Meta will delay Facebook, Instagram message encryption to 2023

Daniel Korpai/Unsplash

Meta was initially scheduled to release end-to-end encrypted messaging on Facebook Messenger and Instagram as soon as next year. But now, we learn that this plan is delayed to "sometime in 2023." The company delivered the update through a commentary Meta's safety head Antigone Davis wrote for The Telegraph. Davis wrote they're taking the extra time to "get this right."

The company said it is working with privacy and safety experts, governments, and civil society to work on this feature so that privacy and safety will work hand in hand. Davis writes about Meta's approaches to detect abuse and prevent harm proactively, including looking at suspicious patterns of activities on non-encrypted data and user reports. 

Via: Engadget

Disneyland to get the Alexa-based 'Hey, Disney' voice assistant in 2022

If you find yourself at a Disneyland Hotel in 2022, you'll be able to use the "Hey, Disney" prompt in your hotel room as the voice assistant will work alongside Alexa, courtesy of the in-room Echo speakers. It can handle requests involving amenities or tell stories or jokes.

The theme park is also getting the MagicBand+ next year. These smart wristbands will allow you to enter the park, make purchases, and, basically, go touch-free in many areas in the park. You can even use it to improve the experience in specific areas through lights, gesture controls, and haptic feedback.

Source: Engadget

Spotify takes out shuffle as default after Adele's request (at least for Premium users)

Spotify takes out shuffle by default on Premium accounts (left), but it remains the same for Free accounts (right)

When you played albums on Spotify before, the streaming service had the shuffle feature on the large green play button enabled by default. But Adele didn't want that for her new album, "30," which is her first record after a six-year hiatus. She requested that they take out the option for her album, and Spotify granted the request, kind of.

On Saturday, she revealed on Twitter that her only request for the album, which debuted on Friday, was that Spotify takes out the shuffle option as the song order was necessary for her story.

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Pixel 6a leak suggests the headphone jack is going away

Google Pixel 6 might only be a few weeks old, but the rumours on its more budget-friendly counterpart have begun pouring in. Well-known tipster OnLeaks and 91Mobiles have shared Pixel 6a renders that give the mid-range phone a look similar to the more premium Pixel 6. It gets the phone's signature camera bar, centred hole-punch selfie camera, and an in-screen fingerprint sensor. Unlike other "a" models, though, there are rumours that the Pixel 6a will get rid of its headphone jack.

Specs-wise, not much is known yet. But that's understandable given that the "a" series phone is usually released later in the year. The Pixel 6a is rumoured to get a 6.2-inch OLED screen with dual cameras. But it isn't known if Google will develop a lower-cost Tensor chip or use a third-party processor for this handset. 

Via: Engadget