Apple Music and Apple TV apps have quietly arrived as preview versions on Microsoft Windows 11, according to a tweet from @ALumia_Italia seen by Thurrott. It's now possible to download the apps from the Microsoft Store, along with another preview app called Apple Devices that lets you "manage Apple devices from your Windows PC," according to the description. 

At its 2022 Surface event, Microsoft announced that the apps would be coming to Windows 11 this year, so the news isn't a huge surprise. Apple's standalone Windows media apps have been a long time coming — it was recruiting engineers to build them as far back as 2019. Those apps replaced iTunes on Mac, and the aim is to eventually replace them on Windows as well.

All the apps appear to require Windows 11 Build 22621 or higher, but they seem to function well, according to 9to5Mac. Apple TV works much like the app on Xbox or Smart TVs, giving access to Apple TV+ and Apple TV Channels, along with movies and TV shows from the iTunes Store. Apple Music is missing the lyrics feature, but is otherwise the same as the macOS version.

As for Apple Devices, it also replaces iTunes for sync and backup. It'll allow you to back up Apple devices, sync local media and restore firmware without the need for iTunes. 

When launching them for the first time, you'll be warned that iTunes for Windows will stop working (you need to uninstall the apps to continue using iTunes). That's not necessarily a bad thing, as iTunes for Windows doesn't exactly offer a terrific user experience. 

Google is making Meet more social with a new feature called in-meeting reactions. The idea is that users can send one of nine emoji reactions, including 💖👍 and 😂, which will appear on the recipient's window and be visible to all in the meeting. If multiple users send emojis, they'll appear as a burst on the left side of your screen. 

To use the function, you select the smile icon in the control bar, and can hover on the bar that pops up to select the skin tone of your choice for all emojis. Google calls it a "non-disruptive way to engage and participate in meetings without interrupting the speaker," with "skin tones that best represent your identity." Reactions will be on by default and can be turned off in the Admin console. The feature arrives starting on January 16th to web, Meet hardware devices and mobile, for all consumer and paid users.

Another feature arriving in the coming weeks is 360 degree backgrounds. Users on mobile will be able to insert 360 degree backgrounds that shift around based on your device's gyroscope for a more immersive experience. Backgrounds include a beach to start with, then oasis, sky city, and mountain temples to follow. It'll be available on mobile for iOS and Android, to consumers and paid users. 

Apple is working on an update to the AirPods Max headphones and developing an AirPods "lite" with a $99 target price, analyst Min-Chi Kuo wrote in a tweet spotted by 9to5Mac. The new products won't be coming anytime soon, however, with a target release date for the more affordable AirPods no earlier than the second half of 2024, according to Kuo.

With the AirPods lite (or LE, or whatever Apple decides to call them), Apple would likely be trying to claw back some market share from the many cheap wireless buds on the market. The current AirPods 2 sell for $129, while the AirPods 3 cost $169, though both are often discounted. Neither offers active noise cancellation, while rivals from companies like Oppo offer ANC for under $100. 

Apple's focus on its AR headset will lead to a "muted 2023" for other products, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, so the new audio products won't arrive soon. Kuo tweeted that the next-generation AirPods, including the less expensive model will ship starting in the second half of 2024 or first half of 2025. He didn't say what date Apple is targeting for the AirPods Max, but they haven't had an update since their launch in December of 2020. 

With the 3rd-gen 2021 AirPods , Apple introduced Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, along with an updated design, Adaptive EQ, IPX4 sweat and water resistance, longer battery life, improved speech quality and more. The main complaints with the product were around fit, sound quality and pricing. 

Twitter has started to roll out a big change on iOS by replacing the "sparkle" button that switches between the algorithmic and reverse chronological feeds. Now, you swipe between two tabs called "For You" and "Following," to change your timeline, and you'll always see the For You tab first when you open the app.

The company more or less stole the For You name from TikTok, rather than using the Home moniker it had before. As with Home (and TikTok), it shows tweets from accounts you follow out of order, along with algorithmically-selected tweets from others you may like. 

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In fact, Twitter introduced a very similar feature earlier this year, letting you swipe between "Home" and "Latest Tweets" to switch timelines. However, it abandoned the idea days later after a chorus of complaints from users who didn't like the fact that Home was basically foisted on them.  

