Personalized AI companion app Dot is shutting down
Dot, an AI companion app launched in 2024 by New Computer founders Sam Whitmore and Jason Yuan, is shutting down by October 5. The app aimed to be a personalized “friend and confidante,” offering emotional support, but faced challenges amid growing safety concerns about AI chatbots fostering unhealthy or delusional thinking, a phenomenon dubbed “AI psychosis.”
The company cited diverging visions as the reason for closure and gave users time to download their data. Despite claiming hundreds of thousands of users, Appfigures tracked only about 24,500 iOS downloads. The shutdown reflects increasing scrutiny on AI companion apps, especially with ongoing legal and safety debates around them.
Dot, an AI companion app launched in 2024 by New Computer founders Sam Whitmore and Jason Yuan, is shutting down by October 5. The app aimed to be a personalized “friend and confidante,” offering emotional support, but faced challenges amid growing safety concerns about AI chatbots fostering unhealthy or delusional thinking, a phenomenon dubbed “AI psychosis.”
The company cited diverging visions as the reason for closure and gave users time to download their data. Despite claiming hundreds of thousands of users, Appfigures tracked only about 24,500 iOS downloads. The shutdown reflects increasing scrutiny on AI companion apps, especially with ongoing legal and safety debates around them.
What Do You Prefer As Your OS & Why?
Anonymous Poll
50%
Windows 11
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0%
Raspberry PI
39%
Linux
Snapchat’s new Lens lets you create AI images using text prompts
Snapchat is launching a new Lens that lets users create and edit images using a text-to-image AI generator, the company told TechCrunch exclusively. The new “Imagine Lens” is available to Snapchat+ Platinum and Lens+ subscribers.
Imagine Lens allows users to create, edit, and re-create Snaps by entering their own prompts. They can then share the image with their friends, post it to their Story, or share it outside of Snapchat.
Snapchat+ Platinum and Lens+ subscribers can find the new Lens in the front of the Lens Carousel or in the Exclusive category. After selecting the Lens, they can tap the caption to enter or edit the prompt. A Platinum subnoscription costs $15.99 per month, while a Lens+ subnoscription costs $8.99 per month.
Snapchat is launching a new Lens that lets users create and edit images using a text-to-image AI generator, the company told TechCrunch exclusively. The new “Imagine Lens” is available to Snapchat+ Platinum and Lens+ subscribers.
Imagine Lens allows users to create, edit, and re-create Snaps by entering their own prompts. They can then share the image with their friends, post it to their Story, or share it outside of Snapchat.
Snapchat+ Platinum and Lens+ subscribers can find the new Lens in the front of the Lens Carousel or in the Exclusive category. After selecting the Lens, they can tap the caption to enter or edit the prompt. A Platinum subnoscription costs $15.99 per month, while a Lens+ subnoscription costs $8.99 per month.
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Korean carrier may have leaked iPhone 17 specifications ahead of event
Apple is just two days away from revealing details for the upcoming lineup of iPhone 17 smartphones. However, it seems that the specifications for the inbound models may have already been released.
Images shared by leaker @Jukanlosreve on X depict specification sheets distributed internally by mobile phone networks in South Korea. It includes not only core specifications for the four main iPhone releases, but also a comparison between the iPhone 17 Air and the Samsung S25 Edge.
The Pro models are said to be using the A19 Pro chip and 12GB of memory, while the Air and standard using the A19 with 8GB of memory.
Apple is just two days away from revealing details for the upcoming lineup of iPhone 17 smartphones. However, it seems that the specifications for the inbound models may have already been released.
Images shared by leaker @Jukanlosreve on X depict specification sheets distributed internally by mobile phone networks in South Korea. It includes not only core specifications for the four main iPhone releases, but also a comparison between the iPhone 17 Air and the Samsung S25 Edge.
The Pro models are said to be using the A19 Pro chip and 12GB of memory, while the Air and standard using the A19 with 8GB of memory.
TechGeek
Apple's next big event is officially scheduled for Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at 10 AM Pacific Time
Reminder Today Is Apple Event
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Forwarded from FossBase: Open Tech Tips (Keqing)
Signal’s first paid feature adds encrypted media and message backups
Signal is launching its first paid feature encrypted backups for $1.99/month, letting you save media and text history beyond 45 days. Free users can still back up the last 45 days of media and up to 100MB of messages. Backups are tied to a recovery key, not your account; lose the key and Signal can’t help recover it.
The feature is in Android beta now, with iOS and desktop support coming soon.
