Month: August 2024

A tipster has suggested that Apple’s latest iOS 18 beta could be the final update before iOS 18 launches in full.

Over the last month or so, Apple has released a steady stream of software betas for people to try out, including those for iOS 18, macOS Sequoia and more. Yet now it looks like we may have had the final update, at least for iOS 18, according to a well-connected reporter.

That news comes from Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, who posted on X (formerly Twitter) that “the latest iOS 18 seed, I’m told, is final other than features tied to the new hardware.”

It’s an interesting suggestion, as the latest iOS 18 beta is still missing a lot of features – particularly those surrounding Apple Intelligence, Apple’s upcoming artificial intelligence (AI) platform. Gurman has previously hinted that some of these missing features might not appear until after iOS 18 gets released – or perhaps not even until 2025.

However, there’s plenty of interesting new additions to try out in the betas. In iOS 18, the Control Center has been redesigned, Safari can highlight and summarize web page content, there’s a new Passwords app for all your logins, and a whole lot more.

How to download the iOS 18 beta

(Image credit: Apple)

If you want to download the latest iOS 18 beta, you’ll first need to sign up to Apple’s Beta Software Program on its website and follow the on-screen instructions to enroll your iOS device. 

Once you’ve done that, open the Settings app and go to General > Software Update > Beta Updates and choose iOS 18 Public Beta from the list. Your iPhone should then tell you if there’s an update to be downloaded, which you will subsequently be able to install.

If this really is the final iOS 18 beta update before the full version of the software drops, it suggests that Apple is almost ready to launch iOS 18 in full. And that in turn implies that the iPhone 16 launch event is only just around the corner.

For a while now, it’s been assumed that Apple will hold its iPhone 16 show on September 10. Yet recently, we’ve seen some speculation that it could actually happen a week earlier – on September 3 – in order to avoid clashing with the U.S. presidential debate that is also scheduled for September 10.

Either way, the idea that Apple has just released its final iOS 18 beta suggests that the iPhone 16 – and everything else Apple plans to unveil at its September event – is more or less imminent. And with that, the full release of iOS 18 will be hot on its heels.

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YouTube grabbed gold in July’s streaming Olympics – here’s how much more popular it was than Netflix, Disney Plus and others.

Competitors in the Paris Olympics weren’t the only ones breaking records last month – streaming services were setting PBs, too. And the standout star on smart TVs was YouTube, which is now comfortably eclipsing the likes of Netflix according to a fascinating new report.

Nielsen’s The Gauge tracks viewing across all key platforms in the US on TV screens (smartphones, tablets and laptops aren’t included). In July, streaming TV accounted for a record-breaking 41.4% of all TV viewing, breaking the previous record that had just been set this June. But the more interesting stats are how this breaks down among YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video and more.

Picking up the most gold medals was YouTube, which became the first ever streaming platform to exceed 10% of all TV viewing in July. Its views increased by 7%, taking it to 10.4% of all TV usage – up from 9.9% the month before. And when you compare its numbers to those of key rivals such as Max, Disney Plus and Prime Video, it’s leading the race by a long way.

Here’s how Nielsen says the different streamers compared last month – and which shows were carrying the baton…

Which shows won the streaming Olympics?

(Image credit: Nielsen)

Another interesting facet of this report is how streaming’s big hits are spread across multiple platforms. Ten different shows surpassed one billion minutes of viewing in July (another record), and these were spread across seven platforms – not great news for us unless you employ the tactic of subscription hopping, but still an interesting snapshot of what we’re watching. 

According to Nielsen, Max’s House of the Dragon was the top streaming show last month. It delivered a whopping 4.7 billion viewing minutes, helping drive a 4% increase in Max’s viewing numbers. 

But Disney Plus also raced ahead, achieving 2.1% of all TV compared to Max’s 1.4%. Its big show was Bluey, the second most-watched TV show, which delivered 4.3 billion viewing minutes last month. Prime Video’s The Boys was the third most-viewed show, delivering 4.2 billion minutes. 

