Category: Technology

If you have a personal WhatsApp account and a business one — or two accounts of the same nature — you’ll soon no longer have to carry two phones to be able to access them both. WhatsApp will finally let you add two accounts to one device, as long as you have a second phone number or a phone that supports eSIM or dual/multiple SIMs. 

You won’t even need to log out of one account to be able to access the other. To have simultaneous access to two accounts, go to the app’s Settings page and click on the arrow next to your name to find the “Add account” option. Each account has its own privacy and notification settings, so you can choose to receive alerts from one and not the other, which sounds incredibly useful if you’re on vacation and don’t want to hear from your work or business for a while. 

The new feature follows an update earlier this year that gave you the capability to access your account on multiple devices. WhatsApp used to be very strict when it comes to account access and limited you to having one account on one phone. It started exploring multi-device functionality in 2021, though, and rolled out the ability to sync one account across up to four phones in April. This upcoming update, which could make it easier to juggle different aspects of your life while maintaining boundaries, is rolling out for Android devices in the coming weeks. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/whatsapp-will-soon-let-you-add-two-accounts-to-one-device-070407645.html?src=rss 

Back in February, Meta launched a Telegram-like feature for Instagram called “broadcast channels,” which introduced a one-way messaging feature to the app. It gave creators a way to update their followers without having to post on their main page. Now, the company is expanding broadcast channels’ availability and is also bringing it to Facebook and Messenger. Creators and public figures with Facebook pages will now be able to send messages, including photos, videos and voice notes, to their community. 

It’s still a one-way messaging tool, which means only Page administrators can send messages in the channel, but participants can react to them and vote in polls. Admins can launch a channel directly from their page, and Facebook will send their followers a one-time notification to join after they send their first message. Based on the screenshots shared by Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg, broadcast channels will show up in users’ Messenger chats under a tab aptly labeled “Channels.” Participants will get notifications every time the page owner sends an update, but they can mute the channel anytime. Presumably, those who chose not to participate the first time can still access the channel from the page’s profile like people can on Instagram. 

Meta says any page admin where the feature is now accessible can start a channel if they want. The feature still isn’t available everywhere, though, and those who can’t find the option to open a broadcast channel yet can join the waitlist for now. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-brings-instagrams-broadcast-channels-to-facebook-and-messenger-050801437.html?src=rss 

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is opening a research center in New York City dedicated to developing new techniques for early disease detection and treatment. CZ Biohub NY, as it’s being called, will work with Columbia, Rockefeller and Yale universities to learn how immune cells detect and attack specific diseases, and eventually use this insight to engineer cells that could do the job more precisely.

The charitable organization headed by Priscilla Chan and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has committed $250 million to the effort, according to STAT, alongside investments of $10 million each from the State of New York and New York City. In a blog post announcing CZ Biohub NY, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative said it will start by focusing on cancers and other diseases that often go undetected until they’ve advanced to the point of being difficult or impossible to treat. That includes “ovarian and pancreatic cancers; neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s; as well as aging and autoimmunity,” CZI says.

CZ BioHub NY aims to get to the bottom of how immune cells work, down to their ability to spot tissue-specific changes that can be among the earliest indications of a disease’s onset. Then, its researchers hope to be able to create cells that can sniff out these abnormalities even earlier than they’re currently able, and be sent to the disease sites directly for more effective treatment. These bioengineered immune cells would “scout, report, and repair damage to our cells before it leads to serious illnesses,” said Chan.

The New York hub is the latest in CZI’s growing network of research institutions, and joins three others that have been established in San Francisco, Chicago, and Redwood City. All have pledged to break ground on their respective scientific goals within a time frame of 10-15 years. Now, according to STAT, the New York biohub just needs to secure a site to work out of.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/chan-zuckerberg-initiatives-250-million-nyc-biohub-will-engineer-disease-fighting-cells-214721932.html?src=rss 

After slogging through years of delays and redesigns, the Tesla Cybertruck can finally be seen on public roads this holiday season, the company announced. Deliveries of the long-awaited luxury EV SUV will begin to select customers starting November 30, before the vehicle enters full production next year at its Texas Gigafactory.  

