Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth players who bought the game digitally cannot platinum the game.
According to Kotaku, ever since Square Enix pushed out the 1.020 patch, one of the RPG's last side quests – Can't Stop, Won't Stop – can only be completed by those who bought the game physically.
7Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Review - FF7 Rebirth Spoiler free review new gameplay
"The questline is bugged for some people and no matter what you do it won't process your scores against him," said one player on the FF7 subreddit. "I've hit over 32k on the bike minigame multiple times in a row, trying various different ways to see if it will finally go through, and it just never pops for his quest."
"Just happened to me, too. Literally the last thing I have to do in the game before I complete my first playthrough. So annoying," added another.
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Whilst the update has seemingly broken the game for everyone attempting that trophy, players with a physical copy can uninstall Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, disconnect their PS5 from the internet, and then reinstall with their disc. As long as your save was made before the update, the trophy should pop for you. Digital owners, however, will have to wait until Square pushes out a fix. Sorry.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was released on 29th February to critical acclaim. Ed described it as an "overstuffed but lovable re-imagining" of the original game in his Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth review.
Square Enix has also announced the game's soundtrack will release on 10th April, with some songs available to stream now.
Google has told its podcast app’s users to migrate subscriptions to YouTube Music by April 2 to stream their favorite shows.
Techcrunch reports that users who don’t immediately act still have additional time to migrate, but will no longer be able to stream from the podcasts app directly after this date.
The Google Podcasts app is installed on 500 million Android devices globally. The migration is part of the overall company plan to centralize its audio services under YouTube.
A support page on Google’s site confirms that users in the U.S. will only be able to use the Podcasts app through the end of March 2024. For those who miss the in-app pop-ups, Google will offer users additional time to save their subscriptions by allowing them to use the app’s export feature through July 2024.
While the current migration is for the U.S., the company plans to discontinue Google Podcasts globally in 2024.
29 March 2024 marks the 50th birthday of one of the automotive world’s quiet icons.
More than 36 million have been sold since 1974, and it has long since surpassed its predecessor, the first people’s car, as the best-selling European car of all time. It continues to be built at a rate of up to 2000 cars per day, and through many challenges it has survived and flourished, and will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
It's a design which, like the Porsche 911, has evolved over time while retaining the essential character of the original. The importance of the Golf to Volkswagen cannot be underestimated, and as such it will see a rejuvenation, rather than reinvention, for the electric era ahead of us.
But first, let’s look at the story from the start:
The Mk1: replacing the Beetle
The Type 1, referred to as Beetle, Coccinelle or Käfer among other names, birthed Volkswagen in the 1930s, but despite only becoming the world’s best-seller in 1972, it was getting pretty long in the tooth.
A replacement was needed. Named after the Golfstrom, the German for Gulfstream, the Mk1 Golf first appeared in 1974, when the hatchback genre itself was in its infancy and ready for a stylish, affordable and well-packaged market leader. And that’s exactly what we got. The Golf was arguably the car that turned the sector into the colossal market it is today. So instantaneous was its success that by October 1976 the one millionth example had already rolled off the production line.
Giugiaro’s clean, svelte masterpiece has set the shape of hatchbacks for generations ever since then, in fact, the original shape was sold as the Citi Golf in South Africa until 2009, such was its enduring popularity.
GTI: redefining the hot hatchback formula
The Golf was a neat and efficient family car, but thanks to the efforts of a small group of enthusiastic VW engineers it became a bonafide performance car too. An after-hours project for a ‘Sport Golf’ grew into the Golf GTI, released in 1975 and kicking off the hot hatch boom.
It took the world by storm, even if it didn’t hit the UK and US markets until much later, and in the end nearly half a million were sold, against the 5000 management had initially expected to shift.
The success of the GTI spawned a warmed-up diesel GTD, which would eventually be joined by a multitude of variants, including Pickups (the Caddy), saloons (the Jetta) and Cabriolets.
Mk2: more of the good stuff
Giugiaro’s design was sympathetically updated by Volkswagen’s in-house design team for the longer and wider Mk2 Golf, which arrived in 1983. It was quite a bit bigger and heavier to make more room for the Polo below it, but we reckon it lost little of the first car’s charm.
