According to MacRumors, Apple is preparing the release of iOS 18.2.1. We dont have a known build number at the moment, but well likely see this software update released in the near future.Although we dont know whats coming in iOS 18.2.1, its likely just bug fixes and security patches. Apple released iOS 18.2 earlier this month, bringing support for a new wave of Apple Intelligence features, including Genmoji, Image Playground, and ChatGPT integration.Typically, new iOS releases begin to appear in analytics prior to release, which is a key indicator that Apple is internally testing the update on a wider array of devices.Apple is also working on iOS 18.3, which released to developers and public beta testers last week. That update is expected to launch in January.Do you have any issues in iOS 18.2 youre hoping to see fixed? Let us know in the comments.My favorite iPhone accessories on Amazon:Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Bluesky,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Apartment buildings get a bad rap, largely because of the cheaply built monstrosities built after WWII through today; but apartment buildings can be dignified and fit within their surrounding context, it just takes good design. These are the Cushing Apartments at Thayer and Bowen streets in Providences College Hill neighborhood. The building was constructed in 1902 for owner, Stephen Cushing Harris, from plans by young architect Frederick Ellis Jackson (1879-1950), who would have been in his mid-20s when he designed it! While not an academic example of the Tudor or Colonial Revival styles, the building blends both in a unique U-shaped form. The building is supposedly wood-frame and was eventually purchased by Brown University in 1963. The college renovated the building in 2012 to serve as an upperclassman dormitory with LBB Architects and Gilbane Construction overseeing the project. The building adds a subtle density to the block without being overbearing with the courtyard design.

Today's NYT Strands hints and answersCredit: New York TimesLooking for Saturdays Strands hints, spangram and answers? You can find them here:Its another lazy Sunday. A very good day of the week to play word games and solve puzzles, if you ask me, though really . . . is there a bad day? This is also the last Sunday before Christmas, which is racing toward us as fast as Santas reindeer. Actually, Santas reindeer would be a pretty good Strands puzzle. Speaking of which, lets solve todays!Strands is the newest game in the New York Times stable of puzzle games. Its a fun twist on classic word search games. Every day were given a new theme and then tasked with uncovering all the words on the grid that fit that theme, including a spangram that spans two sides of the board. One of these words is the spangram which crosses from one side of the grid to another and reveals even more about the days theme.Spoilers ahead.Todays Strands HintsTodays Theme: Are you listening?Hint #1: In the meadow we can build a snowman.MORE FOR YOUHint #2: Then pretend that he is Parson Brown.To help you uncover all the words, here are the first two letters of every word, including the spangram.SLBEWASNGLWIRemember, spoilers ahead!What Are Todays Strands Answers?Todays spangram is: WINTERWONDERLANDHeres the full list of words:SLEIGHBELLSWALKINGSNOWGLISTENINGHeres the completed Strands grid:Today's StrandsScreenshot: Erik KainTodays Strands BreakdownI like these types of Strands. There was one a few weeks ago with recognizable lyrics from Queens song Bohemian Rhapsody. That was definitely a more challenging puzzle. This one, the moment I found BELLS and SNOW I was pretty much humming Walking In A Winter Wonderland to myself. The trickiest word was GLISTENING, because there were two ways you could order the Ns at the end of that word. A fun, if not terribly difficult, Strands today.How did you do on your Strands today? Let me know on Twitter and Facebook.Be sure to check out my blog for my daily Wordle guides as well as all my other writing about TV shows, streaming guides, movie reviews, video game coverage and much more. Thanks for stopping by!

