Apple Maps in iOS 18 has been significantly upgraded, offering hikers and outdoor enthusiasts new ways to plan adventures. Here's how to prepare for a hike in Apple Maps.


The updates to iOS 18's Maps app make it an invaluable tool for planning hikes and outdoor activities. With detailed mapping, real-time data, and a wealth of user-generated content, Maps provides a comprehensive solution for outdoor enthusiasts.

Whether you're a seasoned hiker or a beginner, iOS 18 Maps ensures that your next adventure is well-planned and enjoyable. And since Apple added the ability to download maps offline with iOS 17, hikers can feel safe without an internet connection.


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The original HomePod is now a "vintage" item according to Apple, making it the first from the smart speaker range to be given the designation.


Apple's support pages has a list of products that Apple deems to be vintage or obsolete, depending on how long they have been on the market. For support purposes, vintage items can still be eligible for servicing by Apple, but obsolete products are not.

Typically, if Apple has stopped distributing the product for more than five years, it's considered vintage. After seven years, it's obsolete.


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Apple has reportedly increased its chip order with TSMC, one that apparently puts both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models on the A18 chip.


The introduction of Apple Intelligence at WWDC may have helped increase the demand for the iPhone 16. However, it seems that Apple may also be changing its chip strategy to match.

According to sources of CTEE, Apple has upped its chip order from partner TSMC. With the increased order in place, Apple is supposedly preparing to sell between 90 million and 100 million units of the iPhone 16.


Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible


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Apple is on the second round of developer betas for its current-gen operation systems, including iOS 17.6, iPadOS 17.6, tvOS 17.6, watchOS 10.6, macOS Sonoma, and visionOS 1.3.


Developers taking part in Apple's beta program can secure the new builds through the Apple Developer Center or more directly by updating their iPhone or iPad already running the betas via the Settings app. Public beta versions usually arrive a short time after the developer versions, and public participants can sign up through the Apple Beta Software Program website.

The betas are all for current-gen versions of Apple's operating systems, including iOS 17.6, iPadOS 17.6, tvOS 17.6, watchOS 10.6, and macOS Sonoma 14.6. The Apple Vision Pro also gets a beta for visionOS 1.3.


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AceMagic StarShip M2A Mini Gaming PC: As Tested - $1,039 The AceMagic StarShip M2A is a mini PC with a retro-futuristic design, which packs in potent but previous-gen processors that can keep up with many of today's top gaming laptops.  Good Performance Quiet And Cool Operation Relatively Small Form Factor Expandable RAM And Storage...

The Gigabyte GS34WQC is an affordable 34-inch ultrawide gaming monitor. Gigabyte kept the price down by stripping it of extras but didn't sacrifice picture quality, which many users will happily accept.

Garry's Mod has been going strong for decades at this point, but the team at Face Punch studios has been hard at work on a spiritual successor known as S&Box, which will utilise Valve's newer Source 2 engine. So far, the game has been closed off to most thanks to an invite-only testing scheme. However, the studio is finally ready to let more players in. 

Getting into the S&Box test has not been easy, typically requiring some mod development credentials, or game developer connections to be allowed in. This made sense at first, as like Garry's Mod, S&Box will need community participants to create new game modes. However, we are now several years into development, making it time to finally allow a wider circle of players to gain access.

S&Box, spiritual successor of Garry's Mod (now it's more like Roblox for adults), based on the Source 2 engine, will come out of closed beta soon.

“One of the things we're going to be doing is getting rid of the invite system. It worked, and it was fun, but it's too much work.… pic.twitter.com/kjFfgOgx5X

— ‎Gabe Follower (@gabefollower) June 30, 2024

As part of the S&Box June 2024 development blog, Face Punch confirmed that it is planning to get rid of the current invite system. In its place, sign-ups for beta access will be opened up to all. You will still need to be accepted in order to access the preview version of the game, but you will no longer need to spam Garry on his socials for an invite code.

There is still no clear timeline for S&Box but the move towards a more widely accessible preview is encouraging. I would still expect the game to launch in early access when it does eventually open up to all players.

