Bad internet? Spotify may bring an offline playlist

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Bad internet? Spotify may bring an offline playlist
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Streaming services are great, but they’re only useful if you have an internet connection. There come those times when you lose a connection and you want to listen to your music. Well, Spotify wants to address this with Offline Mix.

There are plenty of ways that you can prepare for when the internet goes out. If you’re an avid podcast listener, you can have podcast episodes automatically downloaded to your device. If you want to know how to do this, you can read right here.

The Spotify Offline Mix will be there for you when you lose a connection

Daniel Ek, the CEO of Spotify, posted a short and sweet tweet about this upcoming feature. He didn’t go too much into detail about it, but it’s pretty axiomatic. The tweet showed a picture of how the playlist will look and a quick explanation of this.

The app will automatically download the most recent tracks that you listened to and compile them into a playlist. Then, when it detects that you’ve lost connection, you’ll be able to listen to those offline. “A mix of your recently played songs for when the vibe is high, but your connection is low.”

Right now, the company is testing this out, so you won’t be able to see this feature. However, we’re not sure how widespread the test is. If it turns out that the company is testing it out with a limited selection of people, then there could be a slim chance that you’re part of the test, but don’t count on it.

The feature is similar to YouTube Music’s Smart Download function. It will automatically download your recently played tracks so that you can access them when you don’t have a connection.

These are great features to have because, most of the time, we can’t anticipate those times when our connections die on us. Having access to downloaded music could make the experience less awful.


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Generative AI is coming to ‘every single one’ of Meta products

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Generative AI is coming to ‘every single one’ of Meta products
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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg confirmed that the future of his company revolves around generative AI. He added “every single one” of Meta products will come with generative AI, including Messenger and WhatsApp.

Many companies are trying to incorporate AI into their products and services following the hype after the ChatGPT launch. Some online services have successfully added AI-driven features, with more yet to come. Some Big Tech companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft also have established plans for AI. But what about Meta? Zuckerberg answered this question in a company-wide all-hands meeting this week.

The outlet reports that Zuckerberg has laid out his AI vision for the employees and the company, arguing that generative AI will be incorporated into “every single one of our products.”

Generative AI is coming to all Meta products

Zuckerberg briefed employees about the AI features that will come to the company’s products. Some will be used internally, but most of them will launch to the customers. The first in-works AI feature is a photo editing tool for Instagram that allows users to edit their photo with a text prompt and share it on Instagram.

Another feature would be an AI agent for Messenger and WhatsApp. The agent reportedly has 30 different personalities to help and entertain users. It remains to be seen whether the feature comes with Instagram. Earlier this week, app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi spotted an AI chatbot on Instagram that’s capable of answering questions and helping users.

Moreover, Meta’s internal AI initiatives are a July hackathon focused on generative AI, publishing research, and sharing AI technologies with the open-source community.

In a statement to Axios, Meta CEO noted that “In the last year, we’ve seen some really incredible breakthroughs — qualitative breakthroughs — on generative AI, and that gives us the opportunity to now go take that technology, push it forward, and build it into every single one of our products.”

Despite efforts to put generative AI at the heart of every Meta product, the company stays committed to its Metaverse project. For Meta, generative AI will complement and strengthen the Metaverse plans.


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Get new Google Assistant speaking styles to suit your taste

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Get new Google Assistant speaking styles to suit your taste
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For a long time now, the Google Assistant speaking style on various smart devices has been growing in number. However, most users feel that depending on the language of the user, the speaking style can vary from region to region. But that idea is wrong as there are a bunch of speaking styles that are available for use on the Google Assistant feature and two new options have just been added.

Before the addition of the two new speaking styles, there were ten available options users could pick between. Having this many speaking styles allowed users to customize their experience. This will help stand out your Google Assistant from that of other users who might not be knowledgeable on how to change their speaking style.

Asides from the new Google Assistant speaking style, there are also some new additions to the voice assistant service. Part of these new features is the ability to set up voice matches for easy recognition and get personalized results. In this article, we will learn how to activate speaking style and other features on Google Assistant for your smart home devices.

Here’s how to set up the Google Assistant speaking style for your smart device

In a recent blog post, Google announced that it is rolling out new speaking styles and other features. These new additions will make the usage of Google Assistant on your smart device more interesting. Asides from setting your assistant’s voice, you can also train it to recognize your voice and give your results to your requests.