Although no Netflix show made it to the winners’ podium, it remains the biggest force behind YouTube with 8.4% of all viewing. That’s more than double Prime Video’s 3.4% and four times that of its other big-name rivals.

Peacock didn’t get a medal either, but the Paris Olympics were good for the streamer: they helped drive Peacock’s usage up by a huge 33% in July with a little help from Love Island USA. That 33% was the biggest viewing increase for any streaming platform: Prime Video was up 12% and The Roku Channel was up 10%.

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This upcoming Nacon Xbox controller features an LCD screen for profile customization.

Nacon has announced the Revolution X Unlimited wireless controller, the brand’s latest gamepad that’s compatible with Xbox consoles as well as PC and scheduled to launch during ‘Fall 2024.’

It’s already looking to be a big improvement over the Nacon Revolution 5 Pro, as the Revolution X Unlimited is an Xbox controller set to feature drift-resisting Hall effect thumbsticks, micro-switch d-pad, face buttons, six remappable buttons, and trigger locks. The controller supports 2.4GHz connectivity, as well as Bluetooth and wired connections.

What sets the Revolution X Unlimited apart, though, is the inclusion of an LCD screen in the center of the gamepad. Similar to the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra, it looks like the screen can be used to switch between custom button profiles, monitor battery life, and – judging by the reveal trailer – enable a ‘shooter pro mode’ that’s likely to be tailor-made for games like Fortnite and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

In terms of battery life, Nacon has stated the controller can manage “up to 10 hours.” That appears to fall short of its closest competitor, the aforementioned Stealth Ultra, which hardware writer Dash Wood noted lasted around 18 hours in his review. Still, the addition of an LCD screen is always going to eat into battery life so we’re not too surprised by the relatively lower number here.

Nacon hasn’t made any announcements in terms of price just yet. The Revolution 5 Pro retailed at $199.99 / £199.99. However, the PS5 controller didn’t have some of the improvements the Revolution X Unlimited is bringing to the table – such as the LCD screen or micro-switch modules. With that in mind, I expect the Revolution X Unlimited to come in at its slightly more expensive price point. Still, those looking for a more premium Xbox or PC controller in the near future should take note.

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Film photography is alive and well in 2024. Here’s everything that’s going on with analog and where the medium is going next.

Film photography is alive and well in 2024. Far from a defunct format, those little rolls are enjoying a huge resurgence in popularity. Driven by a wave of analog nostalgia that favors the imperfections of film over the instant convenience of digital, the trend has breathed fresh life into a classic medium.

Since January, we’ve reviewed five promising new film cameras, including the Pentax 17 – the company’s first analog model in decades. A point-and-shoot aimed squarely at Gen Z photographers looking to experience the authenticity of analog, it’s a sure sign that film is in right now.

Just as exciting is the variety offered by these new models: from the multi-lens Alfie TYCH+ to the ultra-portable Lomography Lomatic 110, it’s promising to see manufacturers experimenting with different approaches. Look at our list of the best film cameras and you’ll see that analog fans have a lot of choice.

With all that in mind, we’ve put together this overview of film photography in 2024. To bring you up to speed, we’ve rounded up the latest film camera releases, as well as what’s in store for the format, and what we’d like to see next for film photography.

Why is film photography popular in 2024?

“Whatever you now find weird, ugly, uncomfortable and nasty about a new medium will surely become its signature,” said Brian Eno in 1996. “The excitement of grainy film, bleached-out black and white, is the excitement of witnessing events too momentous for the medium assigned to record them.”

So it is with film photography in 2024. At a time when content creation is constant, many are looking for a more permanent, less perfect medium to capture their experiences. For all the benefits of the best digital photography cameras – reliable results, easy editing, immediate sharing – analog appeals for the opposite reasons: it’s physical, imperfect and takes time to develop.

