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Elon Musk Sells X, Formerly Twitter, for $33 Billion to His AI Startup

2025-03-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

Originally appeared on E! Online

A little bird told us more changes are afoot for the company formerly known as Twitter.

Elon Musk—who bought Twitter in 2022 and changed the social media platform’s name to X the following year—revealed that his artificial intelligence startup xAI has acquired the brand in a lucrative, all-stock deal.

“The combination values xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion ($45B less $12B debt),” Musk wrote in a March 28 post to X. “Since its founding two years ago, xAI has rapidly become one of the leading AI labs in the world, building models and data centers at unprecedented speed and scale.”

He continued, “X is the digital town square where more than 600M active users go to find the real-time source of ground truth and, in the last two years, has been transformed into one of the most efficient companies in the world, positioning it to deliver scalable future growth.”

More than one year after Grok—an AI-powered chatbot created by xAI that’s similar to ChatGPT—was launched on X, Elon said it was officially time to “take the step to combine the data, models, compute, distribution and talent.”

“xAI and X’s futures are intertwined,” he explained. “The combined company will deliver smarter, more meaningful experiences to billions of people while staying true to our core mission of seeking truth and advancing knowledge. This will allow us to build a platform that doesn’t just reflect the world but actively accelerates human progress.”

The Tesla CEO ended his message thanking the teams from both companies for their hard work and dedication, noting, “This is just the beginning.”

After Musk’s announcement, CEO of X Linda Yaccarino echoed his outlook, reposting his update with her own words, writing, "The future could not be brighter."

As for how X users felt about the business deal? There were chirps all around.

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

“I’m so curious as to why X folded into xAI and not the other way around,” one user wrote. “It seems like X has the broader base as a platform and that xAI would literally just be a medium/small feature on X."

Another simply commented, “Wow. Didn’t see this coming.”

While Elon’s business portfolio continues to expand, so does his family. Read on for a deep dive into the many branches of his family tree.

Maye Musk (Mom)

New LG Web OS TV Software Update

2024-06-10T15:38:00.000-07:00

Vinyl records outsell CDs for first time in decades

2023-03-13T19:52:00.009-07:00

Vinyl record sales outperformed CDs in the US for the first time since 1987, according to a new report.

Just over 41 million vinyl records were sold in 2022, to the tune of $1.2bn (£.99bn). Only 33 million CDs were sold, amounting to $483m.

It was the 16th consecutive year of growth for record sales, about 71% of physical format revenues.

Recorded music revenue in the US grew for the seventh consecutive year and reached a record high of $15.9bn.

Overall, revenue for recorded music in 2022 increased by 6%, according to the report released by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), driven largely by streaming but also by physical music format sales.

The report found that revenue for physical music formats has steadily risen over the years, marked by a "remarkable resurgence" in 2021 after being muted by Covid-19 in 2020. Physical music revenues as a whole were up 4% last year, propelled by vinyl records which saw a 17% increase. Meanwhile, revenue from CDs fell 18%.

Physical copies of music continued to perform better than digital downloads, the report found, which saw yet another decline in revenue, dropping by 20% to $495m. It's a stark contrast from the peak popularity digital downloads once held, having made up 43% of recorded music revenues in 2012. Since then, downloads have plummeted - to just 3% last year.

Revenue from streaming, which includes "paid subscriptions, ad-supported services, digital and customized radio, social media platforms, digital fitness apps and others," grew 7% to a record high $13.3bn. It accounted for 84% of total revenues.

Last year's vinyl record sales demonstrate that vinyl is "cementing its role as a fixture of the modern music marketplace," RIAA Chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier said in a post on Medium.

"Music lovers clearly can't get enough of the high-quality sound and tangible connection to artists vinyl delivers," Glazier said, "and labels have squarely met that demand with a steady stream of exclusives, special reissues, and beautifully crafted packages and discs."

How To Download TikTok Videos Without Watermarks

2023-01-01T17:54:00.006-08:00

Top 5 Movie Recommendations This Holiday

2022-12-26T14:25:00.003-08:00

Top 5 Movie Recommendations

Movies have the ability to transport us to different worlds, introduce us to new characters, and tell captivating stories that stick with us long after the credits have rolled. With so many great films to choose from, it can be tough to narrow down a list of the best. Here are my top 5 movies of all time:

1. "The Shawshank Redemption" -

This classic film tells the story of Andy Dufresne, a man who is sentenced to life in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Despite the challenges he faces, Andy finds hope and friendship behind bars, and uses his talents as a financial advisor to help his fellow inmates. The film boasts incredible performances from actors Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, and its themes of hope, friendship, and the power of the human spirit have made it a beloved classic.

2. "Pulp Fiction" -

This wildly innovative film from director Quentin Tarantino follows the interconnected stories of a group of characters in the criminal underworld of Los Angeles. From hitmen to drug dealers to boxing champions, "Pulp Fiction" features an eclectic cast of characters and a nonlinear narrative that keeps audiences on their toes. The film's sharp dialogue, stylish direction, and memorable performances have cemented it as a modern classic.

3. "The Godfather" -

This epic crime drama follows the story of the powerful and feared Italian-American mafia family, the Corleones. As the patriarch of the family, Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) navigates the dangerous world of organized crime, while his son Michael (Al Pacino) becomes embroiled in the family's criminal dealings. "The Godfather" is a sweeping and unforgettable tale of loyalty, family, and the corrupting influence of power.