It still combined style, refinement and practicality like nothing else in its class, winning What Car? and Motor Trend’s Car of the Year awards and finishing best in class in the European Car of the Year competition.
While the Mk1 had been marketed as the Rabbit in the States, for the second generation it was standardised to become the Golf globally. It went on to sell 6.3 million units (about as many as the Mk1) before the arrival of the all-new Mk3 at the end of 1991.
Specials: superchargers and four-wheel drive
Today the Mk2 GTI isn’t valued quite as highly as the Mk1, because a 120kg increase in weight dulled the handling and performance slightly, although a 16-valve version with 137bhp (up from 110) recovered some of its Midas touch.
Countless special editions have been released, the most interesting of which were models like the Country, which used Syncro four-wheel drive, the GTI G60, which gained a supercharger to produce 158bhp, and even a Rallye homologation special, with both the Syncro four-wheel drive system and supercharged GTI engine.
Mk3: the forgotten Golf
The Mk3 was the first to scoop the illustrious European Car of the Year award. It was also the first generation to gain an estate body style, the first with a colourful Harlequin edition and the first to see a replacement for the Cabriolet, which had survived throughout the entire Mk2’s production run.
We had become used to the steady evolution of the Golf and this was no different - bigger, more refined, more practical and more economical, the important stuff for most buyers was only enhanced, and as a result remained in the higher echelons of the sales charts.
Golfs had always had diesels, but the introduction of the now legendary 1.9 TDI made it a sensible and acceptable choice, even for those that didn’t cover mega miles.
VR6: The world’s first GT hatchback?
If the Mk2 GTI was a slight disappointment after the legendary first, the third was a bit of a letdown. Critics complained of its heavy steering, underpowered engine and dull dynamics; with just 113bhp to its name it was the slowest GTI yet.
Despite an attempt to enliven the recipe with a 148bhp 16 valve four-pot, the GTI still struggled to generate excitement against impressive rivals that came to steal its title as class champion, like the Peugeot 306 GTI-6.
Perhaps more in keeping with the Mk3’s grown-up image was the VR6, which created a bit of a GT-cum-hatchback, because it was effortlessly quick and refined, if a bit too soft to recreate the magic of the first.
MK4: fun follows function
With Volkswagen's acquisitions of both Seat and Skoda, the Golf had yet more space to move upmarket - something which it took full advantage of in 1997. If the Mk3 was getting a bit bland to look at, the Mk4 was restrained but contemporary and premium looking, which its designer, Peter Schreyer, would also go on to achieve with the Audi TT – incidentally based on Golf underpinnings.
Once again the Cabriolet wasn’t renewed, and instead carried on using the Mk3’s body.
There was, however, a new estate and Jetta, which became known as the Bora in Europe. It was the first Golf to feature electronic stability control and a 5-cylinder engine, which sat below the four-wheel drive, 2.8-litre VR6.
Hot Mk4s: for better and for worse
Spoiler alert; the GTI got worse before it got better. The 113bhp 2.0-litre now had even more weight to lug about, and some enthusiasts weren’t happy about a GTI-badged diesel, even if it had a decent 148bhp. In fact, the heavy 113bhp GTI was such an affront to the badge that Volkswagen didn’t call it that in many markets, instead utilising the new 1.8-litre turbo, which maxed out at a drab 177bhp.
But Volkswagen soon came back fighting. Enter stage left, the stonking R32.
Not satisfied with being the first to stuff six cylinders in a family hatch, Volkswagen went a bit bonkers, shoe-horning a 238bhp 3.2-litre under the bonnet – with the cherry on the cake being the world's first production DSG (dual-clutch gearbox).
MK5: the King is back
The most Golf-like Golf? It’s a difficult question to answer. Arguably it’s the ability to be a car for everyone anywhere, and that means blending quality, comfort, refinement and practicality, but still being enjoyable to operate, and ideally a bit fun.
Perhaps the fun factor had been dwindling out of the Golf, but the Mk5 was here to reinvigorate it. Yes, the GTI is the one remembered for its legendary drive, but even the standard fifth-generation car proved satisfying to drive without sacrificing anything the Golf had become known for. It was good enough to earn a very impressive 4.5 stars from our road test in 2005.
