Apple is rolling out a new firmware version for AirPods 2, AirPods 3, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max today. The update pushes Apple’s truly wireless earbuds to version 4C165 as well as its premium headphone. Head below for details on how to update and how to check your firmware version.
After three weeks, Apple is releasing a new firmware update for its truly wireless earbuds and wireless headphones. Unfortunately, the company does not provide release notes for AirPods firmware updates. Instead, users have to wait for the update to hit their AirPods 3, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max, and then poke around to find out if anything is new.
As of right now, firmware version 4C165 is only rolling out for all AirPods Apple sells, which are AirPods 2, AirPods 3, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max. Apple does not appear to be rolling out updates for any Beats headphones today. That could change, however, and we’ll be sure to update this post if it does.
How to update your AirPods Pro
Apple does not make it easy to manually update your AirPods to new firmware versions. Instead, the company says new firmware versions will install when the AirPods are connected via Bluetooth to your iPhone.
To check your AirPods firmware version:
Open the Settings app on your iPhone
Navigate to the “Bluetooth” menu
Find your AirPods in the list of devices
Tap the “i” next to them
Look at the “Firmware Version” number
Again, the newest AirPods Pro firmware version is 4C165. If this is what you see in the Settings app, then it means your AirPods are fully updated. If not, the update should install when connected to your iPhone via Bluetooth.
If you spot any changes in the AirPods or Beats firmware updates rolling out today, let us know down in the comments or on Twitter, @9to5Mac.
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Halo Infinite’s single-player campaign has a bug that is currently affecting players jumping back into their play sessions via Xbox Series X/S’ Quick Resume feature. 343 has acknowledged the matter, however, and says that a fix is currently in the works.
As shared in a tweet by 343’s community director Brian Jarrard, Halo Infinite currently features a bug that stops multiplayer cosmetics earned in the game’s campaign from showing up in your multiplayer inventory. Currently, 343 hasn’t specified a time frame for a fix on the issue, though the studio has stated it’s something that it is working on.
Halo Infinite Campaign Launch Trailer Images
“When playing Halo Infinite’s campaign you will come across armor lockers that contain cosmetics for your MP Spartan,” writes Jarrard on Twitter. “If you are offline, or disconnected from services – which can occur after Quick Resume – the cosmetics won’t show up in your MP inventory.”
“The team is aware and we will eventually have a retroactive fix (you will get the cosmetics you’ve earned). For now, I recommend not continuing a Quick Resume session and making sure you’re online before venturing into Zeta Halo.”
Have you played Halo Infinite?
The team is aware and we will eventually have a retroactive fix (you will get the cosmetics youve earned). For now, I recommend not continuing a Quick Resume session and making sure you’re online before venturing into Zeta Halo. Thank you! (2/2)
— Brian Jarrard (@ske7ch) December 8, 2021
The easiest way to ensure that you don’t start the game via Quick Resume is to fully quit Halo Infinite before re-launching the game from your console’s home screen whenever you plan to jump into a session. While this is far from a difficult workaround, it’s still a minor inconvenience that players will now need to keep in mind for the foreseeable future.
Halo Infinite’s long-awaited campaign launched yesterday (December 8). While the single-player mode has received high praise from critics across the internet, its launch hasn’t been without a number of smaller hitches. Users across social media reported that they had experienced issues with the Xbox App failing to recognize the campaign as being live as well as the game’s slow download speeds.
If you’re currently fighting your way through Halo Infinite’s campaign and would like some extra direction, then make sure to check out our wiki guide for the game, which includes help on topics such as Skull locations, walkthroughs, and more.
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
We’ve got a new GameStop PS5 restock on the way, and here are the bundles that fans will be able to purchase on December 9.
As we head further into the holiday season, another chance is finally here for a PS5 purchase. Although Sony’s flagship console has been out for over a year at this point, supply is still very limited.
And now, in the leadup to Christmas, it’s harder than ever to nab a next-gen console.
GameStop
Thankfully, we’ve got word of a new GameStop PS5 restock dropping on December 9. And it seems that we already know what bundles are on the way.