Signal is launching its first paid feature encrypted backups for $1.99/month, letting you save media and text history beyond 45 days. Free users can still back up the last 45 days of media and up to 100MB of messages. Backups are tied to a recovery key, not your account; lose the key and Signal can’t help recover it.
The feature is in Android beta now, with iOS and desktop support coming soon.
Here is a summarised version of Apple Event 25 that happened yesterday
📡 Live event: Click here
📹 Summarised video: Click here
📰 Article: Click here
📷 Wallpapers: iPhone | Air | Pro
📡 Live event: Click here
📹 Summarised video: Click here
📰 Article: Click here
📷 Wallpapers: iPhone | Air | Pro
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Spotify is finally launching support for lossless music streaming
Spotify is finally launching lossless audio streaming for Premium users at no extra cost, rolling out in select regions. To enjoy it at full 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC quality, you need to use Spotify Connect or wired (non-Bluetooth) headphones or speakers, as Bluetooth can’t handle the bandwidth.
Lossless must be enabled per device via Spotify’s Media Quality settings, and an indicator will show when it’s active. While it’s a big upgrade, it doesn’t yet match the highest-quality tiers from competitors like Tidal, but it’s a long-awaited feature first announced in 2021.
Here’s how to turn it on step-by-step:
1. Tap your profile icon in the top left of the app.
2. Go to Settings & Privacy → Media Quality.
3. Choose where to enable lossless audio: Wi-Fi, cellular, or downloads.
4. Manually enable it for each device you use since it’s device-specific.
Spotify is finally launching lossless audio streaming for Premium users at no extra cost, rolling out in select regions. To enjoy it at full 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC quality, you need to use Spotify Connect or wired (non-Bluetooth) headphones or speakers, as Bluetooth can’t handle the bandwidth.
Lossless must be enabled per device via Spotify’s Media Quality settings, and an indicator will show when it’s active. While it’s a big upgrade, it doesn’t yet match the highest-quality tiers from competitors like Tidal, but it’s a long-awaited feature first announced in 2021.
Here’s how to turn it on step-by-step:
1. Tap your profile icon in the top left of the app.
2. Go to Settings & Privacy → Media Quality.
3. Choose where to enable lossless audio: Wi-Fi, cellular, or downloads.
4. Manually enable it for each device you use since it’s device-specific.
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Apple is giving iPhone 14 and 15 users another free year of satellite feature
iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users are getting another year of free access to satellite connectivity features, according to a footnote on Apple’s newsroom posts for the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro. “The free trial will be extended for iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users who have activated their device in a country that supports Apple’s satellite features prior to 12 AM PT on September 9, 2025, Apple says.
Apple originally launched its Emergency SOS service via satellite shortly after it released the iPhone 14 lineup, in November 2022, and at the time, Apple said the feature would be free for the first two years. (The feature is still free for two years after activation on iPhone 14 models and newer.) But in 2023 Apple added an additional free year for existing iPhone 14 users, meaning that the deadline to potentially start paying for the earliest adopters would be November 2025. Now, it appears that deadline has been bumped to November 2026.
iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users are getting another year of free access to satellite connectivity features, according to a footnote on Apple’s newsroom posts for the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro. “The free trial will be extended for iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users who have activated their device in a country that supports Apple’s satellite features prior to 12 AM PT on September 9, 2025, Apple says.
Apple originally launched its Emergency SOS service via satellite shortly after it released the iPhone 14 lineup, in November 2022, and at the time, Apple said the feature would be free for the first two years. (The feature is still free for two years after activation on iPhone 14 models and newer.) But in 2023 Apple added an additional free year for existing iPhone 14 users, meaning that the deadline to potentially start paying for the earliest adopters would be November 2025. Now, it appears that deadline has been bumped to November 2026.
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YouTube Music locks song lyrics behind a paywall
YouTube Music appears to have a new trick to nudge free users toward a YouTube Premium subnoscription. Android Authority reports that the music service now locks song lyrics behind a paywall.
Free users report on Reddit that they can now see only a limited number of lyrics. To view more, they’re prompted to upgrade to a Premium subnoscription.
This isn’t the first time a music streaming platform has tried this approach. Spotify, YouTube Music’s rival, tried something like this last year but quickly backed off after users (rightfully!) complained.
The people of Reddit are pretty annoyed too, saying they use lyrics for karaoke, sing-alongs, or just learning new songs. They feel the change is a frustrating way to monetize features that were previously free.
YouTube Music appears to have a new trick to nudge free users toward a YouTube Premium subnoscription. Android Authority reports that the music service now locks song lyrics behind a paywall.
