Apple has released visionOS 2, the first major upgrade to the operating system powering the Apple Vision Pro.


Months after its introduction at WWDC in June and after multiple beta tests, the Apple Vision Pro is finally getting an update to visionOS. The 2.0 version of the operating system is now downloadable by owners of the headset.

The updates cover a wide number of areas, including photographic and video content, new gestures, improvements to the Mac Virtual Display, and Persona enhancements.


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At the same time as releasing updates for its major operating system releases, Apple is also issuing updates for its previous versions, including iOS and iPadOS 17.7, macOS Ventura 13.7, and macOS Sonoma 14.7.


While the main focus will be on the releases of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, as well as macOS Sequoia, Apple is also maintaining its earlier operating systems. On Monday, alongside the main updates, it's issued some smaller patches for the previous-gen OSes.

The update list includes iPadOS 17.7 and iOS 17.7, which have build number 21H16. There are also updates for macOS Ventura 13.7, build 22G123, and macOS Sonoma 14.7, build 23H124.


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Apple's macOS Sequoia is chiefly a tale of two halves, with all of the better improvements coming later. But what's here now is good, sometimes even very good, but it definitely doesn't feel like the full picture.


Every year Apple brings out a new macOS and it tends to follow a similar pattern. At first you notice some visual differences and some small improvements, but in those first hours of use you're not sure it was worth the upgrade for anything other than security reasons.

Shortly after those few hours, though, there is a cumulative effect where all of the little changes and benefits become at least subconsciously apparent. It's subconscious because you only truly notice when you try to go back to last year's macOS.


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Apple's new tvOS 18 has exited beta, and arrived for all users. Here are many of the new features contained within.


While it's typically true that tvOS doesn't get the same robust yearly updates as iOS or macOS, Apple has brought big changes to its set-top box for the second year in a row.


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After being unveiled at WWDC 2024 and then working its way through rounds of beta versions, macOS Sequoia has now been officially released. It is the new current version and all Macs sold from today onwards will have it preinstalled.


That's the same as happens every year, but macOS Sequoia has a difference — and it's called Apple Intelligence. When historians look back at significant macOS releases, this is going to be one of them because of Apple Intelligence.

But it isn't here yet.


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Depending on who you ask, iPadOS 18 is an excellent update that maintains parity with iOS 18, or it's a tragedy that doesn't address pro users' needs. The truth is complicated.


Apple introduced the iPad Pro with M4 weeks ahead of WWDC, leaving users wondering if that signaled big changes were coming in iPadOS 18. As expected, that wasn't the case since Apple provided very little in terms of new exclusive features for the tablet OS.

When I reviewed the 13-inch iPad Pro, I shared some of my quibbles with iPadOS and how it pertains to pro workflows — leaving some hope for WWDC and AI. The end result is nothing really changed from that perspective, and even AI isn't the boost for iPad some thought it could be.


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Everyone will have to wait a little longer for Apple Intelligence on iPad, but for now, iPadOS 18 has launched with the long-awaited calculator app and new Smart Script handwriting feature.


Apple didn't have much to say about iPadOS 18 during WWDC because a significant portion of new features were either inherited from iOS 18 or Apple Intelligence. Even then, Apple's AI features won't be available on iPad until iPadOS 18.1 is released to the public.

So, if you focus on what's exclusive on iPad in 2024, there's not much. A new Smart Script feature learns the user's handwriting for autocorrect and making notes more legible.


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Apple's new watchOS 11 is available for everybody, and brings users a range of new health and fitness features.


The update introduces more customizable Activity Rings, advanced health monitoring with the Vitals app, and the new Training Load tool for athletes. Additionally, users can enjoy a revamped Photos Face, smarter widget functionality with the Smart Stack, and innovative safety features like Check In.

With broader support for personalization and privacy, watchOS 11 continues to make the Apple Watch an indispensable part of daily life.


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Apple has finally released iOS 18 to the public, introducing many changes to the interface, but not Apple Intelligence.


Following its June WWDC introduction and months of beta testing, iPhone owners can finally update their devices to iOS 18. Installable via the usual software update process, the new operating system can be downloaded to devices around the world.

