Category: Tech

Posted on by

How the foldable iPhone’s unusual design could support Face ID

A report from Ming-Chi Kuo said a few weeks ago that Apple’s first foldable iPhone will be an iPhone Fold-type device that resembles Samsung’s. The handset will be ultra-thin, which is one reason why Apple will have to abandon Face ID and bring back Touch ID.

The fingerprint sensor would be embedded in a side button similar to the iPad and other foldable phones from competitors, including Fold and Flip models.

I said at the time that the lack of Face ID might be a dealbreaker for me, as the 3D face recognition system plays a huge role in my iPhone experience. Face ID does more for me than just unlocking the phone. I use Face ID in every app that supports it, and thanks to iOS, I can also add Face ID support to any app.

Of course, all of that can happen with Touch ID. I just happen to prefer Face ID over Touch ID and would always choose face recognition over fingerprints.

Tech. Entertainment. Science. Your inbox.

Sign up for the most interesting tech & entertainment news out there.

By signing up, I agree to the Terms of Use and have reviewed the Privacy Notice.

But what if Apple’s unusual design for the foldable iPhone will actually help it bring Face ID to the handset? I’ve had this idea thanks to an unexpected foldable that launched last week, a device with a quirky design that I think heralds the iPhone Fold design.

What’s unusual about the foldable iPhone’s design?

Leaks that predate Kuo’s claims about the foldable iPhone’s revival of Touch ID say the phone will have an unexpected aspect ratio for a Fold-type foldable. The phone will not be as tall as Samsung’s Fold. Also, it should be wider when folded. The result is an unfolded device that looks more like an iPad mini 7.

I already used ChatGPT to determine the dimensions of a foldable iPhone based on screen size leaks, and it all makes sense.

But considering the thickness factor in Kuo’s report, Face ID might not happen. I explained recently why the iPhone 17 Air’s horizontal camera bar needs to happen. It might be related to Face ID components, which could be thicker than the phone.

If the foldable iPhone is even thinner than the iPhone 17 Air, it won’t have room for Face ID. 

Also, there’s another problem. Where do you put the Face ID sensor? On the cover screen or on the inside? The cover screen lets you unlock the device and the apps you use on that display. But you’re likelier to use apps that benefit from Face ID protection on the larger foldable screen.

Meet the Huawei Pura X

Huawei Pura X folded and unfolded.Huawei Pura X folded and unfolded. Image source: Huawei

Last week, Huawei unveiled the Pura X, a device unlike any other foldable. If anything, the Pura X (seen above) teases the iPhone Fold design.

The Pura X folds into a phone about as big as a clamshell foldable. Think Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 6. But when it unfolds, you get a tablet experience similar to the Galaxy Z Fold. That’s because this Flip-type device is wider than others. Put differently, You can look at the Pura X as a Fold-type device much shorter than the Galaxy Z Fold.

How does this design help Apple put Face ID on the foldable iPhone? Check out the horizontal camera bar of the Pura X. That’s the phone’s main camera system, which sits on top of the cover screen when the phone is folded, acting as a more advanced selfie camera system than your usual selfie cam.

Unfold the Pura X, and that camera system can be used both vertically and horizontally, depending on how you hold the foldable.

What interests me here is the Pura X’s main camera system always pointing at your face when you take the phone out to use it. If the iPhone Fold has a similar design, it could have an identical main camera placement.

There’s precedent in other foldables

I’m speculating here, but I think Apple could integrate Face ID components into the camera modules that are usually reserved for the back of the iPhone. With an iPhone Fold similar to the Pura X, that camera module would actually sit on the front. As ugly as that protrusion might be on the Pura X, a similar main camera placement would give the foldable iPhone Face ID support.

All of this is speculation at this point, yes. Also, I’d still have a Face ID problem that needs fixing. Unfold the Pura X, and you get a foldable phone with a hole-punch camera at the top. If that’s how the foldable iPhone looks, you can’t also place Face ID at the top of the foldable iPhone.

Therefore, unlocking apps with the screen unfolded remains a problem. 

Back to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 6, I’ll tell you that the phone does support face recognition. The system works both with the hole-punch camera and the main camera lens placed atop the cover screen. I’ve used Samsung’s face unlock tech, and it works, even if it’s not as sophisticated as Apple’s.

Galaxy Z Fiip 6's camera supports face recognition scans.Galaxy Z Fiip 6’s camera supports face recognition scans. Image source: Chris Smith, BGR

What I’m getting at is that Apple could get Face ID working on the cover screen by turning the main camera module into a Face ID sensor. When the iPhone is unfolded, Apple could use 2D face unlock for non-sensitive apps or switch to Touch ID.

