Adobe’s Photoshop Camera is an AI-powered photo editor for your phone

Instagram and Snapchat have changed the way people look at photo editing. What was once a task limited to those with wildly expensive tools and years of training has become accessible to anyone with a smartphone. These apps and their filters aren’t going to replace Photoshop for the pros… but for people just looking to upload a quick selfie to their story, they’re Good Enough.

Adobe realizes this, and now they’re looking to flex a bit.

This morning the company announced Photoshop Camera, an AI-driven photo-editing app for iOS and Android. Take a picture (or grab one from your camera roll), and Photoshop Camera will near-instantly analyze it and offer up a drawer full of potential enhancements, from basics like shadows/highlight tweaks, to more complicated things like swapping out the sky in a complicated cityscape.

It recognizes what’s in the photo — be it food, people or distant mountains — and bubbles the most relevant “lenses” (think filters) up to the top. All lenses and effects are non-destructive, so you can quickly roll back any changes it makes.

Powering the AI is years and years of data. Adobe has hundreds of millions of photos in its stock photo collection, along with the data on which of these photos people tend to buy and use. Perhaps most importantly, they have the tooling data on how photo editors take a picture and get it from point A to point B.

I saw the app in action last week. While it’s tough to gauge how well something like this works in a quick demo, the results I saw were pretty astounding. It took a solid but basic landscape photo and made it look like something out of a nature magazine. It took a photo of food on a table and, in a split second, identified which parts of the photo were food and tweaked just those regions to make the colors shine.

Adobe tells me that it’s working with artists — Billy Eilish, for example — to create custom filters and lenses. Adobe CTO Abhay Parasnis also hinted to me at the possibility of limited-edition, region-locked lenses — like, say, those that only appear when you’re at a music festival or conference.

One catch: If you want to use the app anytime in 2019, you’ll have to get Adobe’s thumbs-up. It’s going to be in private “preview” mode until sometime in 2020, when it rolls out to everybody. You can sign up for the preview here.

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The Google News mobile app now supports bilingual users

Google News is going bilingual. The company announced this morning a new feature that will allow users to update their Google News settings to support two languages instead of one, in an effort to better serve the more than 60% of people worldwide who speak and read news across two more languages.

The change means you won’t have to constantly toggle between two languages in order to keep up with news that’s being covered elsewhere. This is particularly important for those who have moved to a different country, but want to keep up with their news from back home, as well as in places where it’s common for people to speak multiple languages.

Google cites the ability to read both English and Hindi news at the same time as a key example.

The update won’t impact your other personalization preferences, Google notes — it will just pull in more stories that match the topics and interests you care about.

The changes follow a larger revamp of the Google News product and destination website that’s been underway for over a year. At Google’s developer conference in 2018, the company announced its plans to leverage A.I. technology to help select which stories were shown first and how the news selection would be customized to each user, while not trapping them in so-called “filter bubbles” where they don’t have access to fact checks or the other side’s opinion.

That A.I.-powered version of the Google News app rolled out last spring. 

More recently, Google revamped the Google News tab on the desktop to organize articles in a card-style layout, which was meant to improve readability and better highlight the publisher sources.

Today’s new bilingual feature, however, is aimed at the Google News mobile app user base.

Google says the feature is available now across 141 countries and 41 languages on the Google News app for both iOS and Android. (On the desktop, you still have to pick just one language, we found.)

The company notes that being able to read news in other languages can also help people widen their perspective on issues.

“There’s still lots more to do to help connect people with quality and trustworthy news on the issues they care about, but we hope today’s update will make it easier to connect with different cultures and perspectives from the comfort of your device,” Google says.

 

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Facebook’s new branding distinguishes app from acquisitions

Facebook wants more people to know it owns Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus while still maintaining a distinct identity for its main app. So today Facebook launched a new capitalization and typography format for its company name, using all capital letters and a shifting color scheme that highlights Instagram’s purple gradient and WhatsApp’s green tint.

“Over the coming weeks, we will start using the new brand within our products and marketing materials, including a new company website” Facebook’s CMO Antonio Lucio writes. For example, the bolder “from FACEBOOK” branding will appear at the bottom of the Instagram login screen and settings menu. Facebook previously used a blue or white lowercase “f” as a logo.

Facebook began its rebranding process in June, adding “from Facebook” taglines to its products. The Information reported Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was unsatisfied with the credit Facebook was getting for owning Instagram and WhatsApp.

Zuckerberg double-down on that sentiment during this month’s earnings call as a response to questions about anti-trust investigations against the company that could seek to force a spin off of its acquisitions. Zuckerberg noted that it wa Facebook’s resources in areas like anti-spam, internationalization, and ads that helped turn Instagram from a sub-50 million user product to a billion-plus one today.

