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Google finally showed me a vision for AI I’m comfortable with

Google Ask Photos

OPINION: Google I/O was almost entirely focused on its Gemini AI model’s takeover of its most important products. It may not have been the most exciting showcase of AI’s potential, but it’s the first to leave me feeling enthusiastic rather than icky and scared.

I’ve seen generative AI as a personal and existential threat ever since it emerged as this decade’s most disruptive tech trend. I’ve been incredibly sceptical about its ability to be a net benefit for humanity now and in the future.

As tech journalists we’ve seen Microsoft et al pitch a future where no-one clicks our websites because search has neatly summarised our collective words into an aggregated paragraph, complete with a link to the shopping page for the product we’ve spent weeks testing.

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I’ll often be reminded that ChatGPT can do what I do as a copywriter, but in seconds. Ask a graphic designer who creates logos for people’s businesses. They’ll tell you the same.

Reporting on that stuff in real time has felt like writing my own career obituary. And people wonder why I became a yoga teacher as a side hustle!

However, during Google I/O on May 14, I began to see a side of AI that could aid my personal and professional life, rather than hinder it. It’s one that could help me be more productive and achieve complex tasks in double quick time. And no-one else’s livelihood needs to suffer.

All benefits, no thievery

Take the series of Google Gemini tools coming to Android 15, Google Photos and Google Search, for example. I was particularly impressed with the new Google Lens tool that enables a video of a tech issue to be uploaded along with a voice query relating to the problem.

Gemini could identify the model, analyse the nature of the issue, and spit out a load of text that might help you with troubleshooting the problem. This potentially eliminates a dozen web other searches and ensures people don’t have to spend ages looking for the technical term, like the tone arm in this image below.

Google Search video AI

The ability to make a deeply personal vegan meal plan for the week (and easily adjust it) could save me a couple of hours on a Sunday morning while I’m watching the football and – due to the complex potential within search – save me some money too.

The Gemini Overlay in Android 15 will leverage the multimodal elements of the generative AI model to “Ask This Video” within YouTube as a shortcut to the information or the portion of the video required.

Google Gemini in Android

Again, much of this comes with the caveat that Google eventually finds a way to compensate the people who wrote those troubleshooting guides, recipes, and created the videos to gave Gemini the knowledge in the first place.

The tools within Workspace apps like Gmail and Docs look ever so useful in terms of harnessing the information that can otherwise take ages to find.

Instead of scouring your Gmail inbox, you can ask Gemini very specific questions about the content. I can bring up my most recent invoices, find my upcoming deadlines, summarise a lengthy brief. It’s much more powerful than the Google Assistant ever was and it’ll help me make my living without screwing anyone out of theirs.

From distorting to enhancing reality

I’ve been wary of some of Google’s AI photography tools in recent years. Things like Magic Eraser and Magic Editor don’t sit well with me because their entire purpose is to completely distort reality. In my view, these images cease to be a photograph and become just an embellishment of a former reality.

However, the new Ask Photos tool is a joy because it harnesses content you’ve already organically created and makes it more meaningful and more useful thanks to proactive prompts.

Hell yeah, create me a lovely little album of all the best places my wife and I have been in 15 years together. Show me one photo of my dog per week we’ve had him.

How many times are you endlessly scrolling through your photo library looking for a singular picture or piece of information? Ask Photos can eradicate this.

Gemini Ask Photos birthday

This is a vision for generative AI I’m far more comfortable with. It’s not quite as mindblowing and future-altering, but it’s something that can shave minutes off frustrating, time-consuming daily tasks. It’s something that can harness content I’ve already organically created and show me the best of it within just a few seconds.

I could get used to this. Perhaps.

The post Google finally showed me a vision for AI I’m comfortable with appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

Android 15 is all about Google Gemini, placing AI help in every app

Google Gemini in Android

Google has announced its Gemini AI assistant will be an intrinsic part of the Android operating system from Android 15, bringing a ton of perceived benefits to users.

Breaking Google I/O tradition the company decided against revealing Android 15 in full, but did tell us what’ll underpin the new version of the operating system.

During the keynote, the company explained how a new overlay will enable contextual interaction with key apps on your Android device. Circle to Search is getting better, while it’ll also be better at weeding out potentially dangerous spam calls.

Google says there’s plenty more to come from Gemini within Android, which for all intents and purposes will replace the existing Assistant in time, but here are the key new features we’ll get later this year.

Gemini Overlay

During the Google I/O keynote address on May 14, Google said Android 15 will feature a new Gemini overlay capable of helping you interact with whichever Android app you’re currently using.

So, for example, Google says you’ll be able to “Ask This Video” in YouTube in order to find the specific information you’re looking for without watching the whole thing.

For Gemini Advanced users “Ask This PDF” will be more powerful than the existing text search function, enabling users to pull out exactly what they need from the document.

Google says this is part of the mission to give users dynamic suggestions based on what’s on your display.

Google also says it’ll be possible to drag and drop images generated by Gemini into your correspondence in Gmail and Google Messages. The presenter during Google I/O told Gemini to help it create a pickle playing tennis in answer to a request from a friend to play pickleball.

