Software

xAI has released Grok-2 and Grok-2 mini beta AI LLMs on X with the enterprise API arriving later this month. Grok-2 ranked among the four most powerful large-language models on the LMSYS leaderboard and among the top six across a range of standardized AI benchmarks.

If you own an Amazon Fire Tablet, you can use Fire Toolbox to circumvent some of its more annoying limitations. You can do things like install the Google Play Store, change your launcher, and on some models, even disable system-level ads.

A recent SteamOS beta update mentions support for the extra keys of the Asus ROG Ally. This hinted that third-party handhelds could get official support for the operating system that runs on Steam Deck. Valve has now said that the team is "making steady progress" on adding official support for other gaming handhelds.

Gone are the days of review bombs and copypasta on Steam; replaced instead by review bombs and copypasta with extra steps. Valve's new Helpfulness System will rank helpful Steam reviews as such and place them higher on a game's store page.

Garmin has announced which Android smartphones support its renowned satellite SOS response service. While currently limited to four smartphones, Garmin has hinted that Garmin Response could eventually be available 'across additional Android devices' too.

The Edward Snowden-endorsed live Linux distro Tails is back with version 6.6. This refresh brings Thunderbird and Tor Browser up to date, as well as packing support for new hardware and improving the persistent storage capabilities of this Debian-based piece of code, which targets those seeking complete Internet anonymity.

The Xbox Game Bar is getting a new Compact Mode that aims to make the overlay Windows gaming handheld-friendly. Microsoft is currently testing the mode in the Xbox Insider Program, and it is currently available to the members of the program.

Microsoft's quest for a better Start menu continues, and the latest beta version (22635.4010), now available via the Windows Insider Program, comes with automatic app categorization by type. The upcoming feature looks similar to the live tiles from Windows 10. Windows 11 users can still get live tiles via third-party apps, of course.

Apple is expanding support for its Adaptive Lighting feature to include smart lights compatible with the Matter smart home standard. Notably, the beta of iOS 18.1 already enables Adaptive Lighting for Nanoleaf’s Essentials Matter lights – the first ever Matter lights to use the feature in Apple Home.

Apple has reportedly forced Patreon into implementing iOS' in-app payment system within the Patreon app. Following the change, new memberships after November 4 will be charged a 30% App Store fee. Unsurprisingly, people, including Epic Game's Tim Sweeney and Elon Musk, hasn't taken the announcement well.

Opera has released its AI-powered Opera One browser for iPhones. The iOS app was in beta for a couple of weeks, and the stable release comes with a redesigned UI, free VPN, and built-in ad blocker. All these make it stand as a solid alternative to Safari.

Made by a fan of Rebecca Black, the Debian-based distribution simply called "RebeccaBlackOS" is a beta-stage live Linux with a login manager for Wayland, Qt 6, and only 64-bit support (the versions previously released, which arrived with Qt 5, supported 32-bit platforms as well).

Focused on delivering an easy initial setup and post-install configuration, IPFire is a Linux distro designed for firewalls. Version 2.29 Core 187 comes with an additional layer of protection against denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. This capability is useful in high-bandwidth and cloud deployment scenarios.

Intel's microcode update 0x129 dropped in an attempt to correct the unmitigated disaster that has become of Intel's 13th- and 14th-gen CPUs. While Intel initially claimed that the microcode update wouldn't affect performance at all, some multithreaded benchmark scores show as much as a 22% performance loss. Fortunately, gaming is unaffected by the update.

The highly anticipated Cosmic desktop environment has finally launched in alpha version alongside the Pop!_OS 24.04 alpha. The new Linux desktop environment is also available for Arch, Fedora, NixOS, and Serpent OS, with plans for openSUSE and Redox OS launches underway.

The "0.0.0.0 Day" vulnerability, discovered 18 years ago, allows malicious websites to bypass security protocols in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari, primarily affecting Linux and macOS devices. This flaw lets attackers remotely alter settings, access protected information, and potentially execute code on affected systems. Despite its initial disclosure in 2008, the vulnerability remains unresolved, though browser developers are now taking steps to address it. Additional security measures are recommended for developers to protect their applications.

Available for the Steam Deck Beta and Preview channels, SteamOS 3.6.9 Beta sports a rather long list of minor changes, including a faster cold boot alongside fixes for several external display-related issues and corrupted sound output. The Machenike G5 Pro and Asus ROG Raikiri Pro join the list of supported hardware. 