The company seems set on implementing it again anyway with a different name, and it may generate the same gripes, judging by the replies to Twitter Support. On the web or current Android app, selecting the chronological feed is a permanent choice, and stays even if you close the app. With the new iOS version, however, For You always appears when you close and reopen the app, so you'll have to switch your timeline to Following every single time.

Elon Musk promised to make this change late last year, tweeting that "main timeline should allow for an easy sideways swipe between the top, latest, trending and topics that you follow." With two of those now implemented, we could see further changes down the road . 

Where DJI's RS 3 and RS 3 Pro stabilizers were about maximum convenience and power, the company's latest is designed to reduce as much weight as possible. The new RS 3 Mini weighs in at just 1.8 pounds, but can carry cameras up to 4.4 pounds, which includes heavy mirrorless models like Canon's EOS R3 and even some cinema cameras. At the same time, it offer's DJI's latest stabilization algorithms, easy controls and more. 

DJI has tested the RS 3 Mini with cameras like the Sony A7S III with a 24-70mm f/2.8 GM lens, the Canon EOS R5 with an RF24-70mm f/2.8 STM lens or a Fuji X-H2S and XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 lens. I tried it with a Panasonic GH6 and 12-60mm f/2.8-4 and a Canon EOS R6 Mark II with a 24-104mm f/4 and had no problems. "A powerful motor ensures that even when the zoom reaches the maximum focal length, the footage captured remains stable, and there is no need to repeat balancing," DJI says.

It's relatively easy to mount cameras thanks to the newly designed dual layer quick-release plate. That also allows for vertical shooting if you attach the plate to vertical arm, and there are no rotation angle limitations in that mode. As with the RS3, the sliding quick release plates make it easy to balance in just a few minutes.

It supports both wired and wireless Bluetooth shutter/record activation via the RS3 Mini's record button, with the camera ready to go as soon as it's turned on. For Sony cameras with supported power zoom lenses, you can also control the zoom using the front dial without the need for a camera control cable. It offers the usual other DJI Ronin control dials, including a joystick, M button to switch modes, a trigger, a front dial and the aforementioned record button. You can also add Ronin accessories like the Briefcase handle, fill lights or microphones.

Steve Dent/Engadget

Functions are controlled by the 1.4-inch full-color touchscreen, letting you change shooting modes, balance the gimbal motors and more. You can also do much of that with the app, or set functions like Timelapse, Track recording (move along up to 10 preset points) and Panorama. Finally, it can go up to 10 hours on a charge with the integrated battery handle and can be fully charged in as little as 2.5 hours with a 10W charger.

I had a chance to briefly try out DJI's RS 3 Mini, and my early impressions were good. I'm not much of a gimbal guy as I often work alone and don't have the need for tracking shots very often. However, this one is so light that I was able to use it a fair while without tiring out. It's also very convenient — there was no need to rebalance even if I zoomed out or changed my camera's configuration. And I was able to shoot most of my footage one-handed, as DJI promises. The results were great — it produced very smooth footage, both in the horizontal and vertical configurations. 

Steve Dent/Engadget

The RS 3 Mini is also a relative bargain compared to the $550 RS 3 Pro. It's available for purchase today at authorized retailers or DJI's Store for $369 (339 GBP/ 389 EUR). If you're concerned about knocking it into a wall, DJI's Care Refresh insurance is now available for the RS 3 Mini, as well. 

Microsoft has shown off its latest research in text-to-speech AI with a model called VALL-E that can simulate someone's voice from just a three-second audio sample, Ars Technica has reported. The speech can not only match the timbre but also the emotional tone of the speaker, and even the acoustics of a room. It could one day be used for customized or high-end text-to-speech applications, though like deepfakes, it carries risks of misuse. 

VALL-E is what Microsoft calls a "neural codec language model." It's derived from Meta's AI-powered compression neural net Encodec, generating audio from text input and short samples from the target speaker.

In a paper, researchers describe how they trained VALL-E on 60,000 hours of English language speech from 7,000-plus speakers on Meta's LibriLight audio library. The voice it attempts to mimic must be a close match to a voice in the training data. If that's the case, it uses the training data to infer what the target speaker would sound like if speaking the desired text input.

