AirPods Pro and AirPods Max Are Finally Getting “Find My” Features

Apple has begun rolling out new firmware updates for the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max that includes a new “Find My” functionality. The feature, which was initially supposed to launch with iOS 15 but was delayed, makes it easier to find your headphones when they go missing.

The update lets the AirPods take advantage of the vast Find My network to locate them if they go missing. Prior to the update, the Find My function could only show you the earphone’s last known location, albeit being limited to the AirPods’ Bluetooth connection.

The update takes it a step further by finding out of range AirPods through the network of other nearby Apple devices. When Lost Mode is turned on, the headphones will send out a continuous Bluetooth beacon and when other people’s Apple devices detect the signal, they will report the location on the network for the owner to see.

The method is similar to how lost AirTags work but the lack of Apple’s U1 chip means that the AirPods won’t have that precise arrow-pointing location feature. It will, however, notify users when the earbuds are left behind or if their location is getting further away. Reported lost items can be attached with a message and contact details and can also be marked as found by the people who stumble upon them.

The new Find My tools are only available with the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, so standard AirPods owners are out of luck. AirPods firmware updates are a bit tricky, as there’s no direct way to download the update.

Users will have to keep their charged AirPods in their case near a connected iPhone and hope that it will randomly transfer the update. You can check your AirPods’ firmware version in your iPhone settings to see if you already have it, the latest update with the new locating tools being version 4A400.

Intel-Powered Macs Reportedly Will Not Be Getting Live Text And Other Monterey Features

If you watched Apple’s WWDC 2021 keynote, you’ll know that the fruit company’s newly announced macOS Monterey comes with a ton of new and exciting features. Sadly, it seems that not all of the OS’ new features will be available for its Intel-based Mac machines, as some features will be exclusive to Macs running on the new M1 Apple Silicon chip.

If you’re running an Intel-powered Mac and don’t plan on upgrading anytime soon, here are some of the features that you’ll be missing out on:

• FaceTime Portrait Mode
• Live Text, which lets you interact with text in photos (e.g. being able to copy and paste an address on a sign)
• Interactive globe in Maps
• Detailed new city experience in Maps
• Neural text-to-speech voice in more languages for Siri, including in Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, and Finnish
• On-device keyboard dictation without a time limit (dictation was previously limited to 60 seconds)

As a quick recap, M1-powered Macs officially hit the market back in November last year. However, when the company from Cupertino announced its transition to its own silicon chips last June, they said that it would “continue to support and release new versions of macOS for Intel-based Macs for years to come.”

Obviously, this bit of news runs contrary to the company’s initial promise, so little wonder that some Mac users have taken to social media, accusing Apple of planned obsolescence.

Leaker: Bloodborne, Ghost of Tsushima, And More Getting PC Ports

When Horizon Zero Dawn made its way to PC, it opened the floodgates of possibility. The notion that PS exclusives coming to PC suddenly became believable. Then came confirmation of Days Gone making the same migration. Now, a leaker claims that more of PlayStation’s finest will also be getting ported.

Twitter user @CrazyLeaksTrain claims that Bloodborne, an Uncharted collection, Ghost of Tsushima, and God of War will be making their way to PC. The Uncharted collection is presumably the Nathan Drake Collection, which compiles the remasters of the first three games into one, though the leaker themselves claim it will be all four main titles.

According to GamesRadar+, the leaker has a pretty good track record. They have predicted the Ninja Gaiden remasters and the port of Nioh 2 to PC, even if their predicted dates a re a few months off.

If this list is indeed true then it’s great news for PC gamers. Each of the four listed here have performed great on the PS4. So much so that you probably wouldn’t be wrong to call them system sellers. This is especially true for Bloodborne, the most unique of the Soulsborne games; God of War, once the fastest selling exclusive of the console, and Ghost of Tsushima, arguably the perfect swansong for the PS4.

But even if the list of PC ports is real, it remains to be seen when it will actually happen. But it will be great when it does, especially for Bloodborne that is now stuck in its 30fps limbo.