It all sounds complicated, yes. Using only Touch ID to unlock everything on your phone would be less trouble for users. But I still hope that Face ID will be available on foldable iPhones. Eventually, Face ID components will shrink, and foldable iPhones will support Face ID. But I’d want the tech in a first-gen device as well.

That said, the Pura X doesn’t support 3D face unlock. The Huawei foldable has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor instead.

Rumors say the iPhone Fold will not feature Face ID, but the foldable’s unusual design might make it possible.

Source

Posted on by

The end is near for Windows 10 and Microsoft won’t let you forget it

If you’re still using Windows 10, Microsoft wants to make sure you know that time is running out. The company has officially started emailing users with a not-so-subtle reminder that support for Windows 10 will end on October 14, 2025. The message is clear: upgrade now or risk being left behind.

The email was recently spotted by Windows Latest and comes with a bold headline: “End of support for Windows 10 is approaching.” It then provides direct links for users to check their upgrade eligibility or buy a new PC—because, of course, Microsoft would rather you do the latter.

The reminder also includes a FAQ section to answer some burning questions. Microsoft confirms that after October 2025, Windows 10 devices will no longer receive updates, including critical security patches. While your PC will still work, it will gradually lose compatibility with apps and become more vulnerable to cyber threats.

What’s interesting is what Microsoft doesn’t mention. There’s no real discussion of the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, which offers one extra year of security updates for Windows 10 for $30. While Enterprise users have additional options, Microsoft seems reluctant to promote any solution other than upgrading to Windows 11.

Tech. Entertainment. Science. Your inbox.

Sign up for the most interesting tech & entertainment news out there.

By signing up, I agree to the Terms of Use and have reviewed the Privacy Notice.

Panos Panay at a Windows 11 eventImage source: Microsoft

The lack of emphasis on the ESU program in this latest Windows 10 end-of-support email might suggest that Microsoft doesn’t expect everyday users to pay for security patches—or that they simply want to push people toward a full upgrade instead.

Another not-so-subtle nudge in the email is a suggestion to back up files with OneDrive. While this is useful advice, it’s also an obvious attempt to promote Microsoft’s cloud storage service. But don’t worry; OneDrive isn’t going anywhere, and there’s no reason to believe it will stop working after Windows 10 reaches its expiration date.

For millions of users still clinging to Windows 10, the decision isn’t so simple, though. Many older PCs aren’t eligible for Windows 11, leaving users with limited options. Then there are the myriad of AI features Microsoft is pushing with Windows 11 that many aren’t huge fans of.

As the deadline gets closer, Microsoft’s messaging is only going to get louder. Whether you choose to upgrade, pay for extended security, or switch to another OS, Windows 10’s time is officially running out.

Source

Posted on by

Salesforce execs at TDX 25: Agentforce a whole system AI play

At the TDX 2025 developer conference in San Francisco, Salesforce executives presented its Agentforce agentic AI technology as a “whole system” approach, where large language models (LLMs) are less significant than a “trinity” of data, applications and agents. Relatedly, they consistently disparage “DIY” artificial intelligence (AI) programmes.

Paula Goldman, the supplier’s chief ethical and humane use officer, said: “I think a lot of the public discourse about AI has been about [large language] models. But if you think about Agentforce, it’s a whole system. There’s a foundation model, and then there’s a series of smaller models that go into our Atlas system, and there are workflows that are automated that people can draw on. We’ve got used to talking about AI as models over the past few years, but I think we need to be talking about systems.”

David Schmaier, president and chief product officer at Salesforce, said the supplier’s entire technology stack, including Slack and Tableau, comes into play with Agentforce. He also pointed to its Data Cloud platform as central to its AI offer.

“You couldn’t have a computer without a microprocessor; you need storage and RAM and a display and an operating system around it. That’s what we’ve done. We have our data cloud, which harmonises hundreds of thousands of systems. It gives you the data, the metadata and the semantics. That’s why we can outperform an LLM by itself. LLMs have hallucinations, they have bias, toxicity. An LLM is necessary but insufficient. We add to the LLM. Our view is the data powers the AI and then the AI powers the customer experience of the future,” he said.

An LLM is necessary but insufficient. We add to the LLM. Our view is the data powers the AI and then the AI powers the customer experience of the future David Schmaier, Salesforce

“We call it the ‘holy trinity’. We have the Data Cloud, then we have our Sales Cloud, Service Cloud and Marketing Cloud apps – which is how we got the name Salesforce – as well as Slack, Mulesoft and Tableau. And now we have Agentforce on top of all that. That’s how we can turn on 10,600 customers over three days with agents. It’s because we are using the same platform as we have for 25 years. So, with a healthcare company, for example, that has workflows it has bult in its Salesforce deployment, it can make all those available for [virtual] agents,” Schmaier added.

