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Showing posts from December, 2022

Millions of Apple users urged to install potentially life-saving new feature

Apple users are being reminded of a clever new feature that could help save lives. The new iOS 16.1.2 update comes with a range of new features and bug fixes. However, one new feature available on the iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Pro has the ability to call emergency services on your behalf if the device believes you’ve been in an accident. Watch the latest News on Channel 7 or stream for free on 7plus >> The improvements to the new Crash Detection feature may also help reduce the amount of false positives reported to emergency services. Previously, the feature was falsely reporting people had been involved in car accidents, but they were actually riding on roller coasters. While the update comes with a bunch of new features, Apple is reminding users to install all the latest security updates for the iOS 16.1.2. “Keeping your software up to date is one of the most important things you can do to maintain your Apple product’s security,” they said. The update is available for free, h

Google Voice will now flag suspicious spam calls

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Google Voice has made it easier to filter out scam calls with a system that will flag suspected incoming calls with a big red exclamation mark and label them as spam. The company says that it intended to make the feature so that its customers are protected "from unwanted calls and potentially harmful scams." 'Suspected spam caller' will show up on the screen whenever a suspected spam call begins to ring, and will also show up in phone History as well. If users confirm the number as spam, all future calls from that phone number will be sent to voicemail and its call History will also be recorded in the spam folder. If users refute the call to be spam, the phone number will never be labeled as spam again. The new AI used to create this spam filter will only appear if spam filter setting under Security has been turned on. If turned off, all suspicious spam calls will be sent to voicemail automatically. Source: https://thefoxposts.com/google-voice-will-no

Scientists discover microplastics in rain

A recent study in New Zealand has discovered as much as 81 tonnes of micro plastic s in the rain that fell from the sky in 2020, making the water harmful for drinking.  Scientists part of the study has said that the high PFAS levels, a carcinogenic substance, deemed the water undrinkable for humans. The 2022 study confirms the 2019 study that first discovered micro plastic s in rain conducted by the US Department of Interior. Expecting to see "soil and mineral particles" scientists were stunned to find fibers, beads and shards of micro plastic s. Scientists are still working on the exact effects of ingesting micro plastic s by humans, even though evidence has shown that they have already been found in the bloodstream and lungs. The usage of micro plastic s has increased drastically over the years with over 24 trillion pieces in our oceans today. Rainwater contamination poses a serious threat to those who depend on it for drinking purposes, and as the journal of Environm

Amazon planning standalone app for sports content

Amazon.com Inc is working on a standalone app for watching sports content, the Information reported on Wednesday, citing a source with direct knowledge of the plan. Sports remains one of the biggest attractions for live viewing as US audiences increasingly switch from pay TV subscriptions to streaming apps. The move will likely complement Amazon's effort to double down on Sports programming through its Prime Video service, a key channel to attract consumers to its shopping platform. Amazon already owns the rights to stream Game s including National Football League's Thursday Night Football franchise and Premier League soccer matches in the UK, setting it up to better com Pet e with Sports streaming leader Walt Disney Co. Last week, Alphabet Inc unit YouTube also signed a multi-year deal to exclusively stream NFL's Sunday Ticket package of games in the United States. It was not clear when Amazon would roll out the sports app and whether it would go through with th

US House administration arm bans TikTok on official devices

The popular Chinese video app TikTok has been banned from all US House of Representatives-managed devices, according to the House's administration arm, mimicking a law soon to go into effect banning the app from US government devices. The app is considered "high risk due to a number of security issues," the House's Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) said in a message sent to all lawmakers and staff on Tuesday, and must be deleted from all devices managed by the House. The new rule follows a series of moves by US state governments to ban TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd, from government devices . As of last week, 19 states have at least partially blocked the app from state-managed devices over concerns that the Chinese government could use the app to track Americans and censor content. The $1.66 trillion omnibus spending bill, passed last week to fund the US government through to Sept. 30, 2023, includes a provision to ban the app on federally managed

YouTube Music may soon allow users to create custom radio

YouTube Music is testing a new feature called ' create a radio ' that will allow users to tune their music choices. YouTube Music already allows users to customise their playlists based on genre, mood, familiarity and much more. With the testing of the new feature called ' create a radio ', the music app will provide further options to listeners. As per 9to5google, once the user selects a bunch of artists, the new feature allows three "Song selection" options: Familiar, Blend, and Discover. It further lets the user select a filter from options including Popular, Deep cuts, New releases, Pump-up, Chill, Upbeat, Downbeat, and Focus. Once the user has made the choices, a YouTube Radio playlist is created that is named after all the artists and bands chosen by the user. The new feature is currently being tested on limited accounts. It will then soon be rolled out for a wider audience. Source: https://thefoxposts.com/youtube-music-may-soon-allow-user

