Palworld update 0.4.15 is now available for download. This release introduces one major gameplay mechanic rework, a few critical bug fixes, and some Palworld optimizations, among other novelties.

Editors note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on how developers, 3D practitioners and enterprises can transform their workflows using the latest advances in OpenUSD and NVIDIA Omniverse.Humanoid robots are rapidly becoming a reality. Those built on NVIDIA Isaac GR00T are already learning to walk, manipulate objects and otherwise interact with the real world.Gathering diverse and large datasets to train these sophisticated machines can be time-consuming and costly. Using synthetic data (SDG), generated from physically-accurate digital twins, researchers and developers can train and validate their AI models in simulation before deployment in the real world.Universal Scene Description, aka OpenUSD, is a powerful framework that makes it easy to build these physically accurate virtual environments. Once 3D environments are built, OpenUSD allows teams to develop detailed, scalable simulations along with lifelike scenarios where robots can practice, learn and improve their skills.This synthetic data is essential for humanoid robots to learn humanlike behaviors such as walking, grasping objects and navigating complex environments. OpenUSD is enhancing the development of humanoid robots and paving the way for a future where these machines can seamlessly integrate into peoples daily lives.The NVIDIA Omniverse platform, powered by OpenUSD, provides developers a way to unify 3D assets from disparate sources such as 3DCAD and digital content creation (DCC) tools. This allows them to build large-scale 3D virtual environments and run complex simulations to train their robots, streamlining the entire process and delivering faster, more cost-effective ways to collaborate and develop physical AI.Advancing Robot Training With Synthetic Motion DataAt CES last month, NVIDIA announced the Isaac GR00T Blueprint for synthetic motion generation to help developers generate exponentially larger synthetic motion datasets to train humanoids using imitation learning.Highlights of the release include:Large-Scale Motion Data Generation: Uses simulation as well generative AI techniques to generate exponentially large and diverse datasets of humanlike movements, speeding up the data collection process.Faster Data Augmentation: NVIDIA Cosmos world foundation models generate photorealistic videos at scale using the ground-truth simulation from Omniverse. This equips developers to augment synthetic datasets faster, for training physical AI models, reducing the simulation-to-real gap.Simulation-First Training: Instead of relying solely on real-world testing, developers can train robots in virtual environments, making the process faster and more cost-effective.Bridging Virtual to Reality: The combination of real and synthetic data along with simulation-based training and testing allows developers to transfer the robots skills learned in the virtual world to the real-world seamlessly.Simulating the Future of RoboticsHumanoid robots are enhancing efficiency, safety and adaptability across industries like manufacturing, warehouse and logistics, and healthcare by automating complex tasks and increasing safety conditions for human workers.Major robotics companies including Boston Dynamics and Figure have already started adopting and demonstrating results with Isaac GR00T.Get Plugged Into the World of OpenUSDLearn more about OpenUSD, humanoid robots and the latest AI advancements at NVIDIA GTC, a global AI conference running March 17-21 in San Jose, California.Dont miss NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huangs GTC keynote on Tuesday, March 18 in person at the SAP Center or online. Hell share the latest technologies driving the next wave in AI, digital twins, cloud technologies and sustainable computing.The inaugural GTC Humanoid Developer Day will take place on Wednesday, March 18. Following the sessions, join the Physical AI Developer Meetup to network with developers and researchers at NVIDIA GTC. Discuss the latest breakthroughs in OpenUSD and generative AI-powered simulation and digital twins, as well as innovations in generalist robotics for the next frontier of industries.Learn how to use USD and continue to optimize 3D workflows with the new self-paced Learn OpenUSD curriculum for 3D developers and practitioners, available for free through the NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute. For more resources on OpenUSD, explore the Alliance for OpenUSD forum and the AOUSD website.Stay up to date by subscribing to NVIDIA news, joining the community and following NVIDIA Omniverse on Instagram, LinkedIn, Medium and X.Featured image courtesy of Fourier.