Online gaming has evolved dramatically over the past two decades, shifting from simple web-based games to complex virtual worlds with rich narratives and immersive graphics. This transformation has been driven by technological advancements, changing player preferences, and the growing accessibility... Tagged as:

I recently got my hands on the coziest blanket ever--and it's not just any regular blanket. It has... well, arm holes, which sounds simple, but it has totally changed my lounging life. I've always loved curling up in a... Tagged as:

Seeking a balance between personal life and educational pursuits is a nuanced art for students enrolled in online learning programs. Without the physical separation of classrooms and the distinct routine of in-person education, online learners often struggle to create... Tagged as:

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RetroStyle Games, a company specializing in game development and visual design, congratulates Space Age Games on Supercell's acquisition of the remaining 38% of their shares, making Space Ape Games fully owned by Supercell.... Tagged as:

As rigorous as the pursuit of education can be, supplementing academic efforts with fun outdoor activities can yield remarkable benefits for serious students. From enhancing physical health to improving cognitive functions, the advantages of engaging in leisure cannot be overstated.... Tagged as:

В коде третьей бета-версии iOS 18.2 найдены новые иконки приложений Климат и Медиа для CarPlay нового поколения. Впервые эти иконки появились в iOS 17.4, а сейчас компания немного изменила их дизайн. Apple утверждает на своём сайте, что первые автомобили с новым CarPlay появятся в 2024 году, но до сих пор ни один автопроизводитель не выпустил...

In a blog post today, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo revealed two new products that Apple apparently plans to release in a few years from now, including a smart home camera and updated AirPods with more health management features.


Kuo said mass production of Apple's smart home camera is scheduled to begin in 2026, and the company apparently aims to sell tens of millions of them over the long term. He said the camera will have wireless connectivity, and deep integration with Apple Intelligence and Siri, but he did not mention any other specific features.

Previous rumors have indicated that Apple is planning to release a smart home display, but that device is expected to launch as early as 2025, so it seems like the 2026 camera that Kuo has mentioned here is a different product.

As for the AirPods, Kuo simply said that future models of the earbuds will have "more health management features" like the Apple Watch, and that Chinese manufacturer Goertek will serve as the primary supplier of a 2026 AirPods model. The new smart home camera will also be assembled by Goertek, according to the analyst.

We previously reported that Apple's upcoming Powerbeats Pro 2 will offer heart rate monitoring during workouts, and perhaps that feature will extend to AirPods in the future. In addition, health-focused sensors that could allow for features like body temperature measuring have been rumored for AirPods in the past.

This article, "Kuo: Apple Planning Smart Home Camera and New AirPods With More Health Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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A Chinese court has agreed to hear a lawsuit against Apple from Beijing Bodyreader, a developer seeking around $420,000 in damages after their children's posture correction app was removed from the App Store in 2020.


Bloomberg reports that the case – the first of its kind to be heard in Beijing's intellectual property court – bears similarities to Epic Games' 2021 lawsuit against Apple. Bodyreader claims Apple unfairly removed their app citing "dishonest" behavior, while also challenging the company's 30% commission on app purchases and its control over the iOS ecosystem.

According to court documents reviewed by Bloomberg, Bodyreader argues that Apple's enforcement of App Store policies is inconsistent. The developer notes that after their original app was removed, they successfully published an identical app under a different name, "Qilin Century," which remains available on the App Store. Closed-door hearings began Thursday and could conclude this week.

The hearing represents the first time Apple has been forced to defend its standard mobile platform practices against a Chinese developer. Earlier this year, Apple successfully fought off antitrust accusations from a Chinese consumer, but the company still went so far as to appeal to remove references to its market dominance from the ruling.

Bodyreader is seeking monetary damages, an apology, and a court declaration that Apple engages in unfair monopolistic behavior. The developer has also requested that Apple be required to allow third-party app stores and external payment links.

This article, "Apple Faces Epic Games-Style China Lawsuit Over App Store Practices" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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OWC today announced its new Thunderbolt 5 Hub, one of the first accessories to support Intel's latest Thunderbolt standard, and offering Thunderbolt 5 compatibility with Apple's new Mac mini and MacBook Pro Models with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips.


The hub converts a single Thunderbolt port into three Thunderbolt 5 ports and one USB-A port, and delivers up to 80Gb/s bi-directional data transfer speeds. It can achieve speeds up to twice as fast as Thunderbolt 4, with bandwidth up to 120Gb/s available for display connections, and supports connecting up to three 8K displays at 60Hz with Display Stream Compression, making it suitable for demanding visual workflows.


In terms of charging output, the hub provides up to 140W power delivery, which is enough for a 16-inch MacBook Pro, while the aluminum enclosure features passive cooling for silent operation.

