Spotify launches new feature powered by AI to enhance music curation

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Spotify launches new feature powered by AI to enhance music curation
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As more companies adopt AI (artificial intelligence), many services are getting new features that are now fully automated and less curated by human touch. Spotify’s new AI DJ is meant to bring personalization to a new level.

In an announcement earlier today, the music streaming service explains that its new feature is a personalized AI guide that “knows you and your music taste so well that it can choose what to play for you.” It might sound frightening at first glance, but it’s exactly what many customers are looking for when using Spotify on a daily basis.

Granted, the new DJ feature powered by AI is only rolling out in beta, it promises to provide customers with a curated lineup of music, as well as commentary around the tracks and artists that it thinks the user likes “in a realistic voice:”

Among the many capabilities of the AI DJ, Spotify mentions the ability to sort through the latest music. Not to mention that it can also look back at some of the old favorites and serve more songs that the user might not have listened to for a long time.

The AI DJ assesses your actions all the time and after each review, it tries to deliver a stream of songs picked specifically for you. More importantly, it refreshes the lineup based on feedback on a regular basis.

If you don’t like a song picked by the DJ, you can tap the dedicated button and it will skip to a new track. As with all these AI-powered features, the more you use the DJ, the faster it learns what you like, so the better your recommendations will be in the end.

The new DJ feature is available via the Music Feed on Home in the Spotify mobile app for iOS and Android devices. Simply tap Play on the DJ card and the app will do the rest. You’ll be getting music and short commentary on the songs and artists specifically picked for you. Don’t forget that you can skip a song by tapping the DJ button at the bottom right of the screen.


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Google makes Magic Eraser available for non-Pixel phones, including iPhones

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Google makes Magic Eraser available for non-Pixel phones, including iPhones
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Last week, Google announced that its Pixel-exclusive Magic Eraser feature is coming to non-Pixel Android phones, and also iPhones. Well, that just happened, the feature is available to use.

Google makes Magic Eraser available to iPhones and non-Pixel users in general

There is a caveat, though, you need to be a Google One subscriber in order to use it. Google added this feature in the latest drop of features for Google One users.

This feature was exclusive to Pixel users who owned Google Tensor-powered Pixel phones. Well, that’s no longer the case. It’s now free for users who own Pixels (even non-Tensor ones), but everyone else has to pay for Google One.

The feature is rolling out, but it may not be available yet. You can easily check that, however. Go to your Google Photos library, tap edit on a random photo, and check whether the feature is available in the ‘Tools’ menu.

You should see a feature called ‘Magic Eraser’ there. For non-Pixel users, it’ll have a Google One logo next to it, which means you need Google One in order to use it. Do note that this is a server-side update though, so you can’t force it by updating the app manually.

You’ll need to pay at least $1.99 a month if you don’t own a Pixel phone

There are various Google One subscription plans that you can access. For example, in the US, $1.99 a month will get you 100GB of storage. 200GB will cost you $2.99 a month, 2TB $9.99 a month, and so on.

The lowest tier price is more than enough to unlock Magic Eraser for you. All you need is a Google One subscription, it doesn’t matter which tier you pick.

It’s understandable if you’re unwilling to pay $1.99 a month to get Magic Eraser alone, though. If you don’t need more storage, or access to other Google One services that Google offers, it may not be worth it to some of you.


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Microsoft launches its all-new AI-powered Bing on mobile

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Microsoft launches its all-new AI-powered Bing on mobile
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After introducing its new Bing and Microsoft Edge apps powered by AI, Microsoft announced the launch of the new Bing preview and Edge on mobile. The Redmond-based company figured out that most of the searches occur on mobile phones these days and decided to bring the new AI capabilities to smaller screens around the same time as PC.The new Bing and Edge mobile apps are now available for those who wish to try them out. Along with a new experience, Bing mobile offers a fresh design as well. Tapping the Bing icon allows users to engage in a chat session asking simple or complex questions.