Meanwhile, these retailers are also dropping the PS5 this week, giving you more opportunities for a next-gen purchase.
GameStop PS5 Restock Bundles Revealed
We’ve got 2 new GameStop PS5 bundles coming in today’s restock on December 9. Here’s what you’ll be able to purchase later today:
Whether you’re looking for a Disc or Digital PS5, GameStop appears to have a bundle for you dropping very soon. Nothing is confirmed right now, but we’ve found new listings that should be going live shortly.
First up, is a PS5 ‘All-In-One System Bundle’. We’re not certain exactly what this contains but it’s likely fairly similar to the next bundle.
After all, the PS5 Digital drop includes the console, as well as an extra DualSense controller, Charging Station, 1 year of PlayStation Plus, a $50 PS Store gift card, and a $100 GameStop gift card.
Read More: Free PS Plus Games for December 2021 Revealed
Sony
Expect both bundles to be significantly expensive because of just how large the bundles are. GameStop certainly isn’t holding back on pushing sales as gamers grow more desperate around the holiday season.
Although GameStop has been dropping PS5 consoles in-store recently, today’s restock will be online-only.
Links to buy the two bundles will be going live very soon at the locations below:
Don’t forget that we have the Walmart Gamer Drop event coming on December 11 too.
And on top of that, there’s a new PlayStation DIrect PS5 Restock dropping later today!
The new smart home standard Matter is making a lot of grand promises, chief among them are fixing the interoperability mess the smart home is currently in and making Apple, Samsung, Google, and Amazon talk to each other. Big jobs. But it’s also tackling one of the other pain points in the connected home: TV control.
One part of the new connectivity protocol is a specification for televisions and streaming video players. This means that Matter could become yet another way to control content in our homes. But, with its promise of platform agnosticism, Matter’s TV spec has the potential to replace proprietary casting systems, like Apple’s AirPlay or Google’s Cast, and finally free our TVs.
Matter TV, as we’ll call it for wont of an official name, will allow control of a television’s core functions — volume up / down, changing the channel, controlling inputs and outputs, and switching between HDMI ports. “But importantly, you can also do casting,” Chris DeCenzo, Principal Software Development Engineer at Amazon Lab126, told The Verge.
“This is an area with at least five proprietary protocols today,” he says. “The result is a complete opportunity loss for everyone.” Not to mention major headaches for users as they grapple with which voice assistant can get this content and which remote will control that streaming stick. Amazon is leading the effort to define the specification for Matter — unsurprising, as it is currently the only large player without a proprietary way to cast content from a smartphone to a TV.
Controlling our smart TVs can feel anything but smart.Photo by James Bareham / The Verge
“Control of media is one of the most popular use cases for Alexa,” says DeCenzo, who told me Amazon is working with the different industry leaders in the fields of smart TVs, streaming video players, and content providers to help them adopt Matter. The goal is so that “customers can have a consistent way to use voice control and to launch their favorite content on those screens,” he says.
While the Matter TV specification doesn’t explicitly call out voice control, the idea here is standardization. One protocol for all device communication, everything will talk to everything else using the same language, no matter who made it. Ultimately, this means you will be able to use your control interface of choice (a voice assistant, remote control, or smartphone / tablet app) with all your streaming content devices and apps.
When Matter arrives in 2022, the Matter TV specification will use app-to-app communication, at least until the TVs and streaming video players become Matter enabled. The spec supports casting from a Matter client (e.g., a remote, a smart speaker, or a phone app) to an app running on a Matter-enabled TV or video player device, explains DeCenzo. It also supports URL-based casting, which means a Matter client can cast to a TV even when there’s no app for that client, if the TV supports Dynamic Adaptive Streaming (DASH, an international standard for streaming) or HLS DRM streams (HLS is a video streaming protocol developed by Apple and widely supported across Android devices and browsers).
The capability could go beyond just entertainment and be used to enable smart home notifications, says Chris LaPré of the Connectivity Standards Alliance, the organization that oversees the new standard. For example, it could cast a message from your connected doorbell to your smart TV, notifying you that someone is at the door. It could potentially show you the video feed, too, something of a workaround for including video feeds in Matter, since cameras are not part of the first device rollout.
