Author: Admin

Apple’s next big event will take place on Sept. 12 at Apple Park in Cupertino, California next week. The Wonderlust event will be livestreamed starting at 10 a.m. PT — and there are several ways that you can watch from home.

Apple is expected to announce several new products, including the iPhone 15 series, the Apple Watch Series 9 and the next-generation ‌Apple Watch Ultra (which made its debut in 2022). The iPhone 15 will probably make the biggest splash — barring any unexpected announcements — with a rumored switch to USB-C and a new periscope lens (for longer optical zoom) exclusively on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Apple is also expected to announce the release date of its next mobile operating system, iOS 17, which features contact posters, live voicemails and an improved autocorrect. The last couple years, Apple has released its latest iOS update a little less than a week after its September event. CNET’s Zachary McAuliffe predicts that Apple will release iOS 17 on Monday, Sept. 18.

Apple’s September event will take place at the Steve Jobs Theater at the company’s headquarters, and will likely include hands-on demos for select media with whichever devices Apple announces. CNET will be covering Apple’s September event with a live blog featuring an on-site team and our global team of reporters.

Be sure to check out all of the rumors about the Apple event and the iPhone 15 before the big presentation next month.

How to watch the Apple Wonderlust event

The Wonderlust event will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 12, starting at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m ET, 6 p.m. BST, 3 a.m. AEST).

You can watch Apple’s event livestream on:

• Apple’s website

• YouTube
• Apple TV app (search for “Apple event”)

You can also follow along live with CNET as we provide full coverage of the event.

For more, check out whether or not your iPhone will support iOS 17 and how you can download iOS 17 right now.

Disney Plus is adding a hot new release: Disney and Pixar’s Elemental.

Water, earth, air and fire elements are all in the mix in the original animated film. It centers on a fiery young woman named Ember, who meets a watery guy named Wade. Her friendship with the sappy, go-with-the-flow character “challenges her beliefs about the world they live in,” according to a synopsis from Disney.

Leah Lewis (The CW’s Nancy Drew series) and Mamoudou Athie (Jurassic World Dominion) voice Ember and Wade, and Peter Sohn (The Good Dinosaur) directs. The film spilled into theaters in June and has a score of 58 on Metacritic. Here’s how you can watch it from anywhere.

How to watch Elemental on Disney Plus

You can watch Elemental starting Sept. 13 at 12:01 a.m. PT (3:01 a.m. ET). It’ll be available at that time in every country Disney Plus is available in, except for France, Turkey and Japan, according to Disney.

It’s about to cost more to stream Disney Plus without ads in the US. Starting Oct. 12, newcomers will pay $14 per month or $140 per year for the ad-free service, up from the current $11 per month and $110 per year. Existing subscribers will be charged the new price at their next billing cycle on or after Oct. 12, Disney says.

Disney Plus’ ad-based tier will remain $8 per month. Here’s more on the ad-supported tier, and other price increases coming to Disney’s streamers.

How to watch Elemental from anywhere with a VPN

Perhaps you’re traveling abroad and want to stream Disney Plus while away from home. With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the movie from anywhere in the world. There are other good reasons to use a VPN for streaming, too.

A VPN is the best way to encrypt your traffic to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds. Using a VPN is also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins. Streaming TV can be a bit smoother with a reliable, quality VPN that’s passed our tests and security standards.

You can use a VPN to stream content legally as long as VPNs are allowed in your country and you have a valid subscription to the streaming service you’re using. The US and Canada are among the countries where VPNs are legal, but we advise against streaming or downloading content on illegal torrent sites. We recommend ExpressVPN, but you may opt for another provider from our best list, such as Surfshark or NordVPN.

Follow the VPN provider’s instructions for installation, and choose a country where Elemental will be streaming on Disney Plus. Before you open the streaming app, make sure you’re connected to your VPN using your selected region. If you want to stream Elemental on more than one device, it’s possible you’ll need to configure each one to ensure you’re signed in. Go to settings and check your network connections to verify you’re logged in and connected to your VPN account. Now you’re ready to open Disney Plus to stream.