Microsoft

The team shows exactly how well this works on the VALL-E Github page. For each phrase they want the AI to "speak," they have a three-second prompt from the speaker to imitate, a "ground truth" of the same speaker saying another phrase for comparison, a "baseline" conventional text-to-speech synthesis and the VALL-E sample at the end. 

The results are mixed, with some sounding machine-like and others being surprisingly realistic. The fact that it retains the emotional tone of the original samples is what sells the ones that work. It also faithfully matches the acoustic environment, so if the speaker recorded their voice in an echo-y hall, the VALL-E output also sounds like it came from the same place. 

To improve the model, Microsoft plans to scale up its training data "to improve the model performance across prosody, speaking style, and speaker similarity perspectives." It's also exploring ways to reduce words that are unclear or missed.

Microsoft elected to not make the code open source, possibly due to the risks inherent with AI that can put words in someone's mouth. It added that it would follow its "Microsoft AI Principals" on any further development. "Since VALL-E could synthesize speech that maintains speaker identity, it may carry potential risks in misuse of the model, such as spoofing voice identification or impersonating," the company wrote in the "Broader impacts" section of its conclusion.

There are a lot of portable Bluetooth speakers out there, but if you're looking for something that not only has big sound but is IPX7 waterproof, your choices dwindle considerably. One company that does both of those things is Tribit, and some of its best products are on sale for up to 52 percent off at Amazon. Deals can be found on the 16W XSound Go ($30 or 41 percent off), StormBox Micro 2 ($47 instead of $70) and MaxSound Plus, now on sale for $48 or a full 52 percent off. 

First on the list is the Tribit StormBox Micro 2, appearing perennially on best Bluetooth speaker lists including our own for 2022. It doesn’t stand out in terms of fidelity, but it pumps out copious amounts of volume. It's also very portable, and the rear strap easily attaches to things like belts, backpacks and bike handlebars. It doubles as a USB-C powerbank to charge your devices in a pinch and you can wirelessly connect two for party mode or stereo sound. It supports both iOS and Android, has 12 hours of battery life and is IP67 waterproof — all for just $47 (32 percent off). 

If you want to spend the bare minimum without cutting corners, the Tribit XSound Go ($30, or 41 percent off) is a great choice. Its sound is clearer and louder than other budget Bluetooth speakers and it's small enough to slip into a laptop bag. It offers 10 hours on a charge and is IPX7-rated, so it can survive a half-hour dunking in three feet of water.

Finally, there's the Tribit MaxSound Plus ($48, or 52 percent off). As the name suggests, it's exceptionally loud with 24W of power, while offering driving bass, adjustable EQ and more. You also get an exceptional 20 hours of battery life and again, that IPX7 waterproof rating. Tribit is also offering discounts on wireless earbuds, kids headphones, shower speakers and more. 

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Raspberry Pi has launched the Camera Module 3 with big improvements, including higher resolution, infrared, HDR, autofocus, a wide angle FOV and more, the company announced. Not counting the interchangeable lens model introduced in 2020, it's the company's first new camera module in six years.

The previous Module 2 cameras used a Sony IMX219 8-megpixel sensor. However, the new models carry Sony's new 12-megapixel IMX708 chip, which is not only larger but has more resolution. That translates to sharper images and also better low-light sensitivity. It also has a 16:9 aspect ratio, so HD video up to 1080p50 can be captured using the entire sensor area. 

Better still, where the previous module had fixed autofocus, Module 3 has built-in powered autofocus capability. That makes them a bit thicker (up to 12.4mm compared to 9mm) but more versatile, letting you focus on objects ranging in distance from 5cm (2 inches) to infinity. 

The standard field-of-view (FoV) variants provide a 66 degree horizontal field of view, roughly equivalent to a 28mm full-frame lens. The wide angle version, however, bumps that to 102 degrees horizontal (a 14mm full-frame lens). With a "more expensive and complex optical stack," the wide-angle version is a bit thicker, 12.4 compared to 11.5mm, according to Raspberry Pi. 

It also offers HDR capability, taking multiple simultaneous exposures with different exposure times. That lets you capture interior shots, for instance, with the correct exposure on both interior and exterior details. And finally, the NoIR (no infrared filter) sensors, first introduced with the Module 2, can effectively convert your Raspberry Pi into a night-vision camera. 