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics cards built on the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture are out now, ready to power generative AI content creation and accelerate creative performance.GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPUs feature fifth-generation Tensor Cores with support for FP4, doubling performance and reducing VRAM requirements to run generative AI models.In addition, the GPU comes equipped with two ninth-generation encoders and a sixth-generation decoder that add support for the 4:2:2 pro-grade color format and increase encoding quality for HEVC and AV1. This combo accelerates video editing workflows, reducing export times by 8x compared with single encoder GPUs without 4:2:2 support like the GeForce RTX 3090.The GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU also includes 16GB of fast GDDR7 memory and 896 GB/sec of total memory bandwidth a 78% increase over the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti GPU.The GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU a game changer.NVIDIA DLSS 4, a suite of neural rendering technologies that uses AI to boost frames per second (fps) and improve image quality, is now available in professional-grade 3D apps like Chaos Vantage. D5 Render also adds DLSS 4 in beta with the new Multi Frame Generation feature to boost frame rates by 3x. 3D rendering software Maxon Redshift also added NVIDIA Blackwell support, providing a 30% performance increase.The February NVIDIA Studio Driver, with support for the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU, will be ready for download next week. For automatic Studio Driver notifications, download the NVIDIA app.Use NVIDIAs product finder to pick up a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU or prebuilt system today. Check back regularly after 6 a.m. PT, as retail partners list their available models. Explore complete specifications.Ready for the Generative AI EraBlack Forest Labs FP4-optimized FLUX.1 [dev] suite of image generation models is now available on Hugging Face.FP4 is a lower quantization method, similar to file compression, that decreases model sizes. FLUX.1 [dev] at FP4 requires less than 10GB of VRAM, compared with over 23GB at FP16.This means the state-of-the-art FLUX.1 [dev] model can run on the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU as well as all GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs. This is important because the FLUX.1 [dev] model wouldnt be able to run at FP16, given memory constraints.On the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU, the FLUX.1 [dev] model can generate images in just over eight seconds on FP4, compared with 20 seconds on FP8 on a GeForce RTX 4070 Ti GPU.Versatile ViewportsDLSS 4 is now available in Chaos Vantage and D5 Render in beta popular professional-grade 3D apps for architects, animators and designers.Both apps natively support DLSS 4s improved Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction models powered by transformers to increase image detail and improve stability.D5 Render also supports DLSS 4s DLSS Multi Frame Generation to boost frame rates by using AI to generate up to three frames per traditionally rendered frame.This enables animators to smoothly navigate a scene with multiplied frame rates and render 3D content, even with massive file sizes, at 60 fps or more.Maxon Redshift a 3D rendering software that uses GPU acceleration to visualize 3D models, scenes, animations and designs has released an update to fully harness GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs, accelerating performance by up to 30%.Every month brings new creative app updates and optimizations powered by the NVIDIA Studio platform. Follow NVIDIA Studio on Instagram, X and Facebook. Access tutorials on the Studio YouTube channel and get updates directly in your inbox by subscribing to the Studio newsletter.See notice regarding software product information.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, a sequel to the action-adventure Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, is due to set sail tomorrow, February 21 for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. We recently had a conversation with Masayoshi Yokoyama, RGG Studio Director and the Like a Dragon Series Executive Producer, about what went on behind the scenes during the development of the Pirate Battle system, as well as why he thinks Goro Majima remains a fan-favorite to this day.Masayoshi YokoyamaA narrative-driven game designLike a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii introduces a new combat system called Pirate Battles, where players can engage in cannon battles aboard their ships. Was it your plan all along to create a game that was vastly different from the rest of the series? How did the idea come about?To be honest, we werent sure where the game would end up when we first kicked off development. We had a story that we wanted to tell, and we started from there. There were still a number of unanswered questions after Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, like what would happen to Hawaii and how the former yakuza, after their complete dissolution, would continue with their lives. We thought the best way to answer these questions was to create a spin-off game. That being said, at the start of development, we had no idea that wed end up implementing Pirate Battles into the game.Did you develop the