Mk5: As close to perfection as it gets?
Finally, the GTI returned to form - no longer did we have to rely on the R32 for a likeable performance variant.
In a comparison test between every generation of GTI, our own Andrew Frankel named the Mk5 as his pick. Here’s what he had to say: “The Mk5 is superb. Of course, with its near- 200bhp output, performance is unrecognisable compared with its elder relatives. It feels properly rapid, super-strong in the mid-range and almost devoid of turbo lag. More interesting still, if you try to hoof it around in the corners, it really responds.
“Inevitably, grip levels are several streets ahead, but so is its willingness to adjust its line according to the whim of your right foot. You can steer this car on the throttle in a way that the Mk1 cannot be driven and the Mk2 chooses not to be driven. It is, in short, more fun than either.”
Mk6: a gentle evolution
The Mk5 was subtly updated in 2008 to create the Mk6, mainly because the Mk5 was too expensive to produce. Notably, the Mk6 introduced a self-parking function, an MPV-shaped Golf Plus, and a GTI Cabriolet for the first time.
The GTI was also only slightly changed, with a tad more power to help preserve its rediscovered excellence. A new range-topper, the R, extracted 266bhp from four cylinders to create the fastest Golf yet.
Mk7: doing what the Golf does best
The Golf got its mojo back with the Mk7. Once again, it became bigger and easier to live with, and the GTI became an even better all-rounder, losing none of its fun factor.
But any of the slightly tall and awkward proportions of its predecessor had been lost to a clean, minimalist design that still looks fresh today.
“One of the keys to the Golf’s success lies in its continuity”, said Walter de Silva, VW’s Head of Design until 2015. “There are a handful of cars with a design that, like the Golf’s, has been refined, tweaked and enhanced down the decades and thus become timeless.”
Mk8: a hit and a miss?
After three successful generations, Volkswagen arguably lost its way with the current generation Golf introduced at the end of 2019, so much so that it lost its place as Europe’s best-selling car from 2022. While VW may point to the growth of SUVs and electric cars stealing buyers, the fact that the Peugeot 208, a petrol supermini, beats it in the sales charts suggests the problem lies with the Golf itself.
The Mk8 had been intended to kickstart Volkswagen’s digital revolution, but instead the complicated and unintuitive technology put buyers off, meanwhile its styling proved more controversial than its crisp predecessor.
The 2024 Mk8.5 Golf looks to rectify some of those problems and help restore the Golf’s best attributes to make it the family favourite again. Unfortunately, though, the facelift also marks the end of the manual GTI, but thankfully the automatics are still good fun to hoon about.
Mk9: the Future
It almost seemed like the Golf was going to end on a low point as the electric revolution heralded an uncertainty for the icon.
Thankfully, though, Volkswagen has confirmed the nameplate will return in the form of an electric hatchback in 2028 that will look more conventional than the potato-shaped ID3, while bringing some much-needed familiarity to the future. It will also mark exciting new GTI and R versions which will look to make electric cars fun to drive. We wish them well.
Sir Demis wants to see children embrace adaptability in a "very fast-changing world"
Parents tearing their hair out over children spending hours gaming should instead be encouraging their creative use of tech, a recently-knighted AI millionaire has told the BBC.
Sir Demis Hassabis said they should be encouraged to create and programme.
The co-founder and boss of Google's DeepMind himself grew up playing chess and gaming. Google bought his firm for a reported £400m in 2014.
Sir Demis told BBC Radio 4's Today that gaming helped him to become successful.
"It's important to feed the creative part, not just playing them [games]," he said. "You never know where your passions lead, so I would actually just encourage parents to get their children really passionate about things, and then develop their skills through that."
He said children will have to be ready to be very adaptable in what will be a "very fast-changing world", and "just embrace that adaptability".
Sir Demis, a child chess prodigy, designed and programmed a multi-million selling game called Theme Park in his teens before going to Cambridge University.
After graduating he founded a video games firm, completed a PhD in neuroscience, and then co-founded DeepMind in London in 2010, which he subsequently sold to Google.
