Google has broken out some Android accessibility features into a separate app. Switch Access has graduated from the Android Accessibility Suite and it's now available through the Play Store. Offering Switch Access features via a separate app could allow Google to roll out more frequent updates instead of having to do so at the OS level. 

The move could also let Google offer Switch Access features on older devices too. The app is available on 2017's Android 8 (aka Android Oreo) and later. 

Switch Access enables users to operate their phone or tablet using means other than the touchscreen, as Android Police notes. They can use the front-facing camera to control the phone with face gestures or external devices such as a keyboard or buttons connected via USB or Bluetooth. The on-board volume buttons can be used to control other aspects of your phone too.

Users can set up one or more switches (i.e. the front-facing camera and/or other devices) through the app. They'll be able to define how the app scans their screen for actions they're able to carry out. The app can move between all items one at a time, scan a single row at a time or select a location on the screen using moving lines.

Switch Access can also assign groups of actions to different switches. Press the corresponding switch for the color around the action you want to access, then keep narrowing things down until you get to the correct element. As 9To5 Google points out, once you select an item, several interaction options will be available, such as select, scroll, copy and paste. A menu at the top of the screen provides access to system-wide settings, notifications, the home screen and a way to record shortcuts for frequent and more complex actions.

To get started with Switch Access, go to the titular menu in the device's accessibility settings. The Switch Access app is free to download from the Play Store too.

Apple Maps still isn't likely to replace Google Maps for some users (it only got multi-stop routes last year), but Apple thinks it has another way to shrink the feature gap: give stores more control over what you see. The company has launched a free Apple Business Connect tool that lets any firm customize its location cards in apps like Maps, Messages, Siri and Wallet. They can add their own imagery, invite actions in other apps (such as booking a restaurant through OpenTable) or showcase the latest promos.

Apple will verify businesses before it gives control over a location card, but shops only have to use an Apple ID to sign up. Business Connect is available worldwide, although showcases will only be available in the US at first. They'll reach other countries in the "coming months," the company says.

The expansion comes as Apple is rumored to be finding ways to profit from Maps. The iPhone creator is reportedly preparing to bring search ads to Maps as soon as this year. If that's true, custom store info could help Apple's bottom line — a business might be more likely to pay for ads if it knows they'll lead to more sales.

Whatever Apple's motivations, the custom cards still promise to improve the Maps experience for everyday users. You should see more accurate and polished info for local businesses, and have an easier time with everyday tasks like booking a hotel or ordering groceries. It may be more helpful when you share locations with friends in Messages, too. Apple is arguably overdue on this front (businesses have had control over their Google Maps profiles for years), but you may well notice the difference.

The sleep mode on modern consoles lets them wake up quickly, but it also consumes a significant amount of energy as the system never really shuts off. Microsoft thinks it can offer a compromise, however. It's releasing an Insider test that gives Xbox Series X, Series S and One owners an "active hours" sleep option. Choose that and your console will shut down at times when you aren't likely to use it, cutting your energy use. You can manually schedule the hours if you know when you play, but an automatic option is available if you want the console to adapt to your habits.

The feature will be automatically enabled and scheduled on Xbox Series X/S systems. The Xbox One will default to always active, and you'll have to configure the hours yourself.

The company is also introducing a "shutdown (energy saving)" option that reportedly uses up to 20 times less power than sleep while still allowing overnight updates to your Xbox and its games. If you don't mind the longer startup times and the absence of remote wake, you can reduce your energy footprint and potentially shrink your bills. The update will be automatic for Xbox Series X/S users in the Insider program, and it should be available as early as today for One models.

The Xbox is also borrowing "carbon aware" downloads from Windows 11. If carbon intensity data is available in your region, the machine will schedule OS and game updates for those times when it's most likely to rely on local renewable energy, rather than simply grabbing files in the early morning. Insiders will have this perk right away if the Xbox Series X/S is configured for automatic updates, while the One will have multiple test options to help with feedback.

It's unclear how much energy these features might save in the real world. Microsoft estimates that two Xbox consoles using the eco-friendly shutdown feature will save carbon equivalent to that a tree removes in a decade, but that also assumes your device is powered down for 20 hours per day. Carbon aware downloads only matter if renewables have a significant presence in your area, we'd add. Combined with Apple's Clean Energy Charging, though, it's evident tech brands now see software as a way to advance their environmental goals.

Microsoft's dual-screen Android phones have been less than successful, to put it mildly, and there are now hints the company is shaking up its mobile strategy. Windows Centralsources claim Microsoft has cancelled a twin-screen Surface Duo 3, which was reportedly slated for release late this year, and will instead focus on a "true" foldable phone. The new device's specs and name aren't known, but it would have a 180-degree hinge with an outside cover display akin to the Vivo X Fold.

The cancelled Surface Duo 3 was "finalized," according to the sources. It would have supposedly addressed some of its predecessor's shortcomings with narrower edge-to-edge screens and wireless charging. Microsoft isn't said to have settled on a release window for the foldable, suggesting that the product is unlikely to arrive in 2023.