He believes too many organisations are doing DIY AI. “Most people are just trying to take whatever apps they have, whether it’s Salesforce or SAP or Workday, and just buying ChatGPT and trying to plug it in. No other competitor has what we have, in terms of agents. We think we have a real lead in this agentic field. We’ve sold to 5,200 customers since launching at Dreamforce [in September 2024]. Now, we have 200,000 customers, and most don’t use Agentforce today,” he said.

Rahul Auradkar, executive vice-president and general manager of Unified Data Services and Einstein at Salesforce, made a similar argument about what the provider calls DIY AI.

“What we are doing with agents is an entire system. We’re not shipping a model, an app or a copilot. We’re shipping an AI system on a deeply unified platform. What that system allows our enterprise customers, who don’t want to do the DIY, to do is surface customer-centric analytics and workflows, and listen to the customers to feed back to the system so the agents get better. Copilots are a narrow sliver of what AI can be,” he said.

“The difference between a DIY AI and an enterprise using [our] system is that the enterprise can focus on things that they are good at, which is plenty of things. They have their data. The have their transactions. They have their engagement data. They have their AI policies, their workflows, their automations. We bring all that together within a deeply unified platform and drive value for our customers,” added Auradkar.

DIY AI programmes strongly in evidence among users

And yet, analyst research from Informa TechTarget’s Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) offers a contrast with Salesforce’s disparagement of DIY AI – a complicating contrast rather than a confutation, but a contrast nevertheless.

Towards the end of 2024, ESG surveyed 832 professionals at organisations across the globe involved in the strategy, decision-making, selection, deployment and management of generative AI (GenAI) initiatives and projects at their organisations and familiar with their organisation’s use of third parties to support GenAI initiatives.

The resulting report, The state of the generative AI market: Widespread transformation continues – authored by Mark Beccue, principal analyst, Mike Leone, practice director and principal analyst, and Emily Marsh, associate research director – does find support for an agentic AI philosophy: “Respondents most often said that they see AI agents, virtual assistants, and intelligent chatbots powered by AI as valuable productivity tools, though they also often said they view them with cautious optimism (41%). Over two-thirds of organisations are planning for or considering AI agents, which represents a significant opportunity for AI vendors to target these requirements with capabilities and services.”

They also note, however: “The AI agent market is extremely nascent and loaded with challenges, including managing single-task agents, interoperability problems, the potential emergence of multitask agents and security.”

But the authors also remark, similarly to Salesforce’s Auradkar, that: “A wide majority (84%) of respondents agreed it is important to incorporate their own enterprise data into models that support generative AI. GenAI models themselves are not a competitive differentiator. Rather, effectively identifying, organising and vetting internal data for use with GenAI models is the key to creating unique and highly actionable insights.”

The research also found user organisations to be embracing a variety of LLMs – open source and proprietary. The largest percentage of respondent organisations (43%) are both proprietary and open source models.

Alongside this enthusiasm for using large language models, the study found that organisations are placing “their bets on internal resources, planning to reskill or upskill employees (58%) and provide education and awareness training to employees (43%)”. This suggests a growing cadre of employees who will want to do DIY AI.

The authors comment: “Employee enthusiasm for these technologies is likely at a high point as GenAI excitement pervades many facets of society, so this internal investment will likely be a win-win situation whereby personnel receive welcome development opportunities and the business gains valuable GenAI expertise.”

At Dreamforce in September 2024, Marc Benioff, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Salesforce, was in combative mood in respect of Agentforce, positioning it as a wholescale alternative to generative AI copilot usage, associated with Microsoft and Google, but with other vendors too.

“There’s a lot of narratives out there from vendors, and a lot of it is not true,” he said at the time. “You need to sit with those customers [at the Dreamforce event], look at the code and break the hypnosis coming from all the vendors. There’s plenty of real customers here who are really deploying real AI. But there are billions being invested in copilots, delivering how much productivity increase? Is there a better way to do it? And so, that’s our gambit.”

The game is still being played. The middle game lies ahead.

Source

Posted on by

Forget Apple Intelligence, Siri doesn’t even know what month it is

It’s not Apple’s finest hour, as the company is going through one of the most humiliating periods of its recent history. Apple had to admit a few days ago that the smarter Siri it advertised as coming this year to iPhone via Apple Intelligence is delayed indefinitely. It’s unclear how long it’ll take for that Siri upgrade to come to iPhone 16 and other supported devices.

The realization that the smarter Siri in Apple Intelligence is just vaporware prompted plenty of backlash from Apple fans unhappy with how Apple handled the delay.

I said at the time that I still want the Siri vision Apple unveiled at WWDC 2024, but I want Apple to be honest about what it can and can’t do. Yes, Apple is well behind ChatGPT and Gemini, considering this massive setback, but it has time to catch up and deliver the product it advertised. Personal AI assistants are the future of computers, and Apple will eventually get there.