However, while users will expect to try out the headline feature of Apple Intelligence, it won't be available at first. Beta testers have been trying out some of the functions, which the public should be able to start using from the iOS 18.1 update.


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Apple's current 16-inch MacBook Pro with a bump up to 1TB of storage has been marked down to $2,299, a record low price that's available exclusively to AppleInsider readers.


This MacBook Pro 16-inch offers both an abundance of screen real estate and storage, the latter thanks to its 1TB SSD. Originally retailing for $2,699, the laptop is marked down to $2,299 when you shop through this activation link from a laptop or desktop computer (activation instructions can be found further down this page).

Buy for $2,299


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Apple's latest update to the Sports app adds scores as a Live Activity, letting sports fans see results at a glance on their iPhone's display.


Apple Sports lets users see live scores and updates from games played by their favorite teams and sports, all from their iPhone. With the latest update, users can see sports updates without needing to open the app.

The update to version 2.0 on Monday makes a few changes to the app, with the biggest being support for Live Activities. When enabled, users can see live scores and play updates on the Lock Screen of their iPhone, or on the Apple Watch.


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With the announcement of AirPods 4 and USB-C AirPods Max, deals on closeout models have hit a fever pitch. We've rounded up the best picks post-Apple Event, with savings of up to $250 off.


AirPods prices have dipped to as low as $89 this week, with some fresh bargains added to the mix. Best Buy is clearing out AirPods Max inventory, with Geek Squad Certified Refurbished models with a Lightning charging port dropping to $299.99 ($250 off MSRP). This is a flash deal that's valid today only, or while supplies last.

You can also snap up AirPods 2 for $189.99 at Amazon today, reflecting a $60 discount off MSRP. Check out the best offers below, or head over to our AirPods deals roundup for a detailed view of the promotions.


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On this episode of the HomeKit Insider Podcast, CEO Gimmy Chu stops by to talk about Nanoleaf's latest products, roundup smart home news, and discuss new releases for the week.


Gimmy Chu, who's appeared on the HomeKit Insider podcast a few times, co-founded the Toronto, CA-based Nanoleaf in 2013. He leads their daily operations as well as new product development.

Nanoleaf has been a pioneer in the smart home space, launching the very first Thread-enabled products in conjunction with Apple. It's since been a continued supporter of Apple Home as well as Matter.


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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the sleep apnea feature of the Apple Watch, just in time for the release of the Apple Watch Series 10.


During the September 9 "Glowtime" event, Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 10, as well as the new feature, sleep apnea detection. While the feature was announced, Apple couldn't bring it to the Apple Watch until the FDA approved it.

A 510(k) Premarket Notification in a medical device database updated on Monday reveals the FDA approved an "Over-the-counter device to assess risk of sleep apnea." The listing doesn't specify the Apple Watch specifically, but that is the only device in Apple's product line that offers the feature.


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With the Y70, HYTE introduces its largest chassis, offering enhanced space and further refinements compared to the Y40 and Y60. It’s available in multiple colors, like red, and also comes in a few limited-edition designs. The Y70 skips the touchscreen of the Y70 Touch, making it a more affordable choice.

Black Myth Wukong has quickly gone on to become one of the highest selling games of the year. With that in mind, it shouldn't be surprising to hear that the studio behind the game, Game Science, is hard at work on new content. 

According to industry analyst and GI.biz alumni, Daniel Camilo, DLC for Black Myth Wukong should be coming in early 2025, around the same time as Chinese New Year. That would put a release date anywhere between late January and early February.

DLC for Black Myth Wukong will come out somewhere near the Chinese New Year, 2025.

That is, right at the end of January, or very soon after.

This is according to very reliable first hand sources I heard from.

… pic.twitter.com/1p15Vomyl9

— Daniel Camilo (@DanielOlimac) September 14, 2024

So far, the base game has sold around 20 million units, with roughly 70 percent of that number coming from sales in China. By timing the DLC around Chinese New Year, Game Science will capitalise on the time off and renewed national pride. That last part is particularly important, as a number of Chinese businesses supported the game's initial launch by giving employees time off to play it.