Matter-enabled devices will have the Matter logo on them to indicate they’re compatible.Image: CSA / Matter
Intriguingly, LaPré posited that the specification could allow for the use of context when delivering these messages, such as notifying you from the smart speaker in the room you are in that your laundry is done. “It can be about casting anything, smart home notifications, local video — all it needs is a URL to pull content from,” says LaPré.
The technology here is not system-level specific, as with Apple’s AirPlay. It appears to be more akin to Google’s Cast, where apps will need to build support for it, at least initially. But like AirPlay, and as with all Matter communications, it’s entirely local. Communication from device to device uses Matter as the channel. At launch, Matter will use ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Thread as its communication protocols.
The requirement for the app makers — such as Hulu and Netflix, who aren’t currently members of the CSA — to build Matter support could make this something of a non-starter initially. Beyond Amazon and its Prime Video and Google with YouTube, few of the major streaming content providers are part of the CSA, and the app developer will initially need to add Matter support to both the app in the phone or casting device (for example, a smart speaker, laptop, or smartphone) and the app in the receiving device (TV, streaming stick, smart display).
“You can have communication directly from the Prime Video app on my phone to the Prime Video app that’s on the TV,” explains DeCenzo. Going forward, according to LaPré, the streaming video players and TVs will have Matter built into the devices themselves. It seems likely Amazon will enable Matter on its Fire TV devices, and the company has already committed to upgrading all its smart speakers to support Matter. Samsung, TCL, Panasonic, and LG are all involved with Matter, as are Apple and Google. However, according to the list of companies on the Matter website, Vizio, Sony, Toshiba, and Roku are a few notable hardware players that are not yet signed up.
The main goal, however, is part of Matter’s overarching promise: avoiding manufacturer lock-in. People should be able to buy whichever device they choose and it should be able to talk to all the other connected devices in their home, regardless of who made it.
For example, if both were Matter-enabled you should be able to control an LG TV from a Samsung smartphone, and that LG TV should be able to receive a message from a Miele smart washer that the laundry is done. But, and this is a big but, nothing in the Matter spec is a requirement. A company that is on board with Matter as a whole is under no obligation to adopt parts of the specification that they don’t need or want to.
This means that Apple and Google do not have to adopt the Matter TV specification if they don’t want to. LaPré says both companies have “blessed this” as part of the spec (Matter is governed by members of the CSA who vote on the specifications). Whether they will adopt it remains to be seen. But if Amazon does, which seems like a good bet, it should mean you can use Matter to cast from your Amazon Prime app on your iPhone to your Amazon Prime app on your Apple TV or Google Chromecast.
I reached out to both Google and Apple about this specification and how it would impact their current offerings. Both companies have committed to supporting Matter in their respective smart home ecosystems and both are members of the CSA. Kevin Po of Google said in an email that “Google Assistant will support Matter (eg. on/off, play/pause, app launch etc.) at parity with our current Works With Assistant offering.” Apple did not comment.
Po went on to reiterate that Google Cast remains Google’s preferred method for sending media via apps and voice to Chromecasts, speakers, and displays. As, we can only assume at this stage, will Airplay be Apple’s “preferred method.” But what your preferred method will be could very soon involve a lot more choice.
New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….
Original story (published on November 1, 2021) follows:
Android 12, the most recent version of Google’s operating system, brought many aesthetic and functional changes. While the new features are attractive, the design changes are not appealing to everyone.
Android 12 changed things like system base colors, widget shape/size, and lock screen clock. It appears that the new lock screen clock is somewhat confusing for some Google Pixel users, according to reports.
Android 12’s new lock screen clock design is a problem for some
Some users report feeling quite uncomfortable with the new way the clock is displayed on the Android 12 lock screen.
Apparently, the new design can be a bit confusing and impractical for many, as it does not allow them to know the time at a quick glance.