Now that we’re used to the idea of Apple Intelligence being a huge letdown, we can go back to using iPhones as if Apple Intelligence doesn’t exist. Without the smart Siri that should have been here, Apple Intelligence is really nothing to write home about. I’ll continue to ignore it, even though it’s finally available in Europe. It offers nothing I need right now.

Tech. Entertainment. Science. Your inbox.

Sign up for the most interesting tech & entertainment news out there.

By signing up, I agree to the Terms of Use and have reviewed the Privacy Notice.

However, it looks like Siri, available outside of Apple Intelligence, is somehow getting dumber. People have noticed the iPhone assistant can’t answer simple questions like “What month is it?” and that’s bad news for Apple.

Siri was the key iPhone 4s feature that Apple unveiled all the way back in 2011. That was nearly 15 years ago. It was extraordinary, teasing the sort of iPhone functionality that seemed taken out of a sci-fi movie. You could issue simple voice commands to the assistant, and Siri would provide assistance.

Since then, competitors have overtaken Siri’s capabilities, with Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Google Assistant being two good examples, despite Apple improving its own voice assistant.

In 2025, you’d expect Siri to understand your question when you ask it what month it is and answer it. Or, at least, Siri could start a web search for your query, which is what it used to do in the past when it couldn’t quite catch what you asked.

That’s not the case. Siri says it doesn’t understand your question when you ask it what month it is. Apple enthusiast John Gruber, who made waves last week pointing out the deeply misleading Apple Intelligence Siri development and marketing, found a Reddit thread where multiple users posted their experience asking Siri what month it is.

Gruber says he reproduced Siri’s “I’m sorry, I don’t understand” on his iPhone 16 Pro running iOS 18.4 beta 4. I asked Siri the same question on my iPhone 16 Pro Max and got the same bewildering answer.

Truth be told, I have no idea whether Siri ever knew what month it was. I never asked that question because it’s not something I need assistance with. I usually know what month it is. But a phone voice assistant should, at the very least, know what month it is.

I even tried to text Siri the same question and got the same response. Dumb Siri can’t answer a basic question. It does know the date, so that’s something. But it can’t extract the month from there.

One Reddit user tried to ask, “What month is it currently?” and got the answer, “It is 2025.” My Siri didn’t understand this question either.

This is just embarrassing for Apple, especially in light of the Apple Intelligence fiasco. I can’t wait to see how and when Apple will address these matters publicly.

Source

Posted on by

Apple sued over false advertising claims tied to Apple Intelligence

Apple had to come clean a few days ago and reveal that the smart Siri features it demoed at WWDC 2024 would not be available via Apple Intelligence this year. They might hit the iPhone, iPad, and Mac next year. Apple also withdrew that ad featuring Bella Ramsay that advertised the smart Siri features in Apple Intelligence ahead of the iPhone 16 launch.

We all realized the smart Siri Apple envisioned is practically vaporware, a rare event for Apple. The company essentially announced an advanced AI concept at WWDC 2024 that it could not deliver. Apple insiders like John Gruber drew scathing reviews of Apple’s behavior related to Siri, further reinforcing the idea the AI assistant was vaporware.

Since then, we heard of Apple internal meetings over Apple Intelligence, including a purported exec reshuffling that Apple is yet to announce.

Apple didn’t fire anyone over the Siri fiasco, but the company reportedly appointed the Vision Pro boss Mike Rockwell to lead the Siri efforts. Like I said before, I still expect that smart Siri version to be available in Apple Intelligence on iPhone, no matter how long it takes. Apple seems determined to deliver it, too.

Tech. Entertainment. Science. Your inbox.

Sign up for the most interesting tech & entertainment news out there.

By signing up, I agree to the Terms of Use and have reviewed the Privacy Notice.

However, when Apple had to acknowledge the delay of smart Siri, it was clear that lawsuits would follow, particularly after Apple pulled that ad. That first lawsuit is already here, alleging Apple engaged in false advertising to sell the iPhone 16 series.

According to Axios, the Clarkson Law Firm filed the federal lawsuit on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in San Jose. The suit seeks class-action status, asking for unspecified damages for those who bought Apple Intelligence-ready iPhones and other hardware.

The lawsuit has just been filed, and it’ll take some time to settle, but this potential class action already looks like it will cost Apple. After all, Apple received plenty of criticism in the weeks following the iPhone 16 launch for advertising Apple Intelligence features for the new phones that would not be there when buyers received their units.

Apple Intelligence features would roll out in phases, starting with iOS 18.1. The world accepted this outcome, trusting Apple would ship the promised software features. There was no precedent suggesting Apple might run into issues.

