HMD FusionEwan SpenceThe HMD Fusion brings the chance to add new functionality through smart cases., and you can download the plans to make your own. Is that enough to stand out in a crowded market?Ive spent time this month to find out.The HMD Fusion As A PhonePriced at 229 in the UK, the HMD Fusion is a competent smartphone that delivers what the market expects at this price point. It's equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset backed up by 6 GB of memory. You have 128 GB of internal storage, while support for SD Cards means you can comfortably add 1TB if you feel the need for more.Your regular day-to-day mix of social media apps, web browsing, and PDA functionality can all be run on the Fusion, but don't expect anything more advanced to run smoothly.The screen resolution is 720p, and the display technology is decidedly average; colors quickly wash out under medium lighting, and sunlight can have a noticeable negative impact on the screen's clarity.HMD FusionEwan SpenceSoftware-wise, the Fusion will receive two Android version updates and three years of security updates. However, as it launches with Android 14, your two versions will only take you up to Android 16, presumably in early 2026.MORE FOR YOUIf the Fusion package were just the phone, it would be easily lost in a sea of smartphones at this price. Yet, there is one design decision HMD hopes will help the Fusion stand out. Not only can you purchase additional cases that extend the functionality of the phone, but you can also download the plans and build one for yourself or others.The HMD Fusion And Its Smart CasesHMD has christened these accessories as Smart Fusion Outfits.Six electrical contacts offering power, data, and control lines are tucked away on the back of the Fusion. Pogo pins inside a case can make contact, and from that point on, the imagination of the case designer can take flight.HMD FusionEwan SpenceHMD demonstrated a case with an integrated ring light (the Flashy Outfit), a case with improved protection rated to IP68 (the Rugged Outfit), and analogue sticks in a control pad format (the Gaming Outfit). You also have various colors of Casual Outfit, including the transparent case that comes in the Fusion's retail packaging.Alongside the review unit of the Fusion, HMD also supplied a Flashy Outfit. This is a camera ring that lights up the subject of any picture or video. Power is drawn through the pins and into an LED ring that sits around the primary camera - it's a similar setup to many webcams with a ring light. In addition, it flips up to sit across the top of the phone to help light selfie shots on the forward-facing camera.HMD FusionEwan SpenceThere's not much to go wrong here; it's a fill light for your camera and does what it needs to do. It's practical for photography and demonstrating what an Outfit can do.HMD FusionEwan SpenceI would note that it's a relatively tight fit around the Fusion, as is the default 'does nothing' case that comes in the retail packaging, so it feels like quite an effort to switch them over; that's not something I would want to do often.The HMD Fusions Historical ChallengeThe idea of modular attachments is not a new one in the smartphone space. The recent Moto Mods on the Moto Z handsets used magnetic attachment points on the rear of the smartphone with a series of pogo pin points to offer the power and data lines needed.I can remember the fanfare in 2012 with the launch of the Nokia Lumia 820 with its replaceable shells and the release of the associated CAD files for 3D printing new shells.Neither of these gathered much commercial success. They lacked both the volume of handsets required to make a significant investment by peripheral manufacturers and the implicit support of the manufacturer in terms of ongoing software support and open access to the platform.HMD FusionEwan SpenceHMD offers the necessary production files and specifications directly from the website so individuals can make their own accessories. In theory, that should allow anything to be built into the Fusion. But without a significant install base, this is going to stay in the realm of the hobbyist makers and creatives, at least on the consumer side of things.Are Custom Cases Enough?The HMD Fusion sits awkwardly between two ideas. The first is that it has the tinkerers, the makers, and the creatives in mind and offers them the ability to build their own cases that interface seamlessly with their smartphones. Yet those same tinkerers are the sort of consumers who would not normally consider a smartphone with an all-plastic construction, a limited 720p display, two years of updates and, crucially, a locked bootloader.I love the idea of the outfits, but manufacturing at scale requires a user base, and I don't think even HMD would be under the illusion that the Fusion is going to be up there with the Galaxys, Pixels and iPhones of the world.This leaves me wondering where the audience is for the Fusion. Perhaps there is space for it in the enterprise marketbulk B2B sales and outfits, including barcode scanners or proprietary scanning tech, could be a potential avenue. That's a space in which the HMD Fusion could excel. It's not quite the modular phone many want, but it has a modular component that could deliver for specific use cases.HMD FusionEwan SpenceI'm glad that HMD has taken a risk on the Fusion. I'm sure that a target market was identified during the design process, and it reaches that market. I think the consumer market is simply a cherry on top of what I suspect is a more enterprise-focused approach.Disclaimer: HMD supplied an HMD Fusion and Flashy Outfit for review purposes.