On Thursday he posted on X saying he was "delighted" to receive his knighthood for services to AI.
He told the BBC that the knighthood was recognition of what he and his team had done to "seed the whole AI field and the AI industry", and recognition of their contribution to British life.
He said he did not regret selling DeepMind to Google 10 years ago as he regarded it as the right company with the needed computer power to take on the firm.
"There was no capability in the UK at the time to raises the hundreds of millions of dollars that one would require to take on things globally", he said.
AI has raised concerns about its use in imitating people in "deepfake" videos, including using the faces and voices of real life people in AI-generated sex videos.
Christopher Doss, a researcher at think tank Rand Corporation, said spotting deepfake videos has turned into "an arms race between those who are trying to detect it, and those who are trying to evade detection".
There are also worries that the way AI is trained using publicly available data could lead to "algorithm bias". This is a particular concern where it is deployed to automate decision-making, such as picking the relevant CVs for job seekers.
As the AI industry rapidly develops, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held the first AI safety summit in 2023, where he said he recognised there was "anxiety" about the impact new tools could have on the workplace, but said it would enhance productivity over time.
At that summit, Sir Demis signed a statement that said "mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war".
Speaking to BBC business editor Simon Jack, Sir Demis said he did not see himself as someone like Robert Oppenheimer, the designer of the nuclear bomb.
He said his generation of scientists had heeded "warnings" about the power of science and "the risks" involved if such power is not "handled correctly". He added that AI has an "unbelievable positive impact" that is "broader than nuclear".
The interview with Sir Demis Hassabis will be feature on Today from 07:00 on Saturday 30 March, or listen back on BBC Sounds.
If you're going bargain-hunting this Easter weekend then a new batch of deals from EE might catch your eye. The telecoms firm has just launched a batch of offers that slash the price of owning popular iPhones by a whopping 50 percent. Yes, you did read that correctly - this really is a half-price sale event. So how does this all really work, how much will you save and what's the catch?
Firstly, it's worth pointing out that the money being knocked off is for EE's airtime and data, not the actual iPhone. It basically means that instead of paying £30 per month for unlimited data, calls and texts you'll only pay £17.50 per month.
You then have to add the iPhone cost on top with prices starting from £20.21 for those happy to hold onto the device for three years - that price rises to £30.32 on a two-year deal.
It's still a nice saving although there is a catch as the half-price discount only lasts for the first six months of the contract. You then have to pay the full price.
Here's how much it saves compared to EE's standard deals without 50 percent off.
iPhone 15 - 128GB model EE DEAL: £17.50 data for six months (then £35) iPHONE PRICE: £30.32 (24-month contract) INCLUDES: Unlimited calls, texts and data UPFRONT FEE: £30 TOTAL COST: £1,532 (excludes price rise next March) The total saving on this deal is £105 compared to paying the full £35 price over two years for data. SEE THE DEAL HERE
It's a very nice bonus but don't forget to shop around before you tap the buy button. For example, Mobiles.o.uk is currently offering the iPhone 15 via the ID Network for £36.99 with unlimited data on a two-year contract.
The total price for that deal including a £9 upfront fee is just £896.76 - that's over £600 cheaper than EE.
SMARTY, which is powered by Three, is offering an unlimited data SIM for £20 - add that to the price of the device and you'll pay £1,179 over two years.
As a quick reminder, the iPhone 15 features a refreshed design with a matt finish, a faster A16 Bionic processor, Dynamic Island notch and USB-C charging. Want to know more? You can read our full iPhone 15 review here.
Helldivers 2 players are now fully committed to the assault on the Automaton homeworlds in a preemptive campaign of "defensive annihilation". The first waves met stiff resistance from the machines, and the entire situation was at risk of becoming a dangerous quagmire for the forces of Freedom. Thankfully, seeing the situation developing, Super Earth is bringing out the big guns, unlocking two new Support Strategems to provide the power needed to punch through all that armour.