My phone just updated and among other annoying changes I now have a square clock display on my lock screen. I have dyslexia and can’t read the square display. Is there any way for me to change it? Source
Android 12 change the way my lock screen time lays out….. Into a position where it is very difficult for me to read and understand the time in that format. I’d like to go back to the old way where time made sense and I didn’t hate looking at my phone… How do I do that? Source
It seems that users were already very accustomed to the Android 11 lock screen clock format, which remained more or less classic and easy to use.
However, Android 12 changed this on Google Pixel phones. Now, the design of the clock on the lock screen has a gigantic size and a particular format that makes it difficult to interpret quickly.
There is a workaround for that
For those who don’t like the new design of the clock on the Android 12 lock screen, there is a workaround that may help.
Apparently, the new ‘giant clock’ of Android 12 is present as long as there are no active notifications on the lock screen. When there is an active notification, the clock changes to a smaller format.
So, the workaround is to use an app that always keeps a notification active. A Google Product expert suggested an idea in response to one of the reports:
While you cannot manually change it back to the old one-line H:MM format, you will get that smaller format if there are any active notifications on your phone.
I use an app Signal Spy that lets you know how you are connected to the internet – wifi or cellular. It has an option to display an icon on the notification line. As long as that is active, my lock screen shows the one-line clock. Source
Weather apps may also work for this workaround, as a report suggests:
Source
It is unknown if Google will change the design of the clock
It is not yet known if Google plans to change the design of the lock screen clock in future Android 12 updates. To this day, the company has not officially commented on the matter.
We will update this article when new updates appear on this issue. Meanwhile, you can also check the Issue/Bug tracker dedicated to Android 12 on Google Pixel phones.
Update 1 (November 02)
09:43 am (IST): In case you really dislike the square clock, then you can check out apps such as KLCK that allow one to customize the lockscreen. It isn’t flawless with Android 12, but it does what it’s supposed to do.
Update 2 (November 03)
09:50 am (IST): If don’t want to go the Weather app route, you can even use an app called Persistent Notifications that allows you to add notes or to-do lists.
This will help get rid of the giant square clock on the lockscreen as pointed out by a Redditor.
If you don’t want a weather app notification constantly, there’s an app called Persistent Notifications where you can leave yourself notes (or a blank message) as a notification that won’t go away as well. (Source)
Update 3 (November 05)
10:20 am (IST): Ava Lockscreen is another excellent non-root app that lets you customize your lockscreen in just a few taps. If you’re looking to replace the Android 12 lockscreen, download Ava Lockscreen here.
Update 4 (November 06)
12:20 pm (IST): Incoming is yet another great lockscreen customization application that’s available for free called Solo Locker. The app offers a lot of customization options to fine-tune your lockscreen.
Update 5 (November 08)
09:59 am (IST): A feature request that was submitted to Google’s issue tracker with regards to having an option to tweak the giant clock on the lockscreen has been marked accepted.
This does not necessarily mean we’d see more lockscreen clock customizations right away, but it does bring some hope.
Update 6 (November 09)
10:31 am (IST): If you aren’t a big fan of the Android 12 lockscreen clock and don’t mind having an iOS 15-esque lockscreen, then the ‘Lock Screen & Notifications iOS 15‘ app might be something that you’d want to try out.
As the name suggests, it replaces the default lockscreen with an iOS-inspired lockscreen. Thus, you won’t see the giant clock each time your wake or turn on your smartphone.
Update 7 (November 10)
10:10 am (IST): A Tasker project allows you to configure a smaller, normal-size clock widget on the AOD lock screen of the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro with Android 12.
All you need is the Tasker app, download one of the projects (never show the large clock or always show the large clock on AOD) and import it into Tasker.
From there, you can choose the style of the clock widget in the AOD of the lock screen of your Pixel with Android 12
Update 8 (November 11)
12:16 pm (IST): Incoming is another great application that allows you to change up the lockscreen. PIN Genie Locker is available as a free app on the Play Store and has a few cool features up its sleeve.
Update 9 (November 12)
11:30 am (IST): Since it does not seem that Google will be adding the option to replace the giant clock on the lockscreen anytime soon, here’s another great lockscreen replacement app called Floatify Lockscreen.
