UPDATE (08/11/24): We now have more information on the Online Safety Act that will prevent Australians that are under 16 from accessing online platforms, and as we expected, it seems as though it will apply to the likes of YouTube, Roblox and by definition even extend as far as the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live.The definition of a social media service as per the Online Safety Act according to the ABC can be found below:The sole or primary purpose of the service is to enable online social interaction between two or more end users;The service allows end users to link to, or interact with, some or all of the other end users;The service allows end users to post material on the service.By definition, any online gaming network such as Fortnite, Roblox or the PlayStation Network/Xbox Live would meet this criteria as they exist to enable online social interaction between two or more end users, allow people to interact and in most cases also allow material to be posted on the service.This is expected to be a good time away from being implemented (12+ months according to the ABC), and its obviously going to be a hard one to police, but if it does extend as far as we think it will, its going to totally change the structure of these online platforms for massive companies in Australia.We highly recommend heading to the ABC website to read more about the proposed social media ban.ORIGINAL STORY: The Albanese government is reportedly looking to enforce stricter rules for teenagers online ahead of the next federal election according to a new report from The Guardian. The prime minister will allegedly announce the bill some time today though exact details of the legislation remain unclear outside of a loosely defined restriction around the use of social media and other relevant digital platforms by persons under 18 years old.While the exact age limit of the legislation has yet to be announced, the news follows Albaneses previous endorsement of banning social media for anyone under the age of 16. Equally unknown is exactly how far reaching this legislation will seek to enforce itself and on which gaming platforms.While major live service and multiplayer titles like Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft immediately come to mind, its unclear how this love from the Australian government would coexist with pre-existing terms of service and minimum age requirements for the use of transactions and other social media platforms.The news comes ahead of Australias next federal election, slated to take place sometime before September of 2025.The Prime Minster has spoken out on this issue before, stating that We know that technology moves fast, No government is going to be able to protect every child from every threat but we have to do all we can. Parents are worried sick about this. We know theyre working without a map no generation has faced this challenge before.

Keep It PlatonicNo, Avowed doesn't have any romance options, but the game's director has some pretty good reasons behind the decision"We felt that we could best tell our companions' stories and our players' relationships with them without the romance option."Image credit: Microsoft/Obsidian Entertainment News by Oisin Kuhnke Contributor Published on Nov. 10, 2024 Romance options are pretty popular in RPGs these days, and even though Avowed doesn't have any, its director thinks it's better off without one.For reasons that will probably be pretty obvious, video game players love to digitally smooch other video game characters, with romance options being quite popular in a lot of RPGs, no doubt due to the influence of games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age. It's been a big part of why Baldur's Gate 3 is so popular, people just can't get their hands off characters like Astarion. But one of next year's biggest RPGs, Avowed, won't have any romance options, despite it being a pretty common thing to find in the genre these days. In a recent interview with GamesRadar, director Carrie Patel explained why Obsidian Entertainment's latest won't have any with a simple explanation: "It's a ton of work."To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Okay, Patel actually had more to say on the topic, as she goes on to say, "You want to make sure you do it right. And part of that is also you want to make sure that a player who opts not to romance but still wants to have a very deep relationship with those companions gets to have just as thorough and meaningful an experience on a friendship or ally path as [if] they went on a romance path. And so we felt that we could best tell our companions' stories and our players' relationships with them without the romance option."Something that was important for the dev team was making sure that every companion felt fleshed out and that all players will experience them on the same terms, an important point in the game's overall story. "With the four companions we wanted them to all have key roles in the story, different party roles, different personalities, and ways that they compliment each other and let them tell the story of the Living Lands to the player," Patel said.There's even one companion that is actually in a relationship, apparently a key component of said character's development. "[It] isn't a story that I think you often get to see in a lot of games with a party member who's travelling with you, and so one thing players will really get to explore with here is kind of how she navigates having her heart in one place, while knowing that she really needs to be here."Personally I'm not too fussed about the idea of not being able to romance anyone; oftentimes the writing isn't even strong enough to support it, so I'd rather see companions and NPCs have their own stories and relationships.Avowed was originally slated to be released this year, but in August Xbox announced that it had been delayed to February 18, 2025 - when it's out you'll be able to play it on Xbox Series X/S and PC.

