Tag Archives: Information technology

Apple’s latest iOS 18 beta walks back some changes to the redesigned Photos app

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Apple is pumping the brakes on some of its updates to the Photos app in iOS 18. The company made some changes — removing some features and tweaking others — on Monday to address user feedback. The pared-down version can be found in the software’s fifth developer beta, which app makers can install today.

The biggest change is that Apple removed the Carousel from the Photos app altogether. The iOS 18 feature used “on-device intelligence” (which, confusingly, isn’t the same as Apple Intelligence) to aggregate what it thought was your best content, placing them in a swipeable row. Previously found to the right of the photo grid, it’s now gone altogether, helping Apple clean up one of the features that earned a healthy dose of complaints from beta testers.

In addition, Apple tweaked the All Photos view in today’s update to show more of the photos grid. The company also added Recently Saved content to the Recent Days collection. Finally, Apple made albums easier to find for users with more than one. (The difficulty of locating that section was a frequently echoed complaint among testers.)

Two iPhones showing different views of the overhauled iOS 18 Photos app. White background.
Apple

Apple pitched the changes to the Photos app as one of the pillars of its 2024 software update. Although the app is streamlined into a single view and designed to be more customizable, it too often ends up as a mishmash of extra features most people won’t need, sometimes getting in the way of finding what you’re looking for.

A Reddit thread from July with over 1,000 upvotes gave voice to some of the most frequent complaints. “Once again taking a rapid-use app and making it into an experience for no reason,” u/thiskillstheredditor commented. “I just want a camera roll and maybe the ability to sort photos by location. It was perfectly fine, if maybe a bit bloated, before. But this is an unmitigated mess.”

Time will tell if today’s updates are enough to clean up the app’s user experience ahead of iOS 18’s fall launch to the public. The changes aren’t yet in the public beta but will likely appear there in the next version or soon after.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-latest-ios-18-beta-walks-back-some-changes-to-the-redesigned-photos-app-180145232.html?src=rss

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is on sale for $100 off

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Fitness enthusiasts and extreme sports aficionados who haven't yet taken the plunge on an Apple Watch or are perhaps looking to upgrade from an older model may be interested in snapping up a version that's on sale. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has dropped by $100 to $700. That matches both the Prime Day price and the lowest we've ever seen this product sell for.

Apple designed this smartwatch with endurance athletes, outdoor adventurers and water sport practitioners in mind, including a dedicated band for each category (Trail Loop, Alpine Loop and Ocean Band, respectively). The discount applies to a range of bands on Amazon, so you can pick which one best fits your needs and/or style.

One reason why the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is suited for such activities is because it's pretty darn rugged. It's made with aerospace-grade titanium, for one thing. Apple says the case is resistant to corrosion. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is swimproof and water resistant up to 100 meters, while it can be used for recreational dives for up to 40 meters, according to Apple.

The always-on Retina display reaches a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, so it should be easy to look at even in direct sunlight. Thanks to the 49mm display (which is larger than the screen on other Apple Watch variants) you can have up to six complications on your watch face and view six metrics simultaneously.

The S9 System in Package (SiP) that powers the Apple Watch Ultra 2 supports the neat Double Tap feature. This is a customizable gesture control that allows you to carry out actions by tapping your thumb and index finger on your watch-wearing hand twice. So if you're carrying something in your other hand and want to take a call, all you have to do is double tap your fingers. It works well once you get the hang of it.

Elsewhere, Apple says the device will run for up to 36 hours on a single charge and as much as 72 hours in low power mode. The wearable comes with cellular connectivity too. Hikers will appreciate the Compass app — which offers information including elevation, incline, longitude and latitude — as well as the ability to set custom waypoints with a press of the action button. This will help you retrace your steps if need be.

There are many other fitness and health features, including an electrocardiogram app that can help detect signs of abnormal heart rhythms, as well as fall and crash detection. Those can quickly connect you to emergency services if necessary.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-apple-watch-ultra-2-is-on-sale-for-100-off-171347976.html?src=rss

Apple’s iPad mini drops to a record low of $380

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If you’ve been holding out for a deal on an iPad mini, it may be time to make a move. Apple’s mini-tablet has dropped to a record low on Amazon. Usually $499, the sixth-gen model with 64GB is on sale for a mere $379. If you want more storage, the 256GB variant, typically $649, is on sale for $529.

Although the iPad mini is a niche device these days, it’s still a terrific tablet for those who like something smaller to easily hold in one hand and stow away in a small bag or purse. It can serve as a fancy eReader (through Apple Books, Kindle or any other iPadOS reading app), and it’s handy for perusing other content, watching videos and FaceTiming friends. It even includes Apple’s AI-powered Center Stage feature, which keeps you in frame on video calls.

This sixth-generation model is several years old (it launched in 2021), but it’s still Apple’s newest model. It was the first to shed the old Touch ID home button design from iPads in the days of yore, moving to an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display that nearly covers its entire face. Like the iPad Air, its Touch ID sensor is on its power / sleep button, which is on the tablet’s side. It has a 2266 x 1488 resolution with 326 ppi.

