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.
It's super basic in its current state.
Has both Landscape and Portrait Scenes.
Sources include Game Capture, Mobile Capture, Video Capture, Program Capture, and some text/images. No browser sources, or alerts.
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.
With the 2021 holiday shopping season in its final stretch, Google is adding a handful of features to Chrome to help you find last-minute deals. In the US, the Android version of the browser now includes an updated tab interface that makes it easier to see the price of something when you're switching between open web pages. The company suggests the feature will help you spot a price drop without constantly refreshing a page. Handy that.
The next time you use Chrome on your iPhone or Android device, you'll also notice a newly added Google Lens icon in the search bar. You can use it to conduct visual searches. Tap the icon and point your phone's camera at something. The company suggests Lens integration in Chrome mobile could be helpful when you're out window shopping.
As previously announced, Lens is also coming to the Mac and Windows versions of Chrome. Once it's available, you'll have the option to right-click on an image, tap "Search images with Google Lens" and draw an outline around something to see if you can find more information about what's in front of you.
Lastly, if you're someone who tends to leave purchases incomplete, you'll see a new "Your carts" card when you open a tab. It will show you all the websites where you have open carts. The company announced this feature at I/O 2021, and now it's rolling out in the US. Google notes some of its retail partners may even offer you a discount to complete a purchase if they notice you abandoned a cart. Is it on the pushy side? Definitely, but some people could also find it helpful. All the
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.
Pixelmator Photo has been available for pros and enthusiasts who want to work with photos on their iPads, and now it's an option in their pockets. Pixelmator has released a version of Photo for the iPhone that brings the advanced image editor to smaller screens. Much like the tablet app and Pixelmator Pro, you can make a wide range of non-destructive edits to photos either from the phone (including ProRAW from some iPhones) or from 600-plus RAW formats from dedicated cameras.
You'll most likely be using some of the 30-plus color adjustments, including basics like exposure and white balance through to a wheel-based color balance system like you'd find for video grading. However, Pixelmator Photo also makes use of some helpful (if increasingly familiar) AI editing features, including object removal and upscaling for low-resolution shots. You can also expect fairly tight integration with Apple's Photos and iCloud, such as saving edits to (or opening images from) your library.
Pixelmator Photo normally sells for $8, but it's available for $4 to help spur iPhone buyers. The app is a free update for those already using the iPad version. This probably won't tear you away from Adobe Lightroom and other pro photo editing apps, but Pixelmator's classic strategy might still apply here. It's offering an affordable, pay-once alternative to Lightroom's Premium membership and other subscriptions you frequently need for this level of editing.
As part of its years-long podcast push, Spotify has been constantly adding new features for users on top of steadily expanding its library of 3.2 million shows. Today, the service is debuting yet another tool for listeners to offer feedback on the podcasts they listen to: ratings. The company says the ability to offer 1-5 star ratings will roll out to users "over the coming days." The feature will be available in all markets where podcasts are available on the streaming service.
Spotify says features like its podcast charts have helped users find new shows, and the same goes for the service's personalized recommendations. However, until now, there was no real way for listeners to see what other people thought of a show in the company's apps. The star rating system will be familiar to podcast listeners as platforms like Apple Podcasts also use the scoring metric. Like Apple, Spotify will display the number of ratings in parenthesis beside the average score on each show's page. Of course, the system will also allow creators to see how their podcast is performing among listeners, directly from the people who are listening to the show.
Google researchers have described NSO Group's zero-click exploit used to hack Apple devices as "incredible and terrifying," Wired has reported. Project Zero researchers called it "one of the most technically sophisticated exploits we've ever seen" that's on par with attacks from elite nation-state spies.
The Project Zero team said it obtained one of NSO's Pegasus exploits from Citizen Lab, which managed to capture it via a targeted Saudi activist. It also worked with Apple's Security Engineering and Architecture (SEAR) group on the technical analysis.
NSO's original exploit required the user to click on a link, but the latest, most sophisticated exploits require no click at all. Called ForcedEntry, it takes advantage of the way iMessage interprets files like GIFs to open a malicious PDF file with no action required from the victim. It does so by using old code from the 1990s used to process text in scanner images.
Once inside a device, the malware can set up its own virtualized environment and run javascript-like code, with no need to connect to an outside server. From there, it gives an attacker access to a victim's passwords, microphone, audio and more. The exploit is extremely hard to detect and is "a weapon against which there is no defense," Project Zero researchers said.
Apple recently filed a lawsuit against the group to "hold it accountable" for governments using it to spy on iOS users. Apple alleged that targets are often activists, journalists and other critics of regimes that routinely suppress political dissent. It also accused NSO of "flagrant violations" of federal- and state-level laws in the US. Last month, the US Department of Commerce added NSO Group to its "entity list", essentially banning it for use in the US.
Still not sold on foldable smartphones? I get it. But companies continue their efforts to make them happen, with Oppo the latest to reveal its first take on a foldable flagship. Somehow, for a fold-up widescreen phone, it’s kind of cute.
It has a different screen ratio to devices from Samsung and the rest, resulting in a more horizontal (possibly more useful) touchscreen. Unfortunately, it’s still pricey (although it’s cheaper than the Galaxy Fold) and, adding another barrier to entry, it’s only launching in China.
