Apps
HP is Secretly Installing Bloatware on their Products
There simply is no feeling better than that when you finally get a new computer system or smartphone. It’s a rather unusual feeling when you feel the new, better performance of the new product. However, what if the product you bought came in with bloatware that hindered your experience? Sadly, some companies have been doing this and HP isn’t an exception.
HP Touchpoint Analytics Service is a piece of software that uses system resources and is being installed without notice to users on brand new products. The software itself is a telemetry tool meant to be part of a security suite.
The problem with Touchpoint Analytics Service is the fact that it has an effect of making a system completely slow. So much, in fact that one HP user reported a 95% of CPU usage as a result of the Analytics Service being used.
This isn’t anything new considering the fact that we’ve talked about some problems with BLU Smartphones before. The company became infamous due to one questionable business practice that really hasn’t been explained as of yet officially.
The problem in question came to light as a firmware issue with BLU’s Studio X8 HD phones. The firmware itself was not only syphoning user data but it also installed a hybrid of Shedun and Ztorg malwares.
This basically made an auto-root Android Malware that’s so dangerous it kills the phone of the victim once its installed. Considering the fact that this sounds so similar to the plight some HP users are having to deal with. It’s no wonder that people will start to think lowly of the manufacturer of the products.
Thankfully it is possible to remove the service without too much difficulty, but there is no way to revoke access to data that has already been shared with HP. Users are also encouraged to uninstall HP Touchpoint Manager from their OS.
However, if you think that’s going to be it for the number of issues regarding bloatware or insecure apps. Sadly, there’s another problem that’s been an issue for the users of all kinds of computers.
WhatsApp launched dual-account support today. You can switch between accounts in WhatsApp.
Mark Zuckerberg announced the feature on Facebook and said it would soon be available.
People used to need two phones for two WhatsApp accounts. The company now allows two accounts on one phone. App cloning lets users use multiple WhatsApp instances on Xiaomi and Oppo phones.
“Helpful for switching between accounts – such as your work and personal – now you no longer need to log out each time, carry two phones or worry about messaging from the wrong place,” the company wrote in a blog post.
Users can add accounts under Settings > Add Account. Your second SIM or multi-SIM phone is needed for setup. Account-specific notifications and privacy settings are available, the company said.
WhatsApp discouraged fake apps to prevent fraud.
WhatsApp added Android passkey support this week, enabling access without SMS-based two-factor authentication.
X, formerly Twitter, announced today that it will experiment with charging “new unverified” users $1 per year to interact with posts. The company said this test is live in New Zealand and the Philippines and won’t affect existing users.
Users can post, like, repost, reply, bookmark, and quote for that fee. Free users get a read-only account to view posts and follow accounts.
This “Not A bot” program is not a profit driver, according to the company’s support account, but reason is hard to trust. The Elon Musk-owned company claims this program will reduce spam.
We created this new test to improve our already successful efforts to reduce spam, platform manipulation, and bot activity while balancing platform accessibility with the small fee. It does not generate profits, the company said.
The company said it would share spam-fighting program results on its support page.
Musk announced that X will charge “a small monthly payment” to use its service. The test program pays annually, but ethos is the same.
X (then Twitter) started requiring logins to view posts in June. Days later, the platform allowed logged-out users to view posts.
One year after Musk’s $44 billion acquisition, Simialrweb reports X traffic has dropped. The company has taken drastic measures to cut costs and make money.
In an interview last month, CEO Linda Yaccarino predicted X’s 2024 profitability. The former NBCU executive avoided discussing X’s user fees in the interview.
As of now, X only offers a $8 monthly plan. According to recently discovered code, the company may introduce three premium tiers, one ad-free.
Rick Osterloh, Google’s SVP of devices and services, says the Pixel 8 Pro will be the first hardware to run Google’s generative AI models.
At an event today, Osterloh said the Pixel 8 Pro’s custom-built Tensor G3 chip, which accelerates AI workloads, can run “distilled” versions of Google’s text- and image-generating models to power image editing and other apps.
Osterloh said, “We’ve worked closely with our research teams across Google to take advantage of their most advanced foundation models and distill them into a version efficient enough to run on our flagship Pixel.”
Google improved Magic Eraser, its photo-editing tool, to remove larger objects and people smudge-free using on-device models. Osterloh claims that this improved Magic Eraser creates new pixels to fill in shot gaps, producing a higher-quality image.
Osterloh says a new on-device model will “intelligently” sharpen and enhance photo details, improving zoom.
On-device processing benefits audio recording. The Pixel 8 Pro’s recording app will soon summarize meeting highlights.
Gboard will use a large language model on the Pixel 8 Pro to power smart replies. Osterloh claims that the upgraded Gboard will provide “higher-quality” reply suggestions and better conversational awareness.
Osterloh said an update in December will add on-device generative AI features except for Magic Eraser, which appears on the Pixel 8 Pro at launch.
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