Sony has unveiled a new gaming system that could allow PlayStation players to sniff their way through games like The Last of Us.Unveiled at CES 2025, the Future Immersive Entertainment Concept (FIEC) features a huge, room-size setup designed to push the boundaries of immersive gaming. A trailer for the concept shows a giant cube built from high-definition LED screens that enables players to step directly into their favorite games (unfortunately, this isnt something youll be setting up in your living room anytime soon).In the trailer, players experience the postapocalyptic world of The Last of Us with enhanced audio and the addition of smell-o-vision, delivering a completely new experience. One of the pillars of Sonys creative entertainment vision is the idea of narrative everywhere, where stories from Sony are transformed across new and exciting mediums, explains the video. This Future Immersive Entertainment Concept aims to explore these possibilities. This proof-of-concept project combines the latest location-based technologies, Sony Crystal LED panels, engaging audio, haptics, scent, and atmospherics to fully immerse you into the world of the story.While the infected world of The Last of Us may seem an odd choice to demonstrate what the FIEC can do, players could shoot clickers as they appeared around them and get a whiff of the games grim postapocalyptic world. I think I speak for everyone when I say nobody asked for this, one skeptical fan responded to the announcement. Cant think of a single game that will enhance my experience by smelling it, a second X user added, unimpressed.Can't think of a single game that will enhance my experience by smelling it. ' (@SoldierBoyLeon) January 8, 2025 While the use of scents in entertainment has been around since the 1960s, the FIEC builds on a PlayStation patent for scent-based gaming filed four years ago. Whether or not gamers will embrace this feature remains to be seen. Perhaps they should have led with the waft of pizza in the world of Cooking Mama to get gamers onside.

As devastating fires continue to rage in the Southern California area, an app that tracks wildfires with live maps and alerts has become the No. 1 free app in Apples App Store.Watch Duty, launched in 2021 and used by firefighters and first responders across the western United States, surpassed the ChatGPT app, Lemon8, and Threads for the top spot as of Wednesday morning. Across social media, concerned citizens and Los Angeles residents encouraged others to download the free app for updates about nearby wildfires and firefighting efforts. One X user posted, In 24 hours, I went from never having heard of Watch Duty to checking the app religiously.The app, which is run by the Santa Rosabased nonprofit Sherwood Forestry Service, has already added 600,000 new users in just the last 24 hours according to CEO John Mills. Watch Duty is powered by a team of volunteers and staff, including active and retired firefighters, dispatchers, and veteran storm watchers. The team uses automated alerts sent to its Slack platform whenever a 911 call is made regarding a fire. They actively monitor fire-related developments by listening to radio scanners, reviewing wildlife cameras and satellite data, and tracking official updates from law enforcement, fire services, and other public sources.The apps interface uses a color-coded system: dark red for active fires or burned areas, light red for mandatory evacuations, and yellow for evacuation warnings, signaling users to prepare for potential orders. However, its important to remember the app is not a replacement for official information.Whats happening right now in L.A. is the worst that Ive seen in the five years Ive been doing this . . . This is catastrophic, Mills told The Los Angeles Times. Its really hard to watch, but Id rather be doing this than not doing anything. It feels like we could at least do something to help, because otherwise were just sitting here watching the world burn.Mills was motivated to launch the app by his own experiences of wildfires after moving to Sonoma County in 2020. During the 2020 Walbridge Fire, which burned to the edge of his property, he relied on Facebook groups for updates and wondered if there was a better way to share information. Since its launch, Watch Dutys downloads have skyrocketed as climate-related weather events continue to impact communities. In December, the app said it increased its yearly active users to 7.2 million from 1.9 million in 2023.The Los Angeles fires, driven by dry conditions and strong winds, are currently causing widespread devastation beyond the immediate danger zones. As of Thursday morning, at least five people have died and over 130,000 people have been ordered to evacuate as the fires continue to spread.

