Apple has just officially launched iOS 18, a major update that is set to redefine the iPhone experience with enhanced personalization, new capabilities, and seamless integration for gaming and entertainment. Available for download starting today, iOS 18 promises to bring a whole new level of interaction and performance for iPhone users starting with the older generation Xs and up to the latest 16 Pro.
Key Features of iOS 18
– Revamped User Interface (UI): iOS 18 introduces a more customizable interface, with dynamic widgets, a redesigned lock screen, and adaptive app layouts, making the experience more personal than ever.
– AI-Powered Personalization: Leveraging advanced AI, the system learns from user preferences, adjusting app recommendations, notifications, and even battery optimization to match individual habits. This feature promises a smarter, more intuitive user experience.
– Interactive Widgets: For the first time, iOS users can engage with widgets directly from the home screen. Whether it’s checking game stats or adjusting settings, this allows for quicker access to essential functions.
– Performance Boost: Apple has integrated the A18 Bionic chip into the latest iPhones, resulting in faster processing speeds, optimized graphics, and better multitasking capabilities. This is especially beneficial for gaming, where users will notice smoother graphics and higher frame rates.
– Expanded Gaming Capabilities: iOS 18 introduces Game Mode, a dedicated feature that optimizes performance while playing online games by reducing background processes and enhancing network stability. Users will experience faster response times and less lag, which is critical for real-time multiplayer games. This is coupled with Enhanced AR support, bringing online games to life in ways previously unseen.
– Cross-Device Connectivity: With iOS 18, gaming moves seamlessly across Apple devices. Game progress can now be synced across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, allowing users to pick up where they left off, regardless of the device they’re using.
Comparison with Previous iOS Versions
– Performance Gains: Compared to iOS 17, iOS 18 offers up to 30% faster app launches and a 20% increase in battery life for gamers. This is a result of the new battery optimization algorithms and improved processor efficiency.
– Gaming Improvements: The introduction of Game Mode and AR-enhanced experiences is a leap from previous iterations, positioning iOS 18 as the ideal platform for mobile gaming enthusiasts. Apple’s new Metal 3 framework [MetalFX upscaling first seen in an impressive 2022 demo showcasing Resident Evil Village running as a Mac port- see video below CP] also enhances the gaming experience with more detailed textures and faster loading times.
Impact on Online Gaming
iOS 18’s Game Mode and improved connectivity features ensure that mobile gamers can enjoy uninterrupted, high-performance gameplay on online platforms. This feature helps tackle a longstanding challenge of latency and performance dips during competitive play.
“iOS 18 transforms the online gaming landscape by making iPhone not just a communication device, but a full-fledged gaming console in the palm of your hand. With its advanced features, smoother gameplay, and seamless cross-device experience, iOS 18 is a game-changer,” said Vadim Khrulev, Founder and CEO at thesolitaire.com.
With iOS 18, Apple is once again pushing the boundaries of what is possible on a mobile device. For gamers, content creators, and everyday users, the new OS offers unmatched personalization, performance, and cross-platform experiences. As the gaming industry continues to expand, iOS 18 ensures that iPhone remains at the forefront of the digital entertainment world.
BenQ Debuts New LH820ST Laser Projector Built For Small to Medium Golf Simulation Rooms
Designed to Bring BenQ’s Critically Acclaimed Premium Golf Sim Quality to Small Sim Spaces for 2,500$ cad, the LH820ST Shines in Color Accuracy, Brightness, and Ease of Installation
COSTA MESA, Calif. — Aug, 2023 — BenQ, an internationally renowned provider of visual display solutions, continues its commitment to delivering the most realistic, user-friendly golfing experience for the growing at-home and commercial golf simulation market with the new LH820ST laser projector. Available for $1,899 usd/ $2,525 cad MSRP, the full-HD, 3,600-lumen LH820ST short-throw laser projector features 90% Rec. 709 color coverage for realistic golf course images, 0.5 throw ratio, convenient HDMI connectivity, 20,000 hours of maintenance-free use, and robust features for easy, flexible installation. It’s ideal for golf sim in garages, basements, and other shared spaces.
“Golf sim has become mainstream, creating demand for laser projectors that are not only affordable but also work for small sim spaces and have great picture quality,” said Bob Wudeck, senior director of business development at BenQ Education.
