Facebook has revealed its long-rumored standalone newsletter platform: Bulletin. Mark Zuckerberg announced the new project during a live audio room, saying that the project was a “response to what’s happening in the media ecosystem.”
Interestingly, unlike previous journalism initiatives from Facebook, Bulletin primarily lives outside of the main Facebook app. The newsletter platform has its own website, though it will take advantage of Facebook’s distribution tools. The newsletters will be integrated into author’s Facebook pages and readers can find the content in the news section of Facebook’s app.
Knowing where you can fly your drone is the most important rule you have to get acquainted with before taking to the skies. Alongside the FAA's dedicated B4UFLY app, Alphabet's Wing also boasts a dedicated drone safety and navigation app that's now available in the US following its debut in Australia.
Once downloaded, you can fire it up to check airspace restrictions that will dictate where you can and can't fly. No-go areas include stadiums and sporting events; airports; security sensitive locations such as military airbases, national landmarks and critical infrastructure like nuclear power plants; and even temporarily restricted sites that may be out of bounds because of an emergency (such as a wildfire). Having an app in your pocket that gives you that info in real-time is obviously an important resource.
With a green light from the FAA, Wing says you can also use OpenSky to quickly request authorization to fly in controlled airspace, including areas surrounding US airports. This is otherwise known as a Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability and is typically used by emergency response crews, commercial surveyors, or filmmakers and photographers.
OpenSky
Wing says the reason it's expanding the app is to enable people to fly more safely and boost compliance to ensure greater adoption of drones. Of course, the service collects plenty of data — including info about your device and its location and a connected drone's serial number, model details and flight plan — which should help Wing to build out its navigational systems and maybe even feed into its UAV deliveries.
When Microsoft released the first Insider preview of Windows 11 earlier today, it made an already confusing situation even harder to parse. As you may have noticed, you don't need a specific CPU or a TPM 2.0 chip to install the preview. In a new blog post, the company has outlined its reasons for doing that, and it comes down to a desire on Microsoft's part to get a better idea of what systems can run Windows 11.
"By providing preview builds to the diverse systems in our Windows Insider Program, we will learn how Windows 11 performs across CPU models more comprehensively, informing any adjustments we should make to our minimum system requirements in the future," the company said.
Microsoft says its "confident" PCs with 8th-generation Intel and AMD Zen 2 processors will meet the security, reliability and compatibility standards it plans to set with Windows 11. The company plans to pay close attention to those who test the OS on systems with 7th-generation Intel and AMD Zen 1 CPUs to see if some of the models in those families meet its standards.
Microsoft has also temporarily stopped offering its PC Health Check. The software was at the center of a lot of the confusion that came out over whether a specific computer could run Windows 11 or not. Acknowledging that fact, Microsoft said the app "was not fully prepared to share the level of detail or accuracy you expected from us." The company plans to address the faults of the app before rereleasing it later this year, ahead of the general availability of Windows 11 in the fall.
Windows fans and developers can get their first taste of Windows 11 today, as Microsoft has begun rolling out the first preview for Windows Insiders. The build will show off the operating system's refined interface, with a centered taskbar and redesigned Start menu, as well as its improved window management. But you'll have to wait a bit for some of the more advanced features, like the integrated Microsoft Teams chat and Android app compatibility. To try out the Windows 11 preview build, you can sign up on the web or from the "Windows Insider Program" section in Windows 10's settings.
You'll have to make sure your PC meets the Windows 11 minimum hardware requirements to test the preview build, naturally. (Microsoft is making an exception for systems that meet the Windows Insider program's requirements though. Yes, it's all very confusing.) Microsoft's compatibility app will let you know if your system passes muster.
Microsoft
The first Insider Preview, Build 22000.51, looks a lot like the leaked build that we looked at a few weeks ago. There are a few notable changes though: the File Explorer now has a cleaner command bar, the Microsoft Store app has been updated with a new UI, and you'll also be able to customize your touchscreen keyboard. If you use an external monitor alongside a laptop, you'll also see the improved docking experience, which can place Windows in their correct spots whenever you plug into your monitor. And when you disconnect, that monitor's open windows neatly minimize to your task bar.
There are many programs for digital art, ranging from Adobe Illustrator to Clip Studio Paint, and each has its pros and cons. However, while all-purpose software offers a breadth of functionality that’s perfect for beginners, they sometimes lack the specialized tools that a more advanced user requires.
If you’re specifically interested in digital painting, you’ll want a tool that’s designed with your use case in mind. That’s where Paintstorm Studio comes in. This beloved program comes with myriad lifelike brushes, and it’s on sale now for only $15.
