Planning on traveling or cooking? ChatGPT-powered Bing AI just got more useful for you

Microsoft just let us know how it has been making the popular Bing chatbot more helpful in some areas, and most recently there have been improvements to how the AI handles queries about traveling and recipes for cooking.

In a blog post summarizing improvements made over the past week, Microsoft noted that steps have been taken to give its ChatGPT-powered AI better answers on those two topics.

In both cases, the software giant further observes that it has “improved the accuracy of citations” and that with recipes, improved ‘grounding data’ from recipe content providers has been used, with citations directing you to the provider’s site rather than Bing.com (avoiding poaching traffic).

Expect more tweaking in these areas based on user feedback, Microsoft tells us.

Elsewhere, the amount of ‘end-of-conversation triggers’ have been reduced, meaning instances where the Bing AI just clams up and ends a chat session prematurely (telling you something like: “I’m sorry but I prefer not to continue this conversation”).

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Analysis: Bing bolstered, but what about Bard?

It’s good to see conversation-ending errors getting reduced, and this is something Microsoft has been regularly engaging in over time, so slowly but surely, the number of times you witness the Bing chatbot falling over and just closing a session should be fewer and fewer.

It’s also interesting to see Microsoft gradually honing the Bing AI in specific categories – recipes and traveling in this case as mentioned, but before now, we’ve seen further work on making the chatbot smarter with queries pertaining to your local area (like ‘where’s the nearest grocery store?’ for example). Not to mention improvements on the maths front, and with queries relating to the current (and breaking) news.

There’s a lot going on to push the Bing AI forward, it seems, and we’re not hearing nearly as much chatter about the progress of Google’s rival AI, Bard. That said, Bard is now starting to get meaningful updates – and full documentation of them – starting with various performance improvements and beefing up the variety of the chatbot’s responses. In short, this is important tinkering albeit at a basic level, and hopefully Google can build on that considerably from here.

There’s certainly no shortage of effort to drive forward with Bard from what we’ve heard via the rumor mill, with Google redeploying staff to focus on the AI (at the expense of Google Assistant, apparently).

Via MS Power User

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Sorry, your Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse fan theories are 'way off base'

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse's directors are having a good time reading all of your fan theories about the forthcoming movie. Unfortunately for you, though, most of them are "way off base".

Speaking exclusively to TechRadar during a long lead press day ahead the next Spider-Man film's launch, Kemp Powers and Joaquim Dos Santos confirmed they were yet to see a fan theory that was close to being right.

Given the secrecy surrounding Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse's plot, it's understandable why that would be the case. Even so, some movie and TV show lovers – particularly those who frequent rumor-filled forums like Reddit – have accurately guessed certain plot points about forthcoming films or TV series. A case in point is The Mandalorian season 3, which recently finished airing on Disney Plus – director/executive producer Rick Famuyiwa exclusively telling TechRadar that some Star Wars fans had correctly guessed the direction of this season's narrative.

Powers and Dos Santos, though, say the same cannot be said of Across the Spider-Verse. In fact, of all the fan speculation that the duo has read online, around "90 percent" of it is completely wrong.

Yeah, this fan theory is wrong. So is this one. As for this one... (Image credit: Sony Pictures Animation)

"I've not [been] on social media much," Powers said. "But the theories I've seen, I have to say 90 percent of rumors are way off base, to the point where it's almost annoying how wrong they are!" *laughs* 

"We live in a time where a bad rumor kind of spreads and people start accepting it as the truth. Or, say Phil [Miller] and Chris [Lord, Across the Spider-Verse's executive producers] might have said something in an interview four or five years ago, fans then go 'They said that might happen! Now we know it's going to happen'. Guys, the movie is almost ready. You will see it. But yeah, the vast majority of rumors are false."

"There have been some doozies, for sure," Dos Santos added. "On the other side of it, though, it's like, we're happy people are talking and pontificating on it, rather than not at all. Believe me, for a million years, I raged about who would win in a fight between Spider-Man and Wolverine or, you know, if we'd ever see a big Marvel and DC crossover. People are going to talk and that's just part of being in the fandom."

Analysis: a web of misdirects, or fanning the flames?

"And don't even get me started on this ridiculous sounding rumor!" (Image credit: Sony Pictures)

Given the lengthy involvement in Across the Spider-Verse's development, Powers and Dos Santos' comments can be taken at face value. They know what the film's story is about, which characters will show up, who'll get the most character development, how it'll end – and lead into its sequel, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, which is currently slated to launch in theaters in March 2024.

That said, the pair are sure to have thrown a few misdirects our way over the last 12 months. Even if a solitary Spider-Man fan had correctly guessed the movie's story, including its ending, Powers, Dos Santos, and company aren't going to let us know that someone has got it right. That would only further fuel the fire, and result in fans of the webslinger searching for the correct theory online.

We aren't averse to speculating on what'll go down in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, either. We've discussed our thoughts on the movie's direction in our hub (linked above), as well as in our Across the Spider-Verse trailer breakdown article. We can't sit here, then, act all high and mighty, and tell fans of the wallcrawler to stop theorizing and simply wait for the film to arrive in theaters.