Elon Musk says around 100 Starlinks now active in Iran

SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk said on Monday that the company is now close to having 100 active Starlinks, the firm's satellite internet service, in Iran, three months after he tweeted he would activate the service there amid protests around the Islamic country. Musk said, "approaching 100 starlinks active in Iran", in a tweet on Monday. The billionaire had said in September that he would activate Starlink in Iran as part of a U.S.-backed effort "to advance internet freedom and the free flow of information" to Iranians. The satellite-based broadband service could help Iranians circumvent the government's restrictions on accessing the internet and certain social media platforms amid protests around the country. The Islamic Republic has been engulfed in protests that erupted after the death in September of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody after being arrested by the morality police for wearing "unsuitable attire". Source: http

Wild moment fight breaks out at Bunnings sausage sizzle

A wild video has captured the moment a fight broke out between three men at a Bunnings sausage sizzle. The footage, which was uploaded to TikTok, shows the men arguing in an underground Bunnings car park, right next to the sausage sizzle . WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Wild moment fight breaks out at Bunnings sausage sizzle. Watch the latest News on Channel 7 or stream for free on 7plus >> During the fight - which appears to be over a parking space - the men still manage to hold on tightly to their sausage sandwiches the entire way though the altercation. “Get the car out my f****** way,” one man yells. As the men argued loudly those manning the Bunnings barbeque continued to serve customers, even asking the angry trio “do you want a sausage to calm down guys?” A wild video has captured the moment a fight broke out between three men at a Bunnings. Credit: TikTok/ Dora Rinaldi The video quickly went viral and has since been viewed over 133,000 times. TikTok users were amused by the bi

Elon Musk plans to restrict policy polls to Twitter Blue users

Elon Musk said on Monday Twitter Inc will restrict voting on policy -related polls to paying Twitter Blue subscribers, on the same day that users voted decisively in a poll for Musk to step down as chief executive of the social media platform. Musk responded to a suggestion from a Twitter Blue subscriber, who said only subscribers should get a vote on policy polls , with "Good point. Twitter will make that change", without specifying when the change would come into effect. A 3D printed Twitter logo is seen in front of a displayed photo of Elon Musk in this illustration taken October 27, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Musk said on Sunday he would abide by the results of the CEO poll, but did not give details on when he would step down if the results said he should. He has not yet named a successor for the role. Twitter re-enabled Twitter Blue sign ups earlier this month, with accounts for individuals getting a blue check, while gold and gray check mar

Tesla to freeze hiring, lay off employees next quarter

Another wave of layoffs are coming at electric-car maker Tesla Inc in the next quarter , news website Electrek reported on Wednesday, citing a source familiar with the matter. Tesla is also going to freeze hiring , according to the report. The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Shares of Tesla rose 1% to $139.25 in trading before the bell. The reported move comes at a time when Tesla investors have raised concerns over Chief Executive Elon Musk's distraction with managing Twitter, the social media platform he bought for $44 billion in October. Moreover, Tesla analysts have also cut their price targets on the stock worried that weakness in demand from China will weigh on the EV maker's deliveries next year. Musk in June said Tesla would reduce its salaried workforce by roughly 10% over the next three months. Source: https://thefoxposts.com/tesla-to-freeze-hiring-lay-off-employees-next-quarter-TheFOXposts-6087.html?utm_source=blogger

Twitter Blue to include higher ranking replies, 60-min videos

Twitter Blue paid subscription now has newly added perks with "prioritized ranking s in conversations" and video uploads of 60 minutes in length. The features had been promised to Blue subscribers by Elon Musk last month, but the update is rolling out now. According to Twitter's Support page, the priority reply "prioritizes your replies on Tweets that you interact with", as the tweet replies will appear at the top of the page. The priority ranking s are aimed to "help lower the visibility of scams, spam and bots." Regular users have expressed concerns that this feature will lower their experience, while paid priority messages will aid spammers, trolls and others to amplify their messages. soon, subscribers with the blue checkmark will get priority ranking in search, mentions, and replies to help lower the visibility of scams, spam and bots — Twitter Blue (@TwitterBlue) December 12, 2022   New video rules for the $8 subscription will boos