If you run into issues with streaming, first make sure your VPN is up and running on its encrypted IP address. Double-check that you’ve followed installation instructions correctly and you’ve picked the right geographical area for viewing. If you still encounter connection problems, you may need to reboot your device. Close all apps and windows, restart your device and connect to your VPN first. Note that some streaming services have restrictions on VPN access.

As we inch closer to Apple’s Sept. 12 “wonderlust” event and the likely launch of the iPhone 15 family, I look back with satisfaction at my time testing the beta version of iOS 17. For me, nearly everything in iOS 17 falls into one of four categories that I made up: delightful features, intuitive improvements, personal additions and helpful tools. Those sound like Jeopardy categories, but they all add up to an iOS that’s a major quality of life improvement.

One such delightful feature greets me when I’m seated at my home desk. It’s my iPhone 14 Pro, running iOS 17, on a MagSafe charger. The screen shows a giant clock that every so often fades into an alert for a new message from my friend. I can swipe up and down to change the style of the clock between one that looks chic to one that’s more artistic and another that’s straight out of the ’80s. Apple calls this screen StandBy, and I adore it. StandBy is different from using your phone’s always-on display. It transforms the iPhone into a bedside clock or a smart display showing photos and widgets. Its versatility is compelling because it feels contemporary and looks more like a miniature iPad than my iPhone.

The new feature is one of many additions coming in iOS 17 that Apple announced last month and is now available to the public in beta. Though iOS 17 was largely overshadowed by Apple’s Vision Pro headset announcement, there are many new features worth your time and attention in this upcoming iPhone update. The software is in beta, and you shouldn’t install it onto your primary iPhone, because you might experience the occasional bug or glitch.

Read more: iOS 17: When Apple Might Release the Next iPhone OS

Like the last few years of Apple software updates, iOS 17 doesn’t alter your iPhone in major ways and instead adds a bunch of customizations and features you can choose to use or just plain ignore. There are still features I’d like to see Apple add, like an onscreen volume button for the iPhone’s virtual Apple TV remote. The final version of iOS 17 will be out this fall, likely when the rumored iPhone 15 is announced. For a more comprehensive deep dive into everything that’s new in iOS 17, check out my previous story here.

iOS 17 delightful features

The iPhone has a number of features, apps and utilities that are just plain fun to use. And iOS 17 adds even more to what’s already available.

With iOS 17, your iPhone has a home screen, a lock screen, an always on display (if you have a 14 Pro) and that new StandBy screen. When I turn my iPhone on its side while charging, the StandBy screen automatically pops up in lieu of the always-on display. It’s basically a giant clock that can also show photos, a calendar, widgets and notifications. It’s perfect for a nightstand, desk or kitchen counter.

I’ve been using the Belkin Boost Charge Pro 2-in-1 stand, but any physical stand that charges via MagSafe should work.

I like how everything flows in StandBy mode. If I receive a notification while the clock is on screen, my phone displays a simple animation that transitions between the two. If I want to change up the StandBy screen, I can swipe up to select a different style or layout. It can display my photos and live activities, too. When it’s dark (like when you’re sleeping) the StandBy screen turns red, reminiscent of a red light in a darkroom for developing photos.

Another delightful feature is Stickers in Messages. Though message stickers aren’t new, iOS 17 brings many more of them, including emoji stickers. These are useful when you want to be more specific with your expression rather than just responding to a message with a Tapback thumbs up, thumbs down, heart, laugh, question mark or exclamation points.

iMessage apps are no longer located above the keyboard. Instead, they now have their own dedicated menu, which is where you’ll find the Stickers section. Tap the plus sign button on the bottom left of the Messages app to pull it up, and then select Stickers. A Stickers tray pops up with tabs for all your existing iMessage stickers, another tab for emoji stickers and, my favorite, one for customized stickers. And it’s the customized stickers that are truly amazing.

