Meta Quest is pushing everyone to reverify their age: Here’s why

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Meta Quest is pushing everyone to reverify their age: Here’s why
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Meta, the parent company of Oculus, has introduced a new protocol for age verification to Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3 headsets. This process will make sure that every user has appropriate age settings set up on their accounts. Users get a prompt in their headset to input their birthdate and then have a brief setup for privacy settings.

Meta adds age verification for Quest headsets to deliver age-appropriate content to preteens

When this prompt comes up, Meta says users will have thirty days to enter their birthdate. If not done within this time frame, the company will block their account until the information is provided. Nevertheless, Meta affirms that only users who have verified their age in account settings can see someone else’s birthday.

The decision by the company to incorporate this system of age checks is one step towards increased safety, keeping things appropriate for different age groups within the VR ecosystem. By recording ages accurately from now on, Meta plans to let developers catalog apps suitably for preteens, teenagers, and adults.

Parents should thus trust that what their children access online corresponds with these standards. Meta also launched a new type of account last summer specifically tailored for preteens aged between 10 – 12 years after lowering the minimum use requirement from thirteen years.

Parental control over app downloads and installations along with blocking apps/games is also possible for stricter privacy and content settings. Moreover, Meta offers teen accounts. They are initially private and manageable by parents though having slightly fewer restrictions as compared to preteen accounts.

Age group API will help developers tailor VR apps according to varying ages

Adult accounts can either be set as public or private but default to public upon creation. However, these settings can change after initial setup. To facilitate adherence and confidentiality, user Age Group APIs developed by Meta enable developers to tailor in-app adjustments depending on targeted individuals’ ages.

The introduction of an age verification prompt reflects Meta’s ongoing commitment to making VR safe and enjoyable across all ages. Thereby, Meta aims to foster responsible usage with personalized experiences that put user safety first.

Meta Age verification
Credits: Meta

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Your Spotify subscription may be about to go up in price

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Your Spotify subscription may be about to go up in price
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Spotify, the music streaming giant, is shaking things up with price hikes and a new subscription plan. If you love Spotify but hate ads, get ready to dig a little deeper into those pockets.

Bloomberg reports that Spotify will raise prices soon. By the end of April, those premium subscriptions in places like the UK, Australia, and Pakistan will go up – $1 more for individuals and $2 for couples and families. The U.S. will not be an exception to this, only the price hike will be coming later in the year.

Here’s where it gets interesting: Spotify is reportedly adding a new $11/month tier – the same price as the current Premium plan. This one gets you ad-free music and podcasts, but audiobooks are off the table. Simply, if you want audiobooks, you’ll have to pay extra.
This is intriguing considering that Spotify just launched its $9.99 audiobooks plan last month. In addition, it bundled in 15 free hours of audiobook content to the premium plan in the U.S. Spotify has been pretty consistent with prices until last year’s hike. So why are they enacting a price hike now? There are two big reasons I can think of:
  • Audiobooks cost money: Adding audiobooks meant making deals with publishers. Spotify needs cash to cover those costs on top of what they already pay for music.
  • Record labels want their cut: Spotify hoped audiobooks would lessen their dependence on music deals. But record labels weren’t happy about potentially getting paid less, so they pushed for higher prices to make up for it.
Your Spotify subscription may be about to go up in price

Credit: Spotify

The question now is whether users will consider having audiobooks a good enough reason to warrant a $1/month price hike, or if they will switch plans to stay at the same price point as before. It’s also hard to say if people will jump ship over this.

Last year’s hike didn’t scare away users, considering that Spotify actually gained subscriptions afterward. However, only time will tell how this latest round will impact their loyal listeners.


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Circle to Search rolls out to Google Pixel Fold; with some inconsistencies

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Circle to Search rolls out to Google Pixel Fold; with some inconsistencies
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Google has made it easier to search what you see on your smartphone screen, by drawing a circle around the object. The company introduced this feature to the Google Pixel 8 Series back in January this year. The Galaxy S24 series also got this feature on the same day. Later on, both Google and Samsung rolled out the feature to some of their previous models including the Google Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Galaxy S23 series, Galaxy Z Fold5, Galaxy Z Flip5, and also the Galaxy Tab S9 series. Last week it was also reported that Circle to Search is coming to the Google Pixel 6 series.

The visual search feature is finally available to Google Pixel Fold

Google noted in a blog post that it was coming to the Google Pixel Fold and the Pixel Tablet – “starting this week, we’re rolling out Circle to Search to more Android phones, including foldables, and tablets.”

