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Stanley Johnson is not a fan of needles. The 67-year-old Air Force veteran has endured his fair share of pokes over the years, but when it was decided that IV infusions would be the best course of action to treat his iron deficiency, going into that first session felt nerve-wracking. So he brought along what’s become a staple in his personal anxiety toolkit: his Apple Vision Pro.

Johnson has taken to using the immersive wellness app, Tripp, to ease his anxiety, and he says it was a big help in getting through his treatments, especially in the beginning. The app offers a number of relaxation and mindfulness experiences for AR/VR headsets and mobile, from guided meditation to calming soundscapes and breathwork. “That first time, I was anxious,” Johnson said. “I’d do the breathing exercises to put my mind into what environment Tripp puts me in. Then I started watching movies.”

When it comes to infusion therapy, the treatments can be long, the chairs uncomfortable and passing the time without a distraction is difficult. Watching a movie in the headset “instead of looking at this little screen that they had up on the wall,” Johnson said, is “phenomenal.” It’s transportive.

“I can see it better than I can in a theater,” he said. “That’s one of the things that I realized when I started the IV infusions… You have this IV that’s in you for an hour, two hours — might as well watch a movie, and pick the one that I want rather than one that's randomly up there, or the food channel or something like that.”

Since the inception of virtual and augmented reality devices, there’s been interest in how the technology could be used in healthcare settings, both to improve patients’ experiences and as a training and enhanced visualization tool for medical practitioners. Studies going back to 2000 have investigated VR’s potential to aid in stress reduction, pain management, physical therapy and more.

But only in the last decade has it become feasible enough to explore in earnest, thanks to the rise of consumer VR headsets, a wave ushered in by the original Oculus Rift. Today, at-home VR, AR and mixed reality systems (and what Apple calls “spatial computing”) aren’t hard to come by. And with options like Meta’s $300 Quest 3S, it’s possible to get a decent VR setup for a relatively low cost. Not only can patients bring their own headsets, but some clinics and hospitals have already begun their own studies with this tech.

In a trial conducted from late 2021 to 2023, the results of which were published recently in the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, researchers recruited 90 patients who were receiving chemotherapy at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center’s infusion clinic in Nashville and provided half of them with headsets for a 12-minute VR session during their treatment, while the other half served as the control group. Patients in the VR group were shown narrated tours of places such as Venice, Agra and the Ecuadorian Amazon. All participants recorded their stress levels, pain and mood before and after the sessions.

“Across the board, there was improvement in the study group versus the control group,” said Cody Stansel, one of the study’s authors. “We saw that it positively impacted the patient's side effects. It reduced their stress levels. Generally, we didn't see patients that were experiencing a whole lot of pain, but there was still a reduction in the amount of pain they're experiencing, so we saw results from that as well… It went really well, patients responded very favorably.”

In addition to the self-reported ratings the patients provided, the researchers measured their heart rates before and halfway through the 12-minute sessions, and found the measurements supported their feelings of reduced stress. The difference was significant between the control group and patients who’d used VR, with heart rates among the latter group decreasing by an average of 6.6 beats per minute at the midway check, according to the paper. Crucially, the patients also reported whether they’d experienced cybersickness, the condition similar to motion sickness that VR induces in some people.

“What we found is patients didn't really experience any measurable motion sickness,” Stansel said. “All of the responses across the board were really low with that, but we were intentional when we chose the programming to choose ones that had a low motion sickness rating to begin with. We had chosen these tourism videos where they're basically just standing there, because we wanted to avoid any of that — cancer patients, because of the chemotherapy and things, can be more prone to nausea, so we definitely didn't want to make anything worse if they're already experiencing that.”

According to the researchers, the findings suggest VR could be an effective and accessible distraction tool for patients undergoing treatments like chemotherapy. Even if patients don’t bring their own devices, for a clinic, the cost of entry is low, “a few hundred bucks to get started,” Stansel notes. “As long as you clean [the headsets] well and take care of them, they’ll last quite a while.” But the potential benefits — alleviating stress and pain — are great.