4. "The Dark Knight" -

This superhero film, directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale as Batman, is a dark and brooding exploration of justice and corruption in Gotham City. As Batman battles the villainous Joker (Heath Ledger), he grapples with the moral dilemmas of his role as a vigilante and the corrupting influence of power. The film features incredible performances from its cast, particularly Ledger's Oscar-winning turn as the Joker, and its gritty, realistic take on the superhero genre has made it a fan favorite.

5. "Inception" -

This mind-bending science fiction film follows a team of thieves who specialize in entering people's dreams and stealing their secrets. When they are offered the opportunity to plant an idea in someone's mind instead, they must navigate the complex and dangerous world of dream manipulation. "Inception" features stunning visuals, a complex and layered story, and top-notch performances from its cast, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy.

These are just a few of the many great movies that have been released over the years. From crime dramas to superhero films to science fiction, these movies showcase the incredible range and talent of the film industry. Whether you're a fan of action, drama, or comedy, there's a movie out there for everyone to enjoy.

The iPhone 14 Review

2022-12-26T03:58:00.007-08:00

The iPhone 14 is the latest smartphone from Apple, set to be released in September 2022. As with all new iPhone releases, the iPhone 14 is expected to have a number of upgrades and new features.

One of the most highly anticipated features of the iPhone 14 is its display. The iPhone 14 is expected to have a 6.1 inch Super Retina XDR display, with a resolution of 2532 x 1170 pixels. This high resolution display will make the iPhone 14 perfect for watching movies, TV shows, and streaming content. In addition to its high resolution, the iPhone 14's display is also expected to have a high refresh rate, making it great for gaming and other fast-paced activities.

Another major feature of the iPhone 14 is its camera system. The iPhone 14 is expected to have a triple camera setup on the back, featuring a 12 megapixel main camera, a 12 megapixel ultra-wide angle lens, and a 12 megapixel telephoto lens. This camera system will allow users to take stunning photos and videos in a variety of different lighting conditions. The iPhone 14 is also expected to have a number of features specifically designed for low light photography, such as Night mode and Deep Fusion.

In terms of performance, the iPhone 14 is expected to be powered by Apple's latest A15 Bionic chip. This powerful processor will allow the iPhone 14 to handle even the most demanding apps and games with ease. The iPhone 14 is also expected to have 5G connectivity, which will allow users to take advantage of faster internet speeds and better coverage.

Overall, the iPhone 14 is shaping up to be a powerful and feature-packed smartphone. Its high resolution display, impressive camera system, and powerful processor make it a great choice for those looking for a high-end smartphone. Whether you're a power user or just looking for a phone that can keep up with your busy lifestyle, the iPhone 14 is worth considering.

Google Pixel 7: The Most Powerful Smartphone

2022-12-26T03:35:00.007-08:00

Google Pixel 7 is the latest smartphone from Google, released in October 2022. This smartphone boasts a number of impressive features, including a 6.2 inch Full HD+ OLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor, and 8GB of RAM. The Pixel 7 also comes equipped with a dual camera setup on the back, featuring a 12.2 megapixel main camera and a 16 megapixel ultra-wide angle lens.

One of the standout features of the Pixel 7 is its camera system. Google has a long history of producing excellent smartphone cameras, and the Pixel 7 is no exception. The main camera uses Google's Night Sight technology, which allows for stunning low light photography. It also has a feature called Super Res Zoom, which uses computational photography to produce sharp and detailed zoomed in photos. The ultra-wide angle lens adds even more versatility to the camera system, allowing users to capture wide landscapes or fit more people in a group shot.

In addition to its impressive camera system, the Pixel 7 also has a number of other features that make it a standout smartphone. It runs on the latest version of Android, Android 11, and includes a number of useful features such as a built-in screen recorder and improved privacy controls. The Pixel 7 also has a fast charging battery that can go from empty to fully charged in just under an hour.

One of the more unique features of the Pixel 7 is its "recorder" app, which uses Google's advanced artificial intelligence technology to transcribe spoken words in real time. This can be incredibly useful for students taking notes in lectures or professionals recording meetings. The app can also transcribe multiple languages, making it a useful tool for those who need to communicate with people who speak different languages.

Overall, the Google Pixel 7 is a powerful and feature-packed smartphone that offers a lot for its price. Its impressive camera system and advanced artificial intelligence features make it a standout choice for those looking for a high-end smartphone.

How to Add or Remove Bluetooth Icon on windows task bar

2022-12-08T16:34:00.002-08:00

How To Enable Delete Confirmation Dialog

2022-11-23T15:30:00.006-08:00

HOW TO ENABLE HIBERNATE OPTION ON WINDOWS 10 AND WINDOWS 11

2022-11-01T18:00:00.002-07:00

How do I clear app cache on my Xiaomi note 9s? and other Android phones

2022-10-18T06:08:00.000-07:00

If you want to clean your mobile phone cache and don’t know how to, here is a post that will give you a step-by-step guide on how to quickly clear your app cache.

There are two ways to clear your mobile phone app.

How do I clear the app cache on my Xiaomi note 9s and other android phones?

The first step is to go to your mobile settings >>> click “Apps” >>> click on “Manage App”.

Have you done that? Now click on the app you would like the cache to be cleared >>> click “Storage” and click “Clear data”.

Doing so will delete the app history and its cache

The second method of clearing your mobile phone cache

This method can be said to be the easiest one. This works with the default cache cleaner app Xiaomi installed.

