sounds Archives

Tech Optimizer

May 30, 2025

Don’t get scammed! McAfee’s new AI tool sounds great, but you will need to pay for it

McAfee has integrated its Scam Detector feature into all core antivirus plans, achieving a 99% accuracy rate in identifying scams, including deepfakes on video platforms. The tool provides real-time scanning for text messages, emails, and video content on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, and extends protection to applications such as WhatsApp, Messenger, and Gmail. On Android, it automatically scans SMS messages, while iPhone users can perform manual scans. The feature includes customizable sensitivity settings and an on-demand check option for users to analyze messages or screenshots. Access to the Scam Detector requires a paid McAfee antivirus subscription. In contrast, Bitdefender offers a free tool called Scamio, which scans links, texts, screenshots, and QR codes for scams but does not detect video deepfakes. Google has developed an AI-based scam detector for Pixel phones that scans audio from incoming calls for scam language. Norton has also integrated its Genie Scam Protection into its plans, focusing on identifying scam language and requiring a subscription for comprehensive coverage. McAfee's Scam Detector is less accessible than free alternatives like Scamio.

BetaBeacon

May 29, 2025

You Can Play Classic Pinball from Windows on Android for Free

The classic Pinball game is now available for free for Android users, thanks to Kyle Sylvestre who ported it there.

AppWizard

May 29, 2025

How to Get Tears Music Disc in Minecraft

In the upcoming Minecraft Summer Drop 2025, six new music tracks will be added, including the Tears music disc, which players can obtain by completing the Return to Sender challenge. This challenge requires players to locate and defeat a ghast in the Nether dimension using its own fireballs. Players must gather Obsidian blocks and Flint and Steel to ignite a Ruined Portal and prepare with a sword, shield, and iron armor. Ghasts can be found in the Soul Sand Valley, Basalt Delta, and Nether Waste biomes. To defeat a ghast, players should block its fireballs with a shield and deflect them back using a sword. After defeating the ghast, the Tears music disc will drop, along with a ghast tear or gunpowder. Players can then use the disc with a Minecraft Jukebox to listen to the music track.

AppWizard

May 28, 2025

Minecraft 1.21.6 Pre-Release 1 Modifies Dried Ghast Sounds, Vibrations and More

Mojang has released Minecraft 1.21.6 Pre-Release 1, focusing on bug fixes and gameplay enhancements. Key changes include: - Dried ghast blocks now emit a vibration frequency of 11 when their state changes, and their ambient sounds have been reclassified under the Blocks sound setting. - Equipping saddles, horse armor, or carpets on mobs triggers a vibration frequency of 6, while unequipping them results in a frequency of 4. - A fix has been implemented to prevent players riding happy ghasts from passing through other occupied happy ghasts. - Technical updates include changes to the Data Pack version (now 79) and Resource Pack version (now 63), improved dialog functionality, and support for standardized dialog inputs.

Winsage

May 22, 2025

Signal signals discontent with Microsoft Recall

Signal has activated Digital Rights Management (DRM) features within Windows to prevent Microsoft Recall from capturing screenshots of its chat windows. Recall has been criticized for its imprecise screenshot capturing, which affects sensitive communications. Signal's DRM solution ensures that Recall and other screenshot tools do not capture its content. The "Screen security" setting in Signal Desktop for Windows 11 is enabled by default, requiring users to confirm if they wish to disable it. Recall was initially criticized during its launch at Microsoft's 2024 Build event and has since been revised, remaining an opt-in feature with a "Preview" label. Microsoft claims users control what apps and websites are saved in snapshots.

BetaBeacon

May 21, 2025

Google just laid out its game plan to make you (and developers) care about Android XR

Google showcased how apps like Google Maps, Messages, Calendar, and Photos will function on Android XR glasses.

AppWizard

May 19, 2025

If you use the YouTube app, change these 5 settings to immediately make it better

- To turn off autoplay videos in feeds, go to the You tab, select the gear icon, choose General, tap Playback in feeds, and set it to Off. - You can set a sleep timer for videos by tapping the gear icon while watching a video and selecting sleep timer, with options for 10, 15, 20, 30, 45, or 60 minutes. - To fine-tune or disable app notifications, go to the You tab, select the gear icon, and tap Notifications to customize categories or use the Schedule digest feature. - To change the default video quality, go to the You tab, select the gear icon, scroll down to Video quality preferences, and choose your preferred quality for mobile networks and Wi-Fi. - You can adjust video playback controls by going to the You tab, selecting the gear icon, and tapping Playback to enable/disable autoplay for the next video, adjust skip intervals, and enable Picture-in-Picture mode.

AppWizard

May 19, 2025

Mobile apps to continue your birding

Deb Nofzinger and Dave Wilkins recommend several mobile applications for birding enthusiasts, including eBird and Merlin Bird ID, both associated with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. eBird operates on a donation model and allows users to maintain detailed bird lists, track sightings, and utilize a Hotspot function for prime birding locations. It has recorded 149 species at Earth Heart Farms since its addition, with 78 species identified this year. Wilkins has completed 239 checklists at Creek Bend Farm Park and observed 137 species there. The Merlin Bird ID app offers a sound identification feature for 1,382 bird species and is noted for its accuracy in familiar environments. Other suggested apps include BirdCast for migration updates and the Sibley Birds v2 app, priced at .99.

BetaBeacon

May 17, 2025

The 5 Best New Apps for Android and iPhone this Week

- EA SPORTS FC Tactical is a mobile game that offers a turn-based system for making strategic decisions during key moments of a football match. - The game combines realistic player models with stylized animations and a rock-paper-scissors-style attribute system to determine the outcome of encounters. - The game features a unique approach to traditional football elements and offers a cinematic experience with dynamic music and visual effects.

AppWizard

May 15, 2025

Chrome’s Android app will now let you zoom in on text without affecting the webpage

Google has introduced updates to enhance user experience on its platforms, focusing on accessibility and usability for Android users. The TalkBack screenreader now allows follow-up questions about images, enabling users to ask specific queries like identifying colors or materials. An update for Chrome on Android improves text zooming, allowing users to enlarge text without affecting the webpage layout, using a slider accessible through the three-dot menu. Google’s Optical Character Recognition (OCR) tool now automatically recognizes scanned PDFs on desktop, enabling text highlighting, copying, and searching. Expressive Captions provide real-time captions for audio content on Android devices, capturing spoken words along with tone and emotion, and are being rolled out in English across the US, UK, Canada, and Australia for devices on Android 15 and later.