A new gameplay trailer for Hitman 2 shows the crazy amount of improvisation you'll be able to do in the game's Miami level. While offering the standard gun/silencer murders, it also features our hero Agent 47 offing targets with with a pair of scissors, a large fish, a rock, wrench and a frying pan, while blowing up an (evil) car race winner right on the trophy podium.
https://ift.tt/2xiixQ9
Apple Books: What's new in iOS 12 https://ift.tt/2MfomTT Apple has completely redesigned and overhauled its iBooks app for iOS 12. Here's everything you need to know about it. iOS 12 will bring a bunch of refinements and speed to your iPhone and iPad when it launches later this fall, but that's not all: There are a number of core apps getting huge facelifts and functionality improvements, too. One of these apps is Apple's ebook reader and store, iBooks, which will bear the moniker "Apple Books" in iOS 12. While the ebook-reading experience itself has stayed largely the same in iOS 12, Apple Books has completely rethought the design, book management, purchase, and organizational aspects. The new app will launch in the fall, with the Book Store in 51 countries (and free books in 155 more); if you just can't wait to hear more, however, here's everything you need to know about what's coming to your ebook reader in iOS 12. The look and feel of Apple BooksAs previewed on stage at WWDC 2018, Apple Books has an entirely new design for managing, purchasing, and searching for your books. Most notable is the banishment of the translucent shelf — and, in fact, all shelf-based metaphor. Instead, the app takes its cue from the App Store's bright-colors-on-solid-backgrounds design, offering a pure white background to hold your book covers in large, laterally-scrolling columns. And, like the book-reading experience itself, you'll even get an automatic "dark mode" when you move into lower light conditions; the white background dims to black, switching the headings and text to whites and grays. The lateral columns give the appearance of shelves without ever calling them directly into play, instead relying on more-defined book shapes underneath an array of high-quality book covers. One of my big sadnesses with ebooks was always their lack of cover display; in Apple Books, the covers are allowed to shine and take center stage. They're big and beautiful in your Reading Now tab, which features your current book and books you'd like to read, along with some customized For You suggestions (yes, like Music and the App Store, you'll soon be getting customized suggestions for your ebook and audiobook consumption). They're even bigger inside the Book Store and its individual store pages — and especially so on the iPad Pro. But perhaps the most notable change to Apple Books is its font: All headings and small headings in the app use a new serif-based font called "SF Serif" alongside the existing sans-serif San Francisco text for the main body. The font is (unsurprisingly) a gorgeous addition to the app, and makes Apple Books feel distinct in its character next to the App Store. When paired with the app's flat black-and-white highlighting scheme, it feels especially literary; Apple's beautiful color artwork and existing book covers make the experience even better. Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet Software & Services, had this to say about the app:
On the organizational side, Apple has done away with every bottom tab from iBooks save for Search; the iOS 12 app instead puts the emphasis on what you're currently reading (and want to read) in the Reading Now tab. The Library tab gives you a more-thorough picture of your full ebook collection, while the new Book Store and Audiobooks tabs provide a much better browsing and buying experience for each item. Even the existing Search tab provides a better experience, offering full local library and store search in one. The Reading Now tabApple's new Reading Now tab takes a bit from just about every ebook reader and social book experience in its design. The result is a screen that easily highlights your current read, recent books you've purchased, books you're looking forward to picking up, For You recommendations, and a personalized collection recommendation for further perusal. As with the App Store, you'll have easy access to your Apple ID account from this tab from your profile picture, where you can access book updates, download books or audiobooks from family members, manage your hidden purchases, redeem codes, view account settings, or sign out of your account. The reading experienceReading Now's chief highlight is, naturally, the book you're currently reading. If you've opened it in the last 24 hours, you'll see the book splayed open to your current page; if not, the book cover will display prominently. Beneath that image, you'll see the title of the book, the percentage of it that you've read, and a new More button. As with Apple's other service-based apps, the More button hides all sorts of goodies for further interacting with your books. You can…