Google Pickleball image generation

New Circle to Search tools

Google is giving the excellent new Circle to Search feature on Android to harness the information contained in just about anything on your screen – including helping with homework. Effectively, it’ll be fantastic for cheating on maths tests.

“When students circle a prompt they’re stuck on, they’ll get step-by-step instructions to solve a range of physics and math word problems without leaving their digital info sheet or syllabus,” Google says. “Later this year, Circle to Search will be able to help solve even more complex problems involving symbolic formulas, diagrams, graphs and more.”

Circle To Search Homework

Better scam detection

Google says this Gemini Nano-powered feature could cut down on fraud by deleting “patterns commonly associated with scams” in real time during phone calls.

So if someone from “the bank” asks you to transfer some money or requests personal information, you’re more likely to be alerted to a “likely scam” and be prompted to end the call.

There’ll also be a helpful message informing you “banks will never ask you to move your money to keep it safe.”

Spam Detection Google Gemini

Big TalkBack Boost

Google TalkBack, which helps visually impaired users identify images on their phone, is getting a helping hand thanks to Gemini AI. Later this year, the multimodal capabilities will enable clearer descriptions of what’s happening within the image. This will help, Google says, with shopping online or when receiving a pic sent by family.

The post Android 15 is all about Google Gemini, placing AI help in every app appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

Google Search AI future explained – here are the best new Gemini features

Google gemini Search

Google has announced a host of generative AI improvements coming to Google Search courtesy of its new Gemini 1.5 Pro model.

The improvements include new AI overviews, a new ‘plan ahead’ tool for things like meal planning, and the ability to show Gemini a video you’ve recorded as a shortcut to resolve an issue. The latter sounds like it could be a game changer.

Announced during the Google I/O keynote, the new generative AI capabilities come courtesy of Gemini’s new multi-step reasoning capabilities, planning and multimodality. Google will enable users to customise the results from the original yield to a simplified result or a more detailed “break it down” page.

Here’s the best new Search features the company announced today:

AI Overviews

Limited to Google Labs users until now, the impressive AI Overviews will be available to everyone in the United States from today (more counties coming soon) while the ability to answer more complex questions coming soon.

For example, with a single search, a Google user could ask a question like “find the best yoga or pilates studios in Boston and show me details on their intro offers, and walking time from Beacon Hill.”

Gemini would easily handle this complex query thanks to the multistep reasoning, enabling users to surface the studios, complete with reviews, details of the intro offer in a knowledge box, while offering a map detailing how to get there on foot.

Video troubleshooting

Google will soon enable users to show Gemini a video you’ve shot on your smartphone in order to ask a question and solve a problem, making use of that multimodal capability in Google Gemini 1.5 Pro.

So, to use Google’s example, if the tone arm on your turntable won’t stay in place, you could shoot a video, upload it to Google Lens, ask a question with your voice and receive text information with context specific to that model on how to fix it.

Instead of having to search for the manufacturer, the model, the issue, and more Google will be able to offer detailed troubleshooting steps for the issue. Google says it will “save you the time and trouble of finding the right words to describe this issue, and you’ll get an AI Overview with steps and resources to troubleshoot.”

Google Search video AI

Plan Ahead

Fancy creating a customised meal plan for the week without the hassle of researching tons of recipes? Google Gemini will have you covered and in your context. So, if you’re looking for a meal plan that saves you money, is suitable for preparing in a college dorm and is microwavable, you can surface a detailed plan in seconds.

“With planning capabilities directly in Search, you can get help creating plans for whatever you need, starting with meals and vacations,” Google says in a blog post. “Search for something like “create a 3 day meal plan for a group that’s easy to prepare,” and you’ll get a starting point with a wide range of recipes from across the web.”

If you see something you don’t like the look of, Google says users will be able to make adjustments like specifying a vegetarian dish or something healthier, in place of a cheeseburger by clicking a “replace” button.

When finalised, the meal plan can be exported to Google Docs or Gmail for shopping or sharing.

Google Gemini Search Meal Plan

The post Google Search AI future explained – here are the best new Gemini features appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

What is Google Gemini Ask Photos? Powerful AI adds context to your library

Google Gemini Ask Photos

What is Google Gemini Ask Photos? At Google I/O the company revealed a new way to leverage your photo library. Here’s how it’ll work.

One of the first key announcements in Google’s AI-dominated I/O keynote event was ‘Ask Photos’. The tool, which is rolling out to the Photos app in the coming months, will enable users to ask the AI assistant to search their photo library to surface complex results – far beyond the usual keyword searching.

Google said during the keynote that over 6 billion photos are uploaded to Google Photos every day and Gemini can leverage those to cut down on scrolling and deliver results across your entire library, with extremely deep context.

For example, via a new tab within the Google Photos app, the user could ask: “Show me the best photo from each national park I’ve visited” and Gemini would yield precisely that, without the need to scroll through the entire library, or search for specific locations.

The response is incredibly detailed. For example, it might tell users: “Here’s a great photo from each of the 22 national parks you’ve visited around the world, including: Experiencing the Amazon at Yasuni, Peaks and lakes of the UK, Each of Utah’s ‘Mighty 5’ national parks.”

Gemini Ask Photos National Parks

During the keynote address, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai asked Gemini to bring up photos of a young girl called Lucia through the lens of her swimming journey. From her first dip and swimming lessons, to her first swimming certificate. It would be surfaced in an album, cutting plenty of time searching via keywords.