Update 10 (November 13)
11:13 am (IST): Notific: Lockscreen Notifications is another decent lockscreen replacement app that you can check out. The app is easy to use and has a few different themes to choose from.
Update 11 (November 15)
1:01 pm (IST): Black Hole – Lock screen is also an app that allows users to customize their Android lockscreen’s look and feel.
Update 12 (November 16)
12:17 pm (IST): AcDisplay is yet another viable alternative. It offers a new way of handling notifications in Android.
It will let you know about new notifications by showing a minimal, beautiful screen, allowing you to open them directly from the lock screen.
Update 13 (November 17)
10:27 am (IST): Going by the latest reports, the square clock on Android 12L – a special feature drop version to make the OS better on large screen devices – will also consume a major part of the display.
The area consumed by the clock will depend on the notifications, as can be seen in the image below:
Click or tap to enlarge
Update 14 (November 18)
10:42 am (IST): One individual recommends downloading the Weawow – Weather & Widget application that constantly displays weather information on the lockscreen to shrink down the big clock.
I tried lots of things. Finally found an ad-free weather app that actually shows a customizable weather widget on the lock screen. It’s called Weawow – Weather & Widget. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.weawow It’s so customizable, it’ll take you a while to see all the options. (Source)
Update 15 (November 19)
11:24 am (IST): A request for lockscreen customization on Android 12 was accepted on the official issue tracker page. Hence, we hope to see some customization options in future builds.
Update 16 (November 20)
12:53 pm (IST): One of our readers pointed out that you could even use the Samsung Health app to display your footstep count on the lockscreen and in turn get rid of the giant clock.
Thanks for the tip, Robert Grant Webster!
Update 17 (November 22)
11:43 am (IST): Wave – Customizable Lock screen is another great lockscreen alternative that you can try out to replace the giant clock on Android 12. The app is free to download via the Google Play Store.
Update 18 (November 23)
04:09 pm (IST): In case you’re looking for a simple yet elegant lockscreen replacement app, we’d suggest trying out Canyon – Lock Screen. It too is available for free on the Play Store and does not have a huge clock.
Update 19 (November 24)
04:26 pm (IST): Lockscreen Weather-Clock, Memo is also a great lockscreen alternative that even lets you add notes or read the news straight from your lockscreen. Needless to say, it displays the clock in the traditional layout too.
Update 20 (November 25)
11:39 am (IST): Sticking to the persistent notification workaround, a YouTuber has shared a video highlighting how this can be done using the Notification Maker application. Check it out below:
Update 21 (November 26)
12:11 pm (IST): Lock Screen iOS 15 is another great iOS 15-esque lockscreen replacement and is available for free via the Google Play Store.
Update 22 (November 27)
10:52 am (IST): In case you love reading news and also hate the giant lockscreen clock, downloading apps such as Flipboard might be a great solution to getting rid of the giant clock as you’ll get the latest news updates via notifications which in turn makes the clock smaller.
Update 23 (November 28)
10:37 am (IST): Information shared on Fido’s OS upgrade schedule suggests that Google will release the next Android 12-based update for the Pixel 6 series on December 13 and the Pixel 3 – 5 series will get it on December 6.
Apart from the December patch, the devices may get other features or improvements. Thus, you may want to cross your fingers for an option to customize the lockscreen clock.
Update 24 (November 30)
01:27 pm (IST): Screen Lock – Time Password is another great lockscreen alternative that stands out from every other lockscreen app. How so? Well, the app makes the current time your lock screen password.
Speaking of time, the clock here also follows the traditional layout that everyone should be familiar with.
Update 25 (December 01)
11:20 am (IST): Responding to a user’s complaint regarding multiple design choices in Android 12, including that of the lockscreen, Google support claimed they’re always looking for ways to improve and also suggest sharing feedback here: Settings > About phone > Menu > Help & feedback.
We’re truly sorry you had to deal with this. We’re always looking for ways to improve. You could share this as feedback here: Settings > About phone > Menu > Help & feedback. Our team will look into it. (Source)
Thus, if you aren’t a big fan of the new clock design on Android 12, make sure your feedback is noticed by going through the steps above.
