Kalakshar US

Apple has introduced iOS 17, and some of its most important changes revolve around fundamental apps. Incoming calls can now include custom posters for certain contacts, and you’ll get Google-style live transcripts. Messages, meanwhile, offers easier replies, audio message transcripts, in-line location info and a “check in” that automatically lets people know if you’ve arrived or are delayed. FaceTime les you leave Live Voicemail messages. There’s a revamped sticker interface that lets you turn emojis into stickers, add effects and even add stickers to third-party apps.

Siri is now somewhat smarter. You can just say “Siri” to invoke a command, and the voice assistant will take back-to-back commands without requiring that you say the keyword each time.

Sharing is easier, too. NameDrop lets you share contact details just by bringing your iPhone close to someone else’s device. You can share photos that way, too, and leave AirDrop transferring content even when you have to step away. A developer framework will expand access to sharing in other apps, too.

Even typing is better. New AI modelling improves keyboard autocorrection, and you’ll see in-line predictions for what you’re writing. If there’s an unfamiliar word, iOS 17 will recognize it over time.

And yes, rumors of a life journaling app are true. The new Journal app lets document how you’re feeling, complete with suggestions for writing prompts based on events like trips. Developers can tap into these suggestions.

You can also turn your iPhone into a makeshift smart display with StandBy. Put your phone on its side and you’ll get automatically surfacing info through widgets, such as calendar info, music and sports scores. It even automatically adjusts to nighttime with a face that won’t hurt your eyes.

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

Follow all of the news from Apple’s WWDC 2023 right here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-ios-17-revamps-core-apps-172548767.html?src=rss 

Apple confirmed at its WWDC conference today that its largest and most powerful desktop will be receiving a few upgrades, including the M2 Ultra chip. While it’s been through several aesthetic variations over the years, including the maligned “trashcan” model, for better or worse though, the Mac Pro will look identical to its cheese grater-like predecessor from 2019. This version, however, will support positioning as either a tower or a rack-mount. 

Other lines of Mac products have moved away from using third-party silicon, and now the hulking Mac Pro joins them. It’s former Intel Xeon W setup has been replaced with the aforementioned M2 Ultra. Apple claims its in-house chip can operate up to three times faster than the prior Intel models. As was rumored though, the decision develop a specialized M2 Extreme chip was shelved due to cost and technical difficulty. The Mac Pro will now come stocked with a 24-core CPU and up to a 76-core GPU. It support up to 192GB of memory, and seven Afterburner cards. That combined power, the company claims, can playback 22 8K ProRes video files or ingest up to 24 4K camera feeds “and encode them to ProRes in real time.”

Additionally, the new Mac Pro will come with seven PCIe expansion slots, eight Thunderbolt 4 ports, support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, two 10Gb ethernet ports, three USB-A ports and two HDMI ports that will be able to output 8k resolution at up to 240Hz. There’s a headphone jack too, just for good measure.

Once again though, the Mac Pro will cost a small fortune: $6,999 to start, while the upper bounds of a fully decked-out Pro remain unknown. That remains an unfathomable and likely prohibitive sum for most customers, but considering the prior model was just $1,000 cheaper and nearly everything else on earth seems to cost a lot more since 2019, it could be worse. Someone who is good at the economy please explain any of this to me. 

The Mac Pro can be ordered today, and will become available starting on June 13.

Developing…

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-refreshes-the-mac-pro-with-its-new-m2-ultra-chip-173145016.html?src=rss 

Reddit’s potential threat to third-party apps is prompting a high-profile protest. Dozens of subreddits, including major examples like Earthporn, LifeProTips, ReactionGIFs and Videos, have declared they’re “going dark” (that is, going private) starting June 12th in response to an API pricing increase they believe will shut out third-party clients. Some will resume public access after 48 hours, but others will “permanently” isolate themselves until Reddit addresses their concerns.

The protesters are also calling on users to message Reddit administrators, leave negative app reviews and boycott the social site. At the same time, they want participants to be “restrained, polite, reasonable and law-abiding” — threats and other rude behavior won’t win people over, according to the organizers.

We’ve asked Reddit for comment. Christian Selig, the creator of popular client Apollo, says the API pricing would cost him $20 million per year. The developers of other apps, such as Narwhal and Reddit is Fun, have also warned that they can’t afford the new prices and will likely shut down soon as a result. In the past, Reddit maintained that its pricing is “as equitable as possible” and that it was working to improve the efficiency of apps and reduce their costs.

As The Vergeexplains, moderators are as worried about the price change as users. Third-party Reddit apps frequently include customizations and other features that don’t make their way into the official app, including moderator tools that help keep subreddits in check. Developers also fear the new API structure would prevent displaying not-safe-for-work content and limit ads that are key to making revenue.