Whether you’re a photorealist or an impressionist, Paintstorm Studio is designed to give you all the brush options you need to achieve your next masterpiece. You'll have full control of your brush options, including bristle brushes of any kind. You can input parameters to bind the perspective of your piece and use the dynamic interface to make global changes for opacity, color and more. Most notably, Paintstorm’s brushes can take an underlayer’s color while blending, kind of like painting in real life.
With Paintstorm Studio, you can also control your mask brushes to give another layer of customization to your art. You can even assign hotkeys to individual brushes to give yourself a menu of tested favorites that you'll always quickly have on hand. That definitely beats swapping brushes in real life, and there’s no mess involved at the end. These unique features earned Paintstorm Studio 4.1 out of five stars on the App Store, while Creative Bloq calls it "The best digital art software for creatives in 2021."
With a lifetime subscription, you only have to pay for this specialized program once, so you don’t have to worry about monthly fees or planned obsolescence. Start working on your next digital painting with Paintstorm Studio, now on sale for $15, or 21 percent off.
Prices subject to change.
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Tiktok users in Pakistan won't be able to access the app yet again after the Peshawar High Court issued an order to ban the short-form video sharing platform in the country. According to Al Jazeera, Ary News TV and other local news outlets, the court made the ruling during a hearing into a petition against the app. TikTok had around 33 million users in Pakistan (out of a total of 100 million users) as of last month, App Annie told TechCrunch. After receiving the order from the court, Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) published a statement on Twitter confirming that it has issued directions to service providers "to immediately block access to the TikTok App" in compliance.
In respectful compliance to the orders of the Peshawar High Court, PTA has issued directions to the service providers to immediately block access to the TikTok App. During the hearing of a case today, the PHC has ordered for the blocking of App.
Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan said TikTok videos "are peddling vulgarity in society," Ary News TV wrote, and that the platform hosts unethical and immoral content. He also decided that the app should remain blocked until TikTok cooperates with authorities after PTA told the court that it approached the company to have "objectionable and indecent" content removed to no avail.
In a statement sent to Al Jazeera, a spokesperson defended the platform and its moderation practices:
"TikTok is built upon the foundation of creative expression, with strong safeguards in place to keep inappropriate content off the platform.
In Pakistan we have grown our local-language moderation team, and have mechanisms to report and remove content in violation of our community guidelines. We look forward to continuing to serve the millions of TikTok users and creators in Pakistan who have found a home for creativity and fun."
This isn't the first time the app was banned in the country, which recently rolled out digital laws that give regulators the power to censor content. As Financial Times notes, the new laws require companies to remove offensive content, including ones that threaten the "integrity, security and defense of Pakistan." The first time TikTok was banned was before the new laws came out, though, after authorities decided that it hosted "immoral and indecent" videos. That said, PTA lifted the ban a few days later after TikTok promised to moderate clips according to Pakistani "societal norms" and laws.
If you own a Mac, there’s a good chance you spent quite a bit of money to buy it. If for no other reason than that, you should take care of your computer. Not only will it work better over its life, but you’ll also be able to potentially sell it for more money if you ever decide to part with it. In this how-to, we’ll share some tips on how to take care of your Mac. It’s impossible to cover the topic of computer maintenance from every angle, so think of this guide as more of an introduction to some organizational features and apps you may not have known about.
How to clean your Mac’s screen and body
While there are a lot of products you can buy that are specially made to help you with cleaning your computer, I’ve found the simplest approach works best — and it’s the one Apple recommends. To start, all you’ll need is some water in a spray bottle and a clean microfiber cloth. You can use either regular or distilled water. The advantage of the latter is that it’s far less likely to leave any residue on your Mac, particularly on the display. You can buy distilled water at a grocery store or make it yourself with some simple cookware. Either way, it’s more affordable than dedicated cleaning solutions and more versatile. If you don’t already own any microfiber cloths, Amazon sells affordable 24-packs you can get for about $15.
Two other products I’ve found that can make the job easier are Whoosh screen cleaner and a Giottos Rocket Blower. I can’t say enough good things about the latter. It will save you from buying expensive and wasteful cans of compressed air. Lastly, if you want to disinfect your computer, Apple recently said it’s safe to use isopropyl alcohol and Clorox wipes.
As for the process of cleaning your Mac, the most important tip to remember is to start with a clean cloth (that’s part of the reason we recommend buying them in bulk). You’ll save yourself time and frustration this way. Begin by turning off your computer and unplugging it. If you went out and bought a Rocket Blower, use it now to remove any dust. If not, take a dry microfiber cloth and go over your computer. Take special care around the keys, particularly if you own a Mac with a butterfly keyboard.
