Spectrum leads when it comes to internet services in Portland, but CNETs experts have found some other great residential options, too.

If you're like me and don't have Apple Intelligence yet because you own an older Apple device, don't fret. You can use other apps to recreate some of its initial features.Released in October 2024, Apple Intelligence is a suite of generative AI tools built natively into the iPhone, iPad, MacBook and iMac, and accessible via the cloud on these devices. With the release ofiOS 18.2earlier this month, Apple Intelligence hasmessage summaries, various writing toolsand image creation like Image Playground and Genmoji. But you'll have to be on a newer device to access these tools. For example, you need an iPhone 15 Pro/15 Pro Max or iPhone 16 (any model) to use Apple Intelligence.As a creator who focuses on introducing business professionals to various AI tools, I was bummed at first that Apple Intelligence requires a hardware upgrade. Then I realized some of its initial features can be replicated by learning your way around various other apps. Here are a few ways I'm doing that. Voices Meet industry creators, contributors and emerging thought leaders that have paired with CNETs award-winning editorial team to provide you with unique content from different perspectives. AI-powered writing tools Upgrade your inbox Get cnet insider From talking fridges to iPhones, our experts are here to help make the world a little less complicated. Apple Intelligence integrates an AI writing assistant across all apps and devices, letting you access features such as spelling checks, tone adjustment, summarization, proofreading and smart replies. Two non-Apple tools can deliver similar results with just a few additional clicks.Grammarly has been popular among consumers for quite some time now. The app offers spelling and grammar checks, style suggestions and tone adjustments. Many people don't realize Grammarly also has an iOS keyboard extension, so you won't have to leave your iMessage, Notes or email app to use it.ChatGPT is another favorite when it comes to AI writing assistants. As a standalone iOS app, you can download it for free from the App Store, and iOS 18.2 gives the option to integrate ChatGPT with Siri. Now with GPT-4o, ChatGPT is faster, cheaper and produces higher-quality content than its predecessors. You can use ChatGPT to come up with ideas, as well as titles, outlines and even the entirety of the content you want to create.Regardless of which AI app you use for writing assistance, make sure you review the content before sharing it with others. Human review and intervention are key to this process. Furthermore, if you ever choose to create and publish content entirely using AI, you should indicate it with a disclaimer.AI for photos, image generation and custom emojis Apple Intelligence's AI can analyze photos from your library and quickly find the ones you're looking for (i.e., "Katie with stickers on her face"). The new Image Playground and Genmoji features in iOS 18.2 let you generate custom images, sketches and emojis without third-party apps. (Note that these features won't be supported in China or the EU as of this writing due to regulatory restrictions.)Google Photos and Dropbox have similar AI features that automatically tag photos based on objects, locations, faces and events, allowing users to search for specific images without manually categorizing them. These features aren't without their flaws, but they generally work well. Google Photos offers many of the same features touted in Apple Intelligence, and I've been a loyal user for over six years.Google Photos automatically recognizes different people using facial recognition, allowing you to easily access all the photos and videos of a certain person. When in doubt, Google Photos will occasionally ask you to manually identify people. Screenshot: Fei WuThere's also the "most relevant to your search" feature, which allows you to enter a search term, then see results displayed based on relevance rather than date. For example, when I searched in Google Photos for a specific element like "red scarf," here were the results. Screenshot: Fei WuTo get started, Google Photos recommends that you try searching for phrases or ideas, such as:"colorful sunset""peaceful garden""Cinderella"Or, use names of friends and family you've added under People, like:"Charlie at the Golden Gate Bridge""Alice and Bob at the beach"Dropbox offers a solid alternative to Google Photos. But it's important to note that this AI-powered image search (as a feature) is only available to Dropbox Plus, Family, Professional, Standard, Business, Advanced, Business Plus and Enterprise customers.You can search for any element or feature represented in the photos. For example, here are the results returned from my Dropbox account when I searched "restaurant." Screenshot: Fei WuIf there are too many results or file types mixed in, you can use Dropbox's built-in filters to narrow them down, filtering by images, videos, PDFs, documents, dates taken and even image dimensions. Screenshot: Fei WuThe downside of Dropbox photos is that people in these photos are not tagged automatically using facial recognition, so you won't be able to easily search for photos of a particular person the same way you can in Google Photos.Notification prioritizationApple Intelligence leverages AI to analyze your text messages, calendar invites, notes and photos, prioritizing and summarizing notifications to save you time and minimize interruptions. So far, consumers haven't been wowed. To streamline your notifications, consider first removing apps you no longer need on your phone. Then, take advantage of a few built-in iOS features. I love using Focus modes, which allow me to create different profiles (Do Not Disturb, Work, Sleep, Personal) to control the notifications I receive based on the time of day and context. You can create custom Focus modes to allow notifications to come from specific apps or people, or automate them based on time and location.Apple's built-in notification features (without Apple Intelligence) are useful and sufficient in most cases. I recommend going through the settings for each of your apps (Go to Settings > Notifications) and deciding which ones need to have notifications turned on. Some apps, such as home security apps, also have the option to turn on Critical Alerts, which will deliver notifications with sound immediately, regardless of settings.You can start using AI nowGiven that Apple Intelligence is still new, it may be wise to hold off on a significant investment in a new device. Apple Intelligence features will most likely improve over time, but until then, you can still start using AI in your day-to-day life without the fancy upgrades.Find me on YouTubeto discover more AI tools that can help you in your everyday online life.Opinions expressed by CNET Voices contributors are their own.

