Technology

With AI taking over our phones, some companies are making it more appealing than others.

• New AI tools are coming to Google Workspace
• Automatic translation is coming to Google Chat
• Your image and voice will be sharper with Studio lighting and sound

Google Workspace is adding new AI powered tools to both Google Meet and Google Chat, without the need to buy a separate Gemini add-on. These come in the form of Generated Background Images and Studio Look, Studio Lighting, and Studio Sound for Google Meet, as well as Translate for me, coming to Google Chat.

This follows Google’s recent infusion of Gemini AI across services, most recently with its introduction into Google Calendar - so that users no longer have to manually add diary entries, or schedule meetings.

Translate for me, the AI injection into Google Chat, is an in-chat automatic detection and translation tool which can identify over 120 languages, and translate messages whilst keeping the original available for review.

Google Meet gets studio tools

For Google Meet, AI is coming with new Generated Background Images, which can help users create unique and bespoke meeting backgrounds, and can obscure your surroundings during a meeting, just in case your home office isn’t as presentable as you’d like.

Also coming to Meet is Studio Look, which uses machine learning to “detect and enhance” image quality with noise reduction and image sharpening, making sure you’re always in focus.

It won’t just be your image that’s sharper though, as Studio Lighting and Studio Sound will be introduced to simulate studio-quality lighting, with automatic light position and brightness adjustments - but only for devices that meet specific browser and processor requirements.

Your voice will sound more balanced and crisp, with Studio Sound making sure even the low quality headset users are still understood perfectly.

If you want to get a bit more creative, Google Drawings is also bringing in Gemini’s image background removal function, to help reduce time spent on fiddly tasks and give you more time to perfect your drawings.

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• Apple's M3 Ultra defeats most desktop CPUs in terms of power efficiency
• This is thanks to its ARM-based instruction set compared to x86 used for desktop processors
• It does lag behind the M4 Max in power efficiency, however

Apple's new Mac Studio (M3 Ultra) has received critical acclaim from multiple reviewers thanks to its M3 Ultra processor, despite apparently losing out to the M4 Max in single-core processes. However, its performance capabilities aren't where the praise stops - a new benchmark suggests there is another, equally important benefit to using the M3 Ultra chip compared to other processors on the market.

As highlighted by Wccftech (based on the Ars Technica Mac Studio review), the M3 Ultra's benchmark in Handbrake (a video encoding program that can be used for benchmarking both CPUs and GPUs) reveals that it's only slightly less power efficient than its Mac Studio M4 Max counterpart - and it also proves to be far more efficient than other powerful desktop processors. This is likely due to Apple opting for an Arm-based architecture instead of x86, which is used for most mainstream desktop CPUs, notably those offered by Intel and AMD.

Ars Technica's analysis shows that the Mac Studio (M3 Ultra) draws 77.3W of power on average in Handbrake, slightly lagging behind the M4 Max variant which uses an incredibly low 50.2W. While the latter is more efficient, the M3 Ultra arguably makes up for it with its better performance in multi-core processing based on benchmarks - albeit at a much higher price.

Up against x86 processors, the M-based chips are the clear victors - the prime examples are the Intel Core i9-14900K using 233.6W, and the AMD Ryzen 9950X using 194.6W on average. It's worth noting that none of there aren't any other ARM processors among the comparisons; Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chips are also highly power-efficient, but were likely omitted as they’re still a long way off the likes of the M3 Ultra in terms of performance.

The Mac Studio is, at first glance, just a super-chunky Mac mini - but there's more going on under the surface. (Image credit: Future) Buy the M3 Ultra Mac Studio if you can, but the M4 Max model makes more sense for most users…

There’s no denying that these power-efficiency claims are impressive. But unless you're looking for the absolute best hardware available with deep pockets to justify it, the M3 Ultra Mac Studio is overkill in my eyes.

It might be more powerful than the M4 Max (specifically for gaming and multi-core processes), but I'd argue it may not be a significant enough margin to justify spending more. The M4 Max model starts at $1,999 / £2,099 / AU$3,499 while the M3 Ultra starts at $3,999 / £4,199 / AU$6,999 - bear in mind, the M4 Max isn’t that far behind the M3 Ultra in terms of performance, while also being more power efficient. I don't know about you, but the M4 Max model seems like the easy choice here.

If Apple's M3 Ultra Mac Studio is on your radar for its gaming capabilities, I would still argue the M4 Max is the reasonable option - or even the shockingly impressive M4 Mac mini. We all want great performance from our hardware in some capacity - but it's always worth considering factors like power consumption and whether the price tag is justified, and this is a perfect example of that.

