Meta's Instagram tests YouTube-like ads that you cannot skip: Details here

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jun 4, 2024 | Technology

2 min read Last Updated : Jun 04 2024 | 2:47 PM IST

In a bid to make Instagram more lucrative for advertisers, the social media platform from Meta is testing a new feature called “ad breaks”. With it, Instagram will show you advertisements (ads) that you cannot skip. This means that to continue scrolling the content feed, you will have to watch the complete ad.

The ad break will appear after a fixed number of posts and halt your scrolling to make you watch the complete ad. It is unclear if this change will be applied to reels or stories and the Meta owned social media platform has not provided any information about whether it will be applicable for all users globally.

The feature was first spotted by X and Reddit users and has been confirmed by Instagram spokesperson Matthew Tye to The Verge. He said that Instagram would “provide updates should this test result in any formal product changes.”

A screenshot shared by Reddit users shows a timer displayed on the screen that let you know how much time is left for the ad to complete. When the icon is tapped for more information, Instagram tells that this is a new ad viewing method on the platform and users will have to occasionally view an ad before continuing to browse.

Instagram already shows ads and sponsored posts while scrolling but they can be skipped. This feature will make Instagram similar to the free version of YouTube as YouTube also shows unskippable ads for its main and TV app. Tiktok also allows ads in between the videos but you can swipe to skip them. There is no option on Instagram to remove ads except for users in Europe.

First Published: Jun 04 2024 | 2:44 PM IST

Source link

OpenAI's ChatGPT facing widespread outage across web and smartphone apps

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jun 4, 2024 | Technology

2 min read Last Updated : Jun 04 2024 | 1:59 PM IST

OpenAI’s AI chatbot ChatGPT is reportedly facing global outages. According to news reports, many ChatGPT users have reported that they are facing trouble in generating responses from the AI chatbot. ChatGPT is reportedly taking in prompts but is unable to respond to queries. Additionally, some users are even facing issues where the page becomes unresponsive after prompting the chat bot.

According to Downdetector, a platform outage monitoring platform, reports of users facing issues with OpenAI have spiked up since 1PM on June 4. As per the platform, 81 per cent of reported issues are related to ChatGPT while 14 per cent users are facing trouble with the OpenAI website and only five per cent with the smartphone app.

While testing for issues, ChatGPT for web was working fine with the ChatGPT responding instantly for both free and Plus subscription users. However, ChatGPT app for Android took longer to respond while the iOS app showed “Internal Server Error” after trying to process the prompt for some time.

The AI powered chatbot from OpenAI faced similar problems last month, where about 90 per cent of users reported outages for ChatGPT, as per Downdetector. At the time, the Android app for ChatGPT showed a similar error message stating that the server was facing problems. iOS app and the web version of ChatGPT were also unable to generate responses and showed a “Request Timeout” message after a while.

First Published: Jun 04 2024 | 1:58 PM IST

Source link

Samsung's tussle with Oura brings forth Galaxy Ring launch schedule: Report

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jun 4, 2024 | Technology

2 min read Last Updated : Jun 04 2024 | 1:15 PM IST

Samsung is reportedly preparing to face a legal battle from the Finnish health tracking company Oura over the launch of its Galaxy Ring in the US. According to a report by 9To5Google, while seeking legal advice from the US District Court in California to prepare for possible lawsuits from Oura, Samsung has revealed that it plans on “selling the Galaxy Ring in the United States in or around August.”

This aligns with previous reports that stated Samsung could debut the Galaxy Ring alongside its next-generation Galaxy Z series foldable devices at a Galaxy Unpacked event, which is likely to be scheduled in the month of July. However, this launch schedule in the US can be postponed if Oura files a lawsuit against Samsung for patent infringement.

According to the report, there are five different patents that could cause problems for Samsung. Some of these patents are for generic functionality in a ring-style fitness tracker. These include patents related to battery placement in the smart ring, a “Score” as a measurement for fitness targets and certain health metric sensors.

Last week, it was reported that Samsung Galaxy Ring has appeared on the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) testing record detailing the ring sizes and battery details. As per media reports, the upcoming ring-style wearable device from Samsung would be offered in sizes varying from size 5 to size 12. The size of the ring would likely affect the battery capacity on the Galaxy Ring as the FCC’s listing revealed the battery capacity ranging from 17mAh to 22mAh.

There have been reports stating that Samsung could price the Galaxy Ring at around $300-$350 in the US and around Rs 35,000 in India. If true, this will put the maiden small scaled fitness tracker in Samsung’s new wearable line in the same price bracket as the company’s Galaxy Watch lineup.

First Published: Jun 04 2024 | 1:15 PM IST

Source link

Musk's X formally allows adult content on platform with some restrictions

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jun 4, 2024 | Technology

2 min read Last Updated : Jun 04 2024 | 12:07 PM IST

Elon Musk-owned X, formerly known as Twitter, has announced “Adult Content and Violent Content policies” that lays down the rules for adult content on the platform. The updated guidelines states that users can share consensually produced and distributed adult nudity or sexual behaviour, but such content has to be labelled and should not appear on prominent section of the platform such as a profile picture or banner.

