HeyWhatsNew: Google Reveals the Best Apps of 2023 and Apple May Need to Change an Emoji
Hey, Heyuppers. Welcome back to another edition of HeyWhatsNew, your weekly dose of tech news and updates that have shaped the world for the week beginning 27/11/2023
Android 14 Screenshot Detection Is Being Integrated Into More Apps
Google has followed in the footsteps of apps like Snapchat by officially integrating a screenshot detecting API to their latest Android 14 OS. Much like Snapchat, the API will notify users if and when a screenshot has been taken of content they’ve posted. However, they won’t know the contents of the screenshot.
Android Authority notes that the feature may not be an instant hit with Android users, because messaging apps could potentially inform the user on the other end of the screenshot. They do also note that banking apps and some video streaming apps could opt for older APIs that prevent you from taking screenshots completely for obvious safety and privacy purposes.
Official OnePlus 12 Images Leaked, the Device Is Expected to Release in January
It’s been confirmed that the OnePlus 12 will see its official Chinese debut on December 5, but it is still unclear when it will hit the global market. Speculation suggests that the global release will take place early next year, in January, and the recently leaked images of the upcoming OnePlus 12 have shone light on what we can expect.
GSM Arena notes that according to the leaked information, the OnePlus 12 is a series of phones, which means more than one variant. Another thing we know for sure is that at least one of the devices will utilize the new flagship Snapdragon Gen 3 chipset. We will have to wait for the Chinese release next week for more information.
There’s a Petition to Have Apple Change the “Nerd Glasses” Emoji
A 10 year old boy in the UK, Teddy, has started a petition against what he has described as an “offensive and insulting” emoji. Teddy says the protruding teeth on the emoji wearing spectacles sends the wrong message about people who wear glasses, stating that if he finds it offensive, he’s certain that there are more people who feel the same way.
He was interviewed by the BBC where he presented an alternative emoji with a polite smile instead of a toothy one. He hopes to have the nerd emoji rebranded to genius emoji to send a more positive message. Apple is yet to respond or comment.
Amazon Has Released Its Own AI powered Image Generator
One of the key mentions at this year’s AWS re:Imagined event by Amazon was the announcement of the new AI powered text-to-image Generator known as Titan. Swami Sivasubramanian of Amazon Web Services (AWS) said in his keynote speech that the model is aimed at enterprises rather than consumers, offering developers the tools to build AI imagine creation apps.
In addition to generating images from natural text prompts, Titan will also feature the ability to change out backgrounds. Images created using the new generator will have an invisible but detectable watermark.
Google Is Deleting Inactive Accounts and All Data Contained Within Them
If you have a Google account that you haven’t used in two years or more, Google may delete it this week. This means that any social media accounts linked to it and all emails, images, and files attached to it will be lost to the web for good. The new change will only be applied to personal accounts, so any email addresses created under an organization will remain active.
Google says that accounts that are at risk of being deleted will have been notified months in advance to give the users a change to backup data. The company also says that data from retired YouTube channels is safe for the time being.
A Collection of More Than 100 Sealed Vintage Video Games Could Be Worth 6 Figures
A former video game store owner in Nebraska has been sitting on a treasure since he closed his store in 1998 and put 173 sealed video games into storage. The value of those items has since increased, and after being rediscovered last year, the gems have been found to be worth about $10,000 a piece.
The hundreds of Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis Cartridges are now part of what’s called the Nebraska Collection, and it is unlikely that any of the items will be sold individually.
The Best Apps and Games of 2023 According to Google
To mark the end of a successful year, Google hosted the Google Play’s Best of 2023 awards, shining the spotlight on the best apps and games of the year and celebrating the developers. The categories include best multi-device app and game, best overall app and game, and new categories like Best with AI to name a few.
Some of the most popular apps and games to receive awards include Spotify, ChatGPT, and Honkai: Star Rail. There were also awards given to the best books of 2023, including titles like The Covenant of Water, and Bellies: A Novel.
That concludes this week’s (and this month’s) roundup of tech news and updates. We’ll reconvene in the new month with more news on tech developments that have shaped our world.
