Tag Archives: Software

Facebook and Instagram will block DMs to teens unless they’re from a friend

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In 2021, Meta restricted adults on Instagram from being able to message under-18 users who don't follow them. Now, it's expanding that rule to help protect younger teens from potentially unwanted contact. Users under 16 — or 18, depending on their country — can no longer receive DMs from anybody they don't follow by default, even if they're sent by fellow teens. 

This new safety measure applies to both Instagram and Messenger. For Messenger, in particular, young users will only be able to receive messages from their Facebook friends or people in their phone contacts. Since this setting is enabled by default, teens who have accounts under parental supervision will need to get any changes to it approved by their guardian. Of course, the setting will have to depend on a user's declared age and Meta's technology designed to predict people's ages, so it's not 100 percent foolproof. 

"We want teens to have safe, age-appropriate experiences on our apps," Meta said in its announcement. Earlier this month, Meta announced that it will start hiding content related to self-harm, graphic violence, eating disorders and other harmful topics from teens on Instagram and Facebook. If a user is under 16, they won't see posts with those topics in their Feeds and Stories even if they're shared by accounts they follow. It also recently rolled out a mindfulness feature that will send "nighttime nudges" to teens under 18 to close the app and go to bed if they've been scrolling for more than 10 minutes. 

Meta made these changes after being hit by lawsuits and complaints related to how it protects its younger userbase. An unsealed lawsuit filed against the company by 33 states accuses it of actively targeting children under 13 to use its apps and websites and of continuing to harvest their data even after it's already aware of their ages. A Wall Street Journal report also accused Instagram of serving "risqué footage of children as well as overtly sexual adult videos" to accounts that follow teenage influencers. In December 2023, the state of New Mexico sued Meta, claiming that Facebook and Instagram algorithms recommended sexual content to minors. And just this month, The Wall Street Journal reported on unredacted internal Meta presentations related to that case. Apparently, 100,000 child users were harassed daily on Facebook and Instagram based on employees' estimates, underlining the need for stricter measures on its platforms. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/facebook-and-instagram-will-block-dms-to-teens-unless-theyre-from-a-friend-130552718.html?src=rss

Netflix won’t be coming to the Vision Pro, but here’s what the streaming app could look like in spatial VR

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As the Vision Pro begins rolling out exactly a week from now, news is making way of what users can expect on the game-changing XR headset, and surprisingly enough, some companies have expressly mentioned that their apps won’t be available on the Vision Pro’s app store. Notably, apps like Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify (among others) have announced a soft-boycott of the device. Instead of dedicated versions of the apps, they will only be available through the Vision Pro’s browser, offering a less-than-ideal experience as compared to more tailor-made apps like Disney+, which Apple formally partnered with over the Vision Pro.

Designer: Harshita Jajani

However, that hasn’t stopped designers from making their own versions of popular apps (like this Spotify app) for the XR headset. When Apple debuted the Vision Pro in June last year, it spoke highly of its passthrough interface that practically blurred the lines between reality and digitalism. These UX concepts explore that aspect of spatial computing, putting virtual elements in real spaces in a way that feels incredibly believable.

Designed by Harshita Jajani, this unofficial Netflix ‘app’ for the Vision Pro shows how immersive the streaming service could look in a spatial environment. Jajani took parts of the Netflix interface, translating them rather wonderfully into a style synonymous with the Vision Pro’s digital glass interface. The Netflix app features those classic rounded corners, translucent frosted windows, and the ability to shift from a window screen to a much more immersive full-periphery view.

Maybe Netflix will relent after a few months of withholding on the app, but only time will tell. Disney CEO Bob Iger promised a ‘magical’ experience with the Disney+ app (which will come bundled with the Vision Pro), and if anything Netflix’s own app for the Meta Quest is arguably one of the most immersive and fun experiences out there. However, until that happens, these concepts help fill that void. A void that feels like a lot after you spend $3600 on hardware!

The post Netflix won’t be coming to the Vision Pro, but here’s what the streaming app could look like in spatial VR first appeared on Yanko Design.

Apple reportedly plans to charge developers if they offer sideloaded apps

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As new European tech regulations are set to take effect in the coming weeks, Apple is preparing for a future where it will be required to allow users to download apps from sources outside of its App Store. The company hasn’t shared details about how the process, called sideloading, will work, but it seems it may not allow developers to circumvent the company’s fees and app review rules after all.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the App Store owner “plans to collect fees from developers that offer downloads outside of the App Store” and that it will require some kind of review for downloads that don’t go through its storefront. Sideloading would only be offered to iOS users in the European Union in order to comply with the bloc’s Digital Markets Act.

