“I’m told that the new operating system is seen within the company as one of the biggest iOS updates–if not the biggest–in the company’s history,” Gurman wrote in his latest Power On newsletter. “With that knowledge, Apple’s developers conference in June should be pretty exciting.”

The news comes a few months after Gurman reported that Apple was hoping for iOS 18 to be its most “ambitious and compelling” update in years.

Although the latest report doesn’t detail any specifics, Gurman has previously reported that Apple is planning to launch a newer version of Siri that leverages a new AI system. Apple is also expected to launch new features that improve how both Siri and the Messages app can auto-complete sentences and field questions. Plus, Apple Music is expected to get auto-generated playlists, which is something that Spotify introduced last year.

Apple is said to be looking at integrating generative AI into development tools like Xcode to allow developers to write new applications faster. In addition, Apple’s productivity apps, like Pages and Keynotes, should also be getting generative AI updates.

iOS 18 could also bring RCS support, as Apple revealed back in November that it plans to add support for the RCS standard on iOS in 2024. At the time, Apple said it believes that “RCS Universal Profile will offer a better interoperability experience when compared to SMS or MMS.” The major reversal follows public pressure on Apple to add support for RCS to iPhones. It’s worth noting that although Apple plans to adopt RCS, it has confirmed that messages sent from an Android user to an iPhone will still be displayed in green bubbles.

We’re still four months away from the big iOS 18 reveal, so we may learn more about the software update as we get closer to the official announcement over the next few months.

Source : https://techcrunch.com/2024/01/29/apples-ios-18-may-be-the-biggest-software-update-in-iphone-history/

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Passkeys are a new method of verification when users log in to their WhatsApp accounts. Passkeys remove the need for a password when logging in to devices and instead use technology like fingerprint scans, face IDs, and other methods to aid the login process.

A similar capability is now being developed for iOS users who can log in to WhatsApp through their Touch ID, Face ID, or their device passcode. Passkeys are optional for users, and they can be disabled later in settings.

Additionally, if a user is logging on to a device without the passkey capability, they can still get the 6-digit code for verification.

In the beta version of Android, WhatsApp mentions that the passkeys will be stored in the password manager. However, in the screenshots that are available as of yet, we are unsure what is the case for iOS.

In the previous beta version on iOS(24.2.10.72:), WABetaInfo revealed a new Third-party chat feature. The social media app is likely working on it due to regulations enforced by the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

This capability is under development for both iOS and Android.

With the third-party chat capability, users will be able to get a new section on WhatsApp that displays incoming messages from third-party applications. This functionality will also allow users to text others on WhatsApp while using different third-party apps.

The DMA is a law that will go effective in the EU on March 7, 2024. It is already bringing notable changes to companies like Spotify. WhatsApp is also changing its processes and features to comply with the law.

The DMA labels certain tech giants, such as WhatsApp, as gatekeepers and is enforcing stricter regulations for them. WhatsApp is a part of this as the Meta-owned platform is a key player in the messaging market.

Interoperability between social media apps is an important focus of the DMA. It prevents users from having to download a popular communication platform to avoid giving it an edge over competing platforms. End-to-end encryption will be there to ensure secure conversations between platforms. Additionally, users can manually enable interoperability as mentioned in Article 7 of the DMA regulations.

Source and Image Credits: WABetaInfo

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Quetta is available for Android at this point. Versions for other operating systems are promised, but not yet available. The browser is based on Chromium, the same source as most Android browsers.

Privacy is the foundation of Quetta according to the website. The browser "does not collect, store or share any data". Built in tools, including an ad-blocker and script controls, protect user data by default.

A feature comparison on the website compares Quetta with other browsers on Android. The list is divided into privacy and smart utilities features. It should not come as a surprise that Quetta is the only browser that supports all listed features.

Quetta includes an ad-blocker and tracker blocker, fingerprint protections and HTTPS Everywhere. The company lists data vault and private downloads, which only it supports.

Data vault protects user data, such as bookmarks, the browsing history or download records, through biometric verification. It is disabled by default but users may enable it in the settings. The private downloads feature is not explained on the website or in the browser.

Script control gives users control over JavaScript. The feature may be turned off for all sites or individual sites. You may turn of JavaScript by default and allow it to run on specific sites only.

On the non-privacy side Quetta supports a range of features. Notable are the video downloader, background audio playback, translations, and reader functionality.

Since the browser is offered via Google Play, Quetta's video downloader does not work on Google Play. Google prohibits this for Android apps and also Chrome extensions. It may be used on other video sites, including YouTube front-ends, with a long-tap on the video interface.

Background audio playback does not work on YouTube as well. Quetta displays the play option in the notifications area of the phone. You need to start playback actively when you browse away from the video or audio site to continue listening.

Probably one of the biggest features is not even mentioned by the developers at this time: extensions support. You can visit the Chrome Web Store to install extensions from it.

There is no link to the Extensions management page, but you may load it by typing quetta://extensions. Most Chromium-based browsers do not support extensions on mobile. Quetta is not the first browser, but it is one of the few Chromium-based browsers that does. Whether that is an oversight by the developers or a feature that is not yet ready for public use remains to be seen. The extensions system worked well during limited tests.