To set up the speaking style of your Google Assistant, you need to head over to the settings page. Open your settings app and then on the search bar type ‘assistant settings’ and select the first option to pop up. On the next interface, scroll till you find the ‘Assistant voice & sounds’ option on the list.

Tap on that option, and you’d find 12 speaking styles, each having its colour code. To select the voice you want, scroll sideways between the various options and stop scrolling on your desired choice. As long as the Google Assistant on that device is linked with the Google account on all your devices, it’d automatically sync with other devices.

The new speaking style options are Lime and Indigo and they both sound great. To set up the Voice Match feature, simply select the ‘Hey Google & Voice Match’ option on the assistant settings page. From the next interface, you can retrain your voice assistant to recognize your voice whenever you say “Hey Google.”

If it can recognize your voice, it will give you more personalized responses. This might include your playlist, stored contacts, and other details that concern you. These features are here to make the everyday usage of Google Assistant more pleasant.


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The EU urges big tech to label AI-generated content

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The EU urges big tech to label AI-generated content
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It’s no secret that the launch of generative AI models like ChatGPT and Google Bard has ushered in a new era of AI-generated content, which, in hindsight, is almost indistinguishable from its human-written counterpart. Now, in an effort to address this issue, the European Union (EU) has asked big tech, including Google and Facebook, to label content and images generated by AI.

The EU’s concerns stem from the ongoing Russian AI-generated misinformation campaigns in Eastern Europe, which aim to spread fake information about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with the hope of influencing public opinion. And although the current version of the Code does not require the identification and labelling of deep fakes, Vera Jourova, the EU’s commissioner for values and transparency, highlighted the risks and negative consequences associated with the creation and dissemination of misinformation.

Furthermore, Jourova proposed two possible approaches for integrating measures for AI-generated content into the Code. The first approach involves companies like Google and Microsoft implementing measures to prevent bad actors from using their services to spread misinformation. The second approach focuses on EU countries collaborating with platforms capable of disseminating AI-generated misinformation and developing tools to identify and clearly label such content for users.

“I said many times that we have the main task to protect freedom of speech. But when it comes to AI production, I don’t see any right for the machines to have freedom of speech. And that’s why we want to work further on that also under the Code of Practice based on this very fundamental idea,” said Vera Jourova.

Twitter is on the verge of substantial penalties

During the same meeting, the EU also issued a warning to Twitter for recently withdrawing from the EU’s voluntary code of practice, putting itself at risk of substantial penalties. Currently, the penalties could amount to up to 6% of the company’s global revenue, potentially resulting in a £145 million fine. Moreover, the company could face a complete ban in the EU if it fails to operate within the desired framework.

“Twitter has chosen the hard way. They chose confrontation. I know the code is voluntary but make no mistake, by leaving the code, Twitter has attracted a lot of attention, and its actions and compliance with EU law will be scrutinised vigorously and urgently,” said Jourova.


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More details emerge on Instagram’s new Twitter-clone app

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More details emerge on Instagram’s new Twitter-clone app
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As previously revealed, Instagram, owned by Meta (formerly Facebook), is reportedly developing a new app that will be a direct competitor to Twitter. Last month, we got some initial info on what this new Instagram feature would like, and now even more details have surfaced.
In yet another leak, reported on by The Verge, more screenshots were shared internally to Meta employees by top management, which have made their way to the media. These screenshots show in more detail what the UI will look like and the internal project name. Additionally, quotes from what was said inside that meeting were also revealed.
Image Source - The Verge - More details emerge on Instagram's new Twitter-clone app

Image Source – The Verge

Project 92, the assumed internal name for the app that has been rumored to be publicly called “Threads,” looks pretty much like a Twitter clone. It is unclear, though, how separate the two apps (Instagram and “Threads”) will be and if Meta will follow its Instagram rule of requiring that users post a photo or video in order to engage. However, it does look like “Threads” will enable Instagram users to engage in public and private conversations with ease.

“Project 92” or “Threads” will use Instagram’s existing account system to automatically populate a user’s information, which will ensure zero friction for users that may want to try it out. Several people of note are also rumored to be on board, such as Oprah and the Dalai Lama.

The app is being built on the open-source protocol “ActivityPub,” which aims to facilitate real-time communication. ActivityPub, already utilized by Mastodon, enables different platforms to interact and exchange messages, promoting a decentralized approach to social media. By adopting this protocol, this new app is aligning itself with the broader federated social media ecosystem.