Another important change added, which is also one of the preview community’s most requested features, is voice. Voice search is now available not just on desktop, but also on mobile too. For those who have access to the preview, the new Bing experience will be available from the homepage of the Microsoft Edge mobile app.

Additionally, Microsoft announced the launch of the AI-powered Bing for Skype. Starting today, the new Bing in Skype is available worldwide in preview. While Microsoft is fine-tuning the app, Skype users who use Bing will still get real-time answers to their questions.

The new AI-powered Bing for Skype experience includes personalization options that allow users to choose how they want answers to be displayed such as bullet points, text or simplified response. According to Microsoft, Bing can translate text from more than 100 languages, so that’s another plus. Although Skype user interface will vary during initial rollout, these features will remain available to everyone who has access to the preview.

Those who wish to try these out must sign up for the Bing preview. Keep in mind though that you may occasionally find connectivity issues when your network signal is low. Microsoft is aware of these problems are will probably fix them sooner rather than later.


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Galaxy Z Fold 5 “waterdrop” hinge undergoes month-long reliability test

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Galaxy Z Fold 5 “waterdrop” hinge undergoes month-long reliability test
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Samsung‘s 2023 foldables could look a lot different from their predecessors. The company is upgrading to a new “waterdrop” hinge design that will make the devices thinner and also reduce the crease on the display. But these improvements shouldn’t come with a compromise on durability. To ensure that, Samsung will reportedly run a month-long reliability test of the new hinge for the Galaxy Z Fold 5.

According to the Korean media, Samsung’s extensive evaluation process will include a folding test. The company plans to fold the hinge and the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s foldable panel at least 200,000 times over 4-5 days to check its strength. The screen must retain more than 85 percent of its initial strength for the hinge to be considered a durable solution. Overall, the Korean firm is seeing 300,000 folds as the upper limit for the hardware.

If you recall, Samsung’s previous foldables were also rated to survive at least 200,000 folds. It appears the company isn’t going above that figure this year either. That’s enough for 100 folds every day for more than five years, though. So it shouldn’t be a problem. But Oppo, which is emerging as a threat to Samsung in the foldable market, claims its Find N2 and Find N2 Flip can withstand 400,000 folds. The Korean firm may have lost one physiological battle here.

Nonetheless, Samsung plans to finalize the design of the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s waterdrop hinge after the completion of this month-long reliability test. It may make changes if necessary. The company plans to begin the production of the hardware in May. Korean firm KH Vatech will manufacture the hinge, The Elec reports. Oppo and other Chinese vendors are sourcing waterdrop hinges for their foldables from American company Amphenol.

The waterdrop hinge will reduce the weight and thickness of the Galaxy Z Fold 5

A waterdrop-shaped hinge will address three major complaints with Samsung’s foldable smartphones. Firstly, it is said to reduce the thickness of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 to under 14mm. The device will also be uniformly thick. The Galaxy Z Fold 4‘s thickness ranges between 14.2-15.8mm when folded. This change will also bring the weight down. While we don’t have a number to share, the past two Fold models weighed 263 grams and 271 grams. This year’s Fold may weigh less than 250 grams.

Lastly, the new hinge will put less strain on the screen when the device is folded as compared to the U-shaped hinge on previous models. This will reduce the crease that forms on the display over time. Since the waterdrop hinge will fundamentally change how the screen folds, Samsung is reportedly required to redesign the digitizer panel for foldables. Digitizer is a flexible circuit board (FPCB) that reads the S pen input. More details about the 2023 Galaxy foldables should surface in the coming months. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 will debut in August or September.