The purported insiders also say Microsoft is planning to expand its Android phone offerings. It's apparently "exploring" other form factors, including prototypes of more conventional smartphones. A software initiative, "Perfect Together," would also provide tighter integration between Surface phones and Windows, much like the iPhone's close ties to the Mac.

We've asked Microsoft for comment and will let you know if we hear back. The Surface Duo series has struggled in the market between its high prices (up to $1,500), unreliable software and performance that frequently trails the latest Android flagships. While the dual-screen design has offered some clever multitasking features, it's been a tough sell when rivals like Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold line have generally been more powerful and trustworthy.

A foldable Surface phone would put Microsoft into more direct competition with brands like Samsung and Vivo. There's no guarantee it will stand out in a growing field. If the rumored pivot is real, however, it also indicates that Microsoft is still committed to Android devices — it's not giving up just because its first forays failed to gain traction.

If you're eager to use ChatGPT for work, you might soon have the option. OpenAI has shared a waitlist for a experimental ChatGPT Professional service that, for a fee, would effectively remove the limits on the popular chatbot. The AI tool would always be available, with no throttling and as many messages as necessary. The startup hasn't said when the pilot program might launch, and it's asking would-be participants for feedback on pricing.

OpenAI isn't shy about the reasoning behind its pro offering. As TechCrunchnotes, the company said on its Discord server that it's "starting to think" about how it will make money from ChatGPT and keep the technology viable in the "long-term." CEO Sam Altman recently pointed out that ChatGPT costs OpenAI a few cents for every chat, making it impractical to keep the bot completely free. While Reuterssources say OpenAI anticipates making $200 million in revenue this year, it also reportedly wants to earn $1 billion in 2024 — subscriptions might play an important role in that growth.

Whether there's a sizable audience for ChatGPT Professional is unclear. The existing version had more than one million users as of early last month, but it's uncertain how many of those are 'serious' users versus enthusiasts and curious onlookers. Schools and even AI conferences have banned the bot. Microsoft (a major OpenAI backer) is rumored to be integrating ChatGPT into its Bing search engine as soon as March, however, and investors have even tried using the technology as part of their workflows. The pilot could be crucial for gauging real-world demand, not to mention setting the prices needed to turn a profit.

Microsoft’s latest research in text-to-speech AI centers on a new AI model, VALL-E. While there are already multiple services that can create copies of your voice, they usually demand substantial input. Microsoft claims its model can simulate someone's voice from just a three-second audio sample. The speech can match both the timbre and emotional tone of the speaker – even the acoustics of a room. It could one day be used for customized or high-end text-to-speech applications, but like deepfakes, there are risks of misuse.

Researchers trained VALL-E on 60,000 hours of English language speech from 7,000-plus speakers in Meta's Libri-Light audio library. The results aren’t perfect: Some are tinny machine-like samples, while others are surprisingly realistic.

Microsoft isn’t making the code open source, possibly due to the inherent risks. In the paper, the company said: "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."

We’ve all seen the 1992 movie Sneakers, right? Right?!

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

• Samsung's first Unpacked event of 2023 takes place February 1st

• Hyundai managed to put its 'crab-walking' e-Corner technology into an Ioniq EV

• What an 'oddball' star in the Cygnus cluster can teach us about how masers are made

• The best fast chargers for 2023

• DJI's lightweight RS 3 Mini camera stabilizer is designed to be used with one hand

• ‘TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge’ hits iOS and Android as a Netflix mobile exclusive

Amazon expands Prime shipping to more shopping sites

But you’ll need a Prime subscription.

Amazon is expanding Prime to cover more of the web. The company says it's making Buy with Prime "widely available" to eligible third-party sites in the US on January 31st. More shops can offer free shipping, streamlined checkout and simplified returns to Prime members. The theoretical advantages are clear: You get products with less hassle, while stores are more likely to turn visitors into paying customers. Amazon, meanwhile, is hoping to boost interest in Prime subscriptions. The catch, of course, is you have to pay for that pesky Prime sub.

Continue reading.

NASA funds ideas and prototypes for future space exploration

Including a Titan seaplane and faster deep space travel.

NASA

NASA is handing out $175,000 initial study grants to 14 new projects potentially useful for missions in and beyond the solar system. TitanAir might be the most unusual one: a seaplane from Planet Enterprises' Quinn Morley that could fly through the nitrogen-and-methane atmosphere of Saturn's biggest moon, Titan, and sail its oceans.

MIT's Mary Knapp has proposed a deep space observatory that would use a swarm of thousands of tiny satellites to detect low-frequency radio emissions from the early universe, and UCLA's Artur Davoyan’s idea could speed up exploration at the outer edges of space. His design would propel spacecraft with a "pellet-beam" of microscopic particles traveling at very high speed (over 74 miles per second) using laser blasts.

Continue reading.

The first-ever UK space flight fails to reach orbit

Virgin Orbit said the rocket suffered an anomaly that prevented it from reaching its destination.