InKonbini: One Store. Many Stories.Credit: Nagai IndustriesEver since I got my hands on a North American copy of Shenmue back in the year 2000, Ive been looking for a similar hit of cozy, small-town nostalgia. In other words, I was thinking, maybe I should get another. If you know, you know.To be fair, Segas Yakuza games scratch some of that itch, insofar as they spiritually carry forward the eccentric Shenmue torch, at least in terms of bizarre Japanese charm. But I wouldnt exactly call those titles cozy, per se, unless youre occasionally visiting in-game arcades or shopsoutside of the main storyline, of course, which feels arguably less contained and homey than Shenmue.And yes, there have been cozy games released in the interim, especially by way of the indie community (Sun Haven, Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing: New Horizons), but none have totally zeroed in on the indescribable essence of why I loved Shenmue so much. That is, until I saw the trailer for upcoming retail simulation InKonbini, which seems like if Yu Suzuki set Ryos Dreamcast adventure solely inside a Tokyo-inspired convenience store.I only recently stumbled across InKonbini: One Store. Many Stories., having randomly seen the Game Awards video on X. Its undeniable similarities to Shenmue immediately piqued my interest, although according to an article from Rock Paper Shotgun, founding developer of Nagai Industries Dima Shen has been obsessed with that unassuming Tomato Convenience Store [from Shenmue] since he was a teenager, so this dj vu makes sense. Shen is even dressed like Ryo Hazuki in the most recent promotional footage (filmed within and just outside a Japanese konbini, or convenience store, no less) and acting like him, too.MORE FOR YOUThe same article calls InKonbini immediately charming and an absolutely shameless daydream as well as eerie, citing the games frozen-in-time uncanny nature, a possible desperate game homage to a much older game, yet. Shenmue inception.A potentially toxic nostalgia, I suppose, where imitation becomes a kind of lamentable sadness. Pitiable art, maybe. I havent played the game yet, so I can only go off these skeptical impressions, so it remains to be seen if InKonbini is more inspired-by fun or rose-tinted grasping.InKonbini: One Store. Many Stories.Credit: Nagai IndustriesFor your own judgement, heres a synopsis from the games Steam page:inKONBINI: One Store. Many Stories is a cozy narrative-driven simulation game about connection, nostalgia, and the quiet beauty of daily life.Play as Makoto Hayakawa, a college student who finds herself behind the counter of a small-town convenience store in a colourful setting inspired by early 1990s Japan.Discover joy and wonder hidden behind the daily routine of a konbini worker, explore every nook and cranny around the store, and help your customers navigate their lives in branching conversations with meaningful choices!Much like Shenmue, the game takes place in retro Japan, but instead of happening during the 1980s, its the radical 1990s, dude. From what I can tell, the plot doesnt appear to revolve around avenging your murdered father or whatever, which is a nice change of pace with less, uh, murder? The story instead deals with running the shop, meeting interesting customers and learning about their passions and plights. The focus on other people is also quite Shenmue-esque, now that I think about it. And as we know, Toms hot dog stand didnt dispense glizzies on its own. We got to know the dancing man behind the dog, and that was meaningful to us lonely 90s kids.ASMR is specifically mentioned on the games websiteand not that weird prison guard roleplay stuff you stash in a hidden YouTube playlist, hopefullyso this project is aiming to be a calming one, filled with the Japanese concept ichi-go, ichi-e (one time, one meeting) at the heart of the experience. Publisher and developer Nagai Industries also speaks of how player choice will drive the unfolding narrative, and much of the focus will be on meaning, assumingly derived from ongoing conversations with patrons and the meditation of routine.The initial trailer has everything: Smooth jazz, warm lighting, shelf stocking and kind locals casually coming in to buy goods. Plus, its raining outside while its cozy inside. Perfection. Interestingly enough, this is actually the particular detail that made me want to play this game the most. Ive always found the idea of finding shelter and solace in an inviting, safe place during a storm so wildly comforting. So yeah, the vibes present are welcoming, and they hold promise of serious relaxation.Admittedly, early criticism has me cautious about InKonbini, but being a diehard Shenmue fan, I cant deny my tempered excitement. Even if it turns out to be an unabashed knock-off, basing an entire game around a virtual convenience store inside a piece of 25-year-old Dreamcast software, as well as real stores in Japan, could be just crazy enough to work.InKonbini is scheduled to hit PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch and Steam sometime in 2025.

Lucasfilm may be in the midst of experiencing a wave of positive attention and success thanks to its latest TV series, Skeleton Crew, but the Jude Law-starring sci-fi show isnt the only Star Wars title that has premiered on Disney+ this year. This past summer Lucasfilm also debuted The Acolyte, a Sith-centric show set around 100 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. Across its eight episodes, the series proved to be critically divisive, and it was only a month after The Acolytes finale aired that Disney and Lucasfilm announced they would not be bringing the show back for a second season.In a recent interview with Vulture, Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman shed some light on the behind-the-scenes decision to cancel The Acolyte after just one season. As it relates to Acolyte, we were happy with our performance, but it wasnt where we needed it to be given the cost structure of that title, quite frankly, to go and make a season 2, Bergman revealed. Thats the reason why we didnt do that.Recommended VideosWhen asked about Skeleton Crews chances at getting the second season that The Acolyte didnt, Bergman added, Skeleton Crew is in process now, so well see. Weve seen some growth on that. Well see how that goes.Disney+For some Star Wars fans, The Acolytes cancellation came as a confirmation of their belief that it wasnt up to the franchises standards. For others, it came as a difficult and disappointing blow. According to Bergman, though, The Acolytes fate wasnt a reflection of its quality or Lucasfilms belief in the project so much as it was a practical decision made in light of the shows production costs and its viewership numbers.Please enable Javascript to view this contentIn the same interview with Vulture, Bergman did offer an exciting tease of whats to come for Star Wars fans in the near future even going so far as to shower praise on one forthcoming title. In terms of whats coming up, we have Andor season 2, which were really excited about. It is excellent. Ive watched all the episodes, and it is a fantastic season. And then we have Ahsoka season 2, which Dave Filoni is leading. And then were looking at a number of additional series that are in development. Well see what we decide to do.The Acolyte season 1 is streaming now on Disney+.Editors Recommendations