The latest edition of our weekly Dezeen Agenda newsletter features automotive brand Nissan's electric version of a 1980s sports car. Subscribe to Dezeen Agenda now.This week, Nissan revealed an electric iteration of its R32 Skyline GT-R sports car. Created in 1989, the R32 Skyline GT-R became popular in racing for its 2.6-litre twin-turbo engine and all-wheel-drive system. It has now been revived as a concept model with an electric motor.21st-Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 BuildingsThis week's newsletter also featured Dezeen's launch of its latest editorial series, BIG's completion of the first phase of the Toyota Woven City in Japan and a mechanical bike that transforms into an e-bike with the CLIP device.Dezeen AgendaDezeen Agenda is a curated newsletter sent every Thursday containing the most important news highlights from Dezeen. Read the latest edition of Dezeen Agenda or subscribe here.You can also subscribe to our other newsletters; Dezeen Debate is sent every Thursday and features the hottest reader comments and most-debated stories, Dezeen Dailyis our daily bulletin that contains every story published in the preceding 24 hours andDezeen In Depthis sent on the last Friday of every month anddelves deeper into the major stories shaping architecture and design.The post Dezeen Agenda features an electric version of Nissan's 1980s Skyline car appeared first on Dezeen.

Honda has unveiled their new-age EVs under the Zero Series (paying homage to ASIMO robot) one being a mid-sized SUV and the other a wedged Saloon, at CES 2025. These electric cars are heavily emphasized with the theme thin, light, and wise. To this accord the interior cabin space has been increased, the outside view unrestricted, and the seating flexibility position opening up many use-case scenarios. The cars will have Level 3 autonomy promising a laidback travel experience for riders.Dubbed 0 SUV based on the in-house Space Hub Concept and 0 Saloon based on the Saloon concept, both these vehicles caught a lot of attention at CES 2025. They are all set for release for the North American market in 2026 and will come with the latest Asimo operating system, pushing the Honda vehicles into the next generation. The 0 Series has a peculiar Aston Martin Lagonda Shooting Brake vibe which could indeed have some inspiration for the two concepts.Designer: HondaThe concept prototypes showcased at the event looked more design-focused without being too impractical. 0 Saloon, the flagship model, was revealed first, and impressed with the sporty styling and low ride height. Compared to the Saloon concept it comes minus the gull-winged doors, having just the normal ones. Those headlights blink open much like the Lamborghini Countach which adds a nostalgic touch to the design. When the doors open, the yoke steering automatically rotates to one side so that the driver has no problem sliding in. The dash-sized screen on both cars is similar to the Afeela concept revealed earlier at the event.0 SUV on the other hand looks more like a production-ready version and most probably will be the first one to roll off the production lines. The performance vehicle will rival Teslas big boy and itll be interesting to see how this market segment competes in the future. Itll make use of the companys inherent robotic technologies to enable dynamic riding tech to drive on any kind of road surface. On top of this, the vehicle will employ high-precision attitude estimation and stabilization control.The post Honda reveals futuristic Zero series SUV and Saloon at CES 2025 first appeared on Yanko Design.

The fate of TikTok now rests in the hands of the US Supreme Court. If a law banning the social video app this month is upheld, it wont disappear from your phonebut it will get messy fast.

The states insurance industry was reformed in late 2024 to promote coverage in disaster-prone areas. Tens of billions in fire damage will stress-test the new regime.

The inside story of the teenager whose swatting calls sent armed police racing into hundreds of schools nationwideand the private detective who tracked him down.