Pichai also spoke of the ability to ask Gemini “what’s my license plate number again?” Gemini will search the library for pictures of cars, identify what it deems to be your current vehicle and show you an image of the license plate.

Google says it’ll help users plan original birthday parties for their keys by asking Gemini of the themes they’ve already used. It may respond: “Here are the themes from Lena’s last 4 birthdays: 3rd: A princess celebration, 4th: Under-the-sea with mermaids, 5th & 6th: Two magical unicorn parties.“

Google Ask Photos

Google says the key is the ability to understand the question and complex natural language terms in order to conduct a more sophisticated search of the library. Keywords, places, people and dates are picked up, but also concepts like “themed birthday parties”

The second element is the crafting of the response, which comes through studying the results of the search, assigning relevance (sometimes by reading text within the images) and choosing which photos are surfaced in the results.

Gemini Ask Photos birthday

Google says the final element is to ensure responses are safe and appropriate. It’ll also respond to your corrections and additional context and remember for next time.

You’ll be able to try Google Gemini Ask Photos this summer.

The post What is Google Gemini Ask Photos? Powerful AI adds context to your library appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

Apple and Google release shared stalking protection for item trackers

Apple-Google-partner-tracking-detection-hero

Apple and Google have finally settled on the industry standard for alerting iPhone and Android users when a Bluetooth tracker like an AirTag is moving with them.

The standard, which goes live today within iOS 17.5 will see users on both platforms get an “[Item] Found Moving With You” notification, regardless of whether that device has been paired with and Android or iPhone handset. It’s available on all phones running Android 6.0 and up from today too, Google says.

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That closes a major security loophole in the fight against these super-useful trackers being used for nefarious means – namely to stalk unsuspecting people, as has been documented.

“Apple and Google have worked together to create an industry specification — Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers — for Bluetooth tracking devices that makes it possible to alert users across both iOS and Android if such a device is unknowingly being used to track them,” Apple says in a Newsroom post. “This will help mitigate the misuse of devices designed to help keep track of belongings.”

The company goes on to explain how iPhone users will be able to view the tracker’s identifier, have it play a sound, and then set about disabling it. This will work for Bluetooth trackers made by the likes of Chipolo, eufy, Jio, Motorola, and Pebblebee, the post says.

Conspicuous by its absence in the post is the field’s pioneer Tile, with the company said to be considering its own overriding network powered by satellite.

Google announced the Find My Device network was finally going live last month, following its announcement at Google I/O last year.

The release was delayed until Google and Apple could agree on a shared standard to ensure users were protected regardless of the platform they’re using. Now Apple has finally got its ducks in a row with iOS 17.5, the protections have arrived.

The post Apple and Google release shared stalking protection for item trackers appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

Mindblowing ChatGPT-4o real-time translation should terrify Google

ChatGPT 4o

With Google I/O set to focus on the increasing talents of the Gemini AI app tomorrow, OpenAI is getting in there first by launching the latest version of Chat-GPT – ChatGPT-4o.

The new Chat GPT-4o – the ‘o’ stands for ‘omni’ because of its ability to handle audio, images, video and text – is partly headlined by the speed of real-time translation.

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For the iteration of ChatGPT-4 the company says it “trained a single new model end-to-end across text, vision, and audio, meaning that all inputs and outputs are processed by the same neural network. Because GPT-4o is our first model combining all of these modalities, we are still just scratching the surface of exploring what the model can do and its limitations.”

For people speaking different languages, this system could reap incredible rewards. It acts as a real-time go between with very little latency between hearing repeating the utterances back in the intended language.

If the demonstration showcased during OpenAI’s presentation today is the experience users get, it throws down the gauntlet to Google – the long time kings of mobile language translation through its powerful and brilliant Translate app.

One of the videos below video (there are other examples too) shows a man asking ChatGPT to act as a translator.

The man asks the AI to translate everything it hears in English into Italian, and then the other way around. Then, the OpenAI CTO Mira Murati speaks in Italian and the English response comes very rapidly, with an impressively conversational tone.

Real-time speech translation, acting as a Universal Translator from StarTrek

Quite fast. Hear @miramurati speaking Italian. #openai's new ChatGPT app https://t.co/CpvCkjI0iA pic.twitter.com/tVlAcy2kj0

— Andrew Gao (@itsandrewgao) May 13, 2024

Interestignly, the AI refers to the speaker of the original language in the third person (“she said that…”) rather than simply translating the utterance. It is informed by the nuances in the user’s voice and can generate voices in “a range of different emotive styles”. OpenAI says it outperforms rivals like Google and Meta in terms of speed too.

Elsewhere videos published by the company shows users being able to interject and correct the AI and have it quickly shift course and respond in kind. Check out the faster counting video below, for example. The company also showcased the ability the incredibly lifelike conversational tone of voice and the ability to recognise its surroundings.

Fast counting with GPT-4o pic.twitter.com/3KfVbaAM6c

— OpenAI (@OpenAI) May 13, 2024

Say hello to GPT-4o, our new flagship model which can reason across audio, vision, and text in real time: https://t.co/MYHZB79UqN

Text and image input rolling out today in API and ChatGPT with voice and video in the coming weeks. pic.twitter.com/uuthKZyzYx

— OpenAI (@OpenAI) May 13, 2024

OpenAI says text and image input for GPT-4o is coming today, while the voice and video input will be added to the API in the coming weeks.