Free users report on Reddit that they can now see only a limited number of lyrics. To view more, they’re prompted to upgrade to a Premium subnoscription.
This isn’t the first time a music streaming platform has tried this approach. Spotify, YouTube Music’s rival, tried something like this last year but quickly backed off after users (rightfully!) complained.
The people of Reddit are pretty annoyed too, saying they use lyrics for karaoke, sing-alongs, or just learning new songs. They feel the change is a frustrating way to monetize features that were previously free.
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Nova Launcher Shut Down
As we know Nova Launcher, one of the most popular third-party Android launchers, is shutting down after more than a decade, leaving long-time users disappointed.The developer drop a massage last friday and step down from the development and shut down the website but Users have started a change.org petition to ask for the project to be open-sourced, and Wade says it’s a “great start” to apply that pressure. Wade said he hasn’t personally seen Barry’s contract, so couldn’t corroborate the claim of a contractual obligation to open-source Nova.
As we know Nova Launcher, one of the most popular third-party Android launchers, is shutting down after more than a decade, leaving long-time users disappointed.The developer drop a massage last friday and step down from the development and shut down the website but Users have started a change.org petition to ask for the project to be open-sourced, and Wade says it’s a “great start” to apply that pressure. Wade said he hasn’t personally seen Barry’s contract, so couldn’t corroborate the claim of a contractual obligation to open-source Nova.
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Emergency Meeting! Among Us Adds Two New Roles In Latest Update
Among Us version 17.0.0 adds two exciting roles: Detective (Crewmate) who tracks dead bodies, interrogates suspects, and enhances Emergency Meetings with note-taking and limited interrogations customizable in settings; and Viper (Impostor) who dissolves crewmate corpses with acid in stages, making bodies vanish to prevent reports, paired with a new kill animation and adjustable dissolve speed.
Quality of life improvements include requiring full code entry for ID tasks, better hat sorting, updated “How to Play” guides covering all 9 roles, scrollable role menus, and improved practice mode with separate Crewmate/Impostor selections.
Several bug fixes address UI glitches, controller prompts, map markers, and more, with some issues still known on PC, mobile, and consoles.
Update is out now!
Among Us version 17.0.0 adds two exciting roles: Detective (Crewmate) who tracks dead bodies, interrogates suspects, and enhances Emergency Meetings with note-taking and limited interrogations customizable in settings; and Viper (Impostor) who dissolves crewmate corpses with acid in stages, making bodies vanish to prevent reports, paired with a new kill animation and adjustable dissolve speed.
Quality of life improvements include requiring full code entry for ID tasks, better hat sorting, updated “How to Play” guides covering all 9 roles, scrollable role menus, and improved practice mode with separate Crewmate/Impostor selections.
Several bug fixes address UI glitches, controller prompts, map markers, and more, with some issues still known on PC, mobile, and consoles.
Update is out now!
Google AI Edge Gallery
Explore, Experience, and Evaluate the Future of On-Device Generative AI with Google AI Edge.
The Google AI Edge Gallery is an experimental app that puts the power of cutting-edge Generative AI models directly into your hands, running entirely on your Android (available now) and iOS (coming soon) devices. Dive into a world of creative and practical AI use cases, all running locally, without needing an internet connection once the model is loaded. Experiment with different models, chat, ask questions with images and audio clip, explore prompts, and more!
⚠️ Note: You must uninstall all previous versions of the app before installing this one. Past versions will no longer be working and supported.
Explore, Experience, and Evaluate the Future of On-Device Generative AI with Google AI Edge.
The Google AI Edge Gallery is an experimental app that puts the power of cutting-edge Generative AI models directly into your hands, running entirely on your Android (available now) and iOS (coming soon) devices. Dive into a world of creative and practical AI use cases, all running locally, without needing an internet connection once the model is loaded. Experiment with different models, chat, ask questions with images and audio clip, explore prompts, and more!
⚠️ Note: You must uninstall all previous versions of the app before installing this one. Past versions will no longer be working and supported.
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Apple’s highly anticipated iPhone 17 launch backfired, triggering a sell-off that wiped out $112 billion in market value within two days as shares slid 3.2 percent. Instead of driving excitement, the lineup drew criticism for offering only slimmer designs and minor hardware tweaks, while delaying major AI upgrades until 2026. Analysts say the lack of breakthrough innovation, tariff and margin pressures, and muted investor interest fueled the downturn, with Wall Street downgrading Apple on fears it is falling behind rivals like Google and Samsung in the AI race.
Source:
Gulf News
Source:
Gulf News
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