To make a new one, I tapped the Stickers drawer’s plus sign, selected a photo and tapped the Add Sticker button. The subject of my photo was then lifted out of the picture and transformed into a sticker, while the original photo remained unchanged. From there, I could add an effect right away or edit the sticker later. And it’s now saved in my Stickers’ drawer for future use.

You can use a live photo to make an animated sticker, which might now be the best part of Stickers. This is addictive, and I foresee a future where there are hundreds, thousands, millions(?) of customized animated stickers being sent between iPhones. I exaggerate, but you’ll see once you try it. I have definitely bombarded most of my friends with a bunch of these already.

iOS 17 intuitive improvements

In iOS 17, Apple improved a number of existing features and added a number of new tools that make using your iPhone more intuitive and easier. One of these is the ability to swipe to reply in the Messages app. Inline replies are nothing new, and they definitely help keep group threads from turning into a mess. But being able to swipe to respond to a specific message in iOS 17 is something I can’t believe we haven’t had before. It seems quite obvious.

Then there are home screen widgets, which have been available on the iPhone since 2020. Up to now, widgets have mainly been useful for showing glanceable information or serving as app shortcuts. With iOS 17, widgets become interactive. I can start or pause a podcast straight from the widget, and the same goes for music. Right now in the beta, most of the interactive widgets are Apple’s own apps, so I’m excited to see how non-Apple apps take advantage of the function. Here are the apps that have an interactive widget element so far:

• Apple Music.
• Apple Podcasts.
• Safari.
• Home.
• Contacts.
• Books.
• Apple News.

iOS 17 personal additions

Apple added a number of new tools and utilities on iOS 17 that make your iPhone more of a reflection of your style. One of these is contact posters, which basically turn your mundane contact card into a mini movie poster. You can select from a few different templates, like ones that show your initials, a Memoji or a photo of your choosing. This reminds me a lot of the lock screen customizations we got in iOS 16. Your contact card can have a contact poster and a contact photo. And you can share your contact poster using Name Drop, which is a cross between AirDrop and Apple Pay (sans the credit cards). I can hover my iPhone over someone else’s (similar to how you trigger Apple Pay at a contactless payment terminal) and share my contact poster.

I can select the specific phone number or email address I want to share when Name Drop is triggered, which can be helpful if I’m sharing my contact details with a professional colleague and don’t want to hand over my personal email address. And there’s an option to just receive someone else’s contact information, and not share your own.

There’s also another personal addition, aimed at people with pets. The Photos app can now identify and find pet photos better. If I type the word “cat” into the Photos search field, it pulls up all the photos of cats on my phone. Locating pet photos isn’t exactly new, but apparently it works better in IOS 17. For the record, I had 562 cat photos on my phone, which sounds like a lot, but I would’ve thought there were more.

Also, when you pull up a photo of a cat, there’s a new Visual Lookup icon with a tiny cat silhouette on it. There’s a similar icon for dog photos, too. The new icon doesn’t add any functionality but it’s just a nice touch.

There’s now a Photos widget for albums. Once you add the widget to your home screen, you can edit it to show photos from a specific album. Like the swipe to reply in Messages, why hasn’t this been on my iPhone before now?

iOS 17 helpful tools

Over 16 years, the iPhone has evolved from being three revolutionary devices in one, as defined by Steve Jobs, into an essential part of our daily lives that serves dozens of different roles, like showing you the weather, letting you hail a ride or letting you pay for a meal. iOS 17 adds even more useful tools, and one of the most conspicuous is live voicemail transcription; basically a modern day equivalent of screening phone calls using an answering machine in the ’80s, ’90s and early-2000s.

As someone who reviews both iPhones and Android, it reminds me of the Call Screen feature on Google Pixel phones. Essentially, when someone calls and starts to leave you a message, you’ll see a live transcription of the voicemail as the person speaks. You can pick up the call to talk to them at any time. I don’t get a ton of phone calls from people I don’t know, but this can go a long way toward minimizing the anxiety that rises when I get a call from an unfamiliar number.

Messages gets a new arrow button that lets you instantly jump to the first unread messages in a conversation. It’s great for long threads where you need to catch up fast. Just tap the arrow to go to the first unread message.