MacworldNOTE: In macOS Monterey and later, Other storage was renamed System Data. Heres how to delete System Data on a Mac released in 2021 or later. Storage space on your Mac is precious, especially if you have a 128GB or 256GB SSD. Your Mac can start to slow down and not perform as well when your storage is almost full, at which point you might see a Your Startup Disk Is Full warning. So its important to know whats using up the space on your disk and clear out redundant files that build up over time.So, if when investigating what is taking up so much of your valuable storage space you find a mysterious section labeled Other, you are likely to think that sounds like a great way to regain tens of gigabytes of space on your drive. After all, Other is just stuff isnt it? Its a name that screams Delete me! It cant be anything you actually need Or can it? PROMOTIONBrand New CleanMyMac | Free up Other storageGet the latest version of CleanMyMac, freshly released in 2024. With just a few clicks, its intelligent Smart Care module initiates a thorough scan of your system, clearing off the unneeded files from the Other storage. Reclaim your disk space with CleanMyMac.Download New VersionIf you are wondering what is Other in Mac storage and want to know how to delete Other storage youve come to the right place. Plus well explain how you can reduce the amount of space Other is taking up on your Mac and what you can delete from Other storage on Mac.We also run through various ways to free up space on your Macin a separate article. If you arent sure how to see how much disk space your Mac has read: How to check how much storage you have on your Mac.Other vs System DataBefore we begin, you may not even see Other as a category of storage at all. If youre running macOS Big Sur or earlier, if you clicked on the Apple logo > About This Mac > Storage youll see a bar chart labeled with various categories of data, one of which is Other. in macOS Monterey and later, this Other section is now called System Data.Theyre essentially the same thing: Since 2021, the contents of the Other folder have been merged with the System and System Data folders youll find on machines with newer operating systems. Apple has also changed Other to System Data on iOS: Heres how to delete System Data/Other on an iPhone.What is in Other storage on my Mac?When confronted with the need to free up storage on your Mac were guessing that your first port of call was About This Mac, where there is a handy tool to help you manage your storage and its here that were assuming you saw a gigantic Other category (as we explained above, you will only see Other in older versions of macOS, so if you dont see Other here, you will be better off reading this article). The About This Mac storage view pre-macOS Monterey gives us some clues as to what isnt in the Other category as it gives us a basic overview of whats taking up the space on your Mac including Photos, Apps, Messages, Music, and so on. Heres how to get to that view: Click on the Apple Logo in the top left.Go to About This Mac.Choose Storage. Wait while it calculates.Eventually, you will see a bar chart showing what types of files are taking up space on your Mac, similar to the image below. In our case, yellow is Photos, red is Apps, light blue is Messages, purple is Music, dark blue for Mail, light blue for iCloud Drive and grey for System. Other is the biggest consumer of storage in our case: 38.55GB.Click Manage and you will see a screen like the one below. Here you can make various tweaks to your system, choosing to store files in iCloud, for example, or reviewing files to reduce clutter.You can also make adjustments in the various sections of storage, including Applications, Documents, iCloud, Mail, Messages, etc just by clicking on them and then deleting data that is presented to you. However, you cant access Other here at all notice how its greyed out in the left-hand column.With Other such a large consumer of storage you are most likely wondering what exactly Other is. If it isnt music, documents, videos, photos or apps, what could it be?The label Other is applied by the system to files that dont fit squarely into those types, such as installer packages, cache files, old Time Machine backups, app extensions, temporary files and the like. Most are those that you dont need anymore, but theyve got to be stored somewhere, so they get dumped in the Other category.See our article Best Mac Cleaners, where we discuss the top apps that help identify what to delete, such as CleanMyMac X, DaisyDisk, MacCleaner 2 Pro, and more. Well also delve into some of these tools below.How to see whats in Other So now we know what types of files end up in Other, but how can we actually see whats taking up all the Other space on our Macs?To see whats using up all that Other space youll need to open the Finder and head to the Library folder, as thats usually where the majority of Other content is stored.Depending on how your system is set up, you might not be able to see the Library folder in your normal Finder window, so the easiest way to jump directly to it is to follow these steps:Open Finder.Click on the Go option in the menu bar.Select Go to Folder.Then type in ~/library and press enter.Youll now be presented with a long list of folders, most of which will contain files deemed by macOS to be Other.Youll see a lot of folders, many of which we would advise you to step away from immediately. However there are a few folders here that you might be able to safely delete some items from, for example, Caches and Application Support. But you need to be very careful as you dig around looking for sub-folders within them that contain data that is safe to remove. (You might also like to read our article that explains How to delete cache on a Mac.)Before you start to delete anything please read on though because deleting some of these files might affect the way your Mac works!Also, not all the files in Other will be visible. If you want to know how to see hidden files read: How to show hidden files on a Mac.Can I delete files from Other?Yes, but youll need to be careful. Some files in Other might affect the way your Mac works. The safest files in the Other category to remote are things like .dmg files left over from installations, old Time Machine backups, and iPhone and iPad backups. Well run through this below.But when you start getting into cache files and other more obtuse types you can quickly run into problems. For example, deleting a cache from an old app that you no longer have wont cause any issues. But should you delete one from an app you do use, then it will immediately forget all of your preferences and other details.Basically, the rule of thumb is if youre not sure what something is or what it does, leave it alone. Of course, as always, we strongly recommend that you run a complete backup of your system before you start removing anything, just to avoid disaster.Just follow our step-by-step guide on how to backup a Mac and you can begin cleaning up your system knowing that you have a copy to fall back on should anything go awry.How to delete Other filesAs we said above, you cant just select Other