Here's what not to do when you update your PCNurPhoto via Getty ImagesRepublished on December 29 with new reports into another Windows update issue hitting users.Microsoft has confirmed an unusual warning for Windows users updating their PCs. If you make a simple mistake, your PC might remain in a state where it cannot accept further Windows security updates. Bad news, especially as it will clearly be confusing if and when it happens.As Windows Latest reported on Christmas Day, if you use a USB or drive to install Windows 11 24H2 with the October 2024 or November 2024 security updates included, you might end up breaking Windows Update. By default, Windows 11 24H2 ships without October or November security patches.What Microsoft says in its documentation is that when using media to install Windows 11, version 24H2, the device might remain in a state where it cannot accept further Windows security updates. This occurs only when the media is created to include the October 2024, or November 2024, security updates as part of the installation (these updates were released between October 8, 2024 and November 12, 2024)... This only occurs when utilizing media - such as CD and USB flash drives - to install Windows 11, version 24H2. This issue does not occur for devices where the October 2024 security update or the November 2024 security updates are installed via Windows Update.Still, a confusing way to spend Christmas Day catching up on belated security updates to find yourself in something of a frozen update state. Windows Latest puts the issue down too the way in which users might create their Windows 11 external media copy to install the OS with newer updates.Read More: Samsungs Android 15 LeakBad News For Nearly All Galaxy OwnersMicrosoft remains in a bind with Windows 11. The stats are refusing to budge in its favor, as hundreds of millions of users vote with their PCs to stick to Windows 10. And to add to the messy situation, conflicting media reports suggest the company either is or is not relaxing its hardware hurdle for taking. the leap from Windows 10 to Windows 11. It is not.At first it was thought that only relatively few users would be impacted. Microsoft told Windows Latest the company is aware of these reports and that they only affect a very small number of PCs... What can you do if youre unable to install new cumulative updates after installing Windows 11 24H2? Youll need to download the Media Creation tool, create a fresh media file, and reinstall the OS.But 48-hours on from the initial story and it has created something of a buzz, suggesting either more users than first thought would be affected or it has added to the unfortunate Windows 11 narrative that Microsoft is battling. Per Bleeping Computer, Microsoft is currently working on a permanent fix The installation media issue is added to a long string of problems that impacts 24H2, the latest major feature update for Microsoft's operating system, which was released earlier this year to offer enhanced security, usability, and performance.As The Register explains, according to Microsoft's marketing for its flagship OS: "Your Windows 11 PC brings layers and layers of security measures to help keep your digital life in safe handsyours... Unfortunately, for some users, what it does not bring are security updates. While Microsoft's marketing and compatibility requirements for Windows 11 might imply that the security situation is all tickety-boo, the reality for the operating system and much of the rest of the software world is that a relentless stream of updates is required to keep out the miscreants.There have been a raft of these type of update and upgrade issues in recent weeks. Certain brands of PC or PCs with certain software installed being taken off update lists as software conflicts cause crashes or worse. Its not been smooth running. And that has two serious security implications for Windows users. First, undermining confidence in or even delaying updates to Windows 11 PCs, and perhaps even more acutely, giving Windows 10 users more reasons sot keep holding out.And theres now more of the same, with another recurring issue reported by Windows Latest on Sunday. In October 2024, [we] reported that Windows 11 24H2 has a bug that renders Wi-Fi connections useless, which means the PC no longer have internet access after the update. Turns out the issue is widespread and still not patched.The website explains that after some people started using Windows 11 24H2, they noticed that their devices were not getting an IP address. Instead, some of you might see APIPA address. For those unaware, APIPA is basically Automatic Private IP Addressing, where Windows 11 tries to automatically assign a random IP address. This