Google Maps is one of the most used services in the company’s catalog. The app offers a wide suite of useful features for navigation and even exploring key places through virtual walks. The company also allows you to customize your user experience, including choosing from multiple navigation icons. Now, Google Maps is getting new car icons that you can change the color of.

Google Maps’ default icon is a blue arrow. However, users can change it to a car if they want. The company introduced this option four years ago, integrating choices such as a red car, a yellow SUV, and a green pickup truck. These options have remained unchanged since then.

New car icon options are coming to Google Maps, and you can change their color

Now, in an upcoming update, Google Maps will receive a set of new customizable car icons. According to reports, those who have already received them saw new base icon options such as a sedan, an SUV, a Jeep, a hatchback, and a Tesla-like vehicle. Plus, users will be able to choose from eight colors for the new icons. The list includes red, black, gray, blue, yellow, green, purple, and white (the default color).

The new icons will not replace the old ones, which will still be available in the list. However, the old icons are not compatible with the color-changing option. So, only the new ones will offer a slightly deeper customization experience. While it’s not a life-changing feature, it’s always nice to have more options to customize the app to your liking.

First available on iPhones as a test

Interestingly, only a small number of iPhone device users have spotted the option. This suggests that Google is rolling it out in a limited-scope test first to iOS users. However, the Android Google Maps app should soon follow. Recently, Google Maps received integration with Gemini and expanded the availability of places in Street View.

Just after launching the PlayStation 5 Pro, Sony revealed that it has sold 65.5 million PlayStation 5s as of the end of Q2 2024. While sales of the console dropped 1.1 million units from the same period last year (and are down 2 million units total in 2024), this was more than offset by game sales of 77.7 million units, up 14.9 percent from Q2 2023. Sony’s monthly active PlayStation Network users remained at 116 million despite a big price bump late last year.

The net result? Revenue climbed by 9 percent and operating profit rose by a stellar 73 percent to 445.1 billion yen ($2.91 billion). Given those profits and the fact that the company has a new, more expensive (and probably more profitable) console ready for Christmas, Sony was bullish on the rest of its year, boosting its revenue forecast slightly.

A big part of Sony’s game sales story is the success of the action RPG Black Myth: Wukong, which reportedly sold 20 million units in Q2 (including the PC version). Another high performer was the first party Astro Bot title, showing the power of hit games to sway sales.

Sony still has two quarters left in its fiscal year, which ends March 31. Upcoming first party titles expected prior to that include Assassin’s Creed Shadow and Monster Hunter Wilds, both set for February 2025. However, Sony’s fiscal 2025 starting in April could be a blockbuster with highly anticipated games like Ghost of Yotei, Death Stranding 2, DOOM: The Dark Ages and Grand Theft Auto VI arriving later next year.

Photographers are spoiled for choice these days when it comes to third-party lenses, with Sigma, Tamron, Samyang and others making superb alternatives to costlier proprietary optics from the likes of Sony, Canon, Nikon and Fujifilm. However, there’s another name rightly earning renown in 2024: Viltrox.

The Chinese manufacturer of photography and filmmaking gear has been releasing excellent quality lenses for a few years – including, most recently, autofocus lenses for popular lens mounts – for what is almost always at least half the price of proprietary equivalents, and for the most part with no obvious compromises.

Guillermo del Toro is one of the best filmmakers of his generation, and he’ll probably go down as the only Best Director winner at the Oscars to take home that award and Best Picture for a love story between a woman and an amphibious male. That movie was The Shape of Water, in case you were wondering. Del Toro loves making fantasy and horror movies, and he’s made several, including Hellboy, Crimson Peak, and even Blade II. But the one Amazon Prime Video movie that you have to watch in November is del Toro’s most personal work to date, Pan’s Labyrinth.

Del Toro wrote and developed Pan’s Labyrinth over a period of years before the film hit theaters in 2006. It’s a movie set during the Spanish Civil War that mixes in elements of dark fantasy. It had a lower budget — $14 million — than the most recent Hellboy movie, but it feels more alive and bursting with imagination. Despite the subtitles throughout the movie, fans in America and around the world embraced Pan’s Labyrinth and carried it to a box office take of $83 million worldwide. Nearly two decades later, a new generation has a chance to discover the movie on Prime Video. That’s why we’re sharing the reasons Pan’s Labyrinth should be at the top of your Prime Video playlist.

It’s del Toro’s passion project

Del Toro developed Pan’s Labyrinth over the course of two decades and personally designed the creatures in notebooks that he carried around the world. His vivid sense of imagination paid off in the finished film, with visually arresting and inventive creatures, including the Faun and the hideous Pale Man, both of whom were portrayed by Star Trek: Discovery‘s Doug Jones.

The film has remained such an important project to del Toro that he co-wrote a novelization for Pan’s Labyrinth that was released in 2019 and added even more insight into the world he created. At one point, del Toro even had a sequel in mind, but the film is more impactful as a standalone story.