Its battery life is rated for up to 10 hours, but it lasted around 12 in Engadget’s continuous video playback test. Powering it is the A15 Bionic chip, only one generation behind the A16 found in the (non-Pro) iPhone 15 series.

The iPad mini supports the second-generation Apple Pencil, which attaches magnetically to its side. The tablet includes a USB-C charging port, aligning with Apple’s current standard.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-ipad-mini-drops-to-a-record-low-of-380-163004518.html?src=rss

A four-pack of Apple AirTags is back on sale for $76

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Apple’s AirTags are the best item trackers an iPhone user can get, and they’re going for cheap right now in a deal on Amazon. A four pack of AirTags — normally $100 — is 23 percent off, making it just $76. That’s only $1 more than the pack was selling for during Amazon Prime Day. AirTags tap into Apple’s Find My network, sending out a signal that can be picked up by nearby devices to guide you to your lost item.

AirTags work seamlessly with other devices in the Apple ecosystem and have a battery life of over a year. In addition to helping locate belongings you may have left somewhere outside the home, AirTags can also help you track down items you’ve misplaced in your immediate surroundings thanks to the Precision Finding feature in the Find My app. You can also ping the AirTag so it’ll play a sound that you can follow.

AirTags don’t have a loop or clip that would allow you to attach them to a keyring, so you’ll need to pick up a case if you want to do so. There are all sorts of accessories available for AirTags to secure them to your belongings, including keyring holders and cases designed to adhere to fabric so you can securely stick them in the lining of a jacket or purse. AirTags have an IP67 rating, meaning they’ll withstand dust and brief exposure to water, and the CR2032 battery is easily replaceable. The Find My app supports tracking up to 32 items.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-four-pack-of-apple-airtags-is-back-on-sale-for-76-150547693.html?src=rss

Intel makes good on CPU instability issues by extending warranties by two years

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Intel is extending the warranties for its controversial Core 13th and 14th-gen processors by two years, it has announced in a community post. The company says it will share more details in coming days, but for now, customers just waiting for their computers to conk out can at least know that they may not have to spend money to replace their processors. Intel revealed in July that after extensive analysis, it found that elevated operating voltage was causing these particular processor models' instability issues for a lot of people.

A microcode algorithm has apparently been sending incorrect voltage requests to the processor, causing users' computers to crash. The company is working on a patch that it plans to release in mid-August, but for some people, it may be too late: As Tom's Hardware notes, the patch will not fix processors that are already crashing. An indie gaming studio called Alderon Games reported that based on its personnel's observations, the processors' failure rate is 100 percent. Even CPUs that work well deteriorate and fail in the end. That's why an extended warranty is very much welcome, especially since some models only have a year-long warranty. 

"Intel is committed to making sure all customers who have or are currently experiencing instability symptoms on their 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors are supported in the exchange process," the company wrote in its announcement. It also admitted that "this has been a challenging issue to unravel and definitively root cause." For now, Intel advises those who purchased systems from computer manufacturers to reach out to the brand's support team. Meanwhile, people who purchased boxed CPUs for their PCs can contact Intel's customer support.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/intel-makes-good-on-cpu-instability-issues-by-extending-warranties-by-two-years-130010567.html?src=rss

Google will let you search your Chrome browsing history by asking questions like a human

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You’re neck deep in a research project but the finish line is in sight. You hit the close button on your browser. It vanishes and takes the dozens of tabs you had open with it. You heave a sigh of relief — and then remember that you need to verify just one more detail from one of the web pages you had open. The problem is that you have no idea which one it was or how to get back there. You start digging through your browser’s history, feverishly clicking on any pages that look familiar, but the page that you knew you looked at seems to have vanished.

If this sounds familiar, a new feature coming to Google Chrome on the desktop in the next few weeks might be just what you need. With it, you'll be able to ask questions of your browsing history in natural language using Gemini, Google’s family of large language models that power its AI systems. You can type a question like “What was that ice cream shop I looked at last week?” into your address bar after accessing your history and Chrome will show relevant pages from whatever you’ve browsed so far.

Google Search History with AI
Google

“The high level is really wanting to introduce a more conversational interface to Chrome’s history so people don’t have to remember URLs,” said Parisa Tabriz, vice president of Chrome, in a conversation with reporters ahead of the announcement.

The feature will only be available to Chrome’s desktop users in the US for now and will be opt-in by default. It also won’t work with websites you browsed in Incognito mode. And the company says that it is aware of the implications of having Google’s AI parse through your browsing history to give you an answer. Tabriz said that the company does not directly use your browsing history or tabs to train its large language models. “Anything related to browsing history is super personal, sensitive data,” she said. “We want to be really thoughtful and make sure that we’re thinking about privacy from the start and by design.”