OWC is keen to emphasize backward compatibility with Thunderbolt 3/4 and USB-C devices, allowing users to connect both newer and legacy peripherals. The hub also enables the creation of three separate device daisy chains that can operate independently.

The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub opens a new world of workflow possibilities and performance with compact perfection. By turning a single cable connection into three Thunderbolt 5 ports and one USB-A port, the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub breaks the connectivity handcuffs of host machines not offering enough Thunderbolt 5 ports. With up to 80Gb/s of bi-directional data speed – up to 2x faster than Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 – and up to 120Gb/s for higher display bandwidth needs, the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub redefines productivity. Connect portable SSDs exceeding 6000MB/s, up to three 8K displays @ 60Hz with DSC, today's USB-C connector compatible devices, and yesterday's USB-A desktop accessories. All while keeping modern notebooks powered and charged up for mobile use with 140 watts.

The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub is available for pre-order at $189.99 from the company's website and will begin shipping in December. OWC announced a new Thunderbolt 5 external SSD earlier this month.
This article, "OWC's Upcoming Thunderbolt 5 Hub Adds Three More Thunderbolt 5 Ports to Latest Macs" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Music Classical was updated today with CarPlay and Siri support, as well as stability and performance improvements, according to Apple.


CarPlay support was briefly added to a previous version of Apple Music Classical earlier this year, but it was removed just hours later. Starting with version 2.1 today, the app is once again available on CarPlay, as shown in our screenshot below.

CarPlay support provides Apple Music Classical listeners with access to their playlists, library, recommendations, and more on their vehicle's infotainment display. And with Siri on iOS 18.1 and later, users can also search via CarPlay for composers, artists, works, and instruments in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Dutch, according to Apple. Additional languages will follow over time.


Apple Music Classical first launched in March 2023, offering users with a standard Apple Music subscription access to over five million classical music tracks at no additional cost. The streaming app features advanced search functionality, exclusive artwork, extensive metadata, curated listening recommendations, and more.

The app is available for the iPhone and iPad, as well as Android. It is based on Primephonic, a classical music streaming service acquired by Apple in 2021.

This article, "Apple Music Classical Updated With CarPlay and Siri Support" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming visionOS 2.2 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming a little over a week after the first visionOS 2.2 beta.


visionOS 2.2 can be installed by going to the Software Update section of the Settings app on the Vision Pro and opting into Beta Updates.

The visionOS 2.2 update adds a new feature for the Mac Virtual Display option, allowing it to be set to Wide and Ultrawide. The Ultrawide setting is equivalent to two 4K displays side-by-side, and it is a notable improvement over the current Mac Virtual Display that's available in visionOS 2.1.

The Mac Virtual Display allows the Vision Pro to be connected to a Mac with the Vision Pro serving as the display for the machine. The virtual Mac desktop works just like a standard desktop with an external display, but Vision Pro does not support multiple displays. As a solution, Apple has added the option for a wider display to maximize space.

This article, "Apple Seeds Second Beta of visionOS 2.2 to Developers With Ultrawide Mac Virtual Display" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple previously confirmed that iOS 18.2 will be released in December, and now a potential release date within the month has surfaced.


We believe that Apple is likely planning to release iOS 18.2 on Monday, December 9, based on a recent notice that British carrier EE provided to its customers. In the notice, EE said it will be discontinuing an iPhone feature known as "Wi-Fi calling on other supported iCloud-connected devices" on December 9. The feature enables users to make Wi-Fi calls on devices like the iPad and Mac, even when their iPhone is not nearby.

The second developer beta of iOS 18.2 last week came bundled with a new EE carrier settings version numbered 60.5.2, up from 59.5.1 on the first iOS 18.2 beta and iOS 18.1. The new carrier settings version removed the "Add Wi-Fi Calling For Other Devices" toggle from the Wi-Fi Calling section in the Settings app on iPhones used by EE customers, in line with the carrier announcing that it will stop offering the feature next month.

Most carrier setting updates are bundled with iOS updates, aside from ones with bug fixes, so EE has likely indirectly revealed that iOS 18.2 will be released on December 9. We are not absolutely certain about this date, but it is a very likely possibility.

iOS 18.2 being released on December 9 would not be very surprising. Apple already said the update was coming next month, many iOS updates are released on Mondays, and the second half of the month is pretty much ruled out due to the holiday season. Nevertheless, you can now mark your calendars a little more precisely.

iOS 18.2 includes additional Apple Intelligence features for iPhone 15 Pro models and all iPhone 16 models, including Genmoji, Image Playground, ChatGPT integration for Siri, and more. On all compatible iPhones, the update also adds a new Defaults section in the Settings app, an item location sharing feature in the Find My app, and more.

(Thanks, Harvey!)

