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Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 next month, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as well.


While not all advertised Apple Intelligence features will be available immediately, iOS 18.2 introduces several capabilities that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've listed 18 new things your iPhone will be able to do when the update rolls out in December.

Share AirTag Location With Trusted Friend or Airline

Find My has a new option to Share Item Location with an "airline or trusted person" that can help you locate something that you've misplaced. Choosing the Share Item Location option creates a link that lets someone view the location of a lost item when they open the link.

The link can be opened on a non-Apple device, so an iPhone or Mac is not required to provide someone with your item's location. Links expire after a week or when you're reunited with your lost item. More than 15 airlines will offer the feature, which will be integrated into each airline's customer service process for locating mishandled or delayed baggage, according to Apple. In addition to items equipped with an AirTag, the feature also works with third-party accessories and item trackers that support the Find My network.

Require Screen On for Camera Control

On iPhone 16 models, under "Display & Brightness" in the Settings app, there is a new Camera Control toggle called Require Screen On. When enabled, this setting requires that your iPhone screen is illuminated before a press of the Camera Control button will open the Camera app or a compatible third-party camera app. It's a handy option if you find yourself pressing the button accidentally.

Lock Auto Exposure and Auto Focus

By applying light pressure on the Camera Control button on iPhone 16 models, you can now lock auto focus and auto exposure settings. The lock remains active until you release your finger from the button. Enabling the feature involves navigating to Settings ➝ Camera ➝ Camera Control and toggling on the AE/AF Lock option.

View Video Fullscreen in Photos

When iOS 18 was released in September, it brought a major redesign to the Photos app on the iPhone, but some of the updates received mixed feedback. Since announcing iOS 18, Apple has made ongoing adjustments to the app, and that looks set to continue in iOS 18.2. In the latest beta, the video player has been updated to occupy more screen space, removing the thick borders seen in earlier iOS 18 versions. Now, videos display in full screen without needing a tap to expand them.

iPhone Mirroring With Hotspot

With iOS 18.2, you can now use iPhone Mirroring even while your iPhone’s hotspot connection is shared with your Mac. Previously, connecting your Mac through Personal Hotspot prevented the use of iPhone Mirroring.

Track Safari Download Progress

With iOS 18.2, tracking your Safari downloads should be more effortless and immediate, since you can keep an eye on download progress right from your iPhone's Lock Screen. On iPhone 14 Pro models and newer, it also appears in the Dynamic Island.

Adjust Media Volume on Lock Screen

Prior to 2022, the volume slider was a familiar presence on the Lock Screen whenever media was playing. When Apple released iOS 16, however, it removed the control without explaining the reason, much to the dismay of many users.

Thankfully, Apple is bringing the control back as an option in iOS 18.2. If you're already on the iOS 18.2 beta, you'll find a toggle in Settings ➝ Accessibility ➝ Audio & Visual, labeled "Always Show Volume Control". Enable the switch, and you'll be able to adjust volume from the Lock Screen without having to unlock your ‌iPhone‌ or use the physical volume buttons.

Play Daily Sudoku Puzzles

With iOS 18.2, Apple News+ subscribers in the U.S. will gain access to daily sudoku puzzles, offering easy, moderate, and challenging difficulty levels. A scoreboard will keep track of your sudoku statistics, including the total number of puzzles solved and your fastest completion times for each difficulty level. This addition will be the fourth puzzle game available with an Apple News+ subscription, joining Crossword, Crossword Mini, and Quartiles.

Easily Manage Default Apps

iOS 18.2 includes a new "Default Apps" section that can be found in the Settings app, which can be used to manage your default apps for the iPhone. This is a feature that Apple promised would be coming to the European Union, but it looks as if it may become available worldwide, based on the beta.

• When Is Apple Intelligence Launching in the European Union?

In the latest beta, US users can access the Default App interface to choose their preferred Email, Call Filtering, Browser, and Passwords, and Keyboards. EU users should have more options for choosing non-Apple apps as their default, as they are able to delete core apps like Messages, App Store, Safari, Camera, and Photos.

Adjust Camera Control Double-Click Speed

A new option in Settings ➝ Accessibility ➝ Camera Control allows you to adjust the double-click speed for the Camera Control button. The available options are Default, Slow, and Slower. The settings are added alongside existing options to adjust the speed of the double light press and the force of the light press.

Categorize Emails in Mail

In iOS 18.2, Apple is introducing an updated version of the Mail app for built-in categorization. Mail Categories effectively organize your incoming emails into distinct sections for easier navigation.