Just go to your menu and search for “Cleaner”

Once it is opened, it will start scanning your mobile phone for cache files, obsolete files, packages, residuals, and memory cleaning.

And when it’s done scanning, you will get the result>>> just click “Clean up” and it will clear your device cache and other unnecessary files.

Back to you

It looks like I have said so much about how to clear your mobile phone cache without stress, now it’s time to pass the keyboard to you guys.

Let’s be social

If this post was helpful, why not share it with friends by clicking the Facebook share button.

HOW TO GET MTN 40GIG USING THIS TRICK

2022-10-16T00:43:00.005-07:00

You need a cheaper and more faster network, then the MTN 40 gigabyte is the best solution for you.

With just N5,000 you can can the data that will last you for a whole month.

You can get 40 gigabit worth of data from MTN by following the simple steps I am about to show you.

If you are using the MTN mobile app >>> Open the App and click "Mega Deals Zone"

Click "Data for Me" and you will see an offer of 40gig for 5,000 click and Accept the offer...

That feels easy right?

If you don't have the MTN mobile app, simple dial *121# and send >>> choose "Data for Me" or "Top Deal"

and choose the 40gig for 5,000

Accept and you are done.

What makes this package awesome is that, you will be given an additional 10gig data to watch your favourite Youtube shows from 11:00pm till 5:00am

That's all... What's your favourite???

How to Get MTN 24gig For 3500 Naira

2022-09-13T17:28:00.001-07:00

You can get 24 gigabit worth of data from MTN by following this simple step I am about to show you.

If you are using the MTN mobile app >>> Open the App and click "Mega Deals Zone"

Click "Data for Me" and you will see an offer of 24gig for 3500 click and Accept the offer...

That feels easy right?

If you don't have the app, simple dial *121# and send >>> choose "Data for Me" or "Top Deal"

and choose the 24gig for 3500

Accept and you are done.

What makes this package awesome is that, you will be given an additional 10gig data to watch your favourite Youtube shows from 11:00pm till 5:00am

That's all... What's your favourite???

HOW TO BYPASS 1FICHIER WAITING TIME

2022-07-21T10:18:00.002-07:00

Trying to skip 1fichier wait time? Here are three simple methods you can perform to skip 1fichier wait time or any streaming site that doesn’t want you to download unlimited as a free user.

Bypass 1fichier Waiting Time

Below are three different tricks to downloading from any File Hosting site without facing the waiting time.

First Option:

Follow the steps below to skip the waiting time while downloading from the above-mentioned sites:

Download the first part of your file normally as you won’t have to wait for much time while downloading for the first time.

Now proceed to the second file, then the countdown begins but this time the waiting time will be very high (Minimum 25Mins)

Now just copy this “”javascript:alert(c=0)” and paste it into your address bar as soon as the countdown begins.

Click “OK” when a pop-up appears.

The countdown will disappear and lets you download without delay.

Second Option:

All these file hosting sites save your IP address, and when you request another from the same IP, then you will have to go through a long waiting time. So this trick is about requesting your ISP for another IP address.

Follow the steps below to change your IP address:

Open “Command Prompt” and enter the following commands respectively:

ipconfig /flushdns

ipconfig /release

ipconfig /renew

exit

That’s it, your IP has been renewed, and now you won’t have to face such a long waiting time. You can proceed to download by waiting for only 30 sec (that’s tolerable...)

Third Option:

This is the easiest and most used method to skip the waiting time, here no configuration is required nor have you to execute any commands. All you have to do is download an add-on for your browser install it, restart your browser and then visit any of the above-mentioned sites and you don’t have to wait.

Now go try it and tell me how it goes. If it works for you, please do give us a thumb up by sharing this post on your social networks.

Remember! it's proudlyonenaija...

Using Your Android Phone As A Mobile Hotspot

2022-07-08T15:19:00.002-07:00

If you are still thinking of how to use your mobile phone as a hotspot, think no more Babanature is here.

If you are not in a place where you can easily get a WIFI connection but you have some internet data on your Android or IOS phone, you can feed your Laptop computer or any other devices that need an internet network with your mobile data.

In case you are wondering if your device can actually work, then don’t worry because all Android and IOS phones regardless of its version, have this feature.
How to Use Your Mobile Device as Hotspot

How To Use Use Your Mobile Phone As A Mobile Hotspot

First, go to your mobile device settings >>> click on “Portable hotspot” >>> click on “Set up portable hotspot”

On the SSID space: Put in the name you’d like your mobile Hotspot to bear

Security part: Change it from none to WPA2-Personal

Password area: this place should be your password

After you have successfully completed the above steps, go back and tick the “Portable hotspot” to activate your personal mobile hotspot.

Once you’re through with that, activate your laptop wifi and click on your network icon on your PC.

There, you will see your mobile hotspot on all available networks.

Click your mobile network and input the password you used when creating your mobile hotspot.

Gbam!!! Now you can surf the web using your mobile device as a hotspot.

Discussion

The process of seeting up your private mobile hotspot looks simple right? Yeah i know, why don’t you try it out and see out it goes. I would like to hear from you though if you have any problem regarding how to make your Android phone a mobile hotspot.

Do you have comments, questions, or thought you’d love to share with us? Please do by using the comment box below.

Remember that your comments, questions, and thoughts are highly welcomed and much appreciated.