“We believe that users should be able to create, distribute, and consume material related to sexual themes as long as it is consensually produced and distributed,” noted X in the policy related to adult content.

Earlier, X did not forbid nor allowed adult content to be published on the platform. However, with the new policies, X is formally allowing users to post and view consensually produced graphic content with some mentions. X said that the adult content on the social media platform needs to be appropriately labelled. Additionally, adult content should not be visible in prominent places such as profile pictures or banners.

Users will also get the option to restrict exposure to content that has been labelled for “nudity or sexual behaviour”. The platform said that content promoting exploitation, non-consent, objectification, sexualization or harm to minors, and obscene behaviours will be prohibited. These rules apply to AI-generated and animated content as well.

Posting and viewing labelled content

Adult content on X needs to be behind a content warning that needs to be acknowledged before your media can be viewed. The publisher of such content needs to go to Settings and change media settings by appropriately marking the type of content. Additionally, the user posting Adult content can add a one-time content warning on individual posts.

For users under the age of 18 or accounts that have not disclosed a birthdate on their profile will not be able to click or view the marked content.

First Published: Jun 04 2024 | 12:07 PM IST

Source link

MediaTek announces Kompanio 838 chipset for AI-powered Chromebooks: Details

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jun 4, 2024 | Technology

2 min read Last Updated : Jun 04 2024 | 12:02 PM IST

Taiwanese semiconductor entity MediaTek has announced Kompanio 838 chipset aimed at next-generation Google Chromebooks with support for on-device AI. The MediaTek Kompanio 838 will debut in Lenovo Chromebooks, which are set to launch in coming days.
The Kompanio 838 is an octa-core chipset based on a 6nm process, which MediaTek said assures better battery performance. MediaTek stated that the new Kompanio chip for Chromebooks supports two 4K displays output at once and boasts an integrated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) capable of 4 TOPS for on-device AI performance.

“The Kompanio 838 has a dedicated AI processor, the MediaTek NPU 650, which enables more interactive and higher quality multimedia with unparalleled power efficiency. MediaTek NPUs are designed for efficient image data processing, capable of quickly executing complex computations,” said MediaTek.

Another notable upgrade that the chip brings is the support for AV1 video codec, in addition to HEVC and VP-9. For connectivity, the chip supports Wi-Fi 6 and 6-e standards.

MediaTek said the Kompanio 838 features its Imagiq 7 series image signal processor (ISP), which would enable professional quality HDR imaging in low-light capture, and dual-camera support for better photo and video quality even in poor light.

The Taiwanese Semiconductor manufacturer has also promised “outstanding performance and multitasking capabilities into a highly efficient SoC that enables all-day battery life for thin and light Chromebooks.”

The Kompanio 838 supports DDR4 and LPDDR4X-type RAMs to meet requirements of original equipment manufacturers and double memory bandwidth in comparison to its predecessors.

First Published: Jun 04 2024 | 12:02 PM IST

Source link

Apple WWDC 2024: iOS 18 and AI announcements to take centerstage on June 10

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jun 4, 2024 | Technology

2 min read Last Updated : Jun 04 2024 | 11:01 AM IST

Apple is set to kick off its annual developers-focused event, Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), on June 10. Traditionally, Apple uses the event’s opening keynote session to announce updates related to its platforms and to introduce new hardware. For example, Apple announced mixed-reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, which launched in the US early this year, at the WWDC 2023. This year, however, the focus would be entirely on the software advancements, including iOS 18 and artificial intelligence features.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported that Apple has no plans to introduce any hardware at WWDC and the American technology giant is unlikely to throw a surprise preview of an upcoming device at the event.

Apple WWDC 2024: What to expect

At WWDC 2024, Apple will announce its next-generation operating systems for iPhones, iPads and MacBooks. Apple is anticipated to incorporate AI features across its platforms, starting with iOS 18 for iPhones. The AI features are anticipated to assist users in their daily lives and will be focused on practicality.

To process AI, Apple is expected to take up a hybrid approach. This essentially means that select AI features would run entirely on-device, but there would also be AI features that would be processed on the cloud.

Gurman recently posted on X that that Apple could limit on-device AI capabilities to the iPhone 15 Pro series and newer models, which are expected to arrive later this year in September, to make iPhone users upgrade to newer models. As for the iPads and MacBooks, local processing for AI workload will require at least an M1 chip.

In terms of functionality, Apple could bring AI integration into native iPhone apps such as Messages, Notes, Photos, Voice Memos and more for tools such as text summarisation, Photo editing and real time voice transcribing. Apart from this, Apple’s virtual assistant Siri could get some AI treatment as well such as access to perform in-app functions on the user’s command. Other notable features likely to come with iOS 18 includes AI generated emojis, smart recaps for missed notifications, and more.

First Published: Jun 04 2024 | 11:01 AM IST

Source link

« Older Entries

Next Entries »

Times Top News

Times Top News