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iPad Pro and MacBook Pro could switch to mini LED displays in late 2020

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In theory, mini LED offers many of the benefits of OLED screens without the usual drawbacks. The extremely dense array of LEDs promises high contrast ratios, a wide color range and a thin panel, but remains power-efficient and won’t risk burning in like OLED can. Mini LED makes sense for pro devices where accuracy is important, but content might remain static for hours at a time (say, in media editing software) and otherwise wouldn’t be a good fit for OLED.

While Kuo is generally accurate, it’s still worth treating the forecast with some skepticism. Other reports have suggested that Apple might release new iPad Pro models in early 2020. Even though Apple has updated high-end iPads twice per year before, it would be odd for the company to make relatively minor changes months apart instead of saving them all for one big update. Don’t be surprised if Apple isn’t quite so eager to revise its hardware.

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YouTube changes rules on violent game content to match movies and TV

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According to the company, the change means fewer gaming videos on YouTube will be age-gated, allowing more people to see them. YouTube does, however, note that it plans to continue restricting content where the sole focus of the video is on the violent content itself.

“We know there’s a difference between real-world violence and scripted or simulated violence – such as what you see in movies, TV shows, or video games – so we want to make sure we’re enforcing our violent or graphic content policies consistently,” the company said by way of explanation for the policy change on one of its support pages.

YouTube hinted it was working on a new policy on video game policy late last month when CEO Susan Wojcicki said the company was trying to find companies who would be willing to advertise against more “edgy” content. In that respect, it’s worth noting that the company hasn’t changed its guidelines on advertiser-friendly content. Videos that show gratuitous amounts of violence will still go largely unmonetized.



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Facebook is facing an EU investigation over data collection

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The body told Reuters it started preliminary investigations into how both companies handle data. “These investigations concern the way data is gathered, processed, used and monetized including for advertising purposes,” the EU’s competition watchdog said.

Regulators are hoping to determine whether Facebook places restrictions on data use by third-party companies in exchange for access to APIs for its core platform and Instagram. They’re attempting to find out if Facebook hampers access to data and if so, why. Engadget has contacted the company for comment.

EU officials are said to be concerned over the vast troves of data major tech companies store and whether they use such information to hamper competitors. Last month, it emerged EU regulators are looking into Facebook’s Marketplace service related to how the classified ads market has changed over the last few years and the commercial links between the company and its rivals.

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Spotify’s Sleep Timer is coming to the iPhone today

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After selecting your music or an ambient sound, tap the three dots in the upper right corner and scroll down to “Sleep Timer” and select the timer length. If you don’t have any go-to playlists for falling asleep, Spotify’s Sleep Hub has plenty of suggestions to help you clear your mind and pass out.

While no one on the Engadget team has been able to access the feature, Spotify says Sleep Timer will roll out globally today.

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Twitter introduces a Privacy Center to keep users informed

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Twitter is already putting the Privacy Center to use. In a post shared on the page, it explains that it is making a few privacy policy updates, effective January 1st. Those will comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CPPA), which requires large businesses to give consumers more transparency and control over their personal information, Reuters reports.

Among the changes, for users outside of the US and EU, the entity that provides Twitter is switching from Twitter International Company, based in Dublin, Ireland, to Twitter Inc., based in San Francisco. That will allow Twitter to experiment with new features and settings, some of which may have been prohibited by Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Earlier this year, Twitter announced that it simplified the language around its policies, but it also accidentally stored and shared some users’ location data, shared data with advertisers without users’ permission, exposed private tweets of some Android users and admitted your phone number may have been used for targeting ads.

“Twitter is not perfect at privacy and data protection,” the company admitted in a blog post. It promises its privacy and data protections are evolving. Time will tell if the Privacy Center improves privacy or just makes it easier to stay up-to-date on bugs and breaches.