Be social

Please, do not forget to share this post with your friends on all social media platforms and with your friends offline. I am sure they will find it useful as my friend

How To Delete Beneficiaries From Your Banking App

2022-07-03T15:45:00.004-07:00

What is GTWorld? GTWorld is a banking application from Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) that allows you to transact, make inquiries, bank statements, and do other banking virtually.

A few days ago, a friend asked me how he can delete some beneficiaries from his GTWorld app. The reason he wants to delete some beneficiaries is that some of the accounts on the list are outdated.

I’ve seen some people complaining about how they can’t delete a saved beneficiary after adding them.

If you are finding it difficult to delete a saved beneficiary(s) on your GTWorld App, here’s a short post to put you through.

How To Delete Beneficiaries From GTWorld App

Without wasting any of your time, go to your GTWorld App. If you are a GTBank customer and if you don’t have the App, you can download it here.

Login to you GTWorld App using the login information given to you by GTBank customer service>>> click on “Transfers”

on the transfer interface, click on the “Transfer to GTBank A/C” if the beneficiary you want to delete is a GT account holder otherwise choose “Transfer to other Banks (Instant)”

On the “Beneficiaries” part, you’ll see a little trash icon on the right side of the name you want to delete.

Clicking the trash icon, you will see a notification bar like the screenshot below…

The next page, you will see “Confirm Delete” >>> Put in your “Transaction Pin” and click the “Confirm Delete” button…

After deleting, you will see a confirmation notification like the screenshot below.

Conclusion

Now you can see how easy it is right? Let me know if you are still facing problems with your GTWorld app, I might find a solution or drag a GTBank representative to reply to your queries 😉

Be social

Do not forget to share this post with friends on your social media handles. Remember, sharing this post might help a person out.

How To Remove Password From Xender

2022-07-03T15:06:00.000-07:00

Have you tried sending or transferring a file to a friend using the Xender app and it asked you to scan QR code before it could send?

It feels frustrating right? What if I tell you that there is a way you could remove password from Xender so you can send files without scanning, would you like that?

It is way faster-sending file over a Wi-Fi network than using Bluetooth or other means of transfer… and Xender lets you transfer over Wi-Fi without using your data or internet service.

What is Xender

For those who don’t know about the App, here’s a simple explanation.

Xender is an application that lets you transfer files (image, document, video) over a Wi-Fi connection without money or data.

How To Remove QR Code/Password From Xender

To transfer files to any other device without prompting for QR code, follow the step-by-step guide below.

Go to your mobile setting >>> in the “Wireless & networks” section, click “More”

Click “Tethering & portable hotspot” >>> click “Wi-Fi hotspot” >>> Click “Set up Wi-Fi hotspot”

Now in this area, go to the “Security” section and change it from “WPA2 PSK” to “None”.

After that, click the “Save” button and you are done with the setup.

Now go back to your Xender app and try to transfer a file, you will see that it won’t prompt for QR code scanning or password.

Now you see how simple it is to turn off your QR code while sending or receiving files via a Wi-Fi network?

Conclusion

There are apps that are making our transferring life easier, right? And I’ve shared light on one of the most popular sharing apps, Xender and how to use it without asking for a password or QR scan.

Be social

Do not forget to share this post with your friends so they can also how to transfer files without stressing on scanning or using a password.

Don't download latest Windows 10 update if you own one of these popular laptops

2020-09-02T15:16:00.004-07:00

WINDOWS 10 users are being warned that some popular laptops are suffering from the dreaded blue screen of death after downloading the latest Microsoft update.

There's a fresh Windows 10 warning out this week and ignoring it could leave your PC facing the nightmare of the dreaded blue screen of death. The new alert has been issued by the team at Lenovo who say that, after installing the August 2020 cumulative update for Windows 10 Version 2004, some ThinkPad laptops are being hit by this irritating bug.

In a post on its support page Lenovo states that "after installing the August 2020 cumulative update for Windows 10 Version 2004, users may notice one or more of the following symptoms: Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) when booting • Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) when starting Lenovo Vantage • Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) when running Windows Defender Scan • Can't login by Face with Windows Hello • Errors in Device Manager related to Intel Management Engine • Errors in Device Manager related to IR Camera.

If you own a ThinkPad and have found yourself staring at a blue screen rather than your usual desktop and files then it seems there is a workaround.

Lenovo says that anyone hit by this problem should disable the Enhanced Windows Biometric Security setting in BIOS Setup via the Security and Virtualization menus.

The other way to avoid this nightmare is to wait until a fix has been issued by Microsoft before even attempting to download the August 2020 cumulative update.

According to Windows Latest, it's not just ThinkPad users who have been affected by this new glitch with non-Lenovo users complaining on Reddit and Microsoft forums. Speaking on Reddit, on Windows 10 fan said, "I went from a perfectly fine, basically brand new computer, to more busted than the old PC I replaced, basically overnight.”

Whilst another user added, "I am absolutely not having a good time with 2004. Is there any easy way to roll back to an earlier version outside of that 10 day window beyond trying to search around for a specifically updated version of windows?

This latest bout of issues comes as Microsoft may have finally realised that its updates are causing too many problems for users, in fact it's emerged that the US firm could be switching from two big updates each year to just one.

According to a blog post by Windows Latest, the Redmond-based firm is looking to shake-up their Windows 10 update schedule following the release of the fall patch this year. It had been thought that following this release another big Windows 10 update would be arriving in the first half of 2021.

