Category: Technology

Perhaps the biggest Apple news of the week is that the battery percentage icon is finally back in the iPhone’s status bar with the release of iOS 16 beta 5. While it’s been a surprisingly controversial change, there’s already an app that can bring the same battery percentage design to your MacBook…

iOS 16 battery percentage icon for your Mac

The design of the new battery percentage icon in iOS 16 shows a full battery icon with the precise percentage right inside of it. The battery icon remains full until your iPhone hits 20%, then it drops down so it’s clear that you’re running low on battery.

The design has proven to be controversial, with some people arguing that it’s deceiving the battery icon stays full until that 20% threshold. Given the limited space in the status bar, however, this is likely the only option, and of course Apple isn’t forcing you to turn on the option.

But if you are a fan of this design (and I am), developer Rony Fadel has updated his popular Batteries app for macOS with an option to bring the same design to your MacBook. It works just as you’d expect it to and lets you see your battery percentage right inside the battery icon.

This design is actually quite nice on macOS. By default, macOS doesn’t show you the battery percentage. Instead you have to click on the battery icon or enable the always-visible percentage in System Preferences. When you enable that option, the battery percentage is located next to the battery icon, therefore taking up more space in your menu bar. This is not a huge deal, but it can be annoying on a MacBook with a notch where menu bar space is constrained.

You can download the Batteries for Mac app from Fadel’s website for $8.99. The app is also available via the Setapp subscription service, which bundles over 200 apps for a single monthly subscription.

What are you thoughts on the new battery percentage icon in iOS 16? Do you want Apple to also bring it to the Mac? Let us know down in the comments!

Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvuV DebeKGE

SpaceX could send its next-generation Super Heavy rocket on its first test flight as early as next month.

As part of the preparations for the most powerful rocket ever built, the company has this week been performing ground-based test fires of the booster at its facility in Boca Chica, Texas.

The Super Heavy’s first-ever test fire took place on Tuesday, though it only lasted a few seconds. A second one took place on Thursday and went on for around 20 seconds, kicking up a mass of dust in the process. You can watch it in the video below:

Commentators on NASASpaceflight suggested that each test blasted only one of the rocket’s 33 Raptor engines as engineers seek to confirm the rocket’s readiness for its debut flight. We can soon expect to see further tests using more of the rocket’s engines at the same time, giving us a more realistic idea of ​​the booster’s awesome power.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet that the procedure was designed to test “autogenous pressurization,” described as “the use of self-generated gaseous propellant to pressurize liquid propellant in rockets.”

SpaceX also test-fired its Starship spacecraft on Tuesday. You can watch footage of the event in the video below. The Starship will sit atop the Super Heavy when the rocket blasts into space on its first orbital test flight, which is expected to take place in September or soon after.

Collectively known as the Starship, SpaceX plans to deploy the reusable vehicle for missions to the moon, Mars, and possibly beyond. In an exciting mission planned with NASA, a special version of the Starship will put the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface, possibly as early as 2025.

Starship’s moon lander will carry the astronauts from the planned Lunar Gateway station to the moon’s surface. The astronauts will reach the Gateway aboard the Orion spacecraft, which will be carried into orbit by NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.

While the timing of Starship’s lunar lander mission therefore depends to a large extent on how NASA fares with the first flights of its new SLS rocket as part of the early Artemis missions, SpaceX also needs to achieve success with the early orbital flight tests of the Super Heavy and Starship spacecraft in order for the highly anticipated crewed moon mission to have any chance of taking place in the middle of this decade.

There is much work still to be done by both SpaceX and NASA, and the various mission dates may well slip, but both are still moving steadily toward the beginning of a new era of deep space exploration.

Editors’ Recommendations

This article is sponsored by GigaComm.

The future is vast and unknown. But humans have been blessed with many gifts, like drive-through Maccas and razor scooters – but perhaps the best gift bestowed upon us by The Almighty Unknowable Force, is the gift of pontification. That’s right kids, though we may not know the future, we can sure as Scyther speculate.

