Create your own wallpapers for iOS and macOS devices with the new ‘Acrylic’ app
Choosing the right wallpaper for your computer or phone isn’t always easy. iOS doesn’t exactly have many options available, and searching for good images on the web can be a nightmare. However, thanks to the new “Acrylic” app, you can now create your own wallpapers for iOS and macOS devices.
Acrylic is focused on creating 3D and gradient wallpapers, which honestly are a perfect match for Apple’s operating systems. The app will quickly create new wallpapers for you if you are looking to surprise someone with a unique background. You can also create your own background.
Acrylic is a simple and easy-to-use wallpaper engine for iOS and macOS, though, it does do more than just simple wallpapers. Easily create beautiful mesh gradients and 3D scenes at high resolutions. You can quickly create stunning-looking renders with simple tools.
You can add multiple spots to change the colors of each of them. Not only that, the app lets users change the location of the spots for a more original look. You can also choose to create wallpapers with specific colors depending on your settings.
In addition to gradients, Acrylic is also capable of generating 3D scenes with customizable presets, advanced reflections, and ambient occlusion for more detailed objects. The possibilities of creating your next wallpaper are limitless. Once you’re done, the wallpaper can easily be exported to your photo library.
The app supports a variety of other features such as iCloud sync and widgets. It works on iPhone, iPad and Mac.
If you want to give the app a try, Acrylic is available on the App Store as a one-time $1. 99 purchase. During the first month of sales, part of the proceeds will go to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.
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Each week this newsletter makes a big recommendation. This week, our recommendation is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, a Marvel movie that stands apart from its peers thanks to the vision of director Sam Raimi. And honestly, that’s all we currently have to say about the film beyond our spoiler-free review, because heaven knows we won’t be responsible for spoiling the latest entry in the MCU on the weekend of its release.
We’d rather use this space for a discussion about a question and, more importantly, the implications of the question on the entertainment industry.
This isn’t a question we expected to ask a decade ago, before Disney acquired Lucasfilm and resuscitated the Star Wars film and TV production line, then ramped it up into overdrive. George Lucas wasn’t averse to the commodification and exploitation of his faraway galaxy. The galaxy was becoming messy, dusty and cluttered, much like an attic that you promised to clear out one day.
Now, Star Wars is sparkling clean, meticulously planned, and utterly inescapable. Gone are the days when hardcore fans debated the Expanded Universe of books; now we fill Reddit with theories that will be proven or debunked in next week’s episode, a game this fall, or a movie in the coming years. Star Wars is so high up in pop culture that it’s easy to forget about “Baby Yoda”, two words that don’t belong together just a few short years ago, and how Star Wars has returned to the top.
With all this in mind we wrote three stories this week about Star Wars’ current state and future plans:
Will Star Wars’ future move in this direction? We’ll know more when Obi-Wan premieres later this month. We have the trailer for now. This trailer looks just like anything that Benny Safdie stars. In the meantime, why not play the 13 best Star Wars games you can grab in this year’s May the 4th sales? They’re almost certainly a better use of your money than the peculiar stink of Grogu.
This week on YouTube | How Call of Duty turned war into a circus | “Call of Duty was created by developers who worked on Medal of Honor, a World War II game modeled after Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan. The film is brutal, unflinching, and a little bit romantic. But Call of Duty would grow into something much weirder, much bigger, and much more perverse than anyone could have known. This is part of the military apparatus that sells war to the general public. It’s also fun .”
Five stories to read
Photo: Marni Grossman/Paramount Plus
After 50 years, Captain Pike got the Star Trek show he deserves| It took more than half a century, but Strange New Worlds delivers on the promise of a proper Pike spinoff.
The first trailer for the Game of Thrones spinoff looks quite promising| Can HBO rekindle the flame that got extinguished by the original series’ finale? The trailer suggests that just might happen!
The Owl House is proving itself to be too good for Disney | “Even with Disney’s meddling, The Owl House is flipping brilliant.”
Everyday Heroes uses the rules of D&D to roll up Rambo, Highlander, The Crow, and more| They had us at “Rambo D&D.”
