Google Wallet is among the most used digital wallet apps in Western markets. It has now started supporting Apple Wallet passes, which is excellent, as many services offer passes for Apple Wallet. It has also received support for linked passes, which sometimes improve the user experience.
These Google Wallet features work on Galaxy phones, too.
Google Wallet now supports Apple Wallet passes, but it doesn’t work every time
Last month, Google Wallet started testing support for Apple Wallet passes (with .pkpass file extension), and it seems to have started rolling out that feature more widely in the US. It has been released through the latest Wallet and Play Services updates. It can now read data inside .pkpass files, which means you can add things like movie and travel tickets in the Google Wallet app.
The folks over at 9To5Google were able to add parking passes by clicking the ‘Add to Apple Wallet’ button, which allowed them to download the pass and import it into the Google Wallet app. However, they couldn’t add a baseball game ticket to Google Wallet, as the website asked them to download the pass using the Safari web browser.
An alternative method requires an iPhone. You can add the pass via Apple Wallet on an iPhone, email the pass file to yourself, open it on an Android phone, and import it into Google Wallet. However, this is too cumbersome, and most people don’t have two phones, let alone an Android phone and an iPhone.
Google Wallet also supports linked passes
Google Wallet has received a feature (via 9To5Google) that allows it to ‘Automatically Add Linked Passes.’ The new feature is enabled by default in the Passes section of the app. Pass providers can use this feature to automatically add passes or tickets related to an event, offer, or promotion.
For example, passes can be added for offers linked to an existing loyalty card. A meal voucher pass can be added along with a flight boarding pass or an event ticket. It also allows a parking pass alongside an event ticket. All these are pretty convincing use cases.
I had three flagship phones on three different tripods all aimed at a sun rapidly being crowded by a nuisance moon, and all I wanted was one or two excellent eclipse shots.
Turns out that photographing a solar eclipse with your smartphone is not that easy. In fact, figuring out a repeatable process without cauterizing your retinas is downright challenging. But I did it. I grabbed some of the best smartphones money can buy, the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Google Pixel 8 Pro, and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, and prepared for 180 minutes of celestial excitement.
That last selection might turn a few heads. It is, after all, a now aging flagship Android phone that does not have the latest image processing or even the fastest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip found in the Galaxy S24 Ultra (the S23 Ultra has the Gen 2). However, one thing it has that none of my other flagship smartphones offer is a 10X optical zoom (not even the S24 Ultra has that).
Throughout this endeavor I committed to not using any enhancements, leaving the phones’ zoom lenses to do their best work without digital magic. I never pinched and zoomed. I just pointed each phone at the eclipse and hit the shutter.
Making an adjustment
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Except as soon as I did this, I realized it wasn’t going to work. The sun naturally blows out the exposure on all the phones. It’s not that I haven’t taken pictures of the sun before. I’ve snapped quite a few with the iPhone and to get over the blowout, I tap the sun on screen and that speeds up the exposure to lower the light and bring out the sun’s definition.
An eclipse wreaks havoc with a smartphone’s exposure controls, and the more the moon occludes the sun, the sharper that light becomes. My solution was simple and likely one you’ve seen elsewhere. I took my Celestron eclipse glasses and carefully placed the film of one sunglass lens over each phone’s zoom lens. If you ever have trouble identifying which camera is the zoom, just open the camera app, select the max optical zoom, and put your finger over each camera lens until you see your finger on the screen.
Three phones, three tripods (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
The solar sunglasses helped with cutting down the massive glare. After that, I tapped on the screen and adjusted the exposure until I could see the sun getting the Pac-man treatment from the moon. In most cases, the result was a very orange-looking sun.
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For the next hour or so, I shifted from one phone to the other, repositioning my tripods, lining up the sun, and snapping away.
There were some non-smartphone-related glitches, like cloud cover right before our peak totality (90% where I live) but I was more successful than I expected and the smartphones, for the most part, were up to the challenge.
Not all smartphone cameras are created equal
As you can see, the Ultra’s 10X zoom gets you closer. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
You’ll see some of my comparisons above and below (I’ve used the best from all the phones in the above shots) which I did not resize or enhance, other than cropping them where possible to show them side-by-side.
While the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Pixel 8 Pro shoot at 12MP (the latter is binned from a 48MP sensor, meaning four pixels combined into each one), the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 10X zoom camera is only 10MP. I think those numbers do factor into the overall quality.