happens when DHCP server is not available. In other words, if your computers Wi-Fi uses DHCP and Windows 11 tries to automatically assign an IP address, it means the DHCP isnt working as it is supposed to.As one Redditor posted on this issue in a new thread, I am a sysadmin for a mid size company and we have been plagued by DHCP issues on all of our devices that were running the 24h2 October update... I found a forum post on netgate that described the same issues and had been discussing option 43 in DHCP as a possible cause of the issue, which we had enabled for locating the controller for our APs. After removing DHCP option 43, the issues stopped completely and we were able to get proper DHCP information from the server. Just posting this in case it can help anyone else.Which means theres some light at the end of the tunnel at least on this issue. Another Redditor picking up the thread confirmed the fix. We are experiencing very heavy issues, too since 24H2, but we are having no clue where they come from. We are also using Option 43 - I Hope this is finally it. I want to give you an award!! Thank you for sharing!!!As per the other issues, this is patchy. But when hundreds of millions of users are updating, even a very small percentage impacted is a large number of peopleand those people can be vocal and can take to forums and social media to make their point, and that gets picked up and amplified, and before long theres a perception issue. While [Windows 11 24H2] works well for most users, Windows Latest says, its a huge mess for some people, and we dont know how many PCs are affected.What remains clear is that 2025 is the critical year for Windows 11, with its more popular older sibling scheduled to hit end-of-support in October. Yes, users can now elect to pay Microsoft $30 to extend security support for 12-months, but there are hundreds of millions of holdouts so far refusing to budge, and many that cannot given they fail the hardware test. All told, Microsoft will want this tided up quickly. Microsoft is currently working on a permanent fix, Bleeping Computer reports, and recommends that media-based Windows 11 24H2 installations use the December 2024 security update, released on December 10, to avoid encountering subsequent updating problems.

Classically attractive stylingThe 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE450 4Matic Cabriolet with premium Starling Blue Metallic paint. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider The CLE features an aerodynamic "shark nose" front end shared with the current Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The CLE's front fascia features a large, three-dimensional chrome grille with a galaxy of small three-pointed stars surrounding the large Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star logo in the center.The smooth, seamless rear fascia features LED taillights and chrome faux exhaust tips. Turbo V6 powerThe CLE450's turbocharged straight-six engine is effortlessly powerful. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider Under the hood of the CLE450 is a mild hybrid 3.0-liter, turbocharged straight-six engine that produces 375 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque.The engine is supplemented by Mercedes' 48-volt mild-hybrid system, which uses an integrated starter generator to contribute an additional 23 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque. The system is designed to mitigate the effects of turbo lag and quicken the response of its auto start/stop system.My six-cylinder CLE450 test car boasts EPA fuel economy figures of 23 mpg city, 32 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined. Open and close on the goThe CLE Cabriolet's retracting top folds neatly into the trunk. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider The CLE's fabric top can open or close in just 20 seconds. The acoustic soft top, which operates at speeds up to 37 mph, features extensive insulation and is designed to reduce wind and road noise. Wind deflection techThe Mercedes-Benz Aircap system uses two separate wind deflectors Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider The CLE comes with a wind-deflection system to keep the wind out of your hair. The Mercedes AIRCAP wind deflector system directs air high above the vehicle so that occupants can enjoy open-top driving without being blasted by wind at high speeds.The system consists of a wind deflector that extends a few inches above the top of the windshield and a mesh deflector behind the rear seats. AirscarfThe CLE450 Cab's Airscarf is controlled by buttons on the door. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider The front seat headrests are equipped with the Mercedes-Benz "airscarf" system, which uses a constant stream of warm air to create a virtual scarf for the CLE's passengers.Perfect for top-down driving on a cold day. Effortless performanceThe CLE450 Cabriolet's front seats are comfortable and supportive. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider The CLE450 drives like a true grand tourer, smooth and effortlessly powerful. Unlike a pure sports car, it's athletic but performs without compromising comfort.Thanks to the AIRCAP system, the cabin remains remarkably quiet and civil. Even with the top down, you can carry on a conversation at a normal volume at highway speeds.The engine is smooth and delivers near-instantaneous acceleration through its slick-shifting 9-speed automatic transmission.The mild hybrid system performed as expected, effectively filling in any holes in the engine's torque and smoothing the traditional harshness of an auto start/stop system.According to Mercedes, the 375 horsepower CLE450 4Matic can run from 0 to 60 mph in an impressive 4.2 seconds. Luxurious cabinThe CLE's front dashes borrow heavily from the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider The CLE Cabriolet's cabin is stylish, luxurious, and comfortable. Its interior is an elegant blend of modern design and callbacks to classic Mercedes-Benz of days gone by, like the giant 11.9-inch touchscreen sitting below the trio of vintage turbine-design air vents.Material and build quality are excellent. The warmth and organic feel of the black Nappa leather upholstery and anthracite wood trim offset the cold industrial feel of the CLE's metallic accents. High-tech driver interfaceThe CLE450 has a digital instrument display instead of a traditional analog gauge cluster. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider In front of the driver is a stylish three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel and a 12.3-inch digital instrument display.The display is highly configurable, with layouts ranging from a traditional dual analog gauge look to a full-page navigation map.My test car was also equipped with a handy color head-up display. Updated infotainment techThe CLE's 11.9-inch infotainment screen supports wed media streaming on YouTube. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider The CLE's 11.9-inch touchscreen is equipped with the third-generation Mercedes-Benz User Experience, or MBUX, infotainment system. The system is pretty well sorted at this point. It's responsive and easy to navigate, and the graphics look terrific. The system's overeager voice assistance is also far less intrusive than in past iterations.The screen is home to the CLE's 360-degree camera system, drive mode menu, and web browser.The CLE comes standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.Variable angle infotainment screenThe CLE's adjustable angle infotainment screen comes in handy when the top is down. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider A touch-sensitive button immediately below the screen allows the occupants to change the screen's tilt from 15 degrees to up to 40 degrees to combat glare. Snazzy wheelsThe 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE450 4Matic Cabriolet's snazzy wheels look great. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider My test car came with 20-inch AMG multispoke wheels. The upgraded wheels were an $850 option. Otherwise, the CLE450 Cabriolet comes with 19-inch wheels. Advanced safety techA 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE450 4Matic Cabriolet. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider Standard features on the CLE include adaptive high beam assist, active brake assist, Parktronic with active parking assist, blind spot assist, and Presafe.You'll need to opt for the $1,950 Driver Assistance Package to get goodies like adaptive cruise control, automatic lane change assist, and active lane keeping assist. Seats that stay coolThe CLE450 Cab's front seats feature aesthetically pleasing diamond stitching. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider The CLE's seats remain surprisingly cool to the touch, even when exposed to the sun. That's because the leather used in the drop top is treated with a special coating that helps it reflect sunlight and remain up to 53 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than untreated leather, Mercedes says.Burmester premium audio systemThe CLE's Burmester sound system's tonneau cover-mounted speakers. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider My CLE test car came equipped with a Burmester sound system, which boasts 17 speakers and 710 watts of output. It delivers a clear and powerful sound even with the top down at highway speeds.

