Tag Archives: Software

Safari beta lets you selectively block distractions like pop-ups

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Ahead of the full release of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia and more, Apple continues to bring updates to the betas it's made available to early testers. Today, the company has dropped the fifth developer beta to those platforms, and with it comes a few changes to Safari and Photos. Specifically, Apple's browser is getting some tools that could make surfing today's cluttered and overwhelming web pages a lot less distracting, with something called Distraction Control. 

To be clear, this isn't intended to be an ad blocker. It's for parts of a page that distract you, like an overlay asking you to subscribe or even requests to use cookies. When you land on a website, you can press the Page Menu button in the Search field (where the Reader and Viewer buttons are). There, you can tap "Hide Distracting Items" and go on to choose which parts of a page you want to filter out. Subsequently, that part will be blocked on that domain moving forward on repeated visits.

There are a few important caveats, though. The first time you click on Distraction Control, Apple will inform you that it won't permanently remove ads or other areas where content might change or get updated. Since on-page banner ads usually refresh on each visit, this renders Distraction Control useless for those elements. 

You'll also be the one selecting which parts of the site to hide, and there's no artificial intelligence automatically detecting which components might be deemed distracting. You'll see a blue outline over certain areas and can tap to select them. According to Apple, nothing will be hidden unless a user proactively selects it. You'll also be able to unhide items afterwards, by going back to the hide icon in the search field and choosing "Show hidden items."

If something you've chosen to block, like a headline or an ad, has changed in any way, it will resurface upon your next visit. 

Theoretically, you would also be able to use Distraction Control to hide the dialogs with the GDPR-stipulated cookies permission requests. If you choose to block those, the website would just be told you closed its request without an answer. Based on the legal requirements in different regions, the website would then have to proceed based on that information. 

It's not yet clear how Distraction Control will handle paywalls, especially since there are different ways that content is protected. 

The fifth developer beta also brings with it features that were teased at WWDC, like a redesigned Reader and Highlights, which brings up summarized information from a website like a business' hours or phone number. There's also a new Viewer experience that works when Safari detects a video on the page and puts in front and center. It'll also give you system playback controls in this mode, including picture-in-picture. 

If you're curious about how the new tools and Distraction Control work, you can run Apple's developer beta. Just know that since you'll be opting in to preview software, there may be bugs or quirks, so make sure to backup your data before you proceed. According to the information accompanying the iOS 18 beta 5 update, it requires 7.11GB of storage, too.

Update, August 5 2024, 1:31PM ET: This story has been updated to clarify that hiding distracting items only applies to that specific domain moving forward, and not all websites across the internet.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/safari-can-block-distracting-ads-and-other-website-clutter-with-the-latest-ios-18-and-macos-betas-172041678.html?src=rss

Meta’s Threads has 200 million users

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The Threads app has passed the 200 million user mark, according to Meta exec Adam Mosseri. The milestone comes one day after Mark Zuckerberg said that the service was “about” to hit 200 million users during the company’s latest earnings call.

While Threads is still relatively tiny compared to Meta’s other apps, it has grown at a much faster clip. Zuckerberg previously announced 175 million users last month as Threads marked its one-year anniversary, and the Meta CEO has repeatedly speculated that it could be the company’s next one-billion-user app.

“We've been building this company for 20 years, and there just are not that many opportunities that come around to grow a billion-person app,” Zuckerberg said. “Obviously, there's a ton of work between now and there.”

Continuing to grow the app’s user base will be key to Meta’s ability to eventually monetize Threads, which currently has no ads or business model. “All these new products, we ship them, and then there's a multi-year time horizon between scaling them and then scaling them into not just consumer experiences but very large businesses,” Zuckerberg said.

While Threads has so far been able to capitalize on the chaos and controversy surrounding X, Meta is still grappling with how to position its app that’s widely viewed as an alternative to X. Mosseri and Zuckerberg have said they don’t want the app to promote political content to users that don’t explicitly ask for it. This policy has even raised questions among some Meta employees, The Information recently reported.

Thread’s “for you” algorithm is also widely viewed as slow to keep up with breaking news and current events. Mosseri recently acknowledged the issue. “We’re definitely not fast enough yet, and we’re actively working to get better there,” he wrote in a post on Threads.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/metas-threads-has-200-million-users-211656147.html?src=rss

Meta’s Threads has 200 million users

Posted on by

The Threads app has passed the 200 million user mark, according to Meta exec Adam Mosseri. The milestone comes one day after Mark Zuckerberg said that the service was “about” to hit 200 million users during the company’s latest earnings call.

