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I spend most of my time using an excellent iPhone 16 Pro Max, which means I get to live most of my existence using the expertly tailored iOS 18 experience. Sometimes, though, I use the equally fantastic Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, a flagship phone now running Android 15 and OneUI 7.In many ways, the S25 Ultra is equal to the iPhone; the platforms tend to look and work in more or less similar ways. There is, though, one significant way in which they differ and, to be honest, I'm tired of it.As you may be aware, unless you own a Google Pixel Phone, you're unlikely to get a pure Android experience. Third-party partners, such as OnePlus, Motorola, and Samsung, customize their skins for the platform.For some, that's the beauty of Android: it can be many things to many people, and in the case of Samsung, this expresses itself in the form of OneUI.It's a lovely platform that now offers things such as deeply integrated Samsung Galaxy AI, Samsung Health, and the lively Now Brief Widget, which offers information and chatty aphorisms like, "The day rolls on."Duplication of effortWhere the experience is less grand, though, is in duplication. For every app where Google and Android ostensibly have you covered, think, Photos, Contacts, and Chrome; Samsung's OneUI has a duplicate. Some, like Internet and Contacts, are easy to ignore.Others, like "Gallery," are less so because they include core features like Generative AI image editing. Some, like Sketch to Image, which allows you to scribble on a photo to add elements like a photo-realistic bird flying or a dog sitting next to you, are fun if not full of utility. But Gallery pales in comparison to Google Photos' powerful search capabilities. When I need to find an image, I will always go there.There's also Google's critical Play Store, but it doesn't have all the Samsung Apps you need – that would be the "Galaxy Store."I've learned to live with most of this duplication, but the other day I stumbled into a bit of doppleganger mess that tested my patience.In the hours before an industry event, I received an email on my iPhone with a link to add the invite to my digital wallet. I clicked on the link, thinking it would open Apple Wallets, but I was thrust into a Google login. It was then that I realized the link was for Google Wallet. Everyone's Wallet app icon looks alike because there's really only one visual metaphor for a wallet: a stacked group of credit cards.I picked up the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, opened the email, and selected the Google Wallet icon. That's when I discovered, to my surprise, that Google Wallet is not pre-installed. I installed it and then signed in to my Google account.I then used the global Google search on my S25 ultra to find the Wallet app, and I got three results:Samsung WalletGoogle PayGoogle WalletNote how Samsung's Wallet appears first; that's no accident. Someone not paying attention might open that link first and then search in vain for the invite or plane ticket they just added.On an iPhone, this would never happen. You get one utility app, though, you can certainly add more if you choose. But that should be the default: Core platform apps only, and not ones that align only with your specific brand.I get that Samsung wants to build an ecosystem, but as a member of the Android family, it should accept that it will never own that ecosystem. There will always be this duplication problem, unless Samsung stops trying to copy these apps and lets Google and Android take the wheel.After all, are we buying Samsung Galaxy phones for OneUI apps or, ultimately, for that hardware experience, including things like the cameras and a lovely, nearly bezel-free screen?(Image credit: Future)1+1 = too muchI know that Samsung is quite proud of its flavor of AI, but to be honest, I don't think it can keep up with the OpenAIs and Googles of the world. As it stands, the best bits of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra AI experience are from Google (Gemini).For some, my perspective is the opposite of what they want. They love choice, and the fact that all Android Phones are subtly or frustratingly different somehow pleases them. That the Photos, Internet, or Wallet apps are different on every platform is, they think, an exciting plus.Sure, you keep thinking that. I, on the other hand, will dream of the OneUI update that is paper-thin and combines all the fundamental and best bits of Android while only adding features Google wouldn't do otherwise.It is ironic that Samsung calls its platform "OneUI" when in fact the experience is the combination of two UIs living under one flagship roof. It's still too crowded a space, and I would like Samsung to kick a few duplicate tenants out.You might also likeSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review: the ultimate AndroidSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Google Pixel 9 Pro5 things the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge could tell us about ...

Apple has bought a game studio for the first time. Digital Trends reported on Tuesday that the company has scooped up RAC7. The two-person team is behind the Apple Arcade hit Sneaky Sasquatch.