About a decade ago, I loaded a couple of midsize suitcases, three large Ikea bags, a pair of 10-gallon Rubbermaid totes, a laundry basket, and two heavily sedated cats into a U-Haul and moved from Toronto to New York City. All my belongings fit neatly into my tiny new Brooklyn bedroom, with plenty of square footage to spare. Turns out, my relative lack of stuff was right on trend.At the time, millennials like me were buying and owning less, purportedly breaking the mold of American consumerism. We Instagrammed our sparsely furnished, overly beige interiors. We eschewed car ownership and suburban McMansions in favor of bikes, car-share memberships, and big-city apartments with roommates. We were spending our money not on things but on experiences and blogging about it, too."If the millennials are not quite a postdriving and postowning generation, they'll almost certainly be a less-driving and less-owning generation," declared a September 2012 article in The Atlantic titled "The Cheapest Generation." Our reputation quickly found a nifty shorthand: Millennials were a generation of minimalists.As I write this from the same tiny Brooklyn bedroom, I can see my closet doors straining against the weight of a nearly bursting trash bag filled with cast-off clothing I keep meaning to recycle. The three Ikea bags are stacked full of dirty laundry, which my partner or I would probably get around to washing if we didn't have plenty of other stuff to wear. Our dresser top is strewn with impulse buys you'd find in a drugstore checkout line. I can think of a few descriptors for the state of my surroundings, but "minimalist" isn't one of them.While my fellow 28- to 43-year-olds have yet to shake our association with less-is-more living, that old stereotype doesn't quite stand up to scrutiny anymore. Consumer-spending data suggests we have no trouble dropping our hard-earned cash on goods and services experiences and things. As we've built careers and started families, our buying habits increasingly resemble those of Gen X and boomers when they were the age we are now.Millennials haven't been minimalists in years. In fact, we may have never been minimalists at all.The minimalist-millennial myth began in the early 2010s in the aftermath of the Great Recession. As the "next generation" of leaders, workers, and spenders, my contemporaries' behavior was of keen interest to marketers, business leaders, and economists. So when my generation, rattled by a catastrophic recession, wasn't buying as much as our predecessors, concern spread that our diminished purchasing power or worse, our somehow radically different priorities and values might signal the end of the consumer-spending spree that had powered the nation's economy since the end of World War II.It affirmed the widely held suspicion that we were a generation of coddled Peter Pans who refused to put down the avocado toast; buy some cars, houses, and house-sized volumes of stuff; and just grow up already.Throughout the decade, a breadcrumb trail of survey data seemed to back up these concerns. In a 2016 Harris Poll, 78% of millennials said they would rather pay for an experience than material goods, as opposed to 59% of baby boomers. A 2015 Nielsen survey similarly found that millennials went out to eat at nearly twice the rate of their parents they would rather eat their riches than stockpile them. The 2014 English-language translation of Marie Kondo's "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" sold over 9 million copies, spawning a cottage industry of aspiring millennial declutterers.The minimalist trend wasn't entirely bogus from a cultural standpoint. "The recession was a real force for people fetishizing simplicity and turning frugality into a virtue, making the best of what you have rather than prioritizing consuming more or consuming flashier things," said the writer Kyle Chayka, whose 2020 book "The Longing for Less" digs into the perennial appeal of a more pared-down way of living.The postrecession era also saw the rise of smartphones, which ushered in digital sensory overload. Seemingly overnight, apartments and Instagram grids were awash in the clean lines and open spaces of midcentury-modern design (or, at least, Ikea's approximations of it). "There's so much chaos in our phones," Chayka said. "Why would you want more chaos in your physical surroundings?"Millennials' minimalism became an economic-anxiety Rorschach test. Depending on the beholder, our perceived underconsumption might have signaled a virtuous departure from the poisoned cycle of production, purchase, and disposal. For others, it affirmed the widely held suspicion that we were a generation of coddled Peter Pans who refused to put down the avocado toast; buy some cars, houses, and house-sized volumes of stuff; and just grow up already. Though it was largely an aesthetic trend, the myth of millennial minimalism was so central to my cohort's cultural identity that it may as well have been real.But in reality, this theory of arrested economic development was always a bit of a mirage. Throughout the 1950s and '60s, consumer spending accounted for roughly 60% of US GDP; since the early 2000s, despite millennials' purported lack of spending, it's held steady at just under 70%.Take one of the most talked about large purchases that millennials were eschewing: cars. Automobile ownership has been a central tenet of the American dream since the '50s, when the health of the automobile industry became closely tied to the country's economic growth and prosperity. No longer needed for building tanks and munitions to ship overseas, factory assembly