“Modern day virtual reality consumes so many of your senses that it's very easy to kind of temporarily forget about where you are and what you're going through, and so the patients are really just able to focus on the experience,” Stansel said. “It kind of takes their mind off all the other things they have going on.”

More research into the subject could shed light on VR’s efficacy in providing relief for patients experiencing higher pain levels, or if other types of content would work better for certain situations. For patients already strapping into immersive virtual worlds to help them get through difficult days, though, it’s proven invaluable.

On Reddit, Johnson shared a selfie of him wearing his Apple Vision Pro during an infusion, and other users chimed in to share where they’d brought their own headsets to pass the time: four-hour dialysis sessions; chemo; a hospital stay in the isolation ward. Whether a person is playing games, watching a movie or using an app to calm down, people “need a distraction, something that they enjoy,” Johnson said. “Ultimately, if you’re in that type of environment, you want to distract yourself from the pain.”This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/vr-is-helping-to-make-daunting-medical-treatments-more-bearable-for-patients-161505375.html?src=rss

Pinterest is fighting back against the onslaught of AI slop that is increasingly clogging up its platform following complaints from users. From now on, you’ll be able to see when image Pins that appear in your feed have been either generated or modified using AI. When users click on an image Pin in close-up they’ll see an “AI modified” label in the bottom left-hand corner.

In a blog post published this week, Pinterest says it has been testing the new feature for several months, which involves analysing the metadata of an image to assess its source. It says it’s also developing classifiers that can automatically detect the whiff of generative AI even when metadata markers are absent. How successful it is in doing so will become clear as the new features roll out globally, and creators who suspect their content has been mislabelled will be able to appeal.

Such mislabelling has been an ongoing issue for Meta, which was forced to adjust the wording of the AI labels it applied to uploaded photos on Facebook and Instagram after photographers complained they were being added to images that hadn’t been created using AI. Apparently, even minimal use of the generative fill tool in Photoshop was enough to trigger a label. That’s something that Pinterest will likely want to look out for as it hones this new algorithm.

In addition to the new labels, Pinterest says it’s experimenting with a feature that would allow users to filter out categories where AI modification or generation is particularly prevalent, such as beauty and art. By letting its users have more control over what appears on their feed, Pinterest is clearly hoping it can win back the growing number of disgruntled members in its community.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/pinterest-will-now-tell-you-when-youre-looking-at-ai-generated-content-163008812.html?src=rss

If you've been eyeing the Google Pixel 9a, now's a good time to pounce. That's because you can get a $100 gift card for free when you buy the flagship-quality midrange phone. In Engadget's review, Sam Rutherford deemed it "the best value of any Android phone.”

The $100 gift card bonus is live at Amazon, Best Buy and the Google Store. Each has pros and cons, but it makes the most sense to order from the retailer where you shop the most.

The Pixel 9a is Google's entry point into the Pixel ecosystem. Its sub-flagship pricing masks a handset that, in many ways, rivals phones that cost twice as much. It has a 6.3-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. We found it to be sharp, colorful and "one of the best displays in this price range.”

It uses the same Tensor G4 processor found in the more expensive Pixel 9 brethren. The only performance compromise you'll find is its 8GB of RAM vs. the 12GB in the standard Pixel 9. That will only reveal itself if you're heavy into multitasking or gaming. Given the $300 price discrepancy between it and the Pixel 9, it's hard to nitpick much about that.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Google's Pixel lineup is known for its camera prowess, and the 9a is no exception. It pairs a 48MP main camera with a 13MP ultra-wide lens. Although there's no telephoto, it compensates with AI-based Super Res Zoom that can achieve up to 8x digital zoom. The phone also has Google's Night Sight feature for sharp, balanced low-light photography.