But this release has been delayed due to Windows 10X, a new edition of Windows 10 designed for dual-screen devices, also getting help up. This new version of Windows 10 is now due to release around April or May time next year, while the launch of Windows 10's April or May 2021 update has been delayed.

And sources have told Windows Latest that Microsoft may opt to switch to a single, annual release schedule for their tentpole Windows 10 updates from next year.

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/science-technology/1329773/Microsoft-Windows-10-update-August-Lenovo-issues-blue-screen-death/amp

The new Android 11 features that will actually change your phone

2020-06-15T16:57:00.001-07:00

Android 11 will be released later in 2020 like clockwork, but developers and anyone happy to put up with a half-finished operating system - bored much? - can try it out now. A beta of the software is available here for Pixel 2, 3, 3a, and Pixel 4s. It has some, but not all, of the features of the final version.

We've taken a look at the beta on one of Google’s Pixel smartphones to see what progress has been made. On reflection, some changes are long overdue, the kind of tweaks a 2016 buyer might expect to see in six months rather than four years. But we do get, at least, the addition of some useful changes already in place in Android 11.

Device controls

The Google Home speaker was released back in 2016, and was a bold sign of intent: Google wants to control your home. That home control should now feel better in Android 11.

Long-press the power button and you’ll see a new control screen. There are the usual buttons to reset and power off your phone, but most of the screen is given over to Home. You can add shortcuts to devices linked to your Google Home app, perhaps for the smart lights in your bedroom.

Want to turn them all off as you leave the house? There are now fewer steps involved. Android 11 does not currently auto-populate this page; you choose the controls that sit in the Home power panel. A little effort is required, then, but it avoids this part of the OS becoming instantly overstuffed and unpalatable.

They may be no more than widgets placed out of the way, but this panel sees smart home tech given greater prominence in Android.

Permissions

App permissions are a headache that will not go away. Most of us treat them like the Cookies disclaimers and T&Cs documents we carelessly click through.

Android 11 tweaks the system’s approach and this may mean we end up having to validate more app permission requests for the camera, our location and file system access. There will be the option for one-time access, which grants that access while the app is running, and for a “short period of time” after being bumped off-screen into the background.

It will also start pruning the permissions of apps you have not used for “a few months”. However, in the Android 11 Beta at least, this needs to be manually switched on in the Permissions part of Settings.

These techniques are designed to stop apps leeching data they should not have access to, and may stop bad apps impacting your battery life. It’s a genuine security improvement that edges Android closer to the standards of iOS. However, app permissions will continue to be the unavoidable irritant they are today.

A focus on conversations

Google is in the process of redesigning how Android 11 handles chats. The first change is simple. There is now a separate section at the top of your notifications for conversations, from apps like WhatsApp and Google Hangouts. They get higher billing than your emails, missed calls or the step count reminder you’ve only taken 300 steps since breakfast. Android 11 also separates notifications that actually come with an alert and silenced ones.

Chat bubbles will have a more significant effect on how Android 11 feels. Conversations in apps like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp can hang around as little avatar bubbles on the edge of your phone screen. Tap them and they expand to a text box in which you can reply.

It’s much like the Chat Heads of Facebook Messenger, a feature introduced in 2013. And its tentative implementation in the Android 11 beta build available to the Pixel 3a XL suggests Google is still working out how to make it useful rather than annoying.

It's only available in the Developer Options part of Android, and in our test phone bubbles still do not appear in Google Hangouts even after switching them on. Bubbles work using an API, so it will be up to developers to implement them with an update.

More clutter for your Android? Perhaps. There is certainly more “stuff” added to Android 11. For example, you can now rifle through your notification history over the last 24 hours by scrolling to the bottom of the drop-down, where a link sits.

Smarter Voice Access

Voice Access for Android has been around since 2018. It’s an app that lets you control your phone with your voice, mapping little numbered icons onto each tappable area of the screen.

It's not completely new then. But Google says Android 11 adds an “on-device visual cortex” that improves the feature. We spent a few hours comparing Voice Access on a Pixel 3a XL with Voice Access on a OnePlus 8 Pro running Android 10 to get to the bottom of the real change involved here.

Initially, the two look the same. On the average view of WIRED’s front page you might see 40 or so labels. You can say that label’s number to “proxy tap” it or, in some cases, you can read out the link’s text to head to it. To launch an app whose icon is on-screen, for example.

Both versions let you head to the home screen wherever you are. And, when Voice Access decides to play along, you can scroll with a voice command.

Android 11’s changes are all to do with context and intelligence. For example, say “wired.co.uk enter” when filling in the address bar on the OnePlus 8 Pro and you end up with exactly those words in the bar. But Android 11 takes “enter” as the command, taking you right where you want to be.

The new version is also a little better at knowing you want to load an app when there’s also some oblique reference to that app on-screen, such as Twitter.

Voice Access is more intelligent than before but there’s still a huge amount of work to be done here. Google’s speech interaction is lauded as the best around but you still can’t, for example, ask to share a page you’re on. And simply asking to scroll down an article refuses to function more often than it works. This is a work-in-progess, but hopefully it will improve further before Android 11 is actually released.

Screen record

Google has also made it easier for you to become a remote tech teacher for your less savvy friends and family, by cleaning up the screen recorder function added in Android 10.

There are no real new features here. In Android 10 you can already capture a video that shows your screen prods and swipes, and records the feed from the phone’s mic as well as any played audio. But the interface for Screen Record is much cleaner, avoiding a trip to the settings menu to alter what to record. It’s more friendly and will save you time, if not substantively different below the surface.