Some see Facebook as preemptively mounting defense against anti-trust action. Beyond rebranding, it’s working on making Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram Direct a unified interoperable and encrypted messaging system where users can chat across the apps. Building them all on a centralized infrastructure could make Facebook tougher to break up.

Yet from another perspective, the rebranding efforts feel ham-handed and egotistical. Facebook likely benefits from the fact that most people don’t actually know it owns Instagram and WhatsApp. A recent Pew study found only 29% of Americans correctly the named the two as companies owned by Facebook.

Given Facebook’s rash of data security, developer platform, election interference, and ongoing privacy scandals, it’s probably better off if people think they can escape the toxicity by using Instagram. The acquisitions effectively acted as a brand lifeboat for Facebook.

Now it seems Facebook is happy to burn down some of the credibility of its younger apps if it builds up the central company. Autonomy at the acquired companies has seemed to wane since Facebook installed loyal lieutenants like Adam Mosseri and Will Cathcart to run Instagram and WhatsApp.

The big problem for Facebook, beyond government regulation? If talent see Facebook as choking the potential of its subsidiaries, top workers might be hesistant to join or stay at the family of social networks.

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TikTok expands its influence to third-party apps with new developer program

TikTok is looking to expand its influence by integrating with popular third-party video creation and editing apps. The company today announced a new TikTok for Developers program which will introduce tools for third-party app developers, including those that allow them to access TikTok’s creative offerings as well as push content from their apps to TikTok directly. The first of these tools is the new Share to TikTok SDK, which will let users edit videos in other apps then publish them from that app to TikTok.

One of the key launch partners for the new SDK is Adobe Premiere Rush, Adobe’s mobile app for video editing. With the new TikTok integration, Premiere Rush users can access video editing features like aspect ratio switching, transitions, color filters, timelapse and slo-mo, audio control and more, then share instantly to TikTok and other video destinations.

In addition to Adobe, the apps supporting the Share to TikTok SDK at launch also include looping video creator Plotaverse, AR app Fuse.it, gaming highlights recorder Medal, Momento GIF Maker, PicsArt, and Enlight Videoleop.

For some of the smaller, single-purpose apps being able to become a useful tool for the creator community can have an outsized impact on their growth and revenues. For example, Facetune’s maker Lightricks has built a profitable business across its suite of photo and video editing apps, including Enlight Videoleap, and has now raised a total of $205 million.

In addition to built-in sharing features, apps that integrate with the new TikTok SDK will also gain access to a wider selection of creative tools, says TikTok.

But the apps will benefit in another way, too — when creators share their videos, they’ll include the specified partner hashtag along with the content. This will help to give the app the ability to gain exposure among even more TikTok users.

“This new Share to TikTok feature enriches the content available on TikTok, diversifies the types of videos users can discover, and offers more editing choices for users to explore in addition to TikTok’s built-in creative tools,” explained TikTok, in an announcement. “Most importantly, it gives users multiple avenues to create new original, high-quality content using platforms with exciting creative tools,” the company said.

The TikTok for Developers program also includes tools to embed videos on the web, and offers developer documentation, demos, and more. The program’s terms of service restricts developers from collecting users’ personal data or other nefarious activity, and threatens developers’ access could be removed if terms are violated.

TikTok didn’t say what other plans its has in store for the developers program, only that it will continue to expand access to its own creative tools further across the wider app ecosystem.

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TikTok expands its influence to third-party apps with new developer program

TikTok is looking to expand its influence by integrating with popular third-party video creation and editing apps. The company today announced a new TikTok for Developers program which will introduce tools for third-party app developers, including those that allow them to access TikTok’s creative offerings as well as push content from their apps to TikTok directly. The first of these tools is the new Share to TikTok SDK, which will let users edit videos in other apps then publish them from that app to TikTok.

One of the key launch partners for the new SDK is Adobe Premiere Rush, Adobe’s mobile app for video editing. With the new TikTok integration, Premiere Rush users can access video editing features like aspect ratio switching, transitions, color filters, timelapse and slo-mo, audio control and more, then share instantly to TikTok and other video destinations.

In addition to Adobe, the apps supporting the Share to TikTok SDK at launch also include looping video creator Plotaverse, AR app Fuse.it, gaming highlights recorder Medal, Momento GIF Maker, PicsArt, and Enlight Videoleop.

For some of the smaller, single-purpose apps being able to become a useful tool for the creator community can have an outsized impact on their growth and revenues. For example, Facetune’s maker Lightricks has built a profitable business across its suite of photo and video editing apps, including Enlight Videoleap, and has now raised a total of $205 million.

