Tag: feature

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TechCrunch

Sling TV launches a co-watching feature for live TV, Sling Watch Party – TechCrunch

Live TV streaming service Sling TV is joining in on the co-watching trend. The company today announced the launch of its own version of a co-viewing feature, which allows friends and family in different locations to watch live TV together at the same time. What makes Sling TV’s implementation unique, however, is that it’s allowing for both text and video chat alongside live TV, which is a first for the live TV industry, it says. The feature, called Sling Watch Party, is initially available to existing Sling TV customers. But during the beta preview period, the company says guests will also be able to join a Watch Party by creating a free Sling TV account. However, this free access will only be available through month-end (Sept. 30). To get started with a Watch Party, users should look for the new Watch Party icon on supported content. Currently, Watch Party requires the Google Chrome web browser on a desktop or laptop computer in order to work. After clicking to start the Watch Party, users will sign into their Sling TV account if they hadn’t already, then send out an invite link that allows friends and family to join the Watch Party session. Sling TV will provide a built-in tool to quickly email the link or you can copy the link and distribute in other ways — like a preferred messaging app, for example. Image Credits: Sling TV At launch, Watch Party-enabled content can be viewed by 4 total participants at the…Continue readingSling TV launches a co-watching feature for live TV, Sling Watch Party – TechCrunch

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Tech Radar

Got two phones? You could be first to test WhatsApp’s next big feature

WhatsApp’s long-awaited multi-device support feature will soon be ready for testing, allowing you to stay logged in on several phones at once. Currently, signing into WhatsApp on a second device will log you out of the first one as a security precaution, which can prove frustrating for anyone who regularly switches between phones (for work and personal use, for example). Now, according to new resource files discovered by the sleuths at WABetaInfo, who specialize in finding evidence of forthcoming app features hidden in WhatsApp beta releases, that’s finally about to change. Multi-device support for WhatsApp has been on the cards for a long time, with hints first appearing back in March this year. It’s not surprising that it’s taken a long time to implement, though – the feature not only involves multiple logins (up to four), but also needs to securely sync messages and files between devices. That syncing feeling Now, it seems multi-account support will soon be available for WhatsApp beta testers to try. WABetaInfo has discovered a new settings screen with a toggle button that will allow you to enroll in early access, and a button for linking additional devices to your account. You will also be able to see a list of all the devices currently linked to your account – and they won’t need to be connected to your main phone in any way for the feature to work. If you want to be the first to test it, you’ll need to join the WhatsApp Beta…Continue readingGot two phones? You could be first to test WhatsApp’s next big feature

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The Next Web

How to use iOS 14’s super-handy ‘back tap’ feature on your iPhone

Welcome to TNW Basics, a collection of tips, guides, and advice on how to easily get the most out of your gadgets, apps, and other stuff. Apple has started to roll out iOS 14 to eligible iPhones, and there are so many nifty features including widgets and an App library. However, the update also packs some useful tricks up its sleeve that you may not know about. I’ve been using iOS 14 beta since it was announced in June at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) and back tap is my favorite feature. It lets you define actions when you tap two or three times on the back of your iPhone. You can define plenty of actions including App Switcher, Home, Lock Screen, Screenshot, Shake, Volume Up or Down, Magnifier, and Speak Screen. If you can’t find an activity that you want to assign, you can also create a Siri Shortcut and assign it to double or triple tap. Here’s how you can set it up: Go to Settings on your iPhone. Head to Accessibility > Touch and scroll down to Back Tap Define your actions under Double Tap and Triple Tap options. Tap gestures in iOS 14 Keep in mind that the back tap feature will only work if you have iPhone 8 or above. You’re good to go now. I’ve set the double tap to add a Shazam track to my library via a shortcut, and the triple tap to take a screenshot. What would you do? Tell us on Twitter.…Continue readingHow to use iOS 14’s super-handy ‘back tap’ feature on your iPhone