That’s what the lawyers point out right from the start.

“Apple’s advertisements saturated the internet, television, and other airwaves to cultivate a clear and reasonable consumer expectation that these transformative features would be available upon the iPhone’s release,” the suit writes.

“This drove unprecedented excitement in the market, even for Apple, as the company knew it would, and as part of Apple’s ongoing effort to convince consumers to upgrade at a premium price and to distinguish itself from competitors deemed to be winning the AI-arms race.”

The lawyers go further, saying that Apple knew the Apple Intelligence features it was demoing were not working.

“But Apple also knew none of it was true. Recently, under mounting pressure from outraged consumers and industry scrutiny, Apple was forced to acknowledge that the heralded Apple Intelligence features, including the Siri enhancements that fueled the greatest consumer excitement, did not exist then and do not exist now,” they say.

As Gruber aptly pointed out a few days ago, Apple clearly knew that the smart Siri features in the WWDC 2024 presentation were not good enough to demo live in front of a large or more limited audience. The absence of the smart Siri feature in the iOS 18.4 beta release further suggested Apple had big problems on its hands.

“Worse, Apple has admitted that if these features ever materialize, it won’t be until 2026—two years after its pervasive marketing campaign built on a lie. 8,” the suit reads. “Against this backdrop, Apple deceived millions of consumers into purchasing new phones they did not need based on features that do not exist, in violation of multiple false advertising and consumer protection laws.”

Unsurprisingly, the lawsuit (available at this link) contains screenshots from the Ramsey commercial and Apple’s website. It also includes claims Apple made about Apple Intelligence and the smart Siri assistant coming to iOS 18.

What happens next? We’ll have to wait a while to see this lawsuit play out. Before we ever get to a settlement, Apple will hold its WWDC 2025 event in a few months, during which it will inevitably have to address the Apple Intelligence mess while unveiling its new software features for the coming year.

Apple will hopefully apologize for the smart Siri delays before WWDC, or at the event. But I can’t blame any iPhone buyer who purchased an iPhone 16 device if they want to join the lawsuit and seek damages from Apple.

Source

Posted on by

Latest leaks reveal iPhone Fold may have impressive battery life and an innovative hinge

There are two new leaks regarding the upcoming iPhone Fold, the Galaxy Z Fold-like device Apple is expected to unveil in late 2026 or early 2027. One of them comes from the news aggregator account yeux1122. According to them, Apple is working to improve the display DDI part to make the panel thinner.

Still, yeux1122 says that even though Apple wants to make the iPhone Fold as thin as possible, the company will also make sure to add the best battery available to its device, as it’s working on power-efficiency-related features. We can also assume that some of these functions could include a new C1 chip, Apple’s 5G modem, and the company’s own Wi-Fi chip, which is expected to be available with this year’s iPhone 17 lineup.

With these new processors, Apple will likely improve battery life, as It will have better control over both hardware and software. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also brings the latest leak on the iPhone Fold.

According to his industry research, Apple will use liquid metal in the hinges of this upcoming device. He writes: “Apple is focused on improving durability, enhancing screen flatness, and minimizing crease marks in its foldable iPhone design. To achieve these goals, key components like the hinges will be crafted from liquid metal using a die-casting process.”

Tech. Entertainment. Science. Your inbox.

Sign up for the most interesting tech & entertainment news out there.

By signing up, I agree to the Terms of Use and have reviewed the Privacy Notice.

The analyst says Apple has used liquid metal for small components, such as SIM ejector pins, for years. Still, the iPhone Fold will mark the first significant use of the material in a critical mechanical part. Interestingly, Android manufacturers are rumored to start using this technology to improve durability and minimize the crease of the display.

According to the rumors and leaks, Apple wants to deliver an ultra-thin iPhone Fold with great battery life and a creaseless foldable display. If the company can achieve that, it might show the competitors that even though it took a long time to enter the foldable market, it has waited enough to outperform every competitor.

Source

Posted on by

iPhone Fold might look like this quirky new foldable you probably can’t buy

The first foldable iPhone is coming next year, barring some sort of really unfortunate event. After years of covering countless iPhone rumors, I’m comfortable saying that. We’ve reached a point in the rumor phase that precedes the launch of a big iPhone release where we see an increasing number of leaks from sources all saying the same thing.

Apple is preparing to launch the first foldable iPhone next year. The company has reportedly settled on the Fold-type design we’ve already seen from Samsung, Honor, Google, Oppo (OnePlus), and others. Rumors also say that Apple will deliver an almost crease-less foldable display, a design detail that’s been a priority for the iPhone maker.