I often like to sit back and imagine what the future will hold, because I’m deeper than you, and more well-read. I sit back with my pipe and ponder a magical alternate reality where we don’t nuke ourselves into oblivion, or melt the planet, or drown from rising sea levels, or become slaves to The Robots.

In this wonderful future, I see myself playing The Last of Us Remastered (Version 14) in my Mars pod. The game is great, they really nailed this much-needed and super necessary remaster and I’m really looking forward to the next one – the only thing that bothers me is that the game pauses every 30 seconds and asks me to pay a microtransaction in order to continue playing, but that’s OK, it could be worse. At least the internet is ultra fast.

But hey, what do I know! Let’s get some real experts on the line.

JenzTwitch streamers

What do I think of the future of gaming? The big question. Well, ultimately I think we’ll end up in a Ready Player One situation where we plug into VR sets and escape reality to be whatever you want to be in a virtual world. Maybe. It’s hard to speculate what it will be in the future but I think VR will be the big thing – but better than what we know of it now.

There will probably be weird accessories to make gaming in a VR world feel more real. Maybe smell-o-vision can finally be a real thing? That would be cool. It’s great to see companies innovate within the gaming space, like having haptic feedback in our controllers or RGB lights sync up to games to give a more immersive experience. So with how things have been going, immersion will be something that companies in the gaming industry will strive for more and more over the next 50 years.

When it comes to video games, every day is a new video game day.

Video games are always trying to do the next big thing, like letting you kiss the gun before and after shooting it to wish it a good job, or putting more legs on the playable character to make them scuttle like a crab. If I use my psychic abilities (which I have, it’s true) and look exactly 20 years in the future, here’s what’s in store for video games:

1. Mario is real now, but he has arthritis.
2. Minecraft is no longer just a game, but a world. You cannot play Minecraft on any platform, you have to take a 14-hour plane trip to Minecraft World (formerly known as ‘Adelaide’) in order to physically exist in the Minecraft world.
3. The newest Pokemon game has much, much sexier Pokemon. Unfathomably sexual.
4. Microsoft as a company is just one guy now, his name is Gargus Donk and he does every job at Microsoft.
5. Skyrim has been remastered for the PlayStation 6.

My hope in the next 10 years is for technology to be in a place where we can enjoy the fun of VR without the physical pain of the headset. I enjoy VR so much, but haven’t been able to experience it as much as I want to because the headset is so heavy.

Also, imagine if 50 years from now we’re able to have VR mods for ALL our favorite games, and develop them in a way where we can overcome the dissonance of our brains going WOAH my body isn’t actually doing that when we’ re head-bobbing around in first-person.

I’m not sure how possible that is without actually rewiring our brains with Matrix-level tech, but… CAN YOU IMAGINE?! My elderly butt is going to be having the best time living a full life, even if my physical body is at a stage where it’s hard to keep up.

matt hopkinsformer Tech & Gaming Editor at Pedestrian.TV

I think in the next 10 years or so graphics are going to become so lifelike that they’re almost uncomfortable. Like shooting someone in a game will look exactly like real life and I’m not sure how people will handle that? It’ll either be a frog in boiling water situation where we just slowly adjust to it, or there’ll be a huge shift away from shooters and violent games to other genres.

Longer term, I think more affordable VR and immersive accessories (haptic feedback suits and what not) will shift more people towards VR gaming.

DrawzaTwitch streamers

I think that one thing about the future of gaming that would be a guarantee, is broken controllers, more rage quits and countless insults over voice chat. In terms of the content, amazing immersive open-world stories with many different possibilities, not just tree branch stories that are set as we have now (think Detroit Become Human) but one that is more like a forest of branches, with every gameplay producing different results, even with the same decision, just like real life. Also, in 50 years: half life 3.