And then there’s Check In, which lets a friend know automatically when you’ve arrived at a destination safely. It’s location sharing taken to another level, and I found it easy to use. In my tests, I found it straightforward, especially since it’s right there in that new Messages pop-up menu.

iOS 17 arrives in full this fall

iOS 17 still has a month or two of testing and tweaks before it’s fully ready for prime time, but I’m impressed with it so far. Like previous iOS releases, there are far more features, tools and improvements that are still waiting to be discovered. But if you have an old iPhone lying around (iOS 17 works with the iPhone XR and newer), or don’t mind dealing with a few glitches here and there, it’s worth downloading the public beta. iOS 17 pushes your iPhone experience forward not by being a radical reimagining of phone software, but rather by refining and expanding on a number of features we already enjoy.

Taking beautiful photos on your camera or even your phone is an amazing way of capturing treasured memories on your vacations with family or friends. And while it’s never been easier to take gorgeous snaps at the click of a button, all too often those images sit on our devices for years, never seeing the light of day again.

Instead, creating beautiful wall art pulls those images from the depths of your camera roll and shows off those memories all around your home, providing a wonderful reminder of the good times you had and the beautiful places you’ve seen. As a photographer myself, I know how great it can feel to see my work printed out nice and big, so I’ve put together some of my favorite ways that I display photos in my own home.

Read more: Best cameras to buy in 2023

Go big with a canvas

I’ve had small canvas prints before and they’ve looked OK, but this gigantic canvas makes a real statement. At 47 by 47 inches, it’s a real beast of a print and I had it hung over my stairwell to really show it off and add some color in an otherwise plain space.

While any image will work for a canvas print, I specifically wanted to go with something a little more abstract, opting for a square print of this coastal scene, that brings great coastal vibes into my house.

Buy canvas prints from Cewe UK here.

Read more: Best camera phone in 2023

Create a stark monochrome aluminum print

I love black-and-white photography and was especially pleased when I took some moody monochrome images using my converted infrared camera while on holiday on the beautiful Isle of Skye in Scotland. Printed onto aluminum, these prints have a smooth, matte finish that’s free of any reflections and lends itself well to high contrasty black-and-white images.

I had a print made in a whopping 55 by 41 inches and it’s made a stunning addition to my home studio space, standing out nicely against the gray wall. My aluminum print came with hanging rails mounted on the back, although you can also use other wall fixings, as long as they’re strong enough. These large prints are heavy!

Buy aluminum prints from Cewe UK here.

Split your image into an eye-catching triptych

A triptych refers to any image that is displayed in three parts, whether it’s three different images designed to be displayed together, or one image broken up into sections. I went for the latter option, splitting a wide, cinematic view over a wintery Edinburgh into three foam board panels, each measuring 23 by 15 inches.

Hanging them in perfect alignment took a bit of doing, but I love the look of the three of them together. It takes what would be an otherwise regular print and gives it a slightly more modern, interesting twist by breaking it up, while still maintaining the visual impact of the original image.

Try creating triptychs using wide landscape scenes, cityscapes or other panoramic images. Or try it using three different images either from the same occasion (a wedding or holiday) or grouped by theme (black-and-white images, or three locations in different seasons).

Buy triptych prints from Cewe UK here.

Splash some color with an acrylic print

Acrylic prints are great options for vibrant images, as the way that light passes through the thick material allows colors to really pop with a satisfying contrast that almost gives the print a 3D effect.

I went with a print of an image I shot of the Northern Lights, shimmering over a bay in Iceland. It’s an incredibly colorful image, with vivid greens and yellows from the aurora, mixed in with deep blue tones in the night sky and I absolutely love how it looks in the 55-by-41-inch print.

Hanging it involved screwing mounting points into my wall, which is a bit fiddly for a DIY novice like myself to get right, but I love how the image looks against the deep blue of my room.

Buy acrylic prints from Cewe UK here.