Heartstopper understands the bisexual panic of watching Pirates of Caribbean| Sometimes a headline says it all.
Four things to watch
Image: Marvel Studios
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in theaters | Read our spoiler-free review of Sam Raimi’s return to the superhero-industrial complex!
Belle on digital rental platforms like Amazon and Vudu | The director of anime hits like Mirai and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time has made a breathtaking and befuddling spin on Beauty and the Beast. Curious? Check out our review.
Lux AEterna in theaters | Controversial director Gaspar Noe is at it again.
13 great movies new to streaming in May| Seriously, you no longer have an excuse to skip the Wachowskis’ underrated gem, Bound.
Plus, everything new to streaming!
Five games to play
Image: Toukana Interactive
Before we get into the list, let us just say: what a week for video games! This may be the first time we’ve awarded four games our Recommends badge in the same week. We thought it would be a slow season.
Dorfromantik | Polygon Recommends | Imagine Catan minus all of the stress. Available on Windows PC
Rogue Legacy 2| Polygon Recommends | After nearly two years in early access, Rogue Legacy 2 is a worthy sequel to a beloved roguelite. is available on Xbox Series X and Xbox One.
Citizen Sleeper| Polygon Recommends | “The game’s greatest strength (and also its most infuriating choice) is to untether me from concrete objectives and let me exist without a reason.” Available on Windows PC, Mac, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch.
Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters| Polygon Recommends | XCOM always needed more giant space hammers. Available on Windows PC
The 25 best games on Xbox Game Pass | We added new treasures to our rolling list.
Apple TV+ film Emancipation reportedly moving to 2023 release after Will Smith slap incident
Heading into 2022, Apple TV+ was preparing to fill its original film slate with a major blockbuster original film, ‘Emancipation’, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Will Smith.
However, as part of the ongoing fallout from Smith deciding to assault Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars, it now appears that the film’s release has been delayed to 2023 according to a report from Variety.
Although Apple has never officially given a release timeframe to Emancipation before, it was widely expected to be one of Apple’s awards darlings for the upcoming circuit, with a release in the fall.
This follows Apple Original Film’s achievement of getting Best Picture recognition within its first two years of eligibility, making Apple TV+ the first streaming service ever to pick up the Oscar’s highest accolade.
Emancipation had a good chance at continuing that streak, at least until Smith lost his temper at the Oscars and slapped presenter Chris Rock mid-show, in front of millions of viewers, in a move so left-field many people originally thought it was a bit. As soon as that happened, the awards prospects for Emancipation — particularly whilst the incident remains in recent memory — evaporated.
Smith himself is now banned from attending future Oscars events for the next decade, although he can theoretically still be nominated.
Variety says that post-production on the film is still ongoing, which is another possible factor as to the schedule pushback. However, most likely, Apple wants to wait a year and hope Smith’s reputation has recovered somewhat by fall 2023, to give Emancipation its best shot at being positively received by audiences and critics. It spent over $100 million on producing the film, after all.
What is good news for Apple is that it has a lot more awards contender movies on its upcoming slate, including ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’, ‘Raymond and Ray’, ‘The Greatest Beer Run Ever’, and its first ever animated feature ‘Luck’. The $200m Martin Scorsese directed ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is also expected to make waves when it is released, although it remains unclear if that film will finish post-production in time for a 2022 debut.
Halo Infinite season 2 off to “bumpy” start, 343 Industries says
Halo Infinite‘s second season of content, dubbed Lone Wolves, launched Tuesday, and developer 343 Industries admits it got off to a “bumpy” start.
While players have had positive things to say about Halo Infinite‘s new maps (Catalyst and Breaker), silly new unlockable cosmetics, and new multiplayer modes King of the Hill and battle royale-esque Last Spartan Standing, buggy challenges are souring the launch of season 2. Players didn’t want to see exploits fixed. The in-game weapons started to jam ,, which you don’t really want in multiplayer shooters.
Joseph Staten, head of creative for Halo Infinite, and John Junyszek, senior community manager at 343, both took to Twitter on Thursday to assuage fans’ anger and say they’re listening to criticism.