Pirate Battle system from the ground up, specifically for this game?Yes. The Like a Dragon team excels at reworking existing assets to build new systems, but we did create the Pirate Battle system from scratch.The canon battle that is part of the Pirate Battle is essentially a shooting game, and shooters can end up being too complex and difficult for players who arent used to action games. We ideated various concepts to avoid increasing the difficulty too much, like creating a mini-game where you shoot enemy ships from a 2D birds-eye view. However, our development team worked hard to implement realistic 3D pirate ships that the player can steer to engage in cannon battles. It did make the game slightly more challenging though, so we spent extra time making sure the difficulty level was just right for a Like a Dragon game.Its easy to make something as effortless as possible, but if its not challenging or rewarding, its not a lot of fun. In the end, we decided to make naval battles in the main story easier to play, and at the same time came up with the Pirates Coliseum, an arena perfect for players looking to challenge themselves with back-to-back fights with powerful enemies. There are only a few battles that are required to progress the main story, but we also wanted to cater to players looking for a challenge. This is similar to what we did with the Coliseum in Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, so weve taken this kind of dual approach more often with our recent games.My dream is for the Pirate Battle to be embraced by players all over the world and for us to create an online battle mode. However, I understand the game will need to be super successful for that to happen. If the Pirate Battle system is well-received and players ask for a game focused on it, that feedback will most certainly impact the games we make in the future.Majimas confidence in his powers allows him to make big life-altering decisionsDid your impression of Majima change throughout the games development?Majima shows a different side of himself when he meets a boy named Noah in this game. Majima suffers from amnesia and has forgotten who he is, but deep down he knows he probably spent his life as a good-for-nothing hoodlum. Then he meets Noah and develops a paternal bond with him, wishing to help fulfill his dreams. You certainly see Majima through a different lens in this game.Noah suffers from chronic asthma, and his father, Jason, forbids him from leaving their island over concerns about his well-being. Never having left the confines of his island, Noah yearns to see the rest of the world. Thats where Majima comes in, after getting washed up on the islands beach. Noah and Jason both struggle with their suppressed emotions, but Majima swoops in and helps break them out of their hardened shells. The game begins with Majima embarking on his journey with Noah and Jason by his side.His lack of memories does not stop Majima from throwing himself into anything that piques his interest. He is the sort of guy that can make life-altering decisions that others will find extremely difficult. Some may call him shortsighted, but Majima is able to accomplish all of this because he is fully confident in his strength and capabilities. Although he has no recollection of his past, he takes action because he knows he has the power to protect Noah no matter what.Throttle your enemies with Majimas signature Mad Dog StyleCould you tell us what went on behind the scenes during the development of Majimas two fighting styles, the Pirate and Mad Dog styles?We settled on the concept for Pirate Style fairly early on. We started brainstorming ideas like his pirate costume, cutlass, and flying weapons, and it all came together very quickly.On the other hand, the Mad Dog Style was a challenge. Majima is usually not a playable character, so we didnt have much experience developing fighting motions and movements tailored to him. We did, however, have a lot of experience developing Majima as the antagonist, so we had to expand on that.Another challenge was that the moves Majima used in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth were far too powerful for a playable character, but we also knew that players would want to experience Majimas signature fighting style. So, we spent a lot of time mulling over how we could adapt Majimas unique moves for a playable character, and how we could rework them to be appropriate for a fighting action game instead of an RPG. We ended up spending nearly three times more working on the Mad Dog Style compared to the Pirate Style.However, the Mad Dog Style ended up less flashy and spectacular compared to the Pirate Style, so maybe it wasnt the most effective use of our time and energy (laughs). Still, I am glad that we went with two battle styles, because I saw many players trying out the Mad Dog Style at hands-on events, probably because it best represents Majima and his scrappy ways. I personally prefer the Pirate Style because I like AOE attacks, but both are different and super fun.Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii launches on PS5 and PS4 February 21.