“BenQ has been at the forefront of the golf simulation market since we introduced our 4K UHD LK953ST and WUXGA LU935ST short-throw laser projectors two years ago. The LH820ST checks every box for golfers wanting to put in a golf sim but are tight on space or wanting to update their existing projector for the best quality. It’s the first golf sim laser projector under $2,000 usd offering incredible value.”
“This is like looking through a window. The details are absolutely perfect. It absolutely nails the colors on True North. In comparison between my 4K monitor and this projector, they’re identical.” — Eaglesnbirdies’ YouTube Review of the BenQ LH820ST
The LH820ST uses native 1080p full-HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, providing sharp and detailed images without downscaling or compression, which is perfect for golf simulation, full-HD movies, and gaming. BenQ golf simulator projectors perfectly reproduce the lush greens and vivid blues of golf courses. The company teamed up with color experts to develop an exclusive Golf Mode that optimizes color accuracy. This allows golfers to immerse themselves in pleasantly natural reproductions of the most popular golf courses around the world. With 3,600 lumens, the LH820ST provides bright projection, allowing users to clearly see the image on the golf simulator screen even in bright environments.
“This is the best-looking projector I’ve ever had in [my golf sim room] — without a doubt. I can’t get over how clear and crisp these courses are. I may have to switch out my old projector. There’s no way anybody can get this projector and complain about it.” — Roxor Golf’s YouTube Review of the BenQ LH820ST
The BenQ LH820ST is also the perfect projector for golf sim rooms that need to double as media rooms. The projector’s powerful laser projection utilizes a dual color wheel system that covers an unparalleled 90% of Rec. 709, the industrywide standard for color reproduction in HD video and movies. Users enjoy golf, movies, and games in perfect color, knowing that what’s on-screen is exactly what the director intended. In addition, the increased color ratios and pure laser-generated RGBY hues dramatically enhance color saturation and guarantee superior projected image quality compared to lamp projectors.
“My garage is below the recommended dimensions for a home golf simulator room. … I can’t tell you how happy I am with this projected image. I didn’t even think it was possible to get an image this good. … I don’t even need my TV screen monitor now. I can just look at the projector screen and play proper sim golf now.” — Handicap Golf’s YouTube Review of the BenQ LH820ST
Cool set up in a tiny garage! Fore!
For most golf simulation setups, a short-throw projector is key because it allows for projector placement where it is needed to fill the screen while being mounted safely outside the hitting area and without casting a shadow. This is even more important for small- to medium-sized golf sim rooms. With a 0.5 throw ratio, the LH820ST can project a 177″ image (7.7′ by 13′ screen size or 86″ by 154″ actual viewable size) when placed within just 7 feet from the screen, as an example. It delivers a large picture without the expense of optional lenses. Also, the LH820ST is great for golf simulators that may require a floor-mounted projector due to space restrictions. The LH820ST also features an HDMI input for directly connecting the devices running golf sim software to the projector and ensuring no lag or signal degradation.
“The fact that this is a laser projector for $1,900 usd is great. You get a sharp, bright image with BenQ’s gorgeous color and dynamic range, and the short throw distance is perfect for mounting the projector up close to the screen to help avoid unwanted shadows on your image. This is a projector designed with golf simulation experiences in mind.” — Carl’s Place YouTube Review of the BenQ LH820ST
BenQ provides setup tools to make installation fast, simple, and perfectly aligned. With digital shrink and shift tools, users can adjust the projected image by reducing and moving it by 0.5%. To counteract the trapezoid effect that can occur when a projector is installed or placed off-center, the LH820ST offers a 2D keystone correction range of up to plus or minus 30 degrees on both the horizontal and vertical axes. Corner fit control adjusts each corner for perfectly aligned image geometry. The projector also features screen fill, which allows the projector to easily switch from native resolution to best match the desired aspect ratio with maximized pixel counts while avoiding image distortion, all with just a few clicks in the on-screen menu. Users don’t need to go into graphics card or Windows display settings, which saves time and hassle.