In addition to making wading through your search history more conversational, Google is also adding two new AI-powered features to Chrome. It’s finally bringing Google Lens, which is already on both Android and iPhones, to Chrome on the desktop in the US. “This means you’ll be able to easily select, search and ask questions about anything you see on the web, all without leaving your current tab,” according to Google’s blog post about the feature.

You can search with Google Lens in Chrome on the desktop by selecting its icon on the address bar and then clicking on anything on a web page that you want to search. Clicking on a picture of a plant on a web page with Google Lens, for instance, will open a sidebar directly on the web page and identify it. You can then ask follow-up questions such as “how much sunlight does this plant need to stay alive?” and get AI-generated responses inline without leaving the page you’re on.

Lens is also capable of parsing text within videos, which means you can hit pause and directly select any text displayed in the frame (such as a math equation) and quickly get a description in a sidebar with more AI-generated information about it.

Google Lens in Chrome Desktop
Google

Finally, Google is adding Tab Compare, a feature that will present you with an AI-generated overview of products across multiple tabs in a single place “By bringing all the essential details — product specs, features, price, ratings — into one tab, you’ll be able to easily compare and make an informed decision without the endless tab switching,” Google says.

Tab Compare
Google

For now, the feature is restricted to products, but Tabriz imagines a future when it might evolve to let you compare multiple schools, universities, daycares, or anything that might “make it easier for people to make decisions that are comparisons.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-will-let-you-search-your-chrome-browsing-history-by-asking-questions-like-a-human-160058575.html?src=rss

Google makes it easier to remove explicit deepfakes from its search results

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Google has rolled out updates for Search with the intention of making explicit deepfakes as hard to find as possible. As part of its long-standing and ongoing fight against realistic-looking manipulated images, the company is making it easier for people to get non-consensual fake imagery that features them removed from Search. 

It has long been possible for users to request for the removal of those kinds of images under Google's policies. Now, whenever it grants someone's removal request, Google will also filter all explicit results on similar searches about them. The company's systems will scan for any duplicates of the offending image and remove them, as well. This update could help alleviate some of the victim's fears if they're worried about the same image popping up again on other websites. 

In addition, Google has updated its ranking systems so that if a user specifically searches for explicit deepfakes with a person's name, the results will surface "high-quality, non-explicit content" instead. If there are news articles about that person, for instance, then the results will feature those. Based on Google's announcement, it seems it also has plans to school the user looking for deepfakes by showing them results that discuss their impact on society. 

Google doesn't want to wipe out results for legitimate content, like an actor's nude scene, in its bid to banish deepfakes from its results page, though. It admits it still has a lot of work to do when it comes to separating legitimate from fake explicit images. While that's still a work in progress, one of the solutions it has implemented is to demote sites that have received a high volume of removals for manipulated images in Search. That's "a pretty strong signal that it's not a high-quality site," Google explains, adding that the approach has worked well for other types of harmful content in the past.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-makes-it-easier-to-remove-explicit-deepfakes-from-its-search-results-130058499.html?src=rss

Fresh leak shows the Google Pixel Watch 3 comes in two sizes instead of one

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The next Made by Google is just around the corner (Aug. 13, to be exact) but you may not have to wait to find out about the Google Pixel Watch 3. A leak from a Google source to the website Android Headlines reveals some new details about the new smartwatch.

The website received a bunch of promotional material from its Google source showing the specs of the Google Pixel Watch 3 and its improvements from its predecessor the Google Pixel Watch 2. The biggest difference is the size offerings in that you don’t have to settle for just one. Instead of just the standard 41mm size, the Google Pixel Watch 3 will be available in 41 and 45 mm.

Google is also replacing the Watch 2’s AMOLED display for an Actua display in the Google Pixel Watch 3 that’s 1,000 nits higher at its peak than the previous model. The battery can also charge 20 percent faster if you have the 41mm model. Battery life has long been an issue for the Pixel Watch line, and the improvements there are mixed: Google is still quoting the same 24 hours with the Always On display, but touts a new battery saver mode that extends battery life to up to 36 hours.

A leak to Android Headlines reveals some of the specs of the new Google Pixel Watch 3.
Android Headlines

The Google Pixel Watch 3 will also have a bunch of new functions. It can provide live video views from Nest Cam or Nest Doorbell devices with voice support and quick access to apps like Maps and Wallet. The new watch’s features have a big focus on fitness with workout tracking, haptic cues for jogging at certain paces and a detailed step tracker that can measure your average pace during a walk or a run. It also works with Fitbit Premium to provide a morning briefing of your daily fitness metrics, access to virtual trainers and ideas for recommended workouts.

Of course, none of this is official or confirmed yet. We won’t know all of the Google Pixel Watch 3’s features and capabilities until its big reveal on Aug. 13.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fresh-leak-shows-the-google-pixel-watch-3-comes-in-two-sizes-instead-of-one-222109082.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

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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. 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