While the report notes Apple’s plan hasn’t been finalized, the strategy would be in line with another significant change the company just made to its US App Store policies. Last week, the company officially changed its rules for US developers to enable in-app purchases that bypass the App Store’s billing system.

However, the new rules, which came after a lengthy court battle with Fortnite developer Epic Games, stipulate that developers must still pay a hefty 27 percent commission on purchases made outside of the App Store (some smaller developers will only be charged 12 percent). The new rules also give Apple the right to audit developers’ records to ensure compliance. That’s already led to much criticism from Epic, Spotify and other developers who have long been critical of the App Store’s restrictive rules and fees.

If Apple were to charge developers for sideloading, that could lead to similar criticism from app makers. The Digital Markets Act is set to go into effect March 7, and even though Apple has yet to share its plan to comply with the regulation, companies that have previously butted heads with Cupertino over its rules are already preparing. Spotify, a longtime opponent of the App Store’s commission, just previewed what the European version of its app will look like once users can pay for subscriptions and audiobooks inside of its app.

The Wall Street Journal also reports that Meta, another vocal Apple critic, is working on its own project that would allow it to distribute developers’ apps via Facebook ads. The effort, reportedly called “Project Neon” internally, could allow the Facebook owner to compete with the App Store more directly, at least in Europe.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-reportedly-plans-to-charge-developers-if-they-offer-sideloaded-apps-202345977.html?src=rss

Apple reportedly plans to charge developers if they offer sideloaded apps

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As new European tech regulations are set to take effect in the coming weeks, Apple is preparing for a future where it will be required to allow users to download apps from sources outside of its App Store. The company hasn’t shared details about how the process, called sideloading, will work, but it seems it may not allow developers to circumvent the company’s fees and app review rules after all.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the App Store owner “plans to collect fees from developers that offer downloads outside of the App Store” and that it will require some kind of review for downloads that don’t go through its storefront. Sideloading would only be offered to iOS users in the European Union in order to comply with the bloc’s Digital Markets Act.

While the report notes Apple’s plan hasn’t been finalized, the strategy would be in line with another significant change the company just made to its US App Store policies. Last week, the company officially changed its rules for US developers to enable in-app purchases that bypass the App Store’s billing system.

However, the new rules, which came after a lengthy court battle with Fortnite developer Epic Games, stipulate that developers must still pay a hefty 27 percent commission on purchases made outside of the App Store (some smaller developers will only be charged 12 percent). The new rules also give Apple the right to audit developers’ records to ensure compliance. That’s already led to much criticism from Epic, Spotify and other developers who have long been critical of the App Store’s restrictive rules and fees.

If Apple were to charge developers for sideloading, that could lead to similar criticism from app makers. The Digital Markets Act is set to go into effect March 7, and even though Apple has yet to share its plan to comply with the regulation, companies that have previously butted heads with Cupertino over its rules are already preparing. Spotify, a longtime opponent of the App Store’s commission, just previewed what the European version of its app will look like once users can pay for subscriptions and audiobooks inside of its app.

The Wall Street Journal also reports that Meta, another vocal Apple critic, is working on its own project that would allow it to distribute developers’ apps via Facebook ads. The effort, reportedly called “Project Neon” internally, could allow the Facebook owner to compete with the App Store more directly, at least in Europe.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-reportedly-plans-to-charge-developers-if-they-offer-sideloaded-apps-202345977.html?src=rss

Spotify will launch its own in-app payment system for iOS users in the EU

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Spotify will go through massive changes when the European Union's Digital Markets Act goes into full effect on March 7. The audio streaming service says EU residents will finally be able to purchase a Premium subscription or upgrade from Individual to a Duo or a Family plan from within the app itself. Spotify hasn't allowed users to pay for a subscription through Apple's in-app payment system since 2016 and has long been a vocal critic of the 30 percent cut the iPhone-maker takes from app developers. Last year, it even stopped accepting Apple payments altogether — it used to let iOS users who've had a subscription since before 2016 to keep paying through Apple's in-app system. 

And since Spotify is launching its own in-app payments, users will also be able to easily purchase audiobooks while browsing titles within the application, as well. Yes, customers will be charged the actual amounts for subscriptions and purchases and will no longer have to pay extra to cover Apple's commission. The users who used to pay through Apple's in-app system were charged $3 on top of Spotify's subscription prices, but EU's DMA prohibits the practice. 