We found that the camera outperforms the $1,299 Galaxy S25 Ultra in color accuracy, detail and low-light performance. It's also competitive with the S25U in ultra-wide shots. The latter edges it out there (if only slightly) because of better color saturation. Still, we're talking about a $800 pricing discrepancy, so the fact that it's in the conversation is no small achievement.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

The Pixel 9a's only drawbacks are its lower 8GB of RAM, slower charging speeds than flagships, its lack of optical zoom and its plastic backing (rather than glass). But for $499 — essentially $399 if you use that gift card forpurchases you'd make anyway — this is a nice deal for a nearly flagship Android handset that made our list of the best smartphones.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-the-google-pixel-9a-with-100-store-credit-at-amazon-best-buy-and-the-google-store-164530159.html?src=rss

Triple Boost 14 Pro adds three screens to your laptop from a single USB cableIt is designed for remote workers needing more display space on the go Matte 14-inch screens offer with 100% sRGB, ideal for creative professionals

Aura Displays has launched the Triple Boost 14 Pro, a new portable three-monitor setup for laptops that uses only one USB cable for both power and data.Designed for remote workers, digital professionals, and laptop users in need of more screen space, the Triple Boost 14 Pro offers three 14-inch Full HD screens.The company says this is the first time a full triple-display solution has been offered in such a compact, cable-free form factor.

Tri-Link technology

The Triple Boost 14 Pro is constructed with a full-aluminum housing and weighs 4.85lb (2.2kg). When folded, it measures 13.9 inches wide and 1.38 inches thick.Each screen is a matte 1080p LED display, with a brightness of 300cd/m², a 1500:1 contrast ratio, and a 178-degree viewing angle. The displays cover 100% of the sRGB color space and refresh at 60Hz. Aura says this makes the unit especially suitable for design, coding, analysis, and multitasking.The key to its single-cable setup is Aura’s proprietary Tri-Link technology, based on a custom-optimized SiliconMotion chipset. This chip handles power and video for all three screens through a single USB connection, removing the need for additional cables or adapters.The product folds down into a compact form and is aimed squarely at users who travel often or work in temporary setups. The company sees the device as an ideal tool for those who need more workspace on the go but want to avoid carrying separate monitors or docking setups.Pre-orders for the Triple Boost 14 Pro are live now, with shipments set to begin in early May 2025. It’s priced at $469 (28% off the MSRP of $649) and there’s a welcome offer on the site that will give you an extra $10 off ($459), plus two free tempered glass screen protectors (worth $69.98), and free worldwide shipping.Aura Displays says early demand will determine its wider retail rollout later in 2025.

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Epic Games just announced some changes to its store that should please budding developers. The company will not charge a commission of any kind for the first $1,000,000 in revenue from an app per year. Once a piece of software goes past that threshold, Epic will begin taking its standard rate of 12 percent. The policy goes into effect in June.

This sounds like a real boon for smaller devs, especially when you consider that Steam takes 30 percent of sales as commission. Apple isn’t a direct competitor here, but the App Store takes 15 percent on the first million in revenue. This increases to 30 percent once that metric is met.

Epic Games Store will take 0% on the first $1,000,000 of payments we process per game per year (vs 15% for Apple), and 12% after that (vs 30% for Apple).Next month, we launch EGS Webshops for out-of-app purchases, as an alternative to in-app purchases.https://t.co/yTufyZbiqR— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) May 1, 2025

Epic also announced something called webshops, which sounds like a way for developers to avoid Apple’s App Store fees. These shops are powered by the Epic Games Store and offer customers "out-of-app purchases, as a more cost-effective alternative to in-app purchases." These stores will be available next month "on any platform that allows it," though that now includes iOS devices in both the EU and the US.

The company will begin offering a bonus of five percent in Epic Rewards to lure customers to these webshops. This will be applicable to all purchases, though the company hasn’t said if it's a limited time offer.

Epic is able to do this whole webshop thing because it just won a case against long-time foe Apple. A California court just ordered Apple to stop collecting fees for purchases made outside of the App Store.