A dearth of funding for vital open source technologies is leading to a swath of support from startups, unicorns, corporations, and even venture capital firms.Last year, Bloomberg launched its FOSS (free and open source software) fund, committing up to $90,000 per year to various projects. And in October, Indian financial services company Zerodha launched a similar initiative dubbed FLOSS/fund, pledging $1 million annually to open source projects. The reason? A significant portion of our success and growth is owed to FOSS, Zerodha CTO Kailash Nadh said at the time.It goes without saying that this holds true for nearly every technology company founded in the last decade, whether it is publicly acknowledged or not, Nadh added. While there is no shortage of companies building businesses and raising money off the back of open source software, not every community-driven project lends itself to becoming a commercial entity. Some open source tools are more akin to Lego blocks: key components of a software stack, for sure, but difficult to monetize directly particularly in the early days.And this is why weve seen a steady rise in funding initiatives come to the fore. This includes reactive programs, such as 2022s Big Tech-driven $30 million pledge to bolster open source security in the wake of the Log4Shellsecurity flaw that wreakedhavocon the software supply chain. But were also seeing more proactive efforts, driven from all corners of industry. Silicon Valley VC Sequoia Capital launched an open source fellowship in 2023 to support project maintainers with equity-free capital to cover living expenses for up to 12 months. Its inaugural fellow was Colombian software developer Sebastin Ramrez Montao, creator ofFastAPI, an open source web framework for building APIs.In February, Sequoia revealed it would start accepting applications from any developer leading an open source project, with plans to provide funding for up to three qualifying projects annually. Nine months on, and the first two fellows from Sequoias expanded program have now been revealed: Chatbot Arena, a popular open source AI model benchmarking tool used by many of the industrys biggest names, including OpenAI, Meta, and Google; and vLLM, an open source library focused on memory management to power faster and cheaper LLM serving.FastAPI creator Sebastin Ramrez flanked by Sequoia partners Lauren Reeder and Bogomil Balkansky. Image Credits:Sequoia Capital (opens in a new window)Jolly good fellowsChatbot Arena, which spun out of a broader research organization called LMSYS, is the handiwork of doctorate students Wei-Lin Chiang and Anastasios Angelopoulos from Berkeleys Sky Computing Lab. With north of 1 million monthly users, Chatbot Arena is all about helping LLM developers validate claims around their models performance, while anyone can test these models and vote for their preferences. Companies such as OpenAI often share versions of their models with the Chatbot Arena team ahead of the models release to help fine-tune things before their formal launch.While Chatbot Arena receives financing as part of the creators doctorate research work at the Sky Computing Lab, the Sequoia fellowship award of $100,000 will help fund further technical development, including building a better interface.The Sequoia grant supports the development of Chatbot Arenas website, covering full-stack development and server maintenance costs, Chiang told TechCrunch. This is a gift to support the open source project, with no future obligations.Sequoia isnt the only VC firm to lend equity-free support to Chatbot Arena; Andreessen Horowitz launched an open source AI grant program last August, and Chatbot Arenas umbrella outfit LMSYS was among the second cohort of recipients.Chiang said that there are no plans to evolve the project into a commercial entity, underscoring the need for alternative sources of financing now, and perhaps long into the future.As part of our long-term vision, we may establish a nonprofit organization to host the leaderboard, keeping our focus on broad accessibility and community impact, Chiang said.In tandem, Berkeleys Sky Computing Lab also birthed vLLM in 2022, spearheaded by researchers Zhuohan Li, Woosuk Kwon, and Simon Mo, who started the project after developing a system to distribute complex processes across multiple GPUs more efficiently. vLLM leans on a new attention algorithm dubbed PagedAttention, which helps reduce memory waste and is already being used by developers at companies such as AWS, Cloudflare, and Nvidia.vLLM creators Woosuk Kwon, Zhuohan Li, and Simon Mo.Image Credits:vLLMSimilar to Chatbot Arena, vLLM serves as the focal point of its creators PhD research work, and future commercialization is not currently on the agenda. At the moment, we do not have a plan to transition it into a stand-alone company we are solely focused on making the open source project useful and widely adopted, Mo said.In addition to Sequoias $100,000 contribution for the year, other public sponsors include Andreessen Horowitz, which donated as part of its inaugural open source AI grant program last year, while the likes of AWS, Nvidia, and others have collectively helped vLLM cover its compute resources which are not insignificant.For vLLM, we intend to use the fund to cover our continuous integration testing and benchmark suite, Mo said. These suites, running on GPUs, are expensive to maintain but critical to ensure the performance and correctness of vLLM for production usage.One clear message emerges from all this: AI and data infrastructure might be driving demand for open source technologies, but this demand creates significant costs for the project maintainers. Ion Stoica, professor of the computer science division at Berkeley and a Sky Computing Lab adviser, says that the funding pressure on open source project maintainers is at least an order of magnitude higher with the advent of LLMs.You have multiple kinds of GPUs, you have all of these other accelerators, and theres also a difference in scale, he said. Ten years ago, most of the funding for a new startup would go to adding people; today, its going to infrastructure.AlignmentDigging a little deeper, and its clear that Sequoias involvement isnt quite as altruistic as it might seem, owing to the fact that its two new fellows intersect with startups in its existing investment portfolio. By way of example, vLLM is used by Replicate, which Sequoia (and Andreessen Horowitz) backed across its Series A and Series B rounds.Elsewhere, Sequoia last year co-led a $5 million seed round into an AI startup called Factory, with the startups founder and CTO Eno Reyes confirming that his company uses Chatbot Arena to keep close track of