The post Mindblowing ChatGPT-4o real-time translation should terrify Google appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

The OnePlus 10T is now tumbling in price

OnePlus 10T back

The OnePlus 10T has been on the scene for a couple of years now but we’ve rarely seen it priced this low.

Amazon is offering the OnePlus 10T for just £367.71. That’s well down on the most recent price of £419, but considering this phone was priced as high as £729, it’s practically half price now.

OnePlus 10T down to £367.71

OnePlus 10T down to £367.71

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It arrives SIM-free and there’s 256GB of storage with this 16GB RAM version of the phone, which is headlined by a 6.7-inch, 120Hz FHD+ Fluid Display.

Our reviewer described it as “smooth, responsive, and punchy” thanks largely to the insane touch response rate of 1,000Hz. Competitive gamers love it for this reason.

“If you mostly use your phone for watching videos and mobile gaming, then you should definitely consider this one,” our reviewer opined.

Battery life isn’t anything to write home about but when the phone can be replenished this quickly, we can make some concessions. There’s incredibly fast 150W wired charging on the OnePlus 10T that can get the phone back to 50% in 8 minutes and back up to 100% in 19 minutes, according to our tests.

OnePlus 10T back
rating-star rating-star rating-star rating-star rating-star rating-star rating-star rating-star rating-star rating-star
Recommended

Another flagship to consider from OnePlus

Pros

  • Excellent performance levels
  • Great screen
  • Brilliant fast-charging

Cons

  • Middling camera
  • Controversial design
  • No IP rating or wireless charging

Perform once is handled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, which is a couple of years old now but hardly showing its age. Cameras don’t always match up to other flagships so that’s something to consider if the camera is a major part of the purchase decision for you.

Our reviewer gave the phone a four-star score, concluding: “The OnePlus 10T has some alluring feathers in its cap, those being the great performance that it squeezes from the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset; the reality-defying speed of its 150W fast-charging; and its lush screen, which is particularly well-suited to running demanding video games. For all of those reasons, I really enjoyed using this phone on a day-to-day basis.”

The post The OnePlus 10T is now tumbling in price appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

iOS 17.5 Features: New iPhone update available to download now

iOS 17.5

Apple has dropped the iOS 17.5 update, which brings another game to the News+ service and greater protection against stalking via item trackers.

The relatively minor update for UK users is a bigger deal in the EU where Apple is now allowing apps to be side-loaded from the developer’s website, in order to adhere to the Digital Markets Act across the bloc.

Here’s what’s new for everyone else…

Apple News+ gets game

Apple is looking towards the New York Times model for increasing engagement with its news content. The News+ service now includes a game called Quartiles which is a “new and original daily word game”.

Essentially, it sounds like Apple’s attempt to have a Wordle-like pull to the News app every day, where users can build streaks.

In a post on the Apple Newsroom blog, Apple explains the game “challenges players to form words by selecting tiles containing two to four letters, and users collect points based on word length. New puzzles are available each day, and players can also choose to share a Quartiles puzzle with other News+ subscribers.”

iOS 17.5 also includes a new Puzzles Scoreboard where users can keep tabs on their records in Quartiles, as well as the daily crossword and mini crossword Apple added to the News+ proposition in iOS 17.

Elsewhere, News+ gets an Offline Mode in iOS 17.5 where subscribers can access “recent and personalised News content” when they’re not connected to the web.

Apple News Quartiles game

Cross-platform anti-stalking

Apple has finally added the key piece of the puzzle to allow its Find My network to play nice with trackers designed for Google’s equivalent Find My Device platform – and vice versa. This means iPhone users will be alerted when a non-AirTag tracker is following them, for example.

iOS 17.5 release notes

The full iOS 17.5 release notes are as follows:

Apple News

  • Offline mode in Apple News+ gives you access to the Today feed and News+ tab, even when you don’t have an internet connection.
  • Quartiles is a new and original daily word game that is now available in Apple News+.
  • Scoreboard in News+ Puzzles gives you access to new player data for Crossword, Mini Crossword and Quartiles, including stats and streaks.

Tracking Notifications

  • Cross-Platform Tracking Detection delivers notifications to users if a compatible Bluetooth tracker they do not own is moving with them, regardless of what operating system the device is paired with.

This could be the last major update before Apple reveals iOS 18 at WWDC next month.

The post iOS 17.5 Features: New iPhone update available to download now appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

This deal gets you the iPhone 13 for a mid-range price

iphone 13 front image TR
iphone 13 front image TR

Every now and again an iPhone deal pops up that makes us think twice about the new models and plump for something like the excellent iPhone 13 instead.

Mobile UK will sell you an iPhone 13 for just £19 upfront. For that you’ll get 100GB of monthly data for £22.99. That’s akin to some of the deals we see for far inferior, mid-range Android phones.

iPhone 13 £19 upfront and 100GB of data for £22.99

iPhone 13 £19 upfront and 100GB of data for £22.99

Mobiles UK is selling an iPhone 13 for £19 up front. You’ll get 100GB of monthly data for just £22.99 thereafter.