At this point, you can wipe down your computer with a disinfecting wipe. Otherwise, dampen one side of your cleaning cloth with either water or Whoosh. Never spray any liquid directly on your computer. You’ll have more control this way and you’ll avoid getting any moisture into your Mac’s internals. I always clean the display first since the last thing I want to do is create more work for myself by transferring dirt from some other part of my computer to the screen. The last step is to buff and polish your computer with the dry side of the cloth. That’s it. Your Mac should be looking clean again.
How to organize your hard drive
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
One of the hardest parts of cleaning your Mac’s hard drive is knowing where to start. After all, most of us have apps on our computers we don’t even remember installing in the first place. Thankfully, macOS comes with a tool to help you with that exact issue.
Navigate to the “Storage” section of the “About This Mac” menu and click the “Manage…” option. Here you’ll find a tool that sorts your files into broad categories and offers recommendations on how to free up space on your hard drive. You can use those in combination with the handy “Show in finder” button at the bottom of the interface to quickly navigate your hard drive. No need to search for files manually.
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
The section dedicated to applications is particularly helpful since you can see the last time you used a program, as well as if it’s no longer supported by the operating system or if it’s outdated thanks to a more recent release.
You don’t need me to tell you to uninstall programs you don’t use, but what you might not know is that there’s a better way to erase them than simply dragging them to the trash can. A free program called AppCleaner will help you track down any files and folders that would get left behind if you were just to delete an application.
After deleting any apps you don’t need, move to the documents section. The name is somewhat misleading here since you’ll find more than just text files and excel spreadsheets. Documents, in this case, turns out to be the tool’s catch-all term for a variety of files, including ones that take up a large amount of space and DMGs you may have forgotten to dismount. The other sections on the sidebar are self-explanatory. The only other thing I’ll mention is if you’ve been using an iPhone for a while, there’s a good chance you’ll have old iOS backups stored on your computer. You can safely delete those too.
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
By this point, your hard drive should be in pretty good shape. If you want to take some additional steps to clean it, there are dedicated apps that can help. I like one called CleanMyMac X. At $51 per year, it’s on the expensive side, but will save you the time and trouble of doing everything I mentioned above (and then some) on your own. It also doubles as a malware removal tool.
Tips and tricks for keeping a neat Desktop and Finder
Igor Bonifacic
Let’s start with the menu bar. It may not technically be part of the desktop, but a tidy one can go a long way toward making everything else look less cluttered. My recommendation here is to download a $15 app called Bartender. At first glance, it’s a simple program allowing you to hide unwanted menu bar items behind a three dots icon. However, the strength of Bartender is that you get a lot of customization options. For example, you can set a trigger that will automatically move the battery status icon out from hiding when your computer isn’t connected to a power outlet.
While we’re on the subject of the menu bar, take a second to open your Mac’s System Preferences menu and go to the “Users & Groups” section. Now click on the “Login Items” tab at the top of the interface and take a look at all the apps that launch when you boot up your system. You can speed up your system by paring this list down to only the programs you use most often.
When it comes to the desktop itself, the best advice is less is more. Nothing will make your computer look like a cluttered mess more than a busy desktop. Folders and stacks can help, but, for most people, I suspect part of the problem is they use their desktop as a way to quickly and easily find files that are important to them.
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
If you’ve ever struggled to find a specific file or folder on your computer, try using your Mac’s tagging capabilities instead. Start by opening the Finder preferences menu(“command” + “,”) and click the “Tags” tab. You can use the default ones provided by macOS or make your own. Either way, drag the ones you think you’ll use most often to the favorites areas at the bottom of the preferences window. This will make it so that they’re easily accessible when you want to use them. To append a tag to a file or folder, click on it while holding the ctrl key and select the one you want from the dropdown menu. You can also tag a file while working on it within an app. Keep in mind you can apply multiple tags to a single file or folder. You can even apply them to applications.
What makes tags so useful in macOS is that they can appear in the sidebar of the Finder and are easily searchable either directly through the Finder or using Siri. As long as you have a system for organizing your files, even a simple one, you’ll find it easier to keep track of them. As one example, I like to apply an Engadget tag to any files related to my work. I’ll add an “Important” tag if it’s something that’s critical and I want to find quickly.
How to organize your windows and tabs
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
There’s one last app I’d like to suggest in closing out this article. If you’ve used both macOS and Windows 10, you’ll know that Apple’s operating system doesn’t come with the best window management tools. You can click and hold on the full-screen icon to tile a window to either the left or right side of your screen, but that’s about it and the feature has always felt less precise than its Windows counterpart.