Our Experts Written by David Carnoy Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement Why You Can Trust CNET 16171819202122232425+ Years of Experience 14151617181920212223 Hands-on Product Reviewers 6,0007,0008,0009,00010,00011,00012,00013,00014,00015,000 Sq. Feet of Lab Space How we test CNETs expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. What to consider Budget Determine how much you're willing to spend on open wireless earbuds and how that lines up with quality and functionality. Fit Your earbuds should offer a comfortable, secure fit -- even without noise-canceling tips to seal them in. Ensuring the open earbuds you choose fit your head help minimize any discomfort from longer wear. Durability You want open wireless buds that hold up well over time, so look for models that we note have sturdy build quality and a good water-resistance rating. Return policy In case the open earbuds aren't a great fit for your ears, it's important that the retailer offers a good return policy. Table of Contents Back to selection

When you think back to every Indiana Jones movie, at one point or another Indy has had to be stealthy. Whether it's donning a disguise in The Last Crusade to get his fathers Holy Grail diary back, or sneaking onto a submarine to follow the Ark when it slipped out of his grasp, there's always a time he needs to be silent and sneaky - though whether Indy actually pulls this off without being caught is another matter entirely. He's not always the subtlest of human beings, which is precisely one of the reasons I feel stealth in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle works so well.I should preface this by saying I don't really get on with stealth in a lot of games - if I can bombard my way through them and hope for the best, then I will. Take Star Wars Outlaws from earlier this year. Sure, I could have been stealthy around the Imperial Bases, but why bother when I had a blaster? Apart from those insta-fail sections, which have now been patched out, it didn't really matter if you caught out. But the atmosphere in Indiana Jones makes you feel like so much more is at stake if you get seen - even when it's not an explicit requirement.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Watch on YouTubeIn the first moments of the game, it's made quite clear that there's a lot more going on in this story than has been revealed to you (as most Indy stories tend to go). By making this obvious from the beginning, it makes you want to be stealthy and keep yourself hidden from the eyes of enemies. You feel the sense of urgency hiding behind a crate while an enemy patrols past with a guard dog at their side, as you know it won't be long before one is behind you and spots you, so you need to swiftly move between cover without getting caught.The stealth itself is very approachable. When crouched, you can move silently through spaces, not having to worry about sound metres or the like as you might in other, more hardcore stealth games. Of course, if you run or fire your gun, then guards will naturally come running after you as well, and they'll likewise whistle for back-up if you stay too long in their direct line of sight. But it all feels very intuitive as you start feeling out what is and isn't possible in The Great Circle, making even stealth novices like myself feel like they confidently get through it. Image credit: Eurogamer/Bethesda SoftworksIf you do end up raising the alarm, of course, then all is not lost. For starters, you can usually knock out an alerted enemy with a broomstick or guitar you've found laying around, which is always fun. I mean, you can run away but, well, where's the fun in that? Similarly, if one approach isn't working for you, there are usually other routes you can try, or other objects you can use to switch up your tactics, which is precisely what this game does so well. You can throw a glass bottle to distract a guard as you slip into a cellar hatch, or use your whip to get them to turn in a different direction while you climb up some (questionably) safe scaffolding. It feels realistic, but not to the point that it becomes frustrating and unenjoyable. I once managed to get myself stuck behind a crate with no clear exit path, for example, and enemies were patrolling up and down (one had a dog which upped the ante), and I felt myself going, "Well this isn't good". But after a moment, I realised I had multiple chances to use stealth to my advantage - this time I chose to create a diversion by grabbing a nearby wrench and tossing it across the courtyard to get the enemy's attention. Then, while their backs were turned, I dashed across the way and dove through an open window only to then find myself behind yet another guard. Luckily, I kept myself out of their eyeline and snuck into the next room. "Phew," I thought. "I was safe!" And I liked that it didn't punish me for thinking on my feet.That's really one of the best thing about Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. You can lean into the stealth as much as you like, but if it goes wrong, you have the freedom to pick yourself back up again and try something new.