In addition to being able to implement its own in-app payment system, Spotify will also be able to put prices in the app. At the moment, it shows a note for its products where the price is supposed to be, telling users that they can't be purchased from within the application. When the DMA takes effect, Spotify will display its products' pricing, and it will also be able to start informing iOS users about deals and promotions from within the application. 

"It should be this easy for every single Spotify customer everywhere," the company said in its announcement. "But if you live outside certain markets, you will continue to encounter frustrating roadblocks because of Apple’s ridiculous rules. That's why developers everywhere are continuing to ask other governments to pass their own laws like the DMA."

A GIF showing what Spotify will be like without Apple's restrictions.
Spotify

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/spotify-will-launch-its-own-in-app-payment-system-for-ios-users-in-the-eu-110046271.html?src=rss

Spotify will launch its own in-app payment system for iOS users in the EU

Posted on by

Spotify will go through massive changes when the European Union's Digital Markets Act goes into full effect on March 7. The audio streaming service says EU residents will finally be able to purchase a Premium subscription or upgrade from Individual to a Duo or a Family plan from within the app itself. Spotify hasn't allowed users to pay for a subscription through Apple's in-app payment system since 2016 and has long been a vocal critic of the 30 percent cut the iPhone-maker takes from app developers. Last year, it even stopped accepting Apple payments altogether — it used to let iOS users who've had a subscription since before 2016 to keep paying through Apple's in-app system. 

And since Spotify is launching its own in-app payments, users will also be able to easily purchase audiobooks while browsing titles within the application, as well. Yes, customers will be charged the actual amounts for subscriptions and purchases and will no longer have to pay extra to cover Apple's commission. The users who used to pay through Apple's in-app system were charged $3 on top of Spotify's subscription prices, but EU's DMA prohibits the practice. 

In addition to being able to implement its own in-app payment system, Spotify will also be able to put prices in the app. At the moment, it shows a note for its products where the price is supposed to be, telling users that they can't be purchased from within the application. When the DMA takes effect, Spotify will display its products' pricing, and it will also be able to start informing iOS users about deals and promotions from within the application. 

"It should be this easy for every single Spotify customer everywhere," the company said in its announcement. "But if you live outside certain markets, you will continue to encounter frustrating roadblocks because of Apple’s ridiculous rules. That's why developers everywhere are continuing to ask other governments to pass their own laws like the DMA."

A GIF showing what Spotify will be like without Apple's restrictions.
Spotify

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/spotify-will-launch-its-own-in-app-payment-system-for-ios-users-in-the-eu-110046271.html?src=rss

CATIA Visual Scripting gets its biggest update in 2024 with smart suggestions, modules, and modifiers

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At their annual Design Masterclass, CATIA unveiled some exciting new features for 2024 that lie within their broader push towards ‘Visual Scripting’. The broader effort aims at combining CATIA’s powerful design features with a newer, more intuitive interface that allows practically anyone to build and model cutting-edge products, intricate textures, and unique algorithm-driven details through an easy, no-code approach. While Visual Scripting was CATIA’s big push for 2023, the year 2024 brings a few noteworthy and interesting features to the industry-leading CAD software.

Sign Up to Receive an Exclusive CATIA Visual Scripting Video FREE!

Visual Scripting becomes even easier with ‘Operator Suggestions’

Users now get suggestions as they build out their node-based operations, making it much easier to go through your workflow instead of meticulously selecting node after node every single step of the way. The software intuitively recognizes what you’re building and suggests appropriate nodes to you, eliminating errors and reducing the time taken during the design process. This suggestive feature works as you build out your script node-by-node, but it also works when you’ve selected multiple nodes, functioning almost like an assistant that knows what’s on your mind before you do.

Python Scripting (and the ability to use GPT in design)

Although Visual Scripting is, by definition, made to be a no-code approach to generative design, CATIA lets you add Python scripts to create complex designs and patterns. Sure, you could learn Python (or rely on your existing Python knowledge) to build out your designs, but CATIA’s demo even shows how users can leverage AI like Bing Chat or ChatGPT to create Python scripts for them, helping aid and accelerate the design process with a stronger focus on creativity than technical prowess.

Analyzing your Node Structure

Complex node structures can sometimes become confusing to look at, with multiple nodes and pathways often looking like organized chaos on a screen (no matter how neat you are). The new Analyzer panel turns your entire node structure into a table, allowing you to quickly scan through your design sequence to identify areas of improvement or optimization. Multiple views are available to access display status, update time, errors, operator versioning, etc.