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  • £22.99 a month
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This is the iPhone 13 128GB in blue and also includes unlimited minutes and texts on a 24 month contract. The deal is with the iD mobile network, the popular MVNO owned by the retailer Carphone Warehouse. It runs off the Three Mobile infrastructure, meaning you’ll get speedy 5G data and solid service around the UK.

There’s the option to keep your existing phone number too, which means less faffing about altering your friends, family and colleagues to the change.

As for the handset itself, it is still a worthwhile purchase thanks to the support for iOS 17 and plenty of years left in the tank – starting with the iOS 18 release this autumn.

It was initially released in 2021, but our updated review in 2023 gave it a 4.5 star score and maintained it was “a solid upgrade for those who haven’t switched phones for a number of years.”

iphone 13 next to the box
rating-star rating-star rating-star rating-star rating-star rating-star rating-star rating-star rating-star rating-star
Recommended

Bigger upgrades than you might think

Pros

  • Much improved battery life
  • Bright, vivid OLED display
  • Excellent main camera

Cons

  • No ProMotion
  • No optical zoom

It’s not all that different to the iPhone 14, it offers much improved battery life over the iPhone 12, has a bright and vivid OLED display and an excellent main camera.

Last year (prior to the launch of the iPhone 15), our reviewer opined: “Even almost two years after its initial release, the iPhone 13 still represents an excellent choice, even more when the fairly minor updates added to the iPhone 14 are taken into consideration. If you can find this on a deal around a big shopping day or a sale then it’s even more of an easy recommendation.

“The camera is great, the performance is still strong and the battery life is about on par with the newer model. You do lose out on some of the safety features introduced with the iPhone 14, but that’s about it.”

The post This deal gets you the iPhone 13 for a mid-range price appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

Google I/O Preview: 5 Things to expect and how to watch

Google I/O 2024

Google I/IO takes place on Tuesday May 14, with Brits able to tune-in after work. We’re expecting Android 15, loads of Google Gemini AI advancements, and perhaps even a little hardware sprinkled in.

Google fans will have had May 14 circled on the calendar for weeks now, as the search and mobile giant preares to put its best foot forward for the rest of the year.

Google I/O is traditionally where the company reveals its latest software advancements, sprinkles in a bit of hardware, and adds loads of the old Google magic to its products to make life that little bit easier for users.

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How to watch Google I/O 2024

You can tune into the Google I/O keynote address from 10am local time on Tuesday May 14. That’s 6pm UK time. As usual, the event is being live streamed on YouTube.

Bookmark this page as you’ll be able to watch in the embedded video below.

Gemini everywhere

It’s been a long, long 12 months in AI. Last year’s Google I/O might as well have been called Google A/I and we expect that trend to intensify on May 14. Google’s Gemini LLM (fka Bard) is ready to replace the Google Assistant for those opting in.

We’re also likely to hear how Gemini is going to benefit a host of core Google services like Search, Maps, YouTube, Gmail, Photos, as well as its productivity apps like Docs and Sheets.

It may not be just Android users who benefit either, with persistent rumours Apple has struck a deal with Google to bring Gemini to iPhone users in iOS 18. We’re liable to hear all about that at WWDC though, rather than at Google I/O.

Android 15

The new version of Android is usually the Google I/O headliner, but Android 15 is likely to be overshadowed by the masses of new Google Gemini enhancements the company will be infusing into its entire product line, regardless of the version of Android.

However, Android 15 is likely to be a key reason for the masses to tune into the keynote. The beta is already out in the wild, but Google I/O is likely to be where the company puts some meat on them bones.

Recent indications suggest Google is planning to offer satellite messaging, new Bluetooth features, a display mode designed to reduce eye-strain further, while there’ll be improved video stabilisation judging by recent dives into the Android 15 beta back-end code.

Android 15 is highly likely to launch on the Pixel 9 series this autumn, and be available on day one to existing Pixel owners.

Pixel Fold 2

With the Pixel 8a release pre-dating Google I/O this year the hardware charge might be led by the oft-leaked Pixel Fold 2 handset, which is potentially a significant update on last year’s model with a lighter design, a larger cover screen, thinner bezels, and a new camera array that eschews the Pixel series’ camera bar in favour of a square camera bump. It’s also possible Google might debut the Tensor G4 processor within the Pixel Fold 2 rather than wait for the Pixel 9.

It’s also possible the Pixel Fold 2 will be a Pixel 9 Pro device that won’t be announced until later this year.

New Chromecast with Google TV

Hardware announcements are unlikely to be plentiful at Google I/O this year, but it’s rumoured Google could launch a new version of the Chromecast with Google TV device with 4K capabilities. It’s been four years since Google announced the original.

Wear OS 5

As well as Android 15, Google could renew its wearable operating system with a fresh version of Wear OS, which powers the Pixel Watch series as well as the Samsung Galaxy Watch and others from the TicWatch series. Google revealed Wear OS 4 at the event last year, so it’s possible the next update drops here.

The post Google I/O Preview: 5 Things to expect and how to watch appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

Your face can unlock your Microsoft account from today

Passkeys on Microsoft account

Microsoft has announced support for passkeys for its consumer accounts, finally introducing a means for users to ditch password-based sign-ins.