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Artifact: the AI-powered news app, created by Instagram co-founders, is now live

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Artifact: the AI-powered news app, created by Instagram co-founders, is now live
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So you probably know what a news feed client is. Even if you are not using one, basically any platform that can serve up a curated list of news topics from across different publications is considered a news feed. And nowadays, even if you aren’t interested in keeping up with the latest news, feeds are everywhere: even in your browser! Well, yesterday a new fighter entered the fray: Artifact. The app is created by two of the co-founders of Instagram, and is noteworthy for being powered by AI. Said AI is working in the background to get a grasp of what sort of stories you are into, while still offering some handy tools to filter out anything that isn’t to your liking.

So basically, the goal here is to help users create an ultra-curated feed of content. Sounds a tad familiar to some prolific social media networks, but let’s not digress.

Artifact is live right now and available for both iOS and Android smartphones. The app is free and will allow you to use it without signing up via phone number, but you can also do that if you’d like to save your profile. And we’ll get back to why that might be important a bit later on again.

The setup process is really simple and easy to follow. The app provides you with a list of topics from which you can choose the ones you are interested in. Then you can add any paid subscriptions to news publications you might have. Naturally, the app will want to send you notifications about breaking news, but you can kindly decline the offer.

The AI will need some help in order to get to know you better though. You’ll have to read at least 25 stories per day for a 14-day period in order for it to start recommending the type of content you are looking for. It is kind of cool that the app has a dedicated section to show your progress towards this goal.

On that same section, you can also sign up through adding a mobile number in order to save your progress. And you might want to do that, especially if you’ve opted to complete the aforementioned 14-day challenge. The app has no indication of the sign-up costing anything, and it doesn’t look like it would pester you restlessly through SMS pokes.

Given that Artifact is developed by co-founders of Instagram, is it any wonder that it also has some social features? Not annoying ones, mind you. You can invite some friends to the app, and it will periodically let you know what type of content they are interested in, which is an interesting way of peeping on your buddies online.

In typical news feed fashion, you’ve got the ever-coveted Read Later list, but you also have a Reading History section, so that you can get back to an article that you’ve come to appreciate over time. If you use the app long enough, it will even provide you with stats like what your favorite publications and topics are, which is always neat. This may be the next hit Year in Review type of thing, but for non-audiophiles!

Overall, Artifact is simple to set up, very easy to navigate and the browsing experience is so fluid that it is kind of addicting. But again, is it any wonder, given who conceptualized it? While it is too early for us to tell if the AI is truly as good as it is made out to be, but even beyond that, Artifact is a great first choice for anyone looking to get into “the know”.


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Google will now warn you about poorly performing apps before you install them

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Google will now warn you about poorly performing apps before you install them
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A rather interesting new feature is rolling out to Google’s Android app store. Google Play Store will now warn you about poorly performing apps, so that you can avoid them before installing them.

Such apps can be recognized based on the rating system, of course, but not always. That’s why Google decided to take things a step further. This is actually a system we heard about a while back.

Google Play will warn you about poorly performing apps before you even install them

Google’s plan was to collect data about how often apps are crashing, and when they hit multi-second freezes. Google set thresholds for those, and it’s even gathering data on specific devices, as some apps have problems with specific hardware only.

Based on that data, Google wants to let users know they may have issues with some apps. Well, it seems like such warnings started popping up, at least according to a screenshot Mishaal Rahman shared.

If you take a look at the image below, you’ll see one such warning. The game in question is ‘CarX Street’, and the warning below the install button says: “Recent data from similar devices show that this app may stop working on your device”.

Google Play warn app Mishaal Rahman image

This system can be quite useful, of course

Needless to say, such warnings can be quite useful, as long as the system is working properly. It would really be bad if the thresholds get out of whack and such warnings end up popping up left and right.

This will certainly push developers to fix issues with their apps. I don’t expect to see many of these, to be quite honest, but who knows. I haven’t seen a single one thus far, but maybe you have.

In any case, the rollout seemingly started not long ago, so perhaps Google is still tinkering with it. We’re not sure if it started rolling out to everyone just yet.


