Tech

Google Meet’s automatic framing is now available to everyone

Google Meet is making it easier for everyone to position themselves in video calls without having to move the camera or mess around with the webcam’s frame adjustment settings. The automatic framing feature that was launched for Google Workspace accounts in 2022 is now rolling out for all Google Meet users, centering users in the middle of the screen to …

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UberXXL will let you catch an even bigger ride to the airport

Uber has launched a new airport-only fare option in its ride-sharing app called UberXXL. It surpasses UberXL’s single X by guaranteeing rides with trunk space that can handle large families with lots of big bags — no more sitting at the curb trying to figure out what to do next. The new option is available today at more than 60 …

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Netflix says the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight was ‘the most-streamed sporting event ever’

Of those simultaneous streams, 38 million were from households in the US, and the TVision data says it accounted for 56 percent of TV viewing between midnight and 1AM that day. Meanwhile, the match between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano broke the record for the “most-watched professional women’s sports event in US history,” with 47 million average viewers nationwide, according …

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Strava closes the gates to sharing fitness data with other apps

We wanted to provide some additional context around the changes to our API Agreement and the impact for our users and developers. We currently anticipate these changes will impact less than .1% of applications and proactively notified the majority of those affected last week. Enhanced Privacy and User Control Privacy and user control are at the forefront of our platform. …

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Niantic is building a ‘geospatial’ AI model based on Pokémon Go player data

Niantic has announced that it’s building a new “Large Geospatial Model” (LGM) that combines millions of scans taken from the smartphones of players of Pokémon Go and other Niantic products. This AI model could allow computers and robots to understand and interact with the world in new ways, the company said in a blog post spotted by Garbage Day. The …

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Alexa could soon be better at calling an Uber and buying concert tickets

Following ongoing reports that Amazon’s generative AI makeover of Alexa is not going well, it appears Amazon may take a more practical approach to making its smart assistant more useful. According to Business Insider, Amazon is partnering with several companies to make Alexa better at doing things you might want a digital assistant to do: including calling an Uber, tackling Ticketmaster …

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This website unearths YouTube’s lost and forgotten iPhone clips

The “IMG_0001” website features a frame with an old TV static effect and a floating retro Panasonic remote that you can click to start watching random YouTube videos from over a decade ago that were recorded and uploaded from devices such as 2010’s iPhone 4. As described on the site, there was a novel (at the time) “Send to YouTube” …

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Microsoft is the mystery AI company licensing HarperCollins books, says Bloomberg

HarperCollins said in a statement to 404 Media that its deal will include “select nonfiction backlist titles” and that authors will have to opt into the training program. One author, Daniel Kibblesmith, posted screenshots a few days ago showing that he was offered $2,500 per book for a three-year AI licensing contract. Asked what would be an offer he’d consider …

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Jack Black yearns for the mines in new Minecraft movie trailer

A Minecraft Movie has a new trailer giving us a taste at the kind of story moviegoers can expect. The trailer predominately features Jack Black as Steve, the silent protagonist players embody in Minecraft. In the trailer, Black’s Steve is way more chatty, giving us his backstory as a child who quite literally yearns for the mines. As an adult, …

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