Apple has announced that its newest smartwatch models, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2, will be back on sale in its US retail stores on Wednesday. This comes after the company won a court ruling in a patent fight with Masimo, a medical device maker. The court decision provides a quick relief for Apple’s $17 billion business.

In addition to in-store sales, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 will also be available for online purchase starting Thursday at noon Pacific time. The US International Trade Commission (ITC) had previously banned the import and sale of these products through Apple’s official channels after ruling in favor of Masimo in a patent infringement case. However, an appellate court in Washington temporarily stayed the ITC’s decision while Apple seeks to overturn it.

Apple had to halt sales of its watches after the ITC found that the company had infringed on Masimo’s patents related to measuring blood-oxygen saturation. The watches were removed from the website on December 21 and from retail stores on Christmas Eve.

The sales ban was officially announced by the ITC in October, but the White House had a 60-day window to review and potentially veto it. US Trade Representative Katherine Tai stated on Tuesday that she wouldn’t intervene, and the White House refused to veto the measure.

To address the issue, Apple has developed a software update for the Apple Watch, which it believes will mitigate the problem. The company has submitted the design of the update to the US customs agency, with a decision expected by January 12.

The watches will gradually return to shelves at approximately 270 Apple retail locations across the country, with wider availability expected by Saturday.

While Masimo seeks to intervene in the appeals case, the ITC argued against the interim stay, stating that Apple didn’t face “irreparable harm” during the appeal. The ITC orders only affect Apple Watch products with a specific blood-oxygen measurement feature.

Despite the temporary lift on the sales ban, the court has given the ITC until January 10 to respond to Apple’s request for a longer stay during the company’s full appeal. Meanwhile, Masimo’s shares fell 4.6 percent to $115.11 at the close in New York after the court temporarily ended the ban on watch sales. Apple’s stock remained relatively unchanged. Owners of the Apple Watch Series 6, 7, and 8 also faced challenges, as watches with the blood-oxygen feature were not eligible for hardware repairs during the ban.

Bluesky, the decentralized social network, is introducing new features to enhance user experience, bringing it closer to its counterpart, X (Twitter). The latest additions include an in-app video and music player for links, along with a “hide post” feature. These updates aim to make Bluesky more versatile and user-friendly.

New Video and Music Player

Bluesky’s new in-app video and music player is designed to work seamlessly with various platforms, including YouTube, SoundCloud, Spotify, and Twitch embeds. Unlike X, where videos autoplay by default, Bluesky’s player requires users to tap on the content to start playback. This gives users more control over their experience, allowing them to choose when to engage with multimedia content.

“Hide Post” Feature

The introduction of the “hide post” feature adds a layer of customization to Bluesky. If there’s a post you’d rather not see again, you can simply click on the option, and the post will be removed from your feeds. Bluesky ensures that even if you visit the post directly, it will be “put behind a mask,” maintaining a user-friendly and tailored experience.

Bug Fixes

Bluesky has addressed several bugs to enhance the platform’s stability and functionality. One notable fix is related to muted and blocked account listings, which were showing as empty. The update rectifies this issue, providing users with accurate account information. Additionally, Bluesky has resolved a bug causing an empty home screen and addressed a crash bug that sometimes occurred during thread interactions. These fixes contribute to a smoother user experience.

Accessibility Without Logging In

In a recent move, Bluesky now allows users to view posts on its platform without requiring a login. While an invitation is still necessary to create an account and post content, anyone can read posts through a link. This change opens up possibilities for publishers to link to or embed Bluesky posts in blogs. Users can also share Bluesky posts in individual or group chats, enhancing the platform’s accessibility and reach.

User Growth and Future Plans

Bluesky, having launched its iOS and Android apps in February, has reached 2 million users. As the sole instance on the AT Protocol, Bluesky has plans to introduce federation “early next year.” This means that Bluesky aims to become a more open social network, akin to Mastodon. With federation, users can choose which servers to join and have the flexibility to move their accounts as needed.

Conclusion

Bluesky’s commitment to improving user experience is evident in its latest updates and bug fixes. The introduction of features like the in-app video and music player and the “hide post” option showcases Bluesky’s responsiveness to user feedback. As the platform continues to grow, the move towards federation signals a more inclusive and adaptable social network model. Bluesky’s trajectory, marked by user-focused enhancements, positions it as a dynamic player in the evolving landscape of decentralized social networking.

