Twitter is expanding its experimental fact-checking program, Birdwatch, and making its misinformation debunks a lot more visible. With the expansion, about half of Twitter users in the United States will start to see Birdwatch's debunks added to misleading tweets.
The initiative, which first debuted more than a year ago, takes a crowd-sourced approach to debunking misinformation on Twitter. Community moderators who are part of the program can append notes to misleading tweets to “provide informative context” rather than a binary true/false rating like other fact checking sites. Other contributors can then rate whether a note is “helpful” or not.
Now, Twitter is adding more people to the ranks of Birdwatch contributors — there are currently about 15,000 — and introducing a new system for rating contributors. Those who join the program will now have to earn the ability to add notes by first rating the notes of other contributors. Once their contributor score reaches a “5” they can then start writing their own notes. But if those notes are repeatedly deemed “not helpful” by other contributors, they could lose their note-writing privileges.
Twitter
The scoring system seems to be designed to help ensure that Birdwatch contributors don't go rogue and begin adding their own misinformation to Twitter. Notably, documents released by Twitter's former security chief turned whistleblower, showed that the company had mistakenly allowed an "overt QAnon account" into Birdwatch and only caught it the night before the program launched.
Birdwatch's latest expansion also means that the fact checks will be much more prominent than in the past. When the program first launched, they were only viewable on a separate website. That began to change earlier this year, with Twitter adding fact-checks directly to tweets, but it was still only visible to a small number of people. Now, Birdwatch has expanded to millions more users. Twitter says about half of its US users will be able to see Birdwatch-powered fact checks, though they caution that users shouldn’t expect to see them on “every tweet.”
The company says that early research suggests the fact checks are having a positive impact. According to Twitter, “people who see a Birdwatch note are, on average, 20-40% less likely to agree with the substance of a potentially misleading Tweet than someone who sees the Tweet alone.” And people are “15-35% less likely” to retweet or like a tweet with a Birdwatch note, the company says, adding that the percentage is an “estimate” based on “internal data.”
After keeping mostly the same design, Apple went to extremes when building the first model to change up the familiar formula. With the Apple Watch Ultra, the company kept is signature rectangular shape, but it created a much more rugged device that's built for just about any outdoor extreme you can throw at it — wet or dry, hot or cold. From the more durable case to the customizable action button and new bands, there are a lot of visual differences between the Ultra and the rest of Series 8. However, what Apple has done on the inside may be even more impressive.
The first thing that strikes you about the Watch Ultra is the size. The 49mm device is noticeably larger than the rest of the Watch line, especially when you place them side by side. I wear the largest model of the Series 7 and the Ultra is significantly bigger. The next aspect you'll notice is how much more premium this model looks than the rest of Apple's wearables. Sure, you'd expect this with a more expensive device, but Apple set out to build a true outdoors watch, a smart model that could rival even the best diving options out there. So, in terms of design, I think the company has succeeded while keeping its trademark shape.
The bigger watch brings a bigger and brighter display, and stuck beside my Series 7, the difference is immediately apparent. Colors pop and there's more contrast, plus the extra space allows you to put a load of data right on the main screen. Apple created the wayfinder face that you see here that offers not only a compass, but room for up to eight other complications.
The new action button is on the left side, allowing you to access a number of activity features with one press. The first time you do, the Watch Ultra will ask you to assign a task from its list of options. There are workout, waypoint, backtrack, dive and other items here, all of which will allow you to carry out basic functions without having to go into a specific app and swipe or tap around. Of course, most of what's inside the Watch Ultra will have to be tested outside. No one is going diving right outside of the Steve Jobs Theater. However, there's a load of features for the outdoors, whether you're a runner, hiker or diver.
The rest of Apple Watch Series 8 doesn’t look different from previous models, with the updates almost exclusively coming to sensors and other internals. While things like the new temperature sensor and upgraded crash detection sound good on paper, it’s difficult to judge these items after just a few minutes with the devices. Plus, some of them you hope you never have to use. We’ll make sure to put all of the new internals and their software features through the proper paces during our upcoming reviews, so stay tuned on more detailed impressions on the Watch Series 8 and new Watch SE.