Now, Circle to Search is finally here on the Google Pixel Fold (Review). The feature most likely made its way to the Pixel Fold with the April security patch. However, the feature isn’t available to the Pixel tablet yet, as of writing this article.

And the overall user experience with the feature on the Pixel Fold isn’t perfect yet. As 9to5Google notes, you cannot activate the feature on the home screen, at least as of now. Additionally, the search field doesn’t use the widescreen properly, which the search results do, but again, it is a bit stretched. If you don’t use the feature and would like to disable it, you can head to Settings > System > Navigation mode > Gesture navigation.

Circle to Search on Google Pixel Fold has some imperfections as of now

Additionally, Johanna Romero from PhoneArena also noticed some issues with the feature. After seeing a notification stating that Circle to Search is finally available on her Pixel Fold she discovered that the feature was not functional on the cover display. “Circle to Search is only working on the internal display of the foldable,” she noted.

Contrary to this, some other users have noted that the feature works fine on the cover screen on their devices. “The visual search experience, which has a new introductory prompt, is quite straightforward, especially on the cover screen,” notes 9to5Google.

Nonetheless, we expect that Google will listen to the feedback and solve the existing issues in the coming days.


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Yahoo acquires Artifact news platform made by Intagram founders

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Yahoo acquires Artifact news platform made by Intagram founders
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Yahoo has finally acquired Artifact. On Tuesday, Artifact became the latest acquisition by Yahoo and was bought from Instagram’s founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger who created it with the help of AI. Over the next few months, Yahoo will integrate the technology behind Artifact into its platforms like the Yahoo News app as revealed in a deal announced earlier this week.

Yahoo acquires AI news startup Artifact from Instagram founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger

Artifact will cease to exist as an independent app after this acquisition. Instead, Yahoo will include its artificially intelligent personalization technology in its wider system thus making it more powerful than ever. Systrom & Krieger shall also act as advisors during this transition phase.

According to TechCrunch, the decision to acquire Artifact followed an announcement claiming that the platform would no longer operate due to limited market opportunities. Initially developed as a news app, it later turned into something resembling Twitter and faced stiff competition from Meta’s Threads among other social media outlets.

Through AI, Artifact curates personalized news feeds for individuals that adapt to their tastes over time. Its objective was tailoring content to particular users by providing features such as summarizing news or even rewriting headlines themselves.

Now, with Artifacts integration into our products, we aim more than before at delivering richer content experiences thereby enhancing user engagement according to Yahoo’s perspective on this matter. The company’s financial decisions on the matter are still elusive.

The Goal behind Artifact is consistent with Yahoo News’ objective, says General Manager

According to Kat Downs Mulder, the SVP and General Manager for Yahoo News, the technology of Artifact is consistent with Yahoo’s mission of being an authoritative source on the internet. In agreement with this thinking, Systrom emphasizes that Yahoo’s scale can allow Artifact to exploit its potential to link people to reliable news hubs.

With this acquisition, Yahoo shows the desire to improve its content along with increasing innovative technological support. Once integrated into Yahoo’s platforms, Artifact will ensure more customized and meaningful news experiences for users.


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WhatsApp may be adding support for audio file attachments in Channels

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WhatsApp may be adding support for audio file attachments in Channels
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If you love using WhatsApp channels to stay updated on your favorite brands, groups, or topics, a new feature could be coming soon that would make them even more enjoyable. Found hidden in the app’s code is the ability to attach audio files, opening up more possibilities to share content.

In January, WhatsApp introduced the ability to post voice notes and create polls in channels – handy additions for sure. But for those that would love to share audio, be it as music files or audio recordings from a phone, the experience is still limited. Unlike rival app Telegram, which allows just about any kind of content in its channels, WhatsApp had yet to make it easy to post these types of files. 

However, change could be just around the corner. Android Developer AssembleDebug from TheSPAndroid, managed to activate a hidden feature within WhatsApp that allows sending audio files directly within channels. It works just like sending an audio file in a regular chat or group. During testing, he even spotted that shared music files get a headphone icon to distinguish them from regular voice notes, which get a microphone icon.