Meta introduces new features to Meta AI, providing users with more diverse and attractive features. An interesting addition is the “Reimagine” feature for group chats, which allows users to generate AI images on demand. Friends can creatively go back and forth, constantly evolving the images with different clues for a lively and fun experience.

We also launched “Imagine with Meta AI”, an online AI image generator that allows users to easily create high-resolution AI images. This free web tool is designed to create images quickly and easily.

Meta AI is becoming more useful on mobile devices, providing detailed answers and accurate summaries of search results. Users can now expect more useful and varied answers to a wider range of questions, improving the overall user experience.

In addition, Meta AI now supports video in group chats, allowing users to visually explore offers. For example, when planning a trip, users can ask Meta AI for recommendations and get clips of the best places and attractions.

Meta said more than 20 new generative AI experiences will be tested on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp as these features roll out. These experiments include search, social news discovery, advertising, business messaging and more. Areas include:

To access Meta AI, users can start a new message in the Meta messaging platform and select the “Create AI Chat” option. While using Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, you can also activate AI in group chats using special commands like “@MetaAI\” or saying “Hey Meta\”.

The impact of Meta AI goes beyond direct user interactions and plays a significant role in AI-generated features such as posted comments, community chat topic recommendations, search results, and in-store product copy improvements. It is also tested to help users complete a variety of tasks, including creating birthday wishes, editing Facebook feed messages, and creating new Facebook groups.

Authors use the power of Meta AI to suggest responses to messages based on the tone and content of the conversation. AI will also watermark the images it creates, adding a layer of recognition to creative output. As Meta AI continues to evolve, users can expect enhanced and immersive experiences across different meta platforms.

Bluesky, a startup that dreams of becoming a social network to rival Twitter, has taken steps to improve content moderation on its platform. In closed beta, Bluesky was criticized for content moderation issues, including not quickly addressing racist threats and remarks. In response, the company implements advanced automated tools to flag content that violates our rules so that a team of moderators can review the content and make a final decision.

In a recent announcement from its Bluesky Safety account, the company highlighted its commitment to improving its arbitration process. The new automated tool aims to identify objectionable content and spam and adjust the process so that moderators can review objectionable content before it is seen by users.

Bluesky will also restore users’ ability to report posts if they appear incorrectly. Currently, users can report content directly from the app, including identifying adult content. Until this feature is fully operational, other accounts may report incorrect tags on your behalf. Bluesky has also introduced some new features including user lists and moderation lists to disable or block multiple users. Users can now sync their moderation settings across devices, and the platform has removed the adult content tag from posts without images. To address privacy concerns, Bluesky is developing a feature that will allow users to control who can reply to their messages. Recently, a feature offered by the competitor Despite these updates, some Bluesky users still support private accounts, especially since the platform plans to launch a public web interface. This feature allows uninvited users to find a message asking them to request a private account option for their friends only. Users also want the ability to remove followers and are encouraged to take strict action against accounts that violate community guidelines.

While many users are interested in X alternatives that focus on content moderation and security, Bluesky explores user needs and expectations. In particular, success was not guaranteed due to competitor Pebble’s emphasis on safety measures, which led to its closure in October. Bluesky continues to evolve to find the right balance between innovation and user satisfaction.

Wombo, the creative mind behind the viral AI art app Dream by Wombo, has launched an exciting new project called Wombo Me, a new AI avatar app. This Canadian startup aims to simplify the avatar creation experience and provide users with realistic avatars instantly from a single selfie. In a recent interview with TechCrunch, Wombo CEO Ben-Sion Benhin highlighted the app’s interesting approach. Unlike other AI avatar apps, Wombo Me lets you instantly create an avatar with just a selfie. The app encourages users to share these avatars on social media, adding a fun touch to platforms like LinkedIn and Tinder.