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereThe democratic nation of Super Earth is renowned for two things: its superior firepower against alien threats and its powerful propaganda. After working on new stratagems that seriously pack a punch, developer Arrowhead has confirmed that it was working on radio stations to help spread the word of Super Earth.Helldivers 2 radio stationsResponding to a fan on Twitter, Helldivers 2 COO Johan Pilestedt explained that the team has considered adding official radio stations to the game. With vehicles now officially part of the game, players want some form of official radio to turn on as they drive across planets.Pilestedt explained that the creation of an in-game propaganda radio has been on the drawing board for some time. However, theres currently been no progress made on the potential feature.[The feature] is yet to be decided on, Pilestedt told fans on Twitter.If the feature does eventually get implemented, it would allow official news broadcasts, or even just the music that plays when raising the Super Earth flag, as players rock across planets, taking out enemies. Hopefully, they add Los Dos Laredos Acordeones for the true Puma experience.Arrowhead is also working on a tonne of additional content for Helldivers 2 for future updates. While unconfirmed, leaks have found evidence of a wildlife system to populate planets as well as new Illuminate enemies for players to battle. There are even more terrifying Automaton enemies in the works to give bot fighters more to worry about.For more Helldivers 2 coverage, check out the developers official word on increasing team sizes orthe new stratagems in development for the game. If you really want more coverage, you can even read about the best stratagems to use as well as the best weapons in the game. Helldivers 2Platform(s):PC, PlayStation 5Genre(s):Action, Shooter, Third Person8VideoGamerSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide Marvel Rivals has just come out at the tail end of 2024, and already it has quickly become one of the biggest and most popular hero shooters available to play. It is a fantastic experience, and it is set to get much better as right now we are only competing in the pre-season. In lack of an official outline of the next 12-months from NetEase, we have compiled a roadmap for Marvel Rivals in 2025 that shares when new seasons are expected to start while also discussing leaks for the game. Before Season 1 begins, you should know that Chrono Tokens will not carry over, and they will continue to not carry over from season-to-season. In addition, for Season 1, NetEase have assured fans that a permanent solution to mouse acceleration issues will be added to significantly improve aiming. Season 1 will kickstart the Marvel Rivals 2025 roadmap in the new year, and the next 12-months should be very exciting judging by leaks. Marvel Rivals 2025 roadmap The Marvel Rivals 2025 roadmap starts with Season 1 in January. No specific date has been provided yet, but the games creative director, Guangguang, said it will start early January 2025. Season 1 is very important as it will be the framework for all other seasons. Each new season is expected to add new heroes, maps, team-up abilities, and possibly new game modes. The creative director said each season will last about three months, which means the 2025 roadmap should look as follows: Season 1 early January Season 2 April Season 3 July Season 4 October Season 5 January 2026Even though each chapter is expected to last three months, nothing is set-in-stone right now other than Season 1 for January. Delays can occur and plans can change, so the above roadmap is simply whats expected based off the creative directors words in the Dev Vision Vol.1 preview. Leaks There are a lot of leaks for Marvel Rivals. NetEase has admitted datamining is pretty much impossible to stop, so leaks will continue to surface online. RivalsLeaks on X has revealed that Ultron is set to come out in Season 1, and he is reportedly a Strategist with a two-star difficulty and the following abilities: Q Rage of Ultron:Summon Ultron drones to fire Encephalo-Rays, damaging enemies or healing allies LSHIFT Dynamic Flight: Fly quickly in the direction of movement and then enter a free-flight mode E Imperative: Patch: Command a giant drone to follow an ally, constantly healing allies in its radius, with additional healing for the designated ally Right-mouse click Imperative: Firewall: Summon drones to grant bonus health to allies within range, centered on himself and the ally marked with Imperative: PatchPassive Algorithm Protection: Hold SPACE to fall slowly Image credit: NetEase via @RivalsLeaks on XIn addition to Ultron, RivalsLeaks has revealed the abilities for the Human Torch from the Fantastic 4: Q Supernova: Unleash shockwaves to deal damage to enemies within range. During skill activation, the flame field will transform into a flame tornado LSHIFT Plasma Body: Hold LSHIFT to enter a state of accelerated ascent E Pyro-Prison: Connect flame fields to form a fire wall that deals burning damage to enemiesF Flaming Meteor: Dive towards the ground and stun nearby enemies Right-mouse click Blazing Blast: Launch a flame ball to create a flame field at the targeted area Image credit: NetEase via @RivalsLeaks on XAlongside Ultron and