The built-in adblocker works well and you get some control when you tap on the shield icon. There you see all available privacy controls and some statistics. You can turn off the ad-blocker or tracking prevention for a specific site here. Other privacy options may also be set to custom values for specific sites using the menu. Granular controls, which extensions like uBlock Origin offer, are not supported.

Quetta criticism

Quetta makes a lot of promises. The browser appears well designed and some of its features are useful.

Some questions remain unanswered at this point. One of the first that always comes to mind is how is the project financed? It is not mentioned and a disclosure on the website might alleviate concern in this regard. It is possible that money is generated through search engine deals or plans to create a "Pro" version. Another red flag, at least for some, is that the browser is not open source.

The feature comparison on Quetta's website is obviously biased. Any browser maker could create a list that only their browser supports 100%.

At least some users may not like that Quetta displays the first few letters of the page title in its address bar and not the URL. The URL is revealed when you tap on the title, but even then it is only shown partially due to a lack of space.

Closing Words

Quetta is a mobile browser that works really well. It is fast and has excellent web compatibility thanks to its Chromium source. It comes with a range of privacy and usability features, including content blocking and video downloading.

The ability to install extensions gives it a leg up in comparison to most Chromium-based browsers, but not against browsers such as Firefox, which also do support extensions on mobile.

All in all, it is a browser to keep an eye on to see how it develops over time. The developers plan to release a version for iOS in 2024 to cover all mobile systems of importance.

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If Google sticks to the usual cadence of device releases, the Google Pixel 9 will come out in around nine months. That's a long way away, but still not so far away that it can't be leaked: the ever-reliable Steve Hemmerstoffer, aka OnLeaks, has a set of Pixel 9 Pro renders up over at MySmartPrice. Usually, these renders are based on the CAD files that accessory designers need before they can begin making products, so while all the major components should be correct down to the millimeter, the materials, colours, and some small details may be speculative.

 

There are a lot of differences in these renders. First, the renders show a flat metal band around the sides, making it look a lot like an iPhone. Samsung also adopted this design for the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus, so everyone seems to want to look just like their biggest rival. This allows the front and back of the phone to be completely flat slabs of glass, instead of the rounded glass back of the Pixel 8. The screen is also completely flat again.

The other major visible difference is the camera bar, which used to stretch from side to side across the back of the phone, but now is a floating bar that isn't connected to the sides. That makes the camera bar closer to the Pixel Fold design. The Pixel Fold camera bar was a rounded rectangle, but this is a full-on pill shape, which, in these renders, follows the shape of the camera glass cover. Besides the camera lenses, the bar has an LED flash and a second mystery sensor circle. On the Pixel 8, the circle under the LED is a temperature sensor. I feel like the temperature sensor has been either panned or forgotten about, so it wouldn't surprise me to see it cut, but the realities of the smartphone development cycle might make it too early for that.

 

The report at MySmartPrice lists a "6.5-inch" display, but I don't think that's accurate. The listed dimensions, 162.7×76.6×8.5 mm, are basically identical to the current phone, 162.6×76.5×8.8 mm, so the screen can't be smaller without a major bezel size increase that isn't in the render. The report likely measures between the rounded corners of the display and gets "6.5 inches," while the industry standard is to create imaginary square corners and measure between those. That measuring style would give you the usual 6.8 inches.

OnLeaks also has a set of renders for the base-model Pixel 9, which is over at 91mobiles. As usual, this is mostly the same as the Pro design in a smaller size with a few expensive items cut. Usually, the cameras get cut down on these cheaper models, either in amount, quality, or both. We don't know about the individual camera components, but this render surprisingly shows three rear cameras, just like the big Pro model. The Pixel 8 base model only has two rear cameras. There's also a mystery sensor below the LED flash, while the Pixel 8 has no extra sensor. The phone is bigger, too, clocking in at 152.8×71.9×8.5mm, while the Pixel 8 is 150.5×70.8×8.9 mm.

 

If we can speculate for a minute, a beefier base-model Pixel 9 would make more sense in Google's device lineup. The mid-range A-series Pixel line was majorly leveled up with the 2023 release of the Pixel 7a, and we wrote that it made the base-model Pixel 8 feel obsolete. Both phones have flagship Google Tensor G2 chips, 90 Hz displays, and similar-sized batteries, but the 7a was $100 cheaper, basically killing any market for the base model Pixel 8. If Google is going to make the A series that good, it would be better to have the Pixel 9 be a "mini-Pro" model, if that makes sense: all the same features and specs as the Pixel 9 Pro, but in a smaller body. Google has to do something to separate the base model from the A series, and the better camera array suggests Google is going down this path. This is how the iPhone works, after all.

 

It feels incredibly early to already be talking about the Pixel 9, but this is the second time rumors of the phone have hit our desk. The first report was of a "Pixie" AI assistant Google is working on, which will supposedly be exclusive to the Pixel line.

 

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Android fans who seek alternatives to Google's Play Store often turn to APKPure. However, the site lacks stringent verification procedures which raises eyebrows about its safety profile. So it's not just about finding that long-lost app or discovering a cool new tool – it's about making sure your device and data stay secure in the process.

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of APKPure's safety measures (or lack thereof), I can't stress enough how crucial it is to have trusted anti-malware software on your device. A good one I'd recommend? Avast Mobile Security & Antivirus for Android—it’s like your trusty shield in this wild world of apps!

