Software

WhatsApp beta unveils a new feature powered by Meta AI called “Imagine Me”. It allows users to generate personalized images of themselves without requiring real photos. Users may upload their selfies as references, and then Meta AI will turn them into different imaginary places such as a forest or even outer space.

Opera GX has received solid improvements to its AI capabilities. The features that are now much better than before involve image generation, voice output, and image recognition. In addition to these, Aria now also provides links to its sources of information when carrying out a conversation.

Amazfit has announced the release of Zepp OS 4, a new major software update that introduces a new version of its inbuilt Flow virtual assistant based on OpenAI's latest GPT-4o multi-modal, multi-lingual model. Smartwatches such as the Amazfit Cheetah, Falcon and T-Rex Ultra to control certain smart devices from certain brands via Bluetooth, and to support new work-outs such as pickleball.

Although Windows is a commercial product, paying for it doesn't keep ads away. After removing these annoyances from the Weather app last year, Microsoft has just revived ads in all areas of this piece of code. To make matters even worse, these ads are pinned, so scrolling down won't make them go away.

Manjaro Linux 24's third maintenance release, called "Wynsdey" and introduced earlier today, features Plasma 6 and version 6.9 of the Linux kernel. Each of the Manjaro editions available comes with updated desktops and visual traits, as well as under-the-hood fixes and optimizations.

AnTuTu has published a list of top-performing smartphones in July. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered ROG Phone 8 Pro surpasses the Dimensity 9300+ in the flagship segment. On the other hand, the OnePlus Ace 3V continues to dominate the mid-range segment thanks to its Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3.

While their accurate release dates remain unknown, the names are already in the wild, although they have not been confirmed by Apple yet. According to the rumors, iOS 19 goes by as "Luck,"  macOS 16 is nicknamed "Cheer,"  watchOS 12 is known as "Nepali," and visionOS 3 is labeled "Discovery" for now.

Xiaomi has started rolling out a significant new update for the Xiaomi 14 series. Also available on the Redmi K60 Ultra, the update features enough changes to be considered 'HyperOS 1.5' by some.

Sony released its NW-A306 and NW-ZX707 music players at the start of 2023 running Android 12. Since then, the company has upgraded both to Android 13. Now, a new leak has outlined the next stop for the pair as Google prepares to finalise Android 15.

The largest expansion so far brings no less than 110 new languages to Google Translate, from major ones with over 80 million speakers such as Cantonese and Punjabi (Shahmukhi) to nearly extinct dialects such as Manx, the Celtic language of the Isle of Man, with thousands of users.

The Fenix 7 series and its peers are in line for a new stable update, shortly after Garmin delivered a pair of beta updates for the same set of smartwatches. Rolling out now globally as Software Version 17.28, the update brings a few improvements to the Fenix 7 and Fenix 7 Pro, as well as to the Enduro 2, Epix 2, Quatix 7 and MARQ Gen 2.

While Microsoft plans to end support for Windows 10 in late 2025, 0patch comes with the promise of supporting Windows 10 v22H2 with critical security patches until 2030 and even further if there is enough demand. Fortunately, the $25-per-year or $35-per-year Pro and Enterprise subscriptions are also accompanied by a free plan.

As its fifth anniversary draws near, EndeavourOS gets a new update. Labeled 2024.06.25, this software refresh comes with Plasma 6.1 (both offline and live), Firefox 127.0.1-1, and Calamares 24.06.1.2-1, as well as a few fixes. Also, the r8168 legacy driver package has been removed in this update.

Google's Gemini 1.5 Pro is no longer behind a waitlist, and Gemma 2 is now available in Google AI Studio, among other changes. These updates will improve AI accessibility, speed, and affordability for developers.

Garmin has introduced a new update for several of its mid-range smartwatches. Rolling out now on the company's beta program, the update introduces new improvements and fixes ahead of a presumed future stable rollout.

LG has refreshed the latest iterations of its MyView Smart Monitor, a device that can act as an external display and a (small) TV in one, with a new colorway. Furthermore, the 27-inch version of this re-painted, webOS 23-capable, peripheral is available in a new Desktop Setup bundle, which also includes a matching wireless keyboard and mouse.