My suggestion is to download an app that replicates Windows 10’s snapping feature. You have several competing options that more or less offer the same functionality. My go-to is a $5 program called Magnet. If you want a free alternative, check out Rectangle. Another option is BetterSnapTool, which offers more functionality than Magnet but doesn’t have as clean of an interface. All three apps give you far more ways to configure your windows than what you get through the built-in tool in macOS. They also come with shortcut support, which means you can quickly set up your windows and get to work.
If you have any interest at all in electronic music, you owe it to yourself to check out Google’s latest Arts & Culture exhibit. Music, Makers and Machines celebrates the history of the genre, highlighting the people, sounds and technologies that helped make electronic music what it is today. Google got help on the project from more than 50 international institutions, record labels and industry experts, including the Moogseum.
One highlight is an entire section devoted to the early days of Dubstep. You’ll find short, written segments on artists like Burial and the subgenre's development complemented by photos and YouTube videos. You can even use Google Street View to explore the locations of long-closed but seminal clubs like Plastic People. Another compelling exhibit explores the role Black artists and musicians have played in pushing the boundaries of electronic music. That said, the highlight of the exhibit is an AR synth module that allows you to play around with five classic instruments, including the Roland CR-78 and Akai S900. Speaking of synths, Google has uploaded 3D models of some of the most iconic ones.
You can check out Music, Makers and Machines online, as well as through the Google Arts & Culture app on Android and iOS.
It looks like Parler’s App Store exile will continue. Bloombergreports that Apple recently rejected the app’s bid to get back onto iPhones, citing “highly objectionable content.”
Apple had originally kicked Parler out of the App Store in January, shortly after the riots at the U.S Capitol. Apple said at the time that the app needed to improve its content moderation and make a bigger effort to keep dangerous and hateful content off its platform. The company said the suspension would be in place “until we receive an update that is compliant with the App Store Review Guidelines and you have demonstrated your ability to effectively moderate and filter the dangerous and harmful content on your service.”
According to Bloomberg, Apple rejected Parler's latest bid to rejoin the App Store late last month. Apple reportedly told Parler that the latest iteration of its policies were not “sufficient to comply with App Store Review guidelines.”
At issue is not just Parler’s policies, but the fact that the app is still filled with the kind of “highly objectionable content” Apple wanted it to address. ““n fact, simple searches reveal highly objectionable content, including easily identified offensive uses of derogatory terms regarding race, religion and sexual orientation, as well as Nazi symbols,” Apple told Parler.
Parler didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The “free speech” app is still trying to find a path forward after being kicked out of Apple and Google’s app stores and being cut off from Amazon Web Services. Parler’s website is now back up and running, but its future remains uncertain. CEO John Matze was fired in February, and Bloomberg now reports seven other staffers, including all its iOS developers, were also let go.
Since ditching Intel's chips for its own, Apple's M1 Macs are getting optimizedapps all the time that tend to perform better than those put through its Rosetta 2 emulator. Today marks another major native release as Photoshop has officially come out of beta packing quicker speeds for many tasks. Adobe says the changes should be immediately noticeable from the time you launch the native app, with the splash screen vanishing in an instant. Overall, the new Mac app can run tasks up to 1.5x faster than previous generation systems. In general, that should apply when opening and saving files, running filters and compute-heavy operations like "content-aware fill" and "select subject."
However, some of Photoshop's latest features have yet to make the jump as Adobe wanted to get the native app out as quickly as possible. So, you'll have to wait for things like "invite to edit cloud documents" and "preset syncing" — or you can switch back to Rosetta 2 emulation if you can make do without them. Adobe has been quick to embrace Apple's latest Macs having previously released its Premiere Pro and Lightroom apps for the new range.
Along with the new M1 app, Adobe is also releasing an update for Photoshop on iPad that packs two new features. They include cloud documents version history, which lets you browse and revert back to older files that were auto-saved in the past 60 days, and the ability to download cloud documents locally so you can work on files offline. The same feature also lets you free up space on your iPad by making a document online only.
In addition, Adobe is adding its "super resolution" feature to the Camera Raw plugin in Photoshop. By tapping into your graphics card, the machine learning-powered software lets you scale up an image without losing out on quality. Super resolution will also be available on Lightroom and Lightroom Classic soon. Adobe has been sprinkling AI-enhanced features throughout Photoshop including a tool that lets you spruce up landscape images, neural filters that mimic art styles and a sky replacement option.