At the same time, the vehicle’s electrical architecture is reportedly now being redesigned to accomodate an 800-volt standard, up from the 400V its existing Tesla lineup. A lot of luxury, performance and heavy duty EV models — from the Audi e-Tron to the GMC Hummer EV — utilize the 800V architecture, it’s what enables EVs with large battery capacities to charge at a higher rate (thereby reducing charging time) without reducing the vehicle’s wiring harness to slag. Big difference of course is that most automakers don’t announce that particular design change decision in the same breath as initial vehicle deliveries.

For its existing model lines, Tesla’s production and deliveries are both down this quarter, about seven percent or roughly 30,000 units compared to Q2, but still significantly higher year over year, up ~100,000 units, over 2022. The EV automaker has slashed the prices on its vehicles repeatedly this year, first in March, then again in September (taking a full 20 percent off the MSRP at the time) and once more in early October. 

The Model X, for example, began 2023 retailing for $120,990 — it currently lists for $79,990. The models S (now $74,990), Y ($52,490, down 24 percent from January) and 3 ($38,990, down 17 percent) have all seen similar price drops. In all, Tesla reports its cost of goods sold per vehicle decreased to ~$37,500 in Q3.

Musk had previously explained his willingness to drop prices and endure reduced margins if it translates to increased sales volume. “I think it does make sense to sacrifice margins in favor of making more vehicles,” he said in July. 

“A sequential decline in volumes was caused by planned downtimes for factory upgrades, as discussed on the most recent earnings call. Our 2023 volume target of around 1.8 million vehicles remains unchanged,” Tesla wrote in an October press statement. The company delivered some 435,059 vehicles globally in Q3. 

The company continues to increase its investments in AI development as well, having “more than doubled” the amount of processing power it dedicates to training its vehicular and Optimus robot AI systems, compared to Q2. The Optimus itself is reportedly receiving hardware upgrades and is being trained via AI, rather than “hard-coded” software. 

Additionally, the company announced that all US and Canadian Hertz rentals will have access to the Tesla App, allowing them to use their phones as key fobs. Customers who already have a Tesla profile set up can apply those settings to their Hertz rental as well.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-begins-cybertruck-deliveries-on-november-30-210430697.html?src=rss 

Netflix announced price hikes on two of its plans today. As the company relayed its quarterly earnings, tit said it’s increasing rates for its Basic and Premium plans. The Basic plan, which Netflix killed earlier this year, moves from $10 to $12 for grandfathered customers, while Premium rises from $20 to $23.

Netflix said its ad-supported and Standard plans will remain the same at $7 and $15.49, respectively. Before Wednesday’s news, the company last raised prices in early 2022.

“While we mostly paused price increases as we rolled out paid sharing, our overall approach remains the same — a range of prices and plans to meet a wide range of needs, and as we deliver more value to our members, we occasionally ask them to pay a bit more,” Netflix wrote in its earnings report. “Our starting price is extremely competitive with other streamers and at $6.99 per month in the US, for example, it’s much less than the average price of a single movie ticket.”

The company’s move to limit password sharing appears to have paid off. Paid memberships are up to 247.15 million, a significant 10 percent annual increase. Paid net subscriber additions were 8.76 million for Q3, the biggest increase of the last year. In addition, Netflix’s advertising-supported plan seems to be off to the hot start it expected as it accounted for 30 percent of all new sign-ups in countries where it’s available.

Netflix has shifted its strategy as it adjusts from its peak-pandemic highs while facing increased competition. In addition to its price hikes, ad-supported plan and password-sharing crackdowns, the streaming service is even taking the peculiar step of moving into retail.

Netflix is hardly alone in raising prices. Disney+, Hulu and Max have all issued increases in the past 12 months. That isn’t limited to direct rivals: Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, Spotify, YouTube Premium and Apple Music all jacked up their subscription costs in the last year.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflix-jacks-price-premium-plan-201116492.html?src=rss 

Amazon has some big plans for its drone delivery program, including an international expansion to the UK and Italy in 2024. The company also aims to start drone operations in a third US city next year, following existing efforts in College Station, Texas (where it just started offering prescription medication delivery by drone) and Lockeford, California.

