Friday, August 18, 2023

Best Travel Credit Cards for August 2023 - CNET

Travel credit cards could help cut back on some travel costs thanks to their rewards and welcome bonuses.

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Latest Tech News

Specifications for the Pixel Watch 2 have recently surfaced in what may be the most credible leak for the wearable to date.

This information comes from 9to5Google which unearthed it from the “Google Play Console device catalog”, an official resource for Android developers. The specs sheet reveals what appears to be the Pixel Watch 2, under its codename “Eos”, and that it will come equipped with the Qualcomm SW5100. That chip identification is believed to be a reference to the base model of the Snapdragon W5 SoC (system on a chip). 

A Snapdragon W5 Plus does exist and can be found on the TicWatch Pro 5. The difference is the Plus version comes with a second “co-processor”. You may think the Pixel Watch 2 will, based on this difference, won't perform as well as the TicWatch Pro 5. However, an Android Authority report from early August suggests Google’s new wearable will indeed have a second processor. Instead of a third-party component, the company will use a "custom co-processor... similar to the first-generation Pixel Watch."

Better performance

Assuming this is true, we do question the decision to use the base W5 silicon as opposed to the more energy-efficient Snapdragon W5 Plus. In fact, Qualcomm claims this chipset could “double the battery life” of a smartwatch. Having the regular Snapdragon W5 will almost certainly result in a shorter battery life.

Why might Google do this? It could be a matter of finding the right balance between wearable price and the probably higher cost of more energy-efficient components.

Continuing with the leaked specs sheet, Android 13 will come pre-installed on the smartwatch. 9to5Google is taking this reveal as confirmation the Pixel Watch 2 “will launch [sporting] Wear OS 4.” They go on to claim there’s evidence the device will have the “new ‘Backup’ feature… one of the key upgrades of Wear OS 4.” Backup, as the name suggests, would give users a way to save their data and then securely transfer everything “from an old watch to [a] new one.” 

Staying the same

Compared to the two aspects we just covered, the rest of the leak is relatively minor. The screen on the Pixel Watch 2 is said to have a resolution of 384 x 384 pixels with a screen density of 320 ppi (pixels per inch) – just like the first Pixel Watch. The RAM is even staying the same at 2GB. As you can see, not everything is getting an upgrade.

We should mention the Google Play Console listing has a picture some online reports have said is the Pixel Watch 2. It’s actually a placeholder image of the original Pixel Watch. In fact, you can head over to the official Pixel Watch page on Google’s website and find the exact photograph there.

As with any leak, take this information with a grain of salt. Or maybe not. Considering all this is coming from an official source, there could be more truth in it than we realize.

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Fastest VPN of 2023 - CNET

Most VPNs will cut your speeds in half. Get one that won't. Here are the fastest VPNs we tested in 2023.

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Thursday, August 17, 2023

No, Your Screen Isn't Dirty, That's Just the New X App Logo - CNET

The bird logo is gone, and the new app logo just looks unwell.

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WhatsApp, one of the most popular messaging and voice/video applications in the world, announced that it's rolling out the option to send photos in HD quality. And according to Meta, videos will receive the same treatment later down the line.

According to the announcement made through Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s broadcast channel on Instagram, “Sharing photos on WhatsApp just got an upgrade. Now you can send in HD.” The new feature will be rolled out worldwide over the next several weeks, with the option to send HD photos on Android, iOS, or the desktop version. Recipients will know it’s HD by the icon highlighted at the top of the screen.

screenshots of hd photos for whatsapp

(Image credit: WABetaInfo)

Photos from WABetaInfo (seen above) back when this feature was still in beta show how the formatting will look after it officially rolls out. When tapping the HD icon, two resolution options will appear: standard quality (1600 x 1052) and HD quality (4096 x 2692). And the HD images will still have the end-to-end encryption that WhatsApp is known for.

Recipients can choose between keeping standard quality photos or upgrading to HD quality, which is a relief for those on slower connections. And for those worried about storage space issues that could arise from too many HD photos sent, standard quality will remain the default for senders.

WhatsApp’s HD upgrade is late but still great 

It’s almost shocking that with all the WhatsApp quality of life changes and updates  over the years, the option to send photos and eventually videos in HD is only coming to users now. Sending high-quality photos seems to be such a no-brainer in terms of enhancements, but it’s better late than never.

And this isn’t the first time that a company looked over such an obvious and oft-requested feature either. Back in April 2023, Discord announced that it would be raising the upload limit from 8MB to 25MB, which was in response to images and file sizes becoming larger over time.

And unlike many other applications, WhatsApp is a completely free-to-use service with zero paywalls for any of its features. So any updates it receives will be available to its over two billion user base. Features like transferring chat logs, sending video messages, allowing the app to edit and add new contacts, and more. 

So hopefully we'll be seeing more of these kinds of upgrades to sent content, keeping WhatsApp current with the quickly moving times.

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Best Rewards Credit Cards for August 2023 - CNET

Reward credit cards can put some money back into your account every time you make a purchase.

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Wednesday, August 16, 2023

The Best Energy Vitamins to Boost Productivity in 2023 - CNET

Need an extra boost of energy? Ditch the extra cup of coffee and try these B vitamins instead.

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The all-in-one creative suite Adobe Express is getting a wave of new features; chief among them is the introduction of the Adobe Firefly generative AI.

