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Spotify is waving goodbye to its heart icon. The company is combining the icon, which enables you to quickly save music to your library, with the "add to playlist" prompt under a single plus button.

The plus button works a little differently on Spotify than it does on Apple Music, where tapping it a second time on an album or playlist downloads it to your device. When you tap Spotify's plus button once, you'll add a song, playlist, podcast or audiobook to your library. The plus button will then turn into a green check. If you tap the checkmark on the Now Playing view, you'll be able to add the song or podcast episode to a playlist rather than just saving it to your Liked Songs or Your Episodes.

Spotify

Spotify says the plus button will streamline how folks save songs and podcasts. It wrote in a blog post that user research showed the button "helped save time and gave users the ability to add to multiple playlists at once." It could come in useful, for instance, if you're listening to a radio station or Discover Weekly and encounter a song you like that would work well on one or more of your playlists. 

The plus button is starting to roll out on Spotify's iOS and Android apps today. It'll be available to all Spotify users in the coming weeks.

Snap announced today that it’s adding an OpenAI chatbot (similar to ChatGPT) to Snapchat. “My AI” is an experimental feature initially available for $3.99-per-month Snapchat+ subscribers, although the company reportedly wants to expand it to all users eventually. Snap’s bot rolls out this week.

My AI will appear as a regular Snap user profile, suggesting the company is marketing it less as an all-purpose writing machine and more as a virtual friend. “The big idea is that in addition to talking to our friends and family every day, we’re going to talk to AI every day,” CEO Evan Spiegel toldThe Verge. “And this is something we’re well positioned to do as a messaging service.” When it rolls out, you’ll find the bot pinned to the app’s chat section above conversations with friends.

Snap’s announcement says the bot runs “the latest version of OpenAI’s GPT technology that the authors have customized for Snapchat.” That reportedly refers to OpenAI’s Foundry, a recently leaked, invitation-only developer program for deep-pocketed developers; it lets them use GPT-3.5, the more advanced model on which ChatGPT is based. The company’s publicly available API currently only supports up to GPT-3, an older and less intelligent model. We contacted Snap for clarification on the model used and will update this article if we hear back.

Snapchat

Snap’s chatbot will include restrictions to stay within the platform’s trust and safety guidelines. Hopefully, it avoids a similar fate to CNET’s AI-written articles, the AI Seinfeld experiment or various other AI bot train wrecks. For example, My AI will reportedly steer clear of swearing, violence, sexually explicit content or political opinions. Snap reportedly plans to continue tuning the model as more people use it and report inaccurate or inappropriate answers. (You can do so by holding down on a troublesome message and submitting feedback.)

Even with those protections, Snap’s bot could still become a dumpster fire of misinformation and offensive content. “As with all AI-powered chatbots, My AI is prone to hallucination and can be tricked into saying just about anything. Please be aware of its many deficiencies and sorry in advance!” the company said in its announcement post. “While My AI is designed to avoid biased, incorrect, harmful, or misleading information, mistakes may occur.”

Meta is taking further action as part of its long-running promise to combat sextortion and other forms of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The company has revealed that Facebook and Instagram are founding members of Take It Down, an initiative from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that helps young people and their parents remove intimate photos posted online. The system relies on locally stored photos, but theoretically protects privacy.

Instead of sharing the photos themselves, concerned users visit Take It Down to upload generated hashes. If Facebook, Instagram and other program members spot those hashes elsewhere, they can pull and block the content so it won't proliferate. Meta notes that this isn't just for those under 18, either. Parents can act on a child's behalf, and adults can scrub images taken of them when they were younger. The NCMEC warns that platforms may have "limited capabilities" to remove content that's already online, but this could still help mitigate or undo the damage from unwanted sharing. We've asked Meta for clarification.

Meta announced its anti-sextortion plans in November as part of a broader crackdown against "suspicious" adults messaging teens. The project is a follow-up to the StopNCII technology the company developed to fight revenge porn, and shares a similar implementation. This is the latest in a string of efforts to protect teens on Meta's social networks. The company already limits sensitive content for teen Instagram users and restricts ads targeting young audiences, for instance.

The action isn't entirely voluntary. Meta is under pressure from state attorneys general and other government bodies to show that it protects teens, particularly in light of whistleblower Frances Haugen's accusations that the firm downplayed research into Instagram's effects on mental health. The new takedown platform may lift some of that pressure even as it gives abuse survivors more control over their online presence.

Canada is reportedly the latest jurisdiction to ban TikTok from government-issued devices. The US federal government, multiple states and the European Union have previously prohibited their workers from using the app on official devices.

According to a note sent to Global Affairs Canada employees that was obtained by the National Post, TikTok "will be automatically removed and blocked from use on all government-issued mobile devices." The report suggests that the government will announce the policy, which is expected to be effective March 1st, on Tuesday. Engadget has contacted TikTok and the Canadian government for comment.