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• WBD has migrated Discovery+ to the same platform as the Max app
• Starting March 12, subscribers will see five great new features
• The update will make the rollout of future changes quicker and simpler

Discovery+ subscribers are getting a big update to their streaming apps, according to an announcement from Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).

The changes will be rolled out today (March 12) to all subscribers in the US and Canada that update their apps, and includes five great new features that might be familiar to anyone who's signed up to WBD's other streaming service, Max.

That's because the change will see the Discovery+ app migrate to the same in-house tech platform that WBD uses for the HBO streaming service, which WBD's head of tech Avi Saxena says will enable "richer feature set".

Unifying tech stack for all of its streaming services means WBD will be able to roll out any backend changes, including bug fixes and updates to the design of the apps, more efficiently.

What new features are available on Discovery+?

Discovery+ is the home for content from HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID, Discovery Channel and CNN. (Image credit: Discovery Inc.)

The update means WBD can bring a lot of the same great features that Max subscribers already enjoy to those signed up to Discovery+. These include:

1. An improved homepage that looks more Max
2. More personalized content recommendations
3. A new search layout for jumping between episodes
4. Ability to sign in to the app via a QR code
5. New sharing functionality for social media

Of these new features, the improved navigation tools look to be the most helpful to subscribers looking to find content in the app. Indeed, the new search layout (as pictured in the lead image of this article) looks like it will make jumping between episodes of a show a lot simpler.

I can see this change being most useful for big reality series that have a seemingly endless number of seasons and episodes, making it a lot easier for viewers to find a specific segment from the show. WBD also says that these new discovery improvements will allow for more personalized content recommendations.

There's also new sharing functionality that lets Discovery+ subscribers send content to their friends and family more easily. WBD specifies in its announcement about the update that this new functionality is for "adult profile users" though, so that might mean this feature is disabled for kids. We've contacted WBD for clarification, and will update this article when we hear back.

Discovery+ subscribers can also expect the new homepage, which will look more like Max, to have more personalized recommendations that utilize machine learning to better serve up movies and shows that you like.

Outside of the new features, WBD also says the update means that the Discovery+ app will benefit from faster performance more generally, allowing for better video resolution and playback.

Discovery+ is the latest streaming service to roll out an overhaul of its app in 2025, with YouTube TV teasing a big Netflix update earlier this month, Prime Video launching a new app for Apple TV devices in February, and Max making a big change to its navigation menu in January.

Make sure to check in with TechRadar regularly for details of the latest changes to your favorite streaming services.

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• The Honey extension was recently accused of being a scam
• Google responded by updating its extension rules
• Some people believe the search engine giant took things too far

Earlier this week, Google updated the Chrome extension rules for affiliates, basically telling its users that without tangible benefit, or user action, affiliate links cannot be placed. Although not specifically stated, by large the community agrees that PayPal’s Honey extension forced Google’s arm here.

For those with shorter memory spans, two months ago a YouTuber named MegaLag published an in-depth investigation on how the Honey browser extension was essentially engaged in referral jacking.

Honey is an extension that was advertised as a coupon hunter, finding the best deals for people looking to shop online. However, researchers argued that it was swapping out referrals from the influencers that were promoting the extension, with its own, basically robbing the people of their commission.

Monopoly abuse, or UX protection?

Now, Google’s new extension rules clarify what is allowed, and what is not: “Affiliate links, codes, or cookies must only be included when the extension provides a direct and transparent user benefit related to the extension’s core functionality. It is not permitted to inject affiliate links without related user action and without providing a tangible benefit to users.”

“Some common violations include: Inserting affiliate links when no discount, cashback, or donation is provided," and, "An extension that continuously injects affiliate links in the background without related user action.”

This is apparently what Honey was doing. In some cases, even if it didn’t find any discount coupons, it would still swap out the referrals. Google and PayPal are yet to comment on the new development.

While consumer protection is always a good thing, not everyone agrees with Google here. In the comment section of The Verge’s article, there are people who believe Google is using its browser monopoly position to “strong-arm” Honey, and that it should not be the one deciding if someone else’s business model is viable or not. While probably a strong argument, other people pointed out that Google has the right to decide what kind of user experience it creates for its user base.

Via The Verge

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• Apple's iOS 18.4 update will add new features to the Photos app
• Some of the new features include new filtering options and a new privacy setting
• iOS 18.4 could arrive via an official release as soon as April

Apple’s next software update – iOS 18.4 – is currently being tested in developer and public betas, and according to 9to5Mac, you can expect a widespread rollout as early as April.