With Firefly being added, you will be able to create “custom image and text effects” using nothing more than a simple text prompt. The official trailer displays these tools in action as it showing the steps of how to create a poster for a neighborhood event. Firefly is used to change the basic lettering of a short phrase into a “purple gloss balloon” font. It can also be used to generate decorative backgrounds for posters. 

So it's nothing groundbreaking or anything that will blow your mind, but it is a nice addition to the Express toolbox. The best part is it’s available on the free version of Adobe Express, meaning anybody can take the AI feature out for a spin. 

We do want to warn you to not expect too much from this rendition of Firefly. Like a lot of other free image generators, the results can look rather nightmarish, especially when they involve people. It’s nowhere on the same level as Generative Fill on Photoshop. We recommend keeping things simple, like throwing in graphical flourishes, if you ever decide to try out the Express AI.

The company states the prompts support over 100 languages including French, German, Japanese, Spanish, as well as Brazilian Portuguese. Something we found a little funny is how Adobe clarifies that the content Firefly generates is “designed to be safe for commercial use.” Given how several companies with AIs are currently being sued over copyright issues, it looks like the Photoshop-developer felt the need to offer some reassurance to its customers. 

Notable non-AI features

The update introduces a lot of other non-AI tools. For the sake of brevity, we’re just going to focus on the more notable ones. 

For instance, you have Quick Actions for faster editing. These actions can remove the background in images, immediately convert a video into a GIF, edit PDFs, and “animate a character using just audio”. That last one is fittingly called Animate from Audio which will have “characters come to life” as their bodies automatically sync up to recorded dialogue. It takes some of the busy work out of animating the finer details.

Adobe is also introducing an all-in-one editor consisting of various design elements and pre-made templates for social media platforms. So if you want to make videos for TikTok or Instagram but don’t know how to start, the editor can help you out tremendously. 

Availability

Everything you see here is currently available on Adobe Express for desktop. A full list detailing each feature can be found on the official website. The company says it has plans to bring the update to the mobile app soon, but declined to give an exact date for the future patch in its announcement. 

It is great to see Adobe offer some of its latest tech for free. Photoshop can be very expensive. If you’re looking for other options, check out TechRadar’s list of the best Photoshop alternatives for 2023



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Google's AI-Powered Tool Summarizes Web Pages for Instant Insights - CNET

Search Generative Experience will include coding tips and instantly viewable definitions.

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Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Best Credit Cards for Shopping on Amazon in August 2023 - CNET

These credit cards can provide rewards and useful shopping protections for your Amazon shopping sprees.

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WhatsApp is taking its first steps into the world of artificial intelligence as a recent Android beta introduced an AI-powered, sticker generation tool

Revealed in a new report from WABetaInfo, a Create button will show up in chats whenever some app testers open the sticker tab in the text box. Tapping Create launches a mini-generative AI engine with a description bar at the top asking you to enter a prompt. Upon inputting said prompt, the tool will create a set of stickers according to your specifications that users can then share in a conversation. As an example, WABetaInfo told WhatsApp to make a sticker featuring a laughing cat sitting on top of a skateboard, and sure enough, it did exactly as instructed. 

WhatsApp sticker generator

(Image credit: WABetaInfo)

It’s unknown which LLM (large language model) is fueling WhatsApp’s sticker generator. WABetaInfo claims it uses a “secure technology offered by Meta.”  Android Police, on the other hand, states “given its simplicity” it could be “using Dall-E or something similar.” 

Availability

You can try out the AI tool yourself by joining the Google Play Beta Program and then installing WhatApp beta version 2.23.17.14, although it’s also possible to get it through the 2.23.17.13 update. Be aware the sticker generator is only available to a very small group of people. There’s a chance you won’t get it. However, WABetaInfo claims the update will be “rolling out to more users over the coming weeks,” so keep an eye out for the patch when it arrives. No word on an iOS version. 

Obviously, this is still a work in progress. WABetaInfo says if the AI outputs something that is “inappropriate or harmful, you can report it to Meta.” The report goes on to state that “AI stickers are easily recognizable” explaining recipients “may understand when [a drawing] has been generated”. The wording here is rather confusing. We believe WABetaInfo is saying AI content may have noticeable glitches or anomalies. Unfortunately, since we didn’t get access to the new feature, we can’t say for sure if generated content has any flaws.

Start of an AI future

We do believe this is just the start of Meta implementing AI to its platforms. The company is already working on sticker generators for Instagram and Messenger, but they’re seemingly still under development. So what will the future bring? It’s hard to say. It would, however, be cool to see Meta finally add its Make-A-Scene tool to WhatsApp.

It’s essentially the company’s own take on an image generator, “but with a bigger emphasis on creating artistic pieces.” We could see this being added to WhatsApp as a fun game for friends or family to play. There’s also MusicGen for crafting musical compositions, although that may be better suited for Instagram.

Either way, this WhatsApp beta feels like Meta has pushed the first domino of what could be a string of new AI-powered features coming to its apps.



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Best Laptops for College in 2023 - CNET

No matter what you're studying, you'll want the right laptop to get you through college. We've tested the best laptop brands to find the perfect laptop for college.

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Monday, August 14, 2023

Good Wine Doesn't Need to Be Expensive. Here's How to Shop for Bargain Beverages - CNET

These wines offer top-shelf flavor without the top-shelf price tags.

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8 Easy Ways to Take Screenshots in Windows 10 and 11 - CNET

Here's how to use keyboard shortcuts, the snipping tool and more to take screenshots on your PC.

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Our Financial Expert Review Board - CNET

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