Create a modern, hexagonal display

Hexxas tiles allow you to print your images on hexagons that you can then build up into an interesting honeycomb pattern on your wall. The seven tiles I received were enough to create a neat circular pattern, but you can order loads more and create much more interesting shapes that spread across your wall.

They’re a great way of showing lots of images as part of one set, so consider how you can theme your tiles so they work in harmony. I opted for a selection of my natural macro images, grouping shots of mushrooms and leaves that work well together. But these tiles would work really well to show off your images from various vacations, adding to them as you travel each year, resulting in an ever-expanding display of beautiful, modern-looking prints.

Buy Hexxas hexagonal tile prints from Cewe UK here.

Frame a hero print for a classic look

Going with a classic frame for your print may not feel like the most exciting, modern way to show off your photos, but sometimes the classics really work and will allow your prints to stand the test of time. But if you still want your framed art to make a statement on your wall then you need to go big.

I went for the largest 20-by-30-inch framed print Cewe offered, filling the black frame with an iconic view of the Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye. I love how timeless this piece of art looks on my wall and how well it fits against the other, smaller framed prints from other parts of Scotland.

Buy large framed prints from Cewe UK here.

Pack your memories into a stunning photo book

Not all your photographic artwork has to live on your walls. A photo book can be an amazing way to show off a whole selection of images that really tell the story of an occasion. Wedding albums are of course the most obvious ones to go for as you can include all of your images from the happy day into one book that you — and your family and friends — will enjoy flicking through for years to come.

But I’ve also loved creating photo books with sets of images from specific holidays around the world. I often keep photo books in mind when I’m away, ensuring I shoot lots of images that really tell the story of a location — architecture, shop fronts, food, street art, etc. — that will then fill the pages of my book like it’s a luxury travel magazine.

Good photo book makers (including Cewe) will allow you to fully customize the layout of your images, along with the paper type and choice of outer finishes. Cewe also offers books made with 100% recycled paper.

Buy photo books from Cewe UK here.

Starfield is out, and it’s already shaping up to be one of the best games of 2023. The massive space roleplaying game from Bethesda Game Studios launched widely last night and is now available on Xbox Game Pass.

There’s a lot to Starfield, with more than 1,000 planets to explore and hundreds of missions available. I’ve played more than 40 hours of Starfield, and these are some of the useful tips I wish I had known when I started.

Don’t grab everything: It’s tempting to pick up whatever you find during your adventure in hopes of selling it or using it for later. Just don’t.

For the first few hours, I was constantly picking up items that clogged up my inventory and made me over-encumbered, preventing me from fast-traveling. The stuff I picked up also wouldn’t sell for much anyway. Considering the big purchases in Starfield are spaceships that cost 100,000 to 300,000 credits, that paperweight worth 10 credits isn’t going to help.

Use your companion or ship as a pack mule: If you just have to grab everything not bolted down, have your companion carry some of the junk for you. Talk to them and ask to trade gear. Then load them up with whatever you don’t need on your person. This is a quick way to not be over-encumbered so you can fast-travel. When you get to the ship, check for a display unit that shows the inventory of the ship. This is where you want to unload any resources, since they’ll be available to use wherever you do some crafting.

Make sure to sell: Different cities and colonies have merchants, but to save yourself a walk, look for a yellow kiosk at the respective spaceports. This is a Trade Authority kiosk where you can sell whatever you have. Equipment such as space suits and weapons sell for a good price, but you’ll make most of your credits completing missions.

Learn the shortcuts: There are a lot of menus in Starfield, but the big one is the star map. This is where you plan out your next destination. Instead of going through the multiple menus just to pick out what planet you’re going to for a mission, go to the list of missions and click on the one that’s active. There will be an option to set a course directly to the planet you need to go to instead of going through multiple menus and wasting so much time.

Try to be more persuasive: One of the first skills you can learn is Persuasion. This opens up the “Persuade” dialog option, which leads to a minigame. You’ll have to try to persuade the person you’re talking with to do something they don’t want, like handing over a precious item needed for a mission. This ability saves so much time, money and effort when done right. It becomes easier once it’s leveled up or by using items to improve the chances of succeeding.