August 2020: Fortnite leaves the iOS App Store.May 2025: Epic announces Fortnite will return to US iOS App Store.More at @thegamebusiness:https://t.co/7Z8EyzhokQ— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) May 1, 2025

The ruling also means that Fortnite is coming back to Apple devices in the US next week. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has stated that the company would return the game to the App Store worldwide, so long as Apple extends the court’s ruling across all countries. The company will also drop all pending litigation on the topic. He’s calling it a "peace plan," but Apple has yet to respond.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/epic-games-takes-aim-at-apple-and-steam-with-zero-commission-policy-for-developers-183956940.html?src=rss

If you’re struggling to come up with just the right gift for your mom, you’re not alone. Mothers can be particularly difficult to shop for, especially if your mom is like many we know who insist that they don’t want or need gifts. Short of giving them some time back in their day to do what they want to do instead of things they need to do, the gift ideas we collected below can help you show the mother figure in your life that you care and want to spoil them a bit even when they claim it’s not necessary — because they deserve it.

Check out the rest of our gift ideas here. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-14-best-gifts-for-moms-130044717.html?src=rss

An electronic gadget might not be the “traditional” Mother’s Day gift, but just about every mom we know would prefer a cool new piece of tech over a short-lived bouquet of flowers and box of chocolates. A number of us on the Engadget staff collaborated to create this guide, filling it with the Mother’s Day presents we’ve received ourselves, have given to the moms in our lives, or have otherwise tested and can safely recommend as a welcome gift. Whether the mom in your life is into music, cooking, fitness or even a good night’s sleep, there’s bound to be a useful device or service here that they’ll enjoy.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gadgets-that-make-great-mothers-day-gifts-131533921.html?src=rss

Microsoft just increased all Xbox prices: Grab one before the hikes go into effect

Microsoft

Gaming is about to get a lot more expensive — at least for Xbox fans. Effective today, May 1, Microsoft is increasing the price of Xbox consoles and controllers, and not by an insignificant amount:

The Xbox Series S 512GB, is now $380, more than a 25 percent increase from $300.

The Xbox Series X 1TB Digital is now $550, a 22 percent increase from $450.

The Xbox Series S 1TB is now $430, a 22 percent increase from $350).

The Xbox Series X 1TB with Blu-ray is now $600, a 20 percent increase from $500.

The Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition is now $730, a 22 percent increase from $600.

The news doesn't end there. Controllers and headsets now start at $65 and top out at $200 for the "Full" Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2. Games will also increase in price, though not right away: "Some of our new, first-party games will launch at $79.99 beginning this holiday season," Microsoft explains. That last one seems more about leaning in to Nintendo's ambitious Switch 2 game pricing, and less about any possible tariff impact (though it's worth noting Xbox prices are going up worldwide, not just in the US.)

But not all is negative, as if you're in the market for a new console, prices at online retailers have yet to catch up. Before you whip out your credit card, remember some key caveats here. The current Xbox platform is effectively five years old, with the leaked mid-gen "Brooklin" refresh seemingly canceled. An all-new Xbox generation is also expected to arrive in the next few years, perhaps 2028, with leaks suggesting it may be a "cloud hybrid" machine. And more and more previous Xbox exclusives are beginning to pop up on the PS5, too. That said, if you've been waiting to buy an Xbox, now is the time, as these legacy prices could disappear any minute.

Best Xbox deals

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/microsoft-just-increased-all-xbox-prices-grab-one-before-the-hikes-go-into-effect-192628921.html?src=rss

Lyft is rolling out a new service called Lyft Silver that's specifically designed to give aging and elderly people a way to get around when driving isn't an option.

The basic pitch is that while getting rides from friends and family is great, it can limit the sense of independence an elderly person has. According to Audrey Liu, Lyft's head of Rider and Community Safety, the goal "wasn't just to build a service, but to remove everything that makes getting around a challenge." Lyft Silver will ideally help people "stay connected with their communities."

Public transportation is already doing that for plenty of elderly people, but not everyone has access and Lyft is promising an extra level of security and support. Besides featuring a simpler interface, the new service adds access to live human support whenever you need it. Lyft Silver will also prioritize matching riders with cars that are easier to get in and out of, and make it easier to share ride details with loved ones.

Lyft has offered features in the past that acknowledge elderly riders, but hasn't addressed them directly. The company's Concierge service lets a doctor's office order a ride for an elderly patient, for example. Lyft has also partnered with healthcare providers to offer paid rides to appointments. Lyft Silver just simplifies things even further by repackaging the basic ride-hailing experience for an older audience.

