Apple's rumored iPhone 18 Pro camera update has surfaced again, with the use of a variable aperture wide-angle lens expected to offer improved depth of field effects in photography.The rear cameras of a Pro-tier iPhoneThe iPhone 17 was rumored in July to gain a variable aperture system, which can change the way photographers use an iPhone for shooting images. Now, an analyst has doubled down on his own claim that it is a feature expected for the iPhone 18 Pro.In a Monday post by TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo covering multiple Apple rumors, Kuo slips in a small element about the iPhone 18 Pro. It is declared that the iPhone 18 Pro's wide camera will be upgraded to use a variable aperture in 2026. Rumor Score: Possible Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

VideoProc Converter lets you convert videos to MP4, MOV and other universally supported formats that work seamlessly across Apple and Windows devices.Easily convert videos, audio files and DVDs with Video Proc Converter - Image credit: DigiartyFor Mac users, dealing with unsupported video formats or oversized files can be frustrating. File types like WMV, AVI, or MKV may not play natively on macOS, while large 4K or 8K ProRes videos often cause stuttering playback or make sharing and uploading difficult.The solution? For compatibility issues, convert your video to MP4, MOV, or any other universally supported format that works seamlessly across Macs, smartphones, PCs and smart TVs. MP4 is also perfect for streaming and sharing on YouTube, Facebook and Vimeo. Continue Reading on AppleInsider

According to a new study by McKinsey, the number of heat pumps worldwide still needs to increase significantly in magnitude from its current 15% global market share to 65% by 2050 in order to meet climate targets. The governments of the UK, Germany, and Sweden have all been proactive at making the technologies both more affordable and less cost-prohibitive to install. Still, according to McKinsey, challenges to the further adaptation of air-source heat pump alternatives persist primarily in cold-weather climates, which currently account for 15% of the global population. (h/t Energy Digital)

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Between the Andes Mountains and the Amazon, a verdant pocket of land known as Alto Mayo supports roughly 280,000 peoplebut despite decades of human encroachment and deforestation, scientists have discovered it also hosts a staggering level of biodiversity.In June and July 2022, researchers led by the nonprofit Conservation International made a 38-day expedition to the Alto Mayo region of Peru and uncovered 27 new species. The previously unknown creatures include four mammals, eight fish, three amphibians and ten butterflies, the team writes in a 474-page report published Friday.In a region with high human population densitywith settlements dotted between scribbles of rivers and towers of forested mountainsthese finds were unexpected.People had been operating under the assumption that with so much human influence, there wouldnt be very high biodiversity, Trond Larsen, senior director for biodiversity and ecosystem science at Conservation International, explains to Annie Roth of the New York Times. But we found the exact opposite. / Researchers discovered this new species of tetra fish (Knodus sp.) with colorful fins. Conservation International / Robinson Olivera / Likely to be endemic to San Martin in Peru, this species of skipper butterfly (Aguna sp.) was discovered on the expedition. Conservation International / Gorky Valencia / Teams discovered a frog that is potentially a new species. It belongs to the gladiator tree frog genus, named for a bony, dagger-like structure on males' feet used to fight other males for mates or nest access. Conservation International / Frank CondoriAmong the most surprising new finds were an exceedingly rare amphibious mouse, a narrow-mouthed frog and a bizarre blob-headed fish for which the function of its unusual head remains a mystery, according to a statement from Conservation International.The discovery of the amphibious mouse with webbed feet was particularly shocking and exciting, Larsen tells Graeme Green of the Guardian.It belongs to a group of carnivorous, semi-aquatic rodents, for which the majority of species are exceedingly rare and difficult to collect, giving them an almost mythical status among mammal experts, he adds. We only found this amphibious mouse in a single unique patch of swamp forest thats threatened by encroaching agriculture, and it may not live anywhere else. Researchers discovered this amphibious mouse (Daptomys sp.), belonging to a group of semi-aquatic rodents considered among the rarest in the world. Conservation International / Ronald DiazBut the other findings are also unusual. The blob-headed fish is technically a bristlemouth armored catfish with a bulbous noseand it is, by all accounts, strange. Prosanta Chakrabarty, an ichthyologist at Louisiana State University who was not part of the expedition, speculates that the nose might have a role in sensing underwater prey, though its function remains a mystery.The presence of weirdos like this catfish, he tells the New York Times, goes to show you how many fish species there still are to discover. A newly discovered species of bristlemouth catfish (Ancistrus sp.), this creature has odd spikes on either side of its head. Conservation International / Robinson Olivera Western scientists had never seen a fish with such an enlarged, blob-like head, but the Indigenous Awajun people who worked on the expedition were familiar with the creature. Referred to as a blob-headed fish (Chaetostoma