I've been an avid hiker of the Pacific Northwest for around a decade. I'm also very bad at navigation. Making matters worse, Google and Apple Maps are both basically useless if you're on a hike: They don't have data for most trails, and their offline functionality is generally limited to driving instructions, which isn't useful if you're hiking far from any cell phone towers.Luckily, there's a great alternative in Organic Maps, which I've used on hikes for years now. This free and open source application is available for iOS and Android, and I'm yet to walk on a trail it didn't have data for. Even better, it works offline, and is very easy on your battery life. I've used it for multiple days during a backpacking trip and didn't even need to recharge. (Airplane mode helps with this a lot.) Organic Maps also has an excellent privacy policy: There's no tracking and no adsperiod. The mapping data comes from Open Street Maps, an open source project that allows anyone to contribute mapping data. While a platform like this runs the risk of lacking data, people have evidently been contributing trails. I've actively used Organic Maps in Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and even Croatia during a vacation last year. If I'm out on a trail, I can see exactly where I am in the context of the rest of the trail system, ask for turn-by-turn directions, and quickly find out how many miles I am from my car.Even better, Organic Maps works perfectly without any kind of internet connection. Google and Apple Maps both offer a reduced version of their application when you're offline: You can do the basics, but features like search and turn-by-turn directions only work in a limited way, if at all. Using Organic Maps for hikingGetting started is simple. First, download the application. You can start using it right away if you plan on having an active internet connection, but the real fun happens if you download the region you're going to take a hike in. Tap the three-line button in the bottom-right corner, then choose Download Maps. You can download as many regions as you want. I tend to keep all of Oregon and Washington on my phone, which takes up around 600 MB.Once you download the maps you need, it doesn't really matter whether you have an internet connection or not: The application works perfectly either way. The search functionality, your saved locations, even turn-by-turn directions all function as neededideal for when you're out on the trail. Credit: Justin Pot And there are a few hiker-specific features. You can turn on elevation contour lines, which is something Google and Apple Maps don't offer. You will see the elevation change outlined when you ask for directions, which includes total up and down elevation with a chart that summarizes the gains and losses. This is great if you want to know how much more uphill hiking you need to endure (which becomes important to me quite often). All this, combined with a much better data set for hiking, make it clearly superior for hikes. Organic Maps isn't just for hiking. You can use the app for walking and driving directions, and it will work well enough. That said, it is missing real time traffic and transit data, however, so I usually stick to Apple Maps when I'm in a city. Still, I love having reliable maps when I'm miles from the closest cell tower, and the trail maps are second to none.Now, Apple is adding hiking features to Apple Maps with iOS 18 this fall, so that could change things for hikers on iPhone. Until we see how Apples official Maps update performs, however, Im sticking with Organic Maps.

If youre looking for an iPad thats more affordable than cutting-edge, Amazon has the 2021 base model for only $199. Although thats a generation behind the current version, this ninth-generation edition could be great for kids, seniors or those wanting a HomeKit-based smart home hub. The three-year-old model is still a capable tablet for anyone content with forgoing the latest and greatest hardware. The ninth-gen iPad has a 10.2-inch Retina display and Apples old home button-based Touch ID sensor. It runs on the A13 Bionic chip, which has a six-core processor, quad-core GPU and octal-core Neural Engine. This isnt the model to get if you want screaming-fast speeds, the most eye-popping display or the upcoming Apple Intelligence, but its hard to nitpick too much about any of that when you look at the price. Engadgets 2021 review found this model to be a modest update over the previous version. Nathan Ingraham described it as a fast, lightweight tablet with a nice display and tons of apps, without having to spend too much. In our battery test, we found that it outperformed Apples 10-hour estimate, lasting about 14 hours of video streaming. This model runs iPadOS 17 and will support iPadOS 18 when it launches this fall. It isnt known how many annual updates it will be eligible for after that, but the upcoming 2024 software will still run on two hardware generations behind this model, hinting that it may not be approaching the end of the line just yet. Its also well-suited for video chat, and its 12MP ultrawide front-facing camera supports Center Stage. Apples machine learning-based feature tracks your and anyone elses faces in the shot, adjusting the calls framing accordingly through automatic pans and zooms. If you want to add accessories for a more laptop-like experience, the ninth-gen iPad is compatible with the first-generation Apple Pencil and Apple Smart Keyboard. Nathan Ingraham for Engadget Its worth keeping in mind that this model uses a Lightning connector rather than the USB-C that Apple has shifted its product lineup toward. It includes a charger in the box, but you may want to consider that if youve already chucked all your old Lightning cables. On the other hand, some may consider it a bonus that it still includes Apples now-defunct headphone jack.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/apples-ninth-generation-ipad-hits-an-all-time-low-of-199-191018362.html?src=rss

Check out ReDefine's VFX breakdown of Indian sports drama Maidaan, including its CG recreation of 1950s football stadiums and their CG crowdsWatch the full video on the ReDefine YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGH5uzCbujI

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Twenty years after its IPO, Google is worth more than $2 trillion. Michael Grimes recalls the milestone occasion in 2004.