There is certainly some surface-level appeal to the ‘retro’ feel and effect associated with film cameras. It’s the same old-school aesthetic value which fuelled the viral popularity of the Fujifilm X100VI. But if #filmphotography posts on TikTok and Instagram are anything to go by, many are also being drawn to analog photography as a physical process – one that feels more authentic and connected than contemporary digital alternatives.

The Nons SL660 (pictured) is an instant camera with interchangeable lenses (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

That might be the satisfying click of a film advance winder, the chemical color profile of a particular film type, or the genuine grain on a developed image – rather than distortion simulated by a digital filter. 

It’s easy for those who grew up shooting on film to scoff at this rose-tinted retrospective, especially when the best mirrorless cameras are capable of capturing such incredible results. Yet the trend is also one that embraces the roots of photography and brings new people into the hobby, with an appreciation of its past. To some extent, it’s a parallel to the continued popularity of vinyl records. 

And the zeitgeist is a powerful one: it persists despite the rising cost of film and processing fees. That can only be a good thing for an industry which, for a long time, felt existentially threatened by the advent of the best camera phones.

New film cameras in 2024

From automatic point-and-shoots to instant cameras with interchangeable lenses, there hasn’t been this much choice for analog fans since the heyday of film photography. Below you’ll find summaries of the five new film cameras we’ve reviewed in 2024, including why we think they’re good news for the medium.

Pentax 17

(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Price: $499 / £499 / AU$899Format: 35mm

Leading the charge for new film cameras in 2024 is the Pentax 17. The product of a multi-year development project by parent company Ricoh, it’s very much an analog camera for the smartphone generation: by shooting half frames, it not only maximizes the return from a single roll of film, but it also produces portrait prints with the right proportions for social sharing. 

It’s a tidily packaged point-and-shoot that leans heavily into its retro charms. In our review, we praised its tactile film crank, which gives lovely audible feedback, as well as its useful vertical viewfinder. Admittedly, its plastic build and high price won’t impress anyone familiar with the bulletproof SLRs of the 1990s. But with a sharp lens and automated modes, we can see the appeal for anyone getting into film photography for the first time.

Read our in-depth Pentax 17 review

Alfie TYCH+

(Image credit: Future | Ben Brain)
Price (regular): £499 (around $600 / AU$1000)Price (premium): £299 (around £390 / AU$590)Format: 35mm

Lomography has cemented its name with experimental toy cameras over the last decade, but the Alfie TYCH+ makes a strong claim to being the most unique analog tool we’ve shot with in recent years. A pocket-sized camera that shoots half-frame stills on 35mm film, it features four lenses on a rotating plate, giving you a range of creative shooting options in a tiny package.

Its small size and light weight mean it’s a fantastic camera to keep with you, while those lenses let you easily explore four very different styles of photography – including a 25mm f/125 pinhole lens and a premium 33.3mm (50mm equivalent) f/8 rapid rectilinear lens. We made plenty of mistakes in our review, and there’s a learning curve when it comes to mode selection, but we were primarily inspired by the possibilities. While the TYCH+ isn’t the cheapest way to explore film photography, it is one of the most exciting.

Read our in-depth Alfie TYCH+ review

Nons SL660

(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Price: $599 / £603Format: Fujifilm Instax Square

There’s nothing quite like the Nons SL660. It’s an angular, bulky instant camera that shoots on Fujifilm’s Instax Square film. But unlike many of the best instant cameras, it has a passive Canon EF lens mount, which unlocks compatibility with a whole range of different lenses. Nons makes two itself: a 35mm f/2.8 and a 50mm f/1.8, as well as a catalog of adaptors for other mounts, including Nikon F.

Designed as a proper SLR, the SL660 is fully manual in operation. That means you’ll need to get to grips with shutter speed, aperture and exposure settings. Focus is manual too, as is the method of ejecting prints. All of this makes the SL660 a proper photographer’s camera – a fact reflected by its high price tag and metal build. We found it heavy in testing, and Instax Square film does limit overall image quality. But for a proper, hands-on analog shooting experience, we think it delivers charm in spades.