Google has released a new batch of updates for its Pixel devices from the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro onwards. Also available for the Pixel Fold, Pixel Tablet, Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2, the updates are likely the final ones Google offers before unveiling the Pixel 9 and Pixel Watch 3 series next week.

Garmin has issued a new update for the Forerunner 265 on its Beta Program. While the changelog for Beta Version 20.21 stretches into double figures, so did its predecessor.

Google continues to take steps to deliver a desktop mode for its Pixel devices. Not only has the company added even more features in its recent Android 15 beta updates, but it has even enabled the functionality to run locally on a Pixel Tablet, just like Samsung DeX can on many Galaxy Tab tablets.

The Garmin Forerunner 965 is in line for another new beta update, following last month's release of Beta Version 20.15. This time, Garmin has released Beta Version 20.21, seemingly because of issues that affected its predecessor.

Garmin has now started rolling out a new stable update for the Instinct 2, Instinct 2S, Instinct 2X and Instinct Crossover. Building on last month's update, Software Version 16.11 addresses various outstanding issues with a host of bug fixes, including one related to resolving ongoing problems with Garmin's battery saver watch face.

A new teardown of Google app beta version 15.31.29.29 revealed that the company is working on new launch animations for its Gemini AI assistant. Resembling Apple's iOS 18.1 beta Siri animations, Google's design has a slightly different appearance effect, and a different color. One animation highlights the Gemini pop-up with a glowing border, while the other creates a full-screen wave emerging from the pop-up.

Samsung has started rolling out the first round of updates for its latest smartwatches. Supposedly, the two updates target performance and battery life issues that affected some Galaxy Watch7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra smartwatches at launch.

Valve's latest Steam Hardware & Software Survey data shows that Windows 10 has become even more popular than in June. Per the July 2024 report, the last-gen Microsoft operating system has gained 0.74% more users throughout the month, while Windows 11 has lost 0.82%, dropping to 45.81%.

Garmin has delivered a new update for three of its popular mid-range smartwatches. Rolling out now on its Beta Program, the update is said to improve swimming functionality for the trio.

Google is now less than a week away from unveiling new Pixel hardware. In the meantime, a reliable leaker has shared details of and a first look at a new weather app that will be exclusive to Google Pixel 9 smartphones, despite the fact that they will ship with Android 14 and not Android 15.

Xiaomi's upcoming HyperOS 2.0 may introduce a groundbreaking privacy feature. The rumored "Camera Scan" capability could revolutionize how users protect themselves from hidden cameras. As Xiaomi prepares to launch its next-generation operating system, this innovative technology might just be the tip of the iceberg.

OpenAI is said to have a powerful fingerprinting tool, which can supposedly detect ai-generated text with nearly 100% accuracy. However, internal arguments within are said to be keeping the company from deploying it for two years, reportedly due to concerns about the paying members and non-native English speakers.

The Motorola Moto Tag launched with the same use-case as the Apple AirTag and Samsung Galaxy SmartTag 2, not to mention some party tricks of its own. It is now available to buy in the US, albeit in limited choices of color and bundle SKUs. Meanwhile, its competitors have become cheaper on other platforms.

aiOla has launched Whisper-Medusa, an open-source AI model designed to improve automatic speech recognition. Combining OpenAI's Whisper with aiOla's technology, Whisper-Medusa claims to operate 50% faster than Whisper itself. This model supports over 100 languages and transforms unstructured speech data into actionable insights, showing future promise in industries such as aviation, logistics, and healthcare.

Garmin has decided to push a new beta update to several of its popular mid-range smartwatches after previously claiming that it had concluded beta development for 16.xx builds. Rolling out now as an over-the-air (OTA) download, the new update aims to address various outstanding bugs that have shipped in recent beta and stable updates.

Ford has released a new performance upgrade for the 2024 Mustang Mach-E GT. With the software upgrade installed, Ford claims that the Mustang Mach-E GT now beats the Tesla Model Y Performance in acceleration as the upgrade reduces the Mustang Mach-E GT’s 0 to 60 mph time by 13%.

