Category: PCMag

iOS 18.2 Is Here: Check Out What’s New for Apple Intelligence

image c/o pcmag.com
image c/o pcmag.com

This update is critical for Apple to build momentum around its flagship AI product, especially after the first batch of features that arrived in October with iOS 18.1 were a bit of a letdown. Though they had the stellar design and ease of use we expect from Apple, none revolutionized the way we use our devices. I've even found myself wanting to turn off the notification summaries at times because they don't always accurately sum up emails and texts.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/apple-intelligence-what-to-expect-ios-18-2-chatgpt

Google Search May ‘Change Profoundly’ in 2025

image c/o pcmag.com
image c/o pcmag.com

AI is Google's main focus, and Pichai, perhaps unsurprisingly, suggested his company's AI models compete well against those from Microsoft. "I would love to do a side-by-side comparison of Microsoft’s own models and our models any day, any time," Pichai said, adding: "They’re using someone else’s models." Microsoft is backing OpenAI, and the two firms have been working together closely to share resources in AI development (and fight lawsuits).

https://www.pcmag.com/news/google-search-may-change-profoundly-in-2025-sundar-pichai-ai

Brace Yourself for Ads on Threads in January

image via pcmag.com
image via pcmag.com

Meta execs have acknowledged that ads are coming to its newest social network. "We definitely plan to bring ads to Threads," Instagram Head Adam Mosseri, who also oversees Threads, said in April. "At the end of the day, we're a business, and Threads needs to make enough money to pay for the people and servers that it takes to run the service and provide it to people for free."

https://www.pcmag.com/news/brace-yourself-for-ads-on-threads-in-january

Google Announces Play Store Tweaks to Entice More of Your Attention and Money

image via pcmag.com
image via pcmag.com

Android developers will get a few more ways to seek your attention and then virtually tug at your sleeve as you browse Google’s Play Store for new Android apps. The most eye-catching change among those Google announced today will be full-screen playback of app portrait videos. In a blog post, Paul Feng, Google Play VP of product management, notes the non-trivial upsides among app developers who tested this format: “+7% increase in total watch time, a +9% increase in video completion count, and a +5% increase in conversions."

https://www.pcmag.com/news/google-announces-play-store-tweaks-to-entice-more-of-your-attention-and

New vs. Old Siri: How Much of an Upgrade Is Apple Intelligence?

image via pcmag.com
image via pcmag.com

Apple Intelligence debuted this week with iOS 18.1, adding a slew of generative AI smarts to long-standing features, like Siri. Apple's digital assistant is no longer a pulsing ball at the base of the screen. Instead, it's a multi-colored, neon glow around the edges, which you can interact with in two new ways: Pressing the lock button or a new text-to-Siri option.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/new-vs-old-siri-how-much-of-an-upgrade-is-apple-intelligence

School Districts Notch a Win in Tech Addiction Case Against Top Platforms

image via pcmag.com
image via pcmag.com

School districts across 19 states claim that the companies do not adequately implement features like age verification, parental controls, and session timeouts. Design choices that allow for endless scrolling, coupled with targeted algorithms, mean kids have trouble putting down their phones, creating a doom loop that can interrupt sleep at best and create serious mental health issues at worst. The schools say they've had to dedicate resources to handle this, from confiscating phones to dealing with online behavior that spills into classrooms, including dangerous social media "challenges."

https://www.pcmag.com/news/school-districts-notch-a-win-in-tech-addiction-case-against-top-platforms

Bluesky Boom: X Alternative Sees Surge Of Signups

image via pcmag.com
image via pcmag.com

Twitter’s experiment in decentralized social networking, Bluesky now ranks 4th overall in the iOS App Store, while X itself is 29th. Bluesky also has one feature that X can’t add: It’s not subject to Elon Musk’s chaotic rule, which in recent weeks has seen him turn part of the platform into a Donald Trump infomercial, hide people’s likes, and declare that the block function “makes no sense” and will no longer hide your posts from people you block.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/bluesky-boom-x-alternative-sees-surge-of-signups