Tag: tech

Another day, another company tests Apple’s resolve. This time, it’s TikTok allegedly violating the company’s rules for apps, with the video platform seemingly allowing some users to purchase its coins directly from its website. TikTok has apparently given some iOS users the option to “Try recharging on tiktok.com to avoid in-app service fees” — namely Apple’s 30 percent commission on purchases.

According to photos shared on X (formerly Twitter) by David Tesler, co-founder of the app Sendit, TikTok is prompting users to save around 25 percent when purchasing coins (used to tip creators) thanks to lower third-party service fees. They can then use Apple Pay, PayPal or a credit or debit card to complete their transaction. It’s unclear why only some users have access to this circumnavigation; one hypothesis is the feature was turned on for individuals who previously purchased a large number of coins.

Apple notably kicked Fortnite off its app store in 2020 after Epic Games introduced discounts on the game’s currency for anyone who directly purchased it. The incident set off a multi-year legal battle, with Apple reinstating Epic Games’ developer account in March after the European Union began looking into the situation. More recently, Apple has faced pushback from Spotify and rejected updates that would have displayed the music streamer’s pricing and allowed in-app plan purchases. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-might-be-going-around-apples-in-app-purchase-rules-for-its-coins-134527587.html?src=rss

LinkedIn, the professional network known for job listings and unsolicited career advice, is jumping into gaming. The platform is officially introducing a set of Wordle-style puzzle games, weeks after they were first spotted in the app.

The company is starting with three games: Pinpoint, a word game where players must guess the theme that ties a series of words together; Queens, a puzzle game that’s a bit like a cross between Sudoku and Minesweeper; and Crossclimb, a trivia game that involves guessing a series of four-letter words and placing them in the correct order.

LinkedIn describes them as “thinking-oriented games,” though the format will likely look familiar to fans of The New York Times Games app. Each game can only be played once a day, and players can share their score with friends in cute emoji-filled messages reminiscent of the “Wordle grid.” The service will also keep track of “streaks,” to encourage players to come back every day. Given the similarities, it shouldn’t be surprising that games were developed by LinkedIn’s news team, which recently hired a dedicated games editor.

Games have been a boon for The New York Times since it acquired Wordle in 2022, and other publications have tried to emulate that success with their own lineup of word and puzzle games. I asked LinkedIn’s editor-in-chief and VP of Product Dan Roth if the company was inspired by the success of Wordle and the NYT’s Games app. He said that the inspiration was actually much older: “the very first crossword puzzle” in the New York World newspaper more than 100 years ago. He added that there aren’t currently plans for a standalone gaming app.

“These games aren’t designed to be just played,” Roth told Engadget. “We’re not getting into the gaming world to get into the gaming world. The idea is games that can help you think differently and connect with your network.”

You can try out the new games on LinkedIn.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/linkedin-now-has-wordle-style-games-you-can-play-every-day-133035046.html?src=rss

Ring makes a camera for pretty much every corner of your home but, until now, has never gone near one with a motorized base. That changes today with the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam that, as the name implies, lets you spin the unit around 360 degrees to keep up with what’s going on. The new unit has a tilt range of 169-degrees and offers color HD video no matter the lighting conditions. You’ll get all of the usual features with a standard indoor cam, including motion alerts and two-walk talk, plus the extras that come with a Ring subscription.

Given the tendency for folks running AirBnBs to covertly film their guests, there’s a built-in hardware kill switch. A mechanical shutter can be slid over the front of the camera, and Ring promises that both the video and audio feeds will be disabled until the cover is moved back. The company is also aware its usual range of colors, or lack of, might cramp your style if you’re buying one for the living room. That’s why this unit will be the first to launch in black and white, but also three new colors: Blush (pink), Charcoal (grey) and Starlight (off-ish white). These new colors will also come to Ring’s standard second-generation indoor camera in due time.

The new Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Camera is available for pre-order today for $80 and will begin shipping on May 30.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/rings-new-indoor-camera-lets-you-pan-and-tilt-for-a-better-view-130047398.html?src=rss

The Rabbit R1, a pocket-sized AI virtual assistant device, runs Android under the hood and is powered by a single app, according to Android Authority. Apparently, the publication was able to install the R1 APK on a Pixel 6a and made it run as if it were the $199 gadget, bobbing bunny head on the screen and all. If you already have a phone and aren’t quite intrigued by specialized devices or keen on being an early adopter, you probably didn’t see merit in getting the R1 (or its competitor, the Humane AI Pin) in the first place. But this information could make you question the device’s purpose even more. Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu, however, denied that the company’s product could’ve just been released an Android app.