Lyft says Lyft Silver will launch in early access "nationwide" on May 5. You'll be able to use the service directly from the normal Lyft app, and the company says families will be able to pay for their loved ones rides with Lyft Cash, the company's in-app payment method.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/lyft-silver-wants-to-keep-your-aging-parents-off-the-road-192617078.html?src=rss

Apple does not hide its deeds under a bushel; When it "lost" the Epic (Fortnite) case last year, it quickly rolled out a series of changes to satisfy the injunction.If no one else realized Apple had somehow won by losing, Epic certainly knew it, with Epic CEO Tim Sweeney stating on X (formerly Twitter), "The court battle to open iOS to competing stores and payments is lost in the United States. A sad outcome for all developers."In answer to that ruling, Apple started charging a 27% commission on App Store apps that chose to manage their own billing and forced them to apply for a special tool that let app developers include a button to outside billing systems. Additionally, Apple required that developers still support Apple's in-app billing system as an alternative to third-party ones.It was all there in black and white, but those decisions triggered what may be one of the most scathing rulings I have ever read. I mean, US District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzales Rogers who has been presiding over this case for years is pissed.Was Apple trying to follow the letter of the law while skirting around the bits that might have any impact on its commission revenue business? As Judge Gonzalez sees it, yes.Don't believe me? Read this unedited bit from the court ruling:

"In stark contrast to Apple’s initial in-court testimony, contemporaneous business documents reveal that Apple knew exactly what it was doing and at every turn chose the most anticompetitive option.To hide the truth, Vice-President of Finance, Alex Roman, outright lied under oath. Internally, Phillip Schiller had advocated that Apple comply with the Injunction, but Tim Cook ignored Schiller and instead allowed Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri and his finance team to convince him otherwise. Cook chose poorly. The real evidence, detailed herein, (Case 4:20-cv-05640-YGR Document 1508 Filed 04/30/25 Page 2 of 80 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 United States District Court Northern District of California) more than meets the clear and convincing standard to find a violation. The Court refers the matter to the United States Attorney for the Northern District of California to investigate whether criminal contempt proceedings are appropriate."

As the judge sees it, Apple may have used the ruling to further enrich its commission business:"Prior to the Injunction, Apple did not allow 'linked-out purchases' and, thus, did not charge any commission for purchases made outside of, or off, its platform. Now, it does."The filing shows how Apple worked to fulfill the injunction in such a way that, while maybe opening new third-party billing and revenue avenues to developers, it also solidified Apple's hold on the process and commission collection.Judge Gonzalez paints this as a pretty nefarious operation with Apple willfully hiding and lying about its intentions.The thing is, Apple has never lied about its intentions regarding the App Store.

The Apple way

Apple likes full-stack control for, well, control, but also so it can fulfill its security and privacy promises. An App Store where you can trust the majority of apps is not something that occurs naturally. You must set the parameters and ensure that every app that passes through those narrow gates does what it promised and is free from malware and spyware.It's no accident that your best iPhone is not riddled with malware or that you rarely download a fake app (does anyone remember the early days of Android apps before Google Play?!). The more open Apple is with its platforms, the more risk it incurs for itself and its customers.It's also clear, though, that Apple doesn't think much about methods or perception. If it was being forced to give third-party fulfillment systems access to App Store customers, then why not charge third-party developers for the pleasure? After all, the links to these platforms would come through Apple. Was that a deterrent to the development of such systems? Probably. Was that Apple's intention? I don't know.If you believe the injunction, you know some within Apple knew that Apple's methods of compliance were too close to flouting the law. Those voices, though, did not win. Former Apple CFO Luca Maestri, once a voice of reason on Apple earnings calls, is named a key champion of potentially bad ideas.As for what Apple does next, well, I'm sure it will fight, but there's also no way it can ignore Judge Gonzales' closing statement:"This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order. Time is of the essence. The Court will not tolerate further delays. As previously ordered, Apple will not impede competition. The Court enjoins Apple from implementing its new anticompetitive acts to avoid compliance with the Injunction. Effective immediately Apple will no longer impede developers’ ability to communicate with users nor will they levy or impose a new commission on off-app purchases."