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It's September, and that means new iPhones are coming right around the corner. Apple announced its latest smartphones are its "far out" event today, ushering in the era of the iPhone 14. Fans will have four options this time around: the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus, along with the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, with the latter two showcasing all of the latest hardware improvements you can get on an Apple handset today. The company also announced the much-rumored Apple Watch Ultra, a more durable, outdoorsy version of the classic smartwatch, as well as a slightly updated versions of the standard Apple Watch, Apple Watch SE and AirPods Pro. You'll be able to get your hands on all of these gadgets soon, so here's everything you need to know about how to pre-order the iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Pro and all of the other devices announced today.
iPhone 14
Apple
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will be available for pre-order starting on September 9th and will cost $799 and $899, respectively. The iPhone 14 will be more widely available on September 16th, while the iPhone 14 Plus will be more widely available on October 7th.
Both the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus offer minor improvements over last year's iPhone 13 series. The iPhone 14 has a 6.1-inch display while the 14 Plus has a 6.7-inch display, and both use Apple's Liquid Retina XDR panel technology. Both run on last year's A15 Bionic chipset, and Apple claims the iPhone 14 Plus has the best battery life of any iPhone to date. The company gave the cameras a slight upgrade as well: both smartphones have a new 12MP main camera with a larger sensor and faster aperture, while the front-facing camera has been updated to a 12MP TrueDepth shooter with autofocus. The main camera also supports a new feature called Action Mode, which makes videos with a lot of movement look smoother and more stabilized.
iPhone 14 models support 5G connectivity and enhanced eSIM capabilities. All US models lack physical eSIM trays, which means you can more easily connect to your cellular service provide using eSIM technology. As for new safety features, the iPhone 14 will support crash detection, which can detect when you've been in a car crash and automatically contact emergency services on your behalf, plus a new feature called Emergency SOS via Satellite. The latter will help you contact emergency services even when you're in an outdoor dead zone. That feature is coming in November and will be free for two years for those that buy an iPhone 14.
iPhone 14 Pro
Apple
The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will be available for pre-order starting on September 9th and will start at $999 and $1,099, respectively. They will be more widely available on September 16th.
This year, the Pro phones have a noticeably different design than previous iPhones. The rumors about a pill-shaped cutout turned out to be true — the screen notch is now gone and has been replaced by this pill-shaped space that houses the front-facing cameras as well as Apple's privacy dots, which turn on when apps use your camera or microphone. From a software standpoint, that space is dubbed the "Dynamic Island" as it will change and expand to adapt what you're doing on your iPhone, notifications you receive and more.
The iPhone 14 Pro has a 6.1-inch display while the Pro Max has a 6.7-inch screen, and they're always-on for the first time ever. Apple designed the panel to be as power efficient as possible, dynamically adjusting the refresh rate down to as low as 1Hz when necessary. The new Lock Screen in iOS 16 will show a bunch of things on the display like the time, widgets, live activities and more, and the Pro screens will do things like automatically dim to preserve power while continuing to show you relevant information, Lock Screen photos and backgrounds and more.
As expected, the Pro handsets run on Apple's new A16 Bionic chip and they have an updated rear camera array along with a new TrueDepth front-facing camera. The rear setup includes a new 12MP telephoto lens, a 12MP ultra wide camera and a 48-megapixel main shooter that has a 65-percent larger sensor than that in the iPhone 13 Pro. The Pro phones will also support all of the new features found on the standard iPhone 14 models, including 5G and eSIM connectivity, crash detection, Emergency SOS with Satellite and more.
Apple Watch Ultra
Apple
The Apple Watch Ultra will be available to order starting today and will cost $799. It will be more widely available starting on September 23rd.
The new Apple Watch Ultra is designed for those that are avoid outdoor adventurers, water sport athletes and endurance trainers. It has a refined design with a larger, sapphire crystal display that sits flat against the Watch's 49mm titanium case. Apple added a new action button to the side of the case that's in a noticeable orange color, and can be customized to suit each user's quick-action preferences. The Digital Crown is larger as well, and the other side button protrudes a bit from the Watch's edge, and all of these hardware charges are supports to make the Ultra easier to use with gloves on.
The Apple Watch has been water resistant for quite some time, but the Ultra takes this up a notch with WR100 water resistance and a new built-in depth gauge that helps it be a tool for tracking activities like scuba diving. Apple also redesigned the compass app to be easier to use and show more precise locations, and the Ultra has a built-in siren that can alert others to your location from up to 600 feet away.
