It's a busy day for TikTok. Not only has the company announced upcoming changes for the recommendation algorithm, it's rolling out a bunch of editing features that should improve the look (and maybe the sound) of your videos. 

Perhaps the most important update is support for 1080p uploads in select countries. You'll be able to share videos at that resolution by switching on the Upload HD setting from the "More options" section of the publishing page.

The app is offering an easy way to improve the overall look of a video. With the new Visual Enhancement button, TikTok says it will improve the exposure, low-light and color correction aspects with a single tap. After you record or upload a video, you can tap the Enhance button on the right panel. If you don't like the changes, tapping the button again will undo them.

Elsewhere, the Green Screen effect now has Giphy integration, so you can use a GIF from that platform's library as the background of a video. There are more musical and animal voice effects too. TikTok can turn your voice or other sounds into a cat's meow, a flute or a suona (a Chinese double-reed horn). You can try these out by tapping the Voice Effect button on the Editing page.

It seems TikTok is getting into livestreaming from desktops. The service is testing a Windows app called TikTok Live Studio, which allows users to run broadcasts on the platform using their computer.

Users can stream directly to TikTok Live using the software. One of the most obvious use cases for the app is for livestreaming games, which could turn TikTok into a serious competitor to the likes of Twitch given the already-enormous reach of the platform. Live Studio users are able to broadcast content from their computer, phone or game console.

TikTok Live Studio seems fairly barebones for now. Creators can switch on features like gifting, comments and keyword filters. However, they're unable to set browser windows as a source for their streams, have moderators or create alerts for new followers or tips, as they can with other livestreaming software such as OBS and Streamlabs.

Still, it's worth bearing in mind these are early days for the app. TikTok told TechCrunch that only a few thousand users have access for now. If it decides to move forward with the app, the company will likely expand the Live Studio feature set over time. 

Should TikTok add all of the other necessary bells and whistles streamers want to Live Studio, it could become a viable destination for those who want to forego the likes of Twitch and YouTube or tap into an existing fanbase on the platform. Among other things, the app could give creators a way to bring their broadcasts and on-demand videos together in one place.

TikTok is planning some key changes to the For You page (FYP), the app's home screen. It will adjust the algorithm that populates the FYP with a never-ending stream of videos to stop it from showing too much of the same kinds of content.

"As we continue to develop new strategies to interrupt repetitive patterns, we're looking at how our system can better vary the kinds of content that may be recommended in a sequence," TikTok wrote in a blog post. "That's why we're testing ways to avoid recommending a series of similar content — such as around extreme dieting or fitness, sadness or breakups — to protect against viewing too much of a content category that may be fine as a single video but problematic if viewed in clusters."

The service is also working on a way to identify when the algorithm only shows a user limited kinds of videos. It notes that, while videos about loneliness or weight loss might not violate the platform's rules, those kinds of videos could have a negative impact if they make up most of what a user sees on the For You page. So, preventing that from happening is important.

"Our goal is for each person's For You feed to feature a breadth of content, creators, and topics," TikTok said, noting that too many similar videos appearing in the feed doesn't reflect the kind of experience it wants to foster. The service is consulting with its Content Advisory Council and the community, as well as experts from the fields of medicine, clinical psychology and AI ethics.

In addition, TikTok is developing an option that will let users block videos linked to certain words or hashtags on the For You page. That will give them more control over what they see on the home screen.

The FYP recommendation algorithm is TikTok's secret sauce and one of the main reasons why the app became incredibly popular. The app's systems monitor users' engagement habits, such as how long the screen stays on a particular piece of content and the videos someone likes, to determine the kinds of videos that might keep them hooked on the FYP.

At a Senate Commerce Committee hearing in October on the effect of social media on children and teens, senators pressed representatives from TikTok, Youtube and Snap on several matters. Among them was how their algorithms might promote content about issues like eating disorders and self harm.

TikTok's latest announcement might help to soothe the lawmakers' concerns. The platform notes that it'll take some "time and iteration" to make these changes to systems and tools and to get them right.

Alphabet's smart city project is winding down and Google will take over its products. Sidewalk Labs CEO Dan Doctoroff announced the news in a letter, in which he noted he is stepping down for health-related reasons. A spokesperson confirmed to Engadget that Sidewalk Labs will no longer continue as a standalone unit after the transition, though Alphabet plans to spin out Canopy Buildings as a separate company.

