Latest news with #Apple-like
News18
3 days ago
- News18
OnePlus Brings 'Plus Key' On New Phones To Replace The Alert Slider: What Is It And How It Works
Last Updated: OnePlus 13s launch will also give us the first look at the new Plus Key that will be replacing the iconic Alert slider button. OnePlus has confirmed the details about the Plus Key which replaces the iconic Alert Slider on its upcoming phones, including the OnePlus 13s. The older button helped you switch between ring, vibrate and silent mode with a click but the Plus Key is a sign of how AI is going to become a bigger part of OnePlus future strategy. The company is going to use the iPhone-like model with the Plus Key which has features similar to the Action Button that Apple introduced a few years back. But the big play for OnePlus with the new Key is to help you organise, save and remember content based on your previous tasks. The Plus Key on the OnePlus 13s sits on top-left of the device and is a functional physical button with tactile feedback. By default, you can click on it to put the phone on Silent, Vibrate and Ring. But that's just the start. You can head over to Settings – Plus Key and really explore the varied nature of the button and how you can customise its use, more like a shortcut for one of the useful features. You can use it for the following: The Bigger, Private AI Play The Plus Key is getting a big leg up with the new OnePlus AI focus that promises personal intelligence. The company claims the data is processed on-device in most cases but in situations where the data has to be sent to the cloud server, OnePlus is adopting an Apple-like private computing system. The brand explained that highly sensitive light data will be processed on-device, but highly sensitive extensive data will be moved to the private computing cloud. These are some big changes from OnePlus, one that it feels aligns with the AI-focused approach that most brands are offering for the consumers. The OnePlus 13s will mark the debut of these features and the Plus Key with the OnePlus 15 flagship taking it a further notch higher later this year. First Published: May 28, 2025, 12:33 IST
Forbes
16-05-2025
- Forbes
Samsung's Android Problem—This Completely Changes Your Phone
All change for Android? Anadolu via Getty Images Despite the glitz of Google's Android I/O, there's a new problem that's now the biggest threat to the world's leading OS since inception. Whisper it quietly, but everything could suddenly change — not immediately, but when it does there will be no turning back. This impacts Samsung most and for Galaxy users it completely changes your phone. Google has essentially challenged Samsung to recover from its One UI 7 nightmare in the next few weeks, restoring confidence in Android's leading OEM. Android 16, says Google, will rollout to Samsung and other OEMs 'starting this summer.' Not Pixel, though. Android 16 will come to Google's phones weeks if not months before any others. Per Android Police: 'Why should someone who spent over $1,000 on a flagship Samsung device have to wait for features available on a $499 Pixel?' Good question. Samsung is Android's leading OEM, outelling Pixels more than 10 to 1. Pixel isn't even second. China's leading OEMs all dwarf Pixel as well. Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo all outsell Pixel several times over. As does Huawei — albeit those phones now run their own OS and are Google-free. Watch this space. There's now talk in China that those other OEMs may join Huawei in ditching Android for a Made In China OS. Huawei's OS was conceived as an IOT architecture that was then expanded to phones when U.S. sanctions hit. It's leaner and better optimized for today's devices, and it underpins an Apple-like connected ecosystem. Android, in contrast, seems bloated. If China does split, Android would essentially be all about Samsung. The vast majority of Android phones would all come from the Galaxy-maker. And yet its OS would come from the Pixel-maker, which has now joined its mobile phone and mobile phone OS teams within a single unit. It's hard not to see the problem. This won't work. This disconnect is becoming ever more apparent. We saw it with Samsung's Android 15 delays and we see it each month with a complex security update that is shamed by Pixel's efficient Apple-like approach. Pixel doesn't flex its OS for carriers, and so it's a one-and-done deal to update its ecosystem. Samsung takes the full month to deploy, and users of all but the latest flagships often wait weeks for critical updates. This is now being called out by Android users. 'Why pick Pixel over iPhone or Samsung,' a Reddit thread has just asked. 'Why do you choose to use a Google Pixel (let's say the Pixel 9 Pro) over a Samsung or iPhone, given that the Pixel may have slower software and hardware?' Per Droid Life, the response that 'basically covers what almost everyone said in summary format' is clear and neatly frames the problem: 'Against Samsung, Pixel has arguably better cameras, better AI features and a non-bloated version of Android. I'm not sure how true this is, but I also assume Pixel's version of Android should be better optimized for the hardware considering the hardware and software are both made by Google, kind of how Apple makes both iPhones and iOS.' Arguably Pixel does compete with iPhone, but only really in the U.S. and only to a limited extent. Apple sells as many (and sometimes more) phones than Samsung. But it's the Galaxy-maker that really competes with Apple, its S25 Ultra is Android's nearest thing to an iPhone killer. But can Samsung really compete with iPhone when it doesn't own the full hardware and software stack? Not long term. For Samsung owners this disconnect completely changes your phone. It holds up monthly updates and has even resulted in missed CISA update deadlines in the U.S., as an increasing number of Android zero-days are flagged and patched. And it delays Google's security innovations such as live threat detection and scam defenses. All told, this is a big summer for Android. Not in the U.S., with Google's glitzy Android I/O announcements, but in quieter corridors in Seoul, Guangdong and Shenzhen where the future of Android as we know it today is more likely to be decided.