While we were originally expecting based on rumors that we'd get our first look at the AI-infused Siri, early betas of iOS 18.4 showed no signs, and Apple has since confirmed a delay in the feature set. Even so, we've noticed four big changes to the Apple Photos app that we can’t ignore.

Upgrades to Apple Photos’ filtering options are just one of the new features we guessed a few weeks back, and new images that have surfaced from its beta testing show that we guessed correctly. The four new features are relatively small but provide more flexibility in managing your privacy and finding and organizing photos in your gallery.

They're all set to be pretty helpful if you rely on the Photos app to manage all of your photography. So before Apple drops iOS 18.4 for the iPhone – alongside iPadOS and macOS – let's take a look at the latest additions to the Photos app.

Album privacy features

(Image credit: Future)

Over the past few years, Apple has doubled down on its privacy features within its Photos app, and iOS 18.4 will continue to do so with a new option to disable albums.

Once installed, you'll have the ability to disable your ‘Recently Viewed’ and ‘Recently Shared’ galleries by going into the Settings app and selecting ‘Apps’ and then ‘Photos.’ Once disabled, these albums will be able to be viewed in Utilities only.

New filtering features in your gallery

(Image credit: Future)

Instead of spending copious amounts of time scrolling through your gallery to find a specific image you want to edit or show your friends, Apple Photos has many filtering options to make this much more manageable.

The iOS 18.4 update packs two new filtering options, ‘Shared With You’ and ‘Not in an Album,’ which can be found under the two arrow icons on the bottom left.

This feature will make it easier to distinguish between photos that others have sent you and ones you haven’t yet sorted into albums. In addition, you’ll also find new sorting features when you go to Albums and tap the three dots in the top right corner, which will allow you to filter only to show albums or only show folders.

Album sorting just got easier

You can already sort your Photos albums into two categories, ‘Sort by Name’ and ‘Sort by Custom Order’, and a third one arrives with iOS 18.4. The new ‘Sort by Date Modified’ will arrange your albums and folders in an order that shows your most recently modified ones at the top.

Recover and delete photos all at once

This isn’t necessarily a new addition to the Photos app but more so a revamp of an existing feature that allows you to delete and recover all your photos at once.

In iOS 18.4, your ‘Recently Deleted’ photo album will feature a new trash bin icon that you can tap to remove all of your deleted photos permanently. Alternatively, the same works with recovering your photos when you tap the new ‘Recover All’ button.

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• JBL Flip 7 and Charge 6 arrive on April 6, 2025
• AI Sound Boost, longer battery life and Auracast too
• $20 more than current models

When it comes to improving the best portable speakers, manufacturers don't need to add whizzy new features: all they need to do is make 'em louder, make 'em sound better and make 'em last longer. And JBL's new Charge 6 and Flip 7 deliver on all three counts – and they're finally official, having previously sort-of leaked, sort-of been officially revealed in China.

The headline feature here is JBL's AI Sound Boost, which is designed to optimize the sound settings and in particular, to enable you to turn the speaker up louder without getting unwanted distortion. That feature is already in the JBL Xtreme 4, which we've tested and enjoyed immensely.

(Image credit: JBL) JBL Flip 7 and Charge 6: key features and pricing

Both speakers are IP68 rated for water and dust resistance, and they come with longer battery life than before: up to 16 hours for the Flip and 28 hours for the Charge. Those figures are based on using the Playtime Boost feature, which adjusts the EQ in order to eke out a few extra hours of playback.

There's the same Bluetooth support in each speaker (5.4) and both have Auracast for multi-speaker connections. There are six color options – black, blue, white, red, camo and purple – and their USB-C connectors enable you to play lossless hi-res audio.

Both speakers will be shipping from 6 April, 2025. The Flip 7 has an official price of $149 and the Charge 6 is $199; we're waiting on UK and Australian pricing details. But the US price is a slight increase over the current models: the launch price of the Flip 6 was $129.95 / £129.99 (about AU$175) and the Charge 5 was $179 / £159 / AU$229.

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Are you experiencing issues with Google Messages? If so you’re not the only one, as on Reddit users have been reporting issues with receiving incoming photos and videos, experiencing either slow media transfers or complete failures.

Google Messages users have been sharing their experiences in a series of Reddit posts (see below), detailing issues with slow app performances when trying to load attachments, and images and videos appearing blurry, or not loading at all.

Extremely Blurry Images Received over RCS from r/GoogleMessages

Google has acknowledged the issues in a support post, saying, “We know many of you have been experiencing frustrating issues receiving media in Messages, especially slowdowns and failures. We understand how disruptive this can be, and we appreciate you bringing it to our attention.”