Reusing User Features within Design Sequences

Imagine building a family of products with the same design elements, or wanting to skip hours of work by applying design elements from older projects into newer ones – Visual Scripting now lets you set ‘user features’ that you can easily reuse in different projects, saving you time and effort. Build out a template and the Visual Scripting dashboard lets you reuse it over and over again, creating complex designs in less time. User Features have to be declared in the Resource Table beforehand to enable this ability.

Intuitive Visual Scripting Modifiers

The Visual Scripting interface greets you with a dedicated User Assistance window that lets you access new and relevant information that may aid you in your project. While in your project, modifying your design can be done directly in the 3D Viewport rather than controlling parameters in the node view. Just the way you edit 3D objects using a gumball in regular CAD software, CATIA’s modifiers allow you to manipulate your design by doing just that – manipulating your design instead of staring at nodes, numbers, and parameters. This intuitive approach lets you scale, extend, rotate, extrude, and move items directly within your design viewport.

Modified designs can now be saved as ‘Variants’

Easily one of the most understated features in Visual Scripting, ‘Variants’ allows you to save variations of the same design in a dedicated section. This gives you the power to quickly compare different design variations in mere seconds without switching layers, opening/closing files, or spending extra time hiding/showing other objects in the scene. A simple click lets you quickly toggle between different variants for an overall comparison, helping you assess alternatives as you experiment within your design process.

Enrich CATIA modules with Design Sequences

With the R2024x release, it’s now possible to enrich the CATIA modular approach of Concept Structure Engineering with design sequences of Visual Scripting. The Module is a new concept in a 3DShape helping to improve specific use cases like:
A. Improving your Design structuration in the 3DSHAPE and edition thanks to the Module Manager.
B. Easily managing the creation of Design Variants in a few clicks.
C. Creating auto connections based on semantic interfaces that improve collaboration in the concept phase.
D. Building templates as you go, so when reusing specific templates, you have a direct view on link to the external world outside the module.

These new features mark a BIG shift for CATIA’s Visual Scripting program, making the powerful software even more intuitive, efficient, and easy to use. The R2024x version is available on premise, and is also rolling out on cloud environments, allowing creatives to focus on the things they do best – letting their imagination run wild and not be limited by software constraints…

Sign Up to Receive an Exclusive CATIA Visual Scripting Video FREE!

The post CATIA Visual Scripting gets its biggest update in 2024 with smart suggestions, modules, and modifiers first appeared on Yanko Design.

Google’s next Chrome update adds three new generative AI features

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With today’s release of Chrome M121, Google announced it will introduce new generative AI features that will make the browser easier to use. The new additions will include a tab organizer, a writing assistant that helps draft text and the option to customize the artwork and themes throughout the browser. The “Experimental AI” toggle must be flipped on in the Settings page — found in the three-dot dropdown menu — to enable these new features.

The Tab Organizer will do pretty much what it says: The built-in AI will automatically suggest ways to classify any open tabs in your Chrome windows and suggest the option to create groups. This might be helpful if you have a lot of recurring tabs open. When you click ‘Organize Similar Tabs,’ the AI will aggregate open pages together based on topics. For example, tabs related to shopping might all cluster together and the AI could suggest a name like ‘Ski-trip shopping gear.

Chrome's new text assist too might also have some practical applications. It will launch as an experimental tool that will help users draft text — including Google reviews or social media posts. To enable this when it launches, you need to select "Help me write" to let the tool finish your sentences or suggest options for continuing the text.

Chrome gen AI text assist tool
Google

Customization is not new to most Google tools like Mail or Docs and now on Chrome web browsers, you can personalize the browser's visuals — something the company considers an extension of the AI wallpapers it built out for Pixel phones recently. To do so, you need to select the ‘Customize Chrome’ button on the side panel and instruct the AI to generate a theme for you. You can search for a description, such as ‘small beach town’ or ‘Blade Runner vibes,’ and preview the AI-generated theme options before selection.

Introducing these new tools will naturally rival Microsoft's AI-infused Bing engine, which introduced AI-powered tab grouping and a text composition helper back in September. Chrome, however, still dominates the US browser market share by a wide margin, which Bing is usually lumped into the "others" category, well below competitors like Firefox and Opera.

Google Chrome Customization
Google

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/googles-next-chrome-update-adds-three-new-generative-ai-features-170032292.html?src=rss

DJI Just Launched Its Own 3D Model Editing Software… And It Makes Complete Sense.

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If you think of DJI’s drones as aerial 3D capturing devices, the entire endeavor makes a LOT of sense.