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
The Google Pixel 8 Pro matched the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 5x zoom and sometimes seemed sharper than either the iPhone or Galaxy S23 Ultra, but I also struggled the most with the Pixel 8 to capture a properly exposed shot. It was also the only phone that forced a long exposure after the peak 90% coverage. The good news is that some of those long exposures offered up the most atmosphere, managing to collect some of the cloud cover blocking my full view of the eclipse.
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Things got more interesting with the iPhone 15 Pro Max and its 5x Tertrapism lens. The eclipse appears a little closer than on the Pixel 8 Pro, but also more vibrant. There are a handful of iPhone 15 Pro Max pictures where I can see the clouds and it’s quite beautiful. As with all the phones, this image capture process was a bit hit-and-miss. Colors shifted from orange to almost black and white, and sticking the focus was a challenge. When I did manage to capture a decent photo, I was thrilled.
One of the Google Pixel 8 Pro’s best eclipse photos. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 10x optical zoom pulled me thrillingly close to the eclipse. It was certainly easier to get the exposure and focus right. At a glance, the S23’s images are better but closer examination reveals significant graininess, so much so that some appear almost like paintings and rough canvas.
As I dug deeper into all the photos, I noted how each phone camera used ISO settings to manage the image capture and quality. The iPhone 15 Pro Max ranged from ISO 50 (very slow light capture) to ISO 800 (super fast for ultra-bright situations and action shots). Naturally, those at the upper end of the spectrum are just as grainy as those from the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which ranges from as low as ISO 250 to 800.
Sometimes the comparison came down to a matter of taste. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
The Google Pixel 8 Pro has the widest range from as low as ISO 16 to an astonishing ISO 1,536. It used that for a capture of the 90% eclipsed sun behind clouds. Aesthetically, it is one of the better shots.
If I had to choose a winner here, it would be the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra by a nose. That extra optical zoom means you have more detail before the graininess kicks in.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is a very close second, but only because it was easier to capture a decent shot. I also think that if it had a bigger optical zoom, the iPhone’s powerful image processing might’ve outdone the year-old Galaxy.
Probably my favorite iPhone 15 Pro Mac eclipse shot. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Google Pixel Pro 8 has some great shots but also a lot of bad ones because I couldn’t get it to lock in on the converging sun and moon. It also suffered the most when it came to exposure. Even so, I am impressed with the ISO range and the sharpness of some shots.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max and Google Pixel 8 Pro also deserve special mention for producing my two favorite shots. They’re not the closest or clearest ones, but by capturing some of the clouds, they add an ethereal, atmospheric element.
If I live long enough to see another eclipse (there’s one in the American Midwest in 2044), I’ll look for special smartphone eclipse filters and give it another try. By then we could well have 200x optical zoom cameras with 1,000MP sensors.
Gemini is lining up to become an even bigger part of the Android ecosystem as a toggle switch for the AI may soon appear on the official Google app. Evidence of this update was discovered in a recent beta by industry insider AssembleDebug who then shared his findings with news site Pianika Web.
The feature could appear as a toggle switch right above the search bar. Flipping the switch causes the standard Search interface to morph into the Gemini interface where you can enter a prompt, talk to the model, or upload an image. According to Android Authority, turning on the AI launches a window asking permission to make the switch, assuming you haven’t already.
If this sounds familiar, that’s because the Google app on iOS has had the same function since early February. Activating the feature on either operating system has Gemini replace Google Assistant as your go-to helper on the internet.
Gemini’s new role
You can hop between the two at any time. It’s not a permanent fixture or anything – at least not right now. Google has been making its AI more prominent on smartphones and its first-party platforms. Recently, hints emerged of Gemini possibly gaining a summarization tool as well as reply suggestions on Gmail.
It is possible to have the Gemini toggle switch appear on your Android phone. AssembleDebug published a step-by-step guide on TheSpAndroid, however, the process will take you a long time. First, you’ll need a rooted smartphone running at least Android 12 which is a complicated process in of itself. We have a guide explaining how to root your mobile device if you’re interested in checking that out. Then you’ll need the latest Google App beta from the Play Store, the GMS Flags app from GitHub, and Gemini on your device.
Even if you follow all of these instructions, there’s still a chance it may not work, so you’re probably better off waiting for the switch to officially roll out.
No word on when that’ll happen. Although we could see the feature make its official debut during next month’s Google I/O 2024 event. The tech giant is cooking up something big and we can’t wait to see what it is.
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Google today introduced the Find My Device network for Android-based products, mirroring the functionality of Apple’s Find My network that’s designed to locate Apple devices.