Google says it's addressing the issues by rolling out updates to improve Messages’ media performance, adding that, “Our team has been actively working on this, and we've recently rolled out updates aimed at significantly improving media receiving performance. We're hoping you'll see a noticeable difference now. However, we also know that issues can be complex, and we're committed to getting this right”.

Sporadic "Can't load attachment" errors wMMS on Google Messages from r/GoogleMessages

Google hasn’t revealed exactly what it’s doing to implement these changes, but according to The Verge it could simply be making backend server changes, as users haven’t been required to install anything new.

Whatever fixes Google is implementing it appears they've yet to reach all users, as while some have reported improved media performance others say they're still experiencing problems, and Google has encouraged Messages users to keep reporting any issues they face.

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Apple Intelligence, as a project, still feels poorly defined and a little nebulous – even as we approach the anniversary of its reveal in June. It’s a bundle of features, some good, and some fairly pointless, and it’s clearer than ever that Apple, a company that’s long come to technologies later than rivals but with an extra panache that’s almost unmatched in the industry, is playing catch-up.

Ask a more casual iPhone user what Apple Intelligence is or does, and there’s a good chance they’ll struggle to give you an answer, despite those two words being bandied around on advertisements since before you could even run it. And, with a hefty delay, that could be a sign of things to come.

In fact, I asked a bunch of people around me. Their only response was the comically incorrect notification summaries - either because they turned them off or left them on for comedic purposes.

For the first time that I can remember, Apple seems… lost. Unsure on how best to press forward but with the tech world simultaneously streaking ahead while also feeling Wall Street breathing down its neck. Could the company have done something differently?

AI is a tech buzzword the same way ‘Crypto’ was a few years ago, but it’s gone beyond that in that every tech product feels like it needs to mention those two letters in some way. It’s clear that pressure got to Apple, one of the largest tech companies in the world, which feels relatively unprecedented.

As Apple’s Craig Federighi pointed out at WWDC 2024 in the video above, Apple has been making AI-powered computers for years, but it had been calling it ‘Machine Learning’. Those neural engines have been around for years, while Siri, Apple’s (mostly useless) voice assistant debuted back in 2011. By all rights, Apple could have started the AI ‘arms race’ if it had wanted to years ago.

And yet, the likes of OpenAI and Google have not only breezed past Apple but lapped them. I don’t use ChatGPT all that often, but it runs rings around Siri to the point where Apple plugged it into its latest OS updates. If that’s not an admission of a fumble, I don’t know what is.

Apple certainly felt confident in Apple Intelligence when WWDC took place. The company spent a huge amount of time extolling the virtues of it, and I don’t doubt some are having plenty of fun creating Genmoji – but one glance at the competition tells you that won’t cut it anymore, and the company may not have the luxury of time to catch-up.

Apple is reportedly lagging behind its internal targets according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

“When Apple unveiled an AI-infused version of Siri last June, the system looked great in computer-generated video,” Gurman said in his Power On Newsletter.

“The new Siri could tap into your personal data to better answer questions, analyze what was on your screen, and more precisely control features and apps. In reality, though, the company barely had a functional prototype. And Apple engineers will need to move mountains to get it finished by May as planned.” In fact, Apple has officially delayed the arrival of the Apple Intelligence-powered Siri, stating it's coming "with a future software update."

That means coming into WWDC 2025, Apple may not have rolled out everything it promised at WWDC 2024, while other features feel underbaked (why can’t I ask ChatGPT something via Siri on a Mac and have it stay on screen, rather than the question and answer vanishing as soon as I click elsewhere?).

Gurman has suggested that Apple’s AI vision of a conversational Siri might not reach users until 2027 with iOS 20.

In some ways, we’ve seen this before with Apple and gaming (hear me out). Macs can run games, but consumers have always known that they’ll get more games and a better experience out of a Windows machine or a dedicated console.

Sure, Apple can show how its latest MacBooks now run Cyberpunk 2077 almost half a decade after it first launched, but it’s so far behind that Apple has seemingly lost interest in competing. The same now feels true of Apple’s AI push – the company has given it a go, but you’ll get more AI functionality from rivals.

The difference is that AI is seen as the future of computing, whereas gaming has always been a niche Apple hasn’t necessarily wanted to invest as heavily in.

The next couple of years will be fascinating to watch unfold. Apple’s transition to its own silicon put the spotlight back on the Mac (pun intended), but now it feels as though it needs to, as Gurman says, “move mountains” to keep it there.

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