Category: Technologies

At the Xbox Games Showcase on June 11, Microsoft took the wraps off a new model in its next-gen console lineup: a carbon black Xbox Series S with 1TB of storage. Launching in September, the console is identical to the original white Series S, other than a new coat of paint and increased built-in storage. Preorders are open now at both the Xbox store and Microsoft store with more retailers expected to be added in the coming weeks.

Xbox Series S (1TB): $350

New color, more storage

$350 at Xbox$350 at Microsoft

Microsoft’s all-digital next-gen console is getting a fresh coat of paint and double the internal storage. Preorders are open now open for the 1TB black Xbox Series S with the console slated to start shipping on Sept. 1.

$350 at Xbox$350 at Microsoft

The all-digital Xbox Series S launched in white with a 512GB capacity. The Series S being a diskless console, digital games are your only option and that internal storage can fill up quickly. Expansion cards have become essential Xbox accessories, but a boost to 1TB means that there’s a lot more room to try out new games — ideal if you are a Game Pass subscriber.

The 1TB Xbox Series S retails for $350, a $50 increase on the base 512GB Series S price. That’s cheaper than nabbing an expansion card, though you can get higher-capacity cards if you need yet more space. The carbon black Xbox Series S launches on Sept. 1.

Read more: Best Xbox Deals: Save on Hard Drives, Controllers and More

Apple made the iOS 17 developer beta available to anyone who enrolls in the Apple Developer Program, regardless of whether they paid the $99 enrollment fee. However, developer betas can be full of bugs and glitches. If you want a more stable version of iOS 17

but don’t want to wait until the fall, you could sign up for Apple’s Beta Software Program and download that beta version when it becomes available in July.

This program allows you to test beta versions of iOS software (and not just iOS 17) before wider release. New iOS features can be fun, but we recommend downloading a beta only on something other than your primary phone, just in case the new software causes issues. Apple also provides beta testers with an app called Feedback. Testers can use it to notify Apple of any issues in the new software — that way the problem can be addressed before general release.

If you want to beta test the latest iOS software and help push it across the finish line, here’s how to sign up for Apple’s Beta Software Program.

Joining Apple’s Beta Software Program on your iPhone

Signing up for the program takes a few steps. Here’s how to sign up on your iPhone.

1. Back up whatever iPhone you plan to use beta software on. Again, we recommend using an iPhone that isn’t your main device.

2. Go to the Apple Beta Software Program page on that iPhone.

3. Tap Sign Up.

4. Sign into your Apple ID.

5. You should already be in the iOS section, but if not, tap iOS under Guide for Public Betas.

6. Tap enroll your iOS device under the Get Started section.

7. Tap Download profile and Allow.

8. Go back to your home screen and tap Settings.

9. Tap Profile Downloaded.

10. Tap Install in the top-right corner of your screen.

11. Enter your passcode and tap Install again on the consent form.

12. Tap Install for the third time.

13. Restart your iPhone.

14. Once your phone has restarted, go to Settings and tap General.

15. Tap Software Update and if one is available, download it as you normally would.

For more on iOS, check out what to expect with iOS 17 and features you might have missed in iOS 16.5 and iOS 16.4.

Watch this: Apple Reveals iOS 17

16:43

Google’s experimental AI-integrated search engine is a ChatGPT-like reimagining of online search. I’ve been using it for the past few weeks, and it’s clearly the future.

Introduced at Google I/O in May, the new AI generative search engine does away with the old-school list of blue links that’s defined Google’s core search experience since the late ’90s. Instead of asking you to click on links, Google, like ChatGPT, uses a generative AI engine that summarizes information from multiple sources automatically. This upends the traditional Google search experience, one requiring that you use keywords and make visits to multiple sites to gather information and formulate an answer in your head. Instead, this new AI-driven search engine does the synthesizing for you.

It also moves Google away from the information gathering business and into the information editing business. Obviously, there isn’t a person at Google editing the AI’s responses. But Google did design the AI engine, which looks at information in a certain way and generates summaries in a certain way. It’s a new relationship Google is making with content publishers, one in which it gains more control over how people view information they search for online.

Just like with ChatGPT, it’s possible to ask follow-up questions. Unlike with ChatGPT, thankfully, links to sources are listed on the side, meaning you can look them over to verify things. This is handy as generative AI engines can make mistakes and “hallucinate,” giving incorrect or misleading answers. That’s because these AI engines aren’t interpreting information the same way we do in our brains, with context of the larger world around us. Instead, they’re simply trying to predict the best next word.

That means it’s totally up to you to make the effort to double check and to discern if information is inaccurate. If the answer sounds correct, you may not go through with all the extra clicking.

It’s likely why Google isn’t making the Search Generative Experience, or SGE, widely available to the public and hasn’t given a release date. The trial run will end in December. But you can sign up to get early access.