In addition to built-in sharing features, apps that integrate with the new TikTok SDK will also gain access to a wider selection of creative tools, says TikTok.

But the apps will benefit in another way, too — when creators share their videos, they’ll include the specified partner hashtag along with the content. This will help to give the app the ability to gain exposure among even more TikTok users.

“This new Share to TikTok feature enriches the content available on TikTok, diversifies the types of videos users can discover, and offers more editing choices for users to explore in addition to TikTok’s built-in creative tools,” explained TikTok, in an announcement. “Most importantly, it gives users multiple avenues to create new original, high-quality content using platforms with exciting creative tools,” the company said.

The TikTok for Developers program also includes tools to embed videos on the web, and offers developer documentation, demos, and more. The program’s terms of service restricts developers from collecting users’ personal data or other nefarious activity, and threatens developers’ access could be removed if terms are violated.

TikTok didn’t say what other plans its has in store for the developers program, only that it will continue to expand access to its own creative tools further across the wider app ecosystem.

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The business case for working with your toughest critics | Bob Langert

The business case for working with your toughest critics | Bob Langert

As a "corporate suit" (his words) and former VP of sustainability at McDonald's, Bob Langert works with companies and their strongest critics to find solutions that are good for both business and society. In this actionable talk, he shares stories from the decades-long transition into corporate sustainability at McDonald's -- including his work with unlikely partners like the Environmental Defense Fund and Temple Grandin -- and shows why your adversaries can sometimes be your best allies.

Click the above link to download the TED talk.

Cortana wants to be your personal executive assistant and read your emails to you, too

Only a few years ago, Microsoft hoped that Cortana could become a viable competitor to the Google Assistant, Alexa and Siri. Over time, as Cortana failed to make a dent in the marketplace (do you ever remember that Cortana is built into your Windows 10 machine?), the company’s ambitions shrunk a bit. Today, Microsoft wants Cortana to be your personal productivity assistant — and to be fair, given the overall Microsoft ecosystem, Cortana may be better suited to that than to tell you about the weather.

At its Ignite conference, Microsoft today announced a number of new features that help Cortana to become even more useful in your day-to-day work, all of which fit into the company’s overall vision of AI as a tool that is helpful and augments human intelligence.

The first of these is a new feature in Outlook for iOS that uses Microsoft text-to-speech features to read your emails to you (using both a male and female voice). Cortana can also now help you schedule meetings and coordinate participants, something the company first demoed at previous conferences.

Starting next month, Cortana will also be able to send you a daily email that summarizes all of your meetings, presents you with relevant documents and reminders to “follow up on commitments you’ve made in email.” This last part, especially, should be interesting as it seems to go beyond the basic (and annoying) nudges to reply to emails in Google’s Gmail.

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You can now ask Excel questions about your data

Microsoft today announced an update to Excel that brings natural language queries to the venerable spreadsheet tool. Available now to Office Insiders, this new feature allows you to talk to Excel like you’re talking to a person and get quick answers to your queries without having to write a query.

“Natural language query is another step toward making data insights and visualization more approachable and accessible to users with various levels of Excel experience,” Microsoft explains. “Novice users will not need to know how to write a formula to gain useful insights from their data, while power users will be able to save time by automating the data discovery process by simply asking the right questions and quickly adding charts and tables they need for better and faster decisions.”

It’s worth noting that Google already offers similar features in Google Sheets. In my experience, Google sometimes does a pretty good job at finding data but also regularly fails to find even a single relevant data point, so it remains to be seen how good Excel is compared to that.

Today’s announcement is one in a series of recent launches for Excel that brought a number of new machine learning smarts to the spreadsheet. Among those is Excel’s ability to better understand your entries and provide you with additional information about stocks, geographical data and more.

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8 macOS Catalina Features You Can Get Without Upgrading Your Mac

There are plenty of reasons not to upgrade to macOS Catalina. Perhaps your work depends on incompatible 32-bit apps, or maybe you don’t want the hassle of potentially unstable new software.

Even if you do want to upgrade, you need a Mac from 2012 or later to install Catalina.

Here’s the good news: you don’t have to miss out on what Catalina has to offer just because you’re stuck with older software. You can unlock most of the new features using third-party apps that still work with Mojave, High Sierra, and even earlier versions of macOS.

1. Use Your iPad as a Mac Screen With Duet Display

One of the flagship features of macOS Catalina is the ability to use your iPad as a second display for your Mac. Apple calls this feature Sidecar. To use it, you need an iPad Pro or an iPad from 2019 or later. The iPad also must be running iPadOS.