Every month, a wonderful new video game leaps off the diving board of development, performs a flawless series of promotional flips, and then lands a stomach-splitting belly flop onto Steam. Welcome to 2025, when even the best video games can and often do crash against the reality of Video Game Abundance.But what if, paradoxically, the answer to the problem of too many games is one more game?Ludocene is a game recommendation engine that blends, in the words of designer Andy Robertson, dating apps, deck builder games, and texting with a trusted friend.Last week, ahead of its Kickstarter launch, Robertson gave me a tour of the prototype. Heres how it works: The app deals you one video game card at a time, each featuring a trailer, genre info, and an elevator pitch. Swipe up to toss the card away. Or, if you like a game, swipe the card down into your deck of favorites. As you fill the favorite deck with a handful of games you love, Ludocene begins to make its own secondary deck, this one including new game cards inspired by your picks.I made a deck that included Nier Automata, Kentucky Route Zero, Grow Up, Spelunky 2, and A Short Hike. The tool dealt me Jusant, Lil Gator Game, Bayonetta 2, Surmount, Moonglow Bay, and A Walk with Yiayia the last of which Id never heard of. Im not alone in my unfamiliarity. Despite having a very positive rating, Walk with Yiayia has less than 100 reviews on Steam, despite being available since 2022.I would have never heard of this hidden gem if not for flicking through cards on Ludocene.Great games can go unseen. Yes, even by people like me who spend time every day trying to ensure the best stuff doesnt slip through the cracks. And yet, I suspect like me some folks will be wary of inviting another algorithm into their lives, locking them into a prison of their own current tastes.Robertson and his team are mindful of that particular pickle and have added a human element. The Expert feature lets you plop established critics, journalists, and designers each represented as their own card alongside your deck, with the app then merging the two to conjure a fresh set of recommended games.Before I wrapped my demo with Robertson, I built my own recommendations, creating an official Chris Plante card. You may one day see it. Ludocene launched on Kickstarter on Tuesday. If the team hits its funding goal, the gaming community just might take a step closer to ensuring great games dont launch DOA.

Memory of the Deep is an Avowed side quest in Emerald Stair, wherein you have to decide to give a magic space rock to either Josep Abaccio or the Giftbearer.There are two possible places to start the side quest and youll need to talk to both quest-givers to even get the option to make a choice at the end. Then, youll have to decide if you should give the mysterious meteorite to the Giftbearer or Josep Abaccio?Our Avowed guide will provide a full Memory of the Deep walkthrough, including where to find both starting points, who to give the moon rock to, and the rewards youll get.Memory of the Deep walkthrough in AvowedMemory of the Deep can be a bit confusing because there are two possible places to start it. If you only talk to one of the NPCs, you might not even know the other exists or that theres a choice to be made.Its easiest to start by talking to Josep Abaccio (and will give you more context about what happens).Youll find him in the Coastal Farms just a bit west of the Maxims Claim Party Camp where you started exploring the Emerald Stair. Hell explain that his revenants keep wandering off and ask you to find them. Hell point you to nearby Lake Lacuna and tell you to follow the line of corpses.When you reach Lake Lacuna, youll meet the mysterious Giftbringer standing on the small dock. (Talking to him will give you the quest if you skipped Josep.) Hell tell you that a shard of sky from the moon has fallen into Lake Lacuna and ask you to retrieve it.Theres a narrow tunnel leading straight down in the center of the lake. Swim down to retrieve the mysterious meteorite.When you surface, just like the Giftbearer warned, youll have to deal with a horde of angry skeletons and revenants. Clear them out, and then head south toward the Coastal Farms.Should you give the meteorite to Josep or Giftbearer in Avowed?With the moon rock in hand, youll have to decide who to hand it over to. Giving it to Josep gets you better rewards, so if youre looking for the quick answer, go with that.With a couple extra steps, though, you can give both of them something so no one is losing out. Well explain that in the third option below.Youll have two objectives and pins on your map: return to Josep or return to the Giftbearer. If you return the meteorite to Josep, hell give you 550 gold and the Chanters Panpipes a unique amulet that summons a phantom to fight by your side. Youll also get 4,590 XP. Whether or not he survives holding onto the meteorite is another question, but not your concern. You can also talk to Josep first and convince him not to take the rock from you, but you wont get a reward.If you return the meteorite to the Giftbearer, youll only get 550 gold, 4,080 XP, and possibly(?) the goodwill of the gods.For the more complicated third option, head to the Giftbearer first. When he asks for the rock, choose the something different dialogue option. Hell take a memory from you (it doesnt matter which) and be satisfied. You can then take the meteorite to Josep for his rewards.Memory of the Deep extra rewardNo matter who you give the rock to, theres a secret reward after the quest is done.You need to reset the area, so fast travel to the Docks Beacon and then return to the little beach where the Giftbearer was head south from the beacon and take the first right along the road.When you arrive, youll find the Statuette of Lament unique trinket and a Prayer to Ondra. Equipping the trinket lets you hold your breath for twice as long.For more Avowed guides, collect all Totem of Defiance locations, see our full Avowed walkthrough, or head back to Dawnshore to complete the Cabin Fever or Dawntreader side quests and find all Totem of Rightful Rulership locations.