Become The Mantis: In one of the early missions, you’ll come across a note dropped by space pirates about a secret treasure. Following the clues will lead you to Denobola I-B and the base for The Mantis. Think Batman but in space. This is a tough mission with high-level enemies, powerful robots and various traps. But the reward is worth it. For completing the mission, you’ll get a set of Mantis armor, some of the most powerful equipment you can find in the game, and the Mantis ship, which can annihilate multiple other ships in a space battle. It also has the bonus of scaring away space pirates who might try to get the jump on you while traveling through the universe.

Kill aliens for crafting material: Crafting in Starfield is vital if you want to make your own outpost, upgrade your space suit, helmet and pack, and develop useful healing items. The materials required for crafting tend to be metals or gases that can be found on different planets. Some merchants may have a few resources available, but if you need more organic resources such as fiber, sealant and nutrients, you’ll need to kill some of the alien life you find. Most of these creatures are easy to take down, but there are some monsters out there to be aware of.

Get a boost: One of the best skills to get early on is Boost Pack Training. Once unlocked and equipped, your pack has thrusters that will give you a little boost by pressing the jump button while jumping. Boosting not only mitigates any fall damage you might get, but it also lets you get to higher platforms in order to find more items, get an advantage on enemies or just traverse areas faster. Another bonus is how effective it is when trying to escape from enemies.

Take cover: It might not be obvious at first, but Starfield does have a cover system. When you’re behind a corner of a wall or crouched behind an object, aiming your gun will let you peek out to shoot. It’s not obvious at first, but how your character holds their gun will change when you’re behind cover. This helps in big firefights, since the enemies use cover all the time.

Pick your favorites: Starfield’s inventory UI leaves a lot to be desired. It’s not that intuitive. To get around that, at least for weapons, is to favorite your most-used weapons. This will keep the weapons in the quick slots that let you switch between different equipment. Items can also be added to the quick slots, so healing items like Med Packs can be placed there for easy access.

Remember to auto-hack and auto-persuade: After the Lockpicking and Persuasion skills have been unlocked, every successful use of the skills will count towards an auto-hack and auto-persuade option. When available, selecting this option will automatically fill a slot when lockpicking or make a successful dialogue choice when using Persuasion on an NPC at no extra cost to the player nor any negative ramifications.

Starfield is available now on PC and Xbox Series X and S consoles, starting at $70 ( 70, AU$99). It’s also included in Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass subscription service.

Google has updated its Android logo and mascot, revealing a new 3D look for the robot.

A gif shows the Android robot going from its traditional green coloring to blue, yellow, rainbow and also wearing a hard hat, decorated as a disco ball and even covered in hair.

“The bugdroid — the face and most identifiable element of the Android robot — now appears with more dimension, and a lot more character,” Goole said Tuesday. “As a visual signifier of our brand, we wanted the bugdroid to appear as dynamic as Android itself.”

The full-body version of the bugdroid has also been 3D-ified, so that it can be “a versatile and reliable companion across channels, platforms and contexts,” Google said.

For the logo, “Android” now has a capital A and a rounder font to match the Google logo.

Android also has some new features, including one on its Lookout App that uses artificial intelligence to generate detailed descriptions of any images you open in the app, to make it more accessibility friendly for people who are blind or low-vision.

Google’s new Assistant at a Glance widget also uses AI, and will bring you information on your home screen “like high-precision weather alerts, dynamic travel updates and upcoming event reminders,” Google said in its blog post Tuesday.

Here are some other features for Android announced:

• Google Wallet Pass photo import: so you can store any kind of ticket or pass with a barcode or QR code in your Google Wallet.
• Zoom and Cisco’s Webex are coming to Android Auto.
• Saying “Hey Google, good morning” will bring you a recap of your sleep stats from the night before.

Android 14 is set to be released this fall. Here’s how to download the beta version and all the big Android 14 features announced at Google I/O in May.

Google will also launch its new phone, the Pixel 8, on Oct. 4.