Generative AI is already changing how people gather information online. When ChatGPT launched late last year, people were awestruck by its ability to respond to pretty much any question with a unique answer. It could generate poems, articles and resumes using its massive trove of text data, in seconds. It uses machine learning to simulate human conversations and has been described as autocomplete on steroids.

The novelty of ChatGPT helped it become the fastest-growing online consumer product in history, reaching an estimated 100 million users in two months. It also made Google searches look tame by comparison. Microsoft quickly upped its investment in OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT, and integrated its AI tech into Bing Search, seeing a 16% increase in traffic. Google too came out with Bard, a generative AI engine meant to compete with ChatGPT. But this new Search Generative Experience isn’t simply Bard pasted on top of Google. Where Bard is meant to be more conversational, Google’s AI search just wants to give you an answer, minus all the rhetorical frills.

So here’s how it’s been going for me as I tried out Google’s AI Search.

What it’s like to actually use Google’s AI search

Street Fighter 6, Capcom’s latest entry into its storied fighting game franchise, debuted earlier this month to rave reviews. As someone who’s interested in the game, I knew there were tournament rule changes regarding certain types of controllers, but I needed a refresher. I typed “Capcom Cup stickless” into search. I didn’t type a natural-sounding sentence because that’s not how I’ve used Google search for the last 20 years. Instead, I focused on keywords hoping the relevant information would appear. Google’s AI was still able to give me a rundown of the Capcom Cup tournament rule changes regarding “leverless” controllers, including some sources on the side.

I had my answer, and in turn, GameSpot received one fewer click.

Still, I had follow-up questions. I own a Hit Box, a fighting game controller without the traditional arcade stick. It uses buttons for movement, much like when using the WASD keys on a keyboard. I needed to know if my $200 controller would be tournament legal and, if not, what could be done about it. So I asked.

Google’s generative AI said the Hit Box would be legal for the 2023 season but didn’t state why. I had to go to the source, in this case DashFight, to learn that a firmware update made the controller rule compliant. While Google gave the correct answer, it wasn’t a very satisfying one. Of course, these are early days, and answers will likely improve as Google issues updates.

I’ve also been feeding Google questions regarding The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. I, like many others, got stuck on the “pinball” shrine, a puzzle room with a not-so-clear answer. Google’s generative AI did a great job of breaking down how to beat the shrine, step by step, but didn’t include any accompanying pictures or GIFs, which would have made understanding it easier. It shows some of the limitations of a generative text AI. In these instances, having sources on the side was handy as many sites embedded plenty of imagery into their articles.

Maybe in the future, Google’s AI could integrate these images into search directly, likely to the chagrin of the sites it’s taking images from. But it shows the uneasiness of using Google’s AI search. It’s obviously parroting content from other sites and suggesting you give them a click but not enforcing it. Many sites sell ads based on the traffic coming in. If traffic starts to wane, then advertisers may consider putting their dollars elsewhere.

The melding of generative AI makes some Google searches faster, but that’s only assuming the answer is either satisfying or accurate. I’ve found some searches to be light on information, requiring additional research. Still, it’s hard not to see this as a major disruption to the online ad-driven search economy. Right now, Google search is the main way many websites gather traffic. If I’m already clicking on websites less, then that could spell trouble for the sites creating the content feeding Google.

But at the end of the day, people want information that’s easy to read quickly. And people will ultimately choose the service with the least amount of friction.

Editors’ note: CNET is using an AI engine to help create some stories. For more, see this post.

Apple’s iOS 17 plans to overhaul the Messages app, bringing some of the best features we’ve already seen on WhatsApp, Signal, Google Messages and other rivals to iMessage. And in a move that takes the Messages app forward, Apple is also bringing a new Check In feature — to help alert friends or family when you get home — which could very well be the next feature we see get copied back by other texting apps.

Even if some of these new-to-Messages features are already familiar for someone who juggles multiple texting apps and group chats, wider adoption will only make communicating on phones better, regardless of your preferred chat app. On top of that, some of iOS 17’s new features will indirectly assist you when texting in a non-Apple chat app — such as the updates to autocorrect keyboards that’ll contextually recognize if swearing is a regular part of how you speak.

It’s worth noting that while these iOS 17 improvements are certainly welcome, there are definitely a few areas Apple could still improve for a better universal chatting experience. Chief among them are the infamous green bubble-blue bubble conflicts. So far Apple hasn’t announced any SMS conversation improvements, but there are features that are also on other messaging services and apps that are worth taking a closer look at.

Check In is the new Messages feature that should get copied

Apple’s upcoming Check In feature takes a very common request and makes it easier to honor. There’ve been many times after a gathering with friends or family when we’ve asked each other to text after getting home. It’s so common in my life it’s practically part of the goodbye ritual, just to get assurance that everyone’s arrived safely by subway or car. Despite that, it’s also very common to forget to send that text.