"Starting next year, Sidewalk products Pebble, Mesa, Delve, and Affordable Electrification will join Google, becoming core to Google’s urban sustainability product efforts," Doctoroff wrote. "These products will continue to be led by Sidewalk Labs President of Urban Products Prem Ramaswami and Chief Technology Officer Craig Nevill-Manning, both Google alumni, and the teams will continue to execute on their vision and serve customers."

Pebble is a vehicle sensor system designed to manage curb and parking space, and Delve is centered around bolstering real estate development with the help of AI. Mesa sensors are designed to help save energy, while Affordable Electrification is about managing home energy use. Canopy Buildings, meanwhile, focuses on "factory-automated mass timber construction."

Doctoroff started Sidewalk Labs within Google six years ago and it later became its own company under the wing of Alphabet. In October 2017, Sidewalk Labs announced plans to build a smart neighborhood on Toronto's waterfront. Quayside would have featured, among other things, delivery robots and an array of sensors to manage things like noise, traffic and pollution.

However, Sidewalk Labs shut down the project in May last year. Doctoroff said at the time that “unprecedented economic uncertainty” as a result of COVID-19 and other compromises it would have to make meant its vision for Quayside was no longer viable. The company also advised on development projects across North America.

Several companies were spun out of Sidewalk Labs, including Cityblock Health, which aims to reinvent health care for underserved communities; Replica, a controversial data collection project which aims to revamp transportation planning; and Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners, which Doctoroff says "pioneered new forms of tech-enabled infrastructure."

Doctoroff said he's stepping aside after doctors determined it was likely that he has ALS or Lou Gherig's Disease. He's focusing on spending more time with his family and fighting the condition. In 2010, Doctoroff started an organization focused on building a new, collaborative approach to ALS research after the deaths of his father and uncle, who had both been diagnosed with the disease.

Roku is looking to close out 2022 with a bang. Not only is it setting up a New Year’s Eve experience, it's offering 99-cent trials on a bunch of subscription services. Between December 23rd and January 1st, eligible users can sign up for the likes of Showtime, Starz, Epix, AMC+, BET+, BBC Select, AcornTV, Hallmark Movies Now and Lifetime Movie Club via The Roku Channel and pay less than a dollar for their first month.

The company has also revealed more details about the New Year’s Eve experience it announced earlier this month. Starting on December 27th, you can access the experience through the navigation menu on the left of the screen or by searching for "New Year."

Roku

Features include a countdown clock that starts at 11:55 PM local time on December 31st, six days of giveaways, daily trivia and music on The Roku Channel. A special called The Year in Streaming will highlight the top 10 shows of 2021, and some of the year's most memorable shows will be available to stream for free. In addition, you'll be able to deck out your device with New Year- and winter-themed wallpapers and screensavers from Roku.

Soon after the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in March 2020, Uber started a person-to-person package delivery service. Now, the company has expanded Uber Connect to more than 6,000 towns and cities (including all major metropolises) across the US and added a couple of extra features.

As with Uber Eats, couriers can now drop off or pick up the package from the customer's door. Previously, Uber Connect only officially had a curbside meeting option. Customers will be able to add delivery notes or instructions for their driver before pickup or delivery — it's probably worth letting them know about a fragile package, for instance.

New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego are among the cities in which Uber Connect is available. Uber initially tested Connect in 25 cities in the US, Australia and Mexico. 

Other companies have offered similar services for years, such as TaskRabbit. Still, Uber Connect's expansion suggests the service has proven popular enough to make it part of the company's offerings on a much broader basis, helping families and friends in thousands of towns and cities to quickly send each other items. 

Like Spotify, Reddit and Nintendo, Twitch is offering users a snapshot of their 2021 activity. Among other stats, Twitch Recap tells users how long viewers watched broadcasts or how much time creators spent playing games for viewers or streaming from their hot tubs this year.

There was a catch, though. Twitch users needed to opt in to marketing emails in advance. "In order to receive the Recap you had to opt-in for marketing emails prior to them being sent," Twitch said on its support Twitter account. "Unfortunately, we aren't able to manually re-send recaps."

Naturally, the replies to that tweet are full of complaints from disappointed folks who didn't realize they'd switched off marketing emails or wereunaware they needed to opt in. Others suggested Twitch should have offered the recap on its website and app, as so many other services do.

