msg newsletter: IT news – August 2024

Author: Zuzana Kocáková

Digitization

02. 09. 2024 10 reading minutes

In the August edition of IT News, we cover the world’s fastest charging technology, new features in Windows 11, Firefox 129, Skype and YouTube. We don’t forget OpenAI, which has traditionally been prolific in improving its products. We’ll also mention SanDisk’s new record capacities for SD cards.

YouTube for Android tests improved picture-in-picture mode

Google has started testing a new picture-in-picture (PiP) mode in the YouTube app for Android. The feature allows videos to play in a small moving window after leaving the app, with users able to control the video with basic controls such as pause, play, and skip the video. For now, the test is available to selected users in the US and Europe, but it’s unclear if the feature will be made available to the general public. At the same time, the ability to move and resize the mini-player directly within the app is also being tested. Source : https://www.phonearena.com/news/picture-in-picture-tested-youtube-app-android_id160747

OpenAI prepares AI search engine SearchGPT

OpenAI introduces its new web search engine SearchGPT, which is currently in the prototype stage. This hybrid search engine combines the functionality of a traditional search engine with a ChatGPT-like chatbot, allowing users to get both standard search results and answers generated by artificial intelligence. The results will include snippets from sourced articles and will not be used to train AI models. The search engine is only available to selected users for now, but interested users can join a waiting list. Source : https://openai.com/index/searchgpt-prototype/

YouTube steps up the fight against ad blocking

YouTube continues to limit the functionality of adblockers, which have long been used by users to block ads without purchasing the Premium service. The platform’s new approach includes displaying black screens instead of ads, which, while they don’t show the ad, still keep users from watching the video. The length of these black screens ranges from six to twenty seconds, which is equivalent to a normal ad. However, YouTube’s reactions to adblockers vary, with some users seeing the ad for only a few seconds, while others skip it altogether. The platform appears to be working to limit the use of adblockers altogether. Source : https://www.androidauthority.com/black-ads-youtube-ad-block-extension-3465017/

Deepl surpasses Google Translate in accuracy and translation quality

Deepl, an AI-based translator, has become the best translator on the market, surpassing even Google Translate, according to several sources. Its strengths are accurate sentence construction and the ability to correctly translate contextually difficult texts, which is often a weakness of Google Translate. Deepl supports 33 languages, including traditional Chinese, which increases its effectiveness even in business communication. Internal tests show that Deepl performs better than competing translators, although the exact evaluation criteria have not been made public. Deepl is also available in a free version, while paid versions offer better privacy protection and are GDPR compliant. Source : https://www.notebookcheck.net/DeepL-launches-improved-AI-for-higher-quality-language-translations-across-33-languages.868125.0.html

AI can detect breast cancer up to 5 years earlier

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a breakthrough tool in medicine, particularly in the field of breast cancer screening. A new AI system, developed by a team from MIT and the Jameel Clinic, can predict breast cancer risk up to five years earlier than standard methods. The model has been trained on 200,000 mammography exams and has also been groundbreaking in detecting risk in women of different skin color, addressing previous problems with diversity in AI. The model is still in limited testing, but the goal is to make it more widely available and improve early cancer diagnosis. Source : https://www.goatainews.com/post/breakthrough-ai-predicts-breast-cancer-years-before-development

Skype will be ad-free

Microsoft has announced that the new test version of Skype 8.125.76.201 will remove all ads to improve the user experience. This version, which also brings the ability to create images using artificial intelligence, is only available to test users for now, but will soon be made available to the general public. With this move, Microsoft is responding to criticism from users who have been experiencing ads not only in Skype but also in the company’s other products. Source : https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/skype/forum/all/skype-insider-release-notes-for-skype-812576201/70072f8d-3a54-4739-ad2f-dd0cdc665a6f

OpenAI has created a tool to detect texts written by ChatGPT

OpenAI has developed a tool that can recognize texts produced by ChatGPT with 99.9% accuracy. This tool works by analyzing the so-called tokens in the text, which are slightly modified and create an invisible watermark. This watermark is imperceptible to the human eye, but the tool can reliably detect it. Although this is a groundbreaking technology, OpenAI has not yet made the tool public because it fears that it could affect the popularity and trust in ChatGPT. The technology could be released in the future when OpenAI deems the time is right. Users should thus be careful to be transparent about whether they have used ChatGPT in the creation of texts. Source : https://www.androidauthority.com/openai-tool-detect-chatgpt-content-3468136/

Firefox 129: No more ads in reader view

The latest version of Firefox, version 129, brings significant improvements to reader view. This mode, which removes distractions like ads and focuses on plain text and images, has been enhanced with new customization options. Users can adjust font size, font type, line, character and word spacing, and even the underlying color. Firefox is thus catching up with the competition and offers a more comfortable reading experience not only on computers, but also on smartphones. Source : https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/129.0/releasenotes/