Drone deliveries in the UK and Italy will start at one site each before expanding to more locations over time. Amazon says it will announce the specific locations for the US, UK and Italy expansion in the coming months.

Moreover, Amazon will integrate the Prime Air program into its delivery network. In the US, drones will run out of some Same-Day Delivery sites. By basing drones at those locations and its larger fulfillment centers in the UK and Italy, Amazon says customers can choose from a wider range of items for drone deliveries. Until now, Amazon has been using dedicated delivery centers at its first two Prime Air locations.

When the option is available in their area and they buy an eligible item that weighs under five pounds, Amazon customers can choose to have the product delivered by drone. Thousands of items are eligible for drone delivery, including office and tech supplies, household products and beauty items. The company notes that, for nearly a year, it’s been using drones to deliver items to customers in its first two Prime Air locations in an hour or less.

Reports earlier this year suggested that Prime Air got off to a very slow start, delivering to just a handful of homes in its first few weeks of operation in Texas and California (the program is said to have been hit hard by layoffs around that time too). Regulatory red-tape was said to be a key reason for the lackluster debut. To that end, Amazon says it has been “working closely with regulators and governments around the world to expand drone delivery.”

Meanwhile, Amazon plans to start making deliveries with the MK30 drone it first showed off last November. This model has a range that’s twice as large as previous drones, while it has improved tolerance for higher and lower temperatures. The MK30 can also operate in light rain. It’s smaller, lighter and quieter than previous drones too, according to Amazon.

What’s more, the MK30 latest model is said to be capable of identifying and avoiding obstacles that are in its delivery area, including objects like moveable cranes that weren’t there the previous day. One other intriguing aspect of the MK30 is how it flies. After taking off vertically, it orientates itself for horizontal, wing-borne flight. Add all of that up (and roll in some safety features), and Amazon says the MK30 can deliver packages to folks who live in more densely populated suburban areas and have smaller backyards.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-plans-to-start-drone-deliveries-in-the-uk-and-italy-next-year-185027120.html?src=rss 

Virtual private networks (VPNs) have become an essential tool for many web surfers, for a wide variety of reasons, and one of the most popular services is offering a great deal to entice new customers. NordVPN is selling two-year subscription plans for up to 69 percent off, depending on which tier you choose. You also get three free months of service when you sign up, which is always a nice bonus. This is actually a slightly better deal than last month’s 68 percent discount on two-year subscription plans.

Here’s how it all breaks down. The company’s flagship Complete plan is 69 percent off when you buy into two years of service, totaling $5 per month or $135. The Plus plan is 62 percent off, coming in at $4 per month or $108 for two years. The Standard plan is likely the best option for average consumers, offering a secure VPN, tracker blockers, ad blockers and malware protection. This plan is 63 percent off, totaling $3 per month or $80 for the whole shebang. Each and every one of these deals includes three free months of service, totaling 27 months. The one-year plans are also discounted and come with the same three free months of use.

There are even discounts for the company’s proprietary password management software, NordPass. Two-year Premium plans are 58 percent off and also offer three free months upon signing up. Enterprise users actually get six free months to try everything out.

We have praised NordVPN’s feature set and general ease-of-use, but balked at the original price tag. As a matter of fact, the cost was a primary reason why Nord’s offering narrowly missed our list of the best VPNs. So these discounts go a long way to making this an extremely attractive option for those looking for a speedy and useful virtual private network.

It’s worth noting that all of these plans are being advertised as Black Friday discounts, but you can actually make use of the sale beginning today. It all ends on November 29, so set a calendar reminder if you want some time to think things over.

If you aren’t even sure what VPNs are for, they are actually quite useful for those who spend a lot of time on ye olde internet. These services are nearly-mandatory when accessing public Wi-Fi, as they prevent cyber criminals from accessing your computer. The software also blocks malicious sites, protects sensitive data and lets you skirt geo-restrictions when surfing.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nordvpn-plans-are-nearly-70-percent-off-ahead-of-black-friday-183535813.html?src=rss 

Meta is temporarily changing users’ default comment settings on Facebook as part of its response to the Israel-Hamas war. The company said in an update it was making the change in an effort to “protect people in the region from potentially unwelcome or unwanted comments.”