Also, it's always good to use a VPN to ensure maximum protection. VPNs like NordVPN offer a malware protection feature called Threat Protection that ultimately protects your Android device from malicious content.

What is APKPure?

Have you ever found yourself in a position where the app you need isn't available on Google's Play Store? That's when third-party app stores like APKPure or Softonic come into play. Founded in 2014, APKPure has been a go-to alternative for many Android users worldwide seeking apps that are otherwise restricted or unavailable in their region.

APKPure is essentially an online repository of different Android applications and games, allowing users to download various APK (Android Package) files directly onto their devices. It's a platform that provides an extensive library of free and paid apps alike, which aren't always accessible through official channels like Google Play Store.

You might be wondering: "Is it safe to get my apps from APKPure?" I'd say, it depends. While all the apps listed on APKPure are checked for authenticity before being published - ensuring they're original and unmodified - there's no guarantee these checks catch every potential risk.

A case in point: In 2021, it was discovered that the APKPure app store was infected by a malicious module downloading Trojans onto Android devices. Although this issue has since been resolved with newer versions (3.17.19 or later), such instances indicate how potential threats can slip through even after initial verifications.

So, if you're contemplating using APKPure for your downloads, make sure to stay updated with the latest version of the app to benefit from any security fixes implemented post-incident. Yet remember – while generally considered safe-ish by many users – there are no additional security check layers at play here beyond verifying originals and modifications.

That said, if safety is your topmost priority when installing new apps (as it should be!), consider sticking with big official players offering built-in protection services like Softonic's Security Check or Google's Play Protect, to provide you some peace of mind knowing they're regularly scanned for harmful behavior.

How to Download and Install Apps from APKPure

Let's dive straight into how you can download and install apps from APKPure. If you've decided to proceed with APKPure, make sure you're running the latest version of the service (3.17.19 or newer) for optimal security measures.

Here's your step-by-step guide:

1. Make sure to have an Antivirus installed on your Android phone (We recommend Avast).
2. Open your web browser and visit the official APKPure website.
3. Use the search bar at the top of the site to find the app you want.
4. Click on the app’s name or icon to view its dedicated page.
5. Look for a big green button that says “Download APK”. This will start downloading your chosen app.
6. Once downloaded, swipe down from the top of your screen to view notifications and tap on the file name ending in ‘APK’
7. A prompt will appear asking if you want to install this application - click ‘Install’
8. After installation is complete, open up your new app!

Remember! Although all apps on APKPure are verified before publishing and are stated as original without any modification, there aren’t additional security checks implemented here like Google’s Play Protect feature.

So let me wrap this up by saying: while using services such as APKPure may give you access to an extensive range of apps not available through traditional channels, one must always tread lightly when straying from those familiar paths laid out by trusted entities like Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

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Instagram is readying a new feature called "Notes Prompts" that will nudge your followers to respond to a Note. The feature currently under development is now under testing, Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced on his broadcast channel.

This week, we started testing Notes prompts, a new way for people to create a note that prompts others to respond. The idea is that by giving people more ways to participate, they might be more comfortable expressing themselves and then connect with friends in notes. If you see this feature, try starting a prompt and let us know what you think.

You can post your response to a particular Notes Prompt and see the responses of other users as well, according to a screenshot of the feature shared by Mosseri. You can share a Note by tapping on your profile picture in the app's inbox. Type a custom message that will appear as a text bubble on top of your profile picture at the top of the screen.

The Meta-owned company launched the Notes feature in December 2022, and since then, it has improved the feature by adding more options such as the ability to add music. The latest addition seems to be one of its efforts to increase collaboration and engagement on the platform.

Instagram previously released Collaborative Collections that let multiple users add posts and reels to a common collection. It is also testing another feature called Collaborative Carousel that will let you co-create carousel posts on the platform. Last month, it released a new sticker that turns Stories into templates others can use.

The social media giant is also working on a stream of new features including, the ability to add reason to your follow request, auto-translated captions, animated emoji for DMs, etc. In recent news, Instagram's parent Meta has allowed EU users to unlink their Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger accounts.

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Collaborative Playlists in Apple Music lets you create playlists and add other people so that they can contribute with with their favorite music, reorder tracks, delete songs, etc. As for Stolen Device Protection, it is a feature that requires FaceID with no option to enter a PIN when changing specific settings.

What is new in iOS 17.3?

Here is the official changelog:

Stolen Device Protection

 

• Stolen Device Protection increases security of iPhone and Apple ID by requiring Face ID or Touch ID with no passcode fallback to perform certain actions.
• Security Delay requires Face ID or Touch ID, an hour wait, and then an additional successful biometric authentication before sensitive operations like changing device passcode or Apple ID password can be performed.

 

Lock Screen

 

• New Unity wallpaper honors Black history and culture in celebration of Black History Month.

 

Music

 

• Collaborate on playlists allows you to invite friends to join your playlist and everyone can add, reorder, and remove songs.
• Emoji reactions can be added to any track in a collaborative playlist.

 

This update also includes the following improvements:

 

• AirPlay hotel support lets you stream content directly to the TV in your room in select hotels.
• AppleCare & Warranty in Settings shows your coverage for all devices signed in with your Apple ID.
• Crash detection optimizations (all iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 models).

iOS 17.3 is available to all iPhones that support earlier iOS 17 releases. To get the update, you need an iPhone XR/Xs/Xs Max or newer. If you are upgrading from iOS 16 or older, check out what is new in iOS 17.0, 17.1, and 17.2.

