Meta now lets Threads users avoid automatically sharing their posts with its other apps. When activated, the opt-out feature prevents Meta’s Twitter clone from sharing posts to Instagram and Facebook without user consent. Software engineer Alessandro Paluzzi spotted early signs of the privacy toggle earlier this month.
Threads users can turn off automatic cross-platform content sharing by heading to their profile page, selecting the menu at the top right, then Privacy > Suggesting posts on other apps, and toggling off Instagram and Facebook individually. Note that changing this feature only prevents your posts from being used in cross-promotions; you’ll still see other people’s Threads posts on Instagram and Facebook, irrespective of your privacy settings.
Some Threads users were upset about Meta automatically sharing their content from the nascent X competitor, mainly because people often use the apps to connect with different crowds (for example, Threads for news and politics with strangers, Facebook for extended family and old friends). TechCrunchhighlighted several comments from people describing Threads posts automatically posted on other platforms as odd clickbait seemingly “designed to get comments” by stripping bold statements of context. In October, the company said it was “listening to feedback” in response to a Threads user’s complaint about automatic sharing to Meta’s more established platforms.
Meta is no stranger to using its existing stockpile of social apps to turbocharge its newest ones. It used easy onboarding and promotion via Instagram to vault Threads to the fastest app to reach 150 million downloads. Although growth appeared to slow after that, CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently said Threads had tallied nearly 100 million users. The Facebook founder said he sees a path for the Twitter clone to reach the one-billion user milestone.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/threads-users-can-now-opt-out-of-automatically-sharing-posts-to-facebook-and-instagram-172807726.html?src=rss
The Spotify TV app has been revamped to make the big-screen app experience resemble the popular mobile version of the digital music and podcast streaming service. The home page will have a “Now Playing View” and feature shortcuts to recently played content. The TV app will also recommend new songs and podcasts based on your listening history on the main screen, similar to what you might get on the mobile app.
The TV app home page doesn't just look different. You can now more easily switch between different Spotify accounts. The most recently active profile will always appear in the top right corner of a screen. Say you share a TV in the living room and you want to stop listening to your mom’s playlist – now you can select the profile image of a paired account when you want to switch.
In the past, if you listened to music on your TV through the app, you could only see the next song that was lined up. But now you can use the “Playback Queue” tool to select what you want to play next. Also, you can now turn on dark mode on your TV, meaning you can stream a curated playlist during your next house party and minimize the visuals and screen brightness.
The new Spotify TV app updates are available to free and premium subscribers using the app on supported Smart TVs, gaming consoles and media streaming devices. The effort to revitalize the user experience on the big screen isn't a huge shocker. Spotify rolled out similar updates for its Desktop app earlier this year in an effort to make streaming more enjoyable when you’re not using your phone.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/spotify-for-tvs-gets-a-new-look-and-features-to-match-the-mobile-app-195050535.html?src=rss
The Spotify TV app has been revamped to make the big-screen app experience resemble the popular mobile version of the digital music and podcast streaming service. The home page will have a “Now Playing View” and feature shortcuts to recently played content. The TV app will also recommend new songs and podcasts based on your listening history on the main screen, similar to what you might get on the mobile app.
The TV app home page doesn't just look different. You can now more easily switch between different Spotify accounts. The most recently active profile will always appear in the top right corner of a screen. Say you share a TV in the living room and you want to stop listening to your mom’s playlist – now you can select the profile image of a paired account when you want to switch.
In the past, if you listened to music on your TV through the app, you could only see the next song that was lined up. But now you can use the “Playback Queue” tool to select what you want to play next. Also, you can now turn on dark mode on your TV, meaning you can stream a curated playlist during your next house party and minimize the visuals and screen brightness.
The new Spotify TV app updates are available to free and premium subscribers using the app on supported Smart TVs, gaming consoles and media streaming devices. The effort to revitalize the user experience on the big screen isn't a huge shocker. Spotify rolled out similar updates for its Desktop app earlier this year in an effort to make streaming more enjoyable when you’re not using your phone.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/spotify-for-tvs-gets-a-new-look-and-features-to-match-the-mobile-app-195050535.html?src=rss
You'll soon be able to use the one-app streaming experience Disney is creating between Disney+ and Hulu. On today's earnings call, CEO Bob Iger announced that the beta version of the Hulu on Disney+ combined app will be available in December for bundle subscribers. The full launch is expected in early spring, though Iger cautioned the company may not see the full benefits of the one-stop shop until 2025. The beta version will allow parents to setup profiles and content controls to ensure viewing remains age appropriate. Disney says a key reason for the beta is to give parents time to do this setup since the library of Hulu content significantly adds to the streaming options.