With the change, comments on “newly created public Facebook posts” will be limited to the user’s friends or “established followers.” The step is somewhat unusual as publicly viewable Facebook posts are typically open to comments from anyone by default. Meta didn’t specify the location or how many Facebook accounts would be affected by the change, but said it would apply broadly to “people in the region.”

The company added that all Facebook users have the ability to limit their comments, regardless of their location, and that it would notify users for whom the setting was now enabled by default. Additionally, Meta said it’s making it easier for Facebook users to bulk delete comments and that it’s “disabled the feature that normally displays the first one or two comments under posts in Feed.”

The updates appear to be meant to reduce harassment and potentially toxic comments as tensions surrounding the conflict continue to spill over onto social media. Meta also said it’s rolling out its profile “lock” tool to Facebook users “in the region.” The feature allows users to hide some previously-public parts of their profile and prevents non-friends from seeing a full-size version of their profile photos.

The company also addressed claims that their content moderation practices have unfairly suppressed some accounts posting about the conflict. Over the weekend a number of users reported that they believed they had been “shadowbanned” on Instagram for posting content about conditions in Gaza or otherwise calling attention to how the ongoing conflict is affecting Palestinians.

Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said the company had discovered and fixed a “bug” that affected the visibility of Stories and other re-shared posts “globally.” On Wednesday, the company confirmed the issues had “significantly reduced” the reach of Stories. “This bug affected accounts equally around the globe – not only people trying to post about what’s happening in Israel and Gaza – and it had nothing to do with the subject matter of the content,” Meta said. Separately, the company also fixed another “global issue” that prevented users from livestreaming on Facebook “for a short time.”

It’s not the first time questions have been raised about Meta’s response to a conflict between Israel and Hamas. In May of 2021, the last time there was a major escalation violence in the Gaza Strip, Facebook’s moderation practices violated Palestinians’ right to free expression, a report commissioned by Meta found. The report found that Meta’s systems and content reviewers had a lower accuracy rate when evaluating posts written in Palestinian Arabic, which resulted in a significant number of users being hit with “false strikes” on their accounts.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-is-temporarily-changing-facebook-comment-settings-amid-israel-hamas-war-183105130.html?src=rss 

Google is expanding a feature that allows Android users to add their state ID or driver’s license to Wallet. Starting today, folks in Arizona, Colorado and Georgia can store a digital version of their ID in the app. Google first enabled the option in Maryland in June. Apple also allows folks in certain locales to add a digital copy of their ID to Apple Wallet.

For now, you’ll be able to use a digital ID stored in Google Wallet at TSA PreCheck lines at select airports. Google plans to enable more ways to use the digital version of your ID later this year, such as for renting a car through an app. The idea is that the app will only gain access to necessary information, such as your name and driving eligibility.

Digital IDs that are added to Google Wallet are encrypted, so no one will have access to personal information stored there unless you choose to share it. Authentication such as a fingerprint unlock is needed to access the ID. You’ll also be able to select which information fields you share when you present your digital ID.

To add an ID issued by Arizona, Colorado, Georgia or Maryland to Google Wallet, your device will need to be running Android 8 or newer. First, open the Google Wallet app, tap the Add to Wallet button, select the ID Card option and choose the state that issued the ID. Then you’ll need to scan the ID and take a quick selfie video to verify that you’re the person to whom the ID belongs. Google will then authenticate your ID with the issuer.

If you lose your phone or someone steals it, you can delete your digital ID remotely via your Google account settings. You can also ask your state’s DMV to remove the ID from Google Wallet.

Meanwhile, it’s now possible to create a digital pass in Google Wallet by taking a photo or screenshot of any barcode or QR code. The aim is to let you add passes that Wallet doesn’t natively support, such as your library card or gym membership, to the app. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/android-users-in-arizona-colorado-and-georgia-can-now-add-state-ids-to-google-wallet-165536898.html?src=rss