WhatsApp channels without the ability to share audio files vs. attaching an audio file once feature has been enabled | Credit: TheSPAndroid

This capability has been available for some time in regular one-on-one chats and groups within WhatsApp. However, it was surprisingly missing when the Channels feature rolled out. There is still the question of when this would roll out officially, which we don’t know yet, but the fact that the feature is already lurking in the code is a good sign.

For now, sharing audio files on WhatsApp channels is still off-limits, but soon it might be a great way to broadcast recording sessions, sample music, or interesting audio recordings captured on your phone with your followers. This all, of course, as long as copyright and privacy laws are respected within your respective region.


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Aembit Finalist for RSA Conference 2024 Innovation Sandbox

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Aembit Finalist for RSA Conference 2024 Innovation Sandbox
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Aembit, the Workload Identity and Access Management (IAM) Company, has been named one of the Top 10 Finalists for the RSA Conference™ 2024 Innovation Sandbox contest for its platform that manages and secures access between critical software resources, like applications and services.

Aembit will present its technology to a panel of renowned industry judges and a live in-person audience on May 6 at RSA Conference 2024 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

Since 2005, the RSAC Innovation Sandbox contest has served as a platform for the most promising young cybersecurity companies to showcase their groundbreaking technologies and compete for the title of “Most Innovative Startup.”

The competition is widely recognized as a catapult for success as the Top 10 Finalists have collectively celebrated more than 80 acquisitions and received $13.5 billion in investments over the last 18 years. Aembit will have three minutes to pitch the panel of judges before a question-and-answer round.

“The submissions for this year’s RSA Conference Innovation Sandbox contest were both dynamic and inspiring. Along with the rest of our entrepreneurial audience, I am excited to see these ideas come to life on stage,” said Linda Gray Martin, senior vice president of the RSA Conference. “The evolution of global cyber threats is constant and there’s no better place to look for solutions and to help solve these challenges than in our community.”

With the rapid expansion of automated software, cloud services, and APIs, enterprises are being met with an exploding number of workloads across their IT environments. Reflect on the now-outdated practice of jotting down user credentials on sticky notes.

Similarly, the current method of securing interactions between workloads typically involves the use of static, long-lived credentials, which are prone to theft and often embedded directly within code.

This approach not only introduces security vulnerabilities but also complicates management and impedes prompt response during security incidents and compliance audits. Aembit shifts the model so enterprises can focus on managing access, instead of managing secrets.

“Aembit automates and secures the entire workload-to-workload access workflow, from discovery to enforcement, to audit – at scale,” said David Goldschlag, co-founder and CEO of Aembit.

“Instead of building another dashboard showing you problems due to secrets and keys, we proactively fix the root cause of these challenges by systematically improving the way workloads are authorized access to your most sensitive resources, without code changes. You can think of us as Okta (or Azure AD) but between workloads instead of between users and services. The RSA Conference presents the ideal platform for us to demonstrate the significance and impact of our solution to the global security community.”

The RSAC Innovation Sandbox contest kicks off at 10:50 a.m. PT on May 6, and winners will be announced at approximately 1:30 p.m. the same day. The panel of renowned expert judges includes Asheem Chandna, partner at Greylock; Dorit Dor, chief technology officer at Check Point Software Technologies; Niloofar Howe, senior operating partner at Energy Impact Partners; Paul Kocher, independent researcher; and Nasrin Rezai, SVP & CISO at Verizon. Hugh Thompson, RSAC executive chairman and program committee chair of the RSA Conference, will return to host the contest.

For more information regarding RSA Conference 2024, taking place at the Moscone Center in San Francisco from May 6 to 9, users can visit rsaconference.com/usa. To learn more about the Aembit Workload IAM Platform, watch this demo video.

About Aembit

Aembit is the Workload Identity and Access Management platform that secures access between workloads across clouds, SaaS, and data centers. With Aembit’s identity control plane, DevSecOps can fully automate secretless, policy-based, and zero-trust workload access.

About RSA Conference

RSA Conference™ is the premier series of global events and year-round learning for the cybersecurity community. RSAC is where the security industry converges to discuss current and future concerns and have access to the experts, unbiased content, and ideas that help enable individuals and companies to advance their cybersecurity posture and build stronger and smarter teams.

Both in-person and online, RSAC brings the cybersecurity industry together and empowers the collective “we” to stand against cyber threats around the world. RSAC is the ultimate marketplace for the latest technologies and hands-on educational opportunities that help industry professionals discover how to make their companies more secure while showcasing the most enterprising, influential, and thought-provoking thinkers and leaders in cybersecurity today.