and delete it thereby reclaiming 30GB of space in one go. However, you can locate and delete some of the file types that Apple classes in the Other category, thereby reclaiming some of that space.You can delete some files that are classed as Other via the Finder. Some of these you can search for by file type, but others are to be found in the Library folder, but youll need to know where to look and have an idea of what they are before you trash them.There are also some file types that are easy to locate and delete safely, so well start by showing you how to tackle them.All these files are deleted the same way as any normal file: locate them in the Finder > right click on the file > choose Move to Trash (or Move to Bin if you are in the U.K.)Note that youll need to empty the Trash afterwards or the file will still be on your Mac. To do that right click/control-click on the bin icon and choose Empty Trash.Step 1: Delete DMG files and other space hogsIt is quite easy to locate and delete DMG files (program installers) and these are a good place to start because they can take up a surprising amount of space. You can locate and delete them via the Finder.Click on your Desktop (anywhere there isnt a file or folder)Open the Finder.Click This Mac.In the search box type dmg.When it appears below select Kinds: Disk Image.Press Enter.Now you will see all the dmgs you have on your Mac. You can safely delete these.You may need to enter your password to confirm.Once you have moved these files to the trash/bin you will need to empty it: right click on the trash icon and choose Empty Bin/Empty Trash (depending on your language).To delete them select all by pressing Command + A and then right click/control click on the selected area and choose: Move to Trash. There are other file types that can take a lot of space up on your system that you can also delete this way. Repeat the steps above to delete PDFs, CSV files, and Zip archives.Step 2: Delete Temporary filesmacOS creates temporary files on your Mac and generally these files are vital to performance, however, they quickly become outdated. Once you are sure your Mac no longer needs them you can safely delete them.Open the Finder.Click on the Go option in the menu bar.Select Go to Folder.Type in ~/library.Press Enter.Locate the Application Support folder.Have a look through these folders, if you find any for apps that you know you dont use then you can probably safely delete the files associated with them.Step 3: Delete Cache filesCaches are another file type that takes up space in Other, and like the temporary files addressed above, you need to be careful because your Mac may need these files to run the way you want it to.We do have a separate article that explains How to delete cache on a Mac which is worth a read because the whole process is quite complex. Theres more than one kind of cache for starters.You can delete system cache by following these steps:Open the Finder.Click on Go > Go to FolderType in Library/Caches/Click on Go.Now you can open each folder and look for files you think you can safely delete.Just be careful.Deleting application cache is a slightly different process:Open the Finder.Click on Go > Go to FolderType in ~/Library/Caches/ (there is a ~ this time, its next to the Z).Click on Go.Again you will need to open each folder and make a decision about what to delete.Remember you also need to empty your Trash/Bin after you have deleted these files.Step 4: Delete Time Machine snapshotsTime Machine snapshots could also be a space hog on your Mac. You may be aware that Apples Time Machine software can back up your Mac to an external drive, but did you know that it also creates local snapshots on your Mac itself?Apple says that it will only store these snapshots if there is enough free space, and it will delete old ones to store new one, so this shouldnt be a big space hog. But it could allow you to recover enough space to make all the difference.Luckily there is an easy methods for removing local snapshots from your hard drive just turn off the Time Machine feature. When you do this it should remove these backups from your Mac.The other way to delete these snapshots isnt so easy: you need to use Terminal. If you want to try it then we explain how here: How to delete Time Machine snapshots on your Mac. You may also like to read how to delete Time Machine backups on Mac to find the easy way to remove them.Another option, if you want to make sure files are well and truly deleted, is to use Terminal, but this is one for the pros. We explain the process here: How to delete files and folders using Terminal.How to delete Other safelyIf weve not made it clear enough above, it is possible to delete a lot of what Apple classes as Other, but you need to be extremely cautious because without some of these files your Mac may not work optimally.Also, you need to be aware that deleting certain files this way can leave some remnants on your Mac, even after you have emptied the Trash.Because of these concerns our preferred method for deleting Other on a Mac, and removing all the space hogs, is to use one of the dedicated Mac cleaning software packages that help you avoid any costly mistakes.Some of our current favourites are CleanMyMac X, MacCleaner 2 Pro, and Daisy Disk, but youll find a selection of other excellent options in our roundup of the best Mac cleaner software and optimization tools.These often have system analysing features that can highlight redundant files while holding back on the ones that are still used on a regular basis. Then if you want to remove them its just a case of hitting one button rather than trawling through hundreds of sub-folders and hoping you dont delete anything essential.Youll need to pay for them, as the trials usually only offer the ability to diagnose problems rather than fix them, but most are well worth the money when you consider the time and frustration that they can save.We used CleanMyMac to delete files when we needed to free up space for macOS Big Sur. There are various options, well run through some of them below:Smart Scan this will scan your Mac and eventually let you know what junk you can remove. You can click on Review Details to see what it is suggesting you delete. In our case these are Used Cache Files, Universal Binaries, System Log Files, Language Files, and so on, to the tune of 4.56GB. Theres also the option of removing Mail Attachments and emptying the Trash.Large & Old Files this lets you remove files you havent opened for a while. This accounted for 5.23GB in our case.You can also use CleanMyMac to uninstall apps.CleanMyMac is 29.95/$29.95 (usually 34.95/$34.95) if you buy the plan for one Mac. There is also a free trial. Download from developer MacPaw here.We also have a round up of the Best Mac Cleaners in which we look at the following alternatives to CleanMyMac: DaisyDisk, MacBooster, Parallels ToolBox, and MacCleaner Pro. Read our review of Parallels Toolbox. Before buying any additional software or delving into the Library folder, take a look at our tips on how to free space on a Mac, as there might be some simple things you can do to claim back that valuable hard disk storage.