While their drones have become synonymous with stylized cinematography and even high-octane races, DJI’s drones also find themselves being used for photogrammetry, 3D mapping, surveillance, delivery, and even civic planning/surveying. In fact, DJI has a dedicated website just for enterprise use, with specialized drones, attachments, and even software. In 2019, DJI launched Terra, a 3D mapping software to turn video/image data into 3D models for efficient planning, route mapping, analysis, etc… but with their latest software Modify, the tool becomes perfect for cinematographers and creatives too. Modify helps edit, clean, and fine-tune the 3D-mapped data captured by DJI’s drones. The free-to-use tool has a variety of editing features to help repair models, remove artifacts, and even edit out objects like humans, cars, and obstacles to create seamless 3D scans that are detailed enough for even movie industries to use.

Designer: DJI

Designed to seamlessly integrate with the Terra software, Modify has some rather incredible tools up its sleeve to help rectify any problems caused during the scanning process. Whether it’s broken models caused by reflective surfaces or random floating parts in the sky that the 3D software captured by accident, Modify lets you easily identify them, select them, and remove/repair them with a few clicks, saving hours of work.

The biggest bane with photogrammetry or 3D capture is the creation of unwanted artifacts. Most people familiar with the field will tell you that sometimes the software can interpret objects that aren’t even there. Reflections, clouds, and flying creatures can sometimes result in floating planes and fragments that can often clutter 3D scans by the thousand. Manually selecting these floating parts takes hours of work, but Modify uses clever tools to help select them with a simple click. Once done, you can easily delete them. Reflective surfaces like glass, metal, and water result in broken surfaces too, which Modify lets you easily fix by adding a planar surface.

One of the standout features of DJI Modify is its intelligent host of auto-repair editing tools. These tools support operations such as flattening, editing textures, repairing water surfaces, removing floating parts, and filling holes. Modify uses AI to help regenerate signs, fix existing damaged patterns/textures, and even replace old models/textures with new ones. For instance, you can flatten roads with cars captured on them, remove the car graphics from the 2D textures, and replace the road markings to make them empty, effectively removing the cars that were originally on them. This functionality can be accessed through one-click repairs or manually by selecting custom polygons, areas, or meshes. Additionally, the software’s model display technology allows both high- and low-quality models to be viewed and edited within a single interface, with changes being synchronized and previewed across both models immediately.

The software supports various file formats like ply, obj, and b3dm, ensuring compatibility with DJI Terra and other third-party software. The software is expected to offer cloud-sharing capabilities in the future, allowing users to share processed models online for viewing and sharing via links, without the need for software installation.

DJI Modify is targeted towards professionals in sectors such as transportation, surveying & mapping, public safety, emergency response, urban modeling & management, energy & utilities, and infrastructure. Its efficient model editing capabilities cater to a wide range of drone surveying use cases, including AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction), inspection, and public safety. The software is currently for free as a Public Beta, and can be downloaded on DJI’s Enterprise website.

The post DJI Just Launched Its Own 3D Model Editing Software… And It Makes Complete Sense. first appeared on Yanko Design.

NVIDIA’s RTX Remix tool is finally available as a free open beta

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If you love old PC games, but wish they had access to modern graphical flourishes, NVIDIA has you covered. The company just released a beta version of its long-awaited RTX Remix tool. This software is designed especially for modders and can be used to add ray-tracing and AI-upscaled textures to older games.

Remix was built on NVIDIA’s Omniverse 3D graphics collaboration platform and allows for end-to-end remastering of just about any DirectX 8 or 9 game. It consists of two basic components. There’s an application for creating new lighting scenarios and one for remastering and adding assets into a scene. The company says that the tool can already be used to fully remaster a game from start to finish, despite it being “just” a beta.

To that end, the software is available for download right now and NVIDIA hopes modders will experiment with the tool and leave feedback, which will be incorporated into future updates. It’s also free, which is always nice.

NVIDIA has released a non-comprehensive list of compatible games, which includes classics like Call of Duty 2, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Garry's Mod, Freedom Fighters, Need for Speed Underground 2, and Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, among others. For more information on compatibility, check out this FAQ.

The software suite has already been used by NVIDIA to create the Portal with RTX remaster, which is a free DLC, and the modder-made Portal: Prelude RTX. Orbifold Studios is also using RTX Remix to develop Half-Life 2 RTX: An RTX Remix Project, which is a community-driven remaster of the iconic title.

Again, this is a free tool, so it’ll be really fun to see what the modding community cooks up with it. I’m personally looking forward to more Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind ray-tracing goodness.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nvidias-rtx-remix-tool-is-finally-available-as-a-free-open-beta-180244440.html?src=rss