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TikTok’s Bold Glamour Filter Sparks Controversy Over AI & Unrealistic Beauty Standards
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Internet, Software,
TikTok is known for its fun and creative filters and effects that allow users to transform their appearance and express themselves. However, one of its filters has been causing a lot of backlash for its unrealistic and potentially harmful effects on users’ self-esteem and body image.
The filter in question is called Bold Glamour, which applies light makeup, smooths skin, enlarges lips, and tweaks bone structures to create a more “glamorous” look. However, many users have pointed out that the filter also changes their eye color, nose shape, jawline, cheekbones, and even hairline, making them look like completely different people.
Some users have been using the filter to compare their before and after looks or to show how different they look from their friends or family members. Others have been using it to mock or criticize the filter for its unrealistic beauty standards or to make jokes about how they would look like celebrities with the filter on.
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How iPhone Thieves Can Ruin Your Digital Life in Minutes
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Videos,
Imagine this: You’re at a bar with your friends, enjoying a drink and chatting. You take out your iPhone to check something and enter your passcode. You don’t notice the person behind you who’s watching your every move and memorizing your passcode. A few minutes later, they snatch your iPhone from your hand and run away.
You might think that’s bad enough, but it gets worse. Within minutes, the thief has used your passcode to gain access to your iPhone and change your Apple ID password, which enables them to disable Find My, make purchases using Apple Pay, gain access to passwords stored in iCloud Keychain, and scan through Photos for pictures of documents that contain a Social Security number or other details that could be used for identity theft.
This is not a hypothetical scenario. It’s a real threat that has been happening across the US. The Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern has been hearing from victims who have lost thousands of dollars and their entire digital lives after their iPhones were stolen with the thieves obtaining their passcodes.
Click to continue reading How iPhone Thieves Can Ruin Your Digital Life in Minutes
Soon You Can Buy an Instagram Verification Badge with Meta Verified
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, Internet,
Meta has announced a new subscription service called Meta Verified, and it's causing a stir across social media. This feature is designed to increase authenticity and security on both Facebook and Instagram. Many are likening it to Twitter Blue, however, you get way more from Meta Verified, including actual "verification."
For $12 per month (or $15 per month if you subscribe through the App Store), users will get blue verification badges on their Facebook and Instagram account, additional impersonation protection, direct access to customer support, and 100 free stars to tip creators on Facebook. Meta Verified subscribers will also get access to exclusive stickers for Reels and Stories.
Click to continue reading Soon You Can Buy an Instagram Verification Badge with Meta Verified
Latest Gear Live Videos
Bing’s New Chatbot Isn’t Conscious, Despite What You May Have Heard
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Internet, Microsoft,
We're living in a time where AI anxiety is at an all-time high. Predictions about the AI singularity are being thrown around like confetti, and recent reports about Microsoft's new Bing search AI have some folks convinced that we're already living in a world of self-aware machines.
Now, don't get me wrong, I can see why people might think this. When most people hear the term "AI," they imagine Skynet or HAL 9000 – machines with human-like self-awareness, powered by complex processors that rival the human brain.
But the reality of AI is far different from the Hollywood versions we see on the big screen. AI tools like Midjourney, ChatGPT, and Google and Microsoft's search assistants are a far cry from the sentient machines we imagine. In fact, calling chatbots, art generators, or automated programming tools "AI" might be a misnomer – or more likely, a simple marketing tactic.
So, how do these "AI" tools actually work?
Click to continue reading Bing’s New Chatbot Isn’t Conscious, Despite What You May Have Heard
Talking with Apple about M2 Chip Design and the Power It Brings to the latest Macs
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Features, PC / Laptop, Videos,
In this episode I talk to Apple about the design process of Apple Silicon, the M2 chip, the M2 Max MacBook Pro, the M2 Pro Mac mini, and more. These are some of the most powerful and innovative Macs that Apple has ever created, and I wanted to learn more about how they came to be and what they can do. I'm joined by Laura Metz, the Director of Product Marketing, Anand Shimpi of Hardware Engineering, and Tuba Yalcin from the Pro Workflow team. They're all very passionate and knowledgeable about Apple's design process, and they shared some amazing insights.
This is a rare opportunity to hear from some of the people behind the scenes of Apple's amazing products and learn more about how they create and optimize them for different use cases. If you are a tech enthusiast or an Apple fan, you don't want to miss this video.
You can find my M2 Max MacBook Pro review, as well as pick one up for yourself!
Microsoft unveils new AI-powered Bing and Edge browser with ChatGPT features
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, Features, Internet, Microsoft,
I spent the day at Microsoft today for the unveiling of the new Bing: a chat-based search engine that can do more than just answer search queries.