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Google is expanding the AI capabilities of its Gmail app with a new "Draft Email with Voice" feature. Spotted in beta by TheSpAndroid, the feature allows users to verbally prompt the app's AI to help them draft emails.

The email app's existing "Help Me Write" feature uses AI to suggest email text based on your prompts. According to an upcoming Gmail feature, users will see a microphone button when composing a new email or replying in the Gmail app.

Tapping it launches a voice interface where the user can record a short prompt describing what they want to communicate in the email. For example, a prompt could be "Schedule a meeting with John for next Friday at 3 PM to discuss the project".

Once the recording is finished, tapping "Create" utilizes Gmail's AI and natural language processing to comprehend the prompt and generate a draft email. It will include customary email elements like the recipient, subject line, and a written-out body covering the key details mentioned in the prompt.

The draft can then be edited as needed before sending. If the user exits the voice interface, a button appears in the email composition screen, allowing easy access to the feature.

The tests confirmed the presence of this feature in version 2023.12.31.599526178, fueling speculation that it is coming soon. Google is likely testing the functionality and AI capabilities with a limited release before a wider rollout. However, it is important to note that Google has not officially announced the Voice AI Drafting feature.

To use Help Me Write on your device, you need to sign up for Google Workspace Labs. If you joined the program recently, it may take a while for the feature to appear in your mobile app. In case you miseed it, Google's AI writing assistant is also available on Google Docs.

Recently, Google also added native translation support to the Gmail mobile app and the ability to set work locations for specific times of the day.

Source and image: TheSpAndroid

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As per the company's fine print on the Galaxy S24's landing page it looks like the AI powered features will be free on the S24 series till the end of 2025. The company also notes that different terms will apply to AI features that are provided by third-parties.

Galaxy AI features will be provided for free until the end of 2025 on supported Samsung Galaxy devices. Different terms may apply for AI features provided by third parties.

There is no word on the pricing or if Samsung plans to offer a subscription model to take advantage of these features after 2025. It is worth noting that all the AI powered features, with the exception of Live Translate, will require an internet connection as they run on the cloud.

It is not surprising however, as Google alsoreserves some of the Pixel 8's AI features like the Magic Editor for those with a Google One subscription. Samsung is relying on Google's partnership to deliver some of the features and as noted in the footnotes, these features will be governed by third-parties and may remain free for longer.

Samsung has confirmed that it is planning to offer seven years of software support for the Galaxy S24 series. Given the long support, it is surprising to see the company offer only two years of free AI features, especially since yesterday's launch event was centered around AI. It will be interesting to see how Samsung plans to upsell Galaxy AI to consumers once the free period has ended. During the Galaxy AI announcement late last year, Samsung noted that it plans to develop a comprehensive AI experience for mobile devices so it may be worth paying a little extra to get a suite of AI tools at your disposal.

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The company's press release reveals that the phones will be the first made by Samsung with seven years of software updates. That does include seven years of operating system upgrades. The S24 phones ship with Android 14, which means they will be updated to Android 21, according to Samsung.

You can check out the specs for each of the three members of the Galaxy S24 series below:

Along with the hardware specs, Samsung announced a number of new AI-powered features that will be included in the Galaxy S24 smartphones. One is Live Translate, which will offer two-way text and voice translations without the need to launch a third-party app.

Samsung added:

With Interpreter, live conversations can be instantly translated on a split-screen view so people standing opposite each other can read a text transcription of what the other person has said. It even works without cellular data or Wi-Fi.

The Samsung Notes app in the Galaxy S24 phones will include the AI-based Note Assist that will create summaries of notes and more. There's also Transcript Assist which will automatically transcribe voice recordings, along with offering translations and summaries.

Samsung is teaming up with Google to add more AI features to the Galaxy S24 series, including Google's Gemini Pro AI large language model: Samsung says:

Built from the ground up to be multimodal, Gemini can generalize and seamlessly understand, operate across, and combine different types of information including text, code, images, and video. Starting with Samsung-native applications, users can take advantage of the summarization feature across Notes, Voice Recorder, and Keyboard.1 Gemini Pro on Vertex AI provides Samsung with critical Google Cloud features, including security, safety, privacy, and data compliance.

The phones will also be able to use Google's on-device AI LLM, Gemini Nano, and owners will be able to test the upcoming Gemini Ultra LLM.

The unlocked Galaxy S24 is available for pre-order at Amazon starting at $799.99 and preorders can get an extra $50 Amazon gift card. The Galaxy S24+ has a starting price of $999.99 at Amazon, with a $150 Amazon gift card. The Galaxy S24 Ultra starts at $1,2999.99 at Amazon, with a $200 Amazon gift card.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Apple has overtaken Samsung as the world’s top smartphone seller, ending the Korean tech firm’s 12-year run as industry leader.

The iPhone took the top spot in 2023 with 234.6m units sold, according to figures from the International Data Corporation (IDC), overtaking Samsung’s 226.6m units.

“The last time a company not named Samsung was at the top of the smartphone market was 2010, and for 2023 it is now Apple,” IDC said. “A sort of shifting of power at the top of the largest consumer electronics market was driven by an all-time high market share for Apple and a first time at the top.”