Finally, like all BenQ projectors in its laser family, the LH820ST eliminates the hassle and cost of installing replacement lamps while providing long-lasting 20,000-hour light source life and beautiful colors. Every BenQ laser projector has an IP5X-rated, dustproof, sealed laser engine that eliminates the need for filters, perfect for dust-prone environments such as a garage or basement. The result is a long-lasting projector that keeps users from worrying about filters or lamps — only hooks and slices.
For the Silo, Veronica Esbona.
Highlights
Full HD (1920×1080) resolution
The LH820ST uses native 1080p full HD (1920×1080) resolution, providing sharp and detailed images without downscaling or compression, which is perfect for golf simulation, full HD movies, and gaming.
Exclusive Golf Mode for vivid greens and blues
BenQ golf simulator projectors perfectly reproduce the lush greens and vivid blues of golf courses. BenQ teamed up with color experts to develop an exclusive Golf Mode that optimizes the blue sky and the green grass color. This allows golfers to immerse themselves in pleasantly natural reproductions of blue sky and green grass.
A bright image with 3600 lumens
With 3600 lumens, the LH820ST provides bright projection, allowing users to clearly see the image on the golf simulator screen even with room lights turned on.
Cinema-level color gamut with 90% REC709 coverage
The LH820ST’s powerful laser projection utilizes a dual color wheel system that covers an unparalleled 90% of Rec.709, the industry-wide standard for color reproduction in HD video and movies. Enjoy golf, movies, and games in perfect color, knowing that what you’re seeing on screen is exactly what the director intended. In addition, the increased color ratios and pure laser-generated RGBY hues dramatically enhance color saturation and guarantee superior projected image quality compared to lamp projectors.
Placement outside hit zone plus no shadows with 0.5 throw ratio
For most golf simulation setups, a short throw projector helps you put the projector where it is needed to fill the screen while being mounted safely outside the hitting area and without casting a shadow. With 0.5 throw ratios, the LH820ST can project a 177” image (7.7x13ft (screen size); 86x154in (actual viewable size)) image when placed within just 7 feet from the screen, as an example, delivering a large picture without the expense of optional lenses. Also, the LH820ST is great for golf simulators that may require a floor mounted projector due to space restrictions.
Digital Shrink and Shift for Accurate Image Adjustment
After the projector is installed, the LH820ST allows you to adjust the projected image by reducing and moving it by 0.5% to where you want it.
Ideal projection alignment with 2D keystone and corner fit
To counteract the trapezoid effect that can occur when a projector is installed or placed off-center, the LH820ST offers a 2D keystone correction range of up to ±30° on both the horizontal and vertical axes. Corner Fit control adjusts each corner for perfectly aligned image geometry.
Easy switch of aspect ratios with the screen fill function
The LH820ST features Screen Fill, which allows the projector to easily switch from native resolution to best match your desired aspect ratio with maximized pixel counts while avoiding image distortion, all with just a few clicks in the on-screen menu. You don’t need to go into graphics card or Windows display settings, which saves time and hassle.
The LH820ST supports a perfect digital signal via HDMI input directly from the devices running your golf sim software to the projector with no signal degradation.
Maintenance free performance with laser technology
BenQ laser projectors eliminate the hassle and cost of installing replacement lamps while providing long lasting 20,000-hour light source life and beautiful colors. You can also start projecting right away without waiting for a lamp to warm up. Every BenQ laser projector has an IP5X-rated, dustproof sealed laser engine that eliminates the need for filters, perfect for environments such as a garage or basement. This also saves you money in the long run.
The Benq 1075- a full 1080p HD image, with the promise of over 1 billion colors and options for 3D. We want! CP
COSTA MESA, Calif. — BenQ America Corp., an internationally renowned provider of visual display solutions and the No. 1-selling DLP® projector brand in The Americas(1), today introduced its next-generation Colorific™ home entertainment projectors: the HT1075 and HT1085ST. Building on the incredible success of the company’s top-selling W1070 and the short-throw W1080ST, the new home theater devices have been designed to take content to an entirely new level — combining the magic of over 1 billion colors, 3D-readiness, and the realism of full HD 1080p picture quality. What’s more, the new projectors add streaming and mirroring capabilities for devices equipped with Mobile High-definition Link (MHL) to allow the transfer of small-screen content from any portable device. When such an astounding feature set meets such a small price tag, enthusiasts can now easily bring home a full-on cinematic experience.