the top LLM options.Theyre a key input to make sure we have the best product for our users, Reyes said. Similarly, Sequoias first fellowship award last year, FastAPI, leans heavily on Pydantic, the popular data validation library created by the eponymous startup in Sequoias portfolio.However, Sequoia Capital partner Lauren Reeder told TechCrunch that this cross-pollination between fellows and portfolio isnt a strict condition of its funding decisions, merely a nice bonus when things do align. And in truth, when an open source project is genuinely popular, theres every chance that it will be picked up by one of Sequoias portfolio companies, which is a good way for the VC firm to hear about worthwhile projects.In terms of how the funding is dispersed, Reeder says its open to whatever suits the team in question. For FastAPI, this involved making a direct payment to Montao himself, which was simpler given that it was just the one individual. But where teams are involved, it makes sense to use a third-party fundraising platform such as Open Collective, which also comes with added transparency.For the two most recent fellows, we were supporting small groups rather than a single individual and Open Collective made it easier to manage the funds, Reeder said. Similarly, weve done both up-front payments as multi-install payments, depending on the needs of the project. Open Collective is more transparent, but the fees are not insignificant.Taking a pledgeThere have been numerous other efforts to formalize open source project financing in the past five years alone, including dedicated FOSS funds from Indeed and Salesforce, a tacit acknowledgment that critical components of the tech stack are crying out for support.One of the biggest efforts of late, however, hails from developer tooling unicorn Sentry, which itself has been donating to open source projects for many years. In 2021, Sentry adopted a more systematic program with firmer and more transparent commitments, and last month the company officially launched the Open Source Pledge to encourage other companies to get involved either by donating directly through platforms such as GitHub Sponsors or Thanks.dev, or indirectly via foundations.Weve run our program successfully for three years, but its not enough by itself to solve the open source sustainability crisis. So this year David [Sentry co-founder David Cramer] asked me to get other companies on board to make a bigger impact, Sentrys head of open source, Chad Whitacre, told TechCrunch.The rules of engagement are thus: Commitments should amount to at least $2,000 per year for each developer the member company has on staff, which for Sentry itself translated to around $500,000 last year $3,704 for each of its 135 developer headcount. Beneficiaries through the years have included Django, Python, Rust, and Apache. This year, Sentry has upped its own budget to $750,000, and with some two dozen additional members signed up to the Pledge at the time of writing, Whitacre is hopeful that open source software developers will see a little more compensation in the future.The primary intent with the Pledge is no-strings-attached payments to open source maintainers, Whitacre said. We vet companies when they join to ensure theyre complying with our guidelines, but theres a fair amount of latitude within those guidelines.Aside from corporate members contributing cash, the Pledge has also attracted ecosystem partners to endorse the pledge, which includes foundations, individuals, and even storied VC firm Accel, which itself has invested in numerous open source startups through the years (including Sentry, both before and after it transitioned away from an open source license in 2019).Accel partner Dan Levine said that if something is truly critical, then it should, in theory, be able to sustain itself as a business. The reality, though, is that if enough companies and developers are deriving value from a given open source project, there shouldnt be any issues in getting financial support at least in the early days, before the maintainers can forge a path to commercialization.In the case of open source software, while it can be used for free, users who find it essential are inherently motivated to ensure its sustainability, Levine told TechCrunch. The open source community, particularly on the demand side, needs to reassess its strategies and make more informed decisions to support critical projects. The Pledge is an excellent effort to galvanize the demand side to do whats in their own best interests.

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ZCON 2024Ari Elgharsi & Nick DybelZCON is a groundbreaking conference that last month brought together 150+ content creators and representatives from 500+ brands to challenge the rules of business engagement. Unlike traditional corporate gatherings where seasoned executives dominate the conversation, this event flips the script: here, Gen Z voices take center stage and the CEOs and CMOs listen and learn.The Power of Gen Z Creators"Gen Z creators are content machines," explains Regina Harris, talent manager at Digital Brand Architects "They love creating content whether it's paid or not". This natural inclination toward content creation sets them apart from previous generations, who often approach digital content more methodically.What makes Gen Z unique is their unprecedented commitment to authenticity and social impact. "They crave honesty at a level that maybe may not be healthy," Harris notes. "The oversharing is all the rage and what is almost expected, but that really just comes from a place of wanting transparency."Olivia Frary, Head of ZCON at UTA Next Gen, emphasizes this generational shift: "What we always say is teenage girls set the trends of every generation. Even just thinking back to middle school, all the 13-year-old girls who had One Direction fan pages are now the most powerful up-and-coming marketers that I know." She adds, "I think the difference is that Gen Z is really just unafraid of that digital footprint... You see streamers going at it for 24 hours a day, totally unfiltered."MORE FOR YOUThe Evolution of Content CreationThe landscape of content creation has undergone significant changes in recent years. Harris reflects on this transformation: "Over consumption was amazing. It was not called over consumption. They were called hauls. And we loved to do a good haul back in 2014... No matter what company it was, there was no shame in the company that you were buying from."However, the approach has evolved with growing awareness of social and environmental issues. "I don't think that over consumption has ended," Harris admits, "but now we have to be a lot more tasteful with it. There