In the internal meeting, Meta chief product officer Chris Cox, was overheard calling this feature “our response to Twitter.” Furthermore, he added that “We’ve been hearing from creators and public figures who are interested in having a platform that is sanely run, that they believe that they can trust and rely upon for distribution,” a quote that can only be described as a jab at Twitter and its management, but mostly Elon Musk.

We’ve been hearing from creators and public figures who are interested in having a platform that is sanely run, that they believe that they can trust and rely upon for distribution

Coding on the new feature reportedly only just started in January, which means that it isn’t ready yet to be revealed to the world. However, so far “Threads” looks poised to rival Twitter’s real-time social networking platform, and it signals Meta’s ambition to expand beyond its traditional social media dominance.


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Google is starting the migration from Reminders to Tasks

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Google is starting the migration from Reminders to Tasks
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A while back, Google announced that it was shutting down Assistant Reminders and going all in with Tasks. Though it’s been a little while since the last update, the company is now moving forward. Google has started the migration from Reminders to Tasks.

This is something that people have wanted for so long. Having Assistant Reminders and Tasks is very redundant. When you make Reminders and Tasks, they both appear on Google Calendar. Also, you can customize them in different ways. People have been pining after a more streamlined experience.

Also, each platform has a crucial feature that the other one lacks. We’re able to use your voice to create Reminders, but the interface is very non–intuitive. The interface is much better on Google Tasks, but you can’t set them with your voice. Combining these two will give us the best of both worlds.

The migration from Reminders to Tasks has begun

Google, thankfully, heard our prayers and started making some changes. The company has started migrating Assistant Reminders over to Tasks. This is going to happen in stages, as most Google Workspace rollouts do.

People using a Google Workspace account will see the change first starting today. The Reminders that they have saved with Google Assistant will be migrated over to Google Tasks. So, if you do have Reminders, and you log on to see that they’re gone, check the Google Tasks app (if you don’t have the app, click here to download it from the Play Store).

Later on during the month, people with personal Google accounts will start to see this happen. We’re not quite sure which day it will start, so just plan on your Reminders being moved over before the end of the month.

You just need to know that, if you are the admin for an organization, you will need to set the Task service to “On” for your organization. If not, then your Tasks will not be moved over, and they will be deleted starting June 22nd.


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Meta wants you to watch Reels in VR

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Meta wants you to watch Reels in VR
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Instagram reels should no longer be called Instagram Reels; they should be called Meta Reels. Mark Zuckerberg has made a point to introduce Reels into just about every corner of Meta. He just announced that the company is going to introduce Reels for your Meta Quest device.

No need to wipe off your screen, you read that right. The company is planning on introducing the short portrait videos into the VR space, according to a video shared by The Meta Instagram Channel (via Engadget). In the video, we saw a Reel from Austin Sprinz’s Instagram account. It’s the one where we see the world’s largest pool.

How reels on the Meta Quest will look

Right now, Meta is merely testing this out. So, you won’t be able to start watching your favorite reels just yet. Also, anything can change with the interface between now and the launch.

Right now, all we have is a short video showing how it may look. We see a square window with the Reel right in the middle. Right off the bat, we see that Reels will look cleaner on the Quest than on the mobile app. We don’t see the like, comment, share, and three-dot menu buttons on the actual video. Instead, all we see is the creator’s profile picture and the video description.

The other options are nowhere to be found excluding the three-dot menu which can be found on the top right of the inner square. This may house the like, comment, and share buttons.

It’s clear that Mark Zuckerberg wants users to still have access to Reels even when they’re not using their phones. Reels/TikToks/YouTube Shorts all live comfortably on your phone. However, these short-form videos have been introduced to TV platforms. So, it’s not much of a stretch seeing them in the VR Space.

We’re not quite sure when Reels will make it to the Meta Quest devices. However, we can probably expect them to launch around or before the Meta Quest 3.


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Google Photos can now recognize your face (sometimes) even when it’s not actually visible

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Google Photos can now recognize your face (sometimes) even when it’s not actually visible
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Do you like to keep your snapshots and even video recordings neatly organized and grouped together by their subject or location? Then you must be familiar with the powerful and incredibly helpful face grouping tool built into the hugely popular Google Photos service.