The games industry currently finds itself at the center of many converging ideas and technologies that will shape the landscape in the decades to come. In ten years, one would hope that VR tech will have finally found a more comfortable space between practicality and affordability. Dedicated consoles will become a thing of the past, replaced by cloud gaming and subscription services. Live service games will continue to dominate the AAA space, while indie projects will only grow in scope and ambition as the democratization of dev tools expands.

There you have it folks, but before you scuttle off to your various dens and dwellings, why not bring the future to you? Go on, treat yourself to some seriously fast internet with GigaComm’s low ping (2-4ms average) and speeds up to 1000 Mbps – a proper game changer for gamers. Go on, you’re worth it baby!

Humble are known to run some pretty fantastic PC game bundles, where punters can pick up multiple titles for a low price with all purchases supporting charity organisations.

The latest bundle from Humble is a big one for survival horror fans, with the Resident Evil Decades of Horror bundle offering up to have Resident Evil games for less than $50.

Right now, you can pay-what-you-want to receive one of three tiers of bundled Resident Evil games as follows:

Pay at least AU$43.08 for these

• Resident Evil 0 (Remaster)
• Resident Evil (Remastered)
• Resident Evil 2 (Remake)
• Resident Evil 3 (Remake)
• Resident Evil 4 (Remastered)
• Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition
• resident Evil 6
• Resident Evil 7
• Resident Evil: Revelations
• Resident Evil: Revelations 2 Deluxe Edition
• 50% off voucher for Resident Evil 8

Pay at least AU$14.36 for these

• Resident Evil 0 (Remaster)
• Resident Evil (Remastered)
• Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition
• resident Evil 6
• Resident Evil: Revelations
• Resident Evil: Revelations 2 Deluxe Edition

Pay at least AU$1.43 for these

• Resident Evil (Remastered)
• Resident Evil: Revelations
• Resident Evil: Revelations 2 Episode 1

Of course, you can always pay more than the minimum if you’d like and choose to support either Humble, the publisher, or the selected charity (Direct Relief). You’ve got until August 25th to take advantage of these deals, so get around ’em!

Gamescom 2022 is fast approaching with its return to an in-person event in Cologne, Germany. Australia has been named the official partner country this year and we’ll be heading to the show in Germany to bring you coverage of the exciting games and news directly from the show, but for those playing along at home there are a handful of livestream events for you to get around that’ll showcase new looks at announced games as well as some surprise reveals.

As is usually the case, time zones mean that most of these showcases are happening at incredibly odd hours for us Aussies but at the very least we can present you with a list of what’s on and where to catch it in local times, so here it es:

Opening Night Live

Gamescom kicks off in earnest with one of the 500+ Geoff Keighley-produced live showcases we get every year, Opening Night Live. Keighley claims this year’s show is around two hours long with over 30 games featuring including some “cool surprises” so it’s definitely one to at least catch up on, if you’re not keen to get up at ridiculous hours of the morning to watch live .

Wednesday August 24th

• AEST (Melbourne/Sydney/Brisbane/Canberra) – 04:00am
• ACST (Adelaide/Darwin) – 03:30am
• AWST (Perth) – 02:00am

Catch it on Keighley’s YouTube and Twitch channels.

GamesRadar Future Games Show

The Future Games Show is still fairly young, but it’s quickly become a pretty big showcase with plenty of world premieres, stealth drops, developer interviews and exclusive announcements. The Gamescom 2022 edition will star Doug Cockle and Denise Gough from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt as hosts and feature roughly 50 games from a number of publishing partners.

Thursday August 25th

• AEST (Melbourne/Sydney/Brisbane/Canberra) – 04:00am
• ACST (Adelaide/Darwin) – 03:30am
• AWST (Perth) – 02:00am

Catch it on GamesRadar’s YouTube and Twitch channels.

xbox booth live

Xbox is headed to Gamescom 2022 in a big way with a huge booth presence and a ton of games to showcase from Xbox Game Studio titles like Pentiment, Grounded and Sea of ​​Thieves as well as third-party partner games like A Plague Tale Requiem, Planet of Lana and High on Life. Xbox won’t have a traditional live showcase but will be doing a massive stream at their booth where you can expect to see developer interviews and gameplay.

