celebrates some its treasures, including four instruments by Antonio Stradivari and priceless works by Montagnana, Gagliano, Pressenda and David Tecchler.

     

     

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  • Machine learning helps scientists identify promising metal-organic frameworks for capturing carbon dioxide from ambient air

    Machine learning helps scientists identify promising metal-organic frameworks for capturing carbon dioxide from ambient air

    Two new studies have demonstrated the potential of machine learning to accelerate the discovery of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) that could be useful for capturing carbon dioxide from ambient air. In the first, researchers in the UK and South Korea screened 8000 candidate MOFs and suggested some new candidates for direct air capture (DAC).1 In the second, a preprint from the US, researchers at Meta and elsewhere released a machine-learning algorithm trained on 15,000 MOFs. 2

    As a result of the world’s ever-rising carbon emissions, the Earth is increasingly likely to require direct carbon dioxide capture from air to stabilise the climate. MOFs are promising candidates to trap it. Unfortunately, they tend to preferentially absorb other gases – especially water, thanks to its strong dipole moment. ‘If you have to take all the water out of the air, you’ve emitted more CO2 in the process,’ says chemical engineer Andrew Medford at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. A MOF that selectively adsorbs carbon dioxide in the presence of other gases is therefore needed.

    Researchers can predict the adsorption properties of MOFs using density functional theory (DFT), but the technique’s computational cost severely restricts the huge number of candidates they can search. Simpler methods involving ‘force fields’ – analogous to ball-and-stick models of the MOF cage structures – were originally used instead. These proved effectively useless for finding selectively adsorbent MOFs, so Medford and colleagues teamed up with researchers at Meta to conduct multiple DFT simulations of the MOF structures, allowing them to change their shape in response to the guest molecules, and then to develop a machine-learning algorithm that could predict the adsorption properties of an unseen MOF without needing full DFT calculations. The results, which were released as Open Direct Air Capture 23 (ODAC23), ‘did find some materials deemed to bind CO2 more selectively than water’, says Medford.

    Multiple research groups have extended improved force fields developed using machine learning to search huge arrays of possible structures, and researchers at Imperial College London and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology now present the results of a search of 8000 candidate MOFs. They looked not just for potentially promising structures, but for the potential energy landscapes associated with them. Aron Walsh at Imperial College says this is useful ‘if you want to know what happens when you have multiple molecules interacting or what happens when you have too high a pressure and the system breaks down’. As a result, Walsh says, they identified several MOFs previously considered useless that are, in fact, worthy of further investigation.

    In forthcoming research based on 70 million new DFT calculations, Medford, together with colleagues at Meta, Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee and elsewhere, unveil the ODAC25 dataset and accompanying machine-learning force fields. This gives information on the variable adsorption properties of 15,000 MOFs and studies the competitive adsorption of nitrogen and oxygen, as well as water. It also investigates the effects of structural defects and amine functionalisation of some sites. At present, the results are unclear. Medford says that the researchers hope the data will ultimately allow chemists to design and optimise MOFs for specific applications. ‘If I want to do direct air capture in Texas where the humidity is high, maybe I need a different material than if I want to do direct air capture in Utah, where the humidity is low,’ he says.

    Walsh says that he hopes other sorts of artificial intelligence will, in future, help find new MOFs, as opposed to simply screening existing ones. ‘The possible landscape of different chemical components is so large, you need to be very smart with how you choose the right building blocks,’ he says. ‘That leads to generative AI, reinforcement learning, active learning… I think that’s where the community’s going next to really try to design in silico the MOFs of the future.’

    Computational materials scientist Shyue Ping Ong at University of California, San Diego believes that the ODAC25 work in particular marks an important contribution to the field. ‘This is an open-source dataset that is available to all researchers, and they’ve shown that, by fine-tuning on this open DAC dataset you can get much better predictions of certain things like the binding energy for the MOFs – so that’s very interesting,’ he says. He describes the British/Korean work as ‘slightly less interesting’ because it is predicated on demonstrating previously unseen potential of MOFs. ‘When you make a claim that “I have discovered a new material” then preferentially I want to see validation from an experimentalist,’ he says.

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  • Decoding South Africa’s biggest ODI totals against Australia Down Under

    Decoding South Africa’s biggest ODI totals against Australia Down Under

    SA successfully defended 296 in the 2025 Cairns ODI

    What’s the story

    South Africa thrashed Australia in the 1st ODI at Cazaly’s Stadium, Cairns, on August 19.
    The Proteas successfully defended 296 after restricting the hosts to 198. Notably, Australia were down to 89/6 at one stage.
    Spinner Keshav Maharaj took a match-winning five-wicket haul, powering SA’s biggest ODI win over Australia Down Under.
    Notably, SA also recorded their second-biggest ODI total against Australia Down Under.

    320/5 in Hobart, 2018

    Only once have South Africa crossed the 300-run mark against the hosts in Australia (ODIs).
    In the 2018 Hobart ODI, the Proteas racked up 320/5 in 50 overs, riding on a 252-run stand between Faf du Plessis (125) and David Miller (139).
    The duo stepped up after SA were down to 55/3.
    Australia could amass 280/9 despite Shaun Marsh’s ton.

    296/8 in Cairns, 2025

    As mentioned, SA’s 296/8 in the 2025 Cairns ODI is now their second-biggest total against Australia Down Under.
    They were bolstered by contributions from the top order. Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma, and Matthew Breetzke scored half-centuries.
    Later, an incredible fifer from Keshav Maharaj triggered Australia’s collapse. They went down from 60/0 to 89/6.
    The hosts later perished for 198.

    288/6 in Perth, 2009

    In 2009, South Africa claimed a 39-run win over Australia in the WACA ODI.
    Electing to bat in the 5th ODI, the Proteas compiled 288/6 in 50 overs. While Hashim Amla (97) missed his ton, AB de Villiers (60) and JP Duminy (60) scored half-centuries.
    Australia later fell short despite notable efforts from Michael Hussey and Brad Haddin. They were bowled out for 249.

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