Important emails are grouped in a "Primary" category, while other types are categorized into three additional sections. The "Transactions" section streamlines access to receipts, orders, and shipping information, allowing you to quickly locate your purchases. Meanwhile, the "Updates" section gathers newsletters, appointment reminders, and various subscription emails, keeping you informed. Lastly, the "Promotions" category highlights special offers and promotional messages, to make sure you don’t miss out on any deals.

Generate Images Using Prompts

Image Playground is a totally new app designed to help you create images based on your ideas. Similar to ChatGPT, you can generate images by providing a prompt, and Apple offers suggested categories like themes, locations, and costumes to inspire your creativity. The app specializes in stylized content, meaning the generated images won't be realistic, but can choose from Animation and Illustration styles.

Additionally, you can include likenesses of friends and family by pulling images directly from your Photos app. While Image Playground functions as a standalone app, it can also be integrated into apps like Notes and Messages and added to third-party applications.

Get an iPhone Charge Time Estimate

In iOS 18.2, newly discovered code suggests you may be able to get notified about how long it will take your iPhone to reach a specific charge level. This would build upon iOS 18's existing battery health capabilities, which include new options to limit maximum charging to 80%, 85%, 90%, or 95% to help preserve long-term battery health. iOS 18 also now alerts users when their iPhone is being charged with a slower-than-optimal charger.

Create Custom Emoji Characters

Genmoji are akin to traditional emojis but offer enhanced functionality. With Genmoji, you can create virtually any emoji you desire, freeing you from the limitations of the standard emoji set.

While they function like emojis on Apple devices, they are not encoded characters from the Unicode Consortium. Instead, Apple developed a unique API for Genmoji, ensuring they display correctly in any application that supports rich text. You can generate a Genmoji by providing a description of your desired design, and you even have the option to create Genmoji that resemble individuals from your Photos library.

Query ChatGPT via Siri

Apple is collaborating with OpenAI to incorporate ChatGPT into the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. This partnership allows Siri to handle complex requests by referring them to ChatGPT, such as generating images or creating text from scratch. With the Writing Tools feature, ChatGPT can produce and illustrate original content, expanding its capabilities beyond what Siri can currently offer.

For instance, you can open a lengthy PDF and ask Siri to summarize information on a specific topic; Siri can then pass this request to ChatGPT to generate a comprehensive summary. Apple envisions Siri as a facilitator for AI models and tools, optimizing available resources to provide you with answers without the need to switch between multiple apps.

View ChatGPT Limits

As part of Apple's collab with OpenAI, iPhone users can access ChatGPT for free but are limited to a small number of requests using the latest ChatGPT-4 turbo engine and a limited number of DALL-E 3 image generations. To that extent, the Apple Intelligence & Siri section in Settings will display ChatGPT limits for free users, but it also provides an option to upgrade to the paid ChatGPT Plus plan. Once these limits are reached, access reverts to a more basic version of ChatGPT, which is less costly for OpenAI to maintain. Full access requires a ChatGPT Plus subscription, priced at $19.99 per month.

Visual Intelligence

If you have an iPhone 16, you can make use of Visual Intelligence, a feature that offers insights about your surroundings. For instance, when you open the camera and aim it at a restaurant, you'll receive details such as opening hours and reviews.

Additional capabilities of Visual Intelligence include reading text aloud, identifying phone numbers and addresses for adding to Contacts, copying text, and summarizing information. Users can also search Google to find where to purchase a specific item they see, and by pointing the camera at an object, they can access further information through ChatGPT. Apple intends to enhance this feature by introducing more functionalities in the future.

More Options in Writing Tools

Apple is upgrading the Writing Tools feature to include options for more open-ended modifications. In iOS 18.1, Writing Tools can only adjust the tone to friendly, professional, or a simplified version. However, with the release of iOS 18.2, users will be able to specify the desired tone or content changes, such as incorporating more action words or transforming an email into a poem.
This article, "18 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Leading artificial intelligence companies including OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic are facing "diminishing returns" from their costly efforts to build newer AI models, according to a new Bloomberg report. The stumbling blocks appear to be growing in size as Apple continues a phased rollout of its own AI features through Apple Intelligence.


OpenAI's latest model, known internally as Orion, has reportedly fallen short of the company's performance expectations, particularly in handling coding tasks. The model is said to be lacking the significant improvements over existing systems when compared to the gains GPT-4 made versus its predecessor.