Reports have also mentioned the purported screen sizes for the foldable iPhone, saying the handset will feature a 7.75-inch foldable screen and a 5.49-inch external screen. You don’t need schematics or dummy units to realize those measurements make no sense at first glance. They make no sense if you think Apple’s iPhone Fold will look like the Galaxy Z Fold.

That’s what I thought, and I employed ChatGPT to give me the dimensions of an iPhone foldable featuring those two screen sizes. The conclusion was obvious: Apple would work with a different aspect ratio. The iPhone Fold would not be as tall as the Galaxy Z Fold. When open, it would look more like a tablet than a Fold-type device.

Tech. Entertainment. Science. Your inbox.

Sign up for the most interesting tech & entertainment news out there.

By signing up, I agree to the Terms of Use and have reviewed the Privacy Notice.

Reports that followed also said the iPhone Fold will have a different aspect ratio.

Fast-forward to mid-March, and we have a brand new foldable phone launch on our hands. It’s a phone you’ll probably not be able to buy, and you might not even want to get it if it were launched in the States. It’s the Huawei Pura X in the image above. But what’s amazing about this foldable is that it gives us a visual idea of what the foldable iPhone will look like.

The Pura X, launched in China on Thursday, is priced at 7,499 yuan ($1,037). It’s a flagship device running Huawei’s proprietary HarmonyOS 5.

Huawei Pura X: Cover screen and back panel.Huawei Pura X: Cover screen and back panel. Image source: Huawei

Huawei developed this operating system after Trump banned the Chinese company from working with US tech companies during his first term. This forced Huawei to abandon Google’s Android and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips, significantly impacting its ability to compete.

The difference between the early versions of Harmony and HarmonyOS 5 is that the latter is Huawei’s brand-new OS that has no trace of Android. That might be a huge dealbreaker for anyone looking to buy the Pura X, even if the foldable was available in the US and other Western markets.

What’s really exciting about the Pura X is the design, which I immediately associated with the foldable iPhone rumors.

Huawei Pura X: Foldable screen looks like a small tablet.Huawei Pura X: Foldable screen looks like a small tablet. Image source: Huawei

Folded, the Pura X features a 3.5-inch cover screen with a triple-camera sensor placed at the top. This screen design suggests we’re looking at a Galaxy Z Flip-style clamshell, but that’s not really so.

Unfold the Pura X, and you get a massive 6.3-inch screen with an unusual 16:10 aspect ratio. The phone has small, symmetrical bezels and a hole-punch camera at the top. You can hold it in portrait mode like a regular candybar (or Flip clamshell) phone.

But that aspect ratio turns the Pura X into a much better tablet than the Galaxy Z Fold 6. The tablet experience makes me think of the iPad mini 6 or 7.

The two iPad mini variants feature the same design. I’ve long fantasized that a foldable iPhone would unfold to look like an iPad mini. The Pura X, combined with the foldable iPhone screen leaks from a few weeks ago, further reinforces my thinking.

The Pura X tablet experience.The Pura X tablet experience. Image source: Huawei

That said, the Pura X is smaller than the iPhone Fold-type phone, considering those rumors. The Pura X is 91.7mm tall when folded. That height becomes the width of the handset when you unfold it.

My ChatGPT calculations told me the foldable iPhone will have a height of 120.4mm to accommodate the 5.49-inch cover and 7.75-inch foldable displays. Both those screens are larger than the Pura X handset.

I’ll also point out that the Pura X design potentially solves one of my big issues with the foldable iPhone. The main camera module’s cover display placement could help Apple make Face ID possible. Some rumors say that Apple will bring back Touch ID for the handset, as Face ID components might not fit in an ultra-thin foldable iPhone.

The Pura X doesn’t seem to have 3D facial recognition support. It does feature a fingerprint sensor on the side button.

Separately, the thickness is another quirk about Huawei’s strange foldable. The phone measures 7.15mm when unfolded or 15.1mm when folded. That’s much thicker than even Samsung’s foldables. The foldable iPhone should be much thinner than that, according to reports.

Source

Posted on by

Claude 3.7 Sonnet AI now supports web search, but only for paid users

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said in early January that Claude would get a few upgrades to put it on par with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. He mentioned advanced reasoning support and internet search abilities were in the works for Claude, but didn’t commit to rollout schedules for either feature.

Anthropic released Claude 3.7 Sonnet a few weeks ago, which offered the reasoning features Amodei teased, including an extended thinking mode feature. However, search was not part of the deal, which isn’t ideal. After using ChatGPT with online search support for so long, I can’t imagine going back to genAI experiences that do not involve the ability to look up new information on the internet.

Thankfully, Anthropic added online search support to Claude 3.7 Sonnet, which should further enhance its responses. The feature is limited, as you might expect. You’ll need access to a paid subscription to get it, and you also have to be in the US.