“Hey Spartans! This week has been rough,” Staten stated . “That definitely wasn’t our goal. Your feedback is being taken into consideration, particularly in relation to speedrunning and map jumping. We’re reviewing options and will have more news to come.”
With Tuesday’s update, 343 Industries wiped out well known glitches used by campaign speedrunners — including the perplexing removal of the ability to hijack the Pelican — and certain multiplayer movement techniques and skill jumps used by high-level Halo players. While the latter was communicated ahead of season 2, it wasn’t a welcome set of changes.
“Everything I enjoyed about this campaign that I’m excited to use when the co-op launches later in the year. “Gone”, said Mint Blitz, a long-time Halo player .. The YouTuber may have shown Master Chief on HaloInfinite s open world map. He also used early exploits to launch it Breath Of the Wild -style. Mint Blitz also criticized multiplayer movement changes, saying, “Nobody asked for this. For all of these changes
“We’ve seen the feedback around changes that impacted various multiplayer jumps and campaign speedrun strategies,” Junyszek said on Twitter. “We’re not at the point where we can promise anything yet, but want to be transparent and say that we’re taking the feedback seriously and reviewing options internally.”
Whether 343 will work to bring those enjoyable exploits back remains to be seen. The studio will at least try to ease the pain of the bumpy launch week. Halo Infinite players will get five XP Boosters and five Challenge Swaps if they log in while the ongoing Interference event is live (that runs through May 16), and Junyszek says 343 will be “reducing the difficulty of some Event Challenges and making it so that completing them earns you 2 levels on the Event Pass.”
9to5Mac Happy Hour 380: New Jony Ive anecdotes, ‘After Steve’ book review, EU antitrust targets Apple Pay
Zac has read the new book on Apple and Jony Ive, ‘After Steve’. We break down the intriguing anecdotes shared about Ive, Cook, Forstall and others as well as our opinion on the book as a whole. Plus, in the news, Apple Pay is in the sights of the EU competition commission and Apple commits to supporting the FIDO standards for passwordless authentication.
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The Beats Tour Pro TWS earbuds revive the dormant audio brand, bringing studio-grade music to the forefront
It’s no secret that Apple bought Beats by Dre just to throttle it. Apple wanted to quickly scale up its music streaming service, launch its own wireless headphones, and so decided to buy Beats by Dre. However, Beats by Dre didn’t just die out… it became an Apple afterthought. AirPods were given a prominent spot in Apple’s keynotes. However, Beats by Dre products became less and less common and were not announced with much fanfare but rather with press releases. However, the Beats Tour Pro is one of many designers’ attempts to revive the brand. The Beats Tour Pro are a high-end pair of TWS earbuds that compete with the AirPods Pro. They feature a sleeker design and snug-fitting silicone tips. Active noise cancellation is also included.
Designer: Junwoo Kim
Like most Beats products, the Tour Pro boasts a design that stands out as something eye-catchingly different. Beats Tour Pro is a different product than Apple’s products which have become more homogeneous in their appearance. Sure, they stick to the basics with the massive Beats logo on the outer surface of the earbuds, but there’s also a hollow stem right below, making it easier to grip the earphones without accidentally hitting the capacitive touch surface. You can also enjoy a snug fitting stem by being tucked into your ear. This allows you to get on with your life without having them fall out.
The Beats Tour Pro earbuds sit in a rather nifty pebble-shaped case reminiscent of the Studio Buds. The Tour Pro’s case is different from the AirPods or the Studio Buds. It opens in a clamshell style, which allows the whole earbud to be seen inside (similar to the Samsung Galaxy Buds). They do, however, sport USB-C charging just like the Studio Buds.
Designer Junwoo Kim also envisioned the Tour Pro earbuds to have ANC and a transparency mode, similar to the AirPods Pro and the Studio Buds. These headphones can also be used seamlessly with iOS and Mac devices. They fit well in Apple’s closed-door ecosystem.
iQOO Neo6 SE becomes official with Snapdragon 870 chipset
iQOO’s Neo family has grown by one member today, with the official launch of the Neo6 SE in China, following weeks of leaks, rumors, and teasers. The iQOO Neo6 SE is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 870 SoC, and that’s literally the only difference between this and the iQOO Neo6 non-SE, which was unveiled and released last month.