Apple’s Check In could fix that problem. Though CNET has yet to test the feature, theoretically it could be turned on right as friends or family ask for that “made it home” message. Then it could automatically send the ping when I’ve walked through my door. That way, if the hour’s late or I’m just too tired from the journey, the status update still goes out.

Check In builds on a location-sharing tool for friends and family members that Apple has had in Messages for years, and the new feature makes that tool far more automated. Check In takes things a step further by allowing for notifications when a delay could be holding up someone. For friends and family who want that kind of safety check, it could be an additional tool that helps loved ones look out for each other.

There are currently other ways to set up a similar ping, using navigation apps like Google Maps, but the version Apple previewed during WWDC shows an easy way to get these notifications directly in the Messages app. Hopefully other chat apps find their own ways to mimic this idea, whether it’s through integration with a maps service or through improvements to an already-existing location sharing feature.

Catch Up will make group chats much easier to follow

Apple’s Catch Up feature for group chats caught my eye when it was revealed. An arrow indicates where you left off in a busy group chat that carried on while you were away from your phone.

This is a feature that’s quite common in other chat apps, and I didn’t realize Apple lacked it until the company pointed it out. The unread label in WhatsApp, for instance, helps me when I check in with a neighbor group chat I have for my apartment building within that app. This is a group chat I don’t participate in actively — and I often mute it — but on days when I do want to check it, a label for unread messages helps me with finding the last part of the conversation I looked at.

Currently there’s an unread filter in the iPhone’s Messages app, but the Catch Up arrow should make it clearer what messages you missed. The adoption of Catch Up in iOS 17 could be an indirect sign that Apple is bridging the gap between iMessage group chats and an SMS/MMS chat that includes other types of phones. Though we’ll have to wait for iOS 17’s release this fall to confirm, a simple indicator that helps with organizing any conversation only serves to help when chatting with friends or family.

Audio message transcription brings a great Pixel feature to the iPhone

Google’s Pixel phones have included various audio transcription features for years, with the Pixel 7 series adding the ability to transcribe any audio message that’s received within the Google Messages app. Now Apple plans to bring the feature across its iPhone line using iOS 17.

New audio messages received in the Messages app will be transcribed automatically, and that’s a boon for accessibility. For someone who prefers to do audio messages, the gist will immediately be available for the receiver, and at times that transcription could be more than enough.

Until the transcription feature gets adopted into more services though, anyone who frequently sends audio messages should please remember to be patient while waiting for others to get a chance to listen.

Swipe to reply fits right (or left) in

I’ve been using Signal a lot lately, and like Telegram it offers the ability to quickly reply to messages with a swipe. It’s faster then pressing and holding on a message, and then tapping a corresponding option.

Swipe to reply could streamline the menu of options that pop up when you press and hold on a message. Apple’s Messages app already includes shortcuts for emoji reactions, reply, copy, Translate and a “More…” option for selecting multiple texts. By moving this into a swipe action, Apple could eventually decide to tack additional features onto this menu, or simplify the menu down to basics.

In an unrelated organizational move, Apple moved iMessage apps from a row above the keyboard in the Messages app to a list that pops up when you tap a plus-sign icon. It shows that Apple is trying to declutter where it can, and make replies faster.

iMessage improvements (hopefully) still to come

While we wait for iOS 17’s final version, which comes out this fall, there’s the possibility that even more Messages features will be added as Apple continues development. For instance, the XDA Developers websites says the iOS 17 developer beta keeps a number of iMessage features available for group chats with Android phones. Should this indeed make it into a public release, it could be a relief for iPhone users who still want to use threaded replies and message edits. XDA’s report notes, however, that non-iPhone participants might not see any of these Messages changes.

We’ll ultimately have to sit tight for iOS 17’s official release to see whether all these iMessage features announced at WWDC make it, or whether some get pushed to a later release. For instance, iOS 15’s SharePlay missed the September launch of that year’s operating system but arrived a month later. But the fact that these Messages improvements are in the pipeline shows that substantial improvements to iPhone texting are on the way.

While many of the latest Apple devices allow you to copy text directly from an image, you’ll have to actually download or screenshot the picture first, which can lead to a lot of clutter. If you’d rather skip the extra step and keep things organized, you’ll want the TextSniper app for Mac. And right now, you can get a lifetime subscription for just $4, which saves you 50% compared to the usual price. There’s no set expiration for this StackSocial offer, so you’ll want to get signed up sooner rather than later if you don’t want to miss out.

TextSniper is one of the best text recognition services out there at the moment. It allows you to extract the text from just about anything on your screen, including images, PDF documents and even videos, and copy and paste them using custom keyboard shortcuts. It even has its own text-to-speech function, and it’s compatible with multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Chinese, German, Italian and more. Plus, it can be used to instantly scan QR codes and barcodes, and it can be used without an internet connection. This deal scores you lifetime access to TextSniper for one device, which has to be running MacOS 10.15 Catalina or later. Just be sure to redeem your code within 30 days of the purchase.