Like Apple Find My, the Android Find My Device network is able to use the millions of Android devices (running Android 9 or later) out in the wild to track down lost, stolen, and missing Android products. A lost Android smartphone is able to ping nearby Android devices using Bluetooth, relaying location information back to the owner.
Because the network uses Bluetooth, it works even when Android devices are offline and do not have a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. Some devices, such as the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, will be locatable even when powered off or when the battery is dead. Find My offers the same feature set for iPhones.
Starting in May, the Find My Device network for Android smartphones will also work with Bluetooth trackers from companies like Chipolo and Pebblebee, allowing Android users to attach trackers to items to locate them with the Android network. While Google isn’t designing its own trackers, these third-party trackers will work in the same way that AirTags work.
To keep iPhone users from being tracked without their knowledge using this new network, Google worked with Apple to create an industry specification that lets both iPhone and Android users get alerts about nearby unknown item trackers regardless of the brand of the tracking device. Google waited until Apple implemented support for third-party tracker alerts to launch its network, based on code found in iOS 17.5.
iOS 17.5 appears to expand the “Found Moving With You” AirTag alerts to third-party item trackers, allowing the iPhone to recognize Android-based item trackers and those from other companies. “You can disable this item and stop it from sharing its location with the owner. To do this, follow the instructions provided on a website by the manufacturer of this item,” reads some of the iOS 17.5 code.
Google was able to learn from the criticism that Apple faced after launching AirTags. There have been numerous news stories and reports of criminals using AirTags for stalking, car thefts, and more, leading Apple to make multiple changes to unwanted tracker alerts. Apple upped the frequency of notifications and also designed a Tracker Detect app for Android devices, but Apple’s work with Google ensures a more permanent solution that keeps Android and iPhone users safe as another major tracking network launches.
Google Pixel phones look set to get a new smart feature called “look up” which allows you to identify unknown callers.
Tipster Assembler Debug spotted the feature in the Google Phone app beta version 127.0.620688474, and explained how it captures an unknown number in the ‘Recents’ tab of the app, which when selected prompts users to select an appropriate app like Google Search to check the web for the number.
This should then serve up results for an unidentified number query and help users discover who’s been calling. For now, the look up feature appears to work best for finding businesses that have listed details online rather than private individuals and scam callers.
This currently limits the feature’s use, but hopefully we’ll see the integration of features like automatically filtering and blocking untrustworthy calls in the final version, like those seen in apps like Truecaller, which prevent potential fraudsters.
The look up feature went live in Japan as part of the March Feature Drop and could roll out globally in the next drop, which is expected to be around May/June.
Google Pixel Phone app to get ‘Lookup’ feature to identify recent unknown callers and some UI tweaks for the emergency in-call screenRead – https://t.co/QSHpOqzlV1🏳️ Flags are shared in the post for rooted users ✓#Google #Android pic.twitter.com/gIMJhT8dNXApril 5, 2024
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Pixel connectivity problems
Google Pixel phones are often the first to receive the latest smart features and frequent updates, however, they’re also known for having more glitches and software hiccups, such as the update that led to users needing to wipe their phones back in January.
The flip side of having access to the latest features like look up is that it can also occasionally lead to more serious problems like the connection issues some Pixel owners claim to have been experiencing since the March 2024 update.
This intermittent connection problem is preventing some Pixel users from being able to receive calls and is causing text messages to arrive delayed. According to posts on the Google Support forums and Reddit, the connectivity problem appears to be affecting Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 series users worldwide and across multiple networks.
One Reedit user says phone calls on his Pixel 7 Pro are going straight to voicemail without the phone ringing. He also says text messages are coming through in batches throughout the day and not when they were sent.
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This leads to suddenly receiving multiple voicemails for calls and delayed text responses from multiple individuals and group messages that were sent over the previous two to three hours, causing him to miss important calls.
Several other users have said they are experiencing the same problem and have tried workarounds. One of these suggestions involves cycling between turning airplane mode on/off to get their reception back, which worked with limited success. Some users also claim a factory reset has worked, while others say it hasn’t solved the issue, which certainly points to the problem being on Google’s end.
Google Forum user Gazaka claims Google suggested: “Go to settings > about phone > Send feedback about this device and report there with the phone logs”. This apparently will lead to engineers checking the information, followed by a fix on the next patch update, which the user says is roughly the fifth of each month.
We contacted Google for comment on this story and will update it when we hear back.
For now, no permanent solution for everyone has been found, and Pixel users will need to keep a close eye on their phones for messages and missed calls until a fix is found.