Still, the rest of the package is nothing to scoff at. For people who aren’t after the best possible performance (which would be where the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset in the Neo6 would shine), the use of an older chip in the 870 comes with an a substantial price differential.
While the Neo6 starts at CNY 2,799 ($419) with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, the Neo6 SE with the same memory and storage amount goes for just CNY 1,999 ($299). The 8/256GB model is priced at CNY 2,299 ($344), compared to CNY 2,999 ($449) for the similarly specced Neo6, and the top of the line version with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage costs CNY 2,499 ($374) vs. CNY 3,299 ($494) for the Neo6.
To recap, the Neo6 SE, like the Neo6, has a 6.62-inch 1080×2400 AMOLED touchscreen with 120 Hz refresh rate and up to 1,300 nits of brightness, a triple rear camera system with a 64 MP main sensor with OIS, a 12 MP ultrawide, and a 2 MP portrait camera, a 16 MP selfie snapper, an in-display fingerprint sensor, and a 4,700 mAh battery with support for 80W fast charging.
It runs Android 12 with OriginOS Ocean on top. The iQOO Neo6 SE is available to order in China today in blue, orange, and gradient blue, and will be released on May 11. It’s unclear when or if it might be offered outside of China.
Xbox streaming device, Samsung TV app are reportedly coming soon
Microsoft plans to release a streaming device that will let people play Xbox games without a console “in the next 12 months,” VentureBeat reports. The device — which VentureBeat compared to an Amazon Fire TV or Roku — will allow customers to access the Xbox Game Pass library via Xbox Cloud Gaming, along with streaming movie and TV platforms.
VentureBeat additionally reports that Microsoft is working on a native app for Samsung smart TVs that would allow owners of those displays to access the Xbox Cloud Gaming service without having to buy the aforementioned stand-alone streaming device. That app is also set to arrive within the next year, according to VentureBeat. It would presumably work similarly to the app for Nvidia’s game-streaming service, GeForce Now, which launched on LG TVs earlier this year.
The app and streaming device are in line with Microsoft’s long-running plans to increase access to Xbox games by removing barriers to entry — in particular, the need to buy a gaming console that costs hundreds of dollars. The company announced one day ago that it had teamed up with Epic Games to make Fortnite playable in browsers via Xbox Cloud Gaming. As for Xbox streaming devices and smart TV apps, Microsoft already said during E3 2021 that it was working on those very things.
“We’re working with global TV manufacturers to embed the Game Pass experience directly into internet-connected TVs, so all you’ll need to play is a controller,” said Liz Hamren, then the corporate vice president for gaming experiences and platforms at Microsoft. “Beyond that, we’re also developing stand-alone streaming devices that you can plug into a TV or monitor, so if you have a strong internet connection you can stream your Xbox experience.”
Apple’s Senior Director of Global Privacy to speak on privacy and data protection at conference
Jane Horvath, Apple’s Senior Director of Global Privacy, is speaking at the Computers, Privacy, and Data Protection (CPDP) conference. The event takes place May 23-25 in Brussels, Belgium, in which Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Meta are among the sponsors.
Horvath will speak on Tuesday the 24th in a session called “The future of privacy. How is multistakeholderism shaping privacy worldwide?” There are not too many details on what she’ll cover, but one can imagine it’ll be something of interest.
The Apple executive hasn’t spoken at many events in her nearly eleven-year tenure with the tech giant. Her last speaking engagement was over two years ago at the CES 2020 event where she discussed Apple’s views on consumer privacy.
CEO Tim Cook has also been vocal about privacy for years. Recently, the company has been raising its objections to allow side-loading under the EU’s Digital Markets Act. Under this act, Apple may have to allow users the choice to install apps from outside its App Store. With the amount of personal information users keep on their iPhones, Apple has stated that side-loading would only increase security risks.
Horvath has been working at Apple since September of 2011, after working as the Global Privacy Counsel at Google. In her role, she’s responsible for Apple’s compliance with global privacy laws and works on developing issues related to the topic.