Google is also reportedly facing similar obstacles with its upcoming Gemini software, while Anthropic has delayed the release of its anticipated Claude 3.5 Opus model. Industry experts who spoke to Bloomberg attributed the challenges to the increasing difficulty in finding "new, untapped sources of high-quality, human-made training data" and the enormous costs associated with developing and operating new models concurrently with existing ones.

Silicon Valley's belief that more computing power, data, and larger models will inevitably lead to better performance, and ultimately the holy grail – artificial general intelligence (AGI) – could be based on false assumptions, suggests the report. Consequently, companies are now exploring alternative approaches, including further post-training (incorporating human feedback to improve responses and refining the tone) and developing AI tools called agents that can perform targeted tasks, such as booking flights or sending emails on a user's behalf.

"The AGI bubble is bursting a little bit," said Margaret Mitchell, chief ethics scientist at AI startup Hugging Face. She told Bloomberg that "different training approaches" may be needed to make AI models work really well on a variety of tasks. Other experts who spoke to the outlet echoed Mitchell's sentiment.

How much impact these challenges will have on Apple's approach is unclear, though Apple Intelligence is more focused in comparison, and the company uses internal large language models (LLMs) grounded in privacy. Apple's AI services mainly operate on-device, while the company's Private Cloud Compute encrypted servers are only pinged for tasks requiring more advanced processing power.

Apple is integrating AI capabilities into existing products and services, including writing tools, Siri improvements, and image generation features, so it can't be said to be competing directly in the LLM space. However, Apple has agreed a partnership with OpenAI that allows Siri to optionally hand off more open-ended queries to ChatGPT. Apple has also reportedly held discussions with other LLM companies about similar outsourcing partnerships.

It's possible that the challenges faced by major AI companies pursuing breakthrough general-purpose AI models could ultimately validate Apple's more conservative strategy of developing specific AI features that enhance the user experience. In that sense, its privacy-first policy may not be the straitjacket it first seemed. Apple plans to expand Apple Intelligence features next month with the release of iOS 18.2 and then via further updates through 2025.

This article, "AI Companies Reportedly Struggling to Improve Latest Models" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today announced that an additional 15 games are coming to Apple Arcade during the upcoming holiday season, including three Final Fantasy titles, PAC-MAN 256, Boggle: Arcade Edition, Gears & Goo, and more.

Accessible through the App Store, Apple Arcade is a subscription-based service that provides access to hundreds of games across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro, all free of ads and in-app purchases. In the U.S., Apple Arcade costs $6.99 per month and is bundled with other Apple services in select Apple One plans.

Here is the full list of games coming to Apple Arcade through early January:

• Talking Tom Blast Park on December 5


• Boggle: Arcade Edition on December 5


• PAC-MAN 256+ on December 5


• Hot Wheels: Race Off+ on December 5


• Barbie Color Creations+ on December 5


• Little Cities: Diorama for Apple Vision Pro on December 5


• FINAL FANTASY IV (3D REMAKE)+ on December 9


• FF IV: THE AFTER YEARS+ on December 9


• Skate City: New York on January 9


• Gears & Goo for Apple Vision Pro on January 9


• Three Kingdoms HEROES on January 9


• FINAL FANTASY+ on January 9


• Trials of Mana+ on January 9


• Rodeo Stampede+ on January 9


• It's Literally Just Mowing+ on January 9

More details about some of the games are available in Apple's press release.
This article, "Apple Arcade Adding These 15 New Games Through Early January" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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A trio of Apple customers this month filed a class action lawsuit against Apple, accusing the Cupertino company of violating California consumer protection laws and false advertising for continuing to sell AirPods Pro models that had ongoing issues with crackling or static sounds.


A few months after the ‌AirPods Pro‌ came out in October 2019, buyers began to complain about crackling, rattling, popping, and static-like noises affecting the ‌AirPods Pro‌. The sound seemed to show up when something caused an earbud to move or vibrate, such as walking or running.

Apple tried to fix the problem with software updates, but the company ultimately launched an ‌AirPods Pro‌ repair program in October 2020. Customers with affected ‌AirPods Pro‌ were able to bring them to Apple for a fix or a replacement, but unfortunately, many customers found that their replacement ‌AirPods Pro‌ also suffered from the same issue.

As a result, Apple is now facing a class action lawsuit, with the plaintiffs requesting "relief" due to the defective nature of the ‌AirPods Pro‌. The complaint says that customers would not have purchased the ‌AirPods Pro‌ or would have paid less had Apple made the flaw clear.