sp.), it's a type of bristlemouth armored catfish, but the purpose of its blob remains a mystery. Conservation International / Robinson OliveraIn total, the expedition recorded 2,046 species, 49 of which are listed as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and at least 34 of which appear to live only in Alto Mayo and its surrounding San Martin region. Among the rarest finds were two critically endangered primates: the Peruvian yellow-tailed woolly monkey and the San Martin titi monkey.Theres a lot of agriculture and land conversion going on in the area, Reynaldo Linares-Palomino, a tropical biologist at the Smithsonians National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute who was not part of the expedition, tells the New York Times. Despite that, this team still managed to document new species, which is exciting.But, Linares-Palomino adds, the existing conservation initiatives are not enough.In recent years, Alto Mayo has made the news as the site of controversial conservation work. When companies buy carbon credits to offset their emissions, their money often goes to green initiatives like reforestation. Disney, for instance, spent about 40 percent of its carbon offsets between 2012 and 2020 in Alto Mayo, in theory cancelling out rising emissions from cruise ships and theme parks, Patrick Greenfield reported for theGuardian in 2023. A river twists and turns through the Alto Mayo forest. Trond LarsenFrom one perspective, Alto Mayo was a success story, with corporate-funded conservation efforts stopping more than 8,000 acres of forest from disappearing during that time period, according to the Guardian.But this model of conservation can reportedly come at a cost to humans in the relatively densely populated region. In some cases, residents, often poor, smallholder farmers, are asked to sign voluntary conservation agreements regulating their land use. In other cases, residents told the publication they had been forced off their land by authorities.They told us to get our things ready and leave, Abel Carrasco, a 39-year-old coffee farmer whose house was demolished in 2021, told the Guardian. They said its a protected forest, nobody can be here.Some residents express frustration that international corporations, nonprofits and the Peruvian state are letting the cost of conservation fall on some of the countrys most vulnerable populations.They build the roads, and then they get mad when people come here, Jose Gilmer Vasquez, an Alto Mayo resident who unwittingly moved into the protected region in the 1990s, told Blanca Begert for Sapiens in 2021. Where are we supposed to go? A section of the forest seen from above has been logged and is now used for agriculture. Trond LarsenConservation International acknowledges that the livelihoods of Alto Mayos residents can unintentionally rely on land-use practices that run counter to the best interests of the rare species in the region. Around the turn of the 21st century, many local people rented land to migrant farmers to earn a living, leading to deforestation.Communities didnt deforest their land because they wanted toit was out of necessity, Diego Dourojeanni, who leads Conservation Internationals work with the Indigenous peoples of the Alto Mayo, says in another statement. While it helped in the short term, it became clear that this practice came at a steep cost to resources, food security and the ecosystem services like clean water that the forests provide. AnAmazon wood lizard (Enyalioides laticeps) sighted on the expedition Trond Larsen A clearwing butterfly (Oleria sp.) seen on the expedition Conservation International / Marlon DagIn these conditions, landscape restoration and conservation initiatives become ethically and politically fraught, and questions around how the land should be managed are complex. But efforts like the 2022 expedition, the team argues, show that the region is not yet a lost causeand that it has many further natural wonders that can still be saved.We need to keep documenting the diversity of organisms around us if we want to understand what is happening and the best ways to manage our environment, Linares-Palomino tells the New York Times.Dourojeanni points out that its really, really hard to compete with agricultural drivers of deforestation. But he remains optimistic that communities will value the forest and its biological riches for more emotional reasons, rather than just for incomes sake.Its not too late yet, he says in the statement. If we do the right thing, people and nature can co-exist on this landscape.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Animals, Conservation, Discoveries, Fish, Forests, Frogs, Indigenous Peoples, Mammals, New Research, Peru, Rainforest, Reptiles, South America

A couple of months ago, we saw the Sony WH-1000XM4 drop to $129.99, which was an absolute steal for the last-gen noise-canceling headphones. That deal predictably sold out in a heartbeat, and theres no telling whether well see it that low again, but Amazon is selling them in black for $178.20 (about $170 off), which would be an all-time low if not for said outlier. You can also pick them up in other colors for $198 right now, though that price is frequently available these days.RelatedThe newer Sony WH-1000XM5 have leapfrogged the heap as the best noise-canceling headphones for most people in our book, but the XM4 remain a great pair of headphones if youre looking to save some money. They feature phenomenal audio quality and noise cancellation, which keeps them in the big leagues occupied by newer sets. They also have nice quality-of-life features, including a foldable design and multipoint Bluetooth support, the latter of