Wombo Me is not limited to realistic avatars. Users can experience celebrities, movie characters, superheroes, different hair colors, styles, makeup trends, and even gender-swapped or charmed versions. The process is simple. Take a selfie and Wombo Me will give you 10 unique alternate reality images that you can swipe, Tinder-style. The app plans to use user feedback to improve avatar creation in the future. After uploading the first set of images, users can choose from a variety of avatar packs, including LinkedIn-style portraits, editable Instagram images, magical characters, cartoon characters, meme characters, and more. You can study. Some packs are free, but others come in a variety of prices, from $2.99 ​​to $7.99. Benhin assures users that Wombo Me offers high-quality images that are better than anything on the market. The ease of creating content from a single selfie makes Wombo Me instantly user-friendly and accessible. Beyond the immediate benefits, Wombo has long-term plans for Wombo Me. The app’s ability to generate personalized content based on a single selfie could be integrated into a deeper platform experience. This includes using the social aspect of the app to create photos with your group of friends. Looking ahead, Wombo Me could include additional elements, such as 10- to 20-second audio clips or videos of users moving their heads, to create multimodal matches. This compatibility can be used to create many different types of content, from dance videos to interactive experiences with friends. Benhin predicts that the role of AI in media production will become increasingly prominent and will surpass curation. A future is envisioned where users not only create content, but also actively create AI-generated environments for social platforms. The global availability of Wombo Me on iOS and Android means that Wombo Me is ready to start this journey.

After its predecessor, Dream by Wombo, which was a huge success last year and won Google’s “Best App” in the US, Wombo Me introduces a new dimension to AI avatar creation, offering a fun and accessible experience. For users worldwide.

Apple recently launched Apple Music Replay, its year-end music review, in response to Spotify Wrapped. You can explore the best songs, albums, artists and genres of 2023, but it doesn’t reach the personalized and shared experience that Spotify offers. To watch the Apple Music replay, go to replay.music.apple.com. You can find your most listened songs, albums and artists, as well as other information about your music habits. However, unlike Spotify’s Wrapped, Apple’s Review lacks features like Spotify’s “Audio Aura” and “Listening Personality,” which give the Year in Review experience a unique feel.

Spotify’s special features not only take into account your music preferences, but also create shareable content. For example, last year “Listening Faces” featured active cards that users could post on social media or share with friends. These characteristics capture the listener’s attention and arouse interest in their sense of self and how their musical tastes compare to others. Apple’s review, on the other hand, is based on standard metrics. Users can browse year-end lists to see if their favorite artists or genres are among the top 100 listeners. This chart focuses on popular songs from Apple Music and Shazam. Additionally, Apple Music Sing, a karaoke-like feature, is now part of our review. Apple Music users can also receive a personalized list of Top 100 songs each year that matches their playlists. Unlike Spotify Wrapped, which is currently a social moment, Apple Music listeners can enjoy year-round playback. To access Apple Music Replay, go to replay.music.apple.com with your Apple Music ID. Apple’s comments are shared on social channels, but lack the dynamic and artistic appeal that Spotify’s features offer. Spotify regularly introduces new and creative elements every year with Wrapped, keeping users excited for what’s to come.

In particular, Apple Music appears to be aiming to become number one in the music-related social sharing sector ahead of Spotify by 2023. Apple Music Replay offers valuable information, but Spotify Wrapped remains the place to watch holiday music in a more immersive and visual way.

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri shared some exciting news on Wednesday that now anyone in the world can download public roles to their device. Previously, you could only save Reels in the Instagram app for later viewing.

Here’s the key: When you download a video, it comes with an Instagram watermark that contains your account name similar to what you see on TikTok. To access the video, tap the Share button and select Download. Simple, right? But there are more. If you are an account holder and want to keep your special role, you have the option to disable the download feature. Go to Settings, then Privacy and look for Rails and Remix. Here you will see a toggle to “Allow people to download your roles”. Your requests, your rules. A note about sound: If you download a movie that uses licensed sound, the downloaded video will have no sound. But don’t be afraid! For reels containing the original audio track, every fragment of the downloaded clip remains intact. This fantastic feature first became available to people in the United States in June. Guess what? Now the rest of the world can join the party. Instagram makes it easy to enjoy and share your favorite videos from anywhere!

In 2021, Instagram decided to stop offering videos with the TikTok watermark. Then, in August 2022, YouTube jumped on the watermark bandwagon by adding a logo-based markup to its downloaded Shorts video products. Preventing cross-platform sharing is part of the game. Is there! Instagram Reels takes the game to the next level and makes it more accessible to users around the world. Enjoy downloading reels!