Author: zppiot
Meta is having big time problems today. As of 3:40 pm EDT, Downdetector lists Instagram, Whatsapp, Facebook, and Facebook Messenger as the top four apps/websites that are having issues based on the number of complaints received from users.. For example, the number of Instagram users telling Downdetector about a problem with the app and website soared from 31 to over 5,700 in about 30 minutes.Most of the complaints on Downdetector from Instagram users were from users unable to see Stories that they had just posted. One user said that she had been trying to post a Reel on Instagram for…
Spotify, the music streaming giant, is shaking things up with price hikes and a new subscription plan. If you love Spotify but hate ads, get ready to dig a little deeper into those pockets.Bloomberg reports that Spotify will raise prices soon. By the end of April, those premium subscriptions in places like the UK, Australia, and Pakistan will go up – $1 more for individuals and $2 for couples and families. The U.S. will not be an exception to this, only the price hike will be coming later in the year.Here’s where it gets interesting: Spotify is reportedly adding a…
Thanks to the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), iPhone users in the 27 member EU states are allowed to sideload apps from third-party app stores, use a non-Webkit browser, choose their own financial app for contactless payments, pay for in-app purchases using a third-party financial firm, and more. EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager is not totally thrilled with how Apple and Alphabet have responded to some of the DMA’s rules. EU Competition chief Vestager suggested that the EU might force Apple to make the Photos app removable Vestager said that the EU would continue to investigate when she added the…
Google announced back in February that its Gemini conversational AI would be powering several apps for Google One AI Premium subscribers. Now, it’s starting to look like Android users will finally get AI-powered reply suggestions in their Gmail app.Code-digging site PiunikaWeb recently got an exclusive tip that the “reply suggestions from Gemini” feature is hiding out in the Gmail app. A little behind-the-scenes tinkering by developer AssembleDebug got the feature up and running.The new AI tool seems to be hitting its stride. In some cases, Gemini even asks for feedback on its suggestions to help it learn and get better.…
Google has started the rollout of its critical April 2024 security patch for Pixel phones. The update, announced in a Pixel community post, addresses numerous vulnerabilities and potential exploits. If you own a compatible Pixel device, you might have it waiting already, but wide availability will take a few weeks.The April 2024 update targets the Pixel 5a 5G and all newer Pixel models. Look for build number AP1A.240405.002 (or the .A1 variant for the Pixel Fold). Carrier and regional factors may influence when you see the update available on your device.Google’s release notes highlight a substantial list of fixes. The…
Can we all agree that Amazon’s Fire tablet launch schedule is… a bit weird? For instance, the e-commerce giant took three years for some reason between the announcements of its last two 7-inchers but only two years to upgrade the 8 and 10-inch members of this very popular budget-friendly tablet family.What’s even weirder is that 2021’s “standard” Fire HD 10 received a sequel in 2023 while the first-ever Fire HD 10 Plus edition… did not. That latter model, which was also released three years ago, appears to no longer be available directly from its manufacturer with lockscreen ads, while the…
This, of course, angered many Pixel Fans, but especially those that shelled out $1800 in order to get Google’s first foldable. Yours truly being one of those that felt cheated out of getting the latest features on what is still to this date Google’s most expensive smartphone. All without any explanation as to why.Thankfully, Google is now following through. When the announcement was made a week ago that Circle to Search would be rolled out to the Fold, the timeline just stated that it would be “soon.” For tech companies, “soon” could mean anywhere from days to months, to sometimes…
Artists sign an open letter that seeks to end use of AI in music industry – CBS News Watch CBS News More than 200 artists have signed an open letter, standing against what they call “unchecked” usage of artificial intelligence in the music industry. This follows repeated high-profile uses of AI in songs. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On #Artists #sign #open #letter #seeks #music #industry