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Amazon created a musical keyboard to help developers learn about AI

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The company envisions developers using the 32-key, two-octave keyboard as a tool for experimenting with machine learning. You can use the instrument to lay down a melody, and then, with the help of Amazon’s DeepComposer toolset, create new compositions. At launch, Amazon will have pre-trained algorithms that will be able to dress up melodies as rock, pop, jazz and classical songs by adding surrounding musical elements. In one example, Amazon showed off the AI creating a rock version of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” after it was instructed to add drums, two electric guitars and a bass guitar to the mix. You’ll also be able to create your own genres by training Amazon’s AI with a curated library of songs. Once you’re done, you can even export your new AI-created tune directly from the software to SoundCloud.

This isn’t Amazon’s first tool aimed at helping developers understand machine learning. Each year since 2017 Amazon has released a new device that ties into its AI and machine learning work. In 2017, the company came out with DeepLens, a $249 camera with built-in edge computing capabilities. Last year, it was DeepRacer, a $399 1/18th scale autonomous race car.

The keyboard itself costs $99, making it — at least initially — the most affordable of Amazon’s three machine learning tools. Developers can also skip buying the keyboard entirely and instead use the included virtual keyboard. However, actually using the keyboard for experimentation and developing new musical genres could become expensive quickly. After a free three-month trial, Amazon will bill DeepComposer users $1.26 per hour of training usage and $2.14 per hour of inference usage. Still, the keyboard is by far one of the most affordable ways Amazon has created for developers to access its machine learning expertise.

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Transit’s Apple Watch app returns after two-year hiatus

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There are still plenty of features that will require pulling out your iPhone, including directions and Uber hailing. You can use Apple Maps and other navigation apps for that, though, and this arguably makes the Apple Watch considerably more useful for commuters who don’t drive.

Transit doesn’t necessarily herald a resurgence of Apple Watch apps. Many early apps disappeared in part because they weren’t very useful. Do you really need to check your Instagram feed on your wrist? It does represent renewed confidence, though, and it shows just how much the Apple Watch has matured as a platform in the four years since its arrival.

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Millions of text messages were carelessly exposed by a marketing firm

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The company locked down the database on November 29th, a day after vpnMentor got in touch. It’s not clear how long the database was left exposed, however, or whether there was any unauthorized access. We’ve asked TrueDialog for comment.

The exposed messages aren’t going to include private conversations, but they still pose a risk. If malicious intruders accessed the database, they could have used some of the information for phishing scams and fraud. For businesses, the exposure was at least as bad — it could have let attackers hijack accounts, learn about confidential activity and even steal sales leads. This may have also given unscrupulous competitors insight into how TrueDialog works.

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Amazon AI generates medical records from patient-doctor conversations

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According to Matt Wood, vice president of artificial intelligence at Amazon Web Services, the tool can understand medical language. Additionally, doctors don’t have to worry about calling out commas and periods; the software will take care of that automatically. Wood also claimed that Transcribe Medical is very accurate, though Amazon has yet to publish a study that shows just how well it works. Lastly, doctors can use the software in conjunction with Comprehend Medical, a tool Amazon announced last year that can read unstructured medical text and then pull information like dosages and symptoms from it.

“Our overarching goal is to free up the doctor, so they have more attention going to where it should be directed,” Wood told CNBC. “And that’s to the patient.”

For Amazon, Transcribe Medical is just the company’s latest foray into the lucrative healthcare industry. Earlier this year, the company announced Amazon Care, a service that allows employees to take advantage of virtual doctor consultations and in-home follow-ups. Moving forward, the issue Amazon is likely to face as it tries to convince both doctors and their patients to use Transcribe Medical is — as always — related to privacy.

Wood told CNBC the tool is fully compliant with the federal government’s Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Amazon, however, will likely have to go above and beyond the requirements of the law to satisfy privacy critics. HIPAA doesn’t provide detailed guidance on how healthcare companies should secure digital patient medical records and hasn’t been updated since 2013. The urgent need for updated legislation was highlighted earlier this year when a ProPublica report found that the records of some 5 million patients in the US were easily accessible with free software. The company will need to be specific about how any data will be used, and who has access to it.

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