Update 26 (December 02)
11:13 am (IST): The Android 12L Developer Preview is out for the Lenovo P12 Pro and it seems there is still no customization option for the lockscreen. This may change with the final build, so there’s still hope.
Update 27 (December 03)
12:00 pm (IST): If you love reading quotes daily, then the Epiphany app might be a good choice to get rid of the giant lockscreen and instead show you quotes via notifications.
Update 28 (December 04)
12:00 pm (IST): Computer Style Lock Screen is a cool lockscreen replacement that brings a Windows 10 inspired lockscreen to your Android device. Therefore, you could try it out in case you absolutely hate the current Android 12 clock on the lockscreen.
Update 29 (December 06)
10:20 am (IST): An individual pointed out that Samsung’s One UI 4.0 update brings a bunch of different lockscreen lock options including the stacked clock layout that comes with Android 12 for Pixels.
(Source)
Of course, Samsung offered multiple clock styles for the lockscreen earlier too which just goes to show that Google should hop on board the customization game — which Android as a platform is known for.
Update 30 (December 07)
11:05 am (IST): Google has rolled out the December update for the Pixel 3a (XL), Pixel 4 (XL), Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 5, and Pixel 5a (5G) which brings over a 100 fixes and improvements for these smartphones.
The Pixel 6 duo will bag the update next week with a similar changelog apart from a few device-specific fixes and improvements too. That said, one thing that’s not improved is the lockscreen clock.
Google still hasn’t added any customization options for the clock on the lockscreen. Thus, you may have to continue waiting indefinitely for more customization options.
Update 30 (December 08)
11:39 am (IST): In case you went along with our suggestion to use KLCK to set up a custom lockscreen on your device, then you may want to check out the Misty KLCK presents.
The pack offers 5 KLCK presets to spice up your boring lockscreen.
Update 31 (December 09)
04:26 pm (IST): The Android 12L beta is out for the Pixel devices too and to no one’s surprise, there’s no change to the lockscreen style.
In fact, an individual pointed out that there’s a bug that causes the giant clock to display a little higher on the screen instead of being in the middle. We’ve not come across further reports yet so this can be treated as a one-off for now.
(Source)
PiunikaWeb started as purely an investigative tech journalism website with main focus on ‘breaking’ or ‘exclusive’ news. In no time, our stories got picked up by the likes of Forbes, Foxnews, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget, The Verge, Macrumors, and many others. Want to know more about us? Head here.
Oppo has teased its first foldable smartphone nearly three years after it unveiled a prototype device. The Find N looks like a device along the lines of Samsung’s Galaxy Fold lineup, created after “four years of intense R&D and six generations of prototypes,” Oppo said in a press release. The launch is set to take place at Oppo Inno Day on December 15th.
Oppo didn’t reveal any processor, display or other specs of the Find N, other than showing an image and video. It did promise a “beautiful” device that feels good in the hand, and will be simple to use in both the open and closed positions. It also said that it has solved any screen creasing and durability issues inherent in folding smartphones.
The company best known for folding smartphones is Samsung, with both the Fold and Flip devices. It took Samsung three generations to work out major kinks in the Fold lineup, but the latest Fold 3 model “still needs work,” we said in our Engadget review. Oppo has played things differently by waiting to release its first model, presumably until it felt it had ironed out any major issues.
On top of the Find N, Oppo is set to reveal other products, having teased a “cutting-edge” neural processing unit (NPU) and smart glasses. The latter will presumably succeed last year’s Oppo AR Glass 2021, developer-only Wayfarer-type glasses with 0.71-inch OLED panels meant to be connected to Android devices via a USB cable. It teased the new model with a “light vs. light” tagline, so they might be lightweight models aimed consumers, not just developers. We’ll soon find out, as Oppo Inno Day runs from December 14-15.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
The Halo Infinite Quick Resume feature could result in some problematic issues when playing the game’s campaign, a dev on the team has warned.
Just below, you can see a tweet from Halo Infinite developer 343’s community manager, Brian Jarrard, warning players from using Quick Resume during the campaign. The reason for this is that Quick Resume will disconnect you from Halo Infinite’s servers, and so any multiplayer cosmetics earned during the campaign won’t save to your profile.