might be a haul, but you might just space it out over a few TikToks. Or maybe it's in one video, and it's like 10 items, but 10 items max."Reimagining Corporate SpacesZCON, launched last year, represents a radical reimagining of traditional business conferences. The event emerged from Juve Consulting, which Frary describes as "one of the biggest Gen Z marketing agencies, Gen Z run, Gen Z lead, created by diverse young people who are really tired of being in rooms and looking at corporate spaces that didn't represent them.""We created ZCON as a space and platform for diverse young voices to be heard. It's the first ever conference with only Gen Z speakers," Frary explains. The event was born from a vision to transform how corporates engage with young leaders."So often we have diverse young people who are leaders, who are entrepreneurs or content creators or business owners themselves, who are being told that they have to wait their turn," Frary observes. "Our goal was really just to flip that on its head and say, what if we had a room where the CEOs and CMOs of Fortune 500 companies are actually the ones who are listening and learning from diverse young people and the lived experiences that diverse young people are facing?"The Rise of Digital ActivismOne of the most striking aspects of Gen Z's influence is their approach to social activism through digital platforms. Harris explains the organic evolution of this movement: "I think initially, they just wanted to be heard. The internet was a place where you could say, 'I might live in this small town where no one really understands me, but I can find my community online.'"This community-building has evolved into powerful social movements. "They themselves became the content creator and wanted to start posting about the things they care about," Harris continues. "They realized that we can't just be talking heads. We really have to start doing our research and spreading research in a way that is digestible to the masses... These infographics that really have been the backbone of so many movements, because you're getting these micro doses of information."Beyond Traditional ProgrammingThe ZCON conference featured innovative sessions that transcended typical corporate discussions. "One of my favorite conversations was actually hosted by Maya Urban," Frary shares, describing a panel on confidence that included "the incredible Justina Miles, who's actually a Deaf performer, who went viral for being the sign language interpreter during Rihanna's Super Bowl performance."The event also paired activist-influencer Amelie Zilber with March for Our Lives founder Cameron Kasky for authentic conversations about social impact. "Their conversation was just absolutely captivating," Frary notes. "We called it 'made it out of the group chat,' and it was full of a lot of exciting surprises."Social Impact InitiativesZCON's commitment to social impact goes beyond discussions. "At the core of what we do is really, we really always want to center our values," says Frary. "We have recess instead of breaks, we have prom instead of an after party. We're flipping the script on who's on stage versus who's in seats."The event incorporated numerous practical initiatives: "This year, our nonprofit partners were Earth Justice, Born This Way Foundation, the Jed Foundation... We had 5 Gyres, who led a trash sorting workshop on site at ZCON this year... We had an incredible organization called Strategy for Black Lives, another incredible organization focused on the Arts called Noise for Now, and When We All Vote."Intergenerational ImpactThe event's influence extended beyond its target demographic. Harris, who attended as both a speaker and participant, shares her surprise: "There were so many generations in the crowd. I saw so many millennials light up... They were proud of us, proud of what we're doing."She continues, "There was a moment on stage that I remember giving the millennials in the crowd their flowers, because it was like, you know, you kind of created us... You walked, now we're running, we're sprinting. We're going to do all these things, because we've seen what you all did. Time to pass the baton."The Evolution of Brand PartnershipsFor brands looking to connect with Gen Z creators, Harris emphasizes the importance of authentic collaboration: "Yes, give them a creative brief, they want to know what you want, but when you're giving a creator a creative brief, leave enough room for there to be creative freedom, because at the end of the day, they know their audience better than anyone. They study them all day long."She challenges traditional approaches to influencer marketing: "I've had a number of talent say they want it mentioned in the first three seconds. And that just doesn't make sense. They're going to click off of the video in the first three seconds if they hear 'Sponsored by'... Those are kind of the old days of doing influencer marketing."Looking AheadAs ZCON prepares for its next iteration, Frary shares exciting plans: "We are very excited to take this event to different spaces and different demographics, different geographies... We're toying with the idea of bringing it back to LA. But it was a really exciting thing this year that it was so much bigger and better and just has grown in every single aspect."For young creators looking to make their mark, Frary shares a powerful insight from the conference: "Embarrassment is the cost of entry... if you're feeling embarrassed about something, as long as it's not harming other people, that feeling is something that is so important to push through and keep going when you feel that, because it means that you're on the right track."Harris adds her own advice: "Don't think any job is too small, because it usually leads you to the next thing, the next thing... Never think any opportunity is too small. Just learn everything you possibly can for as long as you can."As Gen Z continues to reshape the business landscape, ZCON stands as a testament to the power of giving young voices a platform. Through its unique approach to intergenerational dialogue and social impact, it's not just changing how conferences workit's changing how business gets done.Excerpts taken from an episode of the Business of Creators podcast, where industry leaders share insights on the creator economy.