In a post announcing the change, the company says it’s now possible to log-in to products like Microsoft 365 and Outlook with your face, fingerprint or device pin. USB security keys are also now compatible. The functionality is available on Windows devices, as well as Microsoft products on Apple and Google platforms.

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Microsoft says it is using World Password Day to consign those hard-to-remember, easy-to-crack passwords to history, in favour of biometrics and device pins.

“With passkeys, instead of creating, managing, remembering, and entering passwords, you access your digital accounts the same way you unlock your device—usually with your face, fingerprint, or device PIN,” Microsoft said in the blog post.

“More and more apps and services are adding support for passkeys; you can already use them to sign in to the most popular ones. Passkeys are so much easier and more secure than passwords that we predict passkeys will replace passwords almost entirely (and we hope this happens soon).”

Windows passkeys

Microsoft is guiding users towards creating a passkey and then signing in on their device. The company says, after setting up the passkeys, users will be able to find the option under “sign-in options” on the main login page. Then users will be able to select their chosen passkey – face, fingerprint, pin or security key – from a security window.

The link to get started is here.

Microsoft is a little bit later to the party than many of its rivals like Apple, Google, WhatsApp, Amazon, and Nintendo who have all introduced passkeys.

The post Your face can unlock your Microsoft account from today appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

Latest Windows update has borked VPN use on all versions

Windows 11 interface
Windows 11 interface

The latest Windows update has broken the ability to connect PCs to VPN networks, and there’s currently no fix… just a pain in the neck workaround

The April 2024 Windows security patch appears to be the culprit for broken Virtual Private Network functionality. The bug prevents users from connecting to a VPN to conceal their home Wi-Fi network’s IP address when browsing the web or accessing content from abroad.

Ninja's outdoor pizza oven is over £50 off

Ninja’s outdoor pizza oven is over £50 off

Ninja’s versatile outdoor electric pizza oven is just £299 right now, which is 15% off.

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Microsoft has acknowledged the issue, with the KB5036893 that dropped almost a month ago, which it says affects all current versions of Windows 11, Windows 10 and Windows Server. It promises a fix is incoming.

On a support page (via The Verge), the company says: “VPN connections might fail after installing the April 2024 security update.

“Windows devices might face VPN connection failures after installing the April 2024 security update (KB5036893) or the April 2024 non-security preview update. We are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release.”

While Windows users wait for the resolution, the only known workaround is to roll back the operating system update, and uninstall the update.

That might not be ideal, but for those requiring VPNs to log into business networks in other countries or on other servers in the UK, it might be the only option.

It’s not clear what percentage of the userbase is affected by the issue. However, it proving troublesome for at least some users rocking Windows 10 21H2 and 22H2; Windows 11 versions 21H2, 22H2, and 23H2; and Windows Server 2008, 2008 R2, 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, and 2022.

This isn’t the first (or even the second) time Windows updates have broken VPN functionality in recent years, so hopefully Microsoft is clued-in about how to resolve the issue rapidly. Once you get back up and running, be sure to read our guide to the best VPNs on the market today.

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Sky TV has brought back its one-month free trial for a limited time

Sky Stream Top Rail

A free month of Sky TV streamed to your TV plus Netflix isn’t a bad way to avoid the spring showers.

Right now Sky is offering the Sky Stream device, a month of Sky Entertainment and Netflix for free. After your free month, you’ll pay £31 a month on a 31-day rolling contract, meaning you can cancel at any time. You can get the same deal for £28 a month if you sign up for an 18-month contract. You’ll see both options by following the ‘View Deal’ button below.

One month of Sky Stream with Netflix for free

One month of Sky Stream with Netflix for free

Sky is offering one month of its Sky Entertainment package with Netflix for free, along with the Sky Stream streaming device. No commitment.

  • Sky
  • One free month
  • Free (then £31)
View Deal

That means all the benefits of Sky TV without a dish, streamed over your home Wi-Fi network, and access to Netflix via the Standard with Ads option. The Sky Entertainment OS also includes the ability to easily search for content across your apps.

There’s no Sky Sports or Sky Cinema within the Sky TV bundle, but you can add those channels as optional extras. Sky Sports is £25 a month on the rolling contract and Sky Cinema is currently £12 a month on the same no-commitment deal.

What you will get is access to top entertainment channels like Sky Max, Sky Atlantic, Sky Comedy, Sky Nature, Sky Documentaries, Comedy Central, Eurosport 1, MTV and National Geographic. It also includes access to Discovery+

Sky Stream received a 4.5 star review from our A/V editor, who praised the new democratisation of Sky telly, accessible interface, support for high end features like Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and the stable streaming performance.

He concluded: “An excellent premium streamer from Sky that puts content at the core of its offering. That content is pricey, but no other broadcaster offers a broad a church as Sky does with its entertainment options.”

He said you should buy if you want TV and films served up to you on a platter. And, let’s face it… who doesn’t?

The post Sky TV has brought back its one-month free trial for a limited time appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

Karaoke mode on Spotify is about to be a Premium feature

Spotify AI Playlist

If you love following along with the lyrics on Spotify, belting out the classics karaoke-style, then it’s going to start costing some of you.