News18
06-05-2025
- News18
WhatsApp To Soon Let You Create Groups Without Adding People: What It Means
Reported By : Last Updated: May 06, 2025, 08:35 IST WhatsApp will soon make it easy to create group and add members later WhatsApp Groups are created when you have people to add but the messaging app is working to make that unnecessary. Yes, WhatsApp groups can soon be created without adding a contact/member/friend. The platform will allow you to create the group and gradually add people by sharing the group link or invite with them. While this may not sound like a big deal, the messaging app is clearly making it easy to make groups and eventually bring members to them. WhatsApp Group Without Contacts The details about the feature come via WaBetaInfo who also says the platform will offer a new range of tools for group chats to make it convenient for the users. The new option has been spotted in the WhatsApp 2.25.14.12 beta version for Android and will be soon available in the stable version as well. How To Create WhatsApp Groups WhatsApp lets you create groups from the Chat floating box. The messaging app always needed you to add a contact to make a new group but this beta version shows it won't be needed soon. The group can have just you as the member and you can add other people later. This way, WhatsApp groups become more than just a chat box with multiple people, and allow you to store media files and documents from people at work or family. It's not the same, but the new update will make Groups work like the Message myself chat option on WhatsApp that lets you save messages, files and links among others. Swipe Left For Next Video View all WhatsApp has officially confirmed its privacy plans for the AI chats and promises Apple-like security measures to keep your data secure even while processing it on the cloud. People often seek on-device processing for AI features for additional privacy but as Apple has realised, the abilities are limited and now Meta is feeling the same impact. So, it has decided to set up a private computing cloud system that tries to do the best of both worlds and keep your data secure. News18 Tech delivers the latest technology updates, including phone launches, gadget reviews, AI advancements, and more. Stay informed with breaking tech news, expert insights, and trends from India and around the world. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! News tech WhatsApp To Soon Let You Create Groups Without Adding People: What It Means
News18
01-05-2025
- News18
WhatsApp To Use Apple-Like Privacy Computing Tech To Process AI Chats: What It Means
Last Updated: WhatsApp AI features run through Meta servers and now the platform is getting a big privacy upgrade that promises better safety. WhatsApp offers a wide range of AI features thanks to Meta but users are worried about its plans to process data on the cloud server. Now, the company has officially confirmed its privacy plans for the AI chats and promises Apple-like security measures to keep your data secure even while processing it on the cloud. People often seek on-device processing for AI features for additional privacy but as Apple has realised, the abilities are limited and now Meta is feeling the same impact. So, it has decided to set up a private computing cloud system that tries to do the best of both worlds and keep your data secure. Meta is calling the new computing system Private Processing. The company says this allows the AI tools to work privately on the cloud and users don't have to be concerned about their data being exposed during the process. WhatsApp AI tools like message summaries and writing suggestions will be put to test through the new privacy computing system. But that's just the gist of the feature so Meta has decided to walk us through the step-by-step process of how AI tools will work securely: When you use any of the AI tools on WhatsApp, the messaging sends the request to Meta's cloud server The server makes sure the request is coming from a genuine WhatsApp user and device. Meta encrypts the feature request and anonymises it so that neither WhatsApp or Meta can identify the user. WhatsApp users don't need to do anything different to get this feature which will be rolling out behind the scenes over the next few weeks. As we mentioned, AI summaries and writing suggestions will be the first ones to get the privacy upgrade with others to be gradually added in due course. First Published: May 01, 2025, 11:21 IST
San Francisco Chronicle
01-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
OpenAI's Sam Altman bringing his latest technology to a Union Square storefront