Palm Springs presents itself as the perfect place where residential architecture may dare to defy convention with steel expanses juxtaposed against natural stone, angular planes, and volumetric spaces that embrace their vistas. And it boasts a significant inventory of mid-century modern gems waiting to be appreciated by current audiences. Through careful intervention, interior designer Stephanie Brown makes contemporary this idyllic Indian Wells Vacation Home just outside the city proper. With a refreshed structure, subtle treatments, and surfaces awash in desert hues, it stuns as it once did in a bygone era.A series of piecemeal renovations left the property feeling dated: ceramic flooring that had to go; defunct fireplaces; poor space planning; and an inefficient kitchen layout. The reimagined home is a sizable project for the area, a sprawling 2,200 square feet spread across one level with tendrils extending into the landscape, which meld seamlessly into the adjacent golf course grounds. Exterior features enhancing the experience include an entry courtyard that pulls focus up to the sky, generous patios, and a pool in the rear with an amorphous edge like a pond.The main interior programming comprises an open living, dining, and kitchen space situated around a central core element that houses a wood-burning fireplace and media accoutrement. The more private spaces include three bedrooms and three bathrooms that enjoy the same luxuries as their public counterparts. Access to light, sight lines, and fresh air are prioritized at the turn of every corner. Poorly used space is consolidated, built-in millwork now occupies a few former fireplaces, and the reworked kitchen accommodates proper entertaining. Guests may gather around a long island, stop by the coffee station, or unwind at the bar located between the dining and living rooms.We wanted the interior to feel warm, calming, and clean. Discovering similar mid-century interiors boasting an all-neutral palette proved to be an exciting endeavor, Brown shares. At first, I scoured Palm Springs for design inspiration, but the bright colors and kitschy styles didnt align with our vision. A vision lovingly referred to as Casa Sand Dune.Instead, the team referenced contemporary design in Mexico and Australia, which share a modern ethos and showcase monochromatic palettes paired with simple, natural materials such as textural stone and warm woods. The new walls are bathed in sunlight, breathing life into soft parchment tones that grace the primary surfaces walls, floors, and countertops. The muted palette and finely tailored finishing details allow for a layering of expressive materials through home furnishings that invite warmth in a rebuke of sterility often associated with minimalism.Given the hot climate and nature living al fresco, Brown used large-format porcelain tile throughout the home, which feels cool underfoot and is extremely durable. Subtle shifts in other wet areas are marked with the introduction of soft terrazzo marble and a textural wall of zellige terracotta. She also chose melamine walnut cabinetry throughout, due to its resistance to weathering from extreme heat and sunshine. The fireplace is celebrated as a focal point wrapped entirely in walnut paneling with a hearth articulated by fluted concrete tiles.While the completed dwelling adds to the storied architectural history of Palm Springs, Brown leaves her mark on a rich tradition of mid-century modern design with a fresh interpretation of this timeless sensibility.To see this and other work by the designer, visit stephaniebrowninc.com.Photography by Phil Crozier.