MacworldHaving the right wall charger is only part of the solution to charging your devices quickly, while the other is having the right cable. It just so happens that this Belkin type-C cable can put out 240W power delivery, which is enough to charge even the power-hungry 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops (with a 140W power adapter). You can get one of these for $15 right now, a 25 percent discount.The superfast cable is 6.6 feet long, which is particularly fantastic for those who like moving around while their phone charges. Or, if, like me, you hate laying on the very edge of the bed for those last daily minutes of doomscrolling, a cable of this length will also give you the freedom of movement you need. The cable is built with durability in mind, from the anodized aluminum head to the double-braided nylon cable thats bound to resist thousands of bends and plug-ins.The Belkin BoostCharge USB-C cables 240W power delivery, however, is the best part because it makes it highly versatile, allowing you to charge everything from smartphones to tablets to laptops. So go ahead and upgrade your charging with these super speedy $15 Belkin cables from Amazon, as the deal isnt going to stick around forever.Easily charge smartphones and laptopsBuy now at Amazon

MacworldAccording to a report from 9to5Mac, Apple could be developing a new Invites app to manage event invitations. The site found code related to Apple Invites back in the iOS 18.2 betas that were gone from the final release but have resurfaced in the second iOS 18.3 beta.As 9to5Mac explains, the app seems fairly basic, displaying a list of the people invited to a specific event along with who has confirmed their attendance. Other similar apps such as Evite or Invitd also allow you to create invitations and send them to people, which Invites would presumably also be able to do.From analyzing the code, 9to5Mac believes that the app will offer some additional features (and almost certainly a more fun interface) than simply inviting people to a calendar invite. It will integrate with iCloud and have a web version on iCloud.com. The app makes use of a new GroupKit framework that has been present since iOS 18.0 was released but is not used by any Apple app.The code doesnt indicate whether Invites will be a standalone app or a smaller Calendar or iMessages feature, such as Check In. Its also not clear if or when it will ever appearit wasnt part of any previous announcement and could simply be an experiment, or some development work happening for a feature intended to be part of iOS 19.Apple is expected to release iOS 18.3 in late January or early Februrary, while iOS 19 will be unveiled at WWDC in June.