The launch includes no less than four modules, including standard and wide angle models, both in visible light and NoIR infrared versions. Both the normal models start at $25, while the wide angle versions cost $35. They're now available at Raspberry Pi's store . 

Anker is notable for its premium charging products, but you also pay a premium for the extra quality. You can now grab a number of Anker chargers and other smartphone accessors at Amazon with discounts of up to 46 percent. Some of the key items include the Anker 726 Charger Nano II 65W ($37 or 32 percent off), the 347 Power Bank, priced at $56 instead of the usual $100 and a two-pack of USB-C to Lightning cables ($24 or 37 percent off)

If you need portable power for up to four devices, the 347 Power Bank delivers 40,000 mAh with USB-C high-speed charging for MacBooks, iPhones or Android smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and more. You can connect devices via the two USB-C and two USB-A ports to ensure they stay charged on the go. It's on sale for $56 right now, saving your 44 percent off the full price.

Meanwhile, Anker's 726 Nano II charger offers an impressive 65W of charging power in a small size. That lets you charge a single device like MacBook Pro/Air quickly at a size 50 percent smaller than the stock Apple charger. You can also charge up to two USB-C devices at a time. Normally priced at $60, you can pick it up now for $40 ($20 off).

Finally, Anker's 10-foot PowerLine II USB-C to Lightning cable is available in a two-pack for $24, or 37 percent off the regular $30 price. That gets you a pair of long cables compatible with 20 watt USB-C chargers. Plenty of other Anker devices or on sale too, including the PowerExpand 8-in1 USB charger ($49 or 46 percent off), the 30W PowerPort Strip PD2 Mini ($26 instead of $40) and more.

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Seattle public schools have sued the tech giants behind TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat, accusing them of creating a "mental health crisis among America's Youth." The 91-page lawsuit filed in a US district court states that tech giants exploit the addictive nature of social media, leading to rising anxiety, depression and thoughts of self-harm. 

"Defendants’ growth is a product of choices they made to design and operate their platforms in ways that exploit the psychology and neurophysiology of their users into spending more and more time on their platforms," the complaint states. "[They] have successfully exploited the vulnerable brains of youth, hooking tens of millions of students across the country into positive feedback loops of excessive use and abuse of Defendants’ social media platforms." 

Harmful content pushed to users includes extreme diet plants, encouragement of self-harm and more, according to the complaint. That has led to a 30 percent increase between 2009 and 2019 of students who report feeling "so sad or hopeless... for two weeks or more in a row that [they] stopped doing some usual activities."  

Defendants’ misconduct has been a substantial factor in causing a youth mental health crisis, which has been marked by higher and higher proportions of youth struggling with anxiety, depression, thoughts of self-harm, and suicidal ideation. The rates at which children have struggled with mental health issues have climbed steadily since 2010 and by 2018 made suicide the second leading cause of death for youths.

That in turn leads to a drop in performance in their studies, making them "less likely to attend school, more likely to engage in substance use, and to act out, all of which directly affects Seattle Public Schools’ ability to fulfill its educational mission."

Section 230 of the US Communications Decency Act means that online platforms aren't responsible for content posted by third parties. However, the lawsuit claims that the provision doesn't protect social media companies for recommending, distributing and promoting content "in a way that causes harm." 

"We have invested heavily in creating safe experiences for children across our platforms and have introduced strong protections and dedicated features to prioritize their wellbeing," a Google spokesperson told Axios. "For example, through Family Link, we provide parents with the ability to set reminders, limit screen time and block specific types of content on supervised devices." 

"We've developed more than 30 tools to support teens and families, including supervision tools that let parents limit the amount of time their teens spend on Instagram, and age verification technology that helps teens have age-appropriate experiences," Meta's global head of safety Antigone Davis said in a statement. "We'll continue to work closely with experts, policymakers and parents on these important issues." TikTok has yet to react, but Engadget has reached out to the company.

Critics and experts have recently accused social media companies of exploiting teens and children. Meta whistleblower Frances Haugen, for one, testified to Congress that "Facebook's products harm children." Eating disorders expert Bryn Austin wrote in a 2021 Harvard article that social media content can send teens into "a dangerous spiral." And the issue has caught the attention of legislators, who proposed the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) last year.