All Apple Watch Ultra models come with cellular connectivity built in, plus this model has the biggest battery of any Apple Watch to date. The company promises up to 36 hours of battery life on a single charge, and up to 60 hours of total battery life when using a "battery optimization setting" that's coming later to watchOS 9.
Apple Watch Series 8
Apple
The Apple Watch Series 8 will be available to order today and starts at $399 for the GPS-only models and $499 for the GPS + Cellular models. It'll be more widely available on September 16th. Those who order a new Apple Watch will also receive three months of Apple Fitness+ for free.
The Apple Watch Series 8 isn't as big of a departure from the Series 7 as the new Ultra model is. The Series 8 looks largely the same as the last year's model, but it now includes two temperature sensors that could help detect when you're running a fever and it will come in handy with Apple's new ovulation tracking features. The Watch will take your temperature on a regular basis and record that data in the Health app, and it'll provide alerts that show when you were likely ovulating based on that data and additional cycle data. In addition to new ovulation tracking, the Series 8 with watchOS 9 will also support possible cycle deviation alerts.
Another new feature available on the Series 8 (as well as the Ultra) is crash detection. This builds upon the existing emergency services features found on previous generations: the Watch can detect when you've been in a car crash, and when it does, it'll automatically alert your emergency contact as well as contact emergency services and provide them your location.
Otherwise, it's much the same as the Series 7 with an always-on display that reaches almost to the border of the case, a dust-proof and crack resistant design. It also still supports an all-day, 18-hour battery life, but it will also have a new low-power mode that can extend battery life to up to 36 hours in total. What's better is that low-power mode will be available on Apple Watch Series 4 and higher that run watchOS 9, so even if you have an older Watch, you'll be able to make use of this new feature.
Apple Watch SE
Apple
The new Apple Watch SE will be available to order today starting at $249 for the GPS-only models and $299 for the GPS + Cellular models. It'll be more widely available on September 16th.
Apple's minor update to its entry-level Watch brings the same SiP that's in the Series 8 to the more affordable smartwatch. The new SE will also support high heart rate alerts, fall detection and crash detection thanks to the upgraded sensors inside of the device.
AirPods Pro (second-generation)
Apple
The second-generation AirPods Pro will be available to order starting on September 9th and will cost $249. They'll be more widely available on September 23rd.
If you were hoping for drastically different AirPods here, you may be disappointed. Apple's latest AirPods Pro look almost identical to the previous model as most of the changes are internal. The buds have an updated H2 chip that enable features like personalized spatial audio and advanced computational audio. Apple's also promising up to two times better active noise cancellation on these earbuds when compared to the previous generation. The new buds also now support touch controls thanks to a new capacitive sensing layer on their stems, plus a longer, six-hour base listening time.
Follow all of the news from Apple’s iPhone event right here.
Probably the biggest new features for the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus isn't one you'll use ever day, but you'll be glad you have it if you need it. The new phone has a built-in satellite connection that people can use to send emergency SOS messages in places where there's no available cellular signal.
First, your iPhone will help you orient your phone in the direction you need to point it to get the best signal. Once you have a connection, you can open up a message interface that lets you communicate with emergency service providers. Apple says that because of satellite connectivity limits, it'll take much longer to send messages than you're used to, so the feature includes some automatic questions it prompts you to answer, like "is anyone hurt?" It'll have auto-populated answers that you can tap to respond. Apple is also compressing messages to a third their normal size to make sending them a little quicker.
Apple say that once the message it sent to the satellite, it then gets sent to emergency response centers; if those centers are only set up for voice calls, they'll first be routed to a response center that'll then get in touch with emergency response.
This feature will be included for free for two years with all iPhone 14 and 14 Pro models; it's not clear how much it'll cost after that. For people who are frequently away from cellular signals — perhaps the same people who are looking at an Apple Watch Ultra — this feature could be extremely useful in a tough spot.
Follow all of the news from Apple’s iPhone event right here.
The iPhone 14 Pro is here, and it's one of Apple's most significant upgrades in years. We're used to seeing better camera and screen technology in Apple's "Pro" lineup, but this time around it's a dramatic departure from the standard iPhone 14. For one, Apple has done away with the notch, which first arrived with the iPhone X way back in 2017.