Wait, Andy Samberg will voice a character in Across the Spider-Verse!? (Image credit: Instagram)

With certain members of the movie's cast and crew dropping the occasional tease our way, too, we can't help but speculate on what we'll see when one of our most anticipated new movies of 2023 works its way into cinemas, either. Just this week, Powers told CinemaCon attendees (via Total Film) that the film has secret cameos that its main voice cast doesn't even know about – one of which is "gonna blow your eyeballs out the backside of your head". Meanwhile, The Lonely Island's Instagram account has teased Andy Samberg joining fellow comedian/actor Jorma Taccone in voicing a character in the film, even though Sony and Marvel haven't confirmed his involvement.

Across the Spider-Verse's own creative team, then, is helping to drive discussions and fan theories about the flick pre-release. As Dos Santos and Powers say, that's part and parcel of the world we live in today. Even so, in partaking of these online discussions, they're fanning the flames of the very same fan theories they state are "off base", which we're sure is amusing them greatly. Curse you both!

Still, we don't have much longer to wait for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse to swing into theaters worldwide, so we'll soon know which fan theories were bang on the money. Be sure to check back in with TechRadar next week for a more in-depth, exclusive discussion with Dos Santos and Powers about the movie, too.

In the meantime, find out how to watch the Spider-Man movies in order, or read our Spider-Man movies ranked piece. Alternatively, see how one Across the Spider-Verse poster spoiled some of its biggest cameos and see why the Miles Morales-starring film might be more connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe than we realize.

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Microsoft’s plan to win over Bard users to Bing AI could backfire

Microsoft is experimenting with further dubious tactics in an effort to persuade people to use its own products rather than Google’s, and its latest tricksy move is an attempt to poach users on the AI front.

By now, we’re certainly used to Microsoft badgering folks to use its Edge browser rather than Chrome (and to be fair, Google works it the other way, too), but this time around, the target is the Bard AI.

As Vitor de Lucca highlighted on Twitter, if you go to the Bard web page in Edge test builds – in the Dev channel in this case, but also Canary according to a Neowin report – you’ll see a banner pop up in the address bar urging you to try the Bing AI.

Now when you open Bard on Microsoft's Edge, it shows a button to compare the answers with Bing! Holy f... pic.twitter.com/xGpHc0ZtfnApril 27, 2023

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Specifically, it says that you can compare the answers you get from Bard with the new Bing AI. If you click the banner, Edge will pop up the Bing chatbot in a split-screen tab, so you’ve got both Bing and Bard side-by-side in two panels, allowing you to directly compare how your queries are dealt with (assuming you’ve signed up to both bots, naturally).

Note that this diversionary tactic is still in testing right now, and the earliest test channels as mentioned, so it might be a concept abandoned by Microsoft before anyone running the release version of Edge sees it. We did pay a visit to Bard in the latest release build of Edge just to check, and nothing came up.

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Analysis: An unfair Edge? At least not quite as unfair as usual…

While we do not approve of any of this kind of prodding and cajoling in any fashion, at least in this case, Microsoft is making an offer of a comparison.

You can see how both chatbots perform and compare directly, and that may not necessarily come off in Microsoft’s favor. Although presumably Microsoft is confident enough it will, or it wouldn’t have implemented the nudge to use the Bing AI in this manner.

(That in itself tells a story about the Bing versus Bard battle, which the former is winning thus far, with Google very much playing catch-up at this point, after a stumbling start – and diverting a lot of resources in the effort to get back into the race, if reports elsewhere are correct).

So, while this is not going to go down well with many folks who are fed up of Microsoft’s increasing intrusions into its browser and Windows, and who’ll regard this as essentially unwelcome targeted advertising, it is at least better than Microsoft’s usual ploy.

Which typically with Edge will consist of telling you that its browser is better, faster, and more secure compared to rivals like Chrome (and it makes the tea, and so on). At least this time, you are actually seeing a concrete comparison of the two chatbots abilities.

Still, Microsoft, if you really feel the need to do this, here’s a thought. Instead of hijacking the Bard page, how about putting an option on Bing to pull up the Bard page side-by-side and compare. Because you’re confident in Bing, right?

The whole Bing against Bard scenario may be a win for Microsoft right now, but if some of the other plans we’ve heard worrying whispers about for the ChatGPT-powered AI come to fruition, things could change rapidly. Namely chucking adverts into the mix, though it’s not as if Google won’t be considering that, naturally. Sadly it’s quite likely the question is probably not whether they can get away with it, but when, on both counts.

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Microsoft powers-up AI in free design app

Microsoft has announced new AI tools for its free, online graphic design app - and removed the waitlist, so any user can try them out right away. 

Artificial intelligence isn’t new to Microsoft Designer, which launched in October 2022 with a handful of AI tools. However, the developers now state that “the AI models have steadily improved, and we’ve worked to weave these powerful capabilities throughout the Designer canvas.” 

Using seemingly ubiquitous generative AI, users can prompt Microsoft Designer to create unique images, text, and visuals. Like Canva and Adobe Express, the platform is centered around simplifying the creation of high-quality, high-output visual content for designers and non-designers. Think social media posts and online promotion. Alongside new AI tools for streamlining creative workflows comes the inevitable integration with the company’s recently AI-augmented Edge browser. 

AI and the Designer process 

While AI art generators like Dall-E and Midjourney have been grabbing headlines, artificial intelligence quietly, decisively continued its march through a raft of creative design apps, from Photoshop to Canva. It was, perhaps, only a matter of time before the tools saw a wider release in Microsoft Designer. 

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The AI tools are