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Original Chromecast quietly loses Google support

06/05/202306/02/2023 Jorge Gonzalez

The first of the decade-old gadget will no longer receive any software or security updates. Google has decided to quietly end support for its original Chromecast, about ten years after the streaming stick’s initial launch in 2013. The notification of the end of the support for the gadget appeared on a number of Google support pages. “Support for Chromecast (1st gen) has ended,” said the notice about the original Chromecast’s end of support from Google. “These devices no longer receive software or security updates, and Google does not provide technical…

Alexa voices will no longer include celebrities like Samuel L. Jackson

06/02/202306/01/2023 Stephanie Beck

The smart gadget will also no longer be able to sound like Melissa McCarthy is speaking to you. Amazon has announced that it has stopped the sale of celebrity Alexa voices in the form of “personalities” for the device. The e-commerce giant posted a note on the product pages that used to include celebrities for personalities. According to Amazon’s note, the celebrity Alexa voices are no longer available for purchase. Melissa McCarthy and Samuel L. Jackson aren’t the only celebrities whose “personalities” are being removed from the availability list. Others…

Apple and Google collaborate on digital privacy effort to address unwanted tracking

05/05/202305/04/2023 Stephanie Beck

The technology giants are accepting input from advocacy groups and industry participants. Location-tracking devices have become extremely commonplace as consumers use them to make it easier to find everything from luggage to their car keys, but digital privacy has become a serious concern. These gadgets can relatively easily be misused by wrongdoers for unwanted tracking of others. As a result, Apple and Google submitted a joint proposal for industry specifications that could help to combat the misuse of tracking gadgets using Bluetooth technology for unwanted tracking and threatening personal and…

Wear OS 3 smartwatch now compatible with Google Home

05/01/202304/28/2023 Jorge Gonzalez

Wearers can now use check who is at the door by taking a glance at their wrists. A new Google Home app update has made it possible for Wear OS 3 smartwatch users to view rich notifications from their other gadgets such as their video doorbell or smart camera. The update has been a long time coming and was announced in a recent blog post from the company. The feature arrived as a component of the Google Home Public Preview. The company used a blog post to announce that it…

AR and VR headset from apple to reportedly run hundreds of thousands of iPad apps

04/27/202304/26/2023 L. Green

Media reports have indicated the device will be compatible with the massive library of applications. The highly anticipated Apple AR and VR headset, reportedly nicknamed the Reality Pro, will be able to run hundreds of thousands of third-party iPad apps, according to a recent report from Bloomberg. The device is being developed for both an augmented and virtual reality experience. Unlike other existing AR or VR headset products, Apple’s upcoming model is expected to take an all-encompassing feature approach, said the Bloomberg report. As a component of a strategy to…