Threads Downloads Triple in December; Galaxy S24 Getting Crash Detection; Microsoft Closed Loophole in AI Image Generator That Allowed Swift Deepfakes; Proposed California Bill Would Allow Parents to Block Algorithmic Feeds for Kids

Posted: January 30, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Threads, the Instagram answer to the old Twitter had huge growth when it dropped last summer, then stalled out. Now, it looks like it is taking off again. The app tripled its downloads in December, placing it in the top 10 most downloaded apps for the month on both Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store. According to techcrunch.com, intelligence firm Appfigures reported 12 million new Threads downloads in December, grabbing the #4 spot on Apple’s App store and #8 on the Google Play Store. Meanwhile, X…formerly Twitter, fell to #29 on Apple’s App Store and #46 on the Google Play Store. 

Being in a car crash is a harrowing experience…particularly when it is enough to set off the airbags. Some cars have emergency calling built in, but now Samsung’s S24 phones will join Apple’s iPhones and Google’s Pixel 4 phones in alerting your loved ones if you are involved in a crash. Androidpolice.com notes that all Android devices are equipped with accelerometers and gyroscopes which the OS can read, and the phone can infer when there’s a car crash by analyzing sensor data. Google has been pushing Android phone makers to use the crash detection, so this may open the floodgates for others to follow along. 

Microsoft closed the loophole in its AI image generator that could create explicit images of celebrities like Taylor Swift. After the widespread outrage from Swift’s fans last week after explicit deepfakes of her showed up on X, Redmond took the action. Theverge.com says that Microsoft’s Designer AI image generator could be hacked by altering prompts that got around simple name blocks. Microsoft put out a statement claiming they are committed to a safe and respectful experience for everyone. Time will tell if the hackers are able to get around the updated software. Just before the Swift explicit deepfakes appeared, recall that someone was making political robocalls in New Hampshire with a cloned voice of President Biden. The battle will continue. 

California is considering a couple of bills that would protect kids from social media addiction and preserve their private data. Engadget.com reports that SB976 would give parents the power to remove addictive algorithmic feeds from their children’s social channels. If passed, it would allow parents of children under 18 to choose between the default algorithmic feed — typically designed to create profitable addictions — and a less habit-forming chronological one. It would also let parents block all social media notifications and prevent their kids from accessing social platforms during nighttime and school hours. AB 1949 would attempt to strengthen data privacy for CA children under 18. The bill’s language gives the state’s consumers the right to know what personal information social companies collect and sell and allows them to prevent the sale of their children’s data to third parties. Any exceptions would require “informed consent,” which must be from a parent for children under 13.

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.

Microsoft Better Battery Prototype; Amazon Launches Matter Casting at CES; Meta to Restrict Teen Instagram & Facebook Accounts-Blocking Self-Harm & Eating Disorder Content; Google Chromecast-Watch TikTok on Your TV

Posted: January 9, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Researchers at Microsoft and the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) say they’ve discovered a way to reduce the lithium content in batteries by as much as 70%, using a process that shows the potential for artificial intelligence to significantly accelerate all sorts of scientific research. Geekwire.com reports that The researchers used AI and high-performance computing to identify promising materials for batteries in a matter of days, successfully shortcutting a process that would normally take years or decades, according to an announcement Tuesday from Microsoft and the lab. Researchers acknowledge that the chemistry has yet to be fully proven, and might not work at a larger scale. They say it’s nonetheless a promising development in the quest for alternatives to traditional lithium-ion batteries, which are widely used but have drawbacks such as scarcity, cost, environmental impact and safety.

Amazon just showed off Matter Casting at CES. The system is an interoperable rival to Apple’s AirPlay. Initially, it will only support streaming content from Amazon’s Prime Video app to Echo Show devices, but the feature will support Fire TV in the coming months according to macrumors.com. Later in the year, it will work across a range of other video services, including Plex, Starz, Pluto TV, Sling TV, and ZDF. The Matter standard allows interoperability between platforms, and is backed by Amazon, Google, and Apple. Besides streaming, it is designed to make internet of things devices in your home from your fridge to your thermostat…all play nicely together…eventually. 

