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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Telegram's 10th update of 2023 adds improved calls with a colourful new design that use less of your phone's battery, a new vaporize effect when you delete messages, the largest bot update in Telegram's history – and more.

The latest Telegram update "totally redesigned" calls with new animations and dynamic backgrounds that change depending on the current call status. Telegram says the new version requires fewer system resources for better energy efficiency and snappier performance, especially on older devices.

In addition to a fresh coat of paint, the update fixes multiple bugs and improves call quality. According to a blog post on the official Telegram website, customers can expect more improvements in 2024, namely in connection and audio quality.

Bots also received a big update in the latest Telegram version. These mini chat-based apps can now react to user messages, manage reactions, quotes, and links, send replies to other chats, and get information about boosts and giveaways. Telegram has a dedicated Bot API changelog, which you can check out on the official website.

Finally, the "Thanos Snap" effect is now available when manually deleting messages in Telegram on iOS and Android. It is a fancy message deletion effect that reduces your messages to atoms. Telegram pays a lot of attention to keeping its messenger energy efficient, and developers promise the new effect will not strain your device too much.

Telegram says its latest update contains even more features, which will be revealed this month. You can read more in a blog post.

Telegram Messenger is available on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux. You can download it for free from the official website.

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Highlighted by GizmoChina, the meta-owned platform is no longer going to provide the free storage service on Google Drive to users. Previously, users were given the benefits of having end-to-end encrypted chat backups on Google Drive.

These backups did not take a toll on the users’ existing Google Drive storage. However, with the latest company policy changes in place the situation has changed.

Individuals who are currently using the default 15GB storage by Google Drive will now need to be careful about their storage. WhatsApp wrote in its Help Center post that once a user exceeds the given storage limit, they will have to make space for new content to resume the backups.

Here’s what the post mentions:

"In the coming months, if you choose to backup your WhatsApp chats on an Android device, your backup will start counting toward your Google Account storage limit.
If you go over the storage limit, you’ll need to free up space in your Google Account to resume backups."

The change is currently only for beta users of WhatsApp and began in December 2023. However, to remind all non-beta users, the changes will be applicable on all WhatsApp accounts in the first half of 2024.

Additionally, the app will show a notice notifying users of when the changes will begin. This will appear as a banner 30 days before the implementation of the policy when users go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup.

Lastly, it is important to note that users have the option not to store their chats on Google Drive. Instead, they can transfer their chats between Android devices via the WhatsApp Chat transfer capability.

This can be done by scanning a QR code and linking the device you want the chats to be transferred from and the device the chats will be transferred to. Individuals also have the choice to back up text data only removing any media files that could consume more storage.

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In addition to a new name, the browser's listing on the App Store and Google Play Store promotes new AI-powered features, such as the DALL-E 3 image generator, article summarization with Copilot, image recognition, and more. Also, the description highlights GPT-4 support, calling Microsoft Edge "your AI-powered browser."

Microsoft Edge, your AI-powered browser, with Copilot built in to enhance your browsing experience. Empowered by GPT-4, Copilot enables you to ask questions, refine searches, receive comprehensive summaries and create images with DALL-E 3. Microsoft Edge is a smarter way to browse, find, create and shop on the go.

The new name seems to be generating mixed reactions from customers. Some claim Microsoft has no right to call Edge an "AI browser," while others support the new naming scheme considering how many extra features you get by pressing the Copilot button on the toolbar (most of them are available on other browsers).

2023 showed that Microsoft is betting hard on artificial intelligence and its partnership with OpenAI that made Copilot possible. Therefore, it is no wonder the company is willing to integrate and promote Copilot everywhere. In 2024, Microsoft is only expected to push the pedal harder with the upcoming release of next-gen Windows and new Surface devices that should place a lot of emphasis on AI-powered experiences.

According to the latest data from Statcounter, Microsoft Edge on mobile has a puny 0.24% market share. Time will tell if adding "AI" to the name can do some magic and convert more people from Chrome, Safari, Samsung Internet, and other mobile browsers.

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As reported by The Verge, the official Copilot app for iOS is now available in the App Store for free. The owners of Apple devices didn’t have to wait much longer than their Android counterparts who got the app as a Christmas gift from Microsoft just a couple of days earlier.

The AI-powered assistant – or “your everyday AI companion” as Microsoft’s sales department prefers to say – allows you to ask anything (probably apart from election-related questions), quickly draft e-mails, compose stories or scripts, summarize complex texts, and much more.

Copilot’s best feature is probably the fact that it runs on OpenAI’s latest GPT-4, essentially giving you free access to its most robust large language model (LLM) normally hidden behind the paywall of ChatGPT.

The iOS app also serves as an image generator creating AI artworks right in your mobile device. For these, purposes the Copilot app utilizes OpenAI’s DALL·E 3.

“By combining the power of GPT-4 with the imaginative capabilities of DALL·E 3, Copilot not only enhances your design workflow, but can also bring your creativity to inspiring new heights,” claims Microsoft.

