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 Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming macOS Sonoma 14.5 update to public beta testers, allowing non-developers to test the software ahead of its launch. The public beta comes two weeks after Apple released the first public beta.
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 One of the first alternative app marketplaces went live in the European Union today, with developer Riley Testut introducing AltStore PAL, a version of his AltStore that can be accessed in EU countries.
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When Sony debuted its ULT lineup of speakers and headphones last week, it took the first step towards a big change on naming its products. For years, the company has used an awfully confusing mix of letters and numbers, some of which are just one letter off from products with entirely different designs. You'll no longer have to remember something like WH-B910N to find the headphones you're hunting for as the new names make it immediately apparent what product you're reading about.
The ULT line of audio gear is replacing the Extra Bass brand Sony has used for several years. Described as the "ultimate step into the evolution" of its portable audio devices, ULT Power Sound is an improved progression of the low-end boost the Extra Bass products offered. ULT breaks down even further into Tower (large party speakers), Field (smaller, portable Bluetooth speakers) and Wear (headphones). I'll concede that Field is a bit obscure at first glance, but at least Tower and Wear accurately describe the products bearing those labels. All three are a massive upgrade from SRS-XV900, SRS-XG300 or WH-CH720N, three model names that were used for previous versions of three similar models.
Sony is also revising the names for both home audio and TV products, employing its existing Bravia moniker here. The company's new TVs are the Bravia 9 (mini LED), Bravia 8 (OLED), Bravia 7 (mini LED) and Bravia 3 (LED) instead of older names like XR-65A95L. For soundbars and speakers, the
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 Sony just revealed its lineup of new TVs for 2024. While many boast interesting features that we'll get into later, the biggest change is naming conventions. Sony TVs used to be named confusing strings of numbers and letters, but that's all gone now. The names here are clean and simple. They all use Bravia, a long-time Sony moniker for televisions, and a single digit number.
The Bravia 3 is a standard 4K LED TV with dynamic HDR, upscaling technology and a 60Hz refresh rate. This is the most basic box within Sony's lineup, but it still looks plenty capable. The company promises that it also uses eight percent less power than last year's equivalent, which is always nice. The TV is available in sizes ranging from 43-inches all the way up to 85-inches, with prices going from $600 to $1,800.
Sony
Don't ask what happened to Bravia 4, 5 and 6, because the next TV in the lineup is called the Bravia 7. This is a mini LED box with some neat tech, including a powerful updated processor and Sony's proprietary Backlight Master Drive local dimming algorithm. The company says this allows it to feature 790 percent more dimming zones compared to last year's similar X90L. The more dimming zones a TV has, the smaller each one will be. This leads to an increase in precision and a better contrast ratio.
It also uses less power than the X90L, to the tune of 15 percent, and boasts a new calibration mode
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As a dedicated gaming monitor, the XG49WCR fits the bill, essentially working as two 27-inch 1440p curved panels shoved into one. It's also fast enough to make even the most powerful gaming PC sweat at its maximum 5120×1440 resolution, with a 165Hz refresh rate and a 1ms response time. If you want a monitor to show you as much of a game as possible, as fast as possible, this is it.
But the screen isn't limited to just gaming. It has a rich suite of connectivity options, with DisplayPort, HDMI, and USB-C covering video, plus 90 watts of USB power delivery for gaming laptops. The built-in USB hub can handle external gadgets, including a standard Ethernet port, and the monitor has side-by-side input modes as well as an integrated KVM switch. Oh, and two five-watt speakers as well, but seriously, just use headphones or real speakers instead.
The only real downside to the design is its VA panel, which is speedy, but far less accurate for fine colors than IPS. I wouldn't count on this monitor for editing work in Photoshop, for example. But that's a pretty fair trade-off for the retail price, and an absolute steal at this discount.
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There's a core of truth to each one of the security practices I criticize below, but you shouldn't blindly follow these old tips. At best, you'll be wasting your time. At worst, you'll be putting yourself more at risk. Read on to learn more about the five outdated security practices you shouldn't use anymore.
Constantly changing your passwords
"You should change your passwords regularly" is one of those ancient bits of security advice that's still bouncing around. Many organizations still forcibly expire their employees' passwords and I've used online account systems from financial organizations that do the same. After the password is forcibly expired, you're asked to set a new password.
Regularly changing passwords is time-consuming. I use a password manager to remember my passwords, something I recommend to everyone, as it is really the only way to use a strong, unique password on each website unless you have a spacious photographic memory. But, even if you wouldn't have to remember each new password you set, you'd lose a lot of time if you were changing them all on a schedule.
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Logitech plans to launch the Signature AI Edition Mouse in April in the United States and the United Kingdom for $49.99. Though it has a dedicated AI key — you do need a dedicated AI key on your mouse, right? — the button actually launches an app called the Logi AI Prompt Builder, powered by ChatGPT.
That app is part of Logi Options , the connective software that ties many of Logitech's MX, or "Master," series peripherals (plus its Studio Series, Ergo, and others) such as keyboards and mice. When a user presses the AI prompt button on the top of the AI Edition Mouse, they're actually launching the Prompt Builder within the Options app. Existing Logitech peripherals that lack a dedicated ChatGPT key can remap another key to trigger the same function.
Prompt Builder is designed to highlight, copy, and/or edit a portion of the text you're working on. It looks like a more sophisticated version of the suggested actions Microsoft has tested within Copilot, where users can highlight a block of text, right-click it, and ask for a summary — Copilot key or not.
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If you're not happy with the order of the apps in your text messages, you can use this trick to change it.
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 Microsoft today introduced a version of OneNote that is designed to run on the Apple Vision Pro headset. OneNote for Vision Pro was created for visionOS, and it includes many of the features that are available on OneNote for iPad.
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 Apple is currently testing iOS 17.5, the fifth major update to the iOS 17 operating system that came out last September. Like iOS 17.4, iOS 17.5 primarily focuses on regulatory changes in the European Union, but there are a few other features worth noting.
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The European Commission has opened formal proceedings to assess whether TikTok may have breached the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA) in various ways associated with the protection of minors, advertising transparency, data access for researchers, and managing risk for addictive design and harmful content.
The formal investigation adds to the privacy and safety concerns that have plagued the video-sharing platform, giving enterprises yet another reason to consider banning its use by employees while they access corporate networks. The Commission had previously conducted a preliminary investigation and risk assessment that found further oversight to be necessary.
To read this article in full, please click here
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