KitGuru Says: I played a lot of Garry's Mod when I was younger, so I've had a keen eye on S&Box since its announcement. Fingers crossed many long-time fans will now be able to check it out first hand. 

The post Garry’s Mod successor ‘S&Box’ finally opening up preview access first appeared on KitGuru.

DON’T NOD is perhaps best known for creating the Life is Strange series. That said, the team have since moved on, instead working on new IPs while present and future LiS titles are handled by Deck Nine. In an interesting situation, DON’T NOD have now delayed their next game to 2025 due to the clashing release of the upcoming Life is Strange: Double Exposure.

Making the announcement via a press release, the French company stated the following:

“DON'T NOD, an independent studio that creates, develops, and publishes video games, today announces a new release window of the highly anticipated narrative adventure Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, from the creative minds behind Life is Strange. Originally scheduled for release in late 2024, this new IP will now be available early 2025.”

Going more in-depth as to why the game has been delayed, Oskar Guilbert – CEO at DON'T NOD – put it pretty plainly:

“We know that many of our fans are eagerly awaiting this game, just as they are the recently announced next installment of Life is Strange. Let's give both titles the space they need to be enjoyed by our players within the large community we have built.”

Given the history DON'T NOD have with the Life is Strange games, it is a nice gesture to see their own upcoming game being pushed back to allow fans the time and space to return to the world of Life is Strange.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the decision? Are you pleased by it? Which of the two games were you more looking forward to? Let us know down below.

The post DON’T NOD delays upcoming game due to Life is Strange first appeared on KitGuru.

KitGuru is now celebrating its 15th year as one of the largest technology news and reviews publications in the world – and it's all thanks to you, our readers. In that time we have published almost 50,000 articles and reviews – as well as more than 2200 videos that have attracted more than 235,000 subscribers to our video channel. That expert-created content has attracted a monthly audience of close to 3 million readers and we thank each and every one of you for supporting us! Now it's that time of year again, when we ask you – our valued readers – to let us know which brands you believe make the best products in each category.

Your answers will help determine the KitGuru Reader Awards. We want to know which brands made you smile the most over the past 12 months. It takes less than 5 minutes to enter and one lucky reader will receive a multi-award winning MSI MPG 321URX QD OLED Monitor – worth £1400! This screen has sat on top of our BEST MONITOR chart for several months and it also picked up the EHA Award for Best Gaming Monitor in 2024.

So, how can you win this amazing prize?

In each of KitGuru's categories, just imagine you were asked for a recommendation – which brand would you suggest?

Click HERE (or on the pic) and let us know which brands you think represent the Best of the Best!

The prize is available worldwide, so no matter where you live you have a chance of winning. We always respect your privacy, so your email won’t be sold and all email addresses will be deleted once the winner has been contacted. Your answers will be fed into the EHA Reader Awards. Entries must be received by 12pm BST on 16th July. The winner will be announced shortly after and then contacted to arrange delivery. KitGuru standard competition formal rules apply. The Editor's decision is final.

We really appreciate you taking the time to let us know what you think.

You can vote in the survey HERE or by clicking the image above.

KitGuru says: Thanks for taking part – every answer is appreciated!

The post KitGuru Reader Awards 2024 – Win a £1400 MSI QD-OLED Monitor! first appeared on KitGuru.

July deals are here and Amazon has the lowest price on Apple's latest 16-inch MacBook Pro thanks to a $300 price drop.

Apple's follow-up to the Apple Vision Pro could improve upon an already pretty solid design. Here's what's been rumored about Apple's continued pushes into Spatial Computing.


Since the launch of the Apple Vision Pro at WWDC 2023 and the release of the headset in February 2024, Apple has enjoyed some success with its headset. It's been celebrated for its design and how it can help in industries such as medical care.

However, as a $3,500 mixed-reality headset that's still in its first generation, it has also struggled a bit to secure sales.


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On this episode of the HomeKit Insider Podcast, we talk about new devices for the week, including the launch of the GE Cync under cabinet lights, a universal remote, and an IR repeater.