Go behind the scenes of the shoot, virtual production, make-up effects and VFX of the show.The post A new 18 min featurette on Fallout appeared first on befores & afters.

Since 2016, artist Stuz0r has been creating daily renders, moving to UE in 2021 Here's an animated compilation of his work. rendered in UE 5.4. Other tools used include Marvelous Designer for the cloth and Cinema4D for some of the cloner animation and design work.

Explore how BMW is leveraging AR, powered by Unity, to enhance driver safety and create immersive experiences. Check out our chat with BMW research engineers discussing the role of AR glasses in shaping the future of automotive technology. Read the full blog: https://on.unity.com/3yurgBc

A recent Gallup poll found that 1 in 5 workers worldwide feel lonely. This number is even higher1 in 4among fully remote workers. Just last year, a Bright Horizons survey revealed that more than 40% of fully-remote working parents polled did not leave their house for several days at a time. These surveys fall in line with a growing trend of loneliness among remote workers. And while some have used this trend as an argument for forcing workers back into the office full time, hybrid and remote work is here to stay. So its up to employers to combat this growing crisis among their workforce and take steps to build community and connection, regardless of where employees are based.Here are three steps leaders can take to address the remote worker loneliness crisis, that doesnt involve forcing workers to return to the office.Establish ERGsOne popular avenue for forging connections among employees is Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). ERGs are generally associated with corporate diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, but they can also help employers combat the employee loneliness epidemic. More than 65% of ERG members surveyed by McKinsey in 2021 said that ERGs were effective in fostering community between employees, making it the highest-ranked category for ERG effectiveness. Cultivating community is increasingly important given that each year fewer employees report that they get to know their co-workers on a personal level.When executed correctly, ERGs can provide safe spaces of open dialogue that enable employees to create genuine connections with each other. In fact, a National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Workplace Mental Health Initiative report found that more than 90% of ERGs identified reducing mental health stigma and creating a safe environment as their top priority. This interpersonal connection and openness among colleagues plays a critical role in fighting back against employee loneliness.At my organization, our ERGswhich include forums for allyship, grief, LGBTQIA+ employees, faith groups, and morecreate space for employees to discuss their identities and experiences as well as unseen issues and current events. Giving employees the space to speak openly about current events, politics, mental health, and other issues that affect their lives helps them show up to work as their authentic selves and feel more connected to their colleagues and their company.Foster casual conversationsCompanies can also foster more informal, water cooler interactions among their workforce in order to combat loneliness before it reaches a crisis point. Creating Slack or Microsoft Teams channels and chats dedicated to shared experiences, hobbies, and interests allows employees to engage with one another in a more casual capacity and talk about things other than deadlines and deliverables.For more sensitive topics such as mental health, companies can create mental health Slack channels where employees can remain anonymous and speak openly about their experiences. Employers can also create location-based channels where remote employees in nearby cities can schedule meet-ups or share local recommendations.To ensure that these efforts attract all employees, companies can offer a variety of types of activities with different levels of engagement and requirements. For instance, my team has optional coffee chat open houses where employees can join a virtual meeting room to chat with coworkers casually and on their own time. In addition, employers can implement certain team-building activities to help push employees out of their comfort zones and help them get to know team members. Typically, employees will realize the value of these connections once they are encouraged and will be more willing to engage in future social activities afterward.Offer flexible opportunities to connectAlthough research suggests remote work has a plethora of advantagesallowing employees to live where they please, eliminate their commute, and spend more time with their familiesit can also contribute to the loneliness that already plagues our society. In fact, loneliness has become so prevalent that U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory last year stating, among other things, that loneliness increases the chances of premature death by 60%. For full-time workers, their jobs are a central part of their social lives, and employers have the potential to ensure that workplace connections are fruitful, meaningful and engaging.As offices continue to adjust to their new virtual and hybrid realities, leaders must take steps to ensure that employees are supported no matter where they are. To do so, they must make an effort to create spaces for employees to connect regardless of their location and provide resources to combat loneliness and mental health issues as they arise. Working from home doesnt have to mean working alone, and employers must take steps to reduce workplace loneliness and ensure the health and well-being of every employee.Rohshann Pilla is the President of Aquent Talent, a leader in talent and recruiting for marketing, creative, and design. She leads a team in developing innovative talent delivery solutions for Fortune 100 clients that help propel the business forward.