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Wired

What’s New in iOS 14 (and iPadOS 14): Our Full Feature Rundown

The iPhone’s software is getting a face-lift. The latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 14, is now available for download, and you’ll notice several visual tweaks when you first install it. Notably, your home screen looks very different, with an app library, widgets everywhere, and a new look for Siri. We’ve collected all the top upgrades you’ll find in iOS 14, along with some small changes, to help you make sense of it all. All of these features are also available in iPadOS 14, the iPad’s operating system, which you can also install now. If you’re interested in all the new hardware Apple recently announced, check out this roundup. How to Download iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 But first, you might be wondering how you’ll be able to install them. Anyone with an iPhone 6S or newer (that includes the 2016 iPhone SE) can download iOS 14 right now. For the tablets, you’ll need an iPad Air 2 or newer, an iPad Mini 4 or newer, an iPad 5th generation or newer. All iPad Pro models can install iPadOS 14 now, too. Now, before you install anything, make sure to back up your device. (We have a guide that can help!) Once you’ve done that, the rest is very simple. Open the Settings app, tap General, and then Software Update. Your device will search for an update and will then start downloading it. It will take a few minutes and will automatically restart, so make sure you initiate…Continue readingWhat’s New in iOS 14 (and iPadOS 14): Our Full Feature Rundown

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Tech Radar

This is the coolest gadget we’ve seen in a long time, but it’s missing a crucial feature

QGeeM Hubboard – £54.90 from Amazon(roughly $70)This nifty device from QGeeM crosses a laptop docking station with a keyboard. The design is certainly innovative, but it’s a serious shame there’s no PC built in.View Deal Vendors have long toyed with the idea of integrating keyboards with desktop PCs – after all, this is how the first mainstream computers were presented to budding hobbyists back in the 1970s. Fast forward to today and a Chinese company with an unorthodox name (QGeeM) has released a keyboard with plenty of ports, but sadly no computer inside – and that’s a massive disappointment. The Hubboard, as it is called, squeezes 11 ports into a minuscule keyboard; you get all the essentials and then some. There’s a legacy VGA port, three USB ports, two USB-Type-C (one with power delivery), a Gigabit Ethernet port, microSD card slot, SD card slot, audio port and an HDMI connector that can output to 4K. There are a number of obvious issues with the device, though. There’s no numeric keypad – let alone a touchpad) – so while it’s great for drafting a quick email, you’ll long for an input peripheral before long. For some reason, QGeeM also opted for a super cramped chassis with barely any space between the keys, plus the function and cursor keys are also squashed. We would have loved to see a computer (Android or Windows-based) built in, which would have made this piece of kit even more useful. Add in a battery and you’d…Continue readingThis is the coolest gadget we’ve seen in a long time, but it’s missing a crucial feature

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Mashable

Apple’s new Fitness+ feature might make Peloton sweat

Apple has just announced Fitness+, a kind of Netflix for exercise videos that also monitors your personal metrics. Peloton is probably sweating, and not in a good way. Revealed at today’s Apple event, Fitness+ lets you watch workouts on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV while your Apple Watch records your heart rate and calories burned. These metrics will be displayed up on your screen in real time, though you can turn them off if you want to enjoy your workout without fretting about analytics. Fitness+ will also display Apple’s familiar Activity rings, complete with fireworks animation when you close one. As tech commentator Marques Brownlee noted, Peloton’s stock noticeably dropped at Apple’s announcement. Wow Apple Fitness+ might be the biggest disrupter to come to fitness in a while. $9.99 a month with most of the popular work outs. Are services like Peloton and Beachbody in trouble? #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/gD2brvho3s — Danny Winget (@superscientific) September 15, 2020 Fitness+ will have 10 types of workouts to choose from: Treadmill Walk, HIIT, Treadmill Run, Rowing, Dance, Cycling, Yoga, Core, Strength, and Mindful Cooldown. Videos will vary in length from five to 45 minutes with new workouts added weekly, recorded by a team of fitness trainers selected by Apple.  You can choose whichever workout you want, but the service will also suggest trainers and workouts based on how you use Apple Watch’s Workout app. If you’re completely new to exercise, Fitness+ will have an Absolute Beginner program to help you get started. The service…Continue readingApple’s new Fitness+ feature might make Peloton sweat

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Tech Radar

Windows 10 update breaks another major feature – but there’s a fix

Windows 10 is suffering from yet another bug that’s causing machines to unexpectedly wake up from sleep mode.  Following the rollout of the Microsoft’s September 2020 optional update, Windows 10 users began reporting that their machine keeps waking up even when sleep mode has been enabled.  “When I close the lid, press the power button, or select Sleep in the power menu or the win-x menu, instead of sleeping, the screen simply turns off, and my laptop does not go to sleep even after leaving it alone all night,” one user complained on the Microsoft forum.  This isn’t the first time this issue has cropped up, either. Users first complained of random wakeups following the rollout of the glitch-prone Windows 10 May 2020 Update and the problem was said to have been fixed with Windows 10 KB4568831. According to Windows Latest, a Windows Update process dubbed “MoUSO Core Worker Process” is said to be the root cause of the issue. According to the report, it’s causing sleep mode to break on machines that have applied Windows 10 version 2004 and have an optional update pending for installation.  “When I close the lid, press the power button, or select Sleep in the power menu or the win-x menu, instead of sleeping, the screen simply turns off, and my laptop does not go to sleep even after leaving it alone all night,” one user complained. How to fix it There’s thankfully a way to fix the sleep mode problem. Windows Latest reports…Continue readingWindows 10 update breaks another major feature – but there’s a fix

