|
Meta wants to make its AI hardware slicker and more fashion-forward. It also needs to make its software more usable. The way to do all that appears to be hiring design maestros away from Apple.
|
|
 The Ceramic Shield 2 material that Apple uses for the iPhone 17 display includes an anti-reflective coating that's designed to cut down on glare. It's a coating that prior-generation iPhone models didn't have, and it can make a difference in bright lighting conditions.
|
|
 Russia has blocked Apple's FaceTime video calling app in an ongoing effort to eliminate private communication methods, reports Reuters. Russia claims ?FaceTime? is being used for criminal activity, and that blocking the app is a legitimate law enforcement measure. Social network Snapchat and multiplayer gaming platform Roblox were also banned this week.
|
|
First, the news: In its announcement that the Brad Pitt blockbuster F1: The Movie will make its debut on Apple TV in December, Apple casually noted that as of now, Apple TV isn't Apple TV anymore.
"Apple TV is now simply Apple TV, with a vibrant new identity," Apple's press release reads. What's the new identity, you ask? Aside from a new and multicolor Apple TV logo, that's hard to say.
Those of us who follow the streaming industry greeted the news with furrowed brows. So Apple TV the streaming service is now on Apple TV, the streaming box? Isn't that kind of confusing? Yes, the Apple TV streaming player is officially known as "Apple TV 4K," but still.
Well, it's details like the " " and the "4K" that cause headaches when it comes to clear and consistent branding, and the truth is most folks haven't bothered with the "plus" for a long time. Severance, The Studio, The Morning Show, Ted Lasso—those are all Apple TV shows, according to everyday streamers.
Sometimes, simplicity and familiarity are best. Take HBO Max, which went through a three-year-old rebranding drama that saw the service renamed as "Max," a change that was mainly driven by the now-unraveling alliance between the former WarnerMedia and Discovery.
Warner Bros. Discovery likely spent a fortune trying to get the Max branding to stick, but most subscribers just kept calling it HBO Max. Finally, the entertainment giant stopped swimming against the ti
|
|
Microsoft announced a series of upcoming new features for Copilot PCs and Windows 11. One of the most compelling updates for Copilot PCs is agent, which provides on-device AI assistance for adjusting a PC's settings. Some of the example tweaks Microsoft gave for this application are issues such as "how to control my PC by voice" and "my mouse pointer is too small."
Not only can the agent answer these types of queries, but if the necessary permissions are granted, the AI can also make the requested changes for a user. The blog post specifies that only questions in English are "initially" supported, which hints that more languages will be added at a later date. This feature will first roll out to Copilot PCs with Snapdragon chips, while thoe computers powered by Intel and AMD will get agents "soon."
Microsoft is also adding more actions to the Click to Do capability for Copilot AI assistance with whatever is currently active on a computer's screen. Copilot will be able to act on text or an image, including creating a bulleted list from selected text or drafting copy into Microsoft Word. Other new actions include scheduling a meeting, sending a message to Microsoft Teams and sending data to Microsoft Excel. Click to Do will also support engaging a computer's Reading Coach and Immersive Reader modes.
While most of Microsoft's recent messaging about Windows 11 has put Copilot PCs at front and center, but there will be some new goodies for the owners of oth
|
|
In a development that can only be seen as positive, non-consensual deepfake porn site Mr. Deepfakes has shut down for good, reports 404 Media. This news comes due to the site losing one of its service providers.
"A critical service provider has terminated service permanently. Data loss has made it impossible to continue operation," a notice on the site reads. "We will not be relaunching. Any website claiming this is fake. This domain will eventually expire and we are not responsible for future use. This message will be removed around one week."
As sites continued to crack down on non-consenual deepfake porn, Mr. Deepfakes became an open space for it. Users could upload videos and connect with creators to commission videos. People also used it as a way to collaborate on new techniques, share their methods and provide datasets. All of it was with the goal of creating this non-consensual media, sometimes with a strong likeness to real people.
The creator of Mr. Deepfakes is still technically anonymous. However, German newspaper Der Spiegel reportedly tracked down one of the individuals behind it, a 36-year-old in Toronto.
Governments across the world have been taking steps to make sexually explicit deepfakes illegal. Last week, the
|
|