This article, "Apple Likely Planning to Release iOS 18.2 on December 9" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is planning to launch an AI-powered smart home display as soon as March 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The display will measure in at approximately six inches, and while it is similar to an iPad, it is square rather than rectangular and it has thick bezels around the edges. There is a camera at the top front so that it can be used for FaceTime, plus there are internal speakers for playing music and a built-in rechargeable battery.


Apple will offer the hub in silver and black, and it will use a touch-based interface. The operating system will look like a mix of the iPhone's StandBy mode and watchOS, though it will primarily be controlled by voice. Apple plans to integrate Apple Intelligence for accessing apps and controlling smart home products, and it was designed around App Intents, a Siri system that will be able to control apps and tasks.

Apple designed a customizable home screen with widgets that can be used to show things like the weather and upcoming appointments, a photo slideshow, or important home controls. A software-based dock will be available for launching apps, and multiple systems in different rooms will work as intercoms. Apple plans to focus on security as well, providing alerts and camera footage from connected smart home cameras.

Built-in sensors will be able to determine how close a person is standing to the device, and it can adjust features from there. When no one is nearby, for example, it might show the temperature, but as someone approaches, it can switch to an interface for adjusting the thermostat, much like Nest thermostats. It could also detect how many people are nearby using external sensors that plug into outlets throughout the home, but Apple may or may not manufacture these extra sensors.

In addition to offering smart home controls and FaceTiming features, the device will include several Apple apps like Safari, Apple News, Apple Music, Notes, Calendar, and Photos, but there will not be a dedicated App Store. Apple is designing different attachments, such as a plate for attaching it to the wall and a base with additional speakers for using it in a central location in the home.

Apple plans to position the smart display as a "command center," with the aim of furthering Apple's position in the smart home market. The smart home hub has been in development for more than three years, and Apple CEO Tim Cook has been pushing the engineering and design teams to prioritize the device. It will be a standalone device, but it is meant to work in concert with other Apple products and will require an ‌iPhone‌ for setup.

With the smart home hub, Apple is looking to compete with Amazon and Google, who have similar devices. Amazon has the Echo Hub, and Google offers the Nest Hub Max. Apple will likely need to price the device similarly to these products, and the Echo Hub costs $150, while the Nest Hub Max costs $230.

While Apple has considered creating its own line of smart home accessories like an indoor security camera, it is not yet clear if the company will do so. Apple could get into accessories if the smart home display is a success. Earlier this week, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple was working on a smart home camera with wireless connectivity and deep integration with ‌Apple Intelligence‌, with Apple planning to launch the device in 2026.

In the future, Apple plans to release a robotic version of the smart home hub that can move the screen around, Gurman reports.

This article, "Apple to Launch AI-Powered Home 'Command Center' as Soon as March 2025" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Mophie has three new Qi2 charging accessories available as of today from Apple retail stores, including a 3-in-1 Travel Charger, a Wireless Charging Vent Mount, and a Magnetic Vent Mount.


The $150 3-in-1 Travel Charger features a Qi2 MagSafe charging surface for the iPhone, which can provide up to 15W to a compatible ‌iPhone‌. It also has an Apple Watch charger that offers up to 7.5W for fast charging Apple Watch Series 7 models and later, and a 5W AirPods charging surface.

A 40W wall adapter is included for charging all three devices at once, and it comes with international plug configurations for the United States, UK, European Union, and Australia. The ‌iPhone‌ charging surface can be used while flat or while lifted up, and in the lifted mode, it is compatible with StandBy.

The charger folds up in half so that it can easily be tucked away in a backpack or a suitcase when traveling, plus Mophie includes a Travel Case that holds the charger and the power adapter that comes with it.

Mophie's $70 Wireless Car Vent Mount provides up to 15W for charging a compatible ‌iPhone‌ with Qi2. It is designed to connect to a vent using an adjustable hook, and it has a wide base that holds the ‌iPhone‌ securely in place.


The mount can tilt and swivel so that the viewing angle can be optimally adjusted, and one hand can be used to mount the ‌iPhone‌ and remove it. The vent attachment works on car vents up to 41mm deep, and Mophie includes a USB-C to USB-C cable, a 20W USB-C car adapter, and two cable management clips.

If in-car charging isn't needed, Mophie also has a $30 Car Vent Mount that holds an ‌iPhone‌ in place via ‌MagSafe‌, allowing it to be used for navigation, hands-free calls, and more. With the exception of charging capabilities, it is identical to the Wireless Mount, featuring multiple viewing angles, one-handed operation, and a strong magnetic hold.

Mophie's new products can be purchased from the Apple online store or in Apple retail locations.

This article, "Mophie Launches New Qi2 Car Charger and 3-in-1 Travel Charger" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Play the daily online jigsaw puzzle.