ChatGPT offers drawing pictures – 2 pictures a day for free

OpenAI has added a new feature to ChatGPT that allows you to generate images for free. This tool is limited to 2 images per day. Once this limit is exhausted, you will be prompted to upgrade to the paid version, which costs $20 per month. The images are generated using the Dall-E model and are in WebP format with a size of 1024×1024 pixels. The quality of these images is high, with an image size of 260 kB when tested. A new feature can be found in the initial interface of ChatGPT, where a tile with drawing options is displayed. Just click and enter the requirements to generate the image. For more serious use, you may need to consider paid options or alternatives like Copilot. Zdroj: https://x.com/OpenAI/status/1821644904843636871

Windows 11 news

Microsoft is bringing some exciting new features to Windows 11 with update KB5041585, which brings new features and improvements. An important caveat is that Windows 11 Home and Pro 22H2 versions will not receive further enhancements and new features after October 8, 2024, only security updates. Major new features include:

• Drag&Drop in Start Menu and Taskbar The new feature allows you to easily pin apps to the Taskbar by dragging them from the Start Menu or desktop.
• Duplicating tabs in the explorer We can now duplicate tabs in the explorer using the context menu. The new tab will open without browsing history, which can be useful for different tasks.
• New Windows keyboard shortcut + T This shortcut allows you to navigate between pinned apps in the Taskbar. It also allows you to launch applications without opening them.
• Improvements in the volume mixer The volume mixer is now divided into a system and an application part. We can edit audio for all applications simultaneously or separately for individual applications, including defining input and output devices for each application.

Zdroj: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/august-13-2024-kb5041585-os-builds-22621-4037-and-22631-4037-76655cde-e2ee-49d4-a415-cf9a4d3c3a04

SuperSonic Charge technology – the world’s fastest charging

Realme recently introduced a revolutionary charging technology called SuperSonic Charge, which is currently the world’s fastest wired charging solution. This technology beats Redmi’s previous record by 20W. The technology can charge a smartphone battery in a whopping 4 minutes and 30 seconds. In one minute, the battery charges to 26%, and it takes less than two minutes to charge to over 50%. The Pocket Cannon charger has a power output of 320W and a power density of 3.3W/cm³. It features two USB-C ports that allow simultaneous charging with 150W for smartphones and 65W for compatible laptops. The new AirGap voltage transformer uses contactless electromagnetic conversion, ensuring safe and efficient charging. It is smaller than a fingertip and reduces the voltage to 20V, while providing an energy efficiency of approximately 98%. Although Realme states that the technology can charge a battery in 4 minutes and 30 seconds, the specific capacity of the battery used for the demonstration is not yet known. In the past, similar technologies have been tested on 4,000 mAh batteries, and this data may help us better understand the performance of SuperSonic Charge in real-world conditions. With this innovation, Realme is pushing the boundaries of smartphone charging and bringing a new level of convenience and speed to users around the world. Source : https://www.gsmarena.com/realme_320w_supersonic_charge-news-64114.php

SanDisk created 8 TB SD and 4 TB microSD card

SanDisk, under the Western Digital brand, introduced new record capacities for SD cards: an 8 TB SD card and a 4 TB microSD card. The 8 TB SD card allows for storage of large amounts of files and will be useful for professional photographers, videographers and drone users. The 4 TB microSD card is suitable for gaming consoles such as the Nintendo Switch, where it can store more than 660 games. Both new models use the SDUC standard, which supports up to 128 TB, but for now the cards are UHS-I type, which means lower data transfer speeds compared to UHS-II cards. Pricing for the new cards has not yet been released. Source : https://www.techradar.com/cameras/camera-accessories/sandisk-announces-the-worlds-first-8tb-sd-card-the-biggest-memory-card-weve-ever-seen

Google gives you back your stolen account with the help of AI

Google has launched a new tool for recovering stolen YouTube accounts that uses artificial intelligence to automate the recovery process and secure accounts. The tool includes a series of questions to help users confirm if their account has been hacked and allows for quick access recovery without the need to contact support. Although the tool is currently only available in English and may contain limitations, Google plans to expand it to all creators. Creators are advised to regularly check the activity on their accounts to prevent possible hacking. Source : https://support.google.com/youtube/thread/292206327/a-new-way-to-access-support-for-hacked-youtube-accounts

Instagram lets you add songs to profiles

Instagram has launched a new feature that allows users to add a profile song to their profile, allowing them to better express their identity. Currently, this feature is only available to selected users and allows you to add a snippet of a song up to 30 seconds long, similar to Stories. Users can select a song snippet from all available songs on the platform and can change it at any time. The feature can be found in the profile editing section, where users can also customize other elements of their profile. Source:https://www.androidcentral.com/apps-software/instagram-is-letting-you-share-songs-right-from-your-profile Author: Jozef Wagner, Java Programmer Senior at msg life Slovakia

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msg newsletter: IT news – August 2024

Zuzana Kocáková

At msg life Slovakia I take care of the company culture, events and I am part of the marketing team. I like a job where I can be creative and contribute to making my colleagues at msg feel good. I regularly prepare for you not only news and interesting things from the world of information technology and insurance, but also from behind the scenes events at msg life Slovakia.