Nature, Published online: 17 December 2024; doi:10.1038/s41586-024-08520-8Publisher Correction: Mapping the ionosphere with millions of phones

Is Nintendo in the driving seat for the next gen? (Nintendo)A reader predicts that 2025 is going to be turning point for the games industry and that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be at the centre of it all.It was inevitable that pics of the Switch 2 would leak out before the official annoucement, given someone always manages to take a photo they shouldnt on the production line. Thats what we got at first, but I never expected to see so many accessory makers spoiling the secrets in such a blatant way. I still dont understand why either? They gain nothing from it and now Nintendo hates their guts. Seems completely self-defeating.Thats their problem though. What it means is that we already know exactly the Switch 2 looks like: the original Switch. Thats interesting but in terms of anything important we still know nothing. Therere no believable rumours about any of the games and we dont know what any of the new buttons do or if it has any unexpected features which Nintendo has implied it does.We dont know what the new buttons at the back do or what the C button does. It must be important because it kind of spoils the look of the console and the right Joy-Con, so I think the guess about some kind of TV casting feature are probably true, so you can use it like the Wii U GamePad. But thats only a guess, and its Nintendo, so who really knows.Im not going to speculate anymore because the reason I call the Switch 2 weird is nothing to do with what it does, but the position it will have in the games industry. Xbox and PlayStation are in a bad way at the moment. Xbox console sales are in the toilet and PlayStation 5 is falling quicker than expected, with still not much announced for the future and no word on whether theyve given up live service games or not.The games industry is in a mess right now and yet Nintendo is coming off the back of their best run ever. Theyre in a position they havent been in since the NES, where their last console was a massive success and their next one looks like its going to be as well. That gives them a lot of power in the industry and publishers are going to be falling over themselves to work with Nintendo which is not something many gamers have seen in their lifetime before.Its going to come across as just as weird to Nintendo as well, who wont be anymore used to it than we are. What will they do with that level of influence? Will they immediately start to bully companies around and take advantage or will they become the safe pair of hands the industry needs right now? This seems to be what the Switch 2 looks like (Reddit)I wouldnt like to say really, but I dont think we should underestimate what a strange and important fork in the road the games industry is at right now. We still dont know whether companies have really given up on all the live service nonsense, its not clear what Xbox is planning for its next gen hardware, and we have no idea what Sonys long term plans are.That level of uncertainty is not good for anyone, whether youre a company or just a fan. And to be honest, despite being a Nintendo fan Im not sure I really trust them with this level of control. Nintendo might be more sensible than Sony and Microsoft, but they only care about themselves and have no interest in the rest of the games industry or any publisher that they dont rely on.More TrendingSony and Microsoft arent exactly charities but at least they both look at the industry in more or less the same way. With Nintendo they have a very specific view of gaming, thats very different to anyone else.2025 is certainly going to be an interesting year, thats all I can say. Will Nintendo become the dominant force in the games industry, in a way they never have before? Or will they fumble the ball and let it fall into even more turmoil? To be honest I have no idea, but its kind of worrying that either eventually is entirely possible. Nintendo cant be enjoying these leaks (Global Source)The readers features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you wont need to send an email.GameCentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Marvel Rivals is the newest entry in the PvP Hero Shooter genre, and it's already jam-packed with plenty of features for players to explore. From a fleshed-out battle pass system to an in-game Store chock-full of cool cosmetics for your favorite childhood hero, the game pulls out all the stops to keep things interesting.

The launch of the Los Santos Tuners update in GTA Online provided players with a new set of vehicles, and an opportunity to display their rides without the fear of being blown up by an Oppressor Mk 2. GTA Online features 17 vehicles from the Tuners update and each of these vehicles offers a unique performance and set of cosmetics that can make for an eye-catching ride.

My Hero Academia will have quite a packed year in 2025. The final season of My Hero Academia finally got its release window confirmation on Jump Festa 2025, and now, fans also have confirmation of the release of My Hero Academia Vigilantes anime.