The Google Pixel 8a isn’t much of a secret at this stage. A new batch of leaks gives further evidence of the handset’s existence and tells us the specs and the design we can look forward to in the upcoming mid-range phone.
Well-known tipster Yogesh Brar (via Android Authority) has posted several specs for the phone, as well as a price estimate of $500 – $550 (that’s about £395 – £435 / AU$760 – AU$835). As for the phone, we can expect a 6.1-inch, 120Hz, OLED screen, a Tensor G3 chip, as well as 128GB and 256GB storage options.
Google Pixel 8a- 6.1″ FHD+ OLED, 120Hz- Tensor G3- 128/256GB storage- 64MP (OIS) + 13MP (UW)- 13MP selfie- Android 14- 4,500mAh (~)- 27W chargingLaunch: May ($500-550)What are your price expectations?April 5, 2024
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Apparently, there’s a dual-lens 64MP+13MP camera around the back and a 13MP selfie camera on the front, with power provided by a 4,500mAh battery. Those specs match up well with the Google Pixel 8, though we assume the new phone will come with cheaper materials and a few other compromises to hit a lower price.
The leak lends more credence to some of the earlier rumors we’ve seen, including one about the 120Hz screen on the Pixel 8a. As you’ll see from our full Google Pixel 8 review, that handset retails at $699 / £699 / AU$1,199, so there may not be too much to choose between these phones when the Pixel 8a appears.
Google hints
This couldn’t be the Pixel 8a, could it? (Image credit: Google)
There are a couple of other leaks to tell you about. One, as spotted by MySmartPrice, suggests several Pixel 8a models have now shown up in the Bluetooth SIG (Special Interest Group) database. This doesn’t tell us too much, other than that a launch is getting closer.
And lastly, it seems Google is getting in on the leaks. As spotted by GSMArena and others, a new Google Fi Wireless advert shows a phone that doesn’t exactly match the Pixel 8 design, leading to some speculation that this is the Pixel 8a. Of course, it might just be a mockup of a generic Pixel phone.
The biggest changes this year could be around the phone’s design, because leaked renders have pointed to larger bezels and curvier corners. Those extra curves also appeared in a separate leak, making it easier to believe this is the final Pixel 8a design.
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The way that users get information from the web has evolved over the years. People used to rely on news sites and Google to keep abreast of what was going on in the world, but then Twitter arrived and cemented itself as an alternative (and often inaccurate) source of news. Although it’s facing the threat of being banned in the US, TikTok has become a major source of information for younger users, and AI chatbots have really come into their own as a valuable tool for delivering tailored, instant information.
The rise of voice-activated AI assistants like Amazon‘s Alexa and Google Assistant has also revolutionized the way we access information, allowing users to simply ask for what they want to know, rather than having to search for it manually. However, with this evolution comes the responsibility of discerning reliable sources from misinformation, a skill that is becoming increasingly important in the AI age.
Recent surveys by Applause and Forrester indicate a significant shift in consumer behavior, with users increasingly favoring AI chatbots over traditional search engines for both research and basic queries.
Similar findings
Applause‘s 2024 Generative AI Survey reveals that 91% of respondents use chatbots for research, and 81% prefer them over search engines for basic queries. However, as is perhaps to be expected, concerns about data privacy, bias, and performance persist.
Applause found ChatGPT is the most popular chatbot, used by 91% of users, ahead of Google Gemini (63%) and Microsoft Copilot (55%). Despite worries about providing private information to chatbots, with 89% of respondents expressing concern, the practical applications of Gen AI are now widely acknowledged. However, only 19% of users believe that chatbots understand their prompts every time, indicating room for improvement.
Forrester‘s State of Consumer Usage of Generative AI 2024 echoes these findings, noting that GenAI has made AI more visible in consumers’ daily lives. While companies race to incorporate AI, consumer adoption is still in its infancy due to concerns about its ethical implications. The report also highlights the demographic differences in GenAI adoption, with younger, male, and more highly educated consumers more likely to have used the technology. The report states that almost half of Millennial and Gen Z adults in the US, UK and France have used GenAI, compared with only 12% of Baby Boomers.
Forrester also found 34% of US consumers used GenAI, compared to 27% in the UK and 25% in France.
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Work still needed
Despite widespread concerns, the benefit of GenAI is widely recognized. Among online adults who had heard of GenAI, 50% agreed that it would make it easier to find information online. However, 45% agreed that GenAI posed a serious threat to society, indicating a split in consumer attitudes towards the technology.