Courtesy of the Ministry of Defence, the LAS-99 Quasar Cannon and MG-101 Heavy Machine Gun are now available for immediate battlefield distribution. The Heavy Machine Gun is marketed as a "very powerful but difficult-to-wield machine gun with intense recoil", and the Quasar Cannon "charges up to fire a powerful, explosive energy burst". It will take some time to determine the efficacy of each, but initial reports from the frontlines seem promising:
Have you had a chance to try out the new weapons already deployed in Helldivers 2? If so, let us know in the comments section below.
A white version might be out very soon (Picture: Microsoft)
An all-digital Xbox Series X might be released very soon after images of the console appear to have leaked.
Following months of rumours regarding a redesigned Xbox Series X, it seems Microsoft’s revised version of the console has made its way into the wild.
Earlier this year, a reliable leaker claimed Microsoft is planning to launch a white digital-only Xbox Series X in the summer. The report said the console would have some upgraded components, including an improved heatsink, but otherwise it would largely remain the same.
Now the same leaker, eXtas1s, has posted images seemingly of the console which they received from an unnamed source.
While the images themselves are bizarrely low-quality, they clearly show a white Xbox Series X without a disc drive. The pictures also show the back of the console, which has the same ports as the original.
According to the eXputer report, the console is expected to retail at a lower price point than the original Xbox Series X due to the absence of a disc drive. In the UK, the Xbox Series X costs £479.99, but it is available for much cheaper elsewhere.
Exputer has leaked the initial images of a diskless, white Xbox Series X.
Exputer’s report, drawing from its internal sources, indicates Microsoft is developing a disk-free, white version of the Xbox Series X.
Xbox president Sarah Bond recently confirmed the company will share more news about new hardware later this year.
‘There’s some exciting stuff coming out in hardware that we’re going to share this holiday, and we’re also invested in the next generation roadmap,’ Bond said. ‘And what we’re really focused on there is delivering the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation.’
The PS Plus Essential monthly games lineup for April has now been officially confirmed by Sony, offering up yet another trio of treats for subscribers. The titles on offer will be available to claim from Tuesday 2nd April. Here's what you can look forward to in the latest lineup:
An interesting mix this month, then. Immortals of Aveum is a first-person shooter that equips you with magic instead of machine guns, and while it's far from perfect, we think it's well worth a try as part of your Plus membership. Minecraft Legends is an entertaining, if shallow, tactical spin-off that the whole family can enjoy, while Skul: The Hero Slayer is perhaps the least well-known, a side-scrolling action platformer with some roguelike elements.
The PS Blog also notes a new Overwatch 2 Mega Bundle, exclusive to PS Plus members. This includes Legendary Beekeeper Sigma, Legendary Art Deco Symmetra, seven Epic Skins, and five Battle Pass Tier Skips.
Which of these titles will you be checking out in April? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Apple will hold its next Worldwide Developers Conference this June.
The event will see updates for all of Apple’s products, from the iPhone to the Mac and Apple Watch. But it might be notable for a new technology that is set to change all of them: Apple’s long-awaited reveal of some of the artificial intelligence products it has been working on, which are part of what is said to be one of the most substantial set of updates ever to come to Apple’s products.
The event will begin with a keynote presentation on 10 June, and talks for developers will run through the week until 14 June. Like other WWDC events since the pandemic, the primary part of the conference will be held online, though there will be a special event to watch the keynote for select developers, which it said will include “special activities”.
It did not give any information about what it intends to launch at the event. Its announcement of the date only said that it “will spotlight the latest iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS advancements”.
But rumours have widely suggest that most of those developments will focus on artificial intelligence. Apple has been integrating AI into its products deeply for years – but some have suggested that it has lagged behind the recent wave of new technologies, and it has been resistant to focusing on the technology too much.
Recent news has suggested that may change. Apple has been more happy to mention AI – Tim Cook has been explicit that Apple is working on new uses of the technology, and the new MacBook Air was advertised as “the world’s best consumer laptop for AI” – and numerous reports have suggested generative AI and other new technologies are being integrated into iOS.
Rumours have suggested that Apple is considering partnering with an AI firm such as Google or OpenAI to integrate their generative AI features into the iPhone. Until now, Apple’s use of AI has tended to be integrated within the device, and focused on specific use cases.
As well as those AI updates, Apple is rumoured to be redesigning how the Home Screen appears on the iPhone, including adding the option to put apps anywhere on the page.