The $2.8tn (£2.2tn) US tech company commanded a 20.1% market share ahead of Samsung’s 19.4%, the IDC said. Apple is well established as the largest smartphone maker in terms of revenues and profits but this is the first time it has led the market in terms of volume.

The sales data came before the latest release of Samsung models on Wednesday, with the South Korean conglomerate expected to release the Galaxy S24, S24 Plus and S24 Ultra with artificial intelligence-backed features.

Ben Wood, the chief analyst at the research firm CCS Insight, said the IDC data was a “psychological” blow to Samsung but he expected the contest to remain tight this year.

“I think it will remain a close-fought battle throughout 2024, but there is little doubt that Apple is on a strong trajectory and the loyalty consumers have towards Apple devices means once they get one they seldom switch to something else,” he said.

Wood said the data gave extra weight to the importance of Samsung’s Wednesday product launch.

“This means Samsung needs to do everything it can to hold on to existing users as well as securing new customers for its devices.”

IDC also pointed to an increasingly fragmented market for smartphones that run on the Android operating system, citing low-end Samsung rivals such as Transsion and Xiaomi as well as Honor and Google.

The success of Huawei’s well-received products in China also had an effect on Samsung’s drop in sales, the IDC said. The data provider added that Huawei remained a competitive threat to Apple in China, the US company’s largest market.

According to IDC, global smartphone shipments declined 3.2% to 1.17bn units in 2023, though the group said the industry was recovering after a sluggish period.

“Growth in the second half of the year has cemented the expected recovery for 2024,” the IDC added.

Last week, Apple was overtaken by Microsoft as the world’s most valuable company, at $2.9tn.

IDC said the crowning of Apple, which released the iPhone 15 in September, was due to trends including the increasing popularity of high-end devices, which now account for more than 20% of the market.

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Market research firm IDC has released some stunning smartphone market share numbers for 2023. The number one smartphone OEM is now Apple. The IDC says Apple hit an "all-time high market share" number for 2023 and that Apple has "the number 1 spot annually for the first time ever." The analyst group says this represents "a sort of shifting of power" in the smartphone market.

 

That all-time high market share puts Apple at 20.1 percent for 2023, a 3.7 percent growth over 2022. Nearly everyone on Team Android is way down, with Samsung now in second place after losing 13.6 percent in 2023 for 19.4 percent market share on the year. Chinese firm Xiaomi is down 4.7 percent for 12.5 percent market share, and Oppo (the parent company of OnePlus) dropped 9.9 percent and is fourth, with 8.8 percent of the market. Next up is "Transsion," a company that is definitely not a household name but is big in emerging markets like Africa. Transsion is a big winner, with 30 percent growth from 2022 to 2023. With 8.1 percent market share, it takes the fifth spot.

 

Apple is usually not first in sales because the average iPhone purchase is much more expensive than an average Android phone. Samsung's cheapest phones can be had for about $50, and while you can get a wildly expensive foldable that costs a lot more than an iPhone, Samsung's bestselling models are often the midrange "A" series, which are in the $200–$450 range. Other Android manufacturers are in the same boat, with low-volume halo products and high-volume cheap devices.

 

According to Omdia's top-10 model sales list for 2023, Apple's bestselling phone—and the bestselling phone model in the world—was the $1,100 iPhone 14 Pro Max. The world's second bestselling phone is the $1,000 iPhone 14 Pro. Third is the iPhone 14, which cost $800 for most of 2023. Apple's cheapest phone is the iPhone SE at $429, but that model doesn't sell well. The point is that Android manufacturers usually win these market share charts by selling cheap and midrange phones, but Apple was able to take the top spot while existing only in the mid-to-premium phone space. The industry lingo for this is "average sell price" (ASP), and for Q2 2023, the IDC has the average Android phone at $250, while the average iPhone costs $949.

 

In 2020, Apple was fourth in market share behind Samsung, Huawei, and Xiaomi, which made sense given Apple's more expensive product line. In 2023, Apple beat all these Android OEMs while selling dramatically more expensive products. The IDC's Nabila Popal wraps up the numbers by saying, "Apple's ongoing success and resilience is in large part due to the increasing trend of premium devices, which now represent over 20% of the market, fueled by aggressive trade-in offers and interest-free financing plans."

 

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Microsoft says the new Copilot apps for iOS and Android give customers access to the power of Copilot on the go. You can sign in with your Microsoft account and sync chats across devices, continue conversations started earlier, and use most of Copilot's "magical capabilities" on a smaller screen.

Supported features also include access to GPT-4, DALLE-3 image generator, and the ability to upload pictures from your phone into conversations with Copilot. Future additions and upgrades will be available on mobile as well.

In addition to dedicated Copilot apps, Microsoft will soon launch an updated Microsoft 365 app with access to Copilot for individuals with Microsoft accounts, allowing you to interact with Copilot without leaving the app and exporting the content of your conversations into Word or PDF documents. However, if you want to use Copilot for drafting documents directly in Word or summarizing emails in Outlook, prepare to pay since those capabilities are part of Copilot Pro, a $20/mo subscription.

Other Copilot-related announcements include updates for commercial users (no more minimum seat requirement), Copilot GPTs focusing on specific topics, and the upcoming ability to build your own Copilot GPT using a simple set of prompts.