Read more: WWDC 2023’s Biggest Reveals

Updates are coming to Apple’s Messages, but you’ll have to wait to get your hands on them (unless you’re in the company’s developer program). Apple revealed its iOS 17 software update on June 5, but it won’t arrive until the fall. The iOS 17 update makes some major changes to Messages, adding abilities like turning pictures into stickers, transcribing voice memos, keeping your friends and family notified on your way home and more.

News about the iOS 17 Messages update came during the keynote address at the Worldwide Developers Conference at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. Apple traditionally uses the annual event to give developers a preview of updates to its desktop and mobile software, and sometimes it introduces new hardware too. At the conference the company unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro.

Live Stickers coming to iOS 17

With the update to Messages in iOS 17, people will be able to take their photos and turn them into stickers they use in text conversations, alongside standard emoji, which can also be used as stickers. People can customize their stickers with effects — like shiny, puffy, comic and outline — and keep them in a new drawer in the keyboard for streamlined access, Apple said in a press release. Stickers will be available systemwide, including in third-party apps.

To make a photo into a sticker, you’ll touch and hold an object in a photo. Then you can style your object with various effects, outline it or create animated Live Stickers with Live Photos. To use the sticker in Messages, you’ll add them in the bubble from the Tapback menu.

Watch this: Apple Reveals iOS 17

16:43

Search in Messages, Check In and more

Also coming is a refined search feature. People will be able to apply additional filters to their Messages search to more quickly find the exact conversation they’re looking for. Plus, when you’ve received lots of texts in a group chat, you’ll be able to use the catch-up arrow to locate where the conversation left off last.

iOS 17 Messages will also transcribe voice memos you receive, if you don’t have the time to listen to them. Apple also announced a new feature that will let you keep track of your friends by viewing their location in your text conversation.

Another new location sharing feature is Check In. If you want to keep a friend or family member updated on your journey home, for example, you’ll be able to use Check In, which notifies the person of your whereabouts and lets them know if you’re having trouble getting home. “If they are not making progress toward their destination, useful information will be temporarily shared with the selected contact, such as the device’s location, battery level, and cell service status,” Apple said in the press release. Check In will be end-to-end encrypted, so only you and the person you’re sharing this information with is privy to your location.

Developers can try out iOS 17 today, and everyone can try out the public beta in a month. These iPhones will be able to run the update.

Other iOS 17 updates

The iOS 17 updates don’t stop at Messages. Apple also introduced Live Voicemail, which will give people the ability to see the message a person is leaving you as it is being recorded. This could help with deciphering between important calls that unknown numbers leave and spam.

The iOS 17 update for FaceTime includes audio and video messages, so people can leave their friends and families a FaceTime voicemail of sorts.

Also, if people want to share a contact with one another, they can use the new feature NameDrop. By bringing two iPhones or one iPhone and one Apple Watch close together, contact information can be transferred from one device to the next.

Apple kicked off WWDC by unveiling a 15-inch MacBook Air and offering details on its latest desktop software, MacOS 14 Sonoma. Also at WWDC, Apple revealed its brainiest Mac chip yet and upgraded its Mac Pro to M2 Ultra Silicon. There are new features coming in Watch OS 10 too.

The Apple Watch Ultra is Apple’s most advanced wearable to date, but it doesn’t come cheap. However, there’s a chance to snag a saving on one right now with $50 off almost every model available at Amazon.

We have seen some better Apple Watch Ultra deals on specific configurations, such as the yellow Ocean Band model hitting $702 recently, but today’s savings across the board give you a chance to nab your preferred model at a discount. There’s no set expiration for these deals, but discounts on the latest Apple devices rarely last for long. We’d recommend getting your order in soon if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.

There are several great smartwatch options in Apple’s current lineup, but the Ultra is CNET’s best smartwatch pick. It comes with a large, 49mm case, a tough titanium construction, an Action button for quickly launching apps and workouts, and a dual-frequency GPS that offers improved tracking accuracy. Voice calls get a boost with this watch as well, as there are extra microphones included in the build. And unlike other models, this Apple Watch includes LTE connectivity by default.

As for the screen, it’s not just a bigger size that you’ll notice. The screen is brighter, too. The always-on retina OLED display is twice as bright as the Apple Watch Series 8. It also has the best battery life of any Apple Watch on the market.

While this watch is designed with athletes in mind, coming with a ton of sensors and safety features, there are plenty of upgrades that make this watch a compelling choice for the average person, too.

Read more: Apple Watch Ultra vs. Series 8 vs. SE: The Entire Lineup Compared