Bing is now a conversational agent that can understand and communicate fluently in your language of choice. It can also do things like write poems and stories, generate code, create songs, do celebrity parodies, and more. Bing can even suggest relevant and interesting topics for you to chat about, or help you find helpful products or services based on your needs.
Purple Hybrid Premier 3 Mattress Review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Product Reviews,
This article is sponsored by Purple.
Today we’re taking a look at the Purple Hybrid Premier 3 mattress and the work that Purple has done for their mattresses in general, all with the goal of providing its customers with a better nights sleep.
Purple reached out to send over their Hybrid Premier 3, and then first thing I thought was - well, I don’t know that my mattress really needs to be replaced. So I looked up best practices, and it turns out that under normal circumstances, we should be replacing our mattresses every 6 to 8 years. My previous mattress was 7 years old, so I said let’s do it.
What arrived was a long, plastic wrapped cylinder containing the mattress, prompting me to do 3 things - unwrap, unroll, and unwind. Now, the mattress isn’t light - it’s made up of dense, high quality materials, so be sure to get help moving it to the final destination. As I talk about this one, if you’re interested in checking them it out for yourself, you can use this link to shop Purple mattresses.
Getting it out of the packaging and ready to use was actually very quick - I assumed it would need a few hours to inflate itself, but it really took no time at all…and right away you can get a sense for what makes a Purple mattress unique. It’s all about the Purple Grid.
Click to continue reading Purple Hybrid Premier 3 Mattress Review
What Apple Silicon Means for the Mac w/ Guest Rene Ritchie!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Corporate News, Features, Handhelds, PC / Laptop,
Apple is about to swap out Intel chips for their own self-made processors in the Mac line, and Rene Ritchie joins us to talk about what this means, and how it will change the Mac for the average consumer. We also discuss iOS 13.6, the moves Microsoft is making with the Xbox Series X and xCloud, along with a lightning round of tech topics!
LINKS MENTIONED IN THE SHOW
- Subscribe to Geared Up!
- New AirPods Features in iOS 14
- Why Apple Silicon will Make Macs Better
- Rene Ritchie on YouTube
- Geared Up on YouTube
- Jon Rettinger on YouTube
- Andru Edwards on YouTube
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Listen to the episode in the player above or subscribe to Geared Up in your favorite podcast app to listen on the go!
Apple Changes the Mac Forever, iOS 14, and more w/ Guest Mark Gurman!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Wearables, Corporate News, Displays, Features, Handhelds, Home Entertainment, Smart Home, PC / Laptop,
Apple dropped some major news during its WWDC virtual keynote, and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman joins the show as we talk about all of the announcements. Mark currently works for Bloomberg, and has been reporting on Apple since he was 15 years old, breaking major news since the very beginning of his career. We talk about his biggest scoops, the business of breaking news, Apple’s AR & VR headset plans, and of course all the news coming out of WWDC - macOS 11, iOS 14, tvOS 14, and watchOS 7.
LINKS MENTIONED IN THE SHOW
- Subscribe to Geared Up!
- New AirPods Features Coming in iOS 14
- iPhone Finally Copies Android
- iPhone OS 1.1.3 Leak
- Mark Gurman on Bloomberg
- Geared Up on YouTube
- Jon Rettinger on YouTube
- Andru Edwards on YouTube
SPONSOR: National Car Rental - skip the line with the Emerald Club. Go National. Go Like a Pro.
Listen to the episode in the player above or subscribe to Geared Up in your favorite podcast app to listen on the go!
The Hidden iPhone Superpower w/ Guest Matt Cassinelli
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Wearables, Features, Smart Home, PC / Laptop, Video Games,
This week Matt Cassinelli joins the show to talk to us about the power of the Shortcuts app on iPhone and iPad. Matt is who we consider to be the master of Shortcuts, and is able to bend the iPhone to his will more than anyone else we know. We also talk about the Playstation 5 reveal event, Apple’s rumored transition to ARM processors in Mac computers, and more!
LINKS MENTIONED IN THE SHOW
- Subscribe to Geared Up!
- How to Police-Proof Your Phone
- Siri Shortcuts on iOS 14
- PS5 Hardware Reveal
- The Rise and Fall of Windows Phone
- Matt Cassinelli on YouTube
- Geared Up on YouTube
- Jon Rettinger on YouTube
- Andru Edwards on YouTube
SPONSOR: National Car Rental - skip the line with the Emerald Club. Go National. Go Like a Pro.
Listen to the episode in the player above or subscribe to Geared Up in your favorite podcast app to listen on the go!
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