the Human Torch, below is a list of other characters leaked to be joining Marvel Rivals sometime in the future: The Thing Mr Fantastic Invisible Woman Emma Frost Blade Jean GreyFor more Marvel Rivals, check out stats that reveal the most popular characters and who everyone hates. Marvel RivalsPlatform(s):macOS, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series XGenre(s):Fighting, ShooterSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereDespite being in its eighth year, Fortnite still dominates the gaming industry. The game has millions of players on a daily basis thanks to its constantly development and evolution. This popularity comes with a cost, as handling a playerbase of more than 600 million players is quite difficult. Interestingly, Epic Games recently filed a lawsuit against a Fortnite player to enforce its in-game rules.Before the launch of Chapter 6, Epic announced stricter punishment against players who violate the rules. Not even three weeks later, the company filed a lawsuit against a player, showing that its serious about its new policy.The latest lawsuit was filed against a Fortnite playerEpic Games is very strict when it comes to cheating in Fortnite. Due to this, the game developer has sued many players and cheat makers in the past. This zero-tolerance policy affects both casual and competitive players. In fact, Epic even permanently banned a big content creator, Jarvis, from playing the game back in 2019.Recently, Epic announced a lawsuit against another Fortnite player. This is a player who cheated in tournaments and tried to avoid the ban using multiple accounts. However, this did not work, as the game developer caught them and decided to take legal action.The latest Fortnite ban wave has affected many players. Image by VideoGamerThis player used cheating software and hardware and tried to avoid getting caught by using multiple accounts. It didnt work. Cheating has no place in Fortnite and were doing everything we can to stop it, including legal action, Fortnites Competitive account posted on X (formerly Twitter).While this player will face legal consequences, Epic has enforced its anti-cheating policy on other fronts as well. In the third week of Chapter 6, the game creator hit players with a massive Fortnite ban wave, with some players getting suspended for a month. Considering how much the Fortnite creator has done to enforce its policies lately, we expect even more ban waves in the near future. FortnitePlatform(s):Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter9VideoGamerSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

The big picture: Valve is one of the most important and influential companies in the PC gaming market. It's also one of the most unique due to its private nature and unusually small workforce relative to its impact and competitors. A recent analysis of data uncovered through an ongoing lawsuit against the company highlights how Valve starkly contrasts with the world's biggest tech giants. A Valve employee recently provided PC Gamer with a rough calculation of the company's per-employee income, revealing that Valve generates more money per person than several of the world's largest companies. While the data is a few years old and doesn't account for some significant recent trends in the tech sector, Valve's ranking in this metric likely hasn't shifted much over that time.Exact figures for Valve's per-hour and per-employee net income remain redacted. However, a chart from 2018 confirms that Valve's per-employee income exceeded that of companies like Facebook, Apple, Netflix, Alphabet/Google, Microsoft, Intel, and Amazon.Click to enlargeFacebook's second-place ranking of $780,400 per employee or $89 per hour likely stands far ahead of competitors such as Apple and Microsoft because Facebook employs just under 70,000 employees compared to the two PC giants, which each have workforces over twice that number. By contrast, Amazon, with a headcount of over 1.5 million, earned only around $15,892 per employee, or $1.81 per hour.Filings from a 2021 antitrust lawsuit brought by Wolfire Games revealed that Valve employed just 336 people at the time fewer than the development team for Baldur's Gate 3. Despite this relatively tiny workforce, Valve oversees Steam, which hosts nearly 40 million daily users and dominates the PC game sales market. Wolfire cited this discrepancy as evidence that Steam's 30 percent revenue commission for most titles is unjustified. // Related StoriesNotably, the available data doesn't reflect the impact of the Steam Deck, Valve's handheld gaming PC, which launched in 2022. It's unclear to what extent Valve hired or outsourced additional staff for the device's development and production, but it's unlikely the company expanded its workforce anywhere near the scale of other tech giants.Valve would likely remain at the top of a per-employee income ranking based on current data. However, recent trends such as widespread layoffs and the ongoing AI boom could shift the standings for other companies. It would also be intriguing to see whether Nvidia has entered the ranking, as the AI explosion has propelled its profits to new heights, recently making it the newest member of the $3 trillion club.