After first being shown at CES 2024, GE Cync is launching its under cabinet lights. These new features are slim, Wi-Fi enabled, and support the full color spectrum.

The GE Sync also supports Matter, making it compatible with Apple Home. They come in 18-inch, 20-inch, and 24-inch sizes plus round pucks to fit a variety of cabinets.


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First there was Spaces, then Stage Manager, now there's Window Tiling. All try solving the issue of Mac window management — yet all are hidden. Here's where they are and what they do on macOS Sequoia.


It's possible that you've never had to think about window management on a Mac. It's more likely that you have faced multiple apps and open documents, that you've struggled to find the one you want, but you had no reason to know there's even a term for this.

As well as the term window management, though, there are three distinctly different systems for making it simpler to find what you need, and to concentrate on your work. That's three systems from Apple — there are many third-party apps too.


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Over the past year, there have been rumours that Ubisoft is working on an Assassin's Creed IV remake. This entry in the series is unique thanks to its pirate-centric story and it was also the birthplace for Ubisoft's modern ship sailing and battle mechanics. Now, Ubisoft has confirmed that it is planning a number of remakes.

Ubisoft has announced that it is working on remakes of some of the games in the Assassin's Creed series, one of the most successful franchises in the gaming industry. The remakes will allow fans to revisit some of the rich worlds and characters from the past, with improved graphics, gameplay, and features.

This information was revealed by Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot in a new interview published on the Ubisoft website, but he stopped short of revealing any specific Assassin's Creed titles. According to Insider Gaming, the Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag remake is being developed under the codename ‘Obsidian' and some early gameplay footage does exist.

Guillemot says that the goal is to have Assassin's Creed games come out more regularly, but not for it to be the same experience every year: “There are a lot of good things to come, including Assassin's Creed Hexe, which we've announced, which is going to be a very different game from Assassin's Creed Shadows. We're going to surprise people, I think,” he said.

KitGuru Says: Which of the old Assassin's Creed games would you like to see remade? I think the obvious answer here would be to go back and do the original trilogy, but any remakes there would be hampered by the more recently released remasters. Personally, I'd like to see Unity given another shot. Perhaps with more modern APIs and developer tools, they could achieve their original vision of a densely packed city of NPCs without breaking the game and causing significant performance issues.

The post Ubisoft confirms plans for Assassin’s Creed remakes first appeared on KitGuru.

Humble Bundles are a great way for players to get their hands on a ‘bundle’ of games for a heavily discounted price. In celebration of this year’s Summer Games Done Quick charity event, Humble are offering a rather enticing SGDQ bundle.

Available to purchase for the next two weeks, the Summer Games Done Quick 2024 Bundle features titles which will be speedrun during the charity event. As always, the bundle is available in 3 forms. Paying £9.49 will net you:

• Dishonored
• Hyperbolica
• Blazing Chrome

Upping your contribution to £11.86 adds the following:

• Morrowind GOTY Edition
• Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore

Finally, paying the full £15.81 will get you all the previous games plus:

• Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
• Pennys Big Breakaway

For the uninitiated, Penny’s Big Breakaway is an excellent 3D platformer from the Sonic Mania team, featuring unique mechanics, inventive levels and a whole lot more – and is worth the asking price of the bundle alone.

As always, a portion of the bundle’s proceeds will be going to charity, with this bundle supporting Doctors Without Borders: “an international, independent medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural and man-made disasters, and exclusion from health care in nearly 70 countries.”

KitGuru says: What do you think of the bundle? Will you be picking it up? Are you going to watch this year’s SGDQ? Let us know down below.

The post SGDQ Humble Bundle includes a bunch of neat games first appeared on KitGuru.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 has been a surprise hit for Capcom, with the sequel to the 2012 action-RPG having already sold over 2.5 million copies since its release back in March. If you have yet to hop into the world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 however, a free trial is currently live.

Making the announcement on their website, the team at Capcom said “Venture forth and get a taste of adventure set within a fantasy world! Play Dragon's Dogma 2 free for up to two hours during this campaign,” adding that “save data from the free trial can be used with the full version of the game.”