The actors deliver powerful performances

Ivana Baquero was 11-years old when she played the film’s main character, Ofelia, a young girl who feels adrift when her pregnant mother, Carmen (Ariadna Gil), marries a monster of a man, Captain Vidal (Sergi López). One of the strengths of this movie is that the dramatic side of the story is still interesting without the fantasy elements. And Baquero was completely convincing in her role.

López also gave a chilling performance as Vidal, a man who was willing to brutalize or kill anyone who stood in the way of his cause or ambitions. Vidal also seems to have open contempt for Ofelia, despite his apparent love for Carmen and their unborn child. Having said that, Vidal has no redeeming features and he is one of the most loathsome characters del Toro has ever created, and that covers a lot of territory.

Advertisement

Maribel Verdú was impressive as Mercedes, the film’s secondary protagonist who acts as a spy against Vidal’s forces. Besides Carmen, Mercedes is the only one who truly loves Ofelia and wants to save her. Finally, we’d be remiss if Jones wasn’t given his flowers for his wonderfully otherworldly performances as the Faun and the Pale Man. In full prophetic makeup, Jones truly looks like he stepped out of a dark fairy tale.

It blurs the line between fantasy and reality

Early in the movie, the Faun appears to Ofelia and tells her that she is actually Princess Moanna, a member of the royal family from an underworld kingdom. To reclaim her birthright, the Faun gives Ofelia three tasks to prove that she is who he believes her to be. The real question is whether Ofelia is imagining her encounters with the Faun, or if she has truly crossed over into an unseen fantasy realm.

Some of Ofelia’s trials are truly terrifying, and the places she visits have such vivid details that it’s hard to believe that it all came from her mind. However, the film does show that Vidal can’t see the Faun in the one scene where both characters are present. That may lend credence to the idea that this was all in Ofelia’s mind. But it should also be noted that the Faun gave Ofelia a magic root to help heal her sick mother, which seemed to work … until Vidal discovered it and threw it in a fire.

The ending is open to interpretation

We’re not going to spoil the ending here, except to say that the story either ends on a terrible tragedy or a moment of hope. It all depends on whether you believe Ofelia was Princess Moanna or simply an ordinary girl whose imagination ran away with her. Either way, this is a film that will stay with you long after you’ve finished watching it.

Watch Pan’s Labyrinth on Prime Video.

Many of you are on the lookout for nice gifts for the holidays or are planning to get something for yourself. Well, if those gifts are of a techie nature, and you’re looking for gifts under $250, this is the article for you. Do note that we have ideas for other price tiers too, starting with the under $50 bracket. You will find six products below, each of which is compelling in its own right. We did try to be diverse here, so you won’t stumble upon two exact product types or anything like that. If your budget is limited, but you still want to splash out more than $100 and less than $250, this is the article for you. So, let’s get down to it.

Best ergonomic keyboard: Logitech ERGO K860

If you want a truly ergonomic keyboard, the Logitech ERGO K860 is a great choice. This is a full layout keyboard that will take some getting used to. Its keys are not placed in a straight line, as the vast majority of them are on a downward spiral for ergonomic reasons. The middle part of the keyboard is also considerably higher than the sides, as it gradually rises to that point… also for ergonomic reasons.

Along with this keyboard, you’re also getting a wrist rest, which is supposed to help things even further. It’s made out of stain-resistant fabric, and has memory foam underneath. The keyboard is compatible with both Windows and Mac. Well, it’s made for those two, but you can pair it with other products too, though some of the keys that are specific to Windows and Mac will have different functionality or won’t work.

The keyboard offers both Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity. It’s supposed to improve your typing posture. This keyboard may seem odd to you, and you may never think of getting one. Well, I know of a couple of people who got it and it did help with their wrist pain, they simply love this keyboard at this point. I’m not saying that will be the case for everyone, but if you spend a ton of time at a keyboard, or know someone who does, this keyboard may be just the thing to get.

Logitech ERGO K860 (Amazon) – $110.99

Best self-heating coffee mug: Ember Smart Mug 2

Many of you probably didn’t expect this curveball after we talked about a keyboard. But yes, this mug is ‘smart’. The Ember Smart Mug 2 is the go-to mug for many people who work from home or spend a lot of time at their desk at the office. The whole point of this mug is to keep your beverage hot. So if you like your coffee to remain hot, and you’re slow to drink it, this mug can do that for you. The same goes for tea, or any other beverage, really.

This mug is made out of two parts, the mug itself, and the plate that it sits on. That plate actually acts as a charger for the mug itself, which does have a battery on the inside. The Ember Mug 2 is IPX7 rated, and it should be washed by hand only. Don’t get the idea to machine wash this mug, as you’ll likely break it. This mug is made out of stainless steel, and can hold 14 ounces (0.41l) of fluid.