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LG announces price and availability details for its 2023 OLED TVs

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LG announces price and availability details for its 2023 OLED TVs
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LG‘s 2023 OLED 4K TVs now have a price tag and an official release date. Announced at CES 2023 in early January, the new TVs will be available in the US starting later this month. LG will open pre-orders for the flagship G3 and mid-range C3 models on March 6th. The entry-level B3 series will debut in April. The company will share the price and availability details for additional models at a later date.

LG will open pre-orders for its 2023 OLED TVs next week

The G3 “Gallery Edition” series tops LG’s 2023 refresh of its OLED TV lineup. The Korean firm is selling the flagship OLED 4K TV in four sizes in the US. The 55-inch base model costs $2,499. But if it’s too small for you, you can get this TV with a 65-inch panel at $3,299, a 77-inch panel at $4,499, and an 83-inch panel at $6,499. You can pre-order the TV from LG.com starting March 6th. The company expects to ship the product before the end of this month.

LG is offering its C3 series 4K TVs in six sizes. The smallest panel measures 42 inches diagonally and costs $1,399. The pricing for bigger sizes is as follows: $1,499 for the 48-inch model, $1,899 for the 55-inch model, $2,599 for the 65-inch model, $3,599 for the 77-inch model, and $5,299 for the 83-inch model. The pre-order and shipping dates are the same as the flagship G3 lineup. You will also find these TVs in LG-authorized retailers nationwide in late March. Both G3 and C3 series LG TVs are powered by the company’s a9 Gen 6 AI processor.

LG has more OLED TVs coming on the market later this year

If you’re looking for something more affordable, LG’s B3 series costs $3,299 for a 77-inch panel. That’s $300 less than a C3 model of the same size. Note that you’re getting an inferior processor here (the LG a7 Gen 6). It’s up to you whether that’s a compromise you deem fit for a $300 saving. You can also buy a B3 series OLED 4K TV with a 65-inch panel at $2,399 or a 55-inch panel at $1,699 — $200 less than their respective C3 counterparts.

The B3 series TVs will be available in the US in April, though we don’t have a precise date yet. It’s also unclear if LG plans to launch more sizes for its entry-level 4K offering in the coming months. But the company says that it will release the wireless OLED M3 and the transparent OLED T models later this year (via). We will let you know when the Korean firm shares more information.


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YouTube may be planning to lock 1080p at higher bitrate for its Premium subscribers

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YouTube may be planning to lock 1080p at higher bitrate for its Premium subscribers
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Ad tracking has been scrutinized (and for a reason) in the past couple of years. And although this is good if you don’t like to be tracked, it has another effect – many social media platforms are now looking into paid subscriptions. And while that isn’t necessarily bad on its own, locking free features behind a paywall is a surprise not many users are pleased to see. Now, Android Police reports that YouTube may be testing reserving high bitrate 1080p resolution to paying users.

YouTube seems to be testing 1080p Premium with enhanced bitrate


One user has spotted the change and shared a screenshot on Reddit. The screenshot shows an option 1080p Premium, which sits on top of a ‘standard’ 1080p option for video resolution.

As Android Police rightfully notes, at first glance this may look like a way to brand full HD videos with higher-than-usual frame rates as reserved for paid subscribers. However, YouTube may be looking into locking 1080p videos in 60 or 120 fps behind this paywall.

YouTube may be planning to lock 1080p at higher bitrate for its Premium subscribers

Given the fact that the option says “Premium” it isn’t far-fetched to believe it is referring to YouTube Premium, which is the platform’s paid subscription option. Another similar experiment was conducted last year, but there the 2160p60 setting was Premium and the caption read “Tap to upgrade”. But that makes a little bit more sense than, for example, locking 1080 at 60fps behind a paywall. But we’ll see – this is by far info that’s not yet confirmed (and it’s unclear whether it will happen).

Recently, YouTube had a change in CEO as Susan Wojcicki resigned after spending nine years as YouTube’s CEO. Changes in a company’s strategy are inevitable when the head is changed.