Although the JBL 104-BT ar billed as study monitors, there sound isn't all that neutral but they ... [+] sound impressive.JBLI love having a decent pair of speakers on my desktop. Not only for streaming music while I work, but having decent sound from your computer is great for videos and editing audio or video. These desktop monitors from JBL may be compact but they create a mighty sound thats genuinely impressive.Of course, you cant always use a pair of speakers, especially if you are in a shared office, but the JBL 104-BT also include a headphone jack so you can indulge in private listening if you dont want to disturb others or need to have a private voice or video call. But assuming you can use speakers at your desk, then these little beauties deserve a closer look.Like most desktop monitors, the JBL 104-BT consist of a main powered speaker that goes on the left and a satellite speaker on the right that connects to the main speaker via a length of speaker wire.The JBL 104-BT Monitors are available in white as well as black finish. JBLThe cabinets are made from ABS and the main speaker has a choice of four inputs: RCA line in, 6.35mm TRS balanced, 3.5mm stereo, plus Bluetooth wireless. Sadly, theres no USB input for connecting to a computer so youll just have to use the computers headphone output into the RCA or the front-mounted 3.5mm aux input or connect over Bluetooth.MORE FOR YOUThe speaker wire that connects the two speakers attaches via old-school, spring-loaded speaker clips. Theres a length of cable provided in the box and although its long enough for desktop use, if you want to place the speakers further apart, you can source your length of cable. Id like to have seen banana plugs for connecting the two speakers.The JBL 104-BT are sold as reference monitors which suggests they have a flat-response that you might use for editing audio. However, these mini speakers are anything but flat response. They have a big fat bass and a meaty forward sound that could be a bit lively for mixing use, so take that monitor claim with a pinch of salt.The JBL 104BT area a quickly looking pair of desktop speakers. Described as reference monitors, they ... [+] have a large and lively sound and would make a good compact sound system for a teen's bedroom or college dorm.JBLEach of the two-way speakers features a coaxial driver design with a 4.5-inch / 118mm woofer and a 0.75-inch / 19mm soft-dome tweeter for the upper frequencies. The output is 30W per channel and the amplification is Class D. The frequency response of the JBL 104-BT runs from 60Hz up to 20kHz. Theres no subwoofer output unlike the Edifier QR65, which also has a USB input.Once the speakers are out of the box and connected to their source, turn them on with the power switch on the back of the main speaker and you will be rewarded with a lively and dynamic sound that is far bigger and bolder than you might expect. These gorgeous-looking oval speakers punch well above their weight and are fun to listen to. I wouldnt say the JBL 104-BT are uncolored or neutral, but thats part of their attraction.The detail expressed by the JBL 104-BT is more than adequate but not quite up to the finesse offered by something like a pair of Kanto Ora. However, considering their price, these superbly solid little speakers offer sound value for money and if you want to drive them from the balanced output of a USB audio interface, you can.At the rear of the JBL 104-BT's main speaker are two of the inputs which are RCA, Balanced 6.35mm ... [+] TRS. The speakers also support Bluetooth and there's a 3.5mm aux input on the front.JBLTurning up the JBL 104-BT cranks up the bass and midrange, although the upper frequencies will start to fray a little if you push it too far, especially over Bluetooth as the codec on offer is just the basic SBC. I think these speakers could carry a better audio codec but I guess its a matter of price.Verdict: I love the design and shape of these cute speakers. They are surprisingly well-built and they look great on a desk. The overall sound has plenty of bass considering their size. Id like to have seen a USB input and maybe banana plugs for the speaker cables but I am probably being unreasonable considering their price. If you want a great-sounding pair of speakers for your desk, then the JBL 104-BT offer a big sound and great value for money. They will certainly set your foot tapping.Pricing & Availability: TheTech SpecsWoofer 120mm.Tweeter: 19mm.Sensitivity: 87dBPower: 60W (30W per channel), Class D.Frequency range: 60Hz 20kHz.Dimension (HxWxD): 247 x 153 x 124mm.Weight: 2.06kg (main); 1.73kg (satellite).Power: Mains cable 100 240V AC.

When Apple launched the iPhone 16 line, it also released iOS 18 to the masses after months of betas. Though the biggest feature of iOS 18 is Apple Intelligence, which didnt actually launch until the iOS 18.1 release, there are plenty of other things that iOS 18 brings to the table. That includes RCS messaging, more home screen customization, a revamped Control Center, and more.One app that got a significant redesign in iOS 18 is the Photos app. After around a decade of mostly the same design and what I would call muscle memory, the new Photos app is, well, quite jarring and Im not a fan.Recommended VideosThe old Photos app Christine Romero-Chan / Digital TrendsFor years, the Photos app was neatly organized, and the tabbed sections made it easy to find what you needed. The main tab was the Camera Roll, and then you could go to another section to view by year/month/day. There was also a section just for searching.RelatedThen there was the For You page, which was the least used screen at least for me. This was where you had Apple Photos curated collection of photos, memories, images, and videos shared with you, as well as other things that the app thought you would like.Ill be honest with you I barely used that section. Unless I was feeling nostalgic, I mainly used the Photos app to view my recent photos, videos, and albums, search, and make screenshots for work. And it worked well!The Photos app in iOS 18 Digital TrendsHowever, iOS 18s redesigned Photos app shoves the For You stuff down your throat by default. The tabbed sections to separate everything are gone, and now everything is fighting for your attention when you open up Photos. Scroll up to view your Photo Library, and scroll down to see everything else.Apple seems focused on pushing the memories bit a little too much, as the default order has Recent Days, Memories, and Trips in the top five sections. Im sure that for some people, reminiscing down memory lane is nice, but for me, I need quick access to certain photos and albums I have (i.e., my Disneyland Magic Key pass).The Photos app in iOS 18 Christine Romero-Chan / Digital TrendsUnfortunately, Apple seems to think that people dont use the albums because theyre at the bottom of the default order. In the first few days of having iOS 18 installed, it was very irritating when I couldnt quickly find my Disney album to pull up my Magic Key pass to scan in for parking and to the park.A few days later, I discovered