Thursday August 25th

• AEST (Melbourne/Sydney/Brisbane/Canberra) – 10:00pm
• ACST (Adelaide/Darwin) – 09:30pm
• AWST (Perth) – 08:00pm

Catch it on Xbox’s YouTube and Twitch channels.

Metal: Hellsinger Live at Gamescom

Not exactly a games showcase, but something cool to watch live if you hate sleep – the folks behind the upcoming rhythm-based shooter, Metal: Hellsinger, are putting on a massive metal concert featuring artists from the game’s soundtrack (that you might also recognize from bands like Trivium, Arch Enemy and Refused).

Friday August 26th

• AEST (Melbourne/Sydney/Brisbane/Canberra) – 03:00am
• ACST (Adelaide/Darwin) – 02:30am
• AWST (Perth) – 01:00am

Watch it live here.

Gamescom Awesome Indies

IGN is back with another Awesome Indies show this year. If it’s anything like last year’s it’ll be hugely entertaining in itself on top of showing off an assortment of fantastic upcoming indie titles.

Saturday August 27th

• AEST (Melbourne/Sydney/Brisbane/Canberra) – 01:30am
• ACST (Adelaide/Darwin) – 01:00am
• AWST (Perth) – 11:30pm Friday

Catch it on IGN’s YouTube and Twitch channels.

Hello, you filthy little lambs. Are you looking for tips on how to satisfy the mangey little runts that have fled ritual sacrifice to live under your adorable and potentially vicious rule in Cult of the Lamb? Well, you’ve come to the right place.

Cult of the Lamb is out now, available to all those who wish to lead. If you haven’t had the chance to check it out yet, maybe give my review a little looksie. If you’re looking to go in completely blind (don’t worry, my review isn’t very spoiler-heavy), I’d recommend giving the demo a red hot go, and if you like it, buy the full game. If you’ve found that my tastes align with yours, this is a game you’ll enjoy.

As a big freakin’ fan of the game and someone that I personally believe has done a pretty good job managing a 20-creature cult, I believe that I have some helpful tips that might be of use to those wanting a cult that isn’t just a bit shit. Just my opinion!

So here you go, little lamb. Here’s some sage advice from a Ratau-like being on what to aim for when building your cult. Mind you, there is no wrong way to play the game. You can be whatever kind of cult leader you like. However, these are the things that I found that made it a most pleasant experience.

Must-have structures

You will have to build many structures through your time in Cult of the Lamb. They can all be unlocked through the Shrine’s upgrades via your flock worshiping at the shrine and accruing Devotion. These are a few tips for buildings in Cult of the Lamb that I found were very helpful.

Health Station

Whether you like it or not, there’s a good chance your followers are going to get sick. It may be from the horrible garbage you feed them, or the terrible state the Cult has been left in. Hey, it might even be at the hands of a baddie. While you can simply send them to bed to red, this just won’t do if you’ve got a schedule to adhere to. The health station allows you to cure sick followers using flowers that you find in the Darkwood, which can also be grown on the farm. Very helpful!

Lumberyards and Mines

When you begin your cult, there’s going to be a whole lot of trees and rocks to get through to start yourself off. Unfortunately, these take a while to come back so unless you’re regularly choosing the wood or stone options in dungeons, building a good few lumberyards and mines will help you keep the goods flowing. Upgrading these will also help to get even more wood and stone.

Outhouse and Janitor’s Station

The reality of life is that you shit, and sometimes you spew. Sad, but true. Your followers do it too, because it’s only natural, baby. While it is unfortunately legal for a bear to shit in the woods, it can be a bit of a pain running around the place and cleaning it all up. The outhouse is a solid addition to the cult, and helps keep the place tidy as well as focuses all the dookie into one area. Just remember to clean it out often or it’ll get full and stinky!