YouTube Premium currently costs $12 a month and it gives you access to ad-free videos, background playback, offline video downloading, and YouTube Music Premium. For now, YouTube Music and Premium’s subscription base is growing, and it’s been reported at around 80 million users in Q4, 2022.

All in all, there are interesting things ahead in 2023 for YouTube and YouTube Premium. Of course, it’s early to say whether or not this 1080p Premium will be 60 fps or 120 fps, or something more exclusive… but hopefully the change doesn’t make free features now locked behind a paywall – that would be, let’s just say it, a bummer.


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Nothing Phone (2) design envisioned in a trippy concept video

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Nothing Phone (2) design envisioned in a trippy concept video
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The Nothing Phone (2) will launch this year, and as we’re waiting for more info to appear, a rather trippy concept video has appeared. This design comes from Technizo Concept, and it has been published on YouTube.

This Nothing Phone (2) concept design is quite trippy

The video itself has a duration of about a minute and a half, and it shows a phone with RGB Glyph LED lights on the back., and an iPhone Pro-like camera array on the back.

The rest of the design is very similar to the Nothing Phone (1), actually. There is still a piece of transparent glass on the back, and the same positioning for the LED lights. Those lights now offer a lot more colors, and the phone looks entirely different because of it.

There is a display camera hole included on the front, and it is centered, as is on the Nothing Phone (1). The bezels are quite thin, and the display corners are rounded, as are the phone’s corners.

This handset has a flat display, a flat backplate, and also flat sides. The designer also shared some specifications he envisioned for this concept device.

It envisions the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, a 120Hz display, and a 5,000mAh battery

He mentioned the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the description. That is actually possible, as Nothing already confirmed that the phone will be fueled by the Snapdragon 8 series chip. So, we’re expecting either the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 or the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

A 6.8-inch QHD AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate was also mentioned by the designer. The same goes for a 5,000mAh battery. That is basically it as far as specifications are concerned.

Nothing almost certainly will not use the same camera design as Apple. The company obviously wants to differentiate, and this would be too much. It’s also quite weird seeing it next to a see-through back, and LED lights.

Nothing will also probably stay away from RGB lights on the back, but concepts like these are certainly interesting to see.


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YouTube will let you watch multiple games at once on NFL Sunday Ticket

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YouTube will let you watch multiple games at once on NFL Sunday Ticket
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As you likely know, YouTube is set to be the home of the NFL Sunday Ticket next season. Marking the first time that it is not part of DIRECTV. With this move for the NFL, there’s still a lot of questions that need to be answered by YouTube. Since this is the first time that you will be able to stream NFL Sunday Ticket, there’s a lot of changes coming.

Thankfully, YouTube’s new CEO Neal Mohan has confirmed that users will be able to watch multiple NFL games at the same time. That’s not really new, as YouTube indicated it back in February. YouTube TV’s new Mosaic Mode will be available for NFL Sunday Ticket. This is going to allow you to watch up to four games at once in a grid.

But this does give more credence to users expecting to see this available when the NFL Sunday Ticket launches later this year on YouTube TV.

Mohan also talked about YouTube Primetime Channels

In his letter, the new CEO also talked about YouTube Primetime Channels, which is a new feature that YouTube added recently. Basically, it allows you to sign up for different streaming services, through YouTube. A lot like Amazon’s Prime video channels. Mohan sees Primetime channels as an aggregation hub that is going to allow consumers to sign up for other streaming services directly from YouTube.

Mohan also talked about further AI integration into YouTube. Google is a big AI company, so seeing more AI into YouTube is not a big surprise here. But Mohan sees this as a way to allow content creators to virtually swap their outfits, auto-generate backgrounds and so much more. It can also be used to help with content discovery and viewing recommendations on YouTube TV in the future.

AI is going to be a big deal, not just with YouTube, but across other Google products and other products from other companies.


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