While Threads is still relatively tiny compared to Meta’s other apps, it has grown at a much faster clip. Zuckerberg previously announced 175 million users last month as Threads marked its one-year anniversary, and the Meta CEO has repeatedly speculated that it could be the company’s next one-billion-user app.

“We've been building this company for 20 years, and there just are not that many opportunities that come around to grow a billion-person app,” Zuckerberg said. “Obviously, there's a ton of work between now and there.”

Continuing to grow the app’s user base will be key to Meta’s ability to eventually monetize Threads, which currently has no ads or business model. “All these new products, we ship them, and then there's a multi-year time horizon between scaling them and then scaling them into not just consumer experiences but very large businesses,” Zuckerberg said.

While Threads has so far been able to capitalize on the chaos and controversy surrounding X, Meta is still grappling with how to position its app that’s widely viewed as an alternative to X. Mosseri and Zuckerberg have said they don’t want the app to promote political content to users that don’t explicitly ask for it. This policy has even raised questions among some Meta employees, The Information recently reported.

Thread’s “for you” algorithm is also widely viewed as slow to keep up with breaking news and current events. Mosseri recently acknowledged the issue. “We’re definitely not fast enough yet, and we’re actively working to get better there,” he wrote in a post on Threads.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/metas-threads-has-200-million-users-211656147.html?src=rss

Reddit CEO wants Microsoft to pay for its content

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Reddit’s chief executive officer Steve Huffman didn’t pull any punches with Microsoft in an interview with The Verge. He called out Microsoft and other AI search engines like Anthropic and Perplexity for not paying for the information they take from Reddit, some of which have already been blocked from Huffman’s website.

Reddit has deals in places with companies like Google and OpenAI to receive compensation for using its posts and information. The Verge paraphrased Huffman as saying Microsoft was one of several companies "refusing to negotiate," but a Reddit spokesperson disputed this characterization. The spokesperson told Engadget that Reddit and Microsoft did attempt to negotiate a solution, but didn't reach a deal they both agreed on.

“Without these agreements, we don’t have any say or knowledge of how our data is displayed and what it’s used for, which has put us in a position now of blocking folks who haven’t been willing to come to terms with how we’d like our data to be used or not used,” Huffman told The Verge’s deputy editor Alex Heath.

Huffman says if Microsoft and other AI search sites continue to use Reddit’s information without proper compensation, they’ll have to be blocked. He doesn’t want to do that because it’s “a real pain in the ass to block these companies.”

Reddit has started cracking down on search engines that expunge information from its various forms and communities. The website vowed to block unauthorized data scraping in June by updating its Robots Exclusion Protocol (robots.txt) and it’s already prevented Bing from accessing data from Reddit, a fact confirmed by Microsoft’s head of search Jordi Ribas on X.

Earlier this month, a source confirmed to Engadget's Will Shanklin that Microsoft’s refusal to work with Reddit’s terms of service led to the blocking of Bing. A spokesperson from Reddit also said, “Anyone accessing Reddit content must abide by our policies, including those in place to protect redditors. We are selective about who we work with and trust with large-scale access to Reddit content.”

Update, July 31, 7:40PM ET: This story was updated to include more detail on the talks between Reddit and Microsoft over scraping. A spokesperson for the site claimed that Microsoft and Reddit attempted to make a deal, but their negotiations ended without agreement.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/reddit-ceo-wants-microsoft-to-pay-for-its-content-212320245.html?src=rss

Microsoft is dropping ads from Skype

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Skype is going ad-free, as indicated in a blog post by Microsoft. The latest update removes all ads from the entire platform, including Skype channels and the main chat interface. Microsoft said this move was a response to feedback and an attempt to make the “Skype experience cleaner and more user-friendly.” This is certainly welcome news, considering every other company seems newly obsessed with ads.

The “today” section of Skype will remain, along with the pre-existing newsfeed. There just won’t be any ads to accompany that feed. Users can also delete the newsfeed tab by heading to the settings menu.

This update also includes a little something for all of the AI-heads out there. Skype will offer a revamped AI image creation system on the desktop app. This lets people access the image creator from the chat window or the top bar. There’s a “more intuitive and visually appealing” interface and pictures now expand when clicked on. Otherwise, it’s just your standard image creator.

Redesigned image creator.
Microsoft

Finally, the latest update brings integration with the authenticator OneAuth to the iOS app. This already existed on Android. OneAuth replaces the old sign-in system, so users will login automatically if they’re already signed into other Microsoft apps like Teams. It’s pretty handy because there are already way too many passwords floating around our craniums. Who among us can remember exactly how many numbers or exclamation marks to put after the same word we’ve been using as a password since 2002?