Contact

CMO
Apurva Dave
Aembit
[email protected]


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Samsung Foldables FE resurfaces in latest leak but with an Exynos SoC?

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Samsung Foldables FE resurfaces in latest leak but with an Exynos SoC?
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Samsung foldables could soon include Fan Edition (FE) siblings, a new leak suggests. Blurred and partially obfuscated labels hint Samsung could be developing multiple variants of its foldable Android smartphone lineup.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is undoubtedly a premium foldable smartphone. However, Samsung is already rumored to be working on an even more luxurious, premium, and consequentially pricey version. A new rumor claims Samsung might offer slightly affordable variants of the Galaxy Z Fold smartphone, presumably under the FE branding.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold FE and Flip FE versions in the works?

A new leak on X (formerly Twitter) from a username “kro” claims Samsung is developing the Galaxy Z Flip FE and the Galaxy Z Fold FE. The tipster claims the specifications of these Samsung FE foldable devices are final.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip FE reportedly packs 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold FE would ship with 12GB or 16GB of RAM, a couple of blurred images reveal. Buyers would have the option to choose between 256GB and 512GB of internal storage.

Needless to mention, these aren’t impressive specifications for a foldable smartphone, especially considering what the competition is planning. Moreover, the leak also suggests an unknown Exynos 2xxx SoC (System on a Chip) would power the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold FE.

Samsung has remained loyal to the Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets for its premium Android smartphones. Hence, it is highly unlikely that the company may opt for an Exynos chipset, even if it wants to keep the costs down.

Is Samsung trying to boost its sales?

Samsung may host its next Samsung Unpacked event in the third quarter of this year, presumably in July. As is the norm, the company would launch multiple smart devices, wearables, and smartphones in a variety of form factors.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip Android smartphones are already in their sixth generation. However, the company has yet to offer a Fan Edition (FE) of these foldable devices. Currently, the company reserves the FE branding for a few of the top-end candy-bar Samsung Galaxy devices.

Although the rumor isn’t from the most reliable of sources, Samsung does need to increase its sales. The company experienced a slight dip in sales last year. Hence, the company may offer one or more aggressively-priced FE of foldable smartphones from the premium Galaxy Z Fold series. These smartphones would undoubtedly offer a decent boost to sales.

As always, you’ll want to take this information with a grain of salt. The source is a little shaky, so we’ll keep you updated on any further developments.


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Circle to Search will soon get instant language translation

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Circle to Search will soon get instant language translation
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Circle to Search, the AI-powered feature that debuted on the Galaxy S24 series, will soon support instant language translations for content on your device’s screen. This elevates the functionality of a feature that was already quite useful and shows a little more of what AI implementation can offer.

Currently, Circle to Search allows you to run searches related to items you see on your device screen. These searches return results focused on giving you more useful information about the item. For example, if you highlight a well-known monument, you’ll receive its location and more background. Maybe you highlight a pair of shoes. You will receive suggestions on where you can buy it.

However, now the tool will help you on those occasions when some text appears in a language unknown to you. There are multiple social apps that include a translation function for posts in another language, but this is not always possible. In the case of websites, you have to manually enable translation from the browser options. But, from now on, you can simply circle the text to get a translation into your language instantly.

Circle to Search’s new language translation feature will be even more useful for text in images. Before, for those cases, you could take a screenshot, crop it, share it with Google Lens, and choose the ‘Translate’ option. Now, the process will be much simpler, since the translation will appear on your screen after you highlight the text without having to go to another app.

Circle to Search’s language translation tool will be easy to use

The new feature will be quite easy to use. You just have to invoke Circle to Search as you are used to and highlight an element on the screen. After that, if there is text in another language, you will notice that there is a new ‘Translate’ button. By tapping on it, you will get instant translation on the screen without further complications.

According to Mishaal Rahman, the option may be available for some users who have the latest Google app beta update. Of course, you will also need a device compatible with Circle to Search. Currently, supported models include the Pixel 6 series or newer, Galaxy S23 series, Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy Z Flip 5, and Galaxy Z Fold 5.


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EU might force Apple to allow iPhone users to remove this iOS native app

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EU might force Apple to allow iPhone users to remove this iOS native app
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Thanks to the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), iPhone users in the 27 member EU states are allowed to sideload apps from third-party app stores, use a non-Webkit browser, choose their own financial app for contactless payments, pay for in-app purchases using a third-party financial firm, and more. EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager is not totally thrilled with how Apple and Alphabet have responded to some of the DMA’s rules.