With a focus on minimalism and performance, Serpent OS aims to help users get the most out of their hardware and streamline their workflow. The release comes four years after Ikey Doherty announced he would be working on a new Linux distro. Despite some problems in development, Serpent OS has made it to the pre-alpha stage and is now available to download. 

A recent review tested the performance of AMD's new Ryzen AI 9 365 processor and its Radeon 880M iGPU in Ubuntu 24.04 on Linux kernel 6.10 and Windows 11 and found that the CPU and iGPU combination performed better under Linux in most scenarios. The biggest surprise comes from GPU benchmarks, where Linux often beat Windows by up to 50%.

Google has delivered what could be the final Android 15 beta update. Available to download now as a small over-the-air (OTA) package, Android 15 Beta 4.1 is designed to address an issue that could cause crashes when making or even receiving calls.

It looks like System76's exciting new Rust-based Cosmic DE will get an official Fedora spin in the upcoming Fedora 42, potentially giving Linux users with bleeding-edge hardware an official way to try Cosmic. Fedora Linux operates on a semi-rolling release, but it is often regarded as a stable base for those looking for up-to-date software and hardware support.

Xiaomi's updated Security Center page provides exact information on when exactly the company will cease to provide software updates for its myriad of global devices. The Xiaomi 14 series gets five years of updates; the Poco F6 gets four, but devices like the new Redmi Pad Pro 5G are promised just three years of OTAs.

A developer has demonstrated that it is possible to reduce display flickering on the Google Pixel 8 Pro just through software mods. While the tweak does not eliminate PWM flickering altogether, it can mitigate unwanted effects by setting it as high as 4,800 Hz.

Apex Legends will be available on the Epic Games Store starting August 6th, along with the Season 22 update. The game, known for its fast-paced squad gameplay, has been quite popular since its 2019 launch. Season 22 will bring a revamped Battle Pass system, offering free and premium rewards, including a new Premium+ tier with exclusive benefits. Epic Games shared the news and discussed the game's evolution with Respawn Entertainment.

Google has expanded its AI-powered wildfire tracking tool to 15 new countries in Europe and Africa, providing real-time boundary tracking and location-based notifications. Recent wildfires across Europe, including in Greece, Spain, and Cyprus, highlight the urgent need for effective wildfire management. Google's tool, which leverages satellite imagery and historical data, has already mapped over 40 wildfires, reaching 1.4 million people in the first week of July.

ASUS has just released Armoury Crate SE 1.5 (ACSE 1.5) for the ROG Ally, which it insisted would provide a 'more console-like' UI. However, there are plenty of early reports that ACSE 1.5 is causing issues for original ROG Ally units.

AMD has released the latest version of its driver-level frame generation technology in a technical preview. Called the “AMD Fluid Motion Frames 2”, the second iteration of the AFMF aims to fix some of the most glaring issues that plagued the previous AFMF version. Additionally, AFMF 2 also brings some new features including the ability to toggle between different performance levels.

Samsung's One UI 7.0 beta is now scheduled to drop in mid-to-late August, three weeks after it was initially supposed to roll out. One of the reasons for the delay is the ongoing One UI 6.1.1 update.

Zoom has announced Zoom Workplace with Zoom AI Companion for more productive online meetings and document collaboration. AI features include automated meeting summaries, event content generation, clip descriptions, and virtual background creation.

The first Release Candidate for the next version of the Linux Kernel (Kernel 6.11-rc1) is now available. The candidate includes support for wireless drivers on Qualcomm chips (specifically the Snapdragon X1 platform) and features for virtualization.

Multiple sources indicate that Samsung's One UI 7.0 software update has been delayed. Initially supposed to debut today (July 29), the software will now be available to Galaxy S24 users at a later date.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says not all Apple Intelligence features will launch together. In particular, the enhanced Siri could take a while to arrive due to stability issues.

Hallucinations notwithstanding, the de facto leader of the AI industry is keen to enter the search market. The SearchGPT prototype will only be available to a few thousand beta testers at launch, although the end-goal here is to eventually integrate with ChatGPT.

Google's AI assistant, Gemini, may get new abilities with the integration of new extensions. As per a new APK teardown of the v15.29.34.29 beta update, these tools will allow Gemini to interact with various Google services and devices. Key extensions include Google Home, Phone, and Utilities, enabling users to control smart home devices, make calls, and manage phone settings directly through Gemini.