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Tech Radar

Some Xiaomi smartphones get Google’s native call recording feature

A lot of users like to record the calls made from their phones and have to rely on third-party applications downloaded off the Play Store. Some manufacturers bake a call recording option right into their Phone app. Not many know that even Google offers a native call recording option that is available on Pixel phones apart from a few other Android One toting device. In a recent development, reported by Piunikaweb, Google seems to be building this feature to more smartphones, especially Xiaomi phones outside China, India, and Indonesia. Since Xiaomi’s phones come with a highly customized MIUI ROM, global ROMs unlike the Chinese, Indian, and Indonesian ROMs, do not have a recording facility available in the phone app. In these global devices, Xiaomi offers Google’s Phone and messages application as a stock calling application. It is on these global variants of Xiaomi’s phones that Google is turning on this crowd favourite feature. Call recording is now live on mid-budget segment Xiaomi devices like Redmi Note 8 Pro, Redmi Note 9S, and the Redmi Note 9 Pro. While smartphones like the other Note 9 series phones along with the Poco F2 Pro are also in the line to receive an update in due course. Several users who noticed the call recording feature on their phones have shared their feedback on Mi community forums and while some of them are really happy, a some are struggling to get used to the settings while a few want it to be turned off…Continue readingSome Xiaomi smartphones get Google’s native call recording feature

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The Next Web

Apple delays privacy feature to opt out of online ad tracking until 2021

Apple is delaying the rollout of a proposed privacy tweak in iOS 14 that allows users to opt out of ad tracking until early next year. In a statement shared with TechCrunch and The Information, the iPhone maker said it’s doing so “to give developers the time they need to make the necessary changes.” The exact date when the policy would be enforced is expected to be announced later. iOS 14, which is due in a couple of weeks, is all set to make device identifiers (called IDFA or “Identifier for Advertisers”) — a distinct, randomly generated code assigned to every iPhone and iPad — obsolete by requiring that third-party apps seek explicit consent from users before using the unique IDs for tracking their activities across other apps and websites. But the privacy-centric feature has drawn criticism from advertising companies who say the move would make it harder to deliver targeted ads to users. Last week, Facebook warned publishers that the change would make Audience Network, the social media platform’s ad service offered to third-party apps, ineffective and result in loss of advertising revenues. The company claimed that blocking ad personalization would cut Audience Network revenue by half or more, and that it would hurt more than 19,000 developers who work with Facebook, many of which are “small businesses that depend on ads to support their livelihood.” Tracking via the Apple device identifier allows Facebook and other third-party apps to tie an ad campaign to, say, an app download from an…Continue readingApple delays privacy feature to opt out of online ad tracking until 2021

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The Next Web

How to use Twitch’s new Watch Party feature to binge shows with viewers

Amazon is really beefing up Twitch’s capacity for non-gaming content. The latest feature it’s added is “Watch Parties,” essentially a way for streamers to host themselves watching Amazon Prime content, with their chat watching along. Here’s how it works. Grab your PopCorn and your community. Watch Parties are now available worldwide to any creator with a Prime or Prime Video subscription. Kick back and enjoy your favorite movie or TV shows together on Twitch. Learn how to start a Watch Party here: https://t.co/aERXbYMJWY pic.twitter.com/qEyT2myFn1 — Twitch (@Twitch) September 2, 2020 Twitch has been testing the Watch Party feature with its Partners for a few months now. The idea is that streamers watch films and shows available on Amazon Prime and their viewers can watch along while simultaneously enjoying the streamer’s reactions. Watch parties in general have been a great way for us all to survive the COVID-19 doldrums — we’ve got a whole guide on how to do it with your friends on Discord. It’s restricted by which location the viewer is in — for example, a viewer with a Prime UK subscription won’t be able to watch a Watch Party where the streamer is playing something exclusive to Prime US users. But this is otherwise a fun way for streamers to enjoy some light, non-gaming content with their communities. And it takes much less effort to set up than, say, the average game stream (at least for me). So here’s how you can set up your own Watch Party…Continue readingHow to use Twitch’s new Watch Party feature to binge shows with viewers