Android 11 Beta: First impressions

Android 11’s changes so far are not world-changing, but do at least focus on the ways we use our phones. There are changes to how media controls are displayed, your conversations with friends have greater prominence and we get a little more protection from apps that want to do dodgy things in the background. Smart home fans get a neat control panel too, which could be a major improvement if you have a stack of gadgets in your home.

We’d like to see greater improvements to Android 11’s accessibility features, though. The concept behind voice controls context-aware smarts are great, but in use they just don’t seem quite intelligent enough.

The new PlayStation 5 looks like a giant broadband router

2020-06-15T16:48:00.001-07:00

A new console launch is always cause for excitement, even in the midst of a pandemic. Enter Sony with its big PS5 unveiling, imaginatively titled 'PS5: The Future of Gaming Show', which teased more than it satisfied, but gave us a good opportunity to see what the next generation of games will look like. Assuming you haven't already skipped to the good stuff, let's get to it.

What did I miss?

Sony mainly used the event as an extended sizzle reel for the eclectic collection of exclusives coming to the console, though it wasn't clear which would launch with the console later this year.

The most immediately interesting were Spider-Man: Miles Morales, a follow-up to last year's hugely popular game featuring the lead from the critically acclaimed animated movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and Horizon: Forbidden West, a sequel to the equally popular Horizon: Zero Dawn. The latter, in particular, looked stunning.

Sony also revealed the console itself and a bunch of peripherals, but declined to say how much the PS5 would cost at launch. Nor did it clear up many of our burning questions, such as the exact nature of the system's backward compatibility with previous consoles. Also, well, you've seen the photos.

Yes, how big is that thing and will it lie flat?

Sony hasn't released the dimensions, but you can use the size of the disc drive as a guide. By that measure, it's likely the console is noticeably taller than the PS4 Pro and even larger than the famously chunky original Xbox One. That is a very rough guesstimate, however, and should be treated as such, but it already has us glancing at our home entertainment rack with concern.

To your other question, yes, it will lie flat. Sony released images of the console in the horizontal position with it sitting on some kind of stand. It's not, we hasten to add, the console's most flattering angle. Like the chunky Xbox Series X, the PS5 is clearly designed to be stood tall.

It's also worth noting there are two versions of the console. One with a 4K Blu-ray drive and one is the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition and has no optical drive – ideal for people who won't mind paying over the odds for their games.

So how powerful is the PlayStation 5, exactly?

We can't say, but Sony has released some details in previous events. We know, like the Xbox Series X, the PlayStation 5 is powered by an eight-core AMD processor and a custom GPU based on AMD's RDNA 2 architecture. Everything we've seen and heard so far suggests the Xbox will have a slight raw performance advantage over the PS5, but Sony has a trick up its sleeve which might give it an edge.

While both consoles are adopting fast solid state drive (SSD) akin the flash memory in your phone, Sony's is reportedly much faster. So fast, in fact, that textures and game assets can be streamed directly from the SSD rather than being held in the system's memory (RAM) as is traditional.

In a demo of its Unreal Engine 5 earlier this year, Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney said "the storage architecture on the PS5 is far ahead of anything you can buy on anything on PC for any amount of money right now. It’s going to help drive future PCs.".

This new SSD will have a dramatic impact on loading times. In a previous demonstration of Marvel's Spider-Man, fast travelling on the PS4 Pro took 15 seconds; the same function reportedly takes just 0.8 seconds on the PS5.

What about the controller?

The new controller, now dubbed DualSense, has several interesting features.

One is something Sony is calling “adaptive triggers”. One example given of how these will affect gameplay was shooting a bow and arrow, pressing down on the trigger to draw an arrow back would have a different tactile sensation to firing a shotgun, or driving an off-road vehicle through rocky terrain.

The other key feature is the controller’s “haptic feedback”, which replaces the standard rumble. Sony says that the difference between this and old rumble is night and day. Crashing into a wall with a car, for example, will feel very different to making a tackle in a future version of Madden, for example. You should also be able to tell whether you're running through long grass or mud just from the controller feedback.

The controller, which will use a USB Type-C connector for charging, will apparently be heavier than the DualShock 4 and lighter than the current Xbox controller.

They kept on talking about "ray tracing". What is that?

It's an advanced rendering technique relied on for years by Hollywood visual effects teams. It tries to simulate the way light bounces off objects, producing impressively life-like graphics and amazing reflections. Ray tracing is already available on current-gen gaming PCs running Nvidia’s RTX graphics cards.

Anything else?

For now, no. You can watch the whole reveal below if you like and check back soon for our selection of the most interesting games from the PS5 reveal.

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/ps5-design-release-uk-price-specs-pre-order

5 secure smartphone settings that’ll protect you from hackers

2018-02-03T17:09:00.002-08:00

Most of us spend more time on our phones than our computers, but how secure is your smartphone? Protect yourself online, while you’re on the go, by going through this checklist of 5 phone settings.
1) Don’t use your social logins to sign into third party sites

It’s an increasingly common sign-in feature when logging in. A pop-up appears giving you the option to sign-in with one of your social media accounts, like Facebook, Twitter, or Google. While you might be relieved to get this option (because you forgot your password for the umpteenth time), don’t do it. You’ll be paying for the convenience by giving up privacy because you’re basically linking accounts and letting them both track you, collect data and access your personal information. The worst part is: if one account gets hacked, your other profiles will also be compromised.
2) Clean up your permissions settings

Backtrack and go through each of your social accounts to revoke access you may have already given to companies. On Twitter, click on your image for the dropdown menu, and find “Settings and Privacy.” Click on “Apps” and revoke access and remove any apps and sites you don’t use anymore.