lines "newly renovated with Uncle Sam's dollars" were repurposed to build tens of thousands of new cars, which American consumers eagerly bought up, the Harvard historian Lizabeth Cohen wrote in her 2004 book, "A Consumers' Republic." Even now, demand for cars is looked at as a bellwether for consumer spending and the US economy more broadly.It's no coincidence then that millennials' apparent resistance to car ownership, in particular, jumped out as evidence of our radically shifting consumer ethos. One widely circulated data point came from a 2010 CNW Group analysis, which reported that 21- to 34-year-olds in the US were responsible for just 27% of new-car purchases, down from a high of 38% in 1985. News outlets cited this data as proof that millennials, as a whole, were less interested in buying cars than their boomer parents or their older Gen X siblings. What they failed to consider was how present circumstances such as the ripple effects of a then very recent economic crisis, especially among young adults just entering the workforce might alter how people spent their money, especially on big-ticket items like brand-new cars.In 2016, the Federal Reserve Board issued a report that sought to set the record straight by pointing out that the anti-car narrative about millennials didn't take the Great Recession into account. The report argued that the economic downturn almost certainly shaped people's spending as much or more than the technological and cultural changes that were happening at the same time. Proving the point, young adults were back to buying cars by the mid-2010s. Nowadays, millennials have fully caught up: Since 2020, we've accounted for almost 30% of the nation's new-vehicle registrations, a rate that's roughly on par with baby boomers and only slightly below that of Gen X, Experian research found. But by the time the Fed report was released, it was already too late. The truism of millennials as minimalists was entrenched.So if millennials aren't minimalists, what exactly are we? Sociologists would likely tell you that's the wrong question to ask people's behaviors and lifestyles change over time, as do societal norms and priorities. The question isn't how to best define millennials as consumers but whether millennials' young-adult spending was markedly different from that of prior generations.For answers, we can turn to consumer-spending records. Since 1984, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has been conducting its Consumer Expenditure Surveys to see how different American age cohorts spend money. Granted, the picture it paints is somewhat incomplete; by 1984, most boomers were well past their early 20s, making a direct comparison with millennials challenging. Still, it offers a useful baseline for comparing different age groups' spending over time. Sure enough, when adjusted for inflation, Americans under 25, between 25 and 34, and 35 to 44 have spent roughly similarly across most major consumer categories for the past four decades, with momentary dips overlaying periods of recession followed by bounce backs. While it's true that millennials are spending more of their budgets on airfare and vacation rentals than older generations did at the same age, the same can be said for Gen Zers, Gen Xers, and baby boomers everyone is splurging on travel right now.Because younger adults tend to have fewer family responsibilities and far less wealth than adults in their professional prime, they spend less overall. As their expenses and income accrue over time, they spend more especially once kids enter the picture, bringing new mouths to feed, bodies to clothe, and hobbies to equip. Now that millennials have families of their own, they're even more overwhelmed by clutter than their boomer parents before them, buried under piles of ever-cheaper toys.In other words, millennials' style of spending isn't special; it's cyclical.To further the point, millennials now account for the largest share of homebuyers, making up 38% of the homebuying market, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors. Our tilt toward homeownership isn't new, either. We'd nearly caught up with our boomer parents way back in 2019, according to Freddie Mac; 43% of us owned homes, just shy of the 45% of baby boomers who were able to buy their first homes between 25 and 34. Whatever we weren't buying in our 20s, we are making up for in our 30s and 40s."There's the ongoing narrative that millennials can't afford housing or don't own houses, that they're renters, but when you look at the data, 25- to 34-year-olds are just as likely to be homeowners now as they were in 1993," said Bryan Rigg, a BLS economist who oversees Consumer Expenditure Survey microdata for public use. "Really, a lot of the expenditure patterns are similar." One major exception is that today's 20- and 30-somethings are a lot more comfortable taking on debt to buy things like cars and homes than in the past.For better or worse, public memory is short. Many of today's young adults might not even be aware that the current crop of 30-somethings were ever considered minimalists in the first place. There's evidence that the rest of us are starting to forget, too. Maybe you've read about the new TikTok trend sweeping Gen Z: a mindful alternative to the "haul" culture that's grown around ultrafast fashion and ultracheap e-commerce platforms. It's a whole new approach to stuff. Some have said it might even slow down the economy. This time around, we're calling it "underconsumption core."Kelli Mara Korducki is a journalist whose work focuses on work, tech, and culture. She's based in New York City.