And Apple has been reported to be working on new hardware updates, such as revised versions of the AirPods including the long-neglected AirPods Max.
At last year’s WWDC, Apple also revealed new updates for all of its products. But the headliner of the launch event was the Apple Vision Pro, which was first unveiled during the presentation and arrived earlier this year.
There's an all-new Dyson that's recently arrived in the UK and it offers a clever feature not found on these vacuums before. The V15s Detect Submarine now includes the ability to mop floors as well as suck up dust and grime which should make this machine a one-stop shop for the weekly chores.
So, is it really any good and should you ditch your trusted mop and bucket and splash out and buy one?
Mirror Online has been whizzing it around our home for the past few weeks and it certainly offers a hassle-free way of polishing and scrubbing the floors. That's because it comes with a unique wet roller head attachment which can be filled with water to offer a mop effect. Using an eight-water jet system - which is evenly spaced along the roller - you get to scrub things clean whilst the Submarine makes sure your feet and tiles don't become over-saturated with the wet stuff.
Filling the 300ml tank is easy and it holds enough liquid to wash down a normal-sized room without needing a refill. Another bonus of the V15s Detect Submarine is its ability to suck up spills without any fuss - perfect for the accident-prone who are constantly dropping bottles of water and cups of tea.
Dyson V15s Detect Submarine (
DYSON)
We tested dripping glasses red wine and mugs of coffee on our floors and all were removed in a flash and without smearing stains all over the place. That's thanks to a durable plate inside the head which extracts the contaminated water from the wet roller and deposits it into a separate waste-water tray.
When it's time to vacuum the rest of the house the V15s Detect Submarine also leaves things looking spick and span. Not only does it feature a super powerful Hyperdymium motor but also Dyson's clever Dust Sensing technology which boosts the suction when needed the most.
As the vacuum hits mucky areas you can hear the engine go into overdrive as it picks up all the excess grime. There is also a HEPA filtration system which Dyson promises will catch 99.99% of particles as small as 0.1 microns.
A small screen on the back of the vacuum also reveals exactly how much dust you've captured during your clean. This screen can also be used to see battery life, manually pump up the power and check if the filters need a wash.
Dyson V15s Detect Submarine (
DYSON)
It comes with numerous attachments to make sure every corner of your home gets dusted and a full battery should easily be enough to vacuum a four-bedroom house before it needs charging again.
There's plenty to like about V15s Detect Submarine but all this tech doesn't come cheap. This device will set you back a whopping £799 - ouch!
Emptying the dirty water tank needs steady hands as the liquid isn't contained in a closed compartment and it is pretty heavy to hold - that becomes especially noticeable during long cleaning sessions. There are also some who might simply say what's wrong with a good old fashioned £10 mop?
Dyson V15s Detect Submarine (
DYSON)
OUR VERDICT
Dyson's latest V15s Detect Submarine really does clean up when it comes to your floors. Not only does it feature the usual high-powered suction for getting rid of dust but it also gives things a welcome wash as well.
As well as deep cleaning, this vacuum also sucks up spills without any fuss - perfect for the accident-prone who are constantly dropping bottles of water and cups of tea.
It's a really neat idea that makes the Submarine a one-stop shop for the weekly chores.
There are a couple of gripes including no closed container for the waste water. At £799 it's also £100 more than the already pricy Dyson V15s Detect model without the water function.
But, if you want to wash your floors and ditch that unsightly mop and bucket Dyson's latest device is a very polished product
The big Apple event in the summer is the World Wide Developers Conference. This year’s WWDC has just been revealed by Apple, and we now know all the details of when, where, what format and who’s going.
WWDC Dates And Times
WWDC is a week later than usual, running Monday, June 10, to the following Friday, June 14. When I predicted this as a possibility last week, I luckily got it right!
It will kick off with the keynote as usual. Apple hasn’t revealed the time just yet but it’s always at 10 a.m. local, in this case Pacific Daylight Time.
WWDC: Location
Like last year, it’s going to be online, but there’ll be a special event in person on the Monday. This will be held in Apple Park. Last year, the seats were outside the staff canteen, Café Macs. If you’re invited, it’s an incredibly rare opportunity to step inside Apple Park itself.