Five years after it was announced, Starfield is finally available on both PC and Xbox Series consoles tonight. The new first-person space RPG from Bethesda Game Studios is filled to the brim with stuff to do, whether it’s hunting down bounties or developing your own outpost on a deserted planet.

Originally revealed in 2018, Starfield is one of Bethesda’s biggest games yet and already a contender for 2023’s Game of the Year. The game is also available on Xbox Game Pass starting tonight.

Here’s what you need to know about this epic space adventure.

When does Starfield come out?

Starfield’s official launch date is technically Sept. 6, but the game will be available tonight in the US. Microsoft set the release time for 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) on Sept. 5, which is 1 a.m. BST in the UK and 10 a.m. AEST in Australia on Sept. 6.

Those who preordered the Premium Edition or Constellation Edition of the game got to play the game on Friday, thanks to an early access preorder bonus.

How much does Starfield cost?

Starfield Standard Edition costs $70. The Premium Edition comes with the Constellation Skin Pack, access to the Starfield Digital Artbook, original soundtrack and the Shattered Space story expansion that will arrive sometime after the game’s release, and it has a price tag of $100. Those who preordered the Standard Edition and decide they want to step up to the Premium Edition can pay $35 for the upgrade.

There’s also the Starfield Constellation Edition for $250 that comes with a Starfield Chronomark watch and watch case, but it sold out earlier in the year.

Is Starfield on Xbox Game Pass?

Yes. It will be available on Xbox Game Pass for consoles and PC when it launches tonight. Starfield will also make use of the Xbox Play Anywhere option that allows owners of a digital copy of the game to jump from Xbox to PC without needing to pay for both versions.

Xbox Game Pass is a monthly subscription with different tiers. A PC-only subscription costs $10 a month while an Xbox-only subscription is $11. To have access to both PC and Xbox games, along with cloud gaming, you’ll have to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $17 a month.

What platforms is Starfield on?

Starfield will be released on the Xbox Series X and Series S consoles, and on PC via Steam and the Windows Store.

Can I preload Starfield?

Preload for Starfield on Xbox and PC started on Aug. 17.

How big is Starfield?

For the Xbox Series X and S, Starfield requires slightly less than 140GB of hard drive space. The PC version needs 125GB of storage.

What’s the story of Starfield?

Starfield takes place in 2330. Humanity has gone interstellar thanks to gravity engines that allow travel between planets and star systems.

Players take the role of a miner who’s given the basic job of gathering materials on a moon. It’s there you’ll come across an artifact that gives you a vision. It becomes apparent your character is special. The space adventure begins from there with more than 1,000 planets to explore.

How long does it take to beat Starfield?

Starfield’s main story missions take 17 hours to complete, according to HowLongToBeat.com. One speedrunner already completed the game in less than three hours, and that time will likely continue to get shorter as more people start playing the game.

What Starfield-branded accessories are there?

Microsoft has released a Starfield Limited Edition Xbox Wireless controller for $80 and a Starfield Limited Edition Wireless Headset for $124. For those who want to give their Xbox Series X a new Starfield look, console wraps in the theme of the game are now available for preorder for $45, and will ship Nov. 10.

Other Starfield merchandise such as mugs, shirts and even skateboards are available at the Bethesda store.

Just days after Apple’s big event next week, iOS 17 will likely be released to iPhone users. The newest version of Apple’s operating system will introduce new features like StandBy mode, the Journal app and major changes for Messages. But some users of older iPhones are getting left behind and won’t get to experience the new features in iOS 17. That could be you if you’ve got an iPhone from 2017 or before.

Read more: iOS 17: Delightful Features and Intuitive Improvements

If you aren’t sure which iPhone you’ve got, a quick check in your settings can show you. Open your Settings app and tap General > About. Next to Model Name, you’ll see which iPhone you have.

We’ll tell you how to find out whether your iPhone will be compatible with iOS 17. If you’d like to try out the new operating system, the iOS 17 public beta is now available. Also, check out our list of best iPhones to discover if there’s a newer model that might work for you.

iPhones that are compatible with iOS 17

If you’ve got one of these iPhones, you’ll have access to iOS 17 when it’s available this year, Apple said.