Unlike OpenAI, Claude isn’t launching a search product. When OpenAI did that a few months ago, it led to a big overhaul of the ChatGPT UI. ChatGPT now performs internet searches when you click the Search button, but I never do that. I usually tell the AI to find me specific information, which ChatGPT interprets as having to search the web. The AI complies.

Tech. Entertainment. Science. Your inbox.

Sign up for the most interesting tech & entertainment news out there.

By signing up, I agree to the Terms of Use and have reviewed the Privacy Notice.

Anthropic’s internet search support will work similarly. The AI will know when to search the web for updated information based on how you formulate your prompt. There’s no new internet search button in the composer, at least in the demo the company offers in the blog post.

Like ChatGPT, Claude provides a source for the information it cites so you can check for accuracy. Given that AIs still hallucinate information, you’ll want to check the sources for what Claude says in its responses.

Claude will tell you when it's searching the web.Claude will tell you when it’s searching the web. Image source: Anthropic

Anthropic offers various examples of using Claude with web search, most of them focusing on enterprise customers who might subscribe to Claude. Sales teams, financial analysts, and researchers are the first three categories of Claude users that can benefit from AI web searches.

But the company also mentions shoppers who “can compare product features, prices, and reviews across multiple sources to make more informed purchase decisions” with Claude.

I’ll repeat what I said above. I don’t want to talk to chatbots that can’t access the web for updated information. The training data cutoffs might not be that old, but they aren’t good enough for most of my needs.

To get started with Claude search, you’ll have to toggle on the web search option in your profile, assuming you’re a paying subscriber in the US. Thankfully, Anthropic says support for the free Claude plan and more countries is coming soon.

Claude Pro starts at $20/month, matching the ChatGPT Plus subscription price.

Source

Posted on by

AirPods Pro 3 may be the world’s best earbuds with these 8 rumored features

Apple is expected to release AirPods Pro 3 in late 2025. Three years after the first iteration of AirPods Pro 2 with Lightning port was released, Cupertino is expected to significantly improve its best earbuds. Despite the fact that last year’s AirPods Max update was so disappointing, we expect Apple’s next-gen AirPods Pro to be a much bigger update thanks to several new features and upgrades.

This article covers eight rumored features that should make AirPods Pro 3 an instant hit and potentially the best earbuds on the planet.

Much better ANC: Apple already offers incredible ANC. With its advanced algorithms, the company also offers best-in-class Transparency and Adaptive modes. For the third generation of AirPods Pro, Apple is expected to greatly improve the ANC, and it could build up on the technology available for AirPods 4, which offers ANC even without ear tips.

Improved hearing aid capabilities: AirPods Pro 2 are the first earbuds to offer hearing aid capabilities. It’s only natural to assume that Apple will continue to enhance this feature with upcoming versions of its pro earbuds. In addition, there’s another reason why hearing aid capabilities will be better with this next generation.

Tech. Entertainment. Science. Your inbox.

Sign up for the most interesting tech & entertainment news out there.

By signing up, I agree to the Terms of Use and have reviewed the Privacy Notice.

H3 chip: Apple does a great job with its audio chips. All the way from the W1 chip and its magical features, the company has walked a long path to bring the H2 processor. To this day, Apple keeps adding more features to AirPods Pro 2. It’s only natural to assume that Cupertino will continue to improve the audio quality and the connectivity between AirPods and iPhone while delivering new features, such as better ANC, improved hearing aid capabilities, and so on.

Heart rate measurement: According to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, one of AirPods Pro 3 top features could be heart rate measurement. At the time, the journalist said Apple Watch measurements were more accurate than the prototype AirPods, but not much. This could be perfect for those who don’t like wearing smartwatches all the time. With the Powerbeats Pro 2, we know this feature works without an Apple Watch on, and it’s only active while the user is exercising.

Body temperature: Finally, Apple has also been working on a body temperature sensor for future AirPods. The company may add a camera to help measure the body’s temperature, which could be more accurate than the sensor available with the Apple Watch.

Other tidbits for the upcoming AirPods Pro 3 might include improved battery life, a thinner case (if we consider AirPods 4), more robust water and dust resistance, and so on.

Wrap up

These are the features you should look forward to the most in the upcoming AirPods Pro 3. BGR will let you know once we learn more about this device.

Source

Posted on by

Driving licence data could be used for police facial recognition

Human rights group Liberty has said the UK government’s proposed Crime and Policing Bill will transform the country’s driving licence database into a de-facto facial recognition database, enabling police to access the biometric information of millions of people who have never committed a crime.

Introduced to Parliament on 25 February 2025, the Home Office-sponsored bill will introduce a range of measures to extend police powers in the UK, including bans on wearing face coverings or using pyrotechnics during protests, and the introduction of “respect orders” to address so-called “anti-social behaviour”.

