Apple's first foldable device might not be an iPhone no matter how much you want it to be

Oliver Haslam | Mobile Devices, Tablets & Phones | Feb 22, 2024 12:02 PM CST

With Samsung, Google, and countless other Android manufacturers already producing new foldable phones at a rate of knots it's surely only a matter of time before Apple joins the fray with a foldable iPhone. We've been hearing rumors to that effect for a long time now, but so far, Apple has refused to actually ship anything - although we have to imagine that it has been prototyping foldable iPhones for years. Now, a new report claims that's indeed the case except they aren't foldable iPhones at all.

Apple's first foldable device might not be an iPhone no matter how much you want it to be

Instead, the report claims that the devices Apple has been working on are something entirely different. Larger than an iPhone, the new foldable devices are more likely to be something akin to a tablet or notebook computer. That's according to supply chain sources speaking as part of a paywalled DigiTimes report picked up by MacRumors.

The report goes on to claim that Apple has been developing the device for at least five years with design efforts now said to be converging ahead of plans to enter mass production. It isn't clear what the product will actually be nor how Apple will market it, however.

Continue reading: Apple's first foldable device might not be an iPhone no matter how much you want it to be (full post)

Xbox takes cues from platform-agnostic juggernauts like Roblox, Fortnite

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Feb 22, 2024 10:33 AM CST

Microsoft is apparently reaching the upper limits of what exclusivity can offer, and now Xbox is taking cues from platform-agnostic giants like Fortnite, Roblox, and Apex Legends.

Xbox takes cues from platform-agnostic juggernauts like Roblox, Fortnite

Like much of the world right now, the video games market is under tremendous pressure. The unsustainably high budgets of AAA gaming have taken a toll, leading to mass layoffs as companies try to squeeze out profits. There's a common theme in the games industry right now: Everyone is willing to try anything in order to scrape together more earnings.

Some of these hail mary approaches include disrupting business models that've been in place for a decade. Microsoft, in particular, recently announced that it will break first-party exclusivity on Xbox games and bring four titles to competing platforms like PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.

Continue reading: Xbox takes cues from platform-agnostic juggernauts like Roblox, Fortnite (full post)

PSVR2 is breaking exclusivity as Sony seeks profit boost

Sony is opening up its niche VR headset in an effort to sell more units.

PSVR2 is breaking exclusivity as Sony seeks profit boost

Since 2013, Sony's game plan put PlayStation consoles at the center of the business. Peripherals like controllers, headphones, and even higher-cost virtual reality headsets all orbited the might PS4 and PS5. That plan appears to have been disrupted by Sony's quest for improved profit margins, and Sony is now open to break platform exclusivity in an effort to sell more products.

While most of PlayStation's accessories are compatible with PC, the PlayStation VR headsets are notorious for not being able to play PC VR games. That's about to change. Sony has officially confirmed that it is experimenting and testing PSVR2 support on PC.

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NVIDIA App hands-on, Team Green delivers the GeForce GPU software we've been waiting for

Kosta Andreadis | Software & Apps | Feb 22, 2024 9:02 AM CST

Hardware and software go hand-in-hand, and the latter often gets overlooked. NVIDIA has been creating powerful software and tools for its GeForce RTX hardware and GPUs for years, from the first Control Panel to recent efforts like RTX Broadcast. Not to mention timely and robust driver support.

NVIDIA App hands-on, Team Green delivers the GeForce GPU software we've been waiting for

However, in recent years, it's all felt a little disjointed thanks to the GeForce Experience app used for updating drivers and optimizing games being completely separate from the NVIDIA Control Panel that offers deep drivel-level customization tools and the best display and color calibration suite currently available for Windows.

It doesn't help that Control Panel looks like an app for Windows XP and GeForce Experience, like an app from the mid-2000s. To say that we've been waiting for something like the NVIDIA App would be an understatement; something that would overhaul the GeForce Experience and expand its capabilities.

Continue reading: NVIDIA App hands-on, Team Green delivers the GeForce GPU software we've been waiting for (full post)

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is FromSoft's biggest expansion, will have separate map

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Feb 22, 2024 8:34 AM CST

Elden Ring's new Shadow of the Erdtree expansion is FromSoftware's biggest DLC ever, and it'll bring a ton of new content to twisted fantasy world.

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is FromSoft's biggest expansion, will have separate map

The upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree launches on June 21, 2024 for $39.99--that's the same price as most AA games. FromSoftware's horror maven Hidetaka Miyazaki had some interesting things to say about the expansion, confirming that Shadow of the Erdtree is the most ambitious post-release content to date.

In sheer size, SotE will take place in a special new map that's about a little bigger than the Limgrave region from Elden Ring. Miyazaki tells Eurogamer that the explorable areas will be a mix of large and compact.

Continue reading: Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is FromSoft's biggest expansion, will have separate map (full post)

RTX HDR and RTX Dynamic Vibrance use AI to dramatically improve the look of thousands of games

Kosta Andreadis | Video Cards & GPUs | Feb 22, 2024 8:02 AM CST

NVIDIA has overhauled how GeForce RTX gamers and content creators access all of its apps, settings, drivers, and features with the arrival of the new NVIDIA App, which is currently in beta. It combines all of the features from the GeForce Experience app and NVIDIA Control Panel into a sleek, minimal, and fast app that offers some cool new toys and things to play with.