This isn’t the first time Reddit communities have fenced themselves off in protest. In 2015, the IAmA subreddit went private in objection to the sudden firing of communications director Victoria Taylor. In 2021, dozens of subreddits made a similar move to draw attention to COVID-19 misinformation that was allowed to spread on the platform. Reddit’s responses have been mixed. It banned one community and quarantined 54 others after the misinformation protest, but those actions were for abuse rather than the disputed content.

Reddit’s decision comes a few months after Twitter banned third-party apps and severely limited free API access. In both cases, the strategies effectively force users to rely on official apps, where companies can control more of the experience and generate more money from ads and (in Twitter’s case) subscriptions. The fear, as you might guess, is that this leads to a stagnant platform where outsiders can’t improve on the core formula.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/reddit-communities-are-going-dark-to-protest-changes-that-would-hurt-third-party-apps-154133342.html?src=rss 

Apple is slated to hold its annual Worldwide Developer Conference today, and based on the rumors and leaks we’ve seen, it’s shaping up to be a monumental year. The industry is expecting the company to launch its first mixed reality headset, along with a new platform that powers VR or AR applications, as well as the usual suspects like updates to iOS, macOS, watchOS and more. In addition, there might be new Mac hardware and we never know what surprises might be in store. Will there be a Ted Lasso reveal? Or maybe new Fitness+ updates or a celebrity appearance? I guess we’ll just have to wait till find out. The show kicks off at 1pm ET/10am PT, and we’ll be starting to publish updates at 12pm ET, so stay tuned!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-wwdc-2023-live-updates-160004876.html?src=rss 

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is acting on concerns crypto giant Binance may have broken the law with its US operations. The regulator has filed 13 charges against Binance and founder Changpeng Zhao accusing the two of violating securities laws. Most notably, officials claim Binance knowingly undermined its own international compliance controls to help US investors keep trading on Binance.com when they were only supposed to rely on the separate Binance.US system. Zhao and his company also controlled Binance.US “behind the scenes,” the SEC alleges.

The Commission also maintains that Binance and Zhao mixed and diverted customers’ assets at will, including with the Zhao-owned Sigma Chain. The company and its US affiliate are further accused of running unregistered exchanges, broker-dealers and clearing agencies, with Zhao serving as the control. They also allegedly sold unregistered crypto assets, the SEC adds.

The SEC aims to not only force Binance to comply with the law, but to bar Zhao from helming any domestic securities issuers. It also wants the company to disgorge its financial gains from the alleged violations, and to pay additional penalties.

Binance says it’s “disheartened” by the charges and maintains that it has participated in “good-faith” talks to reach a settlement. Reuters investigators reported that Binance commingled $20 million from a corporate account with $15 million for a customer-oriented example. The company denied the allegation, saying that the relevant accounts were only used to “facilitate” cryptocurrency purchases and that the funds were exclusively corporate.

The SEC allegations come a few months after the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) filed its own charges against Binance and Zhao. It too accused the crypto firm of skirting US regulations and offering unregistered crypto assets. Unlike the SEC, the CFTC charged former compliance officer Samuel Lim.

The action against Binance is the latest phase in a broader crackdown against the crypto industry. FTX and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried are facing numerous charges over alleged fraud and bribery. New York State has sued former Celsius chief Alex Mashinsky over purported fraud, while the SEC has charged Terraform Labs with running a “multi-billion dollar” fradulent operation. Combine this with Congress’ efforts to shape crypto policy and there’s intense pressure on crypto exchanges to alter their practices.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/binance-faces-sec-charges-for-allegedly-mishandling-funds-and-dodging-rules-162321241.html?src=rss 

Apple’s WWDC kicks off today and the company may well reveal some fresh Macs. Before you pick up one of those, though, you may be looking to snag some new AirPods. As it happens, several models are on sale, including the third-gen AirPods. Those have dropped by 12 percent to $149, which is just $10 more than the record low price.

The latest AirPods marked a major improvement over the second-gen model. We gave them a score of 88 in our review, lauding them for having much better audio, a more comfortable design and a substantially improved battery life. That said, the lack of onboard volume controls remained a disappointment and the fit and visual appearance may still not work for everyone.

The third-gen AirPods don’t have active noise cancellation either, but you will find that feature on the most recent AirPods Pro, which are also on sale. You can snag a pair for $200. That’s $50 off the regular price. We gave the second-gen AirPods Pro a score of 88 as well. The transparency mode impressed us and the earbuds delivered better audio quality than the previous model. The finicky touch gesture, so-so battery life and Apple’s choice to retain the same design were negative points, however.

If you’re looking for a less expensive set of AirPods, it’s worth considering the second-gen model. While they might be showing their age a bit (Apple released them in 2019), they’re still a good choice for true wireless earbuds, especially for those who use Apple devices. The second-gen AirPods are on sale for $99, which is $30 off.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-third-gen-airpods-have-dropped-back-down-to-149-144926943.html?src=rss