You can download the new Copilot app for Android from the Google Play Store. Those using iPhones and iPads can get the same app from the App Store using this link. The Microsoft 365 app is available here (Android) and here (iOS).

Interestingly, Copilot is also available on mobile via the Microsoft Edge browser, which recently got the new "AI Browser" name. Now you have a new way to interact with Copilot without switching from Chrome, Safari, or other mobile browsers.

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It sure looks like Android 15 is going to have lock screen widgets. The Android 14 QPR2 beta landed the other day, and Mishaal Rahman over at Android Authority found a hidden unfinished feature that brings back lock screen widgets. We've expected this to happen since Apple's big lock screen widget release with iOS 16.

 

Rahman found a new "communal" space feature that resembles lock screen widgets. After enabling the feature and swiping in from the right of the lock screen, a pencil icon will pop up. Tapping the icon opens up a widget list, allowing you to move some widgets to the lock screen. Right now, in this unfinished state, the default lock screen clock and notification panel UI don't know how to get out of the way yet, so you get a pile of widgets with the usual lock screen UI on top. It's a mess.

 

Lock screen widgets... sort of. It's early.

Android Authority

 

Any time one smartphone operating system does something, the other tends to copy it, and iOS added lock screen widgets in 2022. Two years later is plenty of time for Google to adjust and copy the feature. The thing is, Android added lock screen widgets in 2012 with Android 4.2. Google removed the feature two years later in Android 5.0, so really, this is Android copying iOS copying Android. Some of this code is apparently making a comeback, as all the widgets available to the lock screen were ones that still had the 10-year-old "keyguard" flag set for Android 4.2.

 

The widget lock screen has strangely been named the "communal" space, and Rahman speculates this might be because this particular UI experiment was meant for tablets in a dock mode. "Communal" would mean that everyone in your house could see them, and maybe it would be good to limit the amount of personal data displayed without needing to pass the lock screen. This is just one of the feature experiments that happened to slip out the door, though, and it's hard to imagine Google not letting phones do this, too, when iOS already does it.

 

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What you need to know

• Microsoft is testing a new feature dubbed Mobile Copilot Chat with Images on Edge for Android.
• The feature is designed to allow users to ask the chatbot anything regarding a selected image on a webpage.
• It can also generate an AI version of the selected image within Copilot's chat window. 

Microsoft's Chromium-based browser, Edge, has undergone several changes over the past few years. With the emergence of AI and Microsoft's multi-billion dollar investment in OpenAI's technology, the company aims to enhance the user experience of its mobile browser.

Despite Microsoft's doubled-down efforts to ship new features, updates, and a fully-fledged AI-powered assistant to Microsoft Edge, users are seemingly more inclined toward Google Chrome. In the past, users have openly expressed their reluctance to use Microsoft Edge, predominantly because of its bloatedness. 

But as it happens, the tech giant is looking to turn things around. According to a spot by MSPowerUser, Microsoft Edge on Android recently received an optional update that further enhances Copilot's capabilities. 

The new update builds on Copilot's existing capabilities with new features, including the ability to "Ask Copilot" about an image and request the chatbot to "Generate AI images." These options should be available under the "Mobile Copilot Chat with Images" feature. 

Per our testing and analysis, we could not access the experiment despite running on Android's latest version of Microsoft Edge. As is the case with most features in the testing phase, there's a possibility that the feature might not reach a full release, or if it does, it'll ship several tweaks and changes. Microsoft often buries such experiments under Edge flags as they could potentially negatively impact your security and privacy.

That said, you can try to enable the feature on your browser by following the highlighted steps below:

1. Ensure your running on the latest version of Microsoft Edge on your Android device.
2. Navigate to edge://flags, and search for Mobile Copilot.
3. The Mobile Copilot Chat with images flag will pop-up, tap on it and select the option to have it enabled.
4. Restart the browser on your phone.

Voila! You should be able to access the Ask Copilot or Generate AI images options directly from the context menu on your browser. To test this, head to a webpage with an image and tap on it. The context menu will pop up with the new AI-powered options. 

The image will pop up in your Copilot chat after selecting either of the new options. From this point, you can ask the chatbot anything about the image or even request it to generate an AI version of the selected photo. 

Microsoft on the AI tip

(Image credit: Windows Central)

Since Microsoft partnered with OpenAI, the company has integrated AI across most of its products and services, which now ship with a Copilot system. As you might know, Windows 11 already ships with an AI-powered assistant dubbed Windows Copilot. The same applies to Microsoft Edge across its desktop and mobile clients. And now, the company is further enhancing Copilot's capabilities on the Edge browser on Android.

In case you missed it, Microsoft recently renamed its Edge browser on iOS and Android to "Microsoft Edge: AI Browser." This perfectly aligns with the company's focus on AI for Edge on mobile. 

Elsewhere, a new report by Appfigures indicated that OpenAI's ChatGPT continues to reign over Microsoft Copilot despite its recent launch on Android and iOS. The report further included that Microsoft's timely launch of the app on mobile with free access to OpenAI's latest LLM, GPT-4, and DALL-E 3 technology didn't impact ChatGPT's revenue or installations. 

Do you think Microsoft's AI push will make users transition from Google Chrome to Edge? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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American rocket launch company and the operator of the biggest satellite constellation, SpaceX, has made progress in launching and testing its new variant of Starlink satellites with so-called direct-to-cell capability.