WWDC: How To Be There In Person
The in-person experience is on June 10 only and, Apple says, “will provide developers the opportunity to watch the keynote at Apple Park, meet with Apple team members, and take part in special activities.”
So, how do you get to go there? Apple says, “Space will be limited, and details on how to apply to attend can be found on the Apple Developer site and app.”
Is There Another Way?
There is. Apple supports what it calls the next generation of developers through the Swift Student Challenge. There’s more news on this on Thursday this week. Apple says, “On March 28, this year’s applicants will be notified of their status, and winners will be eligible to apply for the in-person experience at Apple Park. Fifty Distinguished Winners, who are recognized for outstanding submissions, will be invited to Cupertino for a three-day experience.”
WWDC: Pricing
When Apple does these events online, it doesn’t charge—which is a big saving over the $1,600 pricing which was charged when the event was all in-person.
WWDC: What To Expect
The software that will run the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Mac will all be showcased at WWDC, plus details of the next software releases for Apple Vision Pro.
What will be announced at WWDC gives an indication of the direction Apple is taking its existing and upcoming products, hinting at what the next iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch will be able to do. Of course, the features that are exclusive to the iPhone 16, for instance, will be revealed when that hardware is unwrapped, but for sure it’ll do everything that’s in the software revealed in June, and more.
It’s unlikely there will be a One More Thing, the moment when the Vision Pro was unveiled last summer, and while a hardware announcement is not impossible, it’s almost certainly going to be all about the software this year.
Philips Hue parent company Signify today announced an expanded relationship with Samsung, bringing the Philips Hue Sync TV app to additional countries, adding a Music Mode, and introducing a monthly subscription option.
As of last year, Samsung TV owners have been able to download a Philips Hue Sync app that allows Samsung smart TVs to be linked to HomeKit-connected Hue bulbs and lighting products. With the integration, content played on Samsung TVs is synced to the lighting in the room.
When the feature launched, it was priced at $130 for Samsung TV owners, but starting this spring, there will be a lower-priced subscription option. Customers can choose to pay a monthly fee of $2.99 to use the Hue Sync app on up to three TVs, or a one-time fee to unlock it on a single TV. The Philips Hue Sync TV app is launching in Brazil, Hong Kong, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, so Samsung TV owners in those countries can use the functionality.
On compatible 2024 Samsung TV models, there is a new Music Mode option that allows the lights to react to the audio of what's playing on TV rather than the content of the screen. It is compatible with any music played on the TV, and will also be coming to Samsung TVs made in 2022 and 2023 later this year.
For those without Samsung TVs, the $250 Hue Play HDMI Sync Box paired with a streaming device like an Apple TV is the only way to get TV content that's synced to lights, so the Samsung TV app provides a simpler solution for those who have Samsung TVs.
The Philips Hue Sync TV app is available for Samsung Q60 series or higher QLED TVs that were made in 2022 or later.
Samsung announced its AI-packed software update, One UI 6.1, back in February for older devices such as Galaxy S23. Now, it seems we’re finally approaching the rollout.
One UI 6.1 is the software that comes out of the box on Galaxy S24. It makes a handful of system changes, but is mainly focused on AI features. Samsung announced during its Unpacked event that many of those features would be coming to 2023 Galaxy devices, and later confirmed (and then reiterated) that the update would be available sometime in March 2024.
As that deadline comes to a close over the coming weekend, it seems Samsung is finally ready to get things in motion.
For some users, a notification has appeared announcing that One UI 6.1 is rolling out to the Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra starting on March 28. The notification was highlighted by Samsung enthusiast Tarun Vats on Twitter/X.
Unfortunately, the notification only directly confirms that the update will be rolling out on that date in China. There’s no word on when it might be available to the rest of the world.
That said, it does seem likely this date will at least mark the start of the rollout globally. For one, March 28 is the last Thursday of this month, and Samsung usually starts its update rollouts towards the middle of the week. This would also be the last chance Samsung would have to fulfill its previous “late March” promise. Beyond that, the same date was mentioned by Samsung Vietnam recently.