Apple is also being accused of false advertising for highlighting features like "superior sound quality" and "pure, incredibly clear sound" when knowing there was an issue with crackling and static.

The court will need to decide if the arguments made here hold up, and whether the case deserves class action certification.

This article, "Apple Customers Sue Over Unfixed AirPods Pro Crackling Issue" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Oura CEO Tom Hale doesn't believe that Apple has plans to get into the smart ring market because an Apple-designed smart ring might undercut sales of the Apple Watch.


In an interview with CBNC, Hale said that Apple is likely "unconvinced about the value of having a ring and watch together," and he said that while the company is likely keeping a close eye on both Oura and Samsung, an Apple smart ring probably won't happen because "it's hard to do this product category right."

Oura recently came out with the Oura Ring 4, a product able to track movement, fitness, health, stress, and sleep. Oura is one of the most well-known companies in the smart ring space, and it first came out with a ring back in 2015.

Rumors suggest that Apple has explored the idea of a smart ring, but the company reportedly has no plans to launch one at this time. Back in October, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that no ring is in active development.

Apple is said to be worried about cannibalizing sales of the Apple Watch because a smart ring would have many of the same features as the watch. Apple's industrial team proposed a smart ring that would be a lower-cost alternative to an Apple Watch, but Apple executives weren't interested.

Should smart rings pick up in popularity, Apple could decide to design one after all. Back in July, Samsung launched the Galaxy Ring, a device that works with Galaxy devices and tracks movement, sleep, heart rate, and respiratory rate, providing users with a daily sleep score and an energy score.

Apple has patented ring-like devices, resulting in "iRing" rumors, but Apple often patents all manner of products that never make it to launch.
This article, "Oura CEO Says Apple Won't Make a Smart Ring Because 'It's Hard to Do'" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Южнокорейская компания Netmarble выпустила трейлер мобильной игры Game of Thrones: Kingsroad. Авторы заявляют, что хотят добиться графики консольного качества, поэтому разрабатывают новинку на Unreal Engine 5. По механикам, которые частично показали в ролике, тайтл напоминает God of War 2018 года. В видео также продемонстрировали Джона Сноу. Это будет одиночная игра с элементами мультиплеера. Трейлер: Релиз...

DC Compact Comics line has been a huge hit and all 15 more titles are coming in the format in 2025.

On the JewCE! Jewish Comics Experience 2024 and what it was like attending this year plus some special highlights.

Helen of Wyndhorn #6 is this week's lead Wednesday Comics review, plus we look at G.I. Joe, Arcbound, and more!

The new ZATANNA miniseries finds DC's mistress of magic facing off against a new enemy.

The cartoonist questions why no English publisher has snapped his biography of the South African tech mogul.

Amazing Spider-Man launches into a new era and new story arc. Plus reviews of Psylocke and Uncanny X-Men.

Kyler Murray's efficient play has Arizona on a four-game winning streak and atop the NFC West. It also has put him in the MVP conversation.

Josh McDaniels joins Colin Cowherd shares a story about being the offensive offensive coordinator in New England and coaching Tom Brady. "I have emails of things he liked and didn't like."

Joey Logano responded to critics of his NASCAR Cup Series Championship win with, "It's a bunch of bull----" and discussed the NASCAR playoff structure.

With no high-stakes World Cup qualifying matches ahead of 2026, the USMNT will use its matches away from home to become truly battle-tested.

Chris Broussard analyzes if a win for the Kansas City Chiefs over the Buffalo Bills could elevate Patrick Mahomes above Josh Allen in MVP odds.

Patrick Mahomes wanted to get back to a hero-ball offense this season. It didn't work out, so he's gradually reverting to last year's plan.

Former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels detailed what it was like to prepare for games with Tom Brady every week during a season.

Odell Beckham Jr. is taking a victory lap over something he did while with the Rams — and it's not winning the Super Bowl.

Nick Wright unveils his Week 11 Tiers alongside Chris Broussard, Kevin Wildes and Coach Eric Mangini. Watch as Nick addresses "massively underestimating" the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles and why the Buffalo Bills climb higher up the tiers.

Shaquille O'Neal joins the First Things First crew. Shaq answers if Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic can end career as a top 5 center. "He's on that list for me."

Gambling expert Chris “The Bear” Fallica and former NFL Offensive Lineman Geoff Schwartz reveal their best bets of CFB Week 12, choosing Washington vs. UCLA and Penn State vs. Purdue.

Aaron Rodgers’ stint with the New York Jets could still extend beyond this season despite plenty of losses and disappointments.