The technology allows currently marketed smartphones to communicate directly with the satellites, therefore completely bypassing the need for a Starlink user terminal (SpaceX’s proprietary antenna and router), as well as the need for mobile network coverage in the area.

SpaceX had narrowly missed the original plans to conduct the first testing of the feature in 2023, as the first direct-to-cell Starlink satellites launched to orbit on January 2, 2024.

Just six days afterward, SpaceX performed the first successful testing of the Earth-to-orbit-and-back communication between two LTE smartphones using the T-Mobile frequency spectrum, the company said on Wednesday.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 workhorse rocket lifted an additional 21 Starlink satellites in early January, six of which were equipped with the direct-to-cell technology. The key appeal of SpaceX’s solution is the support of currently marketed LTE smartphones. There is no need for phone manufacturers to adopt new technology or for users to buy a new smartphone.

But the ability to connect cell phones to satellites comes with several challenges, as the company explains:

“For example, in terrestrial networks cell towers are stationary, but in a satellite network they move at tens of thousands of miles per hour relative to users on Earth. This requires seamless handoffs between satellites and accommodations for factors like Doppler shift and timing delays that challenge phone to space communications. Cell phones are also incredibly difficult to connect to satellites hundreds of kilometers away given a mobile phone’s low antenna gain and transmit power.”

According to SpaceX, direct-to-cell Starlink satellites are addressing these challenges with innovative new custom silicon, phased array antennas, and advanced software algorithms.

Currently, the plan is to launch hundreds of direct-to-cell Starlink satellites to enable text service in 2024, with voice, data, and Internet of Things (IoT) services coming in 2025.

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What is new in Vivaldi 6.5 for Android?

Separate search engines for private tabs. Internet browsing sometimes requires a bit more privacy when you want to search for something too sensitive for your default search engine. Vivaldi now lets you make things a bit easier and more private by choosing a separate search engine for private tabs.

New Search Engine Shortcuts options. You can now toggle off the Search Engine Shortcut feature that allows switching search engines using a letter before a search request.

Here is the rest of the changelog:

• [New] Add a setting to disable search engine nicknames (VAB-7758)
• [New] Add an option to Reset Zoom (VAB-6910)
• [New] Private tab search engine settings (VAB-983)
• [Address Field] Align icons in the URL field on tablets (VAB-7385)
• [Address Field] Should enter edit mode by default when tapping it (VAB-8369)
• [QR] Should recognize protocol-less URLs (VAB-7984)
• [Menus] Make the text intent context menu more useful (VAB-7003)
• [Notes] Crash in creating a new folder (VAB-8207)
• [Regression] Bookmark and speed dial icons pixelated (VAB-7668)
• [Sync] New Sync data types missing descriptions (VAB-8452)
• [Tabs] Can’t see the bottom part of the bottom row of tabs in the tab switcher (VAB-8442)
• [Tabs] Group with active option in context menu persists when tab groups disabled in settings (VAB-8311)
• [Tablet] The Bookmark panel doesn’t get closed when a bookmark is selected (VAB-8316)
• [UI] Button duplicate for adding bookmark(VAB-8294)
• [UI] Change the app name on the device from “Vivaldi Browser” to “Vivaldi” (VAB-8411)
• [UI] Gap between keyboard and Keyboard Accessory View Bar (VAB-8201)
• [Chromium] Upgraded to 120.0.6099.205

You can download Vivaldi for Android from the Google Play Store. The browser is also available on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Linux.

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This feature is a surprise as Instagram Head Adam Mosseri initially rejected the idea of chronological sorting. Back in December 2023, a user asked Mosseri if search results in Threads could be ordered chronologically.

To that, Mosseri replied that the sorting could lead to more spam on the platform. Users could abuse the search results by spamming posts in search. Also, if the platform tried to filter such posts out, they could be accused of censorship.

However today, 9To5Mac has reported and confirmed that Threads has added reverse chronological ordering.

Now, with the filter, users can see the most recent posts in their search results. It also applies to posts that are in tags. The ‘tags’ feature was also a recent addition to the platform that is similar to hashtags on Instagram or X, however, it comes without the ‘hash’ symbol and is limited to one tag per post.

To access the reverse chronological filter, users must update their Threads application. Then, when they are searching for a keyword or scrolling through posts in tags they will see a three-dot button at the top of their screen.

After clicking that button, users can select the “Top” and “Latest” options to sort their posts in reverse chronological order.

This setting will also be applied to other search features as well. So, if a user has applied the filter on posts in search, the search results will also show the latest posts first.

Unfortunately for Android users, the capability is accessible only by iOS users at the moment. However, we could see the feature get extended to other individuals.

In December 2023, we also saw Meta expand its Threads app in the EU. It was, initially, set to launch in July 2023 but was delayed due to political reasons.

Source: 9To5Mac

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Hey Android users, are you tired of Google's neglect of Google Assistant? Well, one of Google's biggest rivals, OpenAI's ChatGPT, is apparently coming for the premium phone space occupied by Google's voice assistant. Mishaal Rahman at Android Authority found that the ChatGPT app is working on support for Android's voice assistant APIs and a system-wide overlay UI. If the company rolls out this feature, users could set the ChatGPT app as the system-wide assistant app, allowing it to pop up anywhere in Android and respond to user questions. ChatGPT started as a text-only generative AI but received voice and image input capabilities in September.