“BenQ has taken two enormously successful projectors and made them even better,” said Bob Wudeck, Associate Vice President, Strategy and Business Development at BenQ America Corp. “Sustaining our value promise to our customers, the all-new HT1075 and HT1085ST provide enhanced benefits such as Colorific image quality, SmartEco technology, and flexible setup options that allow users to install and easily integrate the projectors with their MHL devices. Available at an amazingly low price, the duo delivers more vibrant colors and richer contrast levels for the ultimate in big screen entertainment.”
Featuring BenQ’s Colorific image quality, the HT1075 and HT1085ST provide more vivid and accurate color reproduction, higher brightness levels, crisper contrast, and longer-lasting picture quality. Both units offer full HD 1080p and 3D support, while the short-throw HT1085ST allows users to fill screens measuring up to 100 inches by simply setting up the device at only 6 feet away — making it an ideal choice for urban environments or media room settings where installation space is limited. Adding to the projectors’ razor-sharp imaging are 2,200 ANSI lumens of brightness and a 10,000:1 contrast ratio, which turn colors from TV shows, movies, or sporting events into more natural-looking, film-like content. The projectors are also ISFccc-certified by the Imaging Science Foundation® (ISF®), enabling viewers to enjoy a professionally calibrated picture with two optimized modes — ISF Day and ISF Night.
To create a household media hub, users can easily connect Blu-ray players and gaming consoles to the projectors via HDMI® as well as view cloud content using any MHL-ready streaming device, including Roku®, Chromecast®, and Apple® TV. As a result, viewers can bring their favorite content from popular services such as Netflix® or Hulu™ onto the screen using their streaming player of choice or even directly from their smart device. Rounding off the unparalleled convenience are the units’ new 10W chamber speakers, which offer rich audio to create a complete solution whenever a dedicated sound system is not practical, or in outdoor situations such as movie nights under the stars.
Further reducing installation and setup time is a new vertical lens shift option for the HT1075, allowing users to perfectly align the projected image to the center of the screen, thus eliminating any tedious tinkering. To ensure even more placement flexibility, both models offer horizontal and vertical keystone correction, which delivers picture-perfect projection at the push of a button. Saving money by lowering total cost of ownership (TCO), the projectors are equipped with BenQ’s SmartEco™ lamp-saving technology to prolong lamp life up to an amazing 6,000 hours while lasting three times as long as projectors sold just a few years ago. Additional cost-saving features include a filter-free design built around a sealed DLP chip that eliminates the need to clean or change messy filters; a unique lamp door design that enables lamp replacement down the road without needing to take down the projector; and a special sleep mode that reduces power consumption to under half a watt when connected but not in use.
To further simplify installations, a new optional wireless connectivity kit will be sold separately and is planned for release in Q4 2014. The fully wireless system will allow users to send content to the projectors from up to 100 feet away, giving homeowners the freedom to move the projectors throughout the house or even take them outdoors without the need to run cable.
Available in September 2014, BenQ’s all-new HT1075 and HT1085ST projectors retail at $1,199 (USD)and $1,299 (USD) respectively.
More information on BenQ’s full line of products is available at www.BenQ.us.
About BenQ America Corp. The BenQ digital lifestyle brand stands for “Bringing Enjoyment ‘N’ Quality to Life,” fusing lifestyle with technology, enjoyment with productivity, and aesthetic design with purpose-built engineering. It is this mantra that has made BenQ the No. 1-selling DLP® projector brand in The Americas(1). BenQ America Corp. offers an extensive line of visual display and presentation solutions that incorporate the very latest technologies. The company delivers a broad range of Colorific projectors, RevolutionEyes™ monitors, and flat-panel displays for any application and market — education, home, gaming, enterprise, government, house of worship, digital signage, A/V, and IT — with cutting-edge models that lead the industry in performance, reliability, environmental sustainability, and aesthetics. Whether it’s interactive digital whiteboards for classrooms, full HD 3D projectors for home theaters, short-throw projectors for boardrooms, interactive flat-panel displays for digital signage, or LED backlight monitors for professional gaming, BenQ continues to defy the limits of digital displays. The company’s products are available across North America through leading value-added distributors, resellers, and retailers.