that, yes, you can customize your Photos app section order to whatever youd like and even hide certain things you dont want at all. But Apple didnt make this very easy to find its literally all the way at the bottom of Photoss now singular screen, so you have to sift through all the fluff first.Christine Romero-Chan / Digital TrendsIve been asking for more customization options for iOS for years, but I never wanted the Photos app to have a considerable redesign.Once you customize it in a way that works best for you, its not as bad as the default setup. But there are still some annoying parts about it. For example, I tend to use the Media Types and Utilities options quite a bit. But Apple has made it so that they only show four of those at a time, so you now have to swipe horizontally to view them all.Even if you remove all the other categories, these two still only show four at a time. I think it would have been better if the list of categories could have been expanded a bit if you had hidden all the other sections.Im also a bit surprised that Apple decided to move the search option all the way to the top, which is difficult to reach if you use your device one-handed. Again, having tabs was the best way to go about this, but in the current state, perhaps moving it between the Photo Library and Collections could have worked.I do appreciate being able to customize what I want to see in Photos, sure. But when you want quite a few of the sections available, scrolling through everything is just annoying. Tabs for these kinds of things worked much more efficiently in the old Photos app, and I miss them.Christine Romero-Chan / Digital TrendsIts been several weeks, so Im slowly adjusting to the new iOS 18 Photos app, but its far from my favorite.Theres no arguing that iOS 18 has been one of Apples biggest software releases in years, and while I appreciate all the new features, its not Apples best work. For example, the process of updating my home screen and Control Center setups was incredibly tedious, and the Photos app just adds to my frustrations with the software update.Of course, I highly doubt that Apple will return to the old Photos design. It didnt revert to the old home and lock screen wallpapers after making it a total pain in the butt with iOS 16. As such, Im not expecting Apple to change the Photos app so soon after this major redesign.I just hope that Apple can at least make it, well, not so terrible in future updates.Editors Recommendations

If you were lucky enough to watch Thursday nights matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals (4-6) and Baltimore Ravens (7-3), you witnessed one of the best games of 2024. Joe Burrow threw for 428 yards and four touchdowns, but Lamar Jacksons 290 yards and four touchdowns prevailed in a Ravens 35-34 victory.12 NFL games will be played in Week 10 on November 10.The standout game of the day pits the Steelers against the Commanders. Fans looking to watch every game should sign up for NFL Sunday Ticket through YouTube TV. Below, check out the NFL Week 10 schedule, with times, channels, and streaming information.Recommended VideosHallo Germany! The @Giants and @Panthers face off in Munich : #NYGvsCAR Sunday 9:30am ET on NFL Network: https://t.co/GMX9CrWYDq pic.twitter.com/RCNoVQEmST NFL Network (@nflnetwork) November 7, 2024Start Time: 9:30 a.m. ETChannel: NFL NetworkStream: NFL+, YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, , Unfortunately for Germany, their football fans must watch a battle between two terrible teams: the New York Giants (2-7) and the Carolina Panthers (2-7). Both are destined to be in the top five of the 2025 NFL Draft. Ironically, the loser of this game will secure a better drafting position.RelatedNo. 3 overall pick Drake Maye on matchup up with No. 1 selection Caleb Williams: "Anytime you're going against a rookie quarterback in the same class, or any quarterback in your class in general, it's a little extra."https://t.co/zmPJHB6ct3 pic.twitter.com/pc3UcyzsIG Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) November 7, 2024Start Time: 1 p.m. ETChannel: FoxStream: NFL+, YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, , The New England Patriots (2-7) do not have the talent to compete with most teams this season. However, they hit a home run with quarterback Drake Maye. Thats a win in itself.The Chicago Bears (4-4) have not been the same since they lost on a Hail Mary. Chicago must stop the bleeding, especially since a loss puts them further behind in the NFLs best division.Start Time: 1 p.m. ETChannel: CBSStream: NFL+, Paramount+, YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, The Buffalo Bills (7-2) have looked like one of the three best teams in the NFL. Josh Allen is an MVP candidate, and the defense has been better than expected. Is this the year Buffalo finally reaches the Super Bowl?Even with a quarterback change, the Indianapolis Colts (4-5) could not upset the Vikings on Sunday Night Football in Week 9. Joe Flacco will start again under center for Indianapolis.As #Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence (left shoulder) continues to get treatment and weigh options for the future, sources say hes considered unlikely to play Sunday vs the #Vikings. Lawrence was limited in practice yesterday & coach Doug Pederson was noncommittal about his status. pic.twitter.com/9D4q5ogSe3 Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 7, 2024Start Time: 1 p.m. ETChannel: FoxStream: NFL+, YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, , Sam Darnold is having a career season for the Minnesota Vikings (7-2). Darnold threw for 290 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions in Minnesotas 21-14 Week 9 win over Indianapolis.The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-7) are on life support. Things are about to get worse with quarterback Trevor Lawrence unlikely to play due to a shoulder injury.Start Time: 1 p.m. ETChannel: FoxStream: NFL+, YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, , The Denver Broncos (5-4) ate a slice of humble pie in Week 9s 41-10 loss to Baltimore. Now, the Broncos must turn things around and play the best team in the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs (8-0). Patrick Mahomes has played his best two games in consecutive weeks, which is a scary sign for the rest of the NFL.Start Time: 1 p.m. ETChannel: FoxStream: NFL+, YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, , The Atlanta Falcons (6-3) are getting hot at the right time. After Week 9s win over the Cowboys, the Falcons now have a comfortable lead in the NFC South.The New Orleans Saints (2-7) will have a new coach on Sunday. Head coach Dennis Allen was fired earlier this week. Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi will serve as the interim head coach.Start Time: 1 p.m. ETChannel: FoxStream: NFL+, YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, , The San Francisco 49ers (4-4) are about to get back their best offensive weapon, Christian McCaffrey, in the lineup. McCaffrey has not played this year with a calf injury. Now, McCaffrey is ready to go and will immediately help the 49ers offense.The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5) are fading fast. The Bucs have lost four of their last five games, and their two best wide receivers are injured. Tampa faces an uphill battle the rest of the season.Joshua J. Seybert / DvidsStart Time: 1 p.m. ETChannel: CBSStream: NFL+, Paramount+, YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, The best game of the weekend features the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) against the Washington Commanders (7-2). With the switch to Russell Wilson at quarterback, the Steelers look like a completely different team. Speaking of quarterbacks, if Jayden Daniels wins on Sunday, he will insert himself into the MVP race.All-Pro Reels / FlickrStart Time: 4:25 p.m. ETChannel: FoxStream: NFL+, YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, , To quote Kevin fromThe Office:Its just nice to win one. That quote embodies the Tennessee Titans (2-7), who picked up their second win of the season a week ago. Wins will be hard to come by for the Titans, so enjoy them while you can.The Los Angeles Chargers (5-3) are starting to look like a Jim Harbaugh football team. The Chargers run the ball and play tough defense, which is a winning formula in the NFL.Start Time: 4:25 p.m. ETChannel: CBSStream: NFL+, Paramount+, YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, After losing five consecutive games, the New York Jets (3-6) stopped the bleeding with a crucial Week 9 victory over the Texans. With a favorable schedule, can the Jets go on a run and give themselves a chance to play important football in January?Dont look now, but the Arizona Cardinals (5-4) are in first place in the NFC West. The Cardinals just hang around in games long enough to make one or two big plays that make the difference.Start Time: 4:25 p.m. ETChannel: CBSStream: NFL+, Paramount+, YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, One of the NFCs fiercest rivalries takes center stage in the afternoon window. The Philadelphia Eagles (6-2) and Dallas Cowboys (3-5) are teams going in different directions. The Eagles are competing for one of the top four spots in the NFC. Meanwhile, the Cowboys continue to struggle, and now they will be without quarterback Dak Prescott.Start Time: 8:20 p.m. ETChannel: NBCStream: NFL+, , YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, , The Detroit Lions (7-1) are the top of the class of the NFC. The offense is firing on all cylinders, and the defense just acquired defensive end ZaDarius Smith from the Cleveland Browns. Nothing can slow the Lions down right now.Standing in the way of the Lions are the Houston Texans (6-3), who fell to the Jets in Week 9. This team needs to get healthy, especially on offense. The Texans will look like a different team once star players like Nico Collins return to the lineup.Editors Recommendations

One of the most anticipated new smartphones has been announced: the OnePlus 13. This device will eventually replace the highly regarded OnePlus 12, one of the years top phones. How do these two models compare? If you own a OnePlus 12, should you consider upgrading to the newer version? Lets take a closer look.OnePlus 13OnePlus 12Size162.9 x 76.5 x 8.5 mm164.3 x 75.8 x 9.2 mm (6.47 x 2.98 x 0.36 inches)Weight210 grams220 grams (7.76 ounces)Screen size and resolution6.8-inch 1440p OLED with 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate3168 x 1440 pixels at 510 pixels per inch800 nits typical, 4,500 nits peak6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED (Dynamic 1-120Hz)3168 x 1440 resolution at 510 pixels per inch600 nits typical, 4,500 nits peakOperating systemAndroid with OxygenOSAndroid with OxygenOSStorage256GB, 512GB, and 1TB256GB, 512GBProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 8 EliteQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3RAM12GB, 16GB, or 24GB12GB or 16GBCameras50-megapixel main50MP ultrawide50MP 2X zoomFront: 32MPRear: 50MP primary, 48MP ultrawide, and 64MP periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoomFront: 32MPWater resistanceIP69IP65Battery6,000mAhFast charging 100W (TBA in the U.S.)Fast wireless charging (50W)Reverse wireless charging (10W)5,400mAhFast charging 100W (80W in the U.S.)Fast wireless charging (50W)Reverse wireless charging (10W)ColorsWhite Dawn, Blue Moments, Obsidian BlackFlowy Emerald, Silky BlackPriceTBA worldwideFrom $800ReviewTo be releasedOnePlus 12Recommended VideosOnePlusOnePlus is recognized for its innovative phone designs, evident in the OnePlus 13. While the new phone maintains the distinctive OnePlus identity, it introduces several noteworthy differences compared to the previous model. One significant change is the phones flat sides, reminiscent of the Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy phones, and Google Pixel. This design contrasts with the OnePlus 12, which features curved sides, potentially offering improved grip. Additionally, the OnePlus 13 boasts a slightly slimmer and lighter body, and its IP69 rating indicates enhanced resistance to water and dust.Andy Boxall / Digital TrendsThe differences in display between the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 12 are subtle but noteworthy. Both phones feature a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a sharp 1440p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, delivering vibrant colors and deep blacks.RelatedOne key improvement in the OnePlus 13 is its typical brightness, which reaches 800 nits, compared to 600 nits on the OnePlus 12. Additionally, the OnePlus 13 utilizes the newer BOE X2 OLED panel technology, promising enhanced visual quality. However, both models maintain the same peak brightness of 4,500 nits.Regarding protection, the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 12 are equipped with Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The OnePlus 13 also features an additionalcrystal shield super-ceramic glass layer.OnePlusIt will be a while before we can try the OnePlus 13, but the specifications indicate that it will offer a significant performance boost over its predecessor.The OnePlus 13 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the OnePlus 12. This updated chipset has an Adreno GPU, which promises smoother gaming