Currently, Black Myth Wukong is only available on PC and PS5. An Xbox Series X/S version of the game remains in development.

KitGuru Says: What would you like to see from a Black Myth Wukong DLC?

The post Black Myth Wukong DLC set for early 2025 first appeared on KitGuru.

After months of the game being an open secret, Valve finally opened up Deadlock to more players in August, expanding the invite system and sending concurrent player counts soaring. Unfortunately, that level of attention for the game has also attracted cheaters, an issue that Valve is now working fast to try and tackle. 

The Deadlock pre-alpha has been invaded by cheaters and their numbers have unfortunately been left to grow for several weeks. This is due to the fact that Deadlock's anti-cheat isn't ready yet, but the developers are actively working on it.

In the meantime, players will need to manually report players suspected of cheating through the game's official Discord server, and then a moderator will take a closer look at it.

It isn't an ideal situation for a game that has rapidly grown to house over 100,000 players at a time. However, it is also worth remembering that Deadlock is not ready for release yet and is still in early development, which is something Valve has been very upfront about.

KitGuru Says: Have you encountered issues with any cheaters in Deadlock in the past few weeks? 

The post Valve still working on Deadlock anti-cheat, will manually moderate reports for now first appeared on KitGuru.

It has been a year since Starfield first came out and while the game has had some significant updates since then, we're still awaiting the first big drop of new content. The wait is coming to an end later this month with the launch of Shattered Space, and Bethesda has now dropped the deep dive trailer, giving us our best look yet at what's to come. 

In the deep dive trailer, Shattered Space developers, including the Design Director, Creative Lead, Art Director and others discuss the direction of the expansion, and how it all ended up coming to life:

Shattered Space, @StarfieldGame‘s first story expansion, is mere weeks away.

In this deep dive, hear from the expansion's Design Director, Creative Lead, Art Director, and others on the team to learn about how it was created and what you can expect when it releases on September… pic.twitter.com/0kJEtzcywC

— Bethesda Game Studios (@BethesdaStudios) September 16, 2024

The Shattered Space expansion promises to put players “on a path to Va'ruun'kai”, where we will “uncover the secrets surrounding the followers of the Great Serpent and ultimately decide the future of House Va'ruun”. This is particularly exciting to those who followed the Andreja romance plotline in the base game, as you'll be more familiar with the strict ways of House Va-ruun and the secrecy surrounding the entire cult.

Starfield Shattered Space launches on the 30th of September for Xbox Series X/S and PC.

KitGuru Says: I'm looking forward to jumping back into Starfield for this. The idea behind House Va'ruun seems like it could go in very different directions compared to Bethesda's past faction questlines. 

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It wasn't too long ago that we first began hearing that Intel was in talks to provide chips for next-gen home consoles from the likes of Microsoft and Sony. However, it appears that both sides will be moving forward with their continued partnerships with AMD. A new report this week claims that disputes over price and backwards compatibility led to the end of Sony's talks with Intel for the PlayStation 6. 

Citing sources familiar with the matter, Reuters reports that after a bidding period, Sony has now landed on AMD for its next-generation SoC for the PlayStation 6. The console, which has been in the planning phases since 2022, is widely expected sometime in 2028, although some analysts estimate an earlier 2027 launch date for next-gen consoles. That may be too quick of a turnaround for the PlayStation 6 given that Sony just announced the PS5 Pro this week.

The Reuters report claims that backwards compatibility was a big part of the reason behind Sony's decision to stick with AMD, and it is even hinted that the PlayStation 6 will have its own dedicated backwards compatibility chip, reminiscent of the original PlayStation 3, which housed a secondary processor for running PS2 games. However, I am unsure why the PS6 would need such a chip, given that most games nowadays are built to carry over to future generations of hardware.

Sony is expecting a big year for the PS5 in 2025, aided largely by the impending launch of Grand Theft Auto 6, a game that is sure to get those still on PS4 to make the jump to the current generation hardware.

KitGuru Says: I would have been very surprised if either next-gen console from Sony or Microsoft packed non-AMD hardware. Similarly, I think we'd be surprised if Nintendo moved away from Nvidia after the success of the Switch. 