The free trial can be played across all available platforms (PS5, Xbox and PC), however will only be live for the next few weeks – running until the 17/18th of July.

Those interested in trying out Dragon’s Dogma 2 can also benefit further from the game’s character creator which was released as a standalone product ahead of the game’s launch.

As such, it is worth first using the character creator and taking your time in doing so, then hopping into the two-hour trial once you are happy with the final results – to maximise the amount of available play time.

KitGuru says: What do you think of timed trials? Are they preferable to demos? Do you own the game already? Let us know down below.

The post Dragon’s Dogma 2 gets free 2 hour game trial first appeared on KitGuru.

Satisfactory is a popular first-person open-world factory building game which was first released in early access back in 2020. Since then, the game has seen a bunch of updates and upgrades – bringing ray-tracing support with the game’s Unreal Engine 5 update and more. Ahead of Satisfactory’s 1.0 launch, the team have announced an upcoming price increase.

Making the announcement via YouTube, the team at Coffee Stain Studios said “We promised to let you know in advance if we were going to change the price of the game and here we are!” revealing that following the game’s 1.0 launch, Satisfactory will be going up in price from $29.99 to $39.99.

That said, you still have plenty of opportunities to get the game for much less, as Satisfactory is currently on sale for 50% off of the original asking price, meaning it has gone down from £27.99 to just £13.99.

Having been in development since 2016, it is an exciting moment to know that Satisfactory will soon be out of its Early Access period. Now is the best time to check the game out if you have yet to do so.

KitGuru says: Are you excited for the 1.0 release? Do you already own Satisfactory? Is the price hike justified? Let us know down below.

The post Satisfactory to get price hike following 1.0 launch first appeared on KitGuru.

Razer have updated their Viper mouse lineup with the release of the V3 Pro. This new model has seen a slight change to the design principles found in older models of the Viper, with the new version opting for curves and contours over aggressive lines and detailing. Can this new premium esports FPS mouse live up to its £159.99 price tag?

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
00:29 Meet the Viper V3 Pro
01:35 Design overview
02:38 Mouse feet
03:46 Build quality
04:19 Button soundtest!
04:49 Sensor + polling rate
06:38 Battery life vs polling rate
07:48 Real-world gaming performance
08:31 Synapse software
10:06 Closing thoughts

Specifications:

• FORM FACTOR – Right-handed Symmetrical
• CONNECTIVITY – Razer HyperSpeed Wireless, Wired
• BATTERY LIFE
  • Up to 95 hours at 1000 Hz
  • Up to 62 hours at 2000 Hz
  • Up to 40 hours at 4000 Hz
  • Up to 17 hours at 8000 Hz
• RGB LIGHTING – None
• SENSOR – Focus Pro 35K Optical Sensor Gen-2
• MAX SENSITIVITY (DPI) – 35000
• MAX SPEED (IPS) – 750
• MAX ACCELERATION (G) – 70
• PROGRAMMABLE BUTTONS – 6
• SWITCH TYPE – Optical Mouse Switches Gen-3
• SWITCH LIFECYCLE – 90-million Clicks
• ON-BOARD MEMORY PROFILES – 1
• MOUSE FEET – 100% PTFE
• CABLE – USB Type A to USB Type C cable
• TILT SCROLL WHEEL – None
• APPROXIMATE SIZE
  • Length: 127.1 mm / 5.00 in
  • Width: 63.9 mm / 2.51 in
  • Height: 39.9 mm / 1.57 in
• APPROXIMATE WEIGHT – 54 g (excluding cable and dongle)
• DOCK COMPATIBILITY – None
• BOX CONTENTS
  • Razer Viper V3 Pro
  • Razer HyperPolling Wireless Dongle
  • USB Type A to USB Type C cable
  • Razer Mouse Grip Tape

You can buy the Viper V3 Pro mouse directly from Razer for £159.99 HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

Pros:

• Precise and accurate.
• Great build quality.
• Ability to separate gaming and desktop polling rates.
• Lightweight.
• Comfortable.
• Razer's HyperPolling Wireless Dongle included in the box (previously a £30 purchase).