Tapping on your open book will bring you into Apple's ebook reader itself, largely unchanged from iOS 11. You'll still have access to multiple fonts, a scrolling book experience, dark and light themes, bookmarks, and more. Want to ReadBelow the main Reading Now highlight, Apple Books offers a new side-scrolling collection called Want to Read. By default, all the unfinished books in your library will pop up in here, but you can adjust that easily by removing books through the More button (or viewing the full list and removing multiples). Want to Read (like its partner collection, Finished Books) doesn't particularly care whether you've purchased a book or not: You can add any book from your collection or the Book Store to this list, allowing it to function as a combination Wish List and to-read schedule. The full list itself (like the rest of the app) prioritizes big, beautiful covers next to the title, author, store rating, blurb, and Read (or Buy) button. There's also a small counter that shows you how many books you've added to your Want to Read list, and all books have the black More button to access more details. Suggested readsAs part of the new Apple Books redesign, Apple is bringing For You over from its music platform to the reading experience: in the Reading Now and Book Store tabs, you'll now have a custom For You collection that recommends books you might like based on things you've purchased from the store or where you've used the Love/Dislike buttons. (Unfortunately, as with Apple's other services, For You may not be available in all countries.) The app may also occasionally display collections like You Might Like or Complete the Series, based off the current book you've been reading. But the main suggestion list is For You; the side-scroller features large, fully-illustrated book covers, and you can tap on any to get the full Book Store pop-up page. If you instead choose to See All, you'll get a full For You sub-page that features multiple collections for your tastes. On the For You page, users will get a weekly "Top 5" list that updates every Tuesday with side-scrolling book covers and a short blurb below them; below that, the app displays a collection of other books from authors you've enjoyed, books you might like based on past purchases, and suggested authors. Your new LibraryThe Reading Now tab isn't the only place you can go to check out your current collection of ebooks and audiobooks: The revamped Library tab offers a full overview of all the books you own and have uploaded to the app, including any sub-collections you may have made in earlier versions of the app. Collections and the Finished TimelineCollections will take a much bigger focus in iOS 12, as they've become a much more sensible way to organize your books: In addition to the aforementioned Want to Read and Finished collections, Apple has put together four smart collections that auto-populate with books you add: Books, Audiobooks, PDFs, and Downloaded (locally to your device). Below that, you can add and organize any custom collections you prefer. Most of Apple's organized collections display the books in question in rows of covers (or lists, if you prefer list mode), but Finished has its own special look. Instead of a straight list, it displays your past reads as a chronological timeline. Better still, if you've finished books in past Books app iterations, you'll get those older dates reflected in your timeline, letting you have a pre-populated reading timeline back to 2010. Like Want to Read, you can add any book to the Finished collection — whether you've purchased it or not — allowing you to keep a running tally and timeline of all your reads whether you've read them in Books or elsewhere. You can also rate books directly from this screen, and even write reviews. Organizing your LibraryWith iOS 12, you have a few more options for viewing your Library outside of collections: You can use List view to get a scrolling list of all your books, or use the new Sort tool to sort titles by most recent download, title, author, or manual positioning. (To search your library, you'll wander over to the Search tab — one of the only tabs that survived the iBooks to Apple Books overhaul.) New titles you've never opened will display a dark blue "NEW" banner, while books you've purchased but not downloaded will display the now-familiar iCloud logo. As in the past, you'll be able to add purchased ebooks and audiobooks, non-DRM ebooks and audiobooks, and PDFs. Purchased titles can be removed locally from the device or hidden from your library, while manually-added books and PDFs can be removed locally or permanently removed from iCloud. You'll also be able to rename PDFs (in case your original uploaded file name isn't to your liking). A brand-new Book StoreWhile the overall look and feel of Apple Books feels dramatically different, nowhere is that clearer than in the new Book Store: Apple fully embraces side-scrolling collections, black and white highlights, and its serif headers in this tab, along with smart pop-overs for viewing individual books. Viewing books in the storeWhen you tap on a cover in the Book Store or follow a book link from anywhere else in the store, you'll get a pop-over (on iPhone) that displays the cover, title in SF Serif (along with the series and numbering, if applicable), subtitle if available, and author. Below that, users will see black-highlighted user ratings, a Gift icon, More button, and large "Read" or "Buy" button (depending on whether you've purchased that title). There are also black-outlined Want to Read and Sample buttons that will add the book to your list and deliver a free sample, respectively. Below that main section, the Book Store has split the publisher description into its own highlight, and offers a side-scrolling view of the book's genre, release date, length, publisher, seller, language, and file size — it's one of the prettiest ways I've seen to display this sort of information, and doesn't feel clustered or cramped. Users will also get highlighted customer reviews (again, in a side scroll), other books in the series (if applicable), more books and audiobooks by the author, other books customers have purchased, the top books in this genre, the book's version history, and any specific requirements (i.e. if it's an iBooks Author title). Browsing the StoreIn prior versions of iOS, the Book Store felt cluttered, cramped, and confusing — too many tabs and scrolling, without any sense of core organization. Apple is attempting to remedy this in iOS 12, bringing the App Store's simplistic redesign to Books. Most every section has been brought over from iOS 11: You'll still have New & Trending books and audiobooks, Top Charts, Staff Picks, Special Offers, and Genres, along with the new For You section. But they've been reorganized in a way that maximizes art and cover space, using side-scrolling and targeted design to keep the eye from being completely overwhelmed. You won't have as much information density available as in prior versions of the Book Store, but the information itself is still all there — just designed in a way to make it a bit easier on both the eyes and brain. The Audiobooks StoreAudiobooks is moving from being a sub-tab of the Store to its own separate tab in iOS 12, using the same design as its book counterpart to highlight its audiobook titles. But it's not just a straight copy from one side of the store to the other: The Audiobooks store has its own separate collections and staff picks, including a whole sub-section on Great Narrators; the collection highlights women narrators, full-cast dramatizations, celebrity narration, books read by the author, and highlighted narrators. For lovers of audiobooks, this prominence in iOS 12 is likely to please — though I know some will still lament the lack of an Audible-like subscription service. (Audiobooks are one of the few places in the Apple ecosystem where you can still expect to pay upwards of $30 for a single title.) A revamped Search experienceWhile the Search tab remains in iOS 12, it hasn't been ignored: It takes the Music app's integrated library search and applies it to your books collections. When you search for a title in the Apple Books app in iOS 12, it'll automatically search across both your local library and the full Books and Audiobooks Store, and present the appropriate results in side-scrolling collections. The search screen itself presents a list of your recent searches (easily clearable) and trending books, both in the SF Serif font; you can tap on any of the trends or recent searches to go back to that search screen. Apple Books is coming this fallThat about does it for my overview of the changes coming to Apple's ebook experience in iOS 12; you can read more about Apple Books on Apple's website, and if you have any questions, you can drop me a line below and I'll try and get them answered. I'm pretty excited about this revamp (as you might have guessed, given all the words I've just put down about it), and we'll have a review for you when iOS 12 launches in the fall. In the meantime: What most excites you about Apple Books? Let me know in the comments. Gadget News via iMore - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog https://www.imore.com/ June 12, 2018 at 10:04AM
0 Comments
Savvy Senior: Gadgets that can help seniors with hearing loss https://ift.tt/2JECHYl Gadget News via gadgets - Google News https://ift.tt/2zdEA80 June 12, 2018 at 09:58AM
https://ift.tt/2LF7Vik
Pick up a year of MLB.TV for $50 and watch it on a discounted streaming stick https://ift.tt/2yeqqsr Don't strike out this Father's Day. For a limited time, you can grab a one-year MLB.TV subscription for just $49.99, which is more than 50% off its regular price. The All Teams package normally sells for $115.99 per year or $24.99 a month. If you only care about one team, you can grab the Single Team subscription for $39.99, a savings of $50 compared to its normal price. There's still plenty of the 2018 baseball season to enjoy, especially since the World Series doesn't begin until October 23. The best part is that you can stream MLB.TV on a wide variety of devices, including the Xbox One, Roku, Apple TV, and more. If you really want to earn some extra points this Father's Day, pair the discounted subscription with some discounted streaming hardware to make a complete package. Amazon's Fire TV Stick is down to $29.99 and the 4K version