The update is available to everyone enrolled in the Skype Insider Program, so sign up if you aren’t. It begins rolling out today but will take a few days to reach every user. Microsoft urges consumers to keep checking if it doesn’t show up right away.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-is-dropping-ads-from-skype-143155507.html?src=rss

Google Maps will show you where to enter your destination

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If you're a dedicated Google Maps user like me, then you know its not perfect. But, Google is now announcing some improvements with a range of new features for Maps and Waze. One of the things I find most exciting is the additional guidance on entering buildings and where to park. In the coming weeks, Maps will start lighting up the destination and entrance to it as you approach, so you (hopefully!) don't have to circle it three times in the dark. 

Google is also now making it easier to report incidents while using Maps, increasing the size of these icons so you can share quickly — and safely — while on the go. You can also tap to confirm a previously reported incident after approaching it. 

Waze is getting three updates, including new camera alerts. Now, Waze will be able to alert you if a camera is approaching and tell you what it's monitoring, whether it be speed, seat belts or accurate carpool lane use. Waze will also notify you if there's a traffic event nearby or close to one of your starred locations. You can then send an alert to a friend or family member. Both of these updates are rolling out now on iOS and Android. Rounding out Waze's updates is the ability to get navigation guidance even when your phone is locked. This feature will launch globally on Android soon, while it will arrive on iOS in the fall. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-maps-will-show-you-where-to-enter-your-destination-130021496.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Mark Zuckerberg is surprisingly angry about closed platforms

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In a fireside chat on Monday between NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the SIGGRAPH 2024, the latter dropped the f-bomb. After exchanging leather jackets (apparently two billionaires can’t get custom-made jackets that fit), the two talked about the future of AI, chatbots and open large language models.

Zuckerberg launched into a lengthy rant about his frustrations with “closed” ecosystems, like Apple’s App Store. None of that is new — the Meta founder has been feuding with Apple for years.

Zuckerberg, decked out in the aforementioned leather jacket and chain, said: “There have been too many things that I’ve tried to build and have been told ‘nah, you can’t really build that’ by the platform provider that, at some level, I’m just like, ‘nah, fuck that.’”

It’s the latest public step along his rebrand/ midlife crisis/bit of both. MMA training, “Carthage must die” tees and rebellious banter all have more than a whiff of Succession’s Kendall Roy.

— Mat Smith

Border agents can’t search cellphones of NYC visitors without a warrant, court rules

Instagram creators can now make AI doppelgangers to chat with their followers

Google’s first cross-device sharing features for Android now rolling out

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It’s always fun to do a 180 on a newsletter from the day before. Apple’s long-awaited take on artificial intelligence is, well, rolling out. Whoops.

The developer betas for iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1 just dropped, and they include some of the first Apple Intelligence features. If you have Apple developer accounts, you can update software and go into settings to see a new option for Apple Intelligence. There, you’ll have to join a waitlist, but it shouldn’t take longer than a few hours.

The update includes writing tools for proofreading, rewriting or summarizing text. You’ll also gain the ability to create Memories in the redesigned Photos app, as well as transcribe live calls in the Phone app. Features not yet available are Genmoji, Image Playground, ChatGPT integration, Cleanup in Photos and upgraded Siri.

Continue reading.

TMA
Engadget

Now there’s more foldable competition than ever, how does Samsung’s latest flip-phone fare? While Z Flip 6’s design has remained largely the same, Samsung made several under-the-hood upgrades this year, with improved battery life and cameras. It makes the best case yet for mainstream foldables, but the company could do more, especially in using the secondary front screen. That said, the new AI features are a lot of fun.

Continue reading.

TMA
Sony

Sony announced a themed PS5 DualSense controller to coincide with its incoming Astro Bot game. The game, like the VR title before it, taps into all the tricks and features of the DualSense controller, so the collab is a no-brainer in a lot of ways. It costs $80 and ships September 6, the same day as the game.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-mark-zuckerberg-is-surprisingly-angry-about-closed-platforms-115711926.html?src=rss

Apple Intelligence is here, as part of the iOS 18.1 developer beta

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Don't call it AI, but Apple's long-awaited take on artificial intelligence is finally rolling out today. Well, in limited form, anyway. The developer betas for iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1 just dropped, and they include some of the first Apple Intelligence features available to a broader, public group of testers. To be clear, this isn't the full release that was rumored to be delayed till October. These updates are part of an early preview for developers to test.