Engadget Chinese Editor-in-Chief Richard Lai is testing one out — expect to hear our full verdict soon.
US citizens will be barred from making any investments in the companies.
The US government is adding eight Chinese companies, including drone manufacturer DJI, to an investment blocklist for alleged involvement in the surveillance of Uyghur Muslims. The companies will be put on the treasury department's "Chinese military-industrial complex companies" list next week, meaning US citizens will be barred from making any investments.
The government said it was among companies that "enabled wide-scale human rights abuses within China through abusive genetic collection and analysis or high-technology surveillance." However, unlike products from Huawei and others, DJI drones have not been banned for sale in the US.
NASA was hoping to send the James Webb telescope to space by December 22nd, but its launch has been delayed yet again. Yes, again. In an announcement posted on the project's official page, NASA said the James Webb team is working on a communication issue between the telescope and its Ariane 5 launch vehicle.
Watch 'Boba Fett' or 'Encanto' with 31 of your friends.
The latest Disney+ app update adds SharePlay group viewing to its iPhone, iPad and Apple TV, letting up to 32 people watch and chat together. To ensure it works, everyone in the call needs Disney+ to stream, and you need to ensure the title is available to everyone in your virtual gathering. You might also find that some titles don’t work across different regions and countries.
The US Department of Homeland Security is offering up to $5,000 in bug bounties under a new program called Hack DHS. Vetted security researchers invited by the agency will get access to select external DHS systems to identify vulnerabilities bad actors could exploit. Payments will vary between $500 and $5,000, depending on the severity of the bug. The DHS said attacks against it were up fourfold in 2021.
'The Washington Post' said it found PowerPoint slides that detail its surveillance technologies.
Huawei has long denied working with the Chinese government to spy on other countries and China's own citizens. But The Washington Post has reviewed 100 PowerPoint presentations from the company that, Post reporters say, can show Huawei’s links to China's surveillance projects. While many of the slides were marked confidential, they were reportedly posted on a public-facing Huawei website until they were removed in 2020. Many of them were created back in 2014 and edited as recently as last year.
Ubisoft is finally ready to make a new Splinter Cell game — in a manner of speaking. The game developer has revealed plans for a Splinter Cell remake that aims to recreate the stealth action of the early games while embracing modern technology.
The project will use the Snowdrop engine present in newer games like The Division 2 and the upcoming Avatar game, but you'll play in small linear environments, unlike most of Ubisoft’s AAA titles. Check out the announcement video at the link.
Huawei is no stranger to foldable mobile devices and had released three over the past few years: The Mate X, Mate Xs and the Mate X2, which is the most recent model launched in February. All of those are similar to the Samsung Galaxy Fold in that they're devices that fold vertically and are the size of a small tablet when unfolded. Recently, however, Huawei has started teasing a foldable phone that's more akin to the Samsung Galaxy Flip, and a fashion shoot published by Harper's Bazaar China has revealed what the device looks like.
The model, called Huawei P50 Pocket, is prominently featured in a pictorial with Chinese actress and singer Guan Xiaotong. It looks fairly large, based on the photos posted on Weibo, with a circular external display that can show the time, notifications and a view of what you're capturing with the camera if the phone is flipped shut. P50 Pocket's external display is right next to the camera, and according to Engadget Chinese, its fingerprint reader is located along the edges of the device. The version in the Harper's Bazaar photoshoot is gold with some sort of leafy pattern, but Huawei's teaser shows that it will also come in a silver variant with a diamond plaid pattern.
Huawei will officially unveil the P50 Pocket on December 23rd.
The wait is over. Following an announcement at WWDC 2021, Apple has released Swift Playgrounds 4.0. The update is a significant one for the app, which both kids and adults can use to learn the company’s Swift programming language. For the first time, the software allows you to build both iPhone and iPad apps directly on your iPad. You can now also use your tablet to upload your creations to the App Store.
Additionally, Swift Playgrounds 4.0 comes with a host of quality-of-life enhancements. For instance, you can preview changes to your app as you make them in real-time. And speaking of previews, you can now see how they look in full-screen mode. Apple has also added inline suggestions to help users write code quickly and accurately. The project search feature is more robust too since it can now find results across multiple files. Rounding out the list of improvements is a feature for moving your projects between Playgrounds and Xcode and back again.
Meta has released a new software update for Ray-Ban Stories that enhances the voice capabilities of the smart glasses. After installing the software, you can use the built-in assistant to send texts and make voice calls over Messenger. Additionally, it can now read out messages someone sends you over the chat platform.
One other new feature is the ability to use your voice to control media playback. For instance, if you want to skip to the next song in a playlist, say, “Hey Facebook, next.” It’s also possible to adjust the volume of audio in this same way, as well as pause and resume a song or podcast. Oh, and you can ask the assistant for a battery life update.
Meta says it’s rolling out the update to the accompanying Facebook View app in phases and notes it expects the software to be available to everyone soon. Before you can download the update, you’ll need to install the latest firmware on your Stories glasses. While this release enhances one of the less compelling aspects of the Ray-Ban Stories, the company promised it will add more functionality in the new year.