The Ember Smart Mug 2 also has auto sleep functionality, and sensors too. It will wake up when you pour in hot liquid and go to sleep based on motion detection. You can fine-tune the mug too, but you’ll need Ember’s app to do that. There is also a smart LED indicator to indicate when your drink is at a perfect temperature. This smart mbug is priced at $114.49 at the moment and could be a great gift.

Ember Smart Mug 2 (Amazon) – $114.49

Best video doorbell: Ring Video Doorbell 4

A video doorbell is a really nifty gadget to have. It doubles as a security camera of sorts, and it has become a really popular piece of tech. If you know someone who still doesn’t have it, and you’re willing to get it, it’s a great tech gift. This is Ring’s latest video doorbell. Ring is a company with a lot of experience when it comes to smart doorbells, needless to say. It’s possibly the first company that comes to mind when you think of this gadget type.

As you can see, this doorbell looks… well, nice. It’s not too flashy, nor is it too boring to look at. It can look nice on a wide variety of houses, that’s for sure. That’s what Ring was going for. It provides the user with a fullHD video, and comes with improved battery life. This doorbell can start recording as soon as it sees motion in front of it, and it really doesn’t matter if it’s day or night.

The Ring Video Doorbell 4 can send you notifications when someone presses the doorbell or triggers the motion sensors, it’s up to you. You can also save or share videos and photos if you get an optional Ring Protect Plan. This doorbell can also be paired with Amazon’s Alexa for even more functionality. The Ring Video Doorbell 4 is priced at $115 at the moment. The purchase link is below if you’re interested.

Ring Video Doorbell (Amazon) – $115

Best portable gaming console: Nintendo Switch Lite

The first-gen Nintendo Switch consoles may be approaching the end of their lifecycle, in a way, as the Nintendo Switch 2 is rumored to arrive in the near future. That only means that there are a ton of games to play on the first-gen models, though. The Nintendo Switch Lite is perfect for someone who doesn’t plan on playing games on the big screen and simply wants a portable gaming console.

This thing has proven its worth over the years, and it has some really nice analog sticks and buttons. It can be an ideal gift for someone who loves gaming, especially when it comes to Nintendo games, of course, though various others are available on the Nintendo Switch, of course. Any Nintendo Switch game that was released can be played on the Nintendo Switch Lite, in case you were wondering.

This gaming console allows you to play games both offline and online, it all depends. It comes in three colors, Blue, Coral, and Turquoise. The Blue one is shown above, and it has that violet glow, at least to my eyes, it looks great. A 5.5-inch touch-sensitive display is included, and rather capable speakers too. The Nintendo Switch Lite can be purchased for $195 from Amazon. The purchase link is below if you’d like to pull the trigger.

Nintendo Switch Lite (Amazon) – $195

Best truly wireless earbuds: Google Pixel Buds Pro 2

There are a number of grat truly wireless earbuds out there, especially in this price tier. We’ve decided to highlight the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2, however. These are Google’s new earbuds, and we’ve reviewed them recently. Two of my colleagues who used them are speaking very highly of them. So if you do have a budget that goes this high for truly wireless earbuds, it’s not difficult to recommend the Pixel Buds Pro 2.

These earbuds are considerably smaller than the Pixel Buds Pro, and yet they’re much easier to take out of the charging case. They also come with a little fin for a better fit. When you place them in your ears, you twist them a bit to lock them. For someone who has a fit problem with earbuds, like myself, I always look for earbuds that have such functionality. Regular earbuds with silicone tips always find their way out of my ears, regardless of the silicon tip size.

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds come in four color options, Hazel, Peony, Porcelain, and Wintergreen. They are small, light, and offer really good battery life too. There are 11mm drivers included on the inside, and Google also included beamforming mics here. AI is a part of the package, and yes, you’re getting ANC here too. These earbuds are IPX4 water resistant, and priced at $229.

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 (Amazon) – $229

Best noise cancelling headphones: Sony WH-1000XM4

The Sony WH-1000XM4 are no longer Sony’s best over-ear headphones, well, technically. The XM5 model is out, but many people still swear by the XM4, and prefer it. There are a number of reasons for that, but these headphones sound great. They offer great ANC, and they also rotate unlike the XM5’s. They’re easier to pack, and the preference also lies with them for comfort’s sake, as some people still prefer them.

With that being said, it’s worth saying that these earbuds come with a Type-C port, and touch controls on the side. They offer a dual noise sensor technology and feature two microphones on each earcup. Sony’s Adaptive Sound Control is also included here, allowing these headphones to automatically adjust to the surroundings. These are wireless headphones, but you can hook them up via a wire too.

The headphones are made out of plastic, for the most part, but they feel really good, not cheap or anything like that. They also have very comfy cushions for your ears, which are replacable. There is a reason these were, and still are, the go-to headphones for many people. They offer great sound, they’re comfortable, and offer proper ANC too, along with many more features. These headphones are currently priced at $249.

Sony WH-1000XM4 (Amazon) – $249