EU Competition chief Vestager suggested that the EU might force Apple to make the Photos app removable - EU might force Apple to allow iPhone users to remove this iOS native app

EU Competition chief Vestager suggested that the EU might force Apple to make the Photos app removable

Vestager said that the EU would continue to investigate when she added the following, “Under Article 6(3) of the DMA, gatekeepers have an obligation to enable easy uninstallation of apps and easy change of default settings. They must also display a choice screen. Apple’s compliance model does not seem to meet the objectives of this obligation. In particular, we are concerned that the current design of the web browser choice screen deprives end-users of the ability to make a fully informed decision.”

She continued. “Example: they do not enhance user engagement with all available options. Apple also failed to make several apps un-installable (one of them would be Photos) and prevents end-users from changing their default status (for example Cloud), as required by the DMA.” Vestager’s comments about Apple’s Photos app surprised many since iPhone users can easily download a third-party photos app such as Google Photos.

Daring Fireball’s John Gruber believes that there could be a time when Apple simply stops selling its devices in the EU. There is actually a mathematical basis for his suggestion. Failing to comply with the DMA could result in a fine as high as 10% of Apple’s annual revenues worldwide which would amount to a penalty of more than $38 billion that Apple might be forced to write. On the other hand, sales in the EU make up only 7% of Apple’s worldwide annual revenue.

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Victoria VR Becomes First Virtual Reality Developer to Integrate OpenAI

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Victoria VR Becomes First Virtual Reality Developer to Integrate OpenAI
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Virtual reality developer Victoria VR has announced that it is integrating OpenAI into its builder. The move makes Victoria VR the first web3 project to bring AI capabilities to virtual reality, streamlining VR content creation.

Victoria’s VR AI Builder enables anyone to design their own virtual realities, games, and applications with no programming knowledge required. This capability empowers users to create and monetize their own virtual spaces. Use cases include games, digital shops, interactive showrooms, virtual offices, online schools or even whole new VR worlds.

The integration of OpenAI into Victoria’s VR AI Builder will unlock a host of new possibilities for content creation. It will enable users to create a rich variety of custom content including in-game items and virtual accessories. From creating characters to constructing entire metaverses, the Victoria VR builder powered by OpenAI will unleash a wave of innovation and provide greater personalization within virtual worlds.

OpenAI prompts will allow users to easily create bespoke items and content with no coding required. As a result, rich metaverses and digital spaces can be created on demand. The integration of OpenAI, scheduled for late 2024, will be followed by other AI integrations, providing creators with broad scope for constructing original VR content.

In addition to OpenAI, Victoria’s VR AI Builder will integrate AI technologies such as DALL-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion. Creators can leverage these powerful tools to elevate their ideas and apps. This will expedite the creation process, allowing VR-powered digital worlds to be rapidly manifested.

The rollout of AI capabilities within Victoria VR will support the creation of 3D assets as well as entire 3D environments. Through integrating OpenAI, Victoria VR will empower users to create immersive virtual worlds whose only limits are their imagination. It will support mini-games and metaverse applications created using Victoria’s VR AI Builder.

By providing simple prompts, users can instruct the AI to create shops, malls, and entire worlds, rendered in detail and to their exact specifications. This will spark a stream of VR custom content, transforming users into creators and unleashing unique applications. Content is rendered as NFTs that the creator controls, supporting full asset ownership.

Victoria VR features a virtual reality metaverse defined by ultra-realistic graphics and gameplay. Available on the Apple Vision Pro, Oculus Quest 3 and others, Victoria VR combines the power of virtual reality with the unique benefits provided by web3 technology.

The complexity of VR development currently places it beyond the reach of most people. It requires advanced coding and design skills to add textures, create models, and apply animation. The Victoria VR builder will eliminate the barriers to virtual reality development, paving the way for new metaverse experiences powered by the $VR tokens.

About Victoria VR

Victoria VR is a realistic Virtual Reality metaverse with VR AI Builder that allows anyone to create and trade VR content as NFTs. Powered by Unreal Engine, Victoria VR leverages the latest virtual reality technology. Its metaverse promises immersive entertainment, discovery and learning in a world full of VR experiences and opportunities. Victoria VR is the first web3 metaverse to be available within the Apple Vision Pro. Learn more: Victoriavr.com.

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