As the name suggests, this relies on facial recognition technology, either automatically adding a (previously created) label to a pic detected as featuring one of your close friends or family members or allowing you to manually do that when the app is not entirely sure of a person’s presence in a photograph.

But what if someone has their back turned on you in an image (or a dozen) saved in your Google Photos account? You’d probably expect, well, nothing to happen, and while that may have been true until recently, it appears that Big G has somehow improved the app’s face recognition capabilities and basically expanded them to also cover the back of one’s head.
The neat new (non-) facial recognition trick doesn’t work perfectly 100 percent of the time, but it still looks like it could save some users a little bit of hassle in trying to keep all artsy pics of loved ones grouped together. Of course, Google is well aware that the expanded feature can be wrong in its scans, letting you manually add face labels to photos recognized in this (relatively) new way rather than doing that automatically to avoid possible errors.
By no means magical (even though it might seem that way at first glance), the Google Photos face grouping tool most likely associates similar pictures showing the same person from the front and back. That’s definitely not rocket science or the search giant’s most advanced machine learning capability by a mile, but it makes for an undeniably cool end result.

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Fake Android Apps Ran Adware Campaign For Months

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Fake Android Apps Ran Adware Campaign For Months
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Researchers caught a sneaky adware campaign targeting Android users for months. This campaign used several fake Android apps mimicking different utilities like pdf readers, weather apps, VPNs, game cracks, streaming services such as Netflix and YouTube, etc.

Fake Android Apps Deployed Adware

According to a recent report from Bitdefender, they detected 60,000 fake Android apps stealthily running adware campaign since (at least) October 2022.

The researchers caught the malware following the alerts from the anomaly detection technology in the Bitdefender Mobile Security.

Briefly, unlike most adware campaigns exhibiting intrusive behavior, this campaign spread organically. The malicious apps would appear to a target user upon searching for certain apps, such as mod games, free VPNs, etc. Then, owing to their apparent legitimacy, the app ads would lure users into downloading the malicious app.

After reaching the device, the malware relies on the default strategy for Android app installation, requiring user input. Then, once the user taps the “Open” button to launch the newly installed app, the malware executes in the background.

However, on the screen, an error message appears to trick the user into believing that the app failed to install. Yet, the lack of an app icon makes it difficult for the victim to uninstall it.

Upon gaining persistence on the device, the malware remains dormant for some time. Then, after receiving the relevant commands from its servers, the malware starts displaying ads on the device when the user unlocks the phone.

Bitdefender caught this campaign because the malware used the device’s browser to show the malicious ad, which their Mobile Security tool efficiently detected. Similarly, the malware also displays full-screen web view of ads.

The researchers have shared the following demonstration of the malware in action.

As always, to repel such threats, users must avoid interacting with apps or links from unknown sources. Likewise, equipping their devices with robust antimalware solutions is the key to preventing most malware attacks.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.


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DISH, DIRECTV Merger Talks Hit a Wall

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DISH, DIRECTV Merger Talks Hit a Wall
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Dish could be in some financial trouble, as its deadline to cover 70% of the US with 5G comes up next month. The company is expected to meet that deadline, however, the company is going to need to spend billions more to cover 75% of America by 2025. And that’s billions that Dish does not have right now.

That brings us to Dish and DIRECTV potentially merging. The two have been posturing and position around a merger publicly for a few years. They are the two largest satellite TV providers in the US, and with cord cutting accelerating, a merger is likely inevitable. But now, the talks have stalled, reportedly.

Both Dish and DIRECTV have entered into the streaming world

Both of these satellite TV companies have their own Streaming TV service. With Dish having Sling TV, and DIRECTV having DIRECTV Stream and DIRECTV via Internet, which are basically the same service. Clearly both companies know that streaming is the future, and it would make sense for the two of them to finally merge.

This would be a similar merger to Sirius and XM satellite radio merging 14 years ago, to form SiriusXM. If Dish and DIRECTV did merge, they could end up being a viable competitor to AT&T. With DIRECTV’s satellite and streaming TV service, and Dish’s services along with its internet business.

Now the other big question is, even if they do come to an agreement, would the regulators allow this deal to go through? Since they are the only satellite TV providers in the market right now, there’s likely going to be some pushback. Then again, satellite TV is dying, and this merger would be more about Internet and streaming TV, so it could be allowed to happen.

We’ll likely see a lot more about this potential deal in the coming weeks, especially if this while thing is one side trying to pressure the other into meeting their demands.


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