NASA's InSight lander ends mission on Mars

LOS ANGELES: NASA's InSight lander has ended its mission after more than four years of collecting unique Science on Mars, NASA announced on Wednesday. Mission controllers at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California were unable to contact the lander after two consecutive attempts, which led them to conclude the spacecraft's solar-powered batteries had run out of energy - a state engineers refer to as "dead bus." NASA had previously decided to declare the mission over if the lander missed two communication attempts. The last time InSight communicated with Earth was on Dec. 15, according to NASA. InSight was launched in May 2018 to study the deep interior of Mars. It touched down safely on the Red Planet in late November 2018, marking NASA's first Mars landing since the Curiosity rover in 2012. Insight has detected about 1,300 marsquakes, and made countless scientific discoveries in the past more than four years, according to NA

Twitter enables view count feature for tweets

As per Musk's promise earlier this month, Twitter is now showing the view count on tweets just like it does on videos.  The feature has just been rolled out and hence it is available for limited users.  Tweets will show view count in a few weeks, just like videos do. Twitter is much more alive than people think. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 9, 2022 With the help of the new update, the user will be able to see how popular their tweet is. The option to check this data was previously available by checking the ac count analytics. However, this update has made it easier to view for anyone. For now, it isn't clear if a user can see anyone else's view count as well as it does for videos. Twitter has not made any official announcement of the update. Source: https://thefoxposts.com/twitter-enables-view-count-feature-for-tweets-TheFOXposts-6093.html?utm_source=blogger_source&utm_medium=blogger_medium&utm_campaign=blogger_cam Category: Technology

The date Internet Explorer will disappear from your computer for good

Internet Explorer announced its retirement last year and the search engine of old will soon disappear from our computers. Microsoft has announced the official date when the iconic icon will be permanently deleted from desktops and taskbars. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Internet Explorer is no more. Watch the latest News on Channel 7 or stream for free on 7plus >> On Valentines Day 2023, a Microsoft Edge update will finally retire the desktop application. The update will be delivered to all devices, both commercial and consumer, at the same time. Users will be unable to reverse the change. “The retired, out-of-support Internet Explorer 11 desktop application is scheduled to be permanently disabled through a Microsoft Edge update on certain versions of Windows 10 on February 14, 2023,” Microsoft said. Icons on the taskbar and in the start menu will disappear four months later. Microsoft has announced the date when Internet Explorer will permanently disappear from computers. Credit:

Meta is building virtual world open to app makers

Meta Platforms Inc boss Mark Zuckerberg defended his acquisition of a virtual reality fitness app to an antitrust judge on Tuesday, arguing that his company was helping to build a nascent virtual reality industry, not dominate it. Zuckerberg testified in federal court in San Jose, California, that owning app maker Within Unlimited was "not that critical" to Meta's ambitions, saying he primarily aimed to build communications tools and a platform for apps from different developers. On fitness apps, he said, "it's less important that we own the experiences than that they exist." He said he was keen to see other firms build key productivity and gaming apps to draw a mass audience to virtual and augmented reality. Zuckerberg was defending Meta's proposed acquisition in a high-profile trial over the future of the social media company's budding metaverse Business . The Federal Trade Commission has accused Meta of trying to buy its way to the top of the

TikTok bans hit more US states

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA: State agencies in Louisiana and West Virginia on Monday became the latest to ban the use of the popular social media service TikTok on government-managed devices over concern that China could use it to track Americans and censor content. Some 19 of the 50 US  states have now at least partially blocked access on government computers to TikTok, which is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd. Most of the restrictions came within the past two weeks. Some members of Congress last week proposed a nationwide ban, which would follow countries such as India that have already prohibited its use. Jamf Holding Corp, which sells software to organizations to enable filtering and security measures on iPhones and other Apple devices, said its government customers have increasingly blocked access to TikTok since the middle of this year. About 65% of attempted connections to TikTok have been blocked this month on devices managed by Jamf’s public sector customers worldwide, in

Taiwan investigates TikTok for suspected illegal operations

TAIPEI: Taiwan's government has opened a probe into Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok on suspicion of illegal ly operating a subsidiary on the island, though the company's owner denied the accusation. TikTok, which is not widely used in Taiwan, has come under pressure mostly in the United States on concerns about China getting access to users' personal data, which the company denies. In a statement late on Sunday, Taiwan's China-policy making Mainland Affairs Council said that on Dec. 9 a working group under the Cabinet had discovered that TikTok was suspected of "illegal commercial operations" in Taiwan. Taiwan's Liberty Times newspaper reported that TikTok's owner, ByteDance, had set up a subsidiary on the island to tout for business, contravening Taiwanese law that Chinese social media platforms are not allowed commercial operations on the island. The Mainland Affairs Council, responding to that report, said the Cabinet's working