Meta has announced that it will automatically limit some types of content teens can see on their Facebook and Instagram accounts. Techcrunch.com says those accounts will be automatically restricted from seeing harmful content, such as posts about self-harm, graphic violence and eating disorders. That content was already kept from Reels and Explore, but now will not be shown in Feed and Stories…even if shared by someone a teen follows. Meta is also automatically placing all teen accounts in Instagram’s and Facebook’s most restrictive content control setting. The setting is automatically applied for new teens joining the platforms, but now it will be applied to teens who are already using the apps. The content recommendation controls, which are called “Sensitive Content Control” on Instagram and “Reduce” on Facebook, are designed to make it harder for users to come across potentially sensitive content or accounts in places like Search and Explore.

Not that more people need more ways to view TikTok, but now Google has announced at CES that they have added TikTok compatibility to Chromecast. Cnet.com reports that in addition, Google has rolled out Fast Pair support for quicker Bluetooth connections…this will work on LG TVs with built in Chromecast this year in addition to the Chromecast dongle. As for the TikTok content…that compatibility is available now…you can stream content including live videos from your phone or tablet over Chromecast to your TV. 

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now. 

Most Popular App Store Apps 2023; Jury Finds Google Has Monopoly in App Store Battle; Ford Cutting Production on F-150 Lightning EV Trucks; Microsoft Agrees to Union Position on Use of AI

Posted: December 12, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

As we near the end of the year, there are always a myriad of lists that come out. Here’s one that is interesting I think. Apple has revealed the most popular App Store apps and games of 2023. Macrumors.com has details on the top free and top paid apps. We’ll just cover the top free apps here. Topping the list is Chinese shopping app Temu. In 2nd place is CapCut Video Editor. #3 is Max, the streaming app for HBO. 4th place is Threads, the barely 6 month old Meta answer to what Twitter used to be before Elon Musk changed it to X and mucked it all up. TikTok is holding down 5th place, and as we reported, it has become the first non-game to top $10 billion in revenue. Instagram is #6…probably getting some growth from people who had to sign up for it like I did in order to sign up for Threads. Google is the 7th place app, and Alphabet—or Google-owned YouTube is close behind at 8th. In 9th place is WhatsApp Messenger…also owned by Meta. 10th place is Gmail. It’s worth noting that 3 of the top ten apps are owned by Meta, and 3 are owned by Google parent Alphabet…so 60% of the top ten apps are owned by two companies…and two apps…Temu and TikTok…come from China. 

It’s being called an Epic win…typical of reporters who love such plays on words…but a jury found in favor of Epic games vs Google over their claimed illegal monopoly battle about Google’s App Store. According to theverge.com, the jury found  that Google turned its Google Play app store and Google Play Billing service into an illegal monopoly. This case was much different from the one Epic lost vs Apple. Here, the issue turned on secret revenue sharing deals between Google, smartphone makers, and big game developers, ones that Google execs internally believed were designed to keep rival app stores down. The damages and remedies are yet to be decided, and you can bet on Google appealing, but for now, Epic as the boss of the level has beaten mighty Google.

Earlier in the year, Ford announced it was dramatically increasing production of the then hot selling F-150 Lightening electric pickup. Now, the Blue Oval company is halving production as sales have slowed. Arstechnica.com says production will drop from 3200 trucks a week to 1600. Ford has said they weren’t making money on the truck, and goosed the base price considerably earlier…from $39,974 before tax credits up about $10 grand to $49,995. Guess what, Ford? You are out of the ‘sweet spot’ for regular joe buyers at that price point. Battery packs are expensive, but with so many less components…like big engines and transmissions, and the like…it seems like they could actually have been making some money at the lower figure…maybe just not what they wanted to make. 

Not an historically union friendly employer, but Microsoft has agreed to union contract language about the use of artificial intelligence. The deal gives workers a voice when challenging how the tech is employed. Engadget.com reports that this is the first time ever Microsoft has done collective bargaining. The Communications Workers of America contract language pretty well echoes Microsoft’s previously announced AI principles, including that AI systems will “treat all people fairly” and “empower everyone.” To that end, it will give employees covered under the contract an avenue of recourse should they feel that Microsoft isn’t holding up its end of the bargain. Principles are fine, but now, it is memorialized in a written contract, which should offer employees more security when it comes to future AI tech.

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now. 

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