The surveys reveal that the golden era of search engines might be coming to an end, as consumers increasingly turn towards AI chatbots for their information needs. However, as Chris Sheehan, SVP Strategic Accounts and AI at Applause sums up, “Chatbots are getting better at dealing with toxicity, bias and inaccuracy – however, concerns still remain. Not surprisingly, switching between chatbots to accomplish different tasks is common, while multimodal capabilities are now table stakes. To gain further adoption, chatbots need to continue to train models on quality data in specific domains and thoroughly test across a diverse user base to drive down toxicity and inaccuracy.”
Google Podcasts is gone. The streaming platform recently went offline on April 2, bringing the six-year saga to a close. Now it joins the likes of YouTube Stories and the Stadia console over in the Google Graveyard.
If you open the app or go to the official website, you get a message stating the service is no longer available. Google asks you to transfer your subscriptions to either YouTube Music or export them to a third-party service.
We recently published a guide teaching you how to migrate subscriptions over. Moving things to YouTube Music is pretty straightforward as it all can be done on the Google Podcasts app. Migrating to a third-party is a little trickier as it requires creating an OPML file then uploading that file to a supporting service. Be aware you have until July 31 to move your data. After that, you’re out of luck.
The push for YouTube Music
YouTube Music will take the place of Google Podcasts as the company coalesces its audio content onto the app. As a service, it’s not the worst replacement, but it’s nowhere near the best.
The main problem with podcasts on YouTube Music is it plays second fiddle to, well, music. It’s not the main appeal. Yes, the platform has made multiple updates to improve podcast support, however there’s a lot of work to be done. The search bar still prioritizes musical artists and playlists, even if the “Podcast” filter is on. Some people find the user interface to be really messy since it’ll be clogged with song recommendations, making it difficult to find shows. The list goes on.
So, for those of you who are looking for a new podcast home besides YouTube Music, below is a list consisting of the best alternatives.
1. AntennaPod – Best alternative on Android
(Image credit: Future)
AntennaPod is a volunteer-built platform that is totally free. It has no ads whatsoever (unless the publisher of a podcast puts them in there), and you can subscribe to whatever show you want via RSS feed. New episodes will appear on the home screen with the option to download them for offline listening. You can set up a queue for back-to-back episodes with a history tab for future reruns. What’s more, it’s all easy to use. The UI is streamlined to minimize headaches.
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The developers posted a series of instructions last November teaching people how to migrate over to AntennaPod from Google Podcasts. Like we mentioned, it involves creating an OPML file. The main problem with this app is it’s only available on Android. iPhone owners will have to look elsewhere.
2. PocketCasts – Best feature rich alternative
(Image credit: Future)
Compared to AntennaPod, PocketCast has way more features. It offers a wide array of resources to discover new shows. Categories include content that’s popular in the US, podcasts originating from Ireland, books, Women’s History Month, music, and so on. The player has an interesting set of tools as well. You can increase the playback speed to be twice as fast and trim the silent parts in episodes. You can even set up sleep timers.
Everything we just mentioned is available completely for free. You can add more by purchasing a subscription. Pocket Casts Plus, for example, offers access to both a desktop and smartwatch app among other things. The app is available on Android and iOS.
3. Overcast – Best features for iOS
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Rounding the trio is the iOS-exclusive Overcast. It’s an incredibly popular app on iPhone, currently sitting with a near-perfect 4.7 out of 5 rating on the Apple App Store. Much of its praise is levied at its intuitive design, and reviews mention its “many useful features.” It’s similar to the previous entries as Overcast shares some of the same capabilities, like downloading episodes for offline listening, although it boasts some unique tricks up its sleeve.
Voice Boost cleans up audio mixing so all podcasts play at the same volume. Smart Speed cuts out those awkward silences. Overcast does have ads, but you can get rid of them with the Premium subscription.
We also want to give an honorable mention to Spotify. It’s done a lot of work in fostering that side of its business, becoming a major player in the podcasting world. However, it’s difficult to recommend it as a replacement to Google Podcasts for the same reason we can’t really suggest YouTube Music. Spotify is a space for a variety of content, not just one.
If you want something solely for enjoying podcasts, go with the three above. Be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the best earbuds for 2024 while you’re at it too.
Google today began letting Android customers know that it will soon launch a promised Android-based Find My Device network, reports 9to5Google. Google announced the upcoming Find My feature last year, but it has not yet debuted because Apple and Google were working to develop a cross-platform solution for unwanted tracking alerts.