is only $49.99. The Roku Express is only $29.99, but for $10 more you can step up to the more powerful Roku Streaming Stick. The Xbox One S is down to $199.99 for a limited time as well. DIRECTV NOW has a pair of streaming offers as well, and this adds another layer to your gift. Pre-paying for one-month of service (just $35) gets you a free Roku Streaming Stick, and pre-paying for three months ($105) can score you an Apple TV 4K. You can't go wrong with any of these options, but with Father's Day rapidly approaching, you won't want to wait long before getting your order in. Gadget News via iMore - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog https://www.imore.com/ June 12, 2018 at 09:56AM Apple Identifies Limited Hardware Issue With 2017 13" MacBook Pro Models With Function Keys6/12/2018
https://ift.tt/2MjdHrn
Apple Identifies Limited Hardware Issue With 2017 13" MacBook Pro Models With Function Keys https://ift.tt/2sTkuQj Apple has identified a limited hardware issue affecting the latest 13-inch MacBook Pro models with function keys, according to an internal memo distributed to Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers late last week. Namely, when either the MacBook Pro's solid state drive or main logic board experiences failure, both need to be replaced simultaneously. Apple's memo doesn't specify an underlying reason as to why both components may fail in tandem, or what percentage of units may be at risk of being affected. An excerpt from the document, obtained by MacRumors from a reliable source: Apple has identified a specific population of MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports) units requiring both solid state drives and the main logic board to be replaced when either has a functional failure.For clarity, this refers to the 2017 model year 13-inch MacBook Pro with a standard row of physical function keys rather than a Touch Bar. Apple says the issue does not affect any other MacBook Pro models with or without the Touch Bar, including those released in 2016, according to the memo. Apple says the dual SSD-logic board replacement is not required for unrelated issues, such as a cracked display or an unresponsive trackpad. Apple appears to have authorized free repairs for this issue if the affected MacBook Pro is covered by Apple's limited one-year warranty or an extended AppleCare+ plan, as long as there is no liquid damage or accidental damage, or else out-of-warranty fees may apply. Apple quotes a turnaround time of 5-7 days. To initiate a repair, visit the Get Support page on Apple's website and select "Mac" → "Mac notebooks" → "Hardware Issues" → "The topic is not listed," explain the issue, and select continue. Then, select "Bring in for Repair" to schedule an appointment with an Apple Authorized Service Provider or Genius Bar. There are also options to contact Apple's support advisors by phone or online chat to initiate a mail-in repair in select countries. This issue could explain why the 13-inch MacBook Pro with function keys temporarily faced extended shipping estimates on Apple's online store last month, as Apple may have implemented a fix, although the brief shortage could have been purely coincidental. We've reached out to Apple for comment on the matter.
Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Don't Buy)
Discuss this article in our forums Gadget News via MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - Front Page https://ift.tt/1ZNziIk June 12, 2018 at 09:52AM
https://www.youtube.com/embed/gIQDoy0bWfY?modestbranding=0&html5=1&rel=0&autoplay=0&wmode=opaque&loop=0&controls=1&autohide=0&showinfo=0&theme=dark&color=red&enablejsapi=1
The best over-the-air streaming box, according to CordCutters.com https://ift.tt/2LMGVOi Clockwise, from bottom left: AirTV, Tablo, and HDHomerun. HDHomerun, Tablo and AirTV are great options — but one stands out above the others. Whether you use Android TV or Apple TV, or Roku or Amazon Fire TV, or Xbox or PlayStation, one things remains true — streaming video often leaves a hole where your local channels used to be. While that's gotten a little better in recent years, streaming a local channels generally isn't as good, quality-wise (and certainly isn't as free) as using an over-the-air antenna.And making these antennas even better is the ability to hook them up to an over-the-air streaming box. You plug in the antenna, plug the box into your network, and fire up an app. Then you can watch your local channels on your Android phone. Or your iPhone. Or your iPad or Fire TV or Apple TV or Xbox or ... You get the idea. There are three main players in this space. HDHomerun, Tablo, and AirTV. Each has its merits. Each has its annoyances. But in the end, one stood out above the others and is CordCutters.com's pick for the best over-the-air streaming box. Read: The best OTA streaming box according to CordCutters.com Gadget News via iMore - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog https://www.imore.com/ June 12, 2018 at 09:51AM
https://ift.tt/2MjLWPf