The Chiefs got three of their key players back from injuries Wednesday: WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, RB Isiah Pacheco and DE Charles Omenihu.

Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy has had some real growth since suffering a season-ending injury earlier this season.

Fredrick King caught a two-handed alley-oop that extended the Creighton Bluejays' lead over the HCU Huskies.

Dave Helman sits down with Ralph Vacchiano to talk about the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders! Within the conversation, the duo break down what the Eagles might do to contain Jayden Daniels and also discuss Jalen Hurts too!

The New York Post reports that an Ecuadorian restaurant has opened in the Corona neighborhood of Queens. Le Casa Del Guy -- "the house of the guinea pig" -- has become famous for its focus on a staple of Ecuadorian cuisine: the guinea pig.

Guinea pigs raised for food are usually larger than those raised to be pets, weighing about two and a half pounds and measuring sixteen inches long. They can be quite expensive, sometimes over $100 a plate. That's because the restaurant management has to have the guinea pigs shipped from Ecuador then inspected. It might be cheaper to raise them domestically.

-via Dave Barry | Photo: La Casa del Cuy

Okay, that headline is a lot, but it is about as succinct a summary as I can provide. Sora News 24 has the full story.

A taishoku daikou is a company that a worker in Japan will hire to inform his/her current employer that he is quitting. This is apparently a thriving industry in Japan for cultural reasons that elude my understanding.

Momuri is the name of one such company that has processed over 20,000 resignations. Recently a rival firm contacted Momuri and informed it that a Mormuri employee was quitting. This particular employee had, prior to his employment at Mormuri, been a customer who had hired Momuri to help him quit the job that he had at the time.

You follow that?

Photo: Lukas Bieri

Have you ever heard a radio announcer say, "That was (song) from the movie (title)," and you thought, "Wow, I've always loved that song, but I never knew it was from a movie." It may well have been from a movie you never saw or never even heard of because it wasn't all that great. Plenty of film productions commission songs specifically for the film, and even more find appropriate but unreleased songs to use that are then released in conjunction with the film. That leaves us with a lot of songs that became hits from movies that flopped so badly we don't even remember them -or maybe the film is just too old.  

Back in 2014, you couldn't escape the Pharrell song "Happy." It was the biggest song of the year, won two Grammys, and we posted about it quite bit. Yet few people recall that is was written for the 2013 movie Despicable Me 2. The movie was honestly a hit, but it was aimed at children. Even more obscure is the origin of the song "Unchained Melody," which was a big hit for the Righteous Brothers in 1965 and you might associate it with the 1990 film Ghost. However, it was written for the 1955 prison movie Unchained, and that's how it got its title.

Some of your favorite songs may have been spawned by a movie you've never seen. Read up on 21 of those songs, with videos, at Cracked.

Russia is facing the mounting risk of stagflation, a think tank tied to the Kremlin said. The nation's high interest rates will trigger an economic a downturn while inflation remains high, TsMAKP said. Tight monetary policy is costing Russian business profitability and risks spurring…

Shares are mixed in Asia after a lackluster finish on Wall Street following a report showing an uptick in inflation in the U.S. last month.

Clear your schedule in 2025, as it's set to be a bumper year for television. Small-screen favourites such as "The Last of Us" and "The Bear" will be back with new seasons, while fresh shows promise to keep us entertained. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms The latest "Game of Thrones" prequel based on…

A deal with a prominent Chinese banker gave the US group market access, but securing full control cost a lot more than it expected

The new administration confronts a WTO already undermined by long-standing US disapproval

Globally, actively managed ETFs have captured a quarter of flows

The West’s failure at phasing out Russian oil and gas sales has helped Russia's economy rebound, write Martin Vladimirov, Isaac Levi and Sergiy Makogon.

During festivals of feasting, the prospect of weight gain can lead some to skip meals or embark on a cleanse to make up for holiday indulgence—but such strategies may do more harm than good. A survey by Orlando Health found than nearly two in five Americans worry about how much they eat over the…

It’s been a dizzying post-election week for Elon Musk’s X. Many users appear to be fleeing the platform, but more advertisers might return. More than 115,000 US users deleted their X accounts the day after the election, the biggest exodus in a single day since Musk took over the company, per…

A remote fishing town on the edge of Peru’s coastal desert is the site for a $1.3 billion megaport majority-owned by the Chinese shipping giant Cosco.

South Korean car maker Kia expects challenging market conditions in the near term due in part to governments' policies but will stick to its target of selling 1.6 million electric vehicles annually by 2030, a senior executive said.