 

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Back in May, Corsair announced plans to acquire Racing Sim company, Fanatec. Since then, the deal has been finalised, with Corsair now officially owning the Fanatec Sim Racing product line. Those who managed and operated the Fanatec line under its old parent company, Endor AG, will also now become Corsair employees and they'll get to keep their current HQ. 

Fanatec is widely celebrated for bringing the thrilling world of Sim Racing into many homes and racing centres. Its dedicated Sim Racing products include force-feedback steering wheels, pedals, shifters, and complete cockpits for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC-based racing simulators.

This move marks Corsair's step into the racing sim market. Over the past decade, Corsair has gone on a massive growth spree, now holding successful positions in PC components, peripherals, monitors, chairs, gaming controllers, content creator hardware & accessories, pre-built PCs and now, Racing Simulators.

Corsair plans to make significant investments in the Fanatec brand, its products, and increasing worldwide availability.

KitGuru Says: Fanatec now falls under the Corsair umbrella. It will be interesting to see the first new products. They no doubt have someone figuring out iCUE integration as we speak. 

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For those who don't know, AMD EPYC 4004 series CPUs are physically identical to the Ryzen 9000/7000 series, using the same AM5 socket as the consumer processors. As such, it was just a matter of time before enthusiasts started using these processors on 600-series motherboards and testing their overclocking capabilities.

The EPYC 4004 processors feature the same configuration as the consumer Raphael series, with up to 16 Zen 4 cores and a TDP of 170W. Although AMD doesn't officially support overclocking on these processors, overclockers have discovered a way to overclock them on consumer motherboards that support overclocking (such as X670E and B650). This gives them access to all overclocking tools and unlocks the full capability of CPUs that were never designed for this purpose.

Image credit: HWBot

Overclockers have focused their attention on the EPYC 4124P, in particular. It is the only quad-core processor, and it has no direct equivalent in the consumer Ryzen series. It starts at 3.8 GHz and can go up to 5.1 GHz. It is also a 65W TDP CPU priced at just £150/$150/€150.

Overclockers have submitted several test runs of this CPU on HWBot (via HXL). The fastest EPYC 4124P (achieved by sergmann) was clocked at 6.7 GHz, running on a Gigabyte Aorus B650E Tachyon and DDR5-8000 memory. With this overclock, we saw the EPYC 4124P scoring an impressive 82,943 MIPS, making it the highest 4-core score on this benchmark.

KitGuru says: If the EPYC 4124P is already in the hands of overclockers, it shouldn't take long before other EPYC 4004 processors start showing up on HWBot. Do you think any of these CPUs will break a new record?

The post AMD EPYC 4124P CPU overclocked to 6.7GHz on a B650E motherboard first appeared on KitGuru.

GameMax has unveiled the innovative N80 ATX case, featuring a new dual-chamber design that's both functional and aesthetically differentiated.

The standout feature of the N80 is its modular design and quick-release structure, which makes the system easier to assemble. In addition to its design, the N80 offers support for hidden-connector motherboards, such as the Asus BTF, MSI Project Zero, and Gigabyte Stealth, ensuring a clutter-free interior.

The N80 prioritises cable management with its enclosed cable management space and cable cover to provide a cleaner look. The GPU can be installed vertically using the optional GPU brackets and PCI-E 4.0 riser cables for a striking display of hardware. Boasting a 270° panoramic perspective with curved glass, the N80 features large curved front and side glass panels that offer a comprehensive view of the internal components.

Cooling performance was an important topic when designing the N80, featuring fan mounts on the motherboard side, separate cooling for the top and lower chambers, and a split dual-chamber architecture that enhances overall cooling efficiency. The N80 has six daisy-chained ARGB/PWM fans and a controller with dynamic lighting effects, offering 81 built-in lighting settings and motherboard RGB synchronisation. The GameMax N80 is now available in black and white for $165.90.

KitGuru says: Do you think other case manufacturers should take ideas from the GameMax N80?

The post GameMax unveils new N80 dual-chamber chassis first appeared on KitGuru.