On Facebook, go to “Settings” and then on the tab on the left find “Apps.” While doing this for my own account, I was pretty shocked to see over 50 apps I haven’t used in years like Words with Friends and Candycrush — and even apps like Autorap by Smule, a rapping app I was addicted to a few years ago. I inadvertently let those apps collect data on me and get access to my friend list for years.
3) Turn off location trackers

Do not let your social media apps track your location. Switch off the option that allows for your whereabouts to be posted the moment your photo goes up — and remove all geotags on previous photos. No one needs to know where you are at all times, especially when you’re on vacation thousands of miles away from home.
4) Disable the ability to auto-connect to public wifi

The free wifi offered at a cafe, hotel, or airport should only be used to browse the internet. To do anything beyond that, especially if it’s money- or banking-related, you need a secure connection. Otherwise hackers can get access to your logins, credit card numbers, and bank accounts through these public, unsecured network connections.
5) Set up a secure passcode

This is another situation where you need to give up convenience for added security. Set your phone to require a touch ID and passcode immediately. Even waiting one minute to require verification is too long. While you’re at it, change your passcode every few months to something more secure, opting for a 6 digit passcode instead of 4. And make it something other than 1-2-3-4-5-6.

Facebook's new tool reveals if you're being scammed

2017-12-21T15:43:00.000-08:00

The social network unveiled on Wednesday a security feature that lets you see a list of recent emails sent by Facebook.

Hackers often send emails disguised as messages from companies like Facebook to trick users into giving them login and password information. The tactic, called phishing, is common among cybercriminals.

Now, if you receive an email from an address that appears to be Facebook (FB) -- but don't recognize the activity or the alert -- a tool in its Security and Login section in Settings will tell you if it's legit.

If the email claiming to be from Facebook isn't listed there, you'll know it's fraudulent.

Facebook sends security emails from the domain "Facebookmail.com," offering another way to check its authenticity. But if you don't recognize the domain or sender, you can report the issue directly to Facebook.

In a blog post, product manager Scott Dickens urged users to report fraudulent emails pretending to be Facebook to "phish@fb.com."

Successful phishing campaigns can be costly for consumers and companies. According to security firm Trend Micro, global losses from compromised business email scams, which often originate via phishing, will exceed $9 billion next year.

This is the latest effort from Facebook to improve its user experience. Earlier tihs week, it announced an automatic facial recognition feature to prevent impersonation. It's also cracking down on spammy posts from brands that beg users for Likes or comments.

Apple admits slowing older iPhones because of ageing batteries

2017-12-21T15:23:00.000-08:00

After years of rumours, Apple has confirmed that it does indeed slow down older iPhones, a feature introduced last year to protect against problems caused by ageing batteries.

The feature was implemented on the iPhone 6, 6S and SE last year during a software update, and on the iPhone 7 as of December with the release of iOS 11.2. The feature is planned to be rolled out to newer devices in the future.

Apple said it slowed down phones that have older batteries, batteries with low charge or that are cold.

An Apple spokesperson said: “Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers, which includes overall performance and prolonging the life of their devices.”

The company explained that when a battery is in a poor condition it may not be able to supply the required maximum current demanded by the phone’s processor at full speed. If that happens, the iPhone can shut down unexpectedly to protect the internal components.

It was one of the factors contributing to users finding that their iPhone 6S would turn off abruptly, even though there was about 30-40% charge remaining in the battery.

“Last year we released a feature for iPhone 6, iPhone 6S and iPhone SE to smooth out the instantaneous peaks only when needed to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down during these conditions,” said an Apple spokesperson. “We’ve now extended that feature to iPhone 7 with iOS 11.2, and plan to add support for other products in the future.”

The feature was recently highlighted by users on Reddit, who noticed that their processors were running slowly in iPhones with older batteries, but that when they replaced the batteries the speed of the phone returned to normal.

Analysis of data by benchmarking firm Primate Labs collected from thousands of iPhones appeared to confirm the theory, showing multiple performance peaks for phones of different ages, slowing down from their maximum speed.

The confirmation will reignite the debate over “planned obsolescence”, the practice of intentionally hobbling a device after a certain period to nudge users into buying new products. Experts have long dismissed users’ complaints that their iPhones have slowed down immediately before the release of a new model.

Apple insists that this slowdown feature is not an example of planned obsolescence, and instead is designed to protect against battery problems and prolong the life of iPhones. But the poor communication to users of the fact that Apple considers this a feature, not a bug, has caused many to lash out at the company.

John Poole, the founder of Primate Labs, said in his analysis of the Geekbench data that “users expect either full performance, or reduced performance with a notification that their phone is in low-power mode. This fix creates a third, unexpected state.”

“While this state is created to mask a deficiency in battery power, users may believe that the slowdown is due to CPU performance, instead of battery performance, which is triggering an Apple-introduced CPU slowdown.”

The problem can be fixed by replacing the phone’s battery. Apple charges £79 ($79) to replace batteries not covered under the phone’s warranty.