Twitch is obviously free to send out the recaps in any format it likes, and if it wants users to sign up for marketing emails first, so be it. However, Twitch probably should have communicated that better to users who usually enjoy seeing their recaps and sharing them with others, and who now might have missed out. It could have sent them a notification if they were yet to opt in.

Meanwhile, Twitch shared its own recap. Viewers spent 1.2 trillion minutes watching streamers this year while more than 14 million channels streamed for the first time. It said the top categories was once again Just Chatting (which is self-explanatory), followed by Grand Theft Auto V and all of its roleplayers, League of Legends, Valorant and Minecraft.

The latest Indie World Showcase stream has wrapped up, and while there was unfortunately no word about Hollow Knight: Silksong, Nintendo has revealed more details about other games that are coming to Switch. Among them is OlliOlli World, which will be released on February 8th.

The latest OlliOlli game from Roll7 (which Take-Two recently bought) is a skateboarding platformer, in which you score points by pulling off tricks as you make your way through the world of Radlandia. Along with there are two asynchronous multiplayer modes. In Gnarvana League, you'll duke it out for the highest score and the more you play, the more cosmetic items you'll unlock for your character. In the Gnarvana Portal mode, you can take on levels that are procedurally generated with a few customizable factors in mind, such as style, difficulty and length. You can share creations with other players using a code, which will work across all platforms.

Roll7 and publisher Private Division have also announced two expansions for OlliOlli World. The Void Riders DLC, which will arrive in summer, will add more levels, characters, gameplay options, cosmetics and a new biome. The second expansion is set for next fall, and more details will be revealed later.

As well as Switch, OlliOlli World is coming to PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Pre-orders start today and the base version of the game costs $30. The Rad edition, which costs $45, includes both expansions. Owners of the base game will be able to buy the DLC separately. 

Other titles featured during the Indie World Showcase include Chicory: A Colorful Tale. The game, in which you paint the world to explore and solve puzzles, was a critical hit earlier this year. It’s available on Switch today. Also coming to the hybrid console today are the excellently named action platformer Dungeon Munchies, party game Let’s Play! Oink Games and stealth puzzle adventure Timelie, for which a demo will be available.

Don’t Starve Together and Omori are getting ported to Switch this spring. Among the new games that are setting sail for Switch are Sea of Stars, an RPG prequel to The Messenger (which will arrive in holiday 2022), puzzle title Aliisha – The Oblivion of Twin Goddesses (spring), Figment 2: Creed Valley (February, with a demo available today) and River City Girls 2 (summer).

Polk Audio has unveiled its first Dolby Atmos soundbar. The Signa S4 has seven drivers (including two upward-facing drivers) geared toward delivering 3D audio for movies, TV, music and games. A wireless subwoofer is bundled in.

The company says that if content isn't set up for Dolby Atmos, the soundbar can create a "virtual Atmos experience" by upmixing the height, surround and center channels. In addition, the Signa S4 harnesses Polk’s VoiceAdjust technology, the goal of which is to make dialogue more intelligible during noisy scenes and when watching something at a lower volume.

Polk Audio

You can place the subwoofer anywhere in the room, as long as it's within 33 feet of the soundbar. The two devices will pair automatically. A Bass Adjust feature will tweak the low-end settings on both the soundbar and subwoofer. There are one-button presets designed for movie and music playback. There's also a night mode that lowers the bass and places more emphasis on dialogue.

You can connect the Signa S4 to your TV via HDMI, optical cable or even aux-in. The device should be compatible with most modern TV remotes and there's Bluetooth support too.

The soundbar is available starting today from Polk's website and other retailers. The Signa S4 bundle, which includes HDMI and optical cables, costs $399.

If you've managed to beat the bots and score a PlayStation 5 over the last 13 months, you now have another way to watch movies and TV for free. Amazon's IMDb TV is now available on the console in the US. The app landed on Xbox Series X/S and PS4 earlier this year.

You'll be able to check out Amazon Originals, including shows like Alex Rider and Top Class: The Life and Times of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers. There's a growing ad-supported library of licensed shows and movies too, such as Chicago Fire, All in the Family and that classic family holiday favorite, Die Hard. Amazon and Universal also reached an agreement earlier this year to bring many of the studio's movies to IMDb TV, including The Invisible Man, F9, Despicable Me 2 and Shrek 2.

Along with gaming consoles, IMDb TV is available on smart TVs, phones and tablets and streaming platforms, including Amazon's own devices. The service expanded to the UK in September.