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has begun rolling out a new update for its Raspberry Pi Connect service. Now available for all Raspberry Pi devices, the Raspberry Pi Connect service now supports remote shell access within a web browser too.

While bringing one-click optimal settings for an additional four titles, the GeForce Game Ready Driver 556.12 also provides DLSS 3.5 optimizations for The First Descendant, as well as DLSS 3 and Reflex to Payday 3, a title that previously received DLSS 2 and DLAA support. The update targets both desktop and mobile GPUs, as usual.

Valve has offered up a bevvy of new updates for the Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED. Rolling out on its Beta and Preview software channels, the updates not only add Game Recording functionality but also make various desktop mode and general improvements.

Shimano has announced a free “race-specific” firmware update for the 600 W EP801 e-bike motor that should bring it up to the same standard as its Bosch competition. The new update introduces a number of new features, overrun chiefly among them, finally making it a strong competitor to Bosch's systems.

System76's Cosmic Linux desktop environment now has an official logo. The development team confirms that a first alpha version of the Rust-based desktop is planned for the end of July.

The latest Windows 11 preview builds now include Game Pass ads in the Settings app, affecting everyone signed into their Microsoft account. This move is another indication of Microsoft's firm intentions to integrate more ads into Windows 11, sparking controversy and concerns about future intrusive advertising. Since this is a trial run, it is not known for certain if this new feature will ever be rolled out to regular users.

A software update promises a considerable increase in performance for the Raspberry Pi. Only a relatively short program code is required to implement the change.

Garmin has brought another new update for Fenix 7, Fenix 7s, Fenix 7X, Epix 2, Enduro 2, Quatix 7 and MARQ Gen 2 smartwatches. Rolling out now on Garmin's Beta Program, v17.28 makes various under-the-hood improvements to eligible models ahead of a future stable update rollout.

Deepin is one of the most popular AI-enabled Linux distros in the world. In this latest release, the developers give Deepin new powers such as additional fonts and video decoding improvements while keeping the spotlight on the custom desktop environment that has won so many hearts.

OnePlus' Watch 2 for the Chinese market is similar to the wearable of the same name for the global market in a number of ways. The AMOLED display peripheral is also powered by a dual-chip system starring the Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 SoC for potentially prolonged battery life and supports a number of popular heath-tracking features. Then again, the new version's ability to support standalone connectivity comes with quite a price-bump.

Following significant disgruntlement within the community, MSI has reconsidered its stance on firmware updates for OLED monitors outside of the top models. There are some quirks for end users, however, depending on the country and, in some cases, the specific monitor.

WhatsApp beta for Android (version 2.24.14.5) adds a new video message reply shortcut. One can now immediately record and send video messages directly from the chat for enhanced user experience.

You can finally record gameplay natively using Steam overlay. The feature is in beta for desktop users and also available for the Steam Deck.

Skylum has unveiled Aperty for rapid, AI-assisted image retouching and editing for portrait photographers. Photographers are only paid by their works, not by the time they spend retouching photos from a shoot, so Aperty helps save time and increase productivity. Tools include blemish removal, teeth whitening, and makeup effects for one-click enhancements.

Garmin has brought various new features to the Edge 540, Edge 840 and Edge 1040 through a series of new software updates. In short, the new updates bring the Edge 540, Edge 840 and Edge 1040 into line with the Edge 1050 that Garmin released yesterday.

US carriers just began flipping the Rich Communication Services switch for iPhone users running iOS 18 beta 2. This is a real game changer that will finally do away with those messaging limitations between iOS and Android that phone users all over the world have had to deal with for so many years.

Honor has shown off two AI-powered features. AI Defocus Eye Protection essentially emulates a defocus contact lens to help with myopia. AI Deepfake Detection helps detect videos manipulated with AI in real time.

The 220 4G (2024) is the latest version of HMD's durable Nokia-branded feature phone. It is touted to let the user play Snake for days on its 2.4-inch display, and to play the music stored on a microSD card over Bluetooth. Then again, it does not have a rear camera or much scope for offline apps.