which allows you to connect them to two devices simultaneously. The XM5s improved microphones make them the better buy if you frequently take calls while using your headphones, but not so much that we would dissuade you from saving more than $100 by going for the older pair.Read our Sony WH-1000XM4 review.Sony WH-1000XM4$178$35049% off$178$178$35049% offSonys WH-1000XM4 noise-canceling headphones still offer plenty of bang for your buck with excellent ANC, lively sound, and lengthy battery life. Theyre not the companys latest, but they remain an excellent buy.More Monday deals and discountsIf you want to try something a little different to play games on Xbox and PC, RIGs Nacon Revolution X controller might be worth checking out. Amazon is selling it in white for an all-time low of $39.99 (50 percent off) when you clip the on-page coupon. You can customize the weightiness of the wired gamepad, change its analog stick shafts and toppers, remap all of its buttons (including its four back buttons), and set thumbstick sensitivity and trigger dead zones using the companion app. It doesnt have Hall effect sticks and its build quality doesnt quite match that of the best Xbox controllers; however, those are fair tradeoffs at this price.The newly released Insta360 Link 2 is pretty expensive, but you can get it for a new low of $179.99 ($20 off) at Amazon, B&H Photo, and Adorama right now. The 4K webcam is overkill for the average work needs, but its rotating head can be fun for content creation, dynamic presentations, or just to ensure youre always centered in the frame. The Link 2 builds on the original with magnetic mounting, the ability to recognize and reframe multiple people in a scene, improved gestures, and stronger noise cancellation.The budget-friendly Sony ZV-1F is a modest step above a smartphone for basic vlogging needs, and now the camera is going for a new low of around $348 ($151 off) at Amazon, B&H Photo, and Sonys online storefront. It has a 20mm-equivalent fixed focal length lens with a 20-megapixel sensor and decent low-light performance, and records up to 4K at 30 frames per second or 1080p at up to 120fps. It also has an articulating display to help frame your shots, plus eye autofocus like some of Sonys pricier cameras (but with a less effective contrast-detect autofocus system). The ZV-1F is not a great stills camera as you cant shoot RAW photos, but itll do if all you need are quality clips and YouTube thumbnails.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is suing Walmart and payroll service provider Branch Messenger for alleged illegal payment practices for gig workers. The bureau says Walmart was opening direct deposit accounts using Spark delivery drivers social security numbers without their consent. The accounts also can come with intense fees that, according to the complaint, would add either 2 percent or $2.99 per transaction, whichever is higher. It also says Walmart repeatedly promised to provide drivers with same-day payments through the platform starting in July 2021 but never delivered on that.The Bureau alleges that for approximately two years starting around June 2021, defendants engaged in unfair, abusive, and deceptive practices in violation of the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010, including by requiring Spark Drivers to receive their compensation in Branch Accounts, opening Branch Accounts for Spark Drivers without their informed consent or, in many instances, on an unauthorized basis, and making deceptive statements about Branch to Spark Drivers.Walmart made false promises, illegally opened accounts, and took advantage of more than a million delivery drivers, said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra in a statement. Companies cannot force workers into getting paid through accounts that drain their earnings with junk fees. The agency sued both companies in the US District Court for the District of Minnesota.Spark delivery workers have been complaining about Walmarts Branch Messenger account requirements for years, which forced workers to use these accounts with no option to direct deposit to a preferred credit union or local bank. Walmart allegedly told workers theyd be terminated if they didnt accept the Branch accounts.

SFML, the Simple and Fast Multimedia Library just released SFML 3. It has been over a decade since the SFML 2 release, and the 3.0.0 branch has been in development for over 3 years. The highlight feature of SFML 3 is the migration to C++ 17 (in fact C++ 17 is now required). Part of this migration includes a move away from custom data structures and to using standard C++ versions instead.Details of the SFML 3 release from the SFML forum:After close to 12 years since the last major version of SFML came up, its time for an upgrade!Three years in the making, withover 1100 commits, 41 new contributors, and a lot of time invested, we want to thank each and everyone who helped make SFML 3 a reality.A massive thank you to Thrasher, who relentlessly pushed SFML 3 forward and has by far contributed the most time and effort-wise, with over 500 pull requests to his name alone! A special thank you also to SuperV1234 for laying the foundation early onto which SFML 3 was built. HighlightsSFML hasfinallybeen updated to support and use C++17 The test suite has been massively expanded to 57% code coverage OpenAL has been replaced withminiaudioNew and improved event handling APIs Scissor and stencil testing And moreSeethe changelogfor more details.Key LinksSFML Release AnnouncementSFML 3 Full Change LogSFML 3 Migration GuideSFML HomepageSFML GitHubYou can learn more about SFML, SFML 3.0 release and their move to C++ 17 in the video below.