Spotify is preparing to put its live lyrics feature behind the Premium subscription paywall, judging by screenshots posted by Spotify users on Reddit.

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Get the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 for close to half price

Amazon has dramatically dropped the price of the Galaxy Z Flip 5, undercutting Samsung by several hundred pounds.

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Those using the free version of the audio streaming app are being told they can “enjoy lyrics on Premium” when attempting to access the tuneful prose from the playback interface. Spotify began testing this feature last autumn, but it now appears to be rolling out to a broader user base.

The change would enhance the value for Premium subscribers over their free-streaming counterparts and Spotify will hope to encourage some free users to upgrade to the paid tier as a result.

However, it may not be a complete ban on reading the lyrics for free users. It appears Spotify will allow a limited number of song sheets for each user per month.

A screenshot posted to Reddit (via PhoneArena) reads: “Even time you tap “Show lyrics”, it will count towards your limit. To get full access to lyrics, switch to Spotify Premium.” The screenshot doesn’t say how many times you can see lyrics per month.

spotify monthly lyrics limit
Image credit: Reddit user superbuza

Naturally, it’s being complained about heartily from the Spotify Free community which probably doesn’t realise artists are human beings who need to eat, and they can make money from allowing their music to be streamed on Spotify.

Spotify Premium offers unlimited access to the entire music library, ad-free with unlimited skips and linear playback. There’s also access to the highest quality bitrate and the opportunity to download music for offline listening.

It also gives users up to 15-hours a month of access to the Audiobooks library as part of their monthly dues. It seems like unmetered access to lyrics is about to become the latest.

The post Karaoke mode on Spotify is about to be a Premium feature appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

Ninja's pizza oven is going cheap in time for the summer

Ninja Woodfire Electric Oven

Spring has sprung, summer is just around the corner and that can only mean one thing – rainy pizza parties in the garden.

With your best intentions the Ninja Woodfire Electric Outdoor Pizza Oven is available for £299 right now, instead of the usual £349.99 asking price. That’s a stellar £50.99 (15%) off.

Ninja's outdoor pizza oven is over £50 off

Ninja’s outdoor pizza oven is over £50 off

Ninja’s versatile outdoor electric pizza oven is just £299 right now, which is 15% off.

  • Amazon
  • Was £349.99
  • Now £299
View Deal

This new model includes 8-in-1 functionality and offers some of the best of Ninja’s various cooking gadgets. There’s the pizza oven, of course, along with Max Roast, Gourmet Roast, Smoker, Bake, Top Heat, Dehydrate, and Keep Warm modes.

For cooking pizzas there are six customisable pizza settings that can get you a steaming hot artisan, thin, new York, deep pan, calzone or custom pizza in under three minutes, once you’ve preheated the oven up to 370 degrees. Ninja reckons it’ll give you brick-oven inspired textures from the electric oven too.

There’s also support for Ninja’s Woodfire pellets to infuse that smoky flavour. I’ve used this feature with the Woodfire Grill and Smoker, and it works superbly on that model.

This model weighs 22kgs, but the compact design (38cm x 45cm x 54cm) means it won’t take up too much room on the patio. You’ll also get a host of accessories including a pizza stone, accessory frame, pro-heat tray, roast rack, smoker box, pellet scoop and a couple of bags of pellet starter packs to get you going.

This model has a 4.6 rating from shoppers and is available from the official Ninja store from Amazon with free returns if you’re not satisfied. Get your outdoor cook season off to a flier with this deal, which includes free Prime delivery in the UK. Order now and you could even get it by the weekend!

The post Ninja's pizza oven is going cheap in time for the summer appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

Amazon is using Prime Video viewing to recommend Audible books

Prime Video popular movies

Amazon is testing using Prime Video viewing data to recommend audiobooks via the Audible platform it also owns.

TechCrunch reports seeing a new tab within Audible’s recommendations that is “based on what you watched recently on Prime Video.”

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Get 7 classic Star Wars games on Switch for 34% off

Switch gamers can save on the Star Wars Heritage Collection at Amazon. You can get seven classic games for just £34.99

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The feature could be useful, for example, to unearth audio versions of classic science fiction novels for people who’ve been enjoying the Dune movies via Prime Video.

The new synergy goes to show that if you use one Amazon service, your data is probably informing every single one of them, whether you’re an active user of the other platform or not.

Audible says the feature is acting on user behaviour whereby people are actively seeking out the book versions of TV shows and movies they’ve seen, which have been adapted from the original text.

For example, the TechCrunch report points out, the for two weeks after the original series Reacher arrived on Prime Video, the listening minutes for the author grew by 80% on average.

“There is a natural synergy between TV, movies, and books, and we see that clearly in how our customers engage with content on Audible,” said Audible’s chief product and analytics officer Andy Tsao.

“We are constantly innovating to deliver on what our customers want and we’re excited about the potential of this feature to help our listeners dive deeper into the stories and worlds they love in other mediums, and to discover new ones as well.”

Of course, the new drive to increase engagement on Audible via other Amazon properties could also be linked to having far greater competition in the audiobooks realm. Spotify, for instance, is offering Premium subscribers 15 hours of audiobook listening per month as part of their subscription.