• iPhone XS
• iPhone XS Max
• iPhone XR
• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 Mini
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 Mini
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone SE (second generation and later)
• iPhone 14 (including Plus)
• iPhone 14 Pro

What if your iPhone isn’t on the iOS 17 compatibility list?

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Spectrum subscribers across the United States have lost ESPN, FX, Freeform and all of Disney’s other programming. Turns out, Disney-owned channels have gone dark over a carriage dispute with Charter Communications, the company behind the Spectrum brand. This blackout caused viewers to miss out on parts of the U.S. Open and the kickoff for college football.

Ordinarily, Disney and Charter have an agreement on how much Charter will pay Disney in exchange for the right to broadcast its many channels. But as the two companies have been renegotiating the price of Disney’s programming, they’ve failed to reach an agreement. This breakdown led to Disney pulling its channels from the cable provider’s Spectrum service last week.

This included ESPN, one of the largest sports-broadcasting networks, meaning that because of the dispute, viewers missed out on the US Open and the kickoff of college football.

Read on to find out what you can do if you’re a Spectrum subscriber affected by Disney’s channels going dark.

What are my options?

If you’re a Spectrum subscriber who’s missing some of your favorite content now that these channels have disappeared — and you just can’t wait for the dispute to be resolved — you’ve got some options. Almost all your favorite shows, news and sports are also available to stream.

Disney Plus will be able to provide viewers with all their beloved Disney programming. You’ll be able to catch children’s content that would ordinarily be found on the Disney Channel or Disney Junior, and more adult-focused programs that are on Freeform and FX. These shows won’t be airing live, though, so you might miss out on live premieres of your favorite shows. Disney Plus subscriptions start at $8 a month and can be canceled at any time.

If you’re missing news broadcasts, you could turn to over-the-air TV to get your fix of local news. You’ll need to purchase an antenna if you don’t have one and hook it up to your television, and then you’ll be able to access channels like ABC. You won’t have as many channels as you’d ordinarily get with cable TV, but if you’re just looking to watch your preferred local news broadcast, this could be a pretty solid fix.

If you’re a sports fan feeling the loss of ESPN, you’re also covered. There are plenty of sports streaming platforms that’ll keep you caught up on all your favorite teams and players.

The downside is that all these options cost money, on top of the cable service you’re already paying for. Companies generally are able to overcome these carriage disputes, though negotiation troubles in the past have led to weeks-long channel blackouts.

If this breakdown in communication is making you question your commitment to cable – you’ve got a handful live TV streaming services to consider. There are options like Hulu plus Live TV, Youtube TV and Sling, each offering different channel lineups and other features to consider.

When will my channels come back?

Though it’s hard to say when exactly the two companies will reach an agreement, it’s safe to assume they’re actively working on coming to a solution.

Charter has launched a website, called disneyespnfairdeal.com, about the carriage disagreement. On the site, Charter calls the pricing increase “excessive” and encourages subscribers to call on Disney to come to a deal.

In response to CNET’s request for comment, Charter said the “current video ecosystem is broken. With The Walt Disney Company, we have proposed a model that creates better alignment for the industry and better choices for our customers.” Despite its disagreement with Disney, Charter noted that it remains “hopeful for a path forward.”

Disney has also launched its own website in response to the disagreement, called keepmynetworks.com. Disney highlights “a highly successful track record of negotiating with providers of all types and sizes across the country” and says it’s “committed to reaching fair, market-based rates and terms.”

In response to CNET’s request for comment, Disney said, “Contrary to claims, we have offered Charter most favorable terms on rate, distribution, packaging, advertising and more.” Disney also said, “We value our relationship with Charter and we are ready to get back to the bargaining table as soon as possible.”

Fingers crossed it’s all sorted out before the NFL season kicks off on Sept. 7, with a matchup between the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs.

For more on streaming, here are the the best free TV streaming services and how to pick between Disney Plus and Netflix.