San Franciscans have long been accustomed to the sight of kittens and puppies frolicking in the windows of the Macy's department store in Union Square during the holiday season. But starting this week, a new tenant on the block could steal attention with its cutting edge technology. A small storefront immediately next to Macy's entrance on Geary Street has quietly been transformed into the showroom for a new, until now, rather nebulous technology: An eye scanning 'orb' that's used to verify the observer's 'humanness.' On Thursday, the Sam Altman-backed cryptocurrency project World Network, formerly known as Worldcoin, will debut across the country — its rollout involves six retail locations in major cities, including a San Francisco flagship store at 281 Geary St., which is owned by Macy's. The less than 5,000-square-foot space is surrounded by other prestigious retailers like Louis Vuitton and Neiman Marcus, but sat vacant prior to being leased by World Network. A spokesperson for the project, which uses AI technology for iris scans to create a global identity network and was co-founded by Altman and Alex Bania, confirmed the lease on Wednesday. Altman is perhaps best known for founding ChatGPT maker OpenAI, an artificial intelligence startup that has been rapidly expanding in San Francisco over the past two years. World Network's spokesperson said that its new space, which fronts San Francisco's iconic shopping district, has been transformed into an 'Apple-like' store where visitors can test out the project's orb, or biometric verification tool, to prove that they are indeed humans online — and not AI, for instance. Following verification and signing up for the project, participants will be issued a 'World ID,' which is essentially an anonymous digital passport that lives within the World App. The World technology was built by Tools for Humanity, a San Francisco-based startup cofounded by Altman and Bania that also operates the coinciding app. Already, it boasts over 26 million users in 160 countries, 12 million of which are verified, according to the company, which said the mission is to provide 'more humans access to secure, privacy-preserving proof of human, or PoH, technology in the age of AI to distinguish between bots and humans online.' The Union Square storefront not only provides a physical location to test the orbs, but also marks the start of World Network's U.S. expansion. Similar storefronts will also be launching in Atlanta; Los Angeles; Miami; Nashville, Tenn.; and Austin, Texas. 'Way before ChatGPT … we were both very interested in AI and what that was going to mean,' Altman said during a live event held at Fort Mason on Wednesday evening. 'It was clear to us … that we needed some sort of way for identifying, authenticating humans in the age of (artificial general intelligence) — we needed a way that we could know what content was made by a human or by AI,' he said. 'We also talked a lot about the need to include a financial network of some sort.' 'We started this company right here in San Francisco, near South Park, and we wanted to scale it to the entire world from here,' Bania said. 'And, of course, what has been missing, is the United States of America.' Altman and Bania also announced a partnership between the World Network with Visa on a debit card that will launch this summer and is exclusive to World users. The project has also partnered with Match Group, which owns popular dating app Tinder, among other companies. A new factory in Richardson, Texas, will open to manufacture orbs for the U.S. market. And, Bania said, starting next month there will be orbs in all Razer stores. The cofounders also introduced an early model of a new device, called 'orb mini.' 'I think that will allow us to scale this up much, much faster,' Bania said about the device. News of the storefront's opening comes weeks after World Network claimed office space in San Francisco. The project's founders signed a 90,000-square-foot lease at 600 Townsend East near Mission Bay last month, taking up an entire four-story brick and timber building that was once leased to Airbnb. The high-profile tenant comes as a boon to Union Square, the city's premier luxury shopping district, which has struggled to recover from the pandemic. A list of businesses have exited the area, leaving massive retail spaces empty. Last week, Saks Fifth Avenue, which for decades has been located near the plaza, announced that it will close its doors next month. And Macy's said last year that it also plans to close, as soon as it finds a buyer for its massive flagship property, which spans nearly an entire block between Geary, Powell, Stockton and O'Farrell streets. The news left city stakeholders uncertain about the future of the area, and triggered a number of initiatives aimed at reviving the commercial district. But, lately, there have been some positive developments: Global fashion giant Zara this month recommitted to Union Square, announcing plans to open a new flagship store at 400 Post St. next year, a block from its current location, which it plans to shutter.