For years, some investors have hoped Apple would apply its full clout to the gaming industry. Although recent years have seen the launches of Apple Arcade and Game Mode for Macs, there's still untapped potential. Another piece of news on Tuesday makes it easier to speculate that something is brewing. Bloomberg reported that the company will launch a revamped gaming app at WWDC. The new app is said to replace the oft-forgotten Game Center.

However, Giovanni Colantonio of Digital Trends suggests the acquisition isn't necessarily a sign of what's to come. He notes that Apple described the RAC7 purchase as a unique situation to help the small studio grow. "We will continue to deliver a great experience for Apple Arcade players with hundreds of games from many of the best game developers in the world," Apple told the publication.

Sneaky Sasquatch was a launch title for Apple Arcade in 2019. Engadget's Devindra Hardawar described it as an example of how the service can let developers "cut loose and get weird." And weird, it is. (Delightfully so!) You play as the mythic Bigfoot, tiptoeing around a forest. What starts as a quirky stealth game takes even stranger turns. As you progress, you'll learn to drive cars, disguise yourself as a human and hit the slopes.

Over five years later, the quirky title is still one of Apple Arcade's tentpole games. It sits alongside favorites like Katamari Damacy Rolling Live, Skate City: New York and Threes! And we can't forget one of Engadget's all-time favorite games, Balatro. The "almost perfect" port of the deck-building game hit the service last year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/apple-buys-the-maker-of-sneaky-sasquatch-210305065.html?src=rss

Tools for Humanity, co-founded by Sam Altman, has launched a robotic human verification deviceThe Orb Mini can scan irises and create blockchain-based World IDsThe company is partnering with major brands to bring biometric IDs to finance, dating, and gamingStaring into a small metal orb and hearing it confirm your humanity is a scene from many a dystopian science fiction story. It's also an idea that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman thinks should be implemented in real life. That's the idea behind biometric identity startup Tools for Humanity's World system. World, formerly known as Worldcoin, is rolling out a portable iris scanner called the Orb Mini in the U.S. to carry out that directive in a way the company claims will benefit people.The Orb Mini looks like something between a futuristic smartphone camera and a Black Mirror prop. The device scans your iris to confirm your humanity, creating a unique “World ID,” a blockchain-stored identity token that says, “this person is real and has irises to prove it.”Sam Altman and company claim a lack of trust is one of the most urgent crises of the modern internet. Unspoken is Altman and OpenAI's contribution to a world where AI can generate books, deepfake voices, and even realistically awful dating profiles with ease. Tools for Humanity is betting that the next evolution of the internet will require biometric proof that you’re actually a person, not just a particularly well-programmed AI model.Human behaviorBut it’s not just tech theatrics. Tools for Humanity has lined up some big-name partners to help bring the Orb Mini to everyone. Visa is working with World on a debit card connected to the World App, while Match Group is testing the technology in Japan to verify that the people you see on your dating app are both human and adult. Gaming hardware brand Razer is also exploring how to use World IDs to weed out bots from multiplayer sessions. After scanning your eye, Orb will provide you with a cryptographic identity to use for shopping, flirting, and gaming with other humans.The company plans to roll out 7,500 Orb Mini devices across the U.S. by the end of the year. You’ll find them at pop-ups, partner company locations, and anywhere else they can get a kiosk to scan your face. The Orb Mini is designed to be portable, so it could go anywhere people with eyes go.Of course, a company collecting and storing biometric data from millions of people sounds problematic. That's because it is unless there are a lot of foolproof security systems for storing and accessing the data. Tools for Humanity says it has all that covered with anonymized data, as well as not storing iris images and other privacy-centered features. Still asking people to trust you with their eyeballs may be a big swing.But, as AI-generated content floods social media and scams get more sophisticated, the appeal of ensuring you're interacting with actual humans is understandable. A verified human internet is a nice idea, but there are a lot of questions about what it means to have to prove you’re real in a world where realism is becoming suspiciously easy to fake. Trusting that someone is human is tough online; trusting a company to always keep your identity safe is even tougher.You might also likeOur predictions for AI in 2025 – what next for ChatGPT, Apple Intelligence and moreGoogle Gemini is racing to win the AI crown in 2025The AI rocketship may be running on fumes