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It's the second time Google has gotten hit with the monopoly label.
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You might now be out of luck if you've been relying on Apple's AI tools to help you craft a Facebook post or generate a custom emoji to slap on an Instagram Story. As first reported by Sorcererhat Tech (by way of 9to5Mac), Apple Intelligence features are not currently functional on Meta's iOS apps, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp or Threads. Engadget has confirmed that Apple Intelligence isn't working in the apps at the time of writing.
As things stand, along with writing tools (which include the likes of text generation and proofreading), Apple Intelligence features such as Genmoji aren't working in Meta's apps. While people were previously able to include keyboard stickers and Memoji in Instagram Stories, that's no longer the case.
Developers can opt out of using Apple Intelligence in their iOS apps and Meta may have done just that. Perhaps it's looking to nudge folks to use its own Meta AI tools in Facebook et al. Engadget has contacted Meta and Apple for comment.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/apple-intelligence-is-busted-on-metas-ios-apps-165620772.html?src=rss
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The ruling was the second time in a year that a federal court had found that Google had acted illegally to maintain its dominance.
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More details about Mario Kart World, the big first-party Nintendo Switch 2 launch title, were shown during a dedicated Direct on Thursday. The 17-minute presentation showcased some of the game's courses, such as the canal-based Salty Salty Speedway and spooky Boo Cinema, and revealed that some classic, reimagined courses will be dotted around the game's open world.
Beyond regular races and the new Knockout Tour elimination mode, there are a bunch of other ways to play Mario Kart World. Team-based races will see you compete in squads of between six and 12, and you can test yourself in time trials. The classic Balloon Battle mode is here, and in Coin Runners, you'll compete to collect the most coins.
Nintendo
New tricks include a charge jump and a wall-riding option that was highlighted in the reveal trailer. A nifty Re
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Instagram is adding yet another way to liven up your Reels recommendations. The app is rolling out "Blend," a feature that allows you to create a custom feed within a DM that combines your recommendations with a friend's.
If that sounds familiar, it's because Blend has been in the works for some time. It was first spotted in the app more than a year ago, but was only an internal prototype at the time. Now, Meta is finally making it official, describing it as an "invite-only Reels feed for you and your friend(s)."
Anyone can invite a friend or a group of friends to join a Blend from within a direct message or group chat on Instagram. Once someone accepts the invitation, Instagram generates a custom feed of Reels made up of video recommendations tailored to each person. As you scroll, you can view who each suggested clip is for, giving a window into what types of Reels Instagram's algorithm serves your friends.
The feature is the latest way Meta has been allowing instagram users to gain more insight into their friends' Reels-watching habits. The company also recently introduced a dedicated tab that shows videos liked by your Instagram friends. Whether that sounds like an intriguing way to find new niches of content, or potentially massively embarrassing is another matter. (It's also yet another reminder that your Instagram likes were never actually private.) But, if you're Reels suggestions have been feeling a little st
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 In iOS 18.4, Apple added a new Shortcuts action to open a specific conversation in the Messages app. This means it's now possible to open a chat thread with someone important to you straight from your Lock Screen, for example. Keep reading to learn more.
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A federal judge has ruled that Google is a monopolist in online advertising. The New York Times reported on Thursday that Judge Leonie Brinkema of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia said the company broke the law to maintain its ad tech dominance.
"In addition to depriving rivals of the ability to compete, this exclusionary conduct substantially harmed Google's publisher customers, the competitive process, and, ultimately, consumers of information on the open web," the judge said.
The case stemmed from a January 2023 lawsuit from the US Justice Department and eight states. They accused Google of illegally monopolizing the ad market and using that power to charge more and take a higher portion of sales.
"Competition in the ad tech space is broken, for reasons that were neither accidental nor inevitable," the government said in its complaint. "One industry behemoth, Google, has corrupted legitimate competition in the ad tech industry by engaging in a systematic campaign to seize control of the wide swath of high-tech tools used by publishers, advertisers, and brokers, to facilitate digital advertising."
The government says Google holds an 87 percent market share in ad-selling tech.
The judge also dismissed a portion of the government's case. "We won half of this case, and we will appeal the other half," Lee-Anne Mulholland, Googl
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 Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup.
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But as convenient as that might be, a laptop might not be the best choice depending on how you're going to use it. You may not need the whole kit and kaboodle. Plus, there's a good bit of engineering that goes into laptop designs — and that adds to the cost.
If your laptop is going to be used at home all the time, tethered to your desk with an external monitor and keyboard and mouse, and you're only picking a laptop because you don't want to spend tons for a bulky pre-built desktop PC… then consider a mini PC instead.
Mini PCs offer several benefits over laptops that are totally worth it if you don't need the innate portability that laptops offer.
Mini PCs are more economical
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Save $160 on an Alexa-enabled 4K TV with HDR 10 for a limited time.
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Eyeing a laptop upgrade? While you may be tempted to spring for the newest model with a four-figure price tag, why drop all that cash when you could get a Microsoft laptop with similar functionality at a fraction of the cost?
It's true—this new open-box Microsoft Surface has an 11.6-inch display and plenty of connectivity ports discontinued in models like the latest MacBook. Grab your own for only $189.99 (reg. $378.99) while supplies last.
This Surface laptop is small, but it's certainly mighty. Check out the specs that can power you through your day:
11.6-inch display with Intel UHD Graphics 600 for enhanced graphic rendering and video playback.
128GB of local storage for your daily apps, files, etc.
Intel Celeron N4120 and 8GB of RAM: For efficient processing for basic tasks like browsing, research, streaming, schoolwork, etc.
Up to 16 ho
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There's yet another Nintendo Direct coming our way, which is the third in less than a month. This one is entirely focused on the upcoming Switch 2 launch title Mario Kart World. It starts at 9AM ET and should last around 15 minutes.
It's livestreaming on Nintendo's YouTube page, but mega-fans can also open up that recently-launched Nintendo Today! app to follow along. We are embedding the YouTube link, so feel free to keep this tab open.
We have no idea what information Nintendo is going to spring on us as part of this Direct presentation. The company has already released a ton of info about Mario Kart World. It's an open-world racer that can accommodate 24 plays at the same time.
However, there are still a couple of unknowns. Most of these involve the open-world aspect. Are there any rewards for exploration? Are there secret tracks that can only be unlocked by finding them? Can the same be said for unlockable characters? Again, we don't know, but hope springs eternal.
There's also the $80 elephant in the room. The exorbitant retail price of Mario Kart World
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