What happens next

If this ruling holds, which is not a certainty as Apple plans to appeal, it may trigger sweeping changes that could forever alter the way we use the App Store.The loss of a fully closed system may not be the best thing for consumers. Still, it gives developers the flexibility many have been craving and effectively takes the Apple commission (a..k.a. the "Apple tax") off the table for transactions happening outside the platform, even if users found that link from inside Apple's App Store.Epic is already planning for a best-case scenario and quickly announced that Fortnite will return to the App Store next week with, I'm sure, in-app purchases (those skins!), all taking you outside Apple's platform.

We will return Fortnite to the US iOS App Store next week.Epic puts forth a peace proposal: If Apple extends the court's friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we'll return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic. https://t.co/bIRTePm0TvApril 30, 2025

This might be the first effective crack in Apple's "reality distortion field," one that refashions reality to suit its needs. We've seen it at work this year with Apple not delivering the full Apple Intelligence experience but telling consumers that the iPhone 16 comes with it. It has since quietly removed some of that language from product pages.Apple has rarely admitted mistakes or shortcomings, and while this ruling isn't a sign that Apple will start now, it appears to have no choice but to deconstruct the distortion field it built around app developer choice.As for the injunction, it reads like the final word on the subject:"Apple willfully chose not to comply with this Court’s Injunction. It did so with the express intent to create new anticompetitive barriers which would, by design and in effect, maintain a valued revenue stream; a revenue stream previously found to be anticompetitive. That it thought this Court would tolerate such insubordination was a gross miscalculation. As always, the coverup made it worse. For this Court, there is no second bite at the apple. "Ouch.

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Report warns sophisticated bots mimic human behavior so well outdated defenses don’t stand a chanceMobile apps are under siege, with a 160% rise in targeted bot traffic year over yearCAPTCHA farms and rotating proxies help bots bypass basic defenses

The internet has entered a new era where automated traffic now accounts for more web activity than human users, new research says.Radware's 2025 ecommerce Bot Threat Report claims the majority of traffic to online stores during the 2024 holiday season didn’t come from people. It came from bots.For the first time, automated programs - ranging from simple scripts to AI-enhanced digital agents - accounted for 57% of all traffic, surpassing human visitors on e-commerce websites.

A smarter generation of bad bots

The report highlights the ongoing evolution of malicious bots, as nearly 60% now use behavioral strategies designed to evade detection, such as rotating IP addresses and identities, using CAPTCHA farms, and mimicking human browsing patterns, making them difficult to identify without advanced tools.The only effective counter is equally intelligent detection - AI-powered defenses that can learn and adapt. Businesses must reassess their security stack and look beyond basic filters to solutions offering advanced DDoS protection and intelligent traffic monitoring.“Bad bots are no longer just based on simple scripts - they’re sophisticated, AI-enhanced agents capable of outsmarting traditional defenses,” said Ron Meyran, Vice President of Cyber Threat Intelligence at Radware.“E-commerce providers and online retailers that rely on conventional security measures will find themselves increasingly exposed, not just during the holidays but year-round.”Mobile platforms have become a critical battleground, with a staggering 160% rise in mobile-targeted bot activity between the 2023 and 2024 holiday seasons. Attackers are deploying mobile emulators and headless browsers that imitate legitimate app behavior.The report also warns of bots blending into everyday internet traffic. A 32% increase in attack traffic from residential proxy networks is making it much harder for ecommerce sites to apply traditional rate-limiting or geo-fencing techniques.Perhaps the most alarming development is the rise of multi-vector campaigns combining bots with traditional exploits and API-targeted attacks. These campaigns go beyond scraping prices or testing stolen credentials - they aim to take sites offline entirely.For businesses relying on the best ecommerce website builders or user-friendly platforms, the threat is clear. Security must evolve in step with the attackers. Platforms must also adopt dedicated mobile protections to defend against these increasingly sophisticated threats.

