Facebook Messenger begins rollout of its unsend feature to mobile users

After testing out the much requested unsend option for Facebook’s default messaging app, the feature is now rolling out to some markets—namely Poland, Bolivia, Colombia, and Lithuania—with plans to bring it to more markets as soon as possible. It’s officially being called “Remove for Everyone” and it’s available for both iOS and Android versions of Facebook Messenger app. Messages can be removed from a recipient’s inbox within the first 10 minutes after it’s been delivered. (No, it won’t work with old messages sent years ago.) And when you do choose to remove a message, a tombstone will be kept in its place to let everyone in the thread know you deleted a message. Facebook will also retain the messages for a few minutes after they are unsent to make sure you can still report it. The social network thinks this is one way to dissuade bullies from using the feature to harass other users.

Once the feature goes live here, you can unsend a message by tapping and holding on it. As long as you’re within the 10-second timeframe, you’ll see the options Remove for Everyone and Remove for You. If you decide to remove it for all users, you’ll get a pop-up that’ll alert you that the message will be permanently removed but can still be reported. Other unsend features are also reportedly being developed for Messenger, including being able to let a thread expire after a certain amount of time with all the messages being erased as well as being able to set individual messages to expire in a thread after a set time.

Source: BGR

Microsoft pulls testing of ads in Windows 10 email client

Yesterday news broke out that Microsoft was putting ads in its default Mail client on your PC. Users have spotted it in the beta test and in an FAQ from Microsoft that’s now been taken down, it was said to be a pilot program. But now the company has taken this test back. Microsoft communications head Frank Shaw said the company has decided to turn these ads off. Shaw said these were never meant to be tested broadly, which might seem strange with the presence of the FAQ. But perhaps the company has listened to complaints about the plan and these ads shouldn’t be showing up now.

This was an experimental feature that was never intended to be tested broadly and it is being turned off.

— Frank X. Shaw (@fxshaw) November 16, 2018

Source: The Verge

Tidal comes to Amazon Echo

If you’re using Tidal and own an Amazon Echo device, you’re going to love this new update. The Jay-Z-owned music streaming service is now available on Amazon Echo devices. You can access it via an Alexa skill, and, of course, you need a Tidal subscription for it to work. Tidal comes to the service using Amazon’s recently introduced Music Skill API, the company was able to build support for Alexa without needing to rely on Amazon’s help (which other streaming services had to do). Now, you can set it as your default Echo streaming service. However, of course, you’ll lose the optional hi-fi audio quality Tidal is known for because of the hardware limitations of the Amazon Echo. But who knows if a hi-fi version of the speaker comes out in the future? For now, Tidal is hoping you’ll love its curated playlists and this integration for you to stick with the service.

Source: The Verge

Google starts rolling out Call Screen to Pixel 2 and 2 XL in the US

One of the new handy features launched along side the Pixel 3 devices is a new Call Screen feature. This lets Assistant answer calls on your behalf and record messages for you. It’ll ask the caller to explain the reason for the call and pass this message on to you. You can even customize Assistant’s responses and even listen in on the call and decide if you want to answer or not. It’s a feature particularly useful for nuisance phone calls. Well now, the rollout for said feature is coming to some Pixel 2 and 2 XL devices in the US. Unfortunately, there is no word yet when it’s coming this way. But we’re hoping it’s sooner rather than later.

Source: Android Authority