When Apple first revealed Apple Intelligence, its slate of generative AI features, a huge part of that announcement was a super-charged Siri. No longer would Apple's digital assistant be lagging behind competitors like Google: With the power of AI, the new Siri might actually be useful.When Apple Intelligence drops in full, Siri will reportedly be much more contextually aware, and be able to scan what's on your phone to understand and answer questions you ask. If your friend sends you their new address, you can ask Siri "add this address to their contact card." You don't need to specify which address or which contact, because the assistant will, according to Apple, be able to understand that by what's currently on-screen. Another huge feature is the ability to ask Siri to take action for you: You can ask Siri to send an email you have in your drafts, edit an image on your behalf, or add a photo to a specific note. If your iPhone is compatible with Apple Intelligence, you might have assumed it supports this new Siri. iOS 18 has been out for a bit, after all, and Apple has been pushing Apple Intelligence (and the new Siri) hard, including with a campaign featuring Bella Ramsey. Some Apple Store employees even started a chant about AI during the iPhone 16 launch.A waiting gameThe thing is, the new Siri isn't here yet. Apple did upgrade Siri a bit with iOS 18.1, and its the first wave of new AI features: That includes Siri's new design, which glows around the edges of the display; the ability to type to Siri by double-tapping on the bottom of the screen; Siri's ability to understand requests even when you misspeak; and a new feature that turns Siri into impromptu tech support (e.g., "How do I turn off Do Not Disturb?").But iOS 18.1 came and went without any further updates to Siri. iOS 18.2 added more Apple Intelligence features, including ChatGPT integration, but no major Siri changes. iOS 18.3 was a smaller update (Apple even disabled notification summaries for certain alert types), but, again, skipped any upgrades for Siri.It's not clear when Siri's full form will arriveAnyone hotly anticipating Siri's AI promise might need to keep waiting. For the longest time, it seemed like these upgrades would come as part of either iOS 18.3 or iOS 18.4. Following 18.3's absence of Siri updates, of course, those predictions turned to iOS 18.4. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported back in September that Apple was planning on rolling out most of Siri's big features by this update. However, last week, Gurman said issues and bugs are plaguing the engineering team, and, as a result, Siri may be delayed even further.We'll find out soon enough, it seems. Apple now says in fine print that additional Apple Intelligence features (as well as additional language support) are coming in early April. The company doesn't specify, but those features are likely a part of iOS 18.4. Before the company releases that update in early April, they'll need to beta test it, which means we should see 18.4's first beta sooner rather than later. When it arrives, we'll know whether Apple plans to roll out big Siri changes now, or whether they've put those upgrades on the back-burner once again.Not all iPhones will get new Siri featuresWhile Apple supports iPhone as old as the XS with iOS 18, not many iPhones will actually get these new Siri features. That's because Apple Intelligence is limited to iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the iPhone 16 seriesincluding the new iPhone 16e. If you have an iPhone 15 or older, you won't see these new upgrades, even when you update to iOS 18.4, or whichever update contains the AI-overhauled Siri.

On Wednesday, Apple officially revealed the iPhone 16e, the spiritual successor to the iPhone SE. While the second and third-generation SEs borrowed from the design language of the iPhone 8, this new iPhone looks just like an iPhone 14. There are a lot of perks that come with that decision, but in doing so, Apple has also done something pretty drastic: It has officially killed off the Home button.With the launch of the iPhone 16e, no iPhone, nor any iPad Apple currently sells, ships with a Home button. (The iPod touch was killed off a long time ago.) This is, definitively, the end of an era, and I come not to mourn the Home button, but to praise it. Let's take a look at the life of Apple's Home buttonwhat it did right, what it did wrong, and where we go from here. A brief history of the Home buttonWhen Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in 2007, a lot of attention was given it its "giant" touch screenas Jobs described the iPhone's 3.5-inch display. But while touch controls certainly stole the spotlight, it wasn't the iPhone's only unique feature to get a shoutout. Here's what Jobs had to say when addressing the Home button for the first time: "And on the front, there's only one button down there. We call it the 'Home' button: [It] takes you home from wherever you are." And at that point in time, that's all the Home button did. Want to leave an app? Hit the Home button. Welcome home. But that simplicity didn't last forever. Very quickly, simply clicking the Home button to go home wasn't enough: Users expected more from their smartphones, and Apple had to adapt. One of the first non-home functions of the Home button was to take screenshots. Anyone who has used an iPhone with a Home button knows how it works: You press the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button together, and presto: screenshot. (The functionality on today's Face ID iPhones is similar, but now you use the Side button