RTX HDR and RTX Dynamic Vibrance use AI to dramatically improve the look of thousands of games

Two of these are brand-new AI Freestyle Features added to the NVIDIA Freestyle suite of post-processing filters. Compatible with over 1,200 games, the new NVIDIA App introduces AI-powered RTX HDR to convert any SDR game to HDR in real-time and RTX Dynamic Vibrance. And yes, this is the same technology recently uncovered in NVIDIA drivers and released by fans as an RTX Video HDR mod for games.

The latter is all about 'dynamic visual clarity' that makes colors and details pop without 'crushing colors' to help enhance and preserve immersion. RTX HDR and RTX Dynamic Vibrance, like NVIDIA DLSS, require a GeForce RTX 20 Series GPU to run because they use a GPU's AI-based Tensor Core hardware.

Continue reading: RTX HDR and RTX Dynamic Vibrance use AI to dramatically improve the look of thousands of games (full post)

NVIDIA App for GPUs combines GeForce Experience and Control Panel with new features!

Kosta Andreadis | Video Cards & GPUs | Feb 22, 2024 8:00 AM CST

The new NVIDIA App is now available in beta. It modernizes the look and feel of the NVIDIA Control Panel and GeForce Experience apps while combining their features and giving NVIDIA GPU owners and gamers access to all of the company's apps and RTX technologies in a single package.

NVIDIA App for GPUs combines GeForce Experience and Control Panel with new features!

For those who have been switching between the NVIDIA Control Panel and GeForce Experience apps in recent years to do all of their display and graphics configuration and driver updating, you'll be pleased to know that NVIDIA has been working on the new NVIDIA App for some time - with the goal being unification.

In addition to a clean, modern, and minimal look, the new client is reportedly 50% more responsive than the previous GeForce Experience app for gamers while taking up 17% less disk space. And you no longer need to log in to use its features!

Continue reading: NVIDIA App for GPUs combines GeForce Experience and Control Panel with new features! (full post)

Signal now allows people to keep phone numbers private and choose usernames instead

Oliver Haslam | Software & Apps | Feb 22, 2024 7:45 AM CST

Signal has long been one of the more popular secure instant messaging platforms and it's the one that has also required that people use a phone number by way of identification. That also meant that people needed to share their number if they wanted to connect with anyone on the platform which is less than ideal. But now, that's all changing.

Signal now allows people to keep phone numbers private and choose usernames instead

Signal has now confirmed via a blog post that it is going to start hiding phone numbers as default, making it easier than ever for people to protect their privacy. In its place will be a username, and that's also how people will be able to identify people in the future. The username isn't a permanent handle however, with Signal saying that it is simply a way to initiate contact on the network without sharing a phone number.

The announcement also comes as Signal confirms that it is launching a new, optional privacy setting that will allow people to stop themselves from being searchable using a phone number at all. The result is that unless someone knows an exact username, they won't be able to contact people who don't want to be.

Continue reading: Signal now allows people to keep phone numbers private and choose usernames instead (full post)

Meta Quest owners could one day use AirPlay to watch content from their iPhone, iPad, or Mac

All of the talk in the world of AR/VR headsets might be about the Apple Vision Pro right now, but there is no denying that the Meta Quest products are popular. With prices that make Apple's $3,499 starting price seem so far out of reach that it's a wonder anyone bought an Apple Vision Pro, the headsets are self-contained and powerful. And soon, they could also support a key Apple feature.

Meta Quest owners could one day use AirPlay to watch content from their iPhone, iPad, or Mac

That feature is AirPlay, and it could change the way that Meta Quest owners enjoy media on their headsets. AirPlay allows iPhone, iPad, and Mac users to share their displays and the content of streaming apps to other devices. Those devices could be an Apple TV streaming box or a smart TV, while smart speakers are also offered as an AirPlay option for music fans. And if things go according to plan, Meta Quest headsets could be next.

The move, confirmed by Meta's VP of VR Mark Rabkin, would mean that owners of Apple devices could potentially AirPlay content from those devices and onto a Quest device. As Upload VR notes, the state of video streaming apps on the Quest is dire - Netflix hasn't been updated in years and only supports 480p video and the Peacock app is just a link to the website. The Amazon Prime Video app simply does not work.

Continue reading: Meta Quest owners could one day use AirPlay to watch content from their iPhone, iPad, or Mac (full post)

WhatApp now lets you format your text in some new ways including lists and more

Oliver Haslam | Software & Apps | Feb 22, 2024 6:30 AM CST

There are plenty of instant messaging platforms to choose from right now and most phones have first-party options built in, including Apple's wildly popular iMessage. But WhatsApp is also a great option and it's free, encrypted, and available across every platform you're likely to think of. And now it has some new text formatting options that make it easier than ever to get the point across.

WhatApp now lets you format your text in some new ways including lists and more

While WhatsApp already offered Markdown-like syntax for formatting text, it now has four new options to go with bold, italic, strikethrough, and monospace. The new options are bulleted lists, numbered lists, block quotes, and inline code.

The first of those is fairly obvious and users can create a bulleted list by placing a '-' before a line. Numbered lists are the same, but a number followed by a period replaces the hyphen. All simple stuff and great for sending things like shopping lists to your significant other.

Continue reading: WhatApp now lets you format your text in some new ways including lists and more (full post)