 

Usually, it's the Google Assistant with system-wide availability in Android, but that's not special home cooking from Google—it all happens via public APIs that technically any app can plug into. You can only have one app enabled as the system-wide "Default Assistant App," and beyond the initial setting, the user always has to change it manually. The assistant APIs are designed to be powerful, keeping some parts of the app running 24/7 no matter where you are. Being the default Assistant app enables launching the app via the power button or a gesture, and the assist app can read the current screen text and images for processing.

 

If some Android manufacturer signed a deal with ChatGPT and included it as a bundled system application, ChatGPT could even use an always-on voice hotword, where saying something like "Hey, ChatGPT" would launch the app even when the screen is off. System apps get more permissions than normal apps, though, and an always-on hotword is locked behind these system app permissions, so ChatGPT would need to sign a distribution deal with some Android manufacturer. Given the red-hot popularity of ChatGPT, though, I'm sure a few would sign up if it were offered.

Rahman found that ChatGPT version 1.2023.352, released last month, included a new activity named "com.openai.voice.assistant.AssistantActivity." He managed to turn on the normally disabled feature that revealed ChatGPT's new overlay API. This is the usual semi-transparent spinning orb UI that voice assistants use, although Rahman couldn't get it to respond to a voice command just yet. This is all half-broken and under development, so it might never see a final release, but companies usually release the features they're working on.

 

Of course, the problem with any of these third-party voice assistant apps as a Google Assistant replacement is that they don't run a serious app ecosystem. As with Bixby and Alexa, there are no good apps to host your notes, reminders, calendar entries, shopping list items, or any other input-based functions you might want to do. As a replacement for Google Search, though, where you ask it a question and get an answer, it would probably be a decent alternative.

 

Google has neglected Google Assistant for years, but with the rise of generative AI, it's working on revamping Assistant with some Google Bard smarts. It's also reportedly working on a different assistant, "Pixie," which would apparently launch with the Pixel 9, but that will be near the end of 2024.

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What you need to know

• Microsoft's Copilot app is now available on iOS and iPad.
• The app lets you ask questions, generate summaries, draft emails, and more.
• You can also generate images using the app's text-to-image generation capabilities powered by DALL-E 3 technology.
• It also features OpenAI's latest LLM, the GPT-4 model.

A few days after launching a dedicated Copilot app for Android users with OpenAI's GPT-4 model capabilities, Microsoft shipped the Copilot app to iOS and iPad, too. 

Users can download both versions of the app via the Apple App Store. Like the Copilot app for Android, the iOS version is reminiscent of OpenAI's ChatGPT mobile app. What's more, it allows you to easily access Microsoft Copilot (formerly Bing Chat), which means you can use the app to generate answers to queries, draft emails, and summarize text.

Additionally, the app ships with text-to-image generation capabilities powered by DALL-E 3 technology. 

Microsoft Copilot gives OpenAI's ChatGPT a run for its money

(Image credit: Windows Central)

There's no doubt that Microsoft is going into 2024, placing all its bets on AI if 2023 is anything to go by. This is especially after the Redmond giant made a multi-billion dollar investment in OpenAI's tech. 

Microsoft hasn't been shy about integrating AI capabilities across most (if not all) of its products and services. The Microsoft Copilot app isn't any different. It runs on OpenAI's latest LLM, GPT-4, unlike the free version of ChatGPT, which still spots the GPT-3.5 model. To top it all off, Microsoft will allow users to access this model for free, unlike ChatGPT's GPT-4 model, which is tied to a $20 subscription.

The company's move to rebrand Bing Chat to Copilot is a smart and timely move, which aims to provide users with cross-platform access to the tool. As you might already be aware, Microsoft shipped a web app experience for Copilot during Ignite 2023, separating it from Bing and allowing users to access it from multiple platforms, including Edge and Chromium browsers on Windows and Mac.

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Original story - As expected, Samsung is getting ready to make some major product announcements later this month. A hidden but still live post on the company's Australia X (formerly Twitter) account shows the next Galaxy Unpacked event is coming in mid-January.

Specifically, the post (via 9to5Google) says Galaxy Unpacked will begin on "Jan 18th, 2024 at 5am AEDT". That means the event will happen at 10 am Pacific time, or 1 pm Eastern time, on January 17. That date had previously been rumored to be the day of Galaxy Unpacked. The post has an animated image that shows a box that turns into several star icons, which then go around in circles, and finally show "Galaxy AI is coming".

This shows that Samsung is pushing forth its own generative AI platform or service, much like how it released its own Bixby digital voice assistant to compete with Apple's Siri, Google Assistant, and the now-shut-down Cortana from Microsoft.

Galaxy AI was previously announced by Samsung in November 2023, and the company stated it will use both on-device and cloud-based features. It will likely be one of the big new additions for the rumored Samsung Galaxy S24 smartphones, which are also expected to be officially revealed at the new Unpacked event.

Recent rumors from gadget leaker "Arsene Lupin" on X claim that the GalaxY S24 Plus and Ultra models will feature AI-based additions like Live Translate, which will reportedly speak foreign languages from those phones. The report also says the phones will offer Generative Edit features for photos, allowing users to move or even do away with objects in images. Samsung has yet to confirm these features so for now take them with a grain of salt.

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