As we already shared, Best Buy’s catchy deal on the compact Microsoft Surface Go 3 lets you snag one for $150 off its price. But if you want a more pro-grade experience, Amazon is selling the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 at a gorgeous discount. At the moment, the model with an Intel Core i5 processor and 128GB of storage space is on sale at a stunning $351 markdown. So, you can get one for less than $800, shaving 32% off if you act fast and take advantage of this deal today! The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 may technically be a…
As the number of satellites in space grows, and as we rely on them for increasing numbers of vital tasks on Earth, the need to better predict stormy space weather is becoming more and more urgent. Scientists have long known that solar activity can change the density of the upper atmosphere. But it’s incredibly difficult to precisely predict the sorts of density changes that a given amount of solar activity would produce. Now, experts are working on a model of the upper atmosphere to help scientists to improve their models of how solar activity affects the environment in low Earth…
Apple announced a new pair of special edition Beats Fit Pro earbuds designed in collaboration with Alo Yoga, the US-based athletic apparel retailer, which has its own virtual space in Roblox.The newly launched special edition Alo X Beats Fit Pro are now available for purchase from Alo’s website for $200 and come in just one color: Black Sparkle. They feature a custom case with high-gloss coating infused with shimmering sparkles, hence the name of color.The Beats x Alo collaboration felt truly predestined as both Los Angeles hometown brands have made a lasting impact on fitness and culture. Beats and Alo…
Step 2: Line up money and permission Support has poured in for Palisades, with the state of Michigan setting aside $300 million in funding for the plant’s restart in the last two years. And now, the Department of Energy has issued a conditional loan commitment for $1.52 billion. Holtec will need to meet certain technical and legal conditions to get the loan money, which will eventually be repaid with interest. (Holtec and the DOE Loan Programs Office declined to give more information about the loan’s conditions or timeline.) The state funding and federal loan will help support the fixes and…
A Garmin smartwatch will usually set you back quite a lot of cash. Thankfully, retailers like Amazon often have sweet deals on some older Garmin timepieces, allowing you to save big on an awesome wearable.For instance, Amazon is selling the sleek Garmin Vivoactive 4S for $131 off its price, which results in a massive 40% markdown. Despite the discount being lower compared to the 45% off the watch received in March, it still allows you to get this bad boy for under $200. Released back in 2019, the Garmin Vivoactive 4S may not be a spring chicken, but it…
3. The US government is considering cutting the so-called de minimis exemption from import duties, which makes it cheap for Temu and Shein to send packages to the US. But lots of US companies also benefit from the exemption now. (The Information $) 4. The Chinese commerce minister will visit Europe soon to plead his country’s case amid the European Commission’s investigation into Chinese electric vehicles. (Reuters $) 5. After three years of unsuccessful competition with WhatsApp, ByteDance’s messaging app designed for the African market finally shut down last month. (Rest of World) 6. The rapid progress of AI makes…
In the design department, the Edge 50 Pro sports rounded edges and a distinctive squircle-shaped unibody camera island on the rear. It’s available in three stylish colors: Black Beauty, Luxe Lavender, and Moonlight Pearl. The Moonlight Pearl variant features a handmade acetate finish, with Motorola highlighting that each model will boast a unique pattern. On the other hand, the Luxe Lavender and Black Beauty models of the Motorola Edge 50 Pro sport back panels covered in silicone vegan leather, complemented by an aluminum frame.The camera capabilities of Motorola Edge 50 Pro The Motorola Edge 50 Pro packs an AI-powered pro-grade…
The satellite era has so far experienced only one major geomagnetic storm. Dubbed the Halloween storm because it pummeled Earth in the last week of October 2003, the CME affected nearly 60% of NASA space missions in orbit at the time, according to a later investigation by NOAA. A Japanese Earth-observation spacecraft lost contact with Earth, never to regain it—its electronics most likely fried by the onslaught of charged solar particles. Thomas Berger, now the director of the Space Weather Technology, Research, and Education Center of the University of Colorado Boulder, was a young space-weather scientist at that time. He…