Starting today, those with Apple developer accounts will be able to update their software and go into their settings to see a new option for Apple Intelligence. There, you'll have to join a waitlist, though it shouldn't take longer than a few hours for you to gain access to the new features. 

It's important to note that you have to have either an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max to use the new Apple Intelligence features in the iOS 18.1 developer beta, or an iPad or Mac with an M1 chip or newer for the iPadOS 18.1 preview. If your device and Siri's languages are not set to US English, you'll have to change them both to that before you can access the Apple Intelligence setting.

You'll also be running software that might be unstable or buggy, so be sure to back up your device before installing the developer beta.

Once you've been granted access, Apple will deliver a notification to your device. The new stuff you'll be able to play with in this version of the beta include writing tools for proofreading, rewriting or summarizing text. You'll also gain the ability to create Memories in the redesigned Photos app, as well as transcribe live calls in the Phone app (or audio in Notes). Apple Intelligence can produce summaries of those clips.

Part of the redesigned Siri is also available, including the new glowing borders, the ability to type to the assistant and it being able to understand requests even if you've stuttered or interrupted yourself mid-speech. 

Features that aren't yet available are Genmoji, Image Playground, ChatGPT integration, Cleanup in Photos and the personal context and in-app actions for Siri. More should arrive in future betas, and as a reminder the full, general release of iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia is expected later this year. Apple Intelligence features are slated to roll out in 2024 and over the course of the next year.

Update, July 29 2024, 5:15PM ET: This story has been updated to include more details around what Apple Intelligence features are available in the developer beta, as well as required language settings.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-intelligence-is-here-as-part-of-the-ios-181-developer-beta-170836131.html?src=rss

Apple Intelligence is here, as part of the iOS 18.1 developer beta

Posted on by

Don't call it AI, but Apple's long-awaited take on artificial intelligence is finally rolling out today. Well, in limited form, anyway. The developer betas for iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1 just dropped, and they include some of the first Apple Intelligence features available to a broader, public group of testers. To be clear, this isn't the full release that was rumored to be delayed till October. These updates are part of an early preview for developers to test.

Starting today, those with Apple developer accounts will be able to update their software and go into their settings to see a new option for Apple Intelligence. There, you'll have to join a waitlist, though it shouldn't take longer than a few hours for you to gain access to the new features. 

It's important to note that you have to have either an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max to use the new Apple Intelligence features in the iOS 18.1 developer beta, or an iPad or Mac with an M1 chip or newer for the iPadOS 18.1 preview. You'll also be running software that might be unstable or buggy, so be sure to back up your device before installing the developer beta.

Once you've been granted access, Apple will deliver a notification to your device. The new stuff you'll be able to play with in this version of the beta include writing tools for proofreading, rewriting or summarizing text. You'll also gain the ability to create Memories in the redesigned Photos app, as well as some of the updated Siri, including typing to the assistant and it being able to understand if you've stuttered. 

Features that aren't yet available are Genmoji, ChatGPT integration and the personal context and in-app actions for Siri. More should arrive in future betas, and as a reminder the full, general release of iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia is expected to take place later this year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-intelligence-is-here-as-part-of-the-ios-181-developer-beta-170836131.html?src=rss

Here’s how to stop Grok’s AI models using your tweets for training

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There's word going around that X just enabled a setting that lets it train Grok on public tweets, as well as any interactions they have with the chatbot. That's not entirely true: a help page instructing users how to opt-out of X using their data to train Grok has been live since at least May. X just never exactly made it crystal clear that it was opting everyone into this, which is a sketchy move. If you don't want a bad chatbot to use your bad tweets for training, it's thankfully easy to switch that off.

You just need to uncheck a box from the Grok data sharing tab in the X settings. If that link doesn't work, you can go to Settings > Privacy and Safety > Grok. For the time being, the setting isn't accessible through X's mobile apps (the company says it will be soon), so you'll have to uncheck the box on the web for now. It's also worth noting that Grok isn't trained on any tweets from private X accounts. 

One of X's selling points for Grok when it rolled out the chatbot was that it had the advantage of using real-time information that's published on the platform — in other words, users' tweets. That only works if users opt-in or are automatically enrolled into sharing their data with the chatbot. But X isn't exactly the pinnacle of truth and accuracy. It's full of pranksters, and lifting their jokes might be one of the reasons why Grok keeps on getting stuff wrong. In any case, it's not exactly uncommon for AI models to be trained on material without explicit permission from the original creators.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/heres-how-to-stop-groks-ai-models-using-your-tweets-for-training-161041266.html?src=rss