The post Amazon is using Prime Video viewing to recommend Audible books appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

Sending your iPhone in for repair will be less hassle after iOS 17.5 drops

An iPhone displaying the location of Airpods, showcasing Find my Airpods feature

Apple is preparing a new Repair State mode for iPhone, which would relieve users of turning off the Find My and Stolen Device Protection features when getting the device fixed.

The new mode has emerged within the latest iOS 17.5 beta, and was discovered within the code by 9to5Mac this week.

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Apple EarPods are now just £14 on Amazon

The Apple EarPods (USB-C) are a great option to have in a pickle. Save £5 on these old school wired buds right now at Amazon.

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To enable Repair State within iOS 17.5, users will use their Apple ID and password to let the device know it’s about to go into the Apple Store for repair. That will enable the Apple Store employee to confirm the identity of the person who owns the phone.

When enabled, users will see a notification informing them the phone is “Ready for Repair” and that the phone will be fully functional in the meantime.

That avoids the need to turn off those two safety protocols before handing over the device. Given Apple’s Stolen Device Protection mode is designed to prevent Find My being turned off for a certain period after the device has been nicked!

Because of this, as 9to5Mac points out, iPhone users have had to wait around at the Apple Store for ages before the time delay elapses. It seems that once iOS 17.5 drops to consumers in the next few weeks, that little anomaly will be wiped out.

Historically, Apple has requested users turn off the Find My capabilities, which has given some iPhone users the willies as they’re no longer able to track the whereabouts of their device. Now iPhone users will be able to keep tabs on their handset at all times while it undergoes its MOT.

The post Sending your iPhone in for repair will be less hassle after iOS 17.5 drops appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

PS5 multiplayer invites are finally entering the mobile era

PS5 multiplayer invites

Sony is planning to dramatically streamline the process of inviting fellow PS5 gamers to play online.

For the longest time, it’s been necessary to co-ordinate with pals to be online and at their console at the same time in order to invite them to multiplayer sessions. However, a forthcoming update will enable gamers to create shareable links inviting fellow users to come out of the real world to indulge in a spot of multiplayer action online.

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Save 33% on Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 for PS5

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The link, which can be generated on the console or the PlayStation app, will be shareable via any messaging platform, meaning there’s no need for the recipient to be at their console to be notified.

If you’re playing a spot of Gran Turismo 7 on your PS5, for example, that’ll be visible within the PS App. From here you’ll be able to select an ‘Invite Players’ button, which will share the link via the usual Share menu on your phone.

That way, there’s far more chance of your fellow gamer picking-up the invite and eliminates the “hey fancy jumping on for a game?” text you probably were going to send anyway.

PS5 multiplayer invites

If the recipient clicks the link, they’ll have access to the multiplayer session straight away, even if you’re not friends with them on the PlayStation Network.

“This feature is designed to complement existing methods of joining a session from within a PS5 game and is consistent for any supported PS5 game,” Sony says in a blog post.

“As this is a new technology, a small percentage of PS5 games may require an update to ensure the session joins will work seamlessly. We’ll collaborate with our development partners to explore the best solutions for those games.”

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The RTX 4070 Ti graphics card just got a rare mega discount

MSI RTX 4070 Ti

If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming rig, the MSI variant of the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti graphics card loaded with some of Nvidia’s finest graphical tech is on sale.

Amazon is selling the MSI version of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti (Ventus 3X E) for £649.99, which is 20% off right now. You can save £160 on the usual £809.99 asking price.

The GPU is built on the RTX 40 series’ Ada Lovelace architecture, while the Ti version looks to leverage the key cores even farther, to the benefit of ray tracing and super sampling.

Get an RTX 4070 Ti GPU on the cheap

Get an RTX 4070 Ti GPU on the cheap

MSI’s version of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is available for 20% off at Amazon.

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View Deal

The chip includes 4x performance with DLSS 3 thanks to the fourth-generation Tensor Core, while there are third-gen RT cores that provide up to 2x the ray tracing performance. There’s also 12GB GDDR6X RAM to go around, with clock speeds reaching 2640 MHz

The MSI specific build includes the triple-fan Torx Fan 4.0 and Airflow control which enables brilliant temperature control for enhanced performance. There’s support for PCI Express Gen 4 and HDMI 2.1a offers support for both 4K and 8K resolution. The RTX 4070 Ti is not a Founders Edition card, so you can’t buy it directly with Nvidia branding, but this MSI version does the business.

We reviewed this GPU in last summer this year and gave it a four-star review, praising the support for DLSS 3, solid 4K gaming performance, great power efficiency and the reliability of the option for content creators.

Our reviewer concluded: “The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is an upper mid-range graphics card that packs a lot of power, but comes with a high price tag. It thrives in both Full and Quad HD gaming but performed reliably in my 4K tests, with the added benefit of DLSS 3 bringing a big boost. Anyone who owns an RTX 30 Series card may find that the RTX 4070 Ti isn’t worth the upgrade, but if you own anything lower, then the RTX 4070 Ti is a leading option.”

Our reviewer opined you should buy if: “You want an upper mid-range card with a lot of power: The Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti hit over 100fps in both Full HD and Quad HD games and consistently performed well in 4K.”

The post The RTX 4070 Ti graphics card just got a rare mega discount appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

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