Developing...
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The iPhone 14 delivers a 49 percent improvement in low-light performance and it's all thanks to a tweak Apple made to its Deep Fusion image pipeline. During its Far Out event on Wednesday, Apple detailed all the camera enhancements coming to its 2022 iPhone lineup, with its new "Photonic Engine" leading the list of improvements.
Developing...
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Apple has officially unveiled the iPhone 14 at its "Far Out" event today and it seems mostly like an iterative upgrade over last year's models. We do have a new Plus model this year by way of the iPhone 14 Plus, which features a 6.7-inch display, in addition to the 6.1-inch iPhone 14. And unlike what the rumor mill was speculating, the front camera notch is still there.
Both the iPhone 14 models have the same Super Retina display that goes up to 1,200 nits, and feature ceramic shield covering for protection from scratches. The devices are available in five colors this year, including new blue and purple shades.
In addition to bigger screens, the iPhone 14s have longer battery lives, with Apple saying the Plus has the best battery life ever in an iPhone. They're also powered by the same A15 Bionic processor as last year's iPhones. The most significant updates appear to be in cameras so far, with a new 12-megapixel main camera that has a larger sensor and bigger pixels at 1.9 microns. Video recording is also getting a new feature called Action Mode, which stabilizes shaky footage as you're recording.
Apple (Screenshot)
Another notable change this year is the removal of the physical SIM card tray. With US carriers more widely supporting eSIMs, Apple is getting rid of the slot on the edge of the iPhone so users no longer have to fiddle with the tiny bits of plastic and can get their phones remotely provisioned.
The company also introduced a new service called Emergency SOS via satellite. Apple "designed and built custom components and specific software so that iPhone 14 antennas can connect to satellites' unique frequencies." A new app will show you where to point your phone to establish a connection when you're out in the wilderness, so you can get a satellite link and send your emergency message. The app also reduces the number of keystrokes you'll need to enter, by offering templates and asking questions about your situation (like the terrain you're in), so you can get help in the quickest way.
You can also use some of the new Emergency SOS features while you're hiking using Find My, so you don't need to be in a crisis situation to use it. The service launches in November and will be free for two years with the iPhone 14 in the US and Canada. No word yet on how much Apple intends to charge after that time.
The iPhone 14 starts at $799 while the Plus starts at $899 and they'll be available for pre-order on September 9th. The base model will be available on September 16th, while the Plus rolls out on October 7th.
Follow all of the news from Apple’s iPhone event right here.
Three years after Apple released the AirPods Pro, the company is at long last ready to talk about the second incarnation of the earbuds at its big September hardware event. Previous reports indicated that AirPods Pro 2 wouldn't have significant design changes, with most of the changes reserved for the interior. But there's one big update to the exterior: touch controls. You'll be able to control audio playback with swipe gestures on the AirPods Pro's stems.
The earbuds are powered by a new chip, the H2. Apple claims this will help AirPods Pro cancel out up to twice as much noise. There's a new driver that could help to improve the audio quality, and there's spatial audio support. You'll be able to use your iPhone's camera to set up a custom spatial audio profile.
Developing...
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Two years after introducing the Apple Watch SE, Apple is refreshing its entry-level smartwatch. In the process, the company is bringing over some of the features found in its more expensive wearables. To start, the second-generation model features the same processor as the company's newly announced Series 8 smartwatch.
Developing...
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In addition to the debut of the Watch Series 8, Apple had another wearable on deck for today’s iPhone 14 event. True to the rumors, the company has built a Ultra version of its wrist-worn device that’s larger and more durable with longer battery life than the “regular” models. Aimed solely at folks who are either very active or spend loads of time outdoors, the Apple Watch Ultra offers a host of premium upgrades over the rest of series 8. But all of those extras come with a much higher price tag.
The most obvious difference between the new Ultra model and the rest of the Series 8 lineup is size. The Watch Ultra is noticeably larger with a bigger screen, which means it might not be ideal for people with smaller wrists. That extra display real estate is meant to enable users to view more health and activity data than the smaller versions of the wearable. And of course, the Ultra will have its own watch faces specifically designed for the larger screen, like the new wayfinder option.
Developing...
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