Image: SummitsphereOne of our biggest gripes with Antonblast on the Switch was its performance at launch. In our review, we noted that slowdown during more chaotic moments of gameplay can "cheapen the experience enough to be disappointing", which isn't really ideal for a 2D platformer in which speed is a key factor.Thankfully, a new update has gone live which provides a welcome performance boost, amping up the framerate to a much more palatable 60fps. According to the announcement, bug fixes have also been implemented, but developer Summitsphere has not elaborated on what kind of issues these specifically target.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube789kWatch on YouTube Antonblast is a stylish new platformer that, alongside the recently released Pizza Tower, looks to pay homage to Nintendo's long-dormant Wario Land series. It's been a long time coming on the Switch, with a couple of unfortunate delays here and there, but it sounds like the wait has been well and truly worth it, especially with this new performance patch now live. A genuine blastHave you been playing Antonblast on Switch? What do you make of the game now that this new performance update is live? Let us know with a comment down below.[source x.com]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:01 Nintendo Lifes resident horror fanatic, when hes not knee-deep in Resident Evil and Silent Hill lore, Ollie likes to dive into a good horror book while nursing a lovely cup of tea. He also enjoys long walks and listens to everything from TOOL to Chuck Berry. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related Articles161 Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's 'Hits For The Holidays' eShop Sale (North America)Every game we scored 9/10 or higherPSA: Switch 2 Is Getting Revealed In The Next 100 DaysSet your Alarmos54 Games You Should Pick Up In The Nintendo Switch eShop Holiday Sale (Europe)Every game we scored 9/10 or higherBest Nintendo Switch Games Of 2024The finest Switch games of 2024

Image: Gemma Smith / Nintendo LifeNintendo's gamble to save its 'Switch 2' announcement for the New Year has seemingly paid off - at least in Japan, anyway.Starting with software, Super Mario Party Jamboree has once again topped the boxed charts, selling a further 133,542 copies and inching ever closer to a total of 1 million lifetime sales. Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake follows behind with another 38,088 copies sold, with a selection of familiar, evergreen Nintendo titles making up the remainder of the top ten (oh, and Minecraft too). Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube789kWatch on YouTube Animal Crossing: New Horizons has also achieved a new milestone in selling over 8 million copies in Japan. The game is currently the second best-selling Switch title globally, with the last official figures putting it at a total of 46.45 million units sold.For the full breakdown, here's a look at the latest top ten:PositionGamePlatformUnit Sales (16th - 22nd Dec)Total Unit Sales1Super Mario Party JamboreeSwitch133,542835,0852Dragon Quest III HD-2D RemakeSwitch38,088894,6713Mario Kart 8 DeluxeSwitch24,0196,146,1784MinecraftSwitch23,1313,744,6715Mario & Luigi: BrothershipSwitch22,237148,3806Super Smash Bros. UltimateSwitch18,1785,668,4937The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of WisdomSwitch18,145356,6138Animal Crossing: New HorizonsSwitch15,5368,008,3439Pokmon Scarlet / Pokmon VioletSwitch15,2445,477,82010Nintendo Switch SportsSwitch13,3091,503,403Hardware for this week is a familiar sight, but the numbers have increased slightly from last week, resulting in the Nintendo Switch exceeding 100,000 sales in one week across its three SKUs. Many folks were understandably concerned that the upcoming Switch successor would potentially harm Nintendo's holiday performance, and while total hardware sales are undoubtedly down as a whole, the company has to be satisfied with the numbers shown here.It's a strong way to end 2024 and what may well be the final holiday period before the Switch 2 lands. As for the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, sales aren't quite as impressive. Sony managed to shift a total of 24,650 PS5 consoles, while Microsoft had to settle for a meagre 3,389 Xbox consoles.One last thing to mention is that the OG Switch has now sold over 20 million consoles in Japan. Pretty impressive!Here's your look at this week's Japanese hardware chart in full:PositionConsoleUnit Sales (16th - 22nd Dec)Total Unit Sales1Switch OLED55,5448,477,1312Switch Lite34,5426,334,8743PlayStation 515,2135,371,7074Switch14,06520,007,2065PlayStation 5 Pro5,358123,6936PlayStation 5 - Digital Edition4,079896,4767Xbox Series X - Digital Edition2,89315,2248Xbox Series X280314,0009Xbox Series S216327,31610PlayStation 4447,929,027< Previous chartsWhat do you make of this week's charts? Let us know your thoughts with a comment down below.