In contrast, Duet Display offers all the same features as Sidecar but is available across many versions of iOS and macOS. All you have to do is connect your devices over Wi-Fi and start dragging Mac windows to your iPad screen. The iPad app isn’t free, but it’s still far cheaper than a second computer monitor.

Download: Duet Display for iOS ($9.99, subscription available) | Mac (Free)

2. FocusMe Presents a Breakdown of Your Screen Time

We spend a lot of time looking at screens these days. Apple made it easy to keep track of this with the introduction of Screen Time in iOS 12. And with macOS Catalina, Apple expanded Screen Time to work with your Mac as well.

Without Catalina, you can still track your time using the third-party app FocusMe. This premium app presents your Mac usage in a pie chart, letting you enforce limits or schedule downtime whenever you need to.

Download: FocusMe for Mac (Free trial, subscription required)

3. Visit the iCloud Website to Find Your Missing Devices

The second previously iPhone-focused feature Apple introduced to macOS Catalina is Find My. This app, which serves as a combination of Find My iPhone and Find My Friends, lets you track your friends, family members, and missing Apple devices.

It’s nice to have a dedicated app on your Mac, but you can access the same Find My services through iCloud’s website. Whichever version of macOS you use, sign in to the iCloud website and click Find iPhone or Find Friends to get started. You’ll see an interactive map highlighting the people and devices in your life.

Visit: iCloud.com

4. You Can Still Use iTunes for Music, TV, and Podcasts

After years of bloating iTunes with loads of features, Apple has split it into three new apps: Music, TV, and Podcasts. Each one lets you browse your media library, import new content, or search for personalized recommendations based on your taste.

Although these apps offer a cleaner user experience, they don’t introduce any new features. You can still use iTunes on your Mac to listen to Apple Music, buy movies from the iTunes Store, or subscribe to the latest new podcasts.

5. Steam Has All the Games You Need and More

Apple Arcade is a subscription gaming service that Apple offers across iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac—so long as you’re running iOS 13, iPadOS, or macOS Catalina. There are some great games on Apple Arcade, but it certainly isn’t the only way to play on a Mac.

Steam has been around for years and is the premier storefront for computer-based gaming. Install it on older versions of macOS to purchase and install countless games ranging from free indie offerings to the latest AAA titles. Try getting started with our favorite Mac-compatible games.

Download: Steam for Mac (Free)

6. Give a New Look to Your Photo Library With Mylio

Photos on macOS is already a decent way to store your photo library. Apple didn’t do much to enhance it in macOS Catalina, aside from spicing up the presentation and adding a few extra editing options. You can get the same minor improvements using Mylio.

This photo organizer presents your library as a seamless collage with lots of behind-the-scenes options for facial recognition, tagged albums, and calendar synchronization. You can automatically import your library from Google Photos, Flickr, or Facebook—plus there’s an iCloud Photos sync function in the pipeline.

Download: Mylio for iOS | Android | Mac (Free, subscription available)

7. Todoist Has More Features Than Apple Reminders

Apple gave the Reminders app a huge overhaul for iOS 13 and macOS Catalina. It has a streamlined design, smart lists for upcoming tasks, improved natural language recognition, and the ability to attach images or notes to your reminders for more detail.

However, most of these features are already available in Todoist and other alternative Mac reminders apps. This handy task manager lets you quickly add tasks to your inbox, automatically schedule recurring alerts, and sync your reminders across multiple platforms. This is more than you can say for Apple Reminders.

Download: Todoist for iOS | Android | Mac (Free, subscription available)

8. Use Dictation to Control macOS With Your Voice

Catalina is a big step forward for users with disabilities thanks to the addition of Voice Control. This feature makes it possible to control every aspect of your Mac with various voice commands. You can navigate apps, save documents, and even select on-screen elements through the use of innovative grids and number systems.

It’s not quite as comprehensive, but earlier versions of macOS already feature built-in dictation with voice commands. Turn it at System Preferences > Accessibility > Dictation and you can use various commands to perform tasks like dictating, formatting, and capitalizing your text.

Here’s a selection of some voice commands you can use in macOS Mojave or earlier:

• “Delete that”
• “Scroll to bottom”
• “Capitalize <phrase>”
• “Select next sentence”

Keep Your Mac Protected Without Updates

As you can see, it doesn’t take a lot of work to unlock most macOS Catalina’s features on older versions of macOS. But new features aren’t the only reason you might consider upgrading: there’s also the concern of stronger security.

Without regular software updates, your computer is less protected against emerging malware threats. Apple supports prior macOS versions for a few years, but if you’re on an edition that no longer receives updates, make sure you consider the best antivirus software for your Mac to keep it safe without upgrading macOS.

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