The Crime and Policing Bill will also enable police to access driving licence information from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), which holds more than 52 million driver records. Access to driving licence information will be controlled by as-yet unspecified regulations to be created by the secretary of state, who will also draft a code of practice about how the information can be made available and used.

The secretary of state will also be obliged to publish an annual report on how driving licence information is being used by police.

While the bill makes no explicit reference to facial recognition technology in the text or supporting documents, the measures are substantively similar to those contained in the previous Conservative government’s Criminal Justice Bill, which then-policing minister Chris Philp said could “allow police and law enforcement, including the NCA [National Crime Agency], to access driving licence records to do a facial recognition search”.

Human rights group Liberty said that although the current Labour government has denied the regulation-making powers contained in the bill’s driving licence information provisions would be used for facial recognition purposes, the proposals – which closely mirror those put forward by the last government – could still enable this invasive use of the technology.

“This would represent a huge step in broadening the use of facial recognition technology away from police databases to everyone with a driving licence,” it said. “Every photo on the DVLA database could be accessed by the police and essentially form a digital police line-up. If this is the intention, then the government should be transparent and invite proper scrutiny rather than sneaking through rights-restricting legislation.”

A Home Office spokesperson told Computer Weekly it was “categorically untrue” that the DVLA database would be accessed by police for facial recognition purposes, stating: “These provisions will have no impact on facial recognition.”

In a written submission to Parliament about the previous government’s attempts to link the DVLA database to facial recognition systems, privacy group Big Brother Watch said it represented “a huge, disproportionate expansion of police surveillance powers that would place the majority of Britons in a digital police line-up, without their consent”.

It added that setting a precedent where police are able to access a non-police database to sift through millions of people’s biometric data “would be deeply concerning” for privacy rights. “In a rights-respecting country, the public would no less expect police forces to access their facial biometrics from the DVLA database than they would expect them to access their DNA biometric from NHS databases,” it said.

Commenting on the proposal in the Crime and Policing Bill, Liberty added that police should never be allowed access to a database containing millions of biometric records of people who are not on a wanted list, have never committed a crime, and did otherwise not consent to the use of their information in this way.

Liberty further added that the proposed code of practice should not be accepted as a safeguard. “There should be primary legislation governing the overall police use of facial recognition. It should not be piecemeal in this way,” it said.

As it stands, the UK has no legislation explicitly covering the police use of facial recognition technologies, although successive governments have repeatedly affirmed it is covered a by “comprehensive legal framework”, which consists of a patchwork of existing legislation.

While there has been limited Parliamentary scrutiny of facial recognition in the form of written questions and answers over the years, there has only been one formal debate on how police are using the technology in Parliament, which was held in November 2024.

This marked the first time MPs openly discussed police use of the tech in the eight years since live facial recognition (LFR) was first deployed by the Metropolitan Police at Notting Hill Carnival in August 2016.

Since that initial deployment, there have been repeated calls from Parliament and civil society for new legal frameworks to govern law enforcement’s use of LFR technology. These include three separate inquiries by the Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee (JHAC) into shoplifting, police algorithms and police facial recognition; two of the UK’s former biometrics commissioners, Paul Wiles and Fraser Sampson; an independent legal review by Matthew Ryder QC; the UK’s Equalities and Human Rights Commission; and the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, which called for a moratorium on LFR as far back as July 2019.

Attempts to link facial recognition systems with UK databases created for other purposes have been ongoing for a number of years.

In October 2023, Philp outlined his intention to give police forces access to the UK’s passport database, claiming it would enhance their facial recognition capabilities to help catch shoplifters and other criminals.

While Philp’s proposals were blasted by human rights and privacy groups, UK regulators also took issue. For example, the then-biometrics and surveillance commissioner of England and Wales, Fraser Sampson, told the BBC it was important for police to avoid giving people the impression they’re on a “digital line-up”.

“The state has large collections of good-quality photographs of a significant proportion of the population – drivers and passport holders being good examples – which were originally required and given as a condition of, say, driving and international travel,” he said.

“If the state routinely runs every photograph against every picture of every suspected incident of crime simply because it can, there is a significant risk of disproportionality and of damaging public trust,” added Sampson.

Scottish biometrics commissioner Brian Plastow also said it would be “egregious” to link the UK’s passport database with facial recognition systems, arguing it would be “unethical and potentially unlawful”.

“The suggestion that images given voluntarily to UK government agencies for a specific purpose by law-abiding citizens to obtain a UK passport or UK driving licence should then be capable of being routinely accessed by the police and ‘bulk washed’ against images from low-level crime scenes is neither proportionate nor strictly necessary and would significantly damage public trust,” he said at the time.

Source