with the Volume up button.) All of a sudden, the Home button had more than one purpose. Next came Voice Control. Not Siri, mind you: Voice Control is a rudimentary version of Siri that launched on the iPhone 3GS in 2009. (Fun fact: It still exists on iOS!) As you might expect, to activate Voice Control, you hold down the Home button, wait for the Voice Control UI to appear, then ask it to complete a task (e.g. "Call Mom," or "play a song.") With the release of iOS 4 in 2010, Apple introduced app switching: By clicking the Home button twice, you could reveal a new menu at the bottom of your screen with all of your recently-used apps. Tap one, and you could switch to it, without needing to go to your Home Screen first to find the app you were looking for. Of course, the real revolution came in 2011, with the iPhone 4S and Siri. Apple took the Voice Command control and assigned it to Siri. With a long-press of the Home button, you could call upon the digital assistant to help answer questions and complete tasks. (The utility of asking Siri to do anything has been a point of contention ever since.) The Home button's next milestone came with the iPhone 5s. For this model, Apple outfitted the button with a fingerprint reader. It was the era of Touch ID. Gone was the iconic rounded square icon in the center of the Home button, replaced by solid glass. Users could now scan their fingerprints using the button and unlock their iPhones without having to punch in a passcode. Perhaps the Home button's final development was when it ceased to be a true button at all. With the iPhone 7 series, Apple replaced the physical button with a capacitive one. Just as with its MacBooks, a Taptic Engine underneath the bottom bezel of the iPhone provides a clever vibration each time you "press" on the button. In effect, it creates the illusion a click, even though the "button" never moves at all. (There was nothing quite like the feeling of the Home button going dead when your iPhone ran out of charge at the worst possible moment.) A new player in townFor a number of years, the Home button was a key component of most Apple productsminus the Mac. Whether you bought an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, even a particular iPod nano, you were using a Home button. But nothing lasts forever.The Home button took up a lot of screen real estate, if you recall: As other smartphones pushed their displays to the edge of the device, the iPhone still sported the same general design for about 10 years. Sure, the overall device looked different, and the screens got much larger, but the display was still sandwiched between a large top and bottom bezelthe latter of which held the Home button. When Apple was looking to overhaul the iPhone's design for the iPhone X while pushing the display to its physical limits, there was only one thing to do: nix the Home button. The iconic button was pushed out, in favor of Face ID, so Apple could present its "10th anniversary iPhone" with an edge-to-edge (-ish) display. The iPhone 8 (left) vs. the iPhone X (right). Credit: Marques Brownlee/YouTube The Home button wasn't totally eliminated, of coursealong with the iPhone X, Apple released the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, which included the same capacitive Home button as the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. But by the following year, Apple's entire lineup of flagship phonesthe iPhone XS, XS Max, and XRhad all ditched the Home button.Since then, only the iPhone SE line has offered a Home buttonat least in the iPhone space. Apple kept the Home button alive on iPad for a while, until the third-generation iPad Pro (2018), fourth-generation iPad Air (2020), sixth-generation iPad mini (2021), and 10th-generation iPad (2022). And as of the iPhone 16e, the Home button is gone from Apple's lineup. What the Home button got rightIt's not that gesture controls aren't greatthey are! Swiping around iOS feels intuitive and, in many ways, is objectively better than getting around using the Home button. But the Home button had some undeniable perks. It's tough to remember for those of us with Face ID iPhones, but there was a time when it was much simpler to unlock your iPhone in the morning without resorting to using your passcode. You didn't need to contort your face in the right position away from your pillow in order to authenticate yourself: Touch ID works however you're lying down. (Touch ID also works when your face is all puffy from sleep.) That ease extends to however you unlock your iPhone: As long as you can physically touch the Home button with the correct fingerprint, you're in. Just try to unlock a Face ID iPhone while it's resting on your desk without moving your face towards it. And don't get me started on what it was like unlocking a Face ID iPhone while wearing a mask during the pandemic: Before Apple issued an update making it easier, that was a nightmare.More simply, the Home button was a button, and buttons are great! Devices in general seem to be moving away from buttons in favor of touch or voice controls, and while those can certainly be effective, physical buttons are kind of the best. There's a satisfaction in clicking something and seeing an action as a result. Swiping is perfectly fine: I'm used to swiping up to go home, or swiping up and over to access my app switcher. But clicking once to go home, or clicking twice to pull up my open apps, still works really wellas does clicking the button without purpose, just because it's there. You could also have some fun with the Home button that you can't with Face ID. Touch ID settings let