WABetaInfo: WhatsApp releases a beta via Apple’s TestFlight that works natively with the iPad, built using Mac Catalyst, after years of requests for the app from users — WhatsApp has just submitted a new update through the TestFlight beta Program, bringing the version up to 23.19.1.71.
Read MoreBBC: After Meta criticizes potential UK encryption rules, the UK says Meta “failed to provide assurances” over keeping its platforms “safe from sickening abusers” — Facebook’s owner Meta has hit back at a new government campaign strongly critical of its plans to encrypt messages.
Read MoreGarmin has launched the new vivoactive 5, refreshing the lineup with an AMOLED display. Other new features include the ability to respond to texts, support for wheelchair users, and improved battery life. The vivoactive 5 is available for $300, which is lower than the $350 price tag of the vivoactive 4. Garmin has an extensive
Read MoreJournalist and author Paul Tough tells us about what’s driving rising tuition fees, lower enrollment, and the myth of college as an equalizer in the US.
Read MoreNo matter what device you read ebooks on, there are thousands of free romance titles available this week.
Read MoreJust months after unveiling its three-tier generative AI strategy across multiple product offerings, Oracle has taken the covers off its new API-led generative AI service at its ongoing annual CloudWorld conference. The new generative AI service, which is built and supported on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) in combination with large language models (LLMs) from Cohere,
Read MoreNilay Patel / The Verge: Q&A with Matthew Panzarino, who recently stepped down as TechCrunch EIC after 10 years, on the site’s Silicon Valley relationship, the future of media, and more — It’s been a rocky and chaotic decade — and now digital media is on the brink of yet another existential crisis thanks to
Read MoreCredit: Oliver Cragg / Android Authority WhatsApp has launched a beta version of an iPad app this week. The app allows you to use WhatsApp on your iPad without relying on the web version. WhatsApp has lacked a native iPad app for years now, forcing people to use the web version if they really needed
Read MoreHTMX lets you use an extended HTML syntax instead of JavaScript to achieve interactivity. HTMX gives you HTTP interactions directly in the markup, and it supports many other interactive needs without resorting to JavaScript. It’s an interesting idea that could end up influencing the way web front-ends work. Let’s see how HTMX is used and what makes
Read MoreIn the Linux world, package managers catalog and install the software available in a given Linux distribution. Until recently, Microsoft Windows software management wasn’t that centralized. There was a system for adding or removing components for Windows itself, but not for third-party apps. And while we do have the Microsoft Store as an app-management solution,
Read MoreWall Street Journal: A profile of Jeff Yass, whose Susquehanna International Group has a ~15% stake in ByteDance, as he works to prevent a US TikTok ban by donating to lawmakers — Financier Jeff Yass made a big bet on the app, and he’s a top donor to lawmakers who support it — WASHINGTON—TikTok had
Read MoreCredit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority The Galaxy S24 Ultra will swap out the 10x 10MP camera for a 5x 50MP lens, according to a leak. This would be a major change for Samsung after three Ultra phones offered a 10x shooter. The leaker also claimed Samsung will stick with a 3x 10MP camera instead
Read MoreCredit: Apple YouTubers tried connecting the iPhone 15 to an Android phone using a USB-C cable. One of them immediately started charging the other upon connecting. The presenters failed to transfer files between the two phones using the USB-C tether. Apple’s move to USB-C has opened up a Pandora’s box of things you can do
Read MoreCredit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority OnePlus has revealed the OxygenOS 14 beta roadmap and supported devices. Expect a host of handsets to get the beta software next month and in November. OnePlus has already brought the OxygenOS 14 beta to the OnePlus 11, but the company is also working hard to bring the Android
Read MoreOracle is planning to add vector search capabilities to its database offering, dubbed Database 23c, the company announced at its ongoing annual CloudWorld conference. These capabilities, dubbed AI Vector Search, include a new vector data type, vector indexes, and vector search SQL operators that enable the Oracle Database to store the semantic content of documents,
Read MoreRegular matches are fine for lighting candles and the like, but they’re a bit small and fiddly to use. After seeing some giant prop matches used in a stage play, [Handy Bear] decided to see if they could build some functional extra-large matches at home. The build starts with a square wooden dowel, cut into
Read MoreRest of World: A profile of Japan-based Soramitsu, which helped build Cambodia’s “quasi-digital currency” system and is running CBDC studies in other Southeast Asian countries — Soramitsu, a Japanese company riding the wave of blockchain-based products supporting digital payments, has landed several deals with central banks.
Read MoreiPhone 15 Pro Max Credit: Apple Apple has introduced more battery health-related details on the iPhone 15 series. You can now check your battery’s manufacturing month, the month of first use, and the number of charging cycles within iOS on the iPhone 15 series. Apple already allows older iPhone users to check their battery health
Read MoreReuters: Sources: Huawei’s HiSilicon is shipping new Chinese-made chips for surveillance cameras, a fresh sign that the company is finding ways around US export controls — A Huawei Technologies unit is shipping new Chinese-made chips for surveillance cameras in a fresh sign the Chinese tech giant …
Read MoreJavier Espinoza / Financial Times: An Uber executive warns the EU’s Platform Work Directive designating gig workers as employees will result in Uber closing in hundreds of cities and price hikes — Prices paid by consumers would also rise if Brussels enacts Platform Work Directive, says Uber’s European chief
Read MoreIllustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge Businesses on Meta platforms will soon be able to purchase a blue check to get exclusive features and support. The expansion was announced by CEO Mark Zuckerberg at an event today. Earlier this year, the company announced Meta Verified for creators, a $12 per month subscription that gives
Read MoreIvan Mehta / TechCrunch: Meta expands its Meta Verified program to businesses on Facebook and Instagram in select geographies, starting at $21.99 per month per page on either service — Meta announced today that it is expanding Meta Verified to businesses after first launching it for creators in March.
Read MoreFinancial Times: Meta launches in-chat payments for WhatsApp in India, allowing businesses to accept payments via credit/debit cards, WhatsApp Pay or UPI at no extra cost — Parent company Meta seeks to tap its messaging service’s biggest market to boost revenue — Hundreds of millions of WhatsApp users …
Read MoreIvan Mehta / TechCrunch: WhatsApp announces Flows to let merchants build richer shopping experiences like allowing users to pick a flight seat or order a meal without leaving the app — WhatsApp is bolstering its shopping experience for both merchants and users through a new feature called Flows …
Read MoreCredit: David Imel / Android Authority The Pixel 4a appears to have reached end-of-life as far as software updates are concerned. The phone was officially expected to receive updates till August 2023. It was excluded from Google’s September Android security update rollout. Google appears to have ended software support for the Pixel 4a. Just to
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