and faster graphics.Early benchmarks from AnTuTu show that the OnePlus 13 delivers 58% better overall performance, while GeekBench 6 indicates a 36% improvement in single-core performance. This improvement should result in noticeable enhancements for everyday tasks and general usage.The question remains: how much better performance can we expect on the new phone? The OnePlus 12 already demonstrated impressive capabilities during daily tasks such as checking email, browsing social media, and watching videos. With its dual cryo-velocity cooling system, it also excelled in handling graphically intensive gaming sessions without any issues. We can likely anticipate similar performance from the OnePlus 13, with even greater enhancements expected for the models equipped with 24GB of RAM.Andy Boxall / Digital TrendsAnother noticeable change made on the OnePlus 13 is its larger battery. Where the OnePlus 12 includes a 5,400mAh battery, the one on the OnePlus 13 is 6,000mAh. The larger battery capacity is thanks to silicon-carbon battery technology that allows for more energy storage in a smaller space. This should mean longer battery life, although that depends on what youre doing.Depending on your display settings and usage, the OnePlus 12 can probably last up to two full days on a single charge. When more intensive tasks are added to the mix, that drops to around a day of use between charges.The OnePlus 13s larger battery capacity should allow it to outperform its successor, offering improved performance in demanding tasks, potentially better longevity since the battery will undergo fewer charging cycles, and more. Again, its a little bit too early to determine just how much the improvements will be.One area where you wont see a difference between the two phones is when it comes to actual charging. OnePlus did not enhance the charging speeds for wired or wireless charging. Like its predecessor, the OnePlus 13 supports 100W fast charging, 50W wireless charging, and reverse charging up to 10W. The OnePlus 12 was restricted to 80W charging speeds in the U.S. though, and it remains to be seen whether the OnePlus 13 echoes this limitation.OnePlusHistorically, the camera systems on OnePlus phones have been sound but often ranked below those of industry leaders like Samsung and Google. This trend began to shift in recent years, particularly following the companys strategic partnership with Hasselblad, which kicked off with the OnePlus 9 series. This collaboration aimed to elevate OnePlus photographic capabilities by leveraging Hasselblads expertise in color science and imaging technology. As a result, each subsequent release has demonstrated consistent improvements in camera performance and overall imaging quality.The OnePlus 13 features an impressive triple-camera setup, each boasting a high-resolution 50-megapixel sensor. At its core is a state-of-the-art 50MP primary sensor from Sony, known for its exceptional light-gathering abilities and sharp image reproduction. Complementing this is a 50MP ultrawide sensor, which offers a remarkable 120-degree field of view, allowing users to capture expansive landscapes and group photos without compromising on detail. Finally, the setup includes a 50MP telephoto lens that provides 3x optical zoom, enabling users to get closer to their subjects without losing image fidelity.These enhancements not only contribute to a broader field of view but are also geared toward improving image quality in various lighting conditions, especially low-light scenarios, thanks to advanced sensor technologies and algorithms that enhance dynamic range and reduce noise.Actual testing will be crucial in determining just how much better the camera experience is on the OnePlus 13 compared to its predecessor, which already had an impressive camera setup.Andy Boxall / Digital TrendsThe OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 12 both operate on OxygenOS, OnePlus custom Android interface. However, their software and update policies differ significantly.The OnePlus 13 comes with OxygenOS 15, based on Android 15, meaning you will have access to the latest Android features and security updates right from the start. In contrast, the OnePlus 12 requires an upgrade to obtain the same features.A major distinction lies in software support. OnePlus guarantees four major Android updates and five years of security updates for the OnePlus 13. In comparison, the OnePlus 12 is supported with three major Android updates and four years of security updates.OnePlusThe OnePlus 13 will launch first in China, with a worldwide release likely to begin at the beginning of the year. The phone is expected to start at $799 in the U.S., which is similar to the OnePlus 12s launch price. However, this hasnt been confirmed. The phone comes in White-Dawn, Blue Moments, and Obsidian Black.This years phone has 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage and 12GB, 16GB, or 24GB of RAM, respectively. The OnePlus 12 has 256GB or 512GB of storage and 12GB or 16GB of RAM. It is available in Silky Black and the now iconic Flowy Emerald.Tushar Mehta / Digital TrendsThe OnePlus 12 is an outstanding smartphone that current owners can enjoy for many years due to its powerful performance and robust features. With its sleek design, high-resolution display, and impressive camera capabilities, the OnePlus 12 meets the needs of a wide range of users, from casual consumers to tech enthusiasts.Whether to upgrade to the OnePlus 13 depends largely on your preferences and priorities. If you value having the latest chipset such as a more advanced Snapdragon processor along with ever-improving battery life and cutting-edge camera systems, then the OnePlus 13 is a compelling upgrade. The new model promises enhancements in processing power and efficiency and offers features like upgraded night mode photography and advanced computational photography, which could significantly enhance your photography experience. Additionally, it features a fresh design that brings a modern aesthetic to the table.However, if you typically do not upgrade your phone yearly, waiting this time might be perfectly reasonable. While you may not have the best-performing OnePlus available on the market, and the camera system will not be as advanced as the new model, the differences between the OnePlus 12 and 13 are mostly incremental. The OnePlus 12 still excels in everyday tasks, gaming, and multitasking, and its functionality remains top-notch. Therefore, while the upgrades are excellent and can enhance user experience, they are optional for everyone. If your OnePlus 12 meets your needs and performs well, holding off on an upgrade might be your best option.Editors Recommendations