Spotify added audiobooks last year. Paid subscribers get 15 hours worth each month.You can also get them through Amazon or your library celebrity memoirs are great on audiobooks.I'd never cared one way or the other about Al Pacino until I listened to him read his audiobook.You probably already know that Spotify offers audiobooks with its paid-tier subscriptions. (If not, now you do!)You might even be confused as to why I'm mentioning this when the audiobook feature launched more than a year ago, in November 2023.Well, I'm writing this because fairly often over the last year, when I'm talking to people and I mention that I've listened to a book on Spotify, they're surprised they didn't notice the audiobook feature even if they're a regular Spotify music listener. Or maybe they didn't realize that the books were all included for free with their subscription.So I am taking it upon myself, during this quiet dead time between the holidays to remind you all:You can listen to books for free* on Spotify.(*OK, technically, you get 15 hours a month for free with your subscription. That's typically one or two books. If you go over, you can purchase more books la carte. For me, 15 hours is fine.)On Amazon, the largest bookseller, you can go through its Audible subscription service, which charges a monthly fee in exchange for credits you can use to purchase audiobooks. Amazon Music is now doing something similar to Spotify you get one free book to listen to a month with a paid subscription. I listened to Al Pacino read his biography as part of a Spotify audiobook and I was hooked on them. Kevin Winter/Getty Images Of course, there are people who are extremely high-volume consumers of audiobooks and one book a month isn't going to even come close to cutting it for them. On Reddit, some of these power listeners who burn through three to five books in a week discussed their strategies: mixing together Audible credits, the one free Amazon Music books, and Libby (the app for public libraries, which is great because it's unlimited and actually free, but it doesn't have everything and there can be long wait times for new releases or popular titles).There's also a shady underworld to audiobooks: torrent sites, or YouTube brain rot-style videos where someone plays Minecraft over the audiobook narration for the entire "Lord of the Rings" series.I don't condone any of that. Point is: With Spotify or Amazon Music, the audiobooks are a nice add-on. They could completely change your reading habits if you're now someone who really loves the feel of paper in your hands or likes to curl up with their Kindle.If you've never listened to audiobooks, allow me to make the case for a specific genre that they're perfect for: celebrity memoirs, especially if the celebrities themselves read them.Most recently, I listened to Al Pacino's autobiography, "Sonny Boy: A Memoir." Pacino reads it himself, and it's the perfect delivery he's got all the strangely YELLED WORDS!!! and quiet asides. At points, I wondered if he was even going off-script, it sounded so natural.I hadn't previously particularly cared much either way about Al Pacino, but I finished the book absolutely delighted by him and his commitment to leading an artistic life. But I truly think that I wouldn't have found the book as compelling if I had read it on paper his reading of it added so much.Celebrity autobiographies often aren't exactly hugely weighty or complicated tomes you can listen as you would a podcast: while doing the dishes, grocery shopping, driving.So here's my pitch: If you're already paying for Spotify, Amazon, or any other service, give an audiobook a try. It's usually free, there's nothing to lose if you think the book stinks, just start a new one!