Read our in-depth Nons SL660 review

Lomography Lomatic 110

(Image credit: Future)
Price (without flash): $99 / £89Price (with flash): $119 / £109Format: 110

You can rely on Lomography to always be doing something different, and so it is with the manufacturer’s latest model: the Lomatic 110 is a pocket-sized point-and-shoot that takes 110 film. That means a reduction in quality versus 35mm rolls, plus a lower yield at 24 exposures. Yet the Lomatic 110 is also a fantastically easy camera to use and a perfect one for beginners to shoot and travel with, thanks to its compact design and foolproof controls.

Its vivid retro look is bang on trend, while its interface is satisfyingly simple. All that’s really required is to set the film ISO and the focus distance, which is done via a manual scale control. Shutter speed is handled automatically (depending on whether you’re in day or night mode), with three flash options. In this way, we think the Lomatic 110 captures exactly the fun accessibility that is drawing many back to film. The only downside is the small size and high relative cost of the 110 format.

Read our in-depth Lomography Lomatic 110 review

Fujifilm Instax mini 99

(Image credit: Future)
Price (without flash): $199.95 / £174.99 / AU$279Format: Fujifilm Instax mini

A different analog genre all of its own, instant photography has been back in a big way for several years. Yet we think the Fujifilm Instax mini 99 is also further evidence of film photography’s increasing popularity. It’s a fine example of the format, with a solid build and grown-up design that embraces the ‘old-school’ look without going over the top.

In our review, we praised its combination of a beginner-friendly interface with manual controls and shooting modes that give experienced photographers room to experiment. It’s not a budget camera by any means, and there’s no escaping the cost of Instax mini film refills. But the mini 99 is also one of the most mature Instax cameras we’ve tested. The best instant cameras have gone from strength to strength, and the mini 99 shows there’s very much a market for this form of film photography in 2024.

Read our in-depth Fujiiflm Instax mini 99 review

What’s next for film photography?

With the resurgence of film photography comes a renewed expectation of what’s coming next for the medium. As you can see from the models above, there are several manufacturers with skin in the analog game in 2024. 

Probably the greatest anticipation surrounds the Pentax Film Project, which gave us the Pentax 17. In December 2022, parent company Ricoh revealed plans to launch a series of Pentax film cameras. At first, it was expected that we would see multiple new models released in 2024. That now appears less likely, but talk of a follow-up to the Pentax 17 continues.

What that might look like remains to be seen: depending on who you ask, it could be a compact point-and-shoot or a fully fledged SLR. It may, quite fairly, be that Pentax is holding fire until it’s fully assessed the reception for its first new film camera in decades. This would fit with what Pentax representatives have said about consulting directly with consumers on the project. Either way, the bar has been set high with the Pentax 17.

(Image credit: Mint Camera)

Another project surrounded by expectation is Mint’s Rollei 35AF camera. A miniature 35mm camera from the Hong Kong camera maker, the Rollei 35AF is a reboot of the Rollei 35 of the 1960s. It pairs a matchbox-sized metal body and 35mm f/2.8 lens with modern flourishes, including autofocus. There’s no firm word on pricing, but it could retail at north of $600.

With a convenient form factor, vintage look and accessible controls, the Rollei 35AF looks set to have all the right characteristics to ride the wave of analog enthusiasm. The waitlist is reportedly a lengthy one already, which speaks volumes about the popularity of film photography in 2024. A release date hasn’t been fixed, but it could be this year.

What we’d like to see next for film photography

The most exciting thing about film photography in 2024 is not just the increasing popularity of the medium, but the fact that new analog cameras are being made by a number of manufactures – and that these models offer a wide variety of shooting experiences. We’ve love to see this trend continue: fresh approaches to film photography which offer different routes into the hobby. The more options that are out there for first-timers to try, the more that interest in analog will keep growing.