Code in iOS 17.5 suggests that Apple is adding support for discovering nearby third-party item trackers and alerting iPhone owners when one has been located. “You can disable this item and stop it from sharing its location with the owner. To do this, follow the instructions provided on a website by the manufacturer of this item,” reads some of the code.
With Apple likely planning to add alerts for third-party trackers in iOS 17.5, Google is clear to launch its new Find My Device network, which will allow Android smartphones to be used to locate lost phones, Bluetooth trackers, headphones, and other accessories.
Apple and Google first announced plans for an industry tracker specification in May 2023, with the aim of putting an end to the misuse of Bluetooth item trackers for tracking individuals. Both companies have been working to implement AirTag-style tracking alerts so people will know when a tracker of any kind is nearby.
After Apple launched the Find My network alongside AirTags, there were countless news stories and reports of criminals using AirTags for stalking purposes, leading Apple to make several changes to unwanted tracker alerts. iPhones were initially able to identify nearby AirTags and alert customers if they were being used for stalking purposes, but Android devices could not. Apple remedied this with a Tracker Detect app for Android, but the partnership with Google will allow for a more permanent and reliable solution that will work regardless of device.
Google says that the Find My Device network will let Android users find their devices even when offline, and it will work with compatible Fast Pair accessories as well as Android-based electronics. Google plans to launch the network early next week.
While the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are still months away from launching, there are already over a dozen rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped new features and changes expected for the devices so far. These are some of the key changes rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models as of April 2024:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with large…
A first look at iOS 18’s rumored visionOS-style redesign may have been revealed by a new image of the Camera app. Alleged iOS 18 design resource. MacRumors received the above iPhone frame template from an anonymous source who claims they obtained it from an iOS engineer. It will allegedly be included as part of the Apple Design Resources for iOS 18, which helps developers visually design apps …
Apple is exploring various “personal robotics” projects in an effort to create its “next big thing,” according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Amazon’s Astro robot One of these projects is described as a “mobile robot” that would “follow users around their homes,” while another is said to be an “advanced table-top home device that uses robotics to move a display around”:Engineers at Apple have…
Nearly one year after it launched in the U.S., the Apple Card’s high-yield savings account will be receiving its first-ever interest rate decrease. Starting on April 3, the Apple Card savings account’s annual percentage yield (APY) will be lowered to 4.4%, according to data on Apple’s backend discovered by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The account currently has a 4.5% APY. 4.4% will …
Apple has yet to release the first beta of iOS 17.5 for the iPhone, but two changes are already expected with the upcoming software update. iOS 17.5 will likely allow iPhone users in the EU to download apps directly from the websites of eligible developers, and the update might include some changes to how Apple ID recovery contacts work. More details about these potential changes follow. W…
Apple today added a handful of devices to its public-facing vintage and obsolete products list, including some older iPhone and iPad models. Apple now considers the iPhone 6 Plus to be “obsolete” worldwide, meaning that Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers no longer offer repairs or other hardware service for the device. Apple says it considers a product “obsolete” once seven…
Best Buy is discounting a large collection of M3 MacBook Pro computers today, including both the 14-inch and 16-inch versions of the laptop. Every deal in this sale requires you to have a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership, although non-members can still get solid second-best prices on these MacBook Pro models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and…
Apple researchers have developed an artificial intelligence system named ReALM (Reference Resolution as Language Modeling) that aims to radically enhance how voice assistants understand and respond to commands. In a research paper (via VentureBeat), Apple outlines a new system for how large language models tackle reference resolution, which involves deciphering ambiguous references to…
Google Chrome for Android allows you to create groups of tabs, which is a very nifty feature as it helps you organize tabs. Furthermore, it also provides you with the option to give a tab group a name, which makes it easier for you to distinguish between various groups of tabs. Well, the company is now working on providing you with another way to distinguish between tab groups in Chrome for Android.
According to a new post from a Chrome expert on X/Twitter who goes by @LeoPeva64, Google is working on allowing you to give a tab group a color, which will make it easier for you to distinguish between various tab groups. According to the video they have shared, there are nine colors you can choose from. Once you select a color for a tab group, a thick dot (a circle) with that color will appear on the top-left corner of the tab group.
At the moment, the feature is live in Chrome for Android’s Canary channel. Just like any other feature that the company tests in this channel, there’s no guarantee that tab group coloring will make it to the stable version of the web browser. However, we hope that it does as it seems like a very useful feature, especially if you don’t want to spend time thinking about a name for a tab group and typing it out.