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The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 might not be a comprehensive upgrade on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 from what we’ve heard so far, with various aspects possibly staying the same. But there are some parts of the phone that likely will be substantially improved.While nothing is certain yet, we can look at claimed leaks and rumors to get a good idea of what specs we might see.So that’s exactly what we’ve done below, and where there aren’t any tips we’ve used educated guesses to fill in some of the gaps.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 predicted specs

If you’re familiar with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6’s specs then you’ll note that the predicted specs in the chart above are a mix of old and new. But let’s start with some of the areas where the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 will reportedly be an improvement on its predecessor.One of the main upgrades could be the screen sizes, with multiple sources suggesting the Galaxy Z Flip 7 could have a roughly 4-inch cover screen, which is up from 3.4 inches on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6. So that would make the cover screen significantly larger this year.One of those sources also points to a slightly larger 6.85-inch foldable screen – up from 6.7 inches on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7. So, in both cases you should have more space to interact with the phone, though this should have the greatest impact on the cover display, which is quite cramped on the Z Flip 6.So far there’s no word on the resolution, but presumably the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 will either match or better the Z Flip 6 here, meaning a foldable screen of at least 1080 x 2640, and a cover screen of at least 720 x 748.We also fully expect the foldable display will have a 120Hz refresh rate, since the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s does, while the cover screen will probably be 60Hz.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Another upgrade we’ll almost certainly see is the chipset, with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 rumored to use either a Snapdragon 8 Elite or an Exynos 2500.So far there’s no agreement on which – and it could be that some regions will get one and some the other, but while the Snapdragon 8 Elite will likely outperform the Exynos 2500, either of these would be an improvement on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the current model.RAM and storage however may not be improved, with the one leak on that front pointing to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 having 12GB of RAM and a choice of 256GB or 512GB of storage, just like the Z Flip 6. However, its performance may get a boost from a larger vapor cooling chamber.One of the more disappointing things we’re hearing is that there might be no upgrades at all to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7’s cameras, with leaks pointing to the same 50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, and 10MP front facing cameras as last year.Finally, there’s the battery, and multiple sources point to this being 4,300mAh, which would be a noticeable upgrade on the 4,000mAh of its predecessor. That’s great news, as 4,000mAh really isn’t much for a phone of this size.What we don’t know is how fast it might charge, but the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 supports 25W wired charging and 15W wireless, so expect at least that much.

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Late last year, Reddit introduced its AI-powered search tool, Reddit Answers. Now, the company plans to make the feature even more prominent by adding it into Reddit’s main sitewide search, CEO Steve Huffman said during the company’s first-quarter earnings call.

“We are now working to integrate it into Reddit core search experience to further streamline the path from question to answer on Reddit,” Huffman said. “Integrating into Reddit search means we want one search box. That'll be the primary search box, and you’ll type your query in there, you'll get, potentially, your [Reddit] Answers, answer, or, you know, more of a traditional Reddit response, depending on what you're searching for.”

Up to now, Reddit Answers, which is still labeled as being in “beta,” has lived in its own section of the service. The feature summarizes conversations from across Reddit in response to queries that users may otherwise seek out by adding “Reddit” to their searches on Google. Huffman said that Reddit Answers, which recently became available to all US Redditors, as well as a handful of international markets, already has 1 million weekly users. That’s only a small fraction of Reddit’s 401 million weekly users, but adding it into Reddit’s primary search box should give it a boost.

Huffman said the change is part of a broader strategy to improve search across Reddit. Reddit Answers, he said, could help make the service more accessible to new users and guide people who come to the site via search engines. The change could also be somewhat controversial — Reddit users aren’t exactly known for loving big changes to the service — though Huffman acknowledged users may not always want an AI-generated summary in response to every search.

“Sometimes people will want the summarized, annotated, sterile answers from AI, and we're even building this ourselves in Reddit Answers,” Huffman said. “But other times they want the subjective, authentic, messy, multiple viewpoints that Reddit provides.”This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/reddit-will-integrate-ai-answers-into-its-main-search-bar-223907171.html?src=rss