But if you don’t prefer the mobile experience, you can always run the standalone Copilot web service on a desktop or laptop – even outside the Edge browser.

Generally, the Redmond company is pushing for wider availability of Copilot and more use cases across its product portfolio. In just the past two weeks, Microsoft added Copilot to Dev Tools in Edge to help developers with troubleshooting, expanded its possibilities within the Microsoft 365 Roadmap, launched a standalone Android app, and made the Copilot Chat generally available on GitHub.

Copilot is undoubtedly a top priority for the company, as their representatives repeatedly compared its importance to the Start button in Windows and dubbed it “the entry point into this world of AI on the PC”.

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We're ending the year with another crop of malicious Android apps you should delete from your phone ASAP.

The McAfee Mobile Research Team uncovered apps in Google Play and third-party app stores that are infected with malware it's dubbed Xamalicious because it's "implemented with Xamarin, an open-source framework that allows building Android and iOS apps with .NET and C#."

Once installed, a malicious app "tries to gain accessibility privileges with social engineering and then it communicates with the command-and-control server to evaluate whether or not to download a second-stage payload." If the second-stage payload is installed, it can take full control of your device, meaning "it has the potential to perform any type of activity like a spyware or banking trojan without user interaction," McAfee says.

The apps can also do things like install other apps or click on ads without your consent. The Cash Magnet app, for example, automatically clicks ads and installs apps to fraudulently generate revenue; users think they're earning points to be redeemable as a retail gift card.

"This means that the developers behind these threats are financially motivated and drive ad-fraud therefore this might be one of the main payloads of Xamalicious," McAfee says.

McAfee identified 25 apps that contain the threat, 13 of which were distributed on Google Play, some as far back as 2020. It notes that "the usage of the Xamarin framework allowed malware authors to stay active and without detection for a long time, taking advantage of the build process for APK files that worked as a packer to hide the malicious code.

"Malware authors also implemented different obfuscation techniques and custom encryption to exfiltrate data and communicate with the command-and-control server," McAfee adds.

McAfee estimates the apps have potentially compromised 327,000 devices from Google Play, in addition to any downloads that were made from third-party markets. Most Xamalicious activity was detected in the US, Brazil, and Argentina, though infections were also reported in the UK, Spain, and Germany. 

Google removed the apps from Google Play after McAfee reported them. But there’s a chance you might still have them installed on your device. If so, you should delete them immediately. Here’s the full list of apps (and their package names) that were once on Google Play and how many downloads they received.

• Essential Horoscope for Android (om.anomenforyou.essentialhoroscope) – 100,000 downloads

• 3D Skin Editor for PE Minecraft (com.littleray.skineditorforpeminecraft) – 100,000

• Logo Maker Pro (com.vyblystudio.dotslinkpuzzles) – 100,000

• Auto Click Repeater (com.autoclickrepeater.free) – 10,000

• Count Easy Calorie Calculator (com.lakhinstudio.counteasycaloriecalculator) – 10,000

• Sound Volume Extender (com.muranogames.easyworkoutsathome) – 5,000

• LetterLink (com.regaliusgames.llinkgame) – 1,000

• NUMEROLOGY: PERSONAL HOROSCOPE &NUMBER PREDICTIONS (com.Ushak.NPHOROSCOPENUMBER) – 1,000

• Step Keeper: Easy Pedometer (com.browgames.stepkeepereasymeter) – 500

• Track Your Sleep (com.shvetsStudio.trackYourSleep) – 500

• Sound Volume Booster (com.devapps.soundvolumebooster) – 100

• Astrological Navigator: Daily Horoscope & Tarot (com.Osinko.HoroscopeTaro) – 100

• Universal Calculator (com.Potap64.universalcalculator) – 100

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CNBC reports that the appeals court decision means that Apple can resume sales of the two Apple Watch models on its website and in its stores. Apple stopped selling the smartwatches on its website on December 21 and in its stores after December 24. As of this writing, Apple has yet to enable sales of the smartwatches on its site.

The ITC originally ruled back in October that the hardware and software of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 violated the patents of a company named Masimo, which had developed blood oxygen sensor technology. The Biden Administration had the power to overturn the ban after a 60-day review period that ended on Dec. 25. However, it ultimately decided not to overrule the ITC's decision.

Today's ruling by the appeals court is a major win for Apple as it continues to go through the process of appealing the ITC's full ruling. The company is currently asking for an even longer pause on the US import ban while the appeals court makes a more permanent decision on the actual patent infringement battle between Apple and Masimo.

This import ban pause also means that third-party retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and others can accept new units of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 to add to their inventory. Until the ITC's original ban, third-party retailers could continue to sell the smartphones, but once their inventory ran out, they would not be able to sell anymore.

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The tech giant also filed an emergency request on Tuesday for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to halt the ban.