Cons:

• Expensive.
• Designed specifically for FPS, so won't be for everybody.

KitGuru says: The Viper V3 Pro is one of the best FPS focused mice we've tested. It's well built and performs excellently.

The post Razer Viper V3 Pro Mouse Review first appeared on KitGuru.

As the launch date of the Ryzen 9000 series draws near, new details about the Zen 5 desktop CPUs are surfacing. According to a recent report, the Ryzen 9000X3D series processors will offer full CPU overclocking capabilities, marking a significant shift from its predecessors.

Unlike the Ryzen 5000X3D and Ryzen 7000X3D CPUs, which offer limited overclocking options, the Ryzen 9000X3D is expected to provide users complete control over CPU voltage and frequency, according to Wccftech. However, it's worth noting that while AMD is set to enable full overclocking support, measures may be put in place to ensure the safety and stability of the CPUs.

The upcoming CPUs are also expected to bring improved overclocking performance for DDR5 memory. Early indications from qualification samples suggest that the Ryzen 9000 series will target DDR5-6000 memory as the optimal configuration, with the upper limit being raised to 6400 MT/s on X670 and X870 motherboards, all while maintaining a 1:1 FCLK to MCLK ratio. Moreover, the CPUs are projected to support up to 8000 MT/s EXPO memory in a 1:2 ratio using 4-DIMM mode.

Board partners are reportedly working on increasing memory support up to 9000 MT/s and potentially even 10000 MT/s, achievable through a 1:2 ratio. If that happens, AMD platforms could rival Intel's counterparts in memory speed.

KitGuru says: Do you usually overclock your CPU or just let it run at stock? For those who overclock, do you use something like AMD's PBO, or do you do it manually?

The post AMD Ryzen 9000X3D will reportedly support manual CPU overclocking first appeared on KitGuru.

A Slovenian retailer has started offering preorders for AMD's upcoming Ryzen 9000 CPUs. While the CPUs won't start shipping until at least August 2nd, these early listings give us an idea of how much these new processors will cost in Europe.

According to the retailer (via VideoCardz), the flagship 16-core Ryzen 9 9950X is priced at €659.90, the 12-core 9900X at €499.90, the 8-core 9700X at €399.90, and the 6-core 9600X at €309.90. Based on these prices, the new Ryzen 9000 series will be more affordable at launch than the previous generation.

By comparing the listed prices of the Ryzen 9000 series with the launch costs of the Ryzen 7000 and subsequent 7000X3D series, it's clear that AMD is positioning the new CPUs to be competitively priced. For instance, the flagship 9950X is priced lower than the launch prices of the 7900X and 7900X3D, suggesting a strategic move by AMD to offer increased value to consumers.

The new Ryzen 9000 series desktop CPUs are expected to become available this summer, followed by X3D variants later in the year.

KitGuru says: Are any of you planning on making the jump to Zen 5 this year? Will you be picking up a Ryzen 9000 CPU or will you be waiting for the X3D versions? 

The post Retailer lists AMD Ryzen 9000 CPUs starting at €310 first appeared on KitGuru.

A new report claims that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be the first iPhones to use Samsung's M14 OLED display panels, which improves brightness while extending longevity.


Previous rumors regarding the screens on the iPhone 16 Pro have included some claims about brightness. For instance, one in September 2023 said Apple would use a Micro Lens Array, which reflects more OLED light forward.

Now according to South Korea's ETNews, the two Pro models in the iPhone 16 range will use Samsung's latest displays. Known as M14 screens, they are OLED models that use 14 unspecified high-performance materials.


Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible


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For unknown reasons, the deadline for iPhone 7 users to apply to be included in Apple's class action settlement has been extended, but there are still stringent conditions, and time is again running out.


Having initially set a deadline of June 3, 2023, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California has revised the date to July 3, 2024. It's not clear why the change was made, or quite when, but nothing else has altered so the same conditions apply.

Specifically, the only people who can apply are those who have already been sent a postcard by the settlement administrator.


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