"A review of the mobile application’s behavior in relation to the Policy on Service and Digital found that TikTok’s data collection methods may leave users vulnerable to cyber attacks," the note purportedly reads. It may be the case that, similar to their counterparts in the US and EU, officials are concerned about the Chinese government gaining access to the data TikTok holds on Canadian citizens and residents. TikTok parent ByteDance is located in China, which has laws that force companies to share data with authorities when requested.

ByteDance has refuted suggestions that the Chinese government can access such data. It has claimed that Canadian user data is stored in the US and Singapore. However, it said that former employees in China and the US accessed data on American journalists, seemingly in an attempt to detect the sources of leaks from the company.

Canada’s Communications Security Establishment warned earlier this month that “adversary states can influence their domestic vendors to compromise products to advance their national interest, counter to Canadian clients’ interests and the interests of Canada,” but the report didn't explicitly mention TikTok or China. The Canadian government, meanwhile, is facing scrutiny over possible Chinese interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections, as the National Post notes.

Apple is finally ready to show more than a brief glimpse of Ted Lasso's next chapter. The company has shared its first full trailer for the Apple TV+ show's third season, and it's clear the new episodes will illustrate both highs and lows as AFC Richmond returns to the Premier League. The team's quest for redemption and the showdown with Nate (now working for West Ham United) remain the main arcs, but it's evident drama off the field is as important as before.

The trailer suggests Nate has mixed feelings about his defection, and that the new season will dive further into the relationship between Keeley and Roy. It's also clear we'll see more attention spent on Jamie, and Ted's son makes an appearance. Roy's role as assistant coach is already known to factor into the plot, as is Rebecca's rivalry with her ex Rupert.

Ted Lasso returns on March 15th, with new episodes arriving each week. It's unclear if there will be more seasons beyond this. However, it's safe to say Apple isn't leaning on the series as much as it did before. Well-received productions like Slow Horses and Severance have helped bolster the catalog, even if it's still considerably smaller than what you'd find at rivals like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.

Apart from making a few of our favorite chargers and power banks, Anker also sells some of the better values among wireless headphones through its Soundcore brand. If you've been looking to pick up a competent set of noise-canceling headphones for less than $100, a couple of those standouts are currently on sale, with the Soundcore Life Q30 discounted to $60 and the Soundcore Space Q45 down to $100. For the Life Q30, that's not quite an all-time low, but it's still $20 off the pair's typical going rate. The Space Q45 usually retails for $150; this deal matches the lowest price we've seen.

To be clear, neither pair here can match the active noise cancellation (ANC), build quality, call quality, sound and/or overall feature set of the top picks in our best wireless headphones guide, such as the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Bose QuietComfort 45. But if you can't drop $350 or so on a new set of headphones, they can get you much of the way there at a far lower cost. 

Both pairs offer a comfortable fit that doesn't clamp too tight on the head and offers ample padding. Both have superb battery life, lasting between 40 and 50 hours at moderate volumes. Both come with a 3.5mm cable for wired listening, though only the Space Q45 can still use ANC while wired. And while the ANC on each pair isn't top-of-the-line, it's still good, particularly when it comes to muting bass-range noises like a plane or bus engine. Both pairs also include a serviceable transparency mode, which is serviceable, though not as clean as what you can get on pricier alternatives. 

Sound quality is where the Life Q30 and Space Q45 might require some tweaking. Both headphones offer a strongly v-shaped profile out of the box, so their default sound is particularly boosted in the bass and highest parts of the treble. The Life Q30's low-end is especially boomy. Some may like this more excited sound, but it's not exactly natural. With either headphone, you may want to adjust the sound through Anker's companion app, which offers a graphic EQ tool and a few alternative sound profile presets. Just note that, like many cheaper ANC headphones, the signature will sound slightly different depending on what ambient sound mode you use. 

If you can afford the Space Q45, it's the better headphone of the two. Its design feels a bit less flimsy (though both pairs are mostly plastic), and it has an adaptive ANC mode that can automatically adjust the headphone's ANC strength based on your surroundings. The Life Q30, on the other hand, just offers three preset ANC levels. For Android users, the Space Q45 also supports the higher-quality LDAC audio codec. That said, finding any good ANC headphones for less than $100 is difficult; at these deal prices, both the Life Q30 and Space Q45 perform well enough to offer good value.

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Almost four years after it was announced, Pokémon Sleep is finally on the way. During today's Pokémon Presents event, it emerged that the game will arrive sometime this summer. It was originally supposed to debut in 2020.

Pokémon Sleep is a mobile game from Pokémon: Magikarp Jump developer Select Button that can track your sleep. It features Snorlax (of course) and Professor Neroli, a Pokémon sleep researcher. The idea is that you leave your phone next to you when you go to bed.