The theatrical version of the Superman trailer hit cinemas late last week, playing ahead of the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Mufasa: The Lion King. And in it fans are seeing ever so slightly more of the DC supervillains Superman is set to face in the movie itself.The debut trailer for Superman offered a good look at Nicholas Hoults Lex Luthor, a blink-and-youll-miss-it moment in which we see Mara Gabriela de Faras The Engineer / Angela Spica, and an enemy who battles Superman in an empty baseball stadium (Cleveland Guardians' Progressive Field in real life).The theatrical version includes a brief shot of Luthor flanked by The Engineer and Ultraman, who, it turns out, was the character taking on Superman in the stadium.The Ultraman we see here has the trademark U on the front of his uniform, but there are few other notable features. The characters body is concealed by his suit, so we cant see his face. He wears a pair of goggles that cover his eyes, giving away little.This shot in the theatrical trailer tallies with set photos that showed a cuffed Superman being led down a street by Ultraman, The Engineer, and Frank Grillo as Rick Flag. Sr, as well as some soldiers. So were now starting to get a clearer picture of what Superman is up against here, although how all these characters link to Lex Luthor remains a mystery.These supervillains arent the only enemies Superman is set to face. The trailer shows two huge monsters, one a fire-breathing, skyscraper-sized kaiju that looks a bit like an axolotl, the other an energy beam-firing floating tentacle ball monster.The trailer kicks off with a surprisingly vulnerable Superman lying prone on a snowy surface, battered, bruised, and bleeding. Who was powerful enough to do this to Superman? Perhaps it was the work of Ultraman. In the DC comics, Ultraman is an evil alternate version of Superman who shares the same Kryptonian superpowers, except Ultraman is depowered by sunlight and powered up by kryptonite.The shot in the theatrical trailer could be showing the villainous trio entering Superman's Fortress of Solitude. Fans are speculating that Superman tries to intervene but the fight doesn't end well for him, resulting in the state we see him in at the start of the trailer.Generally speaking, Superman has help from a number of DC superheroes, including Edi Gathegis Michael Holt / Mister Terrific. The theatrical trailer also includes a new, closer look at Mister Terrifics mask. And lets not forget Krypto the Superdog, who rescues Superman after his beatdown, Isabela Merced's Hawkgirl, and Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner / Green Lantern.Superman hits theatres on July 11, 2025, and is the first film in the DCU's Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. IGN has an explainer on all the DC Heroes and Villains in the new trailer, comments from James Gunn on Krypto actually being a pretty terrible dog in the movie, thoughts on how Superman is about hope, and more.Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Gladiator 2 makes its digital debut tomorrow, December 24, Paramount has announced.Director Ridley Scotts big budget sequel made over $416 million at the global box office, and now heads to digital just in time for Christmas. The 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray release, meanwhile, is set for March 4, 2025.The digital and 4K Ultra HD releases include over 100 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage and interviews, as detailed below. That includes deleted scenes, although there's no information yet on what those deleted scenes are. Gladiator 2 digital bonus content:A Dream That Was Rome: Origins Director Ridley Scott and producers delve into the history behind Gladiator II and how the story developed over many years before coming to the screen.What We Do In Life Echoes In Eternity: The Cast Take an inside look into Ridley Scott's casting process.In The Arena: Filmmakers Go behind the scenes as the cast and crew journey to Malta, Morocco, and the UK for the epic production.To Those About To Die, We Salute You: Combat Discover how Ridley Scott and his team combined choreographed combat with cutting-edge visual effects to take the action to a whole new level.Building An Empire: Post-Production Join the filmmakers for insights into the fascinating process of crafting the finished movie, which includes a scoring session led by composer Harry Gregson-Williams.The Making Of Gladiator 2 Explore how Ridley Scott, the cast, and crew worked to bring Gladiator 2 to life.Deleted ScenesThe Gladiator 2 4K Ultra HD release. Image credit: Paramount Pictures.Gladiator 2 launched in the U.S. alongside Wicked as one half of Glicked, although the double-bill failed to match last years phenomenally popular Barbenheimer box office behemoth. Still, Gladiator 2 appears to have done well enough, despite its $250 million production budget and estimated $100 million marketing budget.IGNs Gladiator 2 review returned an 8/10. We said: Gladiator 2 finds strength and honor in a familiar story, with enough fresh perspective to feel relevant and an unmissable Denzel Washington supporting turn which practically screams are you not entertained!?' "Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.