Google is bringing more quality-of-life improvements to Pixel devices. Likely starting later this year with the stable release of Android 15, currently supported devices like the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will warn in advance that they could be on the verge of overheating. Adaptive Thermal warnings will also include advice on how to prevent overheating that would otherwise result in a complete device shutdown.

ESR has announced that the latest addition to its Geo Wallet series will be the first to be an actual wallet and not something for the back of a MagSafe-compatible mobile device. Nevertheless, it is touted to work with Apple's Find My app, and may, thus, be more theft- and loss-resistant. The OEM is currently taking reservations for the new smart everyday carry accessory crowdfunding campaign with a 10% discount offer.

Blackmagic Camera app with pro-level video control was first launched for iOS last year. Now, it has made its way to Android, offering many advanced features for free. However, at the moment, it's only compatible with Google and Samsung phones.

Multiple users have reported uncannily high hard disk activity after installing the macOS Sequoia developer beta. Its root cause has been found to be Spotlight, the system-wide search function on macOS.

According to Mark Gurman, a trusted source for Apple-related news, it isn't the chipset that's making the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus not get Apple Intelligence. Instead, they are reportedly not getting the AI tricks because of having 6 GB of RAM. Gurman says that 8 GB of RAM is the minimum requirement, which only the latest Pro models meet.

The Huawei HarmonyOS Next beta program has started to roll out to eligible users. As the company announced at the Huawei Developer Conference 2023, the operating system ditches Android, and it seems not to be strictly a Linux system either. Instead, it's based on OpenHarmony and runs on a self-developed Harmony Kernel.

OnePlus touts its next wearable as its most fully-functional watch to date, as it supports eSIM functionality in addition to other typical smart features. It will have a more conventional look compared to others of its series, and will come in a choice of two colors. However, it seems it might be exclusive to the brand's home market on its launch.

The first wave of Copilot Plus AI PCs is here, bringing a good number of laptops running the Snapdragon X series processors from Qualcomm. However, at launch, these systems didn't have native ARM versions for many Adobe apps, including Adobe Illustrator. Microsoft has now confirmed the release dates of the ARM-native versions for a couple.

The Linux desktop environment KDE Plasma has been updated to version 6.1, which includes an improved desktop editing mode and session recovery under Wayland. Remote desktop connections have also been simplified.

According to new reports, the Pixel 9 series will receive multiple AI-based apps upon launch, not just Pixie, Google's latest AI assistant. Supposedly, Pixie will be joined by Creative Assistant, an app that will be capable of generating new, including emojis and stickers.

The US Department of Commerce will ban Kaspersky in America beginning July 20, 2024. The ban under Information and Communications Technology and Services regulations will effectively prevent Kaspersky from selling and updating products such as its popular antivirus software to Americans.

Unleashed earlier today, War Thunder 2.37 "Seek & Destroy" brings new airplanes, ships, and ground vehicles into the game, as usual. Helicopters get reworked cockpits, the old maps get a few retouches, not to mention the introduction of additional modules for ground vehicles, and much more.

Garmin has now released a new beta update for the Instinct 2, its first in a while. Regardless, Beta Version 16.06 only makes minimal changes for the Instinct 2 and Instinct 2S, as well as the larger Instinct 2X and Instinct Crossover.

Taking its level of security one step further, Tails 6.4 comes with a random seed on the USB stick that strengthens all its cryptographic functions. Thanks to it, the Persistent Storage, Tor, or HTTPS are now more secure. Additionally, this new release comes with multiple minor tweaks and fixes.

Supposed to be the debut title for Paradox Tectonic, a studio founded in early 2019, Life by You was teased in March 2023. Sadly, its early access went through three delays and never made it online because the game was canceled on June 17, ending Paradox Interactive's attempt at an alternative to The Sims.

CheckMag The Warframe Jade Shadows update has officially launched for Windows, Xbox, Switch, PlayStation, and iOS. Update 36 introduces a number of exciting new additions to the MMO looter shooter, including a new warframe, an exciting new quest offering insights into a long-time foe, and a whole new game mode to get stuck into as well as some valuable quality of life fixes.