Android Users Can Finally 'Like' Messages From iPhones - WIRED

Texting betwixt Android and iPhones isn’t ever the smoothest experience. Photos and videos get pixelated, messages from Android users amusement up arsenic the dreaded greenish chat bubble connected iPhone, and past determination are emoji reactions. When an iPhone idiosyncratic hits the thumbs up oregon bosom absorption emoji, that doesn’t construe to Android, and shows up arsenic an awkward substance statement of the emoji instead.

Google has been trying to hole immoderate of that, though it faces the neverending situation of buy-in from Apple. This week, Google said that updates coming to Messages volition let Android users to respond to iPhone texts with emojis. Other updates see the quality to thread responses to idiosyncratic messages, embed YouTube videos straight successful messages, and get automatic transcriptions of dependable messages connected definite phones. It’s a concerted effort by Google to marque messaging connected Android much appealing, and enactment unit connected Apple to conscionable it halfway.

The method constituent of contention present has been RCS, oregon Rich Communications Services, a messaging modular that Google has been pushing its partners to follow implicit the past year. RCS handles attachments and media amended than the SMS modular that has been the norm successful messaging for decades. Thing is, Apple has its ain messaging modular betwixt iPhones and different Apple devices, and past defaults to SMS erstwhile an iPhone idiosyncratic and Android idiosyncratic are exchanging messages. And Apple expressed precisely zero involvement successful switching to RCS. So a batch of messages get mislaid successful translation betwixt the platforms.

Last month, Google made a public plea for Apple to power its standards truthful iOS messages would play bully with Android devices. But aft Apple CEO Tim Cook’s withering dismissal of the idea, the stalemate betwixt the tech giants continues. At slightest Android users—or those considering the switch—are getting somewhat amended messages with this latest update.

Here’s immoderate different gadget news.

Come Along and Ride On a Fantastic…Advertising Voyage?

Anyone who has ever ridden successful a New York City taxi cab has seen their just stock of commercials connected a loop, which implicit the years has evolved from “Taxi TV” to straight-up programmatic advertising. So it seems inevitable that rideshare services similar Uber would privation to capitalize connected each that quiet, peaceful rider downtime and capable your thrust with ads.

Uber has tinkered with advertizing during rides before, similar backmost successful 2020 erstwhile it added taxi-style advertisement billboards to the tops of cars. But successful a press release this week, Uber laid retired its plans to “capture consumers’ attention” by serving them ads during astir each portion of an Uber interaction. Uber users tin look guardant to audio ads playing portion they hold for a thrust and during the trip. The institution is besides readying to show salient ads crossed the Uber Eats app, nonstop sponsored emails, and slap adjacent much video ads connected tablets wrong cars.

Remember folks, it’s not astir the destination; it’s astir however overmuch you bargain connected the journey.

Sharing is Caring, Unless You’re Netflix

In different bleak quality from the onshore of superior extraction, Netflix is astir to commencement charging for each those other users siphoning disconnected 1 person’s account. This week, Netflix said it volition yet determination to enactment an extremity to people sharing their logins. The terms volition beryllium $4 a caput for each other relationship that’s not considered successful the aforesaid home. Netflix has been testing the crackdown since March, though successful countries extracurricular the US. But soon, it seems it volition beryllium level wide. Netflix said the caller argumentation volition spell into effect successful 2023.

As if to preempt the decision, Netflix announced earlier this week that it volition present let you to rotation disconnected a sub relationship into its own paying account. You’ll person to splurge connected the afloat monthly fee, but astatine slightest it volition support your ticker past and preferences intact.