9to5Mac’s Take
I hope to see a recording of Horvath’s session, as it’s sure to cover some hot topics regarding privacy and data protection. I can imagine she’ll cover areas like side-loading or possibly App Tracking Transparency (ATT). Apple’s views on customer privacy and data protection aren’t secret and I’m interested to hear what Horvath will say in a few weeks. What matters do you think she’ll cover at the event?
Warhammer Fest introduces new 40K Kill Team, Chaos Marines, and squats
Games Workshop’s Warhammer Fest Online has been running all this week, and concludes with even more big reveals on Saturday. The interstitial event — streamed live on Twitch for about an hour each day — includes all manner of new models and products for virtually every single game and franchise that the British company produces. The biggest reveals, however, arrived for marquee franchises Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer: Age of Sigmar.
The event effectively sets the tone for the next six months, an important period for the hobby games industry that spans the summer convention circuit and sets up for the holiday season. Here’s a rundown of the most important announcements made so far.
Kill Team
The Warhammer 40,000 Kill Team: Moroch boxed set includes some fantastic-looking traitor soldiers. The set echoes the design of the Guardsman included in Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress and adds a Commissar (a leader unit) and an Ogryn — a mutated, ogrelike close combat unit. Presenters said they’ll handle a bit like the Death Korps of Krieg included in the critically acclaimed reboot Warhammer 40,000Kill Team: Octarius. The opposing force is a Space Marine Phobos Strike Team, an existing set of models that will be included here with an all-new upgrade sprue.
Necromunda
Prospectors — independent excavators working in the wastes of Necromunda — were introduced in passing with the new Necromunda: Ash Wastes Rulebook. On Friday, Games Workshop finally revealed the first full set of units to fill that role and, surprise, surprise, they’re squats.
This new warband for Necromunda marks the first appearance of a full unit of squats. However, presenters were quick to note that these particular squats are not actually related to the recently announced Leagues of Votann for Warhammer 40,000. Those are a wholly separate faction and far more technologically advanced.
Also revealed is a new sourcebook called Necromunda: Book of the Outlands, which should detail at the very least new units for the Orlocks, Ash Waste Nomads, and the Ironhead Squats. According to the presenters, it will also include rules for many generic vehicles that will be available to all of the existing gangs in the game.
Warhammer 40,000
With a new Warhammer: 40,000Codex: Chaos Space Marines on the way, GW has finally taken the cover off a bunch of models — including a gnarly new Daemon Prince. These models are notable in that they’ve got a lot more flesh on them than traditional units, especially the Possessed, which are now said to be the size of a Space Marine in Gravis Armour.
The 40K Chaos line will also include a bunch of new Cultists, similar in flavor to the handful of units released with the Barnes & Noble-exclusive board game Space Marine Adventures: Doomsday Countdown. Plus, there’s word that the World Eaters will be getting their own codex soon.
Image: Games Workshop
The Leagues of Votann — previously known as squats — also made an appearance. The new Hernkyn Pioneer unit is just packed with detail. It absolutely looks like a cross between Horus Heresy-era tech and something the T’au might field in the 41st millennium.
Warhammer: Age of Sigmar
Fans of Warhammer: Age of Sigmar have not been left out of the festivities. GW revealed some menacing Ogroid Theridons.
The elven Sylvaneth faction hasn’t received an update in a while. The new series of all-plastic multipart sets revealed on Thursday leans into the flowing lines and organic textures that faction is known for.
Image: Games Workshop
The Skaven faction is getting an all-new rulebook titled Chaos Battletome: Skaven that will upgrade the faction’s rules for the first time in a long while. GW also showed off a new Skaven Deathmaster, pictured above. As with most all of the reveals shown so far, no release date or pricing information was offered.
A new faction called Horns of Hashut is on the way for Warhammer: Age of Sigmar Warcry. Presenters also added that the competitive skirmish game will be getting more battlefields set in the Mortal Realms soon.
There are many more announcements coming down the line this weekend, which is expected to focus on the upcoming Horus Heresy reboot. Warhammer Fest Online concludes Saturday, May 7, with another video. Airtime will likely be announced on Twitter.
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