The Janitor’s Station is also a great addition to avoid uncleanliness and eventual sickness in your flock, as it gives them the tools to clean up after themselves so you don’t have to. A good cult is a tidy one!

Refineries

The further along you go in Cult of the Lamb, the more stuff you’re going to need. Eventually, the better structures won’t use wood and stone, but instead planks and bricks. And then, even more eventually, you’ll need a few gold bricks here and there. Having multiple refineries going means that you can go ahead and keep the planks, bricks, and gold bricks flowing. Upgrading these bad boys also means you’ll have more space to make more resources. Good stuff!

Compost Bin

This one’s entirely optional, but if you find that your flock is simply not shitting enough, a Compost Bin is a great structure to get your hands on. In your travels, you are going to get a LOT of grass. So much grass. While you can feed your followers grass (it will make them sick), the compost bin allows you to turn the grass into fertiliser, which will then result in a plentiful harvest for your farm crops. Fertilized crops result in more food and seeds, so make sure to fertilize!

Take advantage of rituals

One of the most important tips for success in Cult of the Lamb: Rituals are vital, and help a lot when keeping your cult happy and obsessed with you. More rituals can be obtained through performing sermons and upping your faith level, and are divvied up into 5 different categories relating to how they affect your flock. These are my top 3 rituals, and here’s why:

• Ascend Follower Ritual – Early on, The One Who Waits will give you the Sacrifice Follower Ritual. This allows you to kick a follower to the curb to make yourself stronger. While you can do this, sometimes it will make your flock dislike you and sometimes even make followers dissent. I’ve found that another ritual, the Ascend Follower Ritual, is a lighter version of the Sacrifice Follower Ritual, and instead sends your follower to the heavens. Sure, you don’t get any Follower Meat from it and the power bonus is a little smaller, but there’s no negative Faith and it’s a lot nicer.
• Funeral – Followers die. They might get sick and die, they might grow old and die, or you might murder them. That’s life! While you can simply harvest them for meat or throw them in an unmarked grave, the Funeral Ritual allows for your and your flock to mourn for a deceased follower, and adds flowers to their grave. As well as this, any follower that has had a funeral will enable their grave to be mourned by cult members, which results in extra devotion.
• Feasting Ritual – Sometimes you don’t have food, and your followers are starving. While there is the option for a ritual where your flock will fast for a few days and be fine, I quite like the feasting ritual as it only requires bones collected from dungeons to do, and results in a grand feast where everybody’s bellies are filled and faith is raised a significant amount.

Ritual Buffs

While upgrading your cult through the main shrine, you can unlock all sorts of structures. However, the only two upgrades that aren’t related to structures also happen to be the most useful upgrades you can get. I highly suggest getting Cheaper Rituals and Ritual Cool Downs as soon as possible, as the former slashes the resource price of rituals in half and the latter shortens the cooldown time of rituals, meaning you can do them more often. As mentioned prior, rituals are vital to running a healthy and happy cult, so making them easier to access is a good thing to do.

Talk to your flock

What’s more important than a cult full of stuff? The followers that live in it, of course!

One of my last tips for Cult of the Lamb: talking to your followers, blessing them, inspiring them, and completing their quests will help you get through the game swimmingly. Leveling followers up results in more Devotion and stronger level companions if you choose to take them with you in your crusades, and completing their quests will result in Devotion and Faith boosts. When the time comes for them to pass on, Sacrificing or Ascending a high-level follower will result in greater rewards.

Also, they’re there to devote their lives to you! Give them a gift every so often, they’ll thank you for it.

Those are my tips for gitting gud in Cult of the Lamb and having a big, juicy, and thriving cult. Feel free to drop your personal tips in the comments below!

Cult of the Lamb is out now on PlayStation and Xbox platforms, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC. Find out more at its official site.