Meanwhile, the UK’s first efforts at space flight have ended in failure. Virgin Orbit's historic Start Me Up mission launched from Spaceport Cornwall on January 9th as planned, but it failed to reach orbit. Apparently, the company tweeted, because of “an anomaly.” The mission carried payload satellites from seven commercial and government customers. They include a joint UK–US project called CIRCE (Coordinated Ionospheric Reconstruction CubeSat Experiment) and two CubeSats for the UK’s Ministry of Defense. As noted by Ars Technica, this failure could have a huge impact on the company, which is struggling to launch enough missions to break even.

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Apple may use in-house wireless chips in iPhones by 2025

Broadcom and Qualcomm may get the boot very soon.

Bloomberg sources claim Apple is not only prepping its first cellular modem (now slated for late 2024 or early 2025) but also a combination of Bluetooth and WiFi chips to replace the Broadcom chip currently handling those duties in iPhones. While the exact reasoning for the transition wasn't mentioned, it's no secret Apple started designing its own silicon across multiple products.

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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. 

Engadget

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 . 

Apple will begin replacing its mobile devices' displays with its in-house screen technology as soon as next year, according to Bloomberg. The tech giant will reportedly start with its highest-end Apple Watches in late 2024 and will swap the devices' current OLED screens with its own microLED technology. Bloomberg says Apple's homegrown display tech will also make its way to its other devices, including the iPhone. The new display is brighter with more vibrant colors and will reportedly make it seem as if watchfaces and other content are painted on top of the glass. Plus, it can be viewed better at an angle.

The publication first reported about Apple's efforts to develop its own display way back in 2018. Apparently, Apple was originally working to introduce its technology in 2020, but it was hampered by the costs and technical challenges associated with the development. Those same concerns also prevented the company from including larger displays in its plans and had prompted it to focus on making the Watch the first device with its in-house screen. 

Despite the delay and potential future delays — Apple might push back the display's debut to 2025, Bloomberg's sources said — the technology is one of the company's most critical projects. The tech giant has reportedly spent several billion dollars on its development and is already testing the new screen on an update to the Apple Watch Ultra. It's also test manufacturing the screens in its facility in Santa Clara, California, though it may ultimately outsource its mass production.

As Bloomberg notes, Apple's shift to its own displays could be a big blow to its suppliers, mainly Samsung and LG. But the manufacturers may have been bracing for it for quite some time now: After all, it's no secret that Apple has been developing its own components in a bid to lessen reliance on third-party companies. It had previously moved away from Intel processors to its own chips for Mac computers and its reportedly planning to use its own wireless chipsets in iPhones by 2025.

Parler parent company Parlement Technologies has cut the “majority” of its staff in recent weeks, according to a new report. The Verge reports that the company has slashed close to 75 percent of staff, including several executives, in recent weeks with “approximately 20” workers remaining between both entities at the end of 2022.

Parler didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the layoffs or how many staffers remain. The layoffs seem to roughly coincide with other difficulties for the “free speech” social media app. Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, had struck a deal to buy the service for an undisclosed amount in October. In December, Parlement Technologies announced the deal was off, with a Parler rep claiming the decision had been made in mid-November due to Ye’s “ongoing business difficulties.” Layoffs began shortly after, at the end of November, The Verge now reports.

Parler was originally launched in 2018, but rose to prominence in 2020 as several high profile Republicans announced they were leaving Twitter in favor of Parler. The app billed itself as a “free speech” social network that eschewed the “censorship” of mainstream social media platforms like Twitter. It gained popularity as a free-wheeling alternative that had few rules or moderation policies.

That changed after January 6th 2021, when Amazon, Apple and Google all cut off the app from their services over the company’s inability to address violent threats on the platform. The app eventually made its way back to Apple and Google’s app stores after implementing substantial changes to its content moderation practices.

The rumors were true, apparently. Samsung has announced that its first Galaxy Unpacked event of 2023 will take place February 1st at 1PM Eastern. And unlike last year's events, the company is comfortable with an in-person presentation — it's inviting the media to The Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco. You can still watch a livestream on Samsung's website, of course.

Samsung hasn't said what to expect, but it's not-so-subtly teasing a Galaxy S23 launch between a likely triple-camera teaser in the invitation (above) and the nature of its pre-order plans. Americans can reserve the future Galaxy devices on February 1st. Those who sign up for the reserve system by that day will get $50 in Samsung Credit if they pre-order one device, or $100 if they snap up two.

As for what the Galaxy S23 will entail? Leaks have suggested Samsung will drop the Exynos chips it frequently uses in some markets in favor of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The S23 Ultra might also pack a 200-megapixel main camera in place of the 108MP sensor from last year's model, while the regular S23 and S23+ models might have 50MP cams. While the design might not change much, you could see improved selfie cameras, emergency satellite messaging and possibly a flat display on the Ultra variant. It's safe to say we'll be at the event to see the new hardware for ourselves.