Author: zppiot
Apple today released iOS 17.3.1, a minor update that exterminates bugs on your eligible iPhone model. The one bug that Apple mentions is one that could cause text to “unexpectedly duplicate or overlap while typing.” The update weighs in at 298.2MB for my iPhone 15 Pro Max and you can install it on your iPhone by going to Settings > General > Software Update and following directions.The iOS 17.3.1 update arrived 17 days after Apple dropped iOS 17.3 which featured the important Stolen Device Protection feature. With this feature enabled, certain tasks such as applying for an Apple Card will…
Do you want a new pair of premium Sony headphones? Usually, we’d recommend the latest and greatest WH-1000XM5, but not right now. How so? Well, the older but still equally incredible WH-1000XM4 are enjoying a sweet 25% discount, so long as you’re OK with getting the headset in Silver, making them decidedly the better choice for those of you looking for a great chance to save. Right off the bat, we should note that we’ve seen these high-end Bluetooth headphones at much lower prices in 2023. Having said that, the current discount at Walmart is among the most substantial markdowns…
The U.S. Department of State on Thursday said it would pay up to $10 million for information on the identities or whereabouts of leaders of the Hive ransomware gang.The agency also said it is offering a reward of up to $5 million for info leading to the arrest or conviction of any person in any country conspiring to take part in Hive ransomware activity.”Beginning in late July 2022, the FBI penetrated Hive’s computer networks, obtained its decryption keys and offered them to victims worldwide, preventing victims from having to pay up to $130 million in ransoms demanded,” the State Department said in…
Instagram Threads is experimenting with a new feature that mirrors functionality found on Instagram proper: the ability to save posts for later viewing. Announced by Instagram head Adam Mosseri, the limited test allows users to bookmark favorite posts via a three-dot menu in the top right corner.This latest update includes a new saving feature that complements the existing bookmarking option on Instagram. Similar to Instagram’s existing bookmarking system, users will have a “save” button to store posts and find them later in a dedicated section within the app’s settings. The feature could be incredibly useful for going back to content, especially…
New flagship smartphones, like the recent Galaxy S24 series or Pixel 8 series, are already packed with AI features. While generative AI that can generate text, photos, and videos based on open-ended prompts, brings excitement, it also raises concerns. Some worry it could replace jobs, influence elections, and even surpass human abilities. That is why US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo introduced a new initiative called the US AI Safety Institute Consortium (AISIC).According to Reuters, over 200 companies, including big tech names like Apple, Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Qualcomm, and Nvidia, joined the AISIC initiative at the request of the…
There’s a game called soccer and once every four years, billions of people watch the finals, so US readers can pardon my French as I’m going to call it football in the next 30 seconds.Why am I talking about football?There’s a certain position in the game – it’s called “striker” and the striker’s sole aim is scoring goals. Sometimes, there are the so-called “lazy strikers” – they do not engage in teamwork and instead, just wait out for the rest of the team to do the hard work and pass them the ball. Then, they score a goal and hijack…
While entry-level Android handsets don’t always get the flagship treatment when it comes to their official announcements and commercial rollouts, that’s more or less what seems to have happened with the Moto G Play (2024) stateside.Unveiled around three weeks ago, the budget-friendly 6.5-incher is up for grabs at last from Motorola’s official US e-store, with its availability bound to expand to retailers like Amazon and Best Buy and perhaps even a carrier or two before long.For the time being, you need to pay $149.99 for an unlocked and unsubsidized 4G LTE-only device with a more refined design and a number…
Google Bard is now Gemini, just “Gemini.” As announced today by Google, Bard — the company’s web-based chatbot — has now been improved, rebranded, and expanded with the addition of a new Advanced tier bundled into Google One. This is in addition to the new Gemini Android app that also launched today.Google One, the company’s cloud storage subscription service, now has a new tier called “AI Premium.” This tier includes access to Gemini Advanced — the new version of Gemini, formerly called “Bard”, which includes the latest Ultra 1.0 AI model — for $19.99 a month. Additionally, this new Google…
The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday declared the use of voice-cloning technology in robocalls to be illegal, giving states another tool to go after fraudsters behind the calls.The ruling takes effect immediately and comes amid an increase in such calls due to technology that offers the ability to confuse people with recordings that mimic the voices of celebrities, political candidates and even close family members.”Bad actors are using AI-generated voices in unsolicited robocalls to extort vulnerable family members, imitate celebrities and misinform votes,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel stated. “State attorneys general will now have new tools to crack down on…
If you like somewhat unusual and decidedly unconventional tablets, chances are that you’re at least somewhat familiar with Lenovo’s extensive (and arguably confusing) iPad-rivaling Android-powered portfolio. This includes such models as the Yoga Tab 11, Tab P12, Tab P11 Gen 2, Tab P11 Plus, and Tab P12 Pro, with an all-new device purportedly called the Lenovo Tab Plus looking set for an official announcement at some point in the near future.While it’s not entirely clear how this thing will connect to all those existing products, that very simple and straightforward moniker suggests Lenovo could overhaul its tablet family and start…
Finally, Google is launching a new subscription service called Gemini Advanced that extends its existing Google One Premium Plan (which gives users extra storage and a few other perks). For $19.99 a month, the new Google One Premium AI Plan will give you access to Google’s most powerful model, Gemini Ultra, for the first time, as well as all the plan’s usual perks. This is very similar to OpenAI’s offering, where for $20 a month ChatGPT Plus buys you access to GPT-4 rather than GPT-3.5. When can you get it? The free Gemini app (powered by Gemini Pro) is available…
If you want to score an awesome Bluetooth speaker on the cheap, we suggest you snag the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore for 48% off its price on Amazon while you still can. However, if you are in the market for a new pair of awesome-sounding premium headphones, we encourage you to go for the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX instead.A few weeks ago, we reported that Amazon is selling the top-tier Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX for 24% off their price, letting you save $121 on these amazing headphones. And although that was a good deal at the time,…
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Google’s Gemini is now in everything. Here’s how you can try it out. The news: In the biggest mass-market AI launch yet, Google is rolling out Gemini, its family of large language models, across almost all its products, from Android to the iOS Google app to Gmail to Docs and more. A new subscription plan will also give users access to Gemini Ultra, the most powerful version of the model, for the first time. Why it matters: ChatGPT,…
Ever thought about how much money is too much money? Some folks certainly did, as shown by a recent lawsuit challenging the hefty pay packages of Apple’s top executives, who now can breathe a sigh of relief.Reuters reports that a federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit alleging that Apple overpaid Chief Executive Tim Cook and other top executives by tens of millions of dollars due to miscalculations in the value of performance-based stock awards.According to the plaintiff, Apple granted $92.7 million and $94 million in performance-based restricted stock units to Cook and four other executives in 2021 and 2022,…
WhatsApp adds new features and brings updates quite often, and its latest plan might just make life easier. Have you ever been annoyed by switching between messaging apps to write to different people? Well, soon, WhatsApp wants to let people message you from another app. It is a big change for its 2 billion users and is happening because of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which enters into force next month.In a chat with Wired, Dick Brouwer, an engineering director at WhatsApp, spilled the beans that WhatsApp is thinking about bringing in cross-platform usability. This could mean that you will…
Other testing in more intense conditions has found less positive results, with one academic study finding that perovskite cells in hot and humid Saudi Arabia lost 20% of their efficiency after one year of operation. Those results are for one year of testing. How can we tell what will happen in 30 years? Since we don’t have years to test every new material that scientists dream up, researchers often put them through especially punishing conditions in the lab, bumping up the temperature and shining bright lights onto panels to see how quickly they’ll degrade. This sort of testing is standard…