"It's a brutal world for all of us, really, and some aspects of it are not comfortable for the sentimental or the squeamish. Somehow that's never dimmed my love for all animals. I celebrate their beauty, even the darker side of it." (Introduction, The Book of Deadly Animals)

"The predators far outnumbered the vegetarians."
(last words, The Red Hourglass: Lives of the Predators)

It's October, the "spooky" month with Halloween at the end of it; I sometimes take advantage of that to bring to light something a bit more horror themed than the usual Flayrah fare.

This year, I'd like to share the non-fiction books of Gordon Grice, which are about animals and their sometimes very tense relationship with man, because they are some of the scariest things I've ever read, and so appropriate enough under the "it's about animals and it's spooky" month to stretch the boundaries of what a furry publication can cover. Furthermore, from a personal angle, Grice spent much of his life where I'm originally from, the Oklahoma Panhandle (we share a birth town), and I occasionally like to shine a light on what would be to me local authors.

"The Red Hourglass: Lives of the Predators", Delacourte Press, 1998, 259 pages, Kindle $5.99, hardcover $19.32, paperback $17.10
"The Book of Deadly Animals", Penguin Books Ltd., 2010, xxvii + 383 pages, Kindle $4.99, paperback $24.00, illustrated, originally published as Deadly Kingdom

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Now for the first time in our history, we're witnessing a broad and powerful attack on the principle of equality. Daily, we are told that all people are not in fact created equal. Some were born with moral stain, others were not. Some Americans are guilty, some are innocent. Nothing can change this because it was all determined at birth. All we can do is respond accordingly. Continue reading →

Our Republican leaders don’t believe they have the authority, they don’t believe they’re legitimate, they don’t see the threat. They don’t want to see the threat because they know they can’t face the mob. They know they’re too weak. And so they offer trinkets and hope the mob will go away, but it won’t. Mobs can’t be sated. We thought Republicans understood that. That’s why we supported them. But this crisis has revealed the truth. Now we know who they are. It could not be clearer and now it’s time to find new leaders. Continue reading →

Elected Republicans, almost all of them, are in no hurry to stop the disorder. They appear to believe what we're watching is a version of the Rodney King riots from 1992. People saw an upsetting video on the internet, they're angry, and that's understandable. But they'll calm down soon, and we can get back to cutting capital gains taxes and sanctioning Bashar al- Assad. That's their view of it. They are wrong. This is not a momentary civil disturbance. This is a serious and highly organized political movement. It is not superficial. It is deep and profound. It has vast ambitions. It is insidious; it will grow. Its goal is to end liberal democracy and challenge Western civilization itself. This is an ideological movement. The ideas that fuel it have incubated for decades on college campuses. We paid for all of it, by the way. The rest of us were so thrilled that our kids got into Duke that we decided to ignore what Duke was actually teaching them and are continuing to send big checks. That was a mistake. It was one of the greatest mistakes we've ever made. Continue reading →

Democratic politicians don't fear the mob. Notice that? Why? Because they don't need to. They control the mob. The mob operates with their permission. These are their foot soldiers. This is their militia. Continue reading →

So Apple isn't fighting for diversity. They're doing exactly what they appear to be doing: they're trying to keep wages down and keep their workers compliant by importing labor from abroad.This isn't about diversity. It's about exploitation. It always is Continue reading →

Democrats and elites are making straight white men the enemy of their new world order. Blacks, hispanics, gays are now the good guys; straight white men are the bad guys. Continue reading →

THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE USING JANUARY 6TH. IT'S DEMENTED TO COMPARE 9/11 AND JANUARY 6TH BUT IT'S SO CENTRAL TO THE AGENDA OF THE SECURITY STATE, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, TO ESSENTIALLY INITIATE A SURVEILLANCE REGIME, A DETENTION REGIME, AGAINST PEOPLE ON THE RIGHT WHO ARE AGAINST THE ESTABLISHMENT. AND THEY’RE ALREADY DOING IT. AND THEY PUT PEOPLE ON THE NO-FLY LIST, THE KIND OF DEFINING FEATURE OF THE FIRST WAR ON TERROR, THEY WANT TO DO NEW LEGISLATION THAT GIVES THE FBI AND THE CIA NEW POWERS, SPENDING MORE MONEY ON LAW ENFORCEMENT. THIS WAR ON TERROR IS CRUCIAL TO THEM. Continue reading →

Dario Lorina, наиболее известный как участник BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, основал новую группу DARK CHAPEL, в состав которой также вошли Brody DeRozie (guitar), Mike Gunn (bass)и Luis Silva (drums). Выход дебютной пластинки, получившей название "Spirit In The Glass", намечен на 28 февраля на MNRK Heavy. Видео к первому синглу "Glass Heart" доступно ниже:

01. Afterglow
02. Hollow Smile
03. We Are Remade
04. Corpse Flower
05. Glass Heart
06. Dead Weight
07. Dark Waters
08. All That Remains
09. Gravestoned Humanity
10. Bullet In Our Chamber
#Dark_Chapel #DarkChapel