The team is aware and we will eventually have a retroactive fix (you will get the cosmetics youve earned). For now, I recommend not continuing a Quick Resume session and making sure you’re online before venturing into Zeta Halo. Thank you! (2/2)December 8, 2021
See more
This is obviously a pretty big issue, but it’s one that the developers at 343 have in their crosshairs. A follow-up tweet from Jarrard, as you can see just above, makes clear that the developers are well aware of the disconnection issue from Quick Resume, and are working on a remedy that also retroactively rewards players for multiplayer items missed because of it.
Halo Infinite’s campaign only just went live yesterday on December 8, after the multiplayer component entered open beta last month in November. The Master Chief is finally back, complete with a fancy new grappling hook, and a wide open world to explore for the first time in the historic series. For what we made of our playthrough, head over to our full Halo Infinite review for more.
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Apple’s widely rumored upcoming mixed reality headset will make use of 3D sensors for advanced hand tracking, according to analyst Ming-chi Kuo, whose latest research note has been reported on by MacRumors and 9to5Mac. The headset is said to have four sets of 3D sensors, compared to the iPhone’s single unit, which should give it more accuracy than the TrueDepth camera array currently used for Face ID.
According to Kuo, the structured light sensors can detect objects as well as “dynamic detail change” in the hands, comparable to how Face ID is able to figure out facial expressions to generate Animoji. “Capturing the details of hand movement can provide a more intuitive and vivid human-machine UI,” he writes, giving the example of a virtual balloon in your hand flying away once the sensors detect that your fist is no longer clenched. Kuo believes the sensors will be able to detect objects from up to 200 percent further away than the iPhone’s Face ID.
Meta’s Quest headsets are capable of hand tracking, but it’s not a core feature of the platform and it relies on conventional monochrome cameras. Kuo’s note doesn’t mention whether Apple’s headset will use physical controllers as well as hand tracking. Bloomberg reported in January that Apple was testing hand tracking for the device.
Kuo also this week provided some details on what could come after Apple’s first headset. While he expects the first model to weigh in at around 300-400 grams (~0.66-0.88lbs), a “significantly lighter” second-generation model with an updated battery system and faster processor is said to be planned for 2024. The first model will arrive sometime next year, according to Kuo, and Apple reportedly expects it to sell about three million units in 2023. That suggests the initial product may well be expensive and aimed at early adopters.
We’re so close to this year’s Game Awards show and there are so many developers and publishers teasing their own announcements.
Joining this already long list is the Nintendo Switch port specialist Saber Interactive – known for its work on games like The Witcher 3 and more recently World War Z on the hybrid platform. According to an official PR, it’s teasing “five upcoming titles” later this week, which will be revealed across The Game Awards and the ‘Twitch Winter Gathering’.
So, what can we expect? There’ll be a brand new game announcement and trailer from Saber Interactive and Focus Entertainment, and three more Saber games will receive “world premiere” trailers during the company’s ‘Saber Showcase’ featured within Twitch’s Winter Gathering stream on December 10th.
Last but not least, there’ll also be an “exclusive conversation” taking place between the iconic Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell and Game Awards host Geoff Keighley to promote the upcoming release, Evil Dead: The Game. Back in August, Evil Dead’s game was delayed until next year.
Are you looking forward to Evil Dead? Any other games you would like to see from Saber? Leave a comment down below.
The official game site for Pokémon Legends: Arceus is covered in Poké Balls (Image: @Pokemon)
The official Pokémon Legends: Arceus website seems to be teasing something related to Poké Balls.
If you want to find out what it’s all about, you’ll need to help Ball Guy pick up all his balls (and some explode). If you’re still not sure what’s going on here, it seems The Pokémon Company is leading up to a possible reveal of sorts.
One popular theory and perhaps obvious guess is that it’s teasing the Hisuian forms of the exploding Poké Ball-like Pokémon Voltorb and Electrode, which could possibly feature in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
If you would like to help unlock this surprise, you can head on over to the official game site. When we find out what’s going on here, we’ll be sure to let you know.