It asked the Federal Circuit to pause the ban at least until U.S. Customs and Border Protection decides whether redesigned versions of its watches infringe Masimo's patents, and to put the ban on hold while the court considers Apple's request. The customs office is due to make its decision on Jan. 12, Apple said.

Masimo has accused Apple of hiring away its employees, stealing its pulse oximetry technology and incorporating it into the popular Apple Watch.

The U.S. International Trade Commission's (ITC) order bars imports and sales of Apple Watches that use technology for reading blood-oxygen levels. Apple has included the pulse oximeter feature in its smart watches starting with its Series 6 model in 2020.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai decided not to reverse the ban following careful consultations, and the ITC's decision became final on Dec. 26, the Trade Representative's office said on Tuesday.

"We strongly disagree with the USITC decision and resulting exclusion order, and are taking all measures to return Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to customers in the U.S. as soon as possible," Apple said in a statement on Tuesday.

An Apple spokesperson confirmed that the company has appealed the ban to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington. The ITC last week rejected Apple's request to pause the ban during the appeal process.

Representatives for Masimo did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

"Our litigation expert predicted that a potential Apple appeal would extend the 'final' ITC case verdict roughly another year," analysts at Stifel said in a note.

Apple has paused its sales of its Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches in the United States since last week, though the watches remain available from other retailers including Amazon (AMZN.O), Best Buy <BBY.N> and Walmart <WMT.N> as of Tuesday.

The ban does not affect Apple Watch SE, a less-expensive model, which will continue to be sold. Previously sold watches will not be affected by the ban.

A jury trial on Masimo's allegations in California federal court ended with a mistrial in May. Apple has separately sued Masimo for patent infringement in federal court in Delaware and has called Masimo's legal actions a "maneuver to clear a path" for its own competing smart watch.

A presidential administration has not vetoed an ITC ruling since 2013, when President Barack Obama's administration overturned an import ban on Apple's iPhones and iPads in the company's patent dispute with Samsung.

The Biden administration in February chose not to veto a separate import ban on Apple Watches based on a patent-infringement complaint from medical technology company AliveCor. The ITC has placed the ban on hold for other reasons.

Apple's wearables, home and accessory business, which includes the Apple Watch, AirPods earbuds and other products, brought in $8.28 billion in revenue during the third quarter of 2023, according to a company report.

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The new Copilot app for Android is not entirely a new thing. At first sight, it looks similar to the Bing Chat app, which still lets you access the same chat features. In addition, you can use Copilot within the Microsoft Edge browser for Android, SwiftKey, Skype, and more.

Copilot for Android supports plenty of features (you can also toggle between light and dark themes) that are already available on desktop. You can ask complex questions, generate images using DALL-E 3, draft documents or emails, or just have a casual conversation about anything. In addition, the app lets you turn off or on the recently added GPT-4.

Here is how Microsoft describes the new application:

Improve Your Productivity with Copilot–Your AI-Powered Chat Assistant
Copilot is a pioneering chat assistant from Microsoft powered by the latest OpenAI models, GPT-4 and DALL·E 3. These advanced AI technologies provide fast, complex, and precise responses, as well as the ability to create breathtaking visuals from simple text descriptions.

Chat and create all in one place—for free!

The Microsoft Copilot app is currently available only on Android. However, iOS users should not feel abandoned since the same capabilities are still accessible via the Bing app, which you can download from the App Store using this link. If an Android smartphone is your main device and you want to try the new Copilot app, get it from the Google Play Store for free.

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Televisions, a staple in American homes, are currently responsible for 30 percent of all tech-related incidents in the U.S., with the majority of injuries stemming from lifting heavy screens. Strains and sprains, particularly to the lower back, are the most common complaints.

One patient reported a strain after lifting a 70-inch television, illustrating the risks involved in moving these large devices. The takeaway is clear: lift from the knees or find someone to help you move!

Phones are not far behind, accounting for 23 percent of tech injuries across America. From tripping over cords to walking into objects while texting, mobile phones are causing an array of injuries. General pain, contusions (bruises), and even cuts to the face and head are common. One incident involved a person walking into a light pole while texting — so much for distracted driving, safety experts may have to add distracted walking to the list.

Computers and video game systems can also do their fair share of physical damage. The poll found that these devices contribute to various injuries, primarily causing pain in the upper trunk area, including the chest, back, and ribs.

This is often attributed to poor posture during prolonged gaming or computer use. For instance, one patient reported chest tightness that began while playing video games. Contusions to the foot from dropping laptops and strains to the lower back, neck, and wrist are also frequent among tech users, especially as remote working becomes more prevalent.

Interestingly, tech-related injuries have increased by 20 percent since 2020, with Millennials being the most prone to such incidents. This rise is partly attributed to the increased time at home during the pandemic, leading to more reliance on technology. While TV-related injuries have decreased, thanks to lighter models and professional installation services, phone-related incidents are on the rise.

Study methodology

All tech data was collected from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) for the past 10 years, and injuries were analyzed by gender, age, year, location, body part, diagnosis, and severity.

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