Month: July 2025

    • sparta
    • Comments Off on Microsoft Authenticator to Cease Password Autofill Functionality in July
    Microsoft Authenticator to Cease Password Autofill Functionality in July

    **Microsoft Authenticator Retiring Password Autofill: Important Information You Should Have**

    A quick alert for those utilizing Microsoft Authenticator as a password manager: the app is discontinuing support for password autofill, and all stored passwords will be erased by August. Here’s what you need to know.

    These adjustments are part of Microsoft’s strategy to streamline its credential management tools under the Edge browser. Moving forward, password autofill will exclusively be accessible through Edge, not Authenticator.

    ### What’s Changing, and When

    – **Beginning June 2025**: You will be unable to **Add** or **Import** new passwords in the Authenticator App. However, you can keep saving passwords via autofill until July.

    – **Throughout July 2025**: Autofill will no longer function with Authenticator.

    – **Starting August 2025**: Your saved passwords will be inaccessible in Authenticator.

    Microsoft indicates that passwords and addresses already stored within the app will automatically sync to your Microsoft account and will be available through Edge. Nevertheless, if you don’t intend to use Edge, you must export your passwords to another service prior to August 1.

    ### How to Maintain Access to Your Passwords

    If you plan to remain within Microsoft’s ecosystem, after downloading Edge and designating it as your default autofill provider, simply sign in with your Microsoft account to synchronize your credentials. You can retrieve them via Settings > Passwords in the Edge application.

    If you are shifting to another service such as iCloud Keychain or Bitwarden, follow these steps:

    1.

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    • sparta
    • Comments Off on Apple Evaluating the Incorporation of ChatGPT or Claude to Improve Siri’s Smartness
    Apple Evaluating the Incorporation of ChatGPT or Claude to Improve Siri’s Smartness

    Following a highly publicized string of setbacks with Apple’s more customized, AI-driven Siri, the Cupertino firm is reportedly contemplating abandoning its own internal models in favor of collaborating with companies such as Anthropic or OpenAI.

    According to Bloomberg, Apple has engaged in discussions with both firms regarding the utilization of their LLMs to enhance its more intelligent Siri. The companies have also been approached to develop versions of their AI models capable of operating on its Private Cloud Compute servers.

    Tests have suggested that Anthropic’s Claude emerges as the most promising AI assistant for powering Siri. Consequently, Apple’s VP of Corporate Development Adrian Perica has initiated conversations with Anthropic about the potential structure of a partnership between the two entities.

    The report further indicates that OpenAI proposed to develop AI models for Apple last year; however, at that point, Apple remained confident that its in-house models would be adequate. Presently, Anthropic is reportedly seeking a multibillion-dollar annual fee that escalates each year for a comparable agreement. The disagreement over costs has opened the way for OpenAI and possibly other third-party entities.

    That said, none of these arrangements have been confirmed, and Apple has yet to make any decisions regarding the use of external AI models to enhance its more personalized Siri.

    Outsourcing the AI that powers Siri undeniably raises significant privacy issues, which is why Apple intends to operate the AI models on its own chips. By deploying customized iterations of ChatGPT or Claude on its own servers, Apple believes it can better safeguard user information.

    This AI collaboration would represent a remarkable acknowledgment of failure from one of the largest tech companies globally. Apple’s “LLM Siri” is still under active development but did not feature at this year’s WWDC. Meanwhile, nearly every Android manufacturer, including Samsung, has surged forward with generative AI integration. Apple has already fallen behind and risks trailing even further without a dependable partner.

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    • sparta
    • Comments Off on Researchers Discover the Source of the Atlantic Warming Gap
    Researchers Discover the Source of the Atlantic Warming Gap

    For many years, scientists were confounded by an unusual region of the ocean just south of Greenland that behaved differently than the rest of the planet. While ocean temperatures worldwide have steadily increased, this area, referred to as the Atlantic Warming Hole, has experienced a cooling of nearly half a degree Fahrenheit over the past century. Now, researchers suggest they may have unraveled the mystery.

    Contrary to its designation, this area is anything but warm. It is, in fact, a cold region in the North Atlantic where temperatures have declined even as the rest of the ocean warms. Such a deviation has significant consequences, particularly for climate predictions. The primary inquiry, however, concerns what could potentially lead to this cooling in a rapidly warming environment.

    Based on new research released in Communications Earth and Environment, the explanation is found in the deceleration of a significant system of ocean currents known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC. This system transports warm water from the tropics northward, where it cools, sinks, and then flows back south. It serves as one of the main influences on the planet’s climate.

    When the AMOC experiences a slowdown, it alters this heat distribution. A reduced amount of warm water reaches the North Atlantic, resulting in surface cooling. The researchers discovered that only climate models that accounted for this slowdown were able to reproduce the temperature patterns observed in the Atlantic Warming Hole.

    To arrive at this finding, scientists examined over a century’s worth of temperature data, which act as indirect measures of the ocean’s current strength. They also employed numerous computer models to simulate how various alterations would impact ocean temperatures. Only those incorporating a weakened AMOC corresponded with the detected cooling trend.

    Gaining insight into the Atlantic Warming Hole is crucial since this cold region impacts rainfall and wind patterns throughout Europe and can disrupt marine ecosystems. Furthermore, as the AMOC continues to decelerate, some scientists caution about wider disruptions to weather and climate systems.

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    • Richard
    • Comments Off on All that We Understand About Season 2 of Your Friends & Neighbors
    All that We Understand About Season 2 of Your Friends & Neighbors

    Apple TV+ has experienced an impressive year, with “Severance” playing a crucial role in its achievements alongside multiple other successful series. A highlight is Jon Hamm’s “Your Friends & Neighbors,” which has emerged as Apple’s most-watched new drama, prompting the announcement of a second season.

    ### Season 2 was approved before Your Friends & Neighbors even debuted

    In a distinct move for Apple, “Your Friends & Neighbors” was granted a second season before its inaugural season aired. This choice, made in November 2024—six months ahead of the show’s launch—reflected Apple’s belief in the series, which has been proven justified.

    ### What’s ahead for Jon Hamm’s ‘Coop’ and more

    Jonathan Tropper, the mastermind behind “Your Friends & Neighbors,” has shared details about the future of Jon Hamm’s character, Coop, and the ensemble cast. In a discussion with *Variety*, Tropper stressed that Coop will not take on the role of a conventional criminal genius, declaring, “Coop is never gonna become a criminal kingpin.” Instead, the focus will be on Coop’s personal battles and his journey for self-discovery.

    Tropper also teased significant changes for two major female characters, Sam and Mel. He mentioned that Season 2 will offer a more profound exploration of Sam’s character, presenting her with fresh challenges and a path of self-reinvention in the face of public judgment. At the same time, Mel’s narrative will explore her unresolved fury and the emotional reckoning she faces.

    ### Season 2 to utilize the ‘Empire Strikes Back’ approach

    Tropper has compared his strategy for the second season to that of “The Empire Strikes Back,” indicating that the stakes will elevate, and the story will grow darker and more intricate. This thematic transition aims to enhance the audience’s connection with the characters and their arcs.

    ### When to anticipate Your Friends & Neighbors season 2 on Apple TV+

    The first season of “Your Friends & Neighbors” wrapped up in late May 2025, with filming for Season 2 beginning while the first season was still airing. Considering the early renewal and prompt commencement of production, fans can expect the second season to debut in spring 2026, resulting in a relatively brief wait of about a year between seasons.

    Apple TV+ is priced at $9.99 per month and offers a selection of award-winning shows and films, including “Ted Lasso,” “Severance,” “The Morning Show,” “Silo,” and “Shrinking.”

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