In a statement sent to Android Authority, Lyu said: “rabbit r1 is not an Android app.” He added that the company is aware that there are “unofficial rabbit OS app/website emulators out there” and is discouraging their use. “We understand the passion that people have to get a taste of our AI and LAM instead of waiting for their r1 to arrive,” he continued. “That being said, to clear any misunderstanding and set the record straight, rabbit OS and LAM run on the cloud with very bespoke AOSP and lower level firmware modifications, therefore a local bootleg APK without the proper OS and Cloud endpoints won’t be able to access our service. rabbit OS is customized for r1 and we do not support third-party clients. Using a bootlegged APK or webclient carries significant risks; malicious actors are known to publish bootlegged apps that steal your data. For this reason, we recommend that users avoid these bootlegged rabbit OS apps.”

Android Authority admitted that Spotify integration and other features probably wouldn’t work when the R1 is installed on a phone, because it was created to run on the company’s specialized firmware. However, it promised a follow-up story delving deeper into the subject. 

The R1 has the capability to book you an Uber, find you titles to songs stuck in your brain or look for recipes that can incorporate ingredients you have in your fridge, among other things a virtual assistant or an AI chatbot can do. When Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu introduced the R1 at CES 2024, he demonstrated how it can be trained to do a variety of other tasks when he taught it to generate an image using Midjourney. Engadget Deputy Editor Cherlynn Low found it more fun and accessible than the $700 Humane AI Pin, but she remains skeptical about the usefulness of AI devices overall. It may still be too early to tell whether they have the potential to become a must-have product for your daily life or the high-tech equivalent of single-use kitchen tools. We’re already in the midst of testing the R1 and will publish a review soon to help you decide if it’s worth giving the product category a chance. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/rabbit-denies-claims-that-its-r1-virtual-assistant-is-a-glorified-android-app-123049869.html?src=rss

Beats today announced the Solo 4, a $200 set of familiar-looking cans with significant upgrades inside, even if they look almost entirely the same as the Solo 3.

At this price, the Solo 4s don’t have any active noise cancellation and, according to Billy Steele, who tested the new headphones, they sound a bit thin. However, sound is generally improved, and the boost to 50 hours of playback (along with USB-C) is a major improvement over the predecessor. They’re available to buy now.

Engadget

Beats also surprised us with new sub-$100 Solo buds, wireless (non-ANC) earbuds with 18 hours of playback. One focus is comfort, with ergonomic acoustic nozzles and vents assisting with audio performance and relieving the pressure on your ears. The Solo Buds will be available in June for $80.

— Mat Smith

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Instagram algorithm overhaul will reward ‘original content’

And penalize low-effort aggregators.

Instagram is overhauling its recommendation algorithm for Reels to support and increase “original content.” It could greatly impact aggregator accounts and other accounts that mostly report other users’ work. The company is also changing how it ranks Reels to boost smaller accounts.

The app’s changes around “original content” could be pretty immediate. Instagram says it will actively replace reposted Reels with the “original” clip in its suggestions when it detects two pieces of identical content. Aggregator accounts that “repeatedly” publish posts from others will be penalized even more harshly. I’ve come across many accounts (often through Reels) that are simply the same viral clip (that isn’t even original) posted and reposted as far as I was willing to scroll. These changes could shrink the chances of coming across lazier content like that.

Continue reading.

FCC fines America’s largest wireless carriers $200 million

It’s for selling customer location data.

The Federal Communications Commission has slapped the largest mobile carriers in the US with a collective fine worth $200 million for selling access to their customers’ location information without consent. AT&T was ordered to pay $57 million, while Verizon has a $47 million fine. Meanwhile, Sprint and T-Mobile are facing a penalty with a combined amount of $92 million, as the companies merged two years ago. Apparently, the carriers sold “real-time location information to data aggregators,” and this data ended up “in the hands of bail-bond companies, bounty hunters and other shady actors.”

Continue reading.

The Instax mini 99 is an instant camera that’s cool

But it’s more like a Polaroid.

Engadget

Fujifilm’s Instax cameras have been around for a while, but the new Instax mini 99, which was released this month, looks more like my X-T2 and other Fujifilm models than yet another plasticky Polaroid. From a distance, it looks like a pricey digital camera, but it costs only $200. It also has modes and filters to customize your tiny instant photos. That flexibility, combined with the understated look, makes for an instant camera I might actually buy (and use).

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-our-verdict-on-the-beats-solo-4-headphones-111559935.html?src=rss

New graduates have a lot to manage: applying for jobs or further education, staying on top of their finances, keeping healthy and maybe even finding a more permanent place to live. Instead of a gift basket full of food they don’t eat, consider giving them a subscription to a service they’ll use regularly instead. Be it a new service that can make their lives easier, or footing the bill for something they already pay for, your new grad will thank you for the thoughtful yet practical gift. Here are some of the best subscription services to consider gifting to new graduates this year.

Commuting

Cloud storage and security

Productivity

Fitness

Entertainment

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-apps-and-services-for-new-graduates-130003658.html?src=rss