So, by all accounts, it sure seems like Samsung will launch One UI 6.1 for the Galaxy S23 series later this week. Past that, it’s likely that Galaxy Z Flip 5, Fold 5, and Tab S9 would be quick to follow. It’s also ever-more-likely that the Galaxy S22 series will be updated with some AI features too.
Dragon's Dogma 2 is currently the game everyone online seems to be playing. Clips of open world insanity proliferate on social media platforms as players get to grips with Capcom's latest genre-defining romp, which was partly to be expected. What took players by surprise, however, was the swathe of seemingly sinister microtransactions that were made available as soon as the single-player, $70 RPG went live, as well as rough technical performance on both PS5 and PC.
Capcom has responded to the intense waves of criticism received in a post on Steam, apologised for any inconvenience, and outlined how it intends to support DD2 moving forward. "Critical problems" such as crashes and freezing will remain the developer's highest priority, to be addressed in patches in the near future; the option of starting a new game is being investigated on PC first (currently, some steps are required), and the developer wants to look at improving performance where possible.
Maddeningly, on the subject of the paid extras that caused such a stink in the first place (which Capcom refers to as "paid DLC"), the Monster Hunter/Resident Evil developer/publisher simply reminds players that "all the items listed below can be obtained in-game or as paid DLC items" before advertising them again. It's a hell of a hustle, and if nothing else, we appreciate its brazen nature. The additions are available for any PlayStation players who wish to partake (we don't judge).
That said, the swathe of extras seemingly slipped in at launch is not a good look from a company that has a healthy amount of goodwill from increasingly cash-strapped fans. Still, it's also true that none of it is necessary, provided you exercise some financial self-control. We thought the inclusion of microtransactions in Dragon's Dogma 2 was disappointing more than anything else, and you can read our full thoughts on the matter in our review.
What do you think of Capcom's response? Can we expect a similar stealth drop of "paid DLC" when Monster Hunter Wilds launches? Let us know in the comments section below.
If your Fire TV Stick is feeling a little past its best then now is a very good time to consider switching things up and buying something new. Amazon's Spring Sale Even is well underway with hundreds of products slashed in price including the full range of Fire TV Sticks. Things currently start from just £24.99 for the Fire TV Stick Lite but there's also a surprisingly big discount on the latest and greatest 4K Max streaming dongle.
This premium Fire TV Stick was launched late last year and features numerous updates such as a more powerful processor, more curvaceous design and improved Wi-Fi 6E tech/>technology which reduces the chance of your nightly boxset binge grinding to an annoying halt..
Those are clearly nice upgrades to have but the best feature of the Max is its exclusive Ambient Experience which transforms your TV into a stunning work of art. With over 2,000 images to choose from, your boring blank television can look different every single day of the year. And that's not all as you can also overlay useful widgets including sticky notes, calendars, to-do lists and how the day's weather is looking.
Other features that boost the overall experience include support for stunning Dolby Vision and HDR10+ for a brighter on-screen image plus there's immersive sound thanks to Dolby Atmos.
At launch the Fire TV Stick 4K Max costs £69.99 but, thanks to Amazon's sale event that's been slashed to just £44.99
Sound enticing? You'll need to act fast with the Spring Sale coming to an end tomorrow night, Monday March 25.
As we mentioned earlier, it’s not just the 4K Max that’s on offer with Amazon also slashing the price of devices including the Fire TV Cube, Fire TV Stick 4K and entry-level Fire TV Stick Lite.
Want to know more about these other offers - full details below.
Fire TV Stick Lite • NOW £24.99 - SAVE 29% The Fire TV Stick Lite is Amazon's entry-level streaming device. It offers HD streaming and full access to Alexa via the bundled remote. You don't get the picture-in-picture mode and it's not as powerful as other Fire devices but it's a good way to start your streaming journey. SEE THE DEAL HERE
New Fire TV Stick 4K • NOW £34.99 - SAVE £43% The new Fire TV 4K was announced late last year and gets the same new design as the 4K Max. It's also now faster, has improved Wi-Fi and can beam content to the big screen in stunning Ultra HD resolution. SEE THE DEAL HERE