How to stop rogue ads that can set you up for malware

2017-12-21T03:29:00.000-08:00

Of all the advertising-inflicted annoyances on the web, the “forced redirect” ad most deserves to be shot into the sun.

As you’re reading a page an ad bumps your content aside with an obviously fraudulent pitch — maybe a phony claim that your computer has been hit with a virus, maybe a fictitious offer of a free gift card — and takes over your browser’s address bar.

Clicking or tapping the back button doesn’t get you away from the pestilential ad, because it already sent your browser through a loop of page reloads. Your only recourse is closing the entire tab — or, if this happened as you read something shared on a social network’s mobile app, quitting the entire program. What’s more, these ads can lead you to download malware or trap you in a financial scam.

“These are the bottom of the bottom,” said Jason Kint, CEO of Digital Content Next, an online-publishing group that has been campaigning against fraudulent and deceptive ads.

And while everybody hates the way these ads attack our ability to read the things we want online, they persist with cockroach-like tenacity. For that, you can blame a malfunctioning ad market and software defenses that have yet to catch up.

But they’ll soon get some help.

Business model of a nuisance

Forced-redirect ads reach you in the same way those “Around the web” ads show up at the bottom of sites you visit. Automated exchanges match up advertisers with available spots on pages in real time.

Such “programmatic” ad networks are supposed to let advertisers meet potential customers–as determined by tracking your activity on web pages–at the lowest possible cost and with minimal human involvement. When it works, these networks put ads in front of you that match your interests.

But con artists have been exploiting these automated systems for years, and especially malevolent ones can exploit JavaScript coding to take over a page in your browser by forcing a “redirect” to another page.

“Third-party ad networks with lots of dynamic bidding […] require constant attention from publishers to keep out scam ads that run arbitrary JavaScript,” explained Ryan Singel, CEO of Contextly, a developer of web-publishing tools. “You’d think the ad networks would do this filtering but they don’t do a thorough job.”

That’s because ad networks can still make money off of these obnoxious ads.

Exploiting programmatic ads and web coding like this lets a crook get one of the usual scams that much closer to a target. “The bad guys use them to do attribution fraud, phishing scams, exploit kits and a variety of more edge type of attacks,” said Louis-David Mangin, CEO of the ad-security firm Confiant.

Fighting back at multiple levels

The traditional approach of reporting sketchy content to a site’s owner — see, for instance, the 46 pages of posts flagging ”Disruptive Ads” on the popular travel site FlyerTalk, or the frustration publishers voice on Reddit’s AdOps subreddit — doesn’t work well when there are so many scammers who can cloak their identities so easily.

One answer is smarter screening of programmatic ads to catch the con jobs. Confiant, for example, offers an ad-industry equivalent of malware protection; Mangin said his company’s system can catch and stop a hostile ad before it can finish loading in a browser.

FlyerTalk’s parent firm Internet Brands, meanwhile, is now evaluating services from the ad-monitoring firms The Media Trust and GeoEdge, said spokesman Joe Ewaskiw.

Digital Context Next, for its part, launched its own ad marketplace, TrustX, at the end of September to give publishers an alternative to networks that regularly serve up junk or worse.

The single biggest company in online ads, Google, is trying to attack the problem in two places.

Its Accelerated Mobile Pages system for speedy reading on phones and tablets now features a locked-down ad format that bans the scripting trickery forced-redirect ads deploy. And its Chrome browser will block that same behavior automatically when its release 64 ships towards the end of January.

Other browser vendors have yet to build in the same defenses.

“Google has staked out a much stronger position on this issue than the other browsers,” said Confiant’s Mangin. “They are not just the largest browser, but the largest mobile OS, the largest ad exchange and the largest ad server, so it makes sense that they be the first to move.”

Google competitors like Apple, Microsoft and Mozilla would be wise to follow its lead. And web publishers would be wise to remember that these aren’t the only kind of bad ads they need to fix, from fraudulent ads (projected to be a $16.4 billion problem this year) to the clickbait that treats you like an idiot.

Warned Contextly’s Singel: “The online ad ecosystem is rife with fraud, and publishers ought to worry much more than they do about the damage these kinds of ads and other low-rent ad units do to their reputations with readers.”

How To Turn Off iPhone X

2017-12-20T14:48:00.000-08:00

I’m a big fan of Apple’s iPhone X. In fact, it’s the first iPhone in years that I want to buy for myself. It’s also the most expensive one yet, which doesn’t bode well for my bank account.

But after using a version of the handset Apple sent me, I’ve noticed a slight issue. See, no one I handed the phone to could figure out how to turn it off the first time they used it. That’s because the original power button is now used to call upon Siri, lock the screen and bring up Apple Pay.

So how do you turn it off? With standard iPhones, the 8, 8 Plus and all of their predecessors, you simply hold down the large button on the phones’ right sides, then swipe their screen to turn them off.

The iPhone X, however, requires you to hold down the side button and either the volume up or volume down buttons at the same time until the power off screen appears, then swipe to shut it down.

It’s a bit confusing because it’s completely different from how you’re likely used to turning off a phone. Moreover, quickly pressing the volume up and side button at the same time takes screenshots, so you might find yourself capturing your phone’s screen by accident a few times when you’re just trying to turn it off.

That isn’t to say you won’t remember how to turn your phone off after you figure it out the first time, or that it’s a reason to not love the iPhone X. But if you picked one up, searched for a way to turn it off and ended up here, you understand where I’m coming from.