you save five fingerprint scans on each device, but most of us have ten fingers. So, when setting up each fingerprint, you'd alternate fingers until a scan was completewhich effectively registeredtwo fingers on one scan. Repeat that five times, and you could use any finger to authenticate yourself. (This still works on Macs with Touch ID.) What the Home button left to be desiredHere's the problem with buttons, though: they can break. I never had a Home button break on me, but plenty of others did, for one reason or another. And if your Home button broke, it was a real pain in the ass. It's possible to fix a Home button yourselfiFixit sells a kit at a reasonable pricebut if you want Touch ID to keep working, you need to take it to the Apple Store, which will likely charge you hundreds of dollars for the privilege.While Touch ID is superior to Face ID in some ways, it falls short in many others. Are your hands wet? Your fingerprint will not scan until they're dry. Do you suffer from dry skin in the winter? Ge used to using your passcode for a few months. Wearing gloves? Better take them off. Not to mention, Face ID is way more secure than Touch ID, at least according to Apple: The company claims the former has less than a one in a million chance of unlocking when someone else uses your phone, while Touch ID has a one in 50,000 chance of the same failure. The extra screen real estate the removal of the bottom bezel affords is also an undeniable plus. The largest Home button iPhone had a 5.5-inch display, while the smallest Face ID iPhone Apple currently sells has a 6.1-inch display. It's hardly a contest. I will say, I don't see those advantages for watching videos: I don't like cropping out my content to fill my iPhone's display, so on a Pro Max iPhone, the overall video size is about the same as it would be on, say, an 8 Plus. But for everything else on iOS? Those bezels are hardly missed.Don't call the coroner yetThe Home button may be gone from Apple's lineup, but it won't soon be forgotten. It was an iconic attribute of the iPhone for the first 10 years of the product's life: Many phones had a similar design to the iPhone, but only one had that distinct rounded Home button.It also isn't dead. There are still plenty of Home button iPhones in use right now. Apple still supports the second and third-generation iPhone SE, as well as a number of Home button iPads, so the company will still need to keep Home buttons in mind when developing its software for some time. And while Apple itself won't sell you a new iPhone with a Home button, you can still easily buy one elsewhere. You can find new and used iPhone SEs through many retailers, and while I wouldn't recommend doing so if you care about your device's longevity, you can even pick up a used iPhone 8 or 8 Plus for less than $100. The point is, for a long time, the Home button mattered. And until Apple drops support for all Home button devices entirely, it still does.

Time (and perhaps a large check or two) heals all wounds. Amazon and the longtime producers and custodians of the James Bond movies have finally agreed on a way forward for the series. Amazon MGM Studios will form a joint venture with Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli that will hold the intellectual property rights and ensure they remain co-owners of the franchise. However, Wilson and Broccoli will be stepping back to focus on other projects, with Amazon gaining full creative control.The company bought MGM in 2022 for $8.45 billion to get its hands on a renowned film studio with a vast library of film and TV episodes. Co-ownership of the Bond series was a big part of that. However, production of Bond movies had been on hold amid reports of a power struggle between Amazon and Broccoli, who is said to have felt that an ecommerce giant was not the right fit for her family's franchise (she inherited the series from her father, Albert Cubby Broccoli, who died in 1996).Until now, Broccoli and her half-brother Wilson had retained creative control. She and her family have been very protective of the series and its legacy. Broccoli reportedly rebuffed most of Amazon's attempts to develop spinoffs, save for the reality competition series 007: Road to a Million. But that's about to change with Amazon seemingly eager to propel the series forward before Ian Fleming's Bond novels fully enter the public domain in a decade allowing anyone to publish their own adaptations of them."My life has been dedicated to maintaining and building upon the extraordinary legacy that was handed to Michael and me by our father, producer Cubby Broccoli," Broccoli said in a statement. "I have had the honor of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry. With the conclusion of No Time to Die and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects.On one hand, the series will be exiting the limbo it's been in since Daniel Craig stepped away from the role after 2021's No Time To Die. We might finally learn who the next James Bond is in the near future. On the other, there's no telling how Amazon might dilute the prestige quality of the franchise with spinoffs and more projects like the game show Brian Cox didn't realize he was signing up to host.The movies have a tradition of product placement from luxury brands, and we could see Amazon replacing the likes of LG monitorswith, say, Echo Show displays. And if ever there was an opportunity for Amazon to create and market its own smartwatch...This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/amazon-will-take-full-creative-control-of-the-james-bond-franchise-174255959.html?src=rss