The app will analyze your sleep and categorize it into one of three types: dozing, snoozing and slumbering. Pokémon that tend to sleep in a similar fashion will gather around Snorlax. The more you play, the more likely you are to unlock rare sleep styles for various Pokémon. Droopy-eared Pikachu in particular looks extremely cute.

The Pokémon Company also provided an update on Pokémon Go Plus +, a physical device that connects to both Pokémon Sleep and Pokémon Go. For the former, you press the button when you go to bed and again when you wake up to track your sleep data, presumably instead of needing to have your phone next to you. There's a built-in alarm, as well as a Pikachu voice that can sing lullabies.

While you're out and about, you can use the disc-shaped Pokémon Go Plus + to automatically spin PokéStops and throw Poké Balls in Pokémon Go without even having to press the button on the device. Eventually, there will be a way to use your sleep data in Pokémon Go too.

Pokémon Go Plus + follows the original Pokémon Go Plus, which emerged in 2016, and the Poké Ball Plus. It will be available on July 14th and it costs $55, almost the same as a new mainline Pokémon game on Switch. When you link it to Pokémon Go, you'll be able to find an adorable version of Snorlax wearing a nightcap when you're out hunting Pokémon.

Netflix's long-running Pokémon partnership is heading in a slightly unexpected direction. The streaming service has marked Pokémon Day by unveilingPokémon Concierge, a show featuring stop-motion animation from Japan's Dwarf Studio. The series follows Haru, who joins Psyduck in meeting various trainers and creatures on vacation.

The companies haven't shared the cast, format or release date. The production is "coming soon," Netflix says. However, it's safe to say you can expect a different style and storyline than the usual tales of Ash, Pikachu and crew.

Netflix first brought Pokémon content to subscribers in 2014, when it added the classic television series and two movies, among other videos. More has flowed in the years since, including the service-exclusive Pokémon Journeys. The strategy remains the same: Netflix potentially draws hordes of younger fans who may stick around for other kid-friendly shows, while The Pokémon Company helps introduce its gotta-catch-em-all brand to a generation that may never watch conventional TV.

After a wave of teasers, OnePlus has revealed its latest experimental phone — and this time the features are more practical than in the past. The OnePlus 11 Concept centers on "Active CryoFlux" liquid cooling that mimics what you see in some gaming PCs. The system uses a piezoelectric ceramic micropump to send cooling fluid throughout pipelines in the phone (visible on the outside) without "significantly" increasing the phone's bulk.

The result is a slight but tangible performance improvement, OnePlus claims. The company says the temperature drop boosts games by up to three to four frames per second, and reduces charging times by 30 to 45 seconds. Those figures won't have you rushing to replace your existing phone, but may help wring the full potential out of an upgrade.

After that, the differences versus the standard OnePlus 11 are mostly cosmetic. The conspicuous pipelines and blue LED lighting are the most obvious changes, but you'll also find a camera hump with intricate guilloché engraving similar to what you'd find on the dial of a luxury watch.

The OnePlus 11 Concept won't enter production. However, it won't be surprising if the liquid cooling and design techniques find their way to future phones. No, this won't match the raw cooling power found in high-end gaming phones, but it might make OnePlus more enticing if you want above-average speed without carrying a brick in your pocket.

Back in December, I got to play with Honor’s second foldable, the Magic VS, but the first one it will sell in the West. It was a Chinese-market prototype with several rough edges, but even so, it made a fairly compelling case for its own existence. Now, three months later, the company has rocked up to MWC with the finished version that’s intended to be sold on this side of the equator. The big news is the price, which is pegged at €1,599 (around $1,690) for the one model, with 12GB RAM and 512GB storage, the same as Samsung’s Z Flip 4. The only difference is that, with Samsung’s handset, you’ll get 12GB RAM but only 256GB storage.

When I spent a few days with the handset, I found plenty of features that merited praise, like the fact it folds flat. Certainly, Honor feels that its second-generation hinge, which keeps the handset tidy in your pocket, is worthy of shouting about. And it has promised that the hinge will withstand 400,000 folds before conking out, and you’ll find yourself gravitating towards that internal screen more than you might expect. While not as well-equipped as the 6.45-inch exterior screen, the 7.9-inch foldable OLED is good enough to sit back and enjoy a movie, or your emails, with. And it’s fast enough to run pretty much anything you’d want to throw at it without breaking much of a sweat.

If there’s one wrinkle, it’s that these devices may not be the future of foldables as much as the narrower, more fashionable clamshells. Devices like Oppo’s Find N2 and Samsung’s latest Z Flip are both more pocket-and-wallet-friendly than their swole counterparts. And that counts for a lot for folks who don’t feel the need to whip out a small tablet when they’re scrolling Instagram. But for the sort of people who, like me, are nerdy enough to want a machine they could theoretically do some work from while on the go, the meatier versions are still king.