Logitech announces new GX Blue switch for its G512 gaming keyboard https://ift.tt/2y5h9Td Logitech is launching a new keyboard called the G512 that features a new switch called the GX Blue. The switch is designed for mechanical keyboard users who want a sort of audible “click” feedback during actuation on the keyboard. It’s a sort of middle ground between Logitech’s tactile and near-silent linear switches. The gaming accessories brand is also providing the switch as an option for its older G513 mechanical gaming keyboard. The top case for the Logitech G512 is made from brushed aircraft-grade 5052 aluminum, and it has an integrated USB 2.0 passthrough for power. Logitech is also hedging bets that its user base will install the new G Hub app (soon available for early-access), which incorporates all the benefits of traditional Logitech G gaming software — lighting, macros, volume control for headphones, etc. — but unified for all of Logitech’s gaming accessories. The G512 will be available at Logitech’s website for $99 starting this month. The GX Blue option for the G513 will also be available this month for $149. Gadget News via The Verge https://ift.tt/1jLudMg June 12, 2018 at 09:46AM
https://ift.tt/2JFCuUP
Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox reportedly arriving in 2020 https://ift.tt/2JGPJ7s Microsoft is reportedly planning to launch its next-generation Xbox console in 2020. While Xbox chief Phil Spencer acknowledged this week that the software giant is “deep into architecturing the next Xbox consoles,” Brad Sams at Thurrott.com reports that the next-gen Xbox will arrive in 2020. Microsoft is reportedly working on a “family of devices” under the Scarlett codename, which would also align closely to Spencer’s mention of Xbox “consoles” and not a single console. It’s not clear what the set of devices could be, but it’s possible Microsoft is reconsidering streaming devices given its focus on a new game streaming service. Sams previously reported that Microsoft would launch “Xbox TV” devices at E3 2016, but the Chromecast-like devices never appeared. Microsoft canceled the devices, codenamed Project Hobart, and they were originally supposed to be $99 streaming sticks to access Xbox One games from a second TV in a house. Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox consoles will undoubtedly support backwards compatibility for existing Xbox One games. Microsoft has put a lot of technical time and marketing effort into backwards compatibility, bringing original Xbox and Xbox 360 games back to the new Xbox One and Xbox One X consoles. Microsoft hasn’t officially detailed its next Xbox plans, but Spencer has assured Xbox fans that “we will once again deliver on our commitment to set the benchmark for console gaming.” Gadget News via The Verge https://ift.tt/1jLudMg June 12, 2018 at 09:46AM
http://img.youtube.com/vi/b4CgoNHgfe4/0.jpg
'Hitman 2' Miami trailer shows murder with scissors and fish https://ift.tt/2JPjNkO The level, one of seven, takes place in sunny Miami during some kind of motorsports race. On top of getting a wide choice of weapons, you'll be able to disguise yourself as a security guard, cop, first aid attendant, pit worker, mechanic and even a mascot to pull off your murderous mission. You can also slay with guns, either up close with a pistol or by sniping a driver right off the track. There are over 2,000 non-player characters (NPCs) on the Miami level alone. Hitman 2 seems to have captured the inventive sandbox slaughter of the original, letting you play dress-up and hired killer at the same time. It arrives on PlayStation, Xbox and PC on November 13th, 2018, and if you pre-order it early, you'll get to try out the Sniper Assassin mode for free. Gadget News via Engadget http://www.engadget.com June 12, 2018 at 09:42AM
http://img.youtube.com/vi/fxBdmIzYhuI/0.jpg
The 'Astroneer' universe is set to expand in December https://ift.tt/2LMC5AC The team behind planetary exploration game Astroneer have been hinting at its 1.0 update for a while, and now it's confirmed -- December 2018. So fans of the Minecraft-esque space adventure won't have to wait too much longer to experience the new planets, vehicles and climate events -- plus loads of other features -- that the team has been teasing in its development roadmap. And that's not all. The announcement at E3 included details on post 1.0 content, too. The team is aiming to integrate complete crossplay via dedicated servers, so all players on all platforms (Xbox, Windows 10 and Steam) will be able to play together. And even though Astroneer is essentially a sandbox game, the team also working on goal oriented gameplay, based on player feedback. More details on these extra features will be announced in the coming months. Follow all the latest news from E3 2018 here! Gadget News via Engadget http://www.engadget.com June 12, 2018 at 09:30AM
https://ift.tt/2sOW4Yk
HomeKit support for third-party remote controls coming in iOS 12 and tvOS 12 https://ift.tt/2MlWcGM HomeKit didn't get any huge mentions during WWDC last week, but it did pick up one major new features: support for remote controls that aren't Apple's Siri Remote. Gadget News via AppleInsider - Frontpage News http://appleinsider.com June 12, 2018 at 09:29AM |
CategoriesArchives
October 2020
|