At present, Pentax is the biggest name to bring a new film camera to the market in 2024. We have seen analog models from other camera makers in recent years, including the budget Kodak Ektar H35. Leica also maintains the premium M-A and MP in its line-up. But what we’d really love to see is a film camera from one of the biggest camera brands: Canon or Nikon.

The Nikon Zf is a full-frame mirrorless camera inspired by the Nikon FM2 film camera (Image credit: Future)

While this might seem unlikely, given that both marques have shifted their focus away from DSLR models to the best mirrorless cameras, we don’t think it’s impossible. Nikon in particular has show a willingness to embrace the market for retro-style cameras, aping Fujifilm’s X series with vintage-inspired models such as the Z fc and Zf. A leap back into 35mm would be a bold one – but with such an extensive back-catalog of film cameras, there would surely be a market for an analog homage to a former model.

We’d also really like to see a reduction in the cost of film refills and developing fees. Both of these remain a barrier to entry for new film photographers in 2024, with prices that will discourage many from experimenting with the medium, due to the high cost of processing and printing even a single still. 

For prices to come down, there needs to be a weight of demand that makes it worthwhile for film manufacturers and photo studios to expand and compete. This can only happen if enough people take up analog photography. The good news is that every new model that hits the market makes this more likely. So we don’t know exactly what’s next for film photography, but the picture looks brighter in 2024 than it has in a long time.

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Windows 11 users: Did you know that only one app can use your webcam at any given time? But not for much longer…

Windows 11 is getting a new ability with the 24H2 update which means that more than just one app will be able to access the webcam without having to work around this with a fudge.

Yes, if you weren’t aware, it’s currently the case for Windows 11 that the OS (and other Windows versions, for that matter) only allows one app access to the camera at any one time.

As Windows Latest reports, currently the only way around this is that if there’s a second app that needs to use the webcam at the same time as an initial app which has grabbed the hardware, you can use a virtual camera setup to do so.

However, Windows 11 should be able to natively handle multiple apps tapping the webcam simultaneously with a new option in the 24H2 update, as leaker PhantomOfEarth highlighted with a post on X.

As you can see, the feature will be in the Camera settings, courtesy of an ‘Advanced camera configuration’ panel that’ll allow the user to enable multi-app camera, which allows multiple apps to simultaneously stream from the camera.

Note that this ability is just in testing right now, and it’s hidden in the latest Windows 11 preview in the Dev channel, in fact. Hopefully, it’ll be live soon enough though, and can be tested and run through its paces before full release.

(Image credit: Future)

Analysis: A throwback of a limitation

While multiple apps using the webcam may not be a common scenario for many Windows 11 users, it’s a useful ability that some folks want, and as Microsoft notes in the text for the feature, it’s “designed for the hard-of-hearing community” – so this is yet another useful step forward on the accessibility front, too. (We aren’t sure what scenarios this might be leveraged in, but hopefully when the feature actually goes live in testing, Microsoft will explain in more detail what this does in the usual blog post announcing all the new bits and pieces).

You might be wondering why Windows 11 (or previous versions of the OS) doesn’t support multiple webcams anyway? It doesn’t seem like a massive ask, after all. Well, seemingly this is a throwback to past times when hardware wasn’t as beefy as it is today, and sharing the camera between numerous apps could cause system slowdown for lesser PCs.

As Windows Latest observes, it seems Microsoft implemented a fundamental rule to prevent this – one app at a time working with the webcam – and just hasn’t changed that in ages. There’s no reason for the restriction now, so it’s (finally) being lifted – at least assuming this change progresses through Windows 11’s testing channels and onto release (and we can’t see why it wouldn’t).

There are other slight complications with multiple apps sharing the one webcam, such as image settings like brightness having different parameters demanded by the different apps using the camera. To get around this, Microsoft is having brightness and so forth controlled at a central point in Windows 11’s settings, which overrides any app settings, and that of course fully makes sense.

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