Full Video - https://youtu.be/H-STb5QlSuc Download - https://bit.ly/40fq9jT FAB - https://www.fab.com/sellers/CGHOW Whatsapp - https://bit.ly/3LYvxjK Patreon- https://www.patreon.com/Ashif NFT - https://opensea.io/CGHOW Twitter - https://twitter.com/cghow_ If you Liked it - http://bit.ly/2UZmiZ4 Channel Ashif - http://bit.ly/3aYaniw Support me on - paypal.me/9953280644Skull Dissolve Vortex in Unreal Engine 5.5 Niagara Trailer #cghow #UE5 #UE4Niagara #gamefx #ue5niagara #ue4vfx #niagara #unrealengineniagara #realtimevfxVisit - https://cghow.com/ Unreal Engine Marketplace - https://bit.ly/3aojvAa Artstation Store - https://www.artstation.com/ashif/store Gumroad - https://cghow.gumroad.com/

Download - https://bit.ly/40fq9jT FAB - https://www.fab.com/sellers/CGHOW Whatsapp - https://bit.ly/3LYvxjK Patreon- https://www.patreon.com/Ashif NFT - https://opensea.io/CGHOW Twitter - https://twitter.com/cghow_ If you Liked it - http://bit.ly/2UZmiZ4 Channel Ashif - http://bit.ly/3aYaniw Support me on - paypal.me/9953280644Skull Dissolve Vortex in Unreal Engine 5.5 Niagara Trailer #cghow #UE5 #UE4Niagara #gamefx #ue5niagara #ue4vfx #niagara #unrealengineniagara #realtimevfxVisit - https://cghow.com/ Unreal Engine Marketplace - https://bit.ly/3aojvAa Artstation Store - https://www.artstation.com/ashif/store Gumroad - https://cghow.gumroad.com/

Project Files: https://www.patreon.com/posts/118869151 .Here is the map, minimap and fast travel system updated into unreal engine 5.5 version. Features of Mini-Map - Shows the layout of the surrounding area.- Shows an icon represents the player in the middle. - Changes the orientation and updated in real-time as the player moves around.- Shows icons for enemies and other characters in the level.- All the icons that represent dynamic entities such as characters are updated in real time. - Shows icons for waypoints, checkpoints, custom markers and other points of interest in the map.- Icons that are out of the mini-map range hovers in the edge of the mini-map.- Can be adapted to a map of any size. - Icon sizes and image can be customized per object.- Can easily make any actor appear in maps by adding a map-icon actor component.- Support custom waypoints.Features of Main Map- Shows an icon that represent the player character's location and the facing direction. - Shows icons for enemy characters positions and facing directions. - Shows icons for waypoints, checkpoints, custom markers and other points of interest in the map.- Supports zoom in and zoom out. - All the icons of dynamic entities are updated. - Icon sizes and image can be customized per object.- Can easily make any actor appear in maps by adding a map-icon actor component.- Can be adapted to a map of any scale. - Allows fast travel option.- Support custom waypoints . Menu System: https://youtu.be/CmYyFsNmwRM Map and Minimap: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNTm9yU0zou6xdEqL2QSSfanaZ3KA_vU7 // ! https://www.patreon.com/codelikeme Patrons will have access to project files of all the stuff I do in the channel and other extra benefitsJoin this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClb6Jh9EBV7a_Nm52Ipll_Q/join Like my facebook page for more content : https://www.facebook.com/gamedevelopersclub/ Follow me on twitter : https://twitter.com/CodeLikeMe2 Follow me on reddit : https://www.reddit.com/user/codelikeme #CodeLikeMe #unrealengine #ue4 #indiegamedev

Despite AMC's The Walking Dead primarily being a zombie show, the undead are surprisingly not the only threat that the living face. Through its long tenure of 11 successful seasons, The Walking Dead proves that the true danger in an apocalypse lies with the Living. Other humans proved to be more brutal, sadistic, and calculating than any mindless walker.

The prospect of a franchise mode, of taking over a multi-million-dollar sports club in order to lead them to greatness, has been a key part of sports video games ever since Madden 98 introduced the feature. Since then, it has spread into all sorts of sports games, including the MLB, the NFL and, of course, the National Hockey League. With NHL 25, EA has improved Franchise Mode in some outstanding ways, including new features for contract negotiations and more.