Disney announced in May that it planned to bring Hulu content into Disney+ before the end of 2023. The company has been clear that both apps will still be available as standalone options. What's more, Disney said it would purchase Comcast's remaining stake in Hulu last week, so the entertainment giant will be the sole owner of that service when the deal closes sometime next year. A combined app should be useful to bundle subscribers who are paying for both services in return for a discount on the monthly rate.
Disney added almost seven million Disney+ core subscribers is the fourth quarter of its 2023 fiscal year. The company says that streaming service now counts 112 million total customers. It increased the ad-free price in October and announced a crackdown on password sharing would begin in 2024. Given the higher margins, thanks in part to higher subscription fees across both Disney+ and ESPN+, Disney says it's still on track for its streaming business to be profitable by this time next year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-merged-disney-and-hulu-app-launches-in-beta-next-month-220306792.html?src=rss
Microsoft allegedly plans to bring Copilot, its generative-AI-powered personal assistant, to late adopters. Windows Central’s Zac Bowden reports the Copilot button and sidebar from Windows 11 will “soon” arrive in Windows 10. The AI assistant for Windows 11 launched in beta in August and officially in September.
Bowden says the Windows 10 Copilot will include plugins that work across both operating systems. “I understand the experience and capabilities of Copilot across Windows 10 and Windows 11 will be roughly the same, including plugin compatibility across both versions of the OS,” the editor reported.
The move would add significant numbers to Copilot’s user base, as Windows 10 still runs on around one billion monthly active devices. Meanwhile, Windows 11, launched over two years ago, has around 400 million monthly active devices. Bowden suspects the move will also help Microsoft nudge developers into making Copilot plugins: “Microsoft will also have an easier time selling developers on the idea that they should build plugins for Copilot when they can say Copilot is available on 1.4 billion devices, compared to just 400 million on Windows 11.”
Engadget contacted Microsoft for comment but didn’t immediately receive a response. We’ll update this article if we hear back.
Bowden’s report also mentions that Microsoft is revisiting its strategy of moving on quickly from Windows 10. The company reportedly plans to add “select new features and services” previously exclusive to Windows 11 to the older OS. Windows 10 support is set to expire in October 2025, but Bowden’s sources say the company is having ongoing internal discussions about possibly extending that.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-reportedly-plans-to-bring-its-ai-powered-copilot-to-windows-10-202010100.html?src=rss
Google is rolling out a new feature that allow advertisers to create AI generated content using the same technology as the Bard chatbot, confirming a report from earlier this year. The feature is now available in beta on Google's Performance Max advertising product, allowing US advertisers to create and scale text and image assets for campaigns using AI, the company announced in a blog post.
Performance Max is already an AI-powered product that works across multiple Google products including Youtube, search, display and others. It optimizes ads by analyzing performance data, and the new feature supplements that by using AI to assist in asset creation as well. As Google puts it, the features will allow advertisers to quickly create high-quality, personalized assets on various Google platforms.
"Asset variety is a key ingredient for a successful Performance Max campaign," wrote Google's Pallavi Naresh. "You’ve told us that creating and scaling assets can be one of the hardest parts of building and optimizing a cross-channel campaign. Now, you’ll be able to generate new text and image assets for your campaign in just a few clicks."
Google
Much like Bard or ChatGPT, users feed prompts to the AI, and it creates unique images and text for each business. Marketers can review and edit any assets created by the system prior to publication. It can be used to create versions of the same ad, or build new ads from scratch. All AI-generated imagery contains a visible watermark and is tagged as such. "We also have guardrails in place to prevent our systems from engaging with inappropriate or sensitive prompts or suggesting policy-violating creatives," Naresh wrote.
The feature should help marketers create advertising materials more quickly, while of course helping Google post those ads and make money more quickly. In that sense, it's pretty much a perfect AI use case for Google, which makes the vast majority of its revenue from advertising. The new system is currently in beta and only available in the US, but is expected to roll out more widely by the end of 2023.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-is-rolling-out-tools-that-let-advertisers-create-ai-generated-content-080255864.html?src=rss
75 / 65M3-equipped MacBook Pros, the company will soon be releasing an update for Final Cut Pro to make further use of its own silicon. According to the company, its updated video editing suite will leverage a new machine learning model for improved results with object and face tracking. Additionally, H.264 and HEVC encoding will apparently be faster, thanks to enhanced simultaneous processing by Apple silicon's media engines.
On the user experience side, the new Final Cut Pro comes with automatic timeline scrolling, as well as the option to simplify a selected group of overlapping connected clips into a single storyline, and the ability to combine connected clips with existing connected storylines.
On Final Cut Pro for iPad, meanwhile, users can take advantage of the new voiceover recording tool, added color-grading presets, new titles, general workflow improvements and stabilization tool in the pro camera mode. Both the Mac and iPad Final Cut Pro updates will be available later this month.
With Logic Pro's new Quick Sampler Recorder mode, users can create sampler instruments from any sound using the iPad's built-in microphone or a connected audio input.
Apple
For those who need to focus on music creation, Apple has also updated Logic Pro with some handy new tools. For both the Mac and iPad versions, there's a new Mastering Assistant, which claims to help polish your audio mix by analyzing and tweaking "the dynamics, frequency balance, timbre, and loudness." You can use this tool to refine your mix at any point throughout the creation process. To avoid digital clipping and to boost low-level sensitivity, both flavors of Logic Pro now supports 32-bit float recording when used with compatible audio interfaces.
If you're a fan of "Sample Alchemy" — a sample-to-instrument tool — and "Beat Breaker" — an audio multi-effect plug-in — on Logic Pro for iPad, you'll be pleased to know that both features have been ported over to Logic Pro for Mac. Similarly, the Mac app has gained two free sound packs, "Hybrid Textures" and "Vox Melodics," which can be found in the Sound Library. Some may also find the new "Slip" and "Rotate" tools in the "Tool" menu useful.
Meanwhile, the updated Logic Pro for iPad promises an improved multi-tasking experience. The app now supports iPadOS' "Split View" and "Stage Manager," thus letting you quickly drag and drop audio samples from another app — such as Voice Memos, Files or a browser — into Logic Pro. There's also a new "Quick Sampler" recorder plug-in for easily creating sampler instruments from any sound, via the iPad's built-in microphone or a connected audio input. This update is available immediately, along with a handful of related in-app lessons.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/final-cut-pro-uses-apples-latest-chips-to-improve-face-and-object-tracking-065025314.html?src=rss
Microsoft is injecting a ton of generative AI-powered features into Windows 11, but it's not all about the Copilot assistant. The company has started to update a string of apps with new AI functions, including Paint, Clipchamp, Snipping Tool and Photos. Microsoft released an update for Windows 11 2023, known as 23H2, on October 31. That update expanded access to Copilot and other AI features.
Microsoft is rolling out the AI updates gradually, so you may not have access to everything just yet. Still, it may be handy for you to know what you can do with the new tools. Here are some pointers on how to use the AI features in each app.
How to use Paint in Windows 11
An AI-infused version of Paint that includes generative AI features is rolling out to Windows 11 users. Microsoft Paint Cocreator taps into the DALL-E model to enable you to create images based on a text description. The feature will whip up just about anything you can think of (within reason).
It's easy enough to get started with Cocreator, as long as you have access to it. To begin with, Cocreator is available in the US, UK, France, Australia, Canada, Italy and Germany. Only prompts in English are supported for now. At the outset, there's a waitlist to use Cocreator. You can join this from the Cocreator side panel and you'll receive an email to let you know when you can start using the feature.
You'll need to sign into your Microsoft account to use Cocreator. That's because the cloud-based service Cocreator runs on requires authentication and authorization. You also need to sign in to access credits; you'll need these to generate images with DALL-E. When you join Cocreator, you'll receive 50 credits with which you can create images. Each generated image costs one credit.
Microsoft
How to install Paint on Microsoft Windows 11
If you don't already have Paint installed, you can download it from the Microsoft Store. Once you have it, open Paint and select the Cocreator icon on the toolbar. From there, you can type in a description of the image you'd like the AI to generate. Microsoft suggests being as descriptive as possible in order to get results that match your concept.
After entering the text, select a style that you'd like your image to be in. Then hit the Create button.
Cocreator will then generate three different images based on your text input and the style you chose. Simply click on one of these images to add it to the Paint canvas so you can start modifying it.
Meanwhile, Paint now supports background removal as well as layers. With the help of AI, you can isolate an item (such as an object or person) and remove the background with a single click. You can also edit individual layers without affecting the rest of the image.
How to use video auto composition with Clipchamp on Windows 11
It should be easier for you to stitch footage together in the video-editing tool Clipchamp. The app will help guide you with automated suggestions for the likes of scenes, edits and narratives. But it's the auto compose feature that may prove most useful for many users. Auto compose is available on the web and in the Microsoft Clipchamp desktop app.
Microsoft says that the media you add to Clipchamp is not used to train AI models and all of the processing takes place in the app or browser. The app's AI video editor (which Microsoft says is useful for everyone) can automatically generate slideshows, montage videos and short videos in 1080p based on the photos and videos you add to it.
If you don't like the first video that Clipchamp offers up, you can check out a different version "instantly" since the app will generate multiple videos for you. Auto compose may also prove useful for professional video editors, Microsoft says, as the tool can generate several unique videos in the space of a few minutes.
Microsoft
After you sign into Clipchamp, click the "Create a video with AI" button. You'll find this front and center on the main page. After you give your project a working title, you can upload media by clicking the "Click to add or drag and drop" button. Alternatively, you can simply drag and drop videos and photos into the media window.
Once you've finished adding everything, hit the "Get started" button.Now, it's a case of letting the AI know what kind of style and aesthetic you're looking for. Styles include things like elegant, vibrant and bold. You'll use thumbs up and thumbs down buttons to inform the AI of your preferences. Alternatively, you can leave the decision up to Clipchamp by selecting the "Choose for me" option. When you're ready to move onto the following step, click the Next button.
Microsoft
Clipchamp will suggest a length for your video based on what it believes are the best combinations of your media. You'll be able to adjust the video length and the aspect ratio before moving on. Before you leave this screen, you can preview the video by clicking the play button.
Next up, you'll be able to change the background music on the "Finish your video" screen if you're not a fan of the track that the AI picked. Click the music button to change the tune. Again, you'll be able to preview your video and audio track. If you're not happy with the video, you can ask for a different take by clicking on "Create a new version."
Microsoft
If you do like the video Clipchamp has created, you're pretty much done at this point. Click the Export button to save the video. From the export page, you can share your video directly to the likes of YouTube and TikTok, or add a copy to your OneDrive storage.
After the AI is done with your video, you can further customize it in Clipchamp. Click on the "Edit in timeline" button and you'll be able to do things like add stickers, captions, animated text and audio files.
In addition, you can enhance your video with AI options including a text-to-speech voiceover feature and automatically generated subtitles. The speaker coach tool aims to provide you with real-time feedback on your camera recordings to help improve your speaking skills and video presentations.
Many Clipchamp features are available for free. But for videos in 4K resolution and other premium tools, you'll need to pay for the essentials plan, which costs $12 per month or $120 per year.
How to use Snipping Tool's AI features
The Snipping Tool is one of the most useful in Windows 11. It's a cinch to capture and share some or all of your display. The app's AI functions should come in useful in a number of ways.
First, the app supports text recognition. If you use the Snipping Tool to take a screenshot of something with text in it, you can click the Text Actions button. At the outset, you'll have two main options. You can copy all of the text and paste it into another app.
Tech Based/YouTube
Alternatively, you can quickly redact private information. The tool should be able to recognize email addresses and phone numbers, and you'll be able to swiftly blue those out. That should save you having to manually cover up text in, say, Paint.
The Snipping Tool should work quite nicely with Copilot as well. As indicated in a Windows 11 promo video, you can paste something you've clipped with the tool into Copilot, then do things like ask the assistant to remove the background from the image.
How to use Background Blur in Windows 11's Photos app
Microsoft
The Windows 11 Photos app has some useful AI features as well. Those include improved search for images stored on OneDrive accounts —- it should be easier for you to find a photo based on content or location where it was taken.
The app’s editing features have been enhanced thanks to AI as well. One of the handier and easiest-to-use tools is the self-explanatory Background Blur (Paint 3D has a similar feature). That can help the subject of your photo stand out. AI separates the background from the subject, but to ensure your data stays on your device, the separation process takes place there rather than in the cloud.
To use Background Blur, first select the image you want to use and open it in the Photos app. Click on "Edit image" at the top of the screen and select Background Blur. You'll then have a few options to choose from. You can opt to enable the blur effect instantly; adjust the intensity of the blur before applying it; or have more granular control by turning on the "Selection brush tool."
Opt for the Selection brush tool and you can manually add denote more parts of the image for the AI to blur out. Alternatively, you can deselect parts of the image that you don't want to be blurred. You'll be able to change the brush size for finer control and modify the brush softness to intensify or turn down the blue effect.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/windows-11s-new-ai-features-how-to-use-paint-clipchamp-snipping-tool-and-photos-191541014.html?src=rss
Intuit is shutting down its free budgeting app Mint, which had 3.6 million active users in 2021, Bloomberg reports. The company will absorb users into its other service called Credit Karma when Mint disappears. An Intuit spokeperson told Engadget that Mint will be available until March 24, 2024.
"Credit Karma is thrilled to invite all Minters to continue their financial journey on Credit Karma, where they will have access to Credit Karma’s suite of features, products, tools and services, including some of Mint’s most popular features," Mint wrote on its product blog. The company noted that Mint's product team and some features have already shifted over to Credit Karma.
Mint helps users manage their budget, track expenses and keep track of subscriptions and monthly bills so you don't pay late fees. Intuit acquired the company in 2009 for $170 million, with Mint saying the acquisition would help bring the app to millions more users.
Intuit will shift users to Credit Karma (a company it acquired in 2020), even though they're not exactly the same. Credit Karma is more like a banking app that lets users view transactions, monitor credit and see multiple accounts, but lacks the budget tracking features that make Mint attractive to many. Intuit specifically notes on a support page that "the new experience in Credit Karma does not offer the ability to set monthly and category budgets," instead helping users "build awareness" of their spending. However, Mint's net worth feature was recently ported over to Credit Karma.
Mint users will be able to transfer their accounts by logging into Credit Karma from the Mint app, after which they'll lose access to their Mint profiles. They can also download or erase any Mint data if they'd rather not switch.
Some Mint users on Reddit don't seem thrilled with the switch, with one saying that without the budgeting feature, "Mint is just a glorified checkbook register." Intuit, meanwhile, was recently ordered to pay $141 million for deceiving millions of low-income Americans into paying for tax services that should have been free.
Update, December 7 2023, 3:20PM ET: This story has been updated to include a statement from an Intuit spokesperson, who confirmed to Engadget that Mint will be available until March 24, 2024. Mint's announcement originally stated that the app would be shut down on January 1, 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/intuit-is-closing-down-mint-its-popular-free-budget-tracking-app-054145229.html?src=rss
TikTok is pushing back on critics who claim the video app is falling short in its content moderation duties amid the Israel-Hamas war. In a statement, the company offered new details about the number of accounts and videos it has taken down since the October 7th attacks by Hamas.
According to TikTok, it removed more than 925,000 videos “in the conflict region” and millions more “pieces of content” from around the world. The company also said it’s experienced “spikes in fake engagement” in recent weeks. “Since Oct. 7, we've removed more than 24 million fake accounts globally and more than half a million bot comments on content under hashtags related to the conflict.”
The new details come as TikTok has faced increasing scrutiny over how its app is recommending content related to the ongoing conflict. According to NBC News, some lawmakers have recently stepped up their calls for the app to be banned amid allegations that TikTok’s algorithm is disproportionately promoting pro-Palestinian content. In its update, TikTok said that such claims were based on “unsound analysis” of its data.
“Unfortunately, some misinformed commentators have mischaracterized our work to prevent the spread of hate speech and misinformation surrounding the crisis in Israel and Gaza, especially as it relates to antisemitism,” the company said. “Over the last few days, there has been unsound analysis of TikTok hashtag data around the conflict, causing some commentators to falsely insinuate TikTok is pushing pro-Palestine content over pro-Israel content to U.S. users.” The company added that, in the United States, the hashtag #standwithisrael had been viewed 46 million times since October 7, while #standwithpalestine had been viewed 29 million times.
TikTok isn’t the only platform to face increasing scrutiny over its moderation policies as tensions surrounding the conflict spill over onto social media platforms. Meta has faced accusations that it “shadowbanned” Instagram accounts that posted about conditions within Gaza, which it attributed to a “bug.” X, formerly known as Twitter, is dealing with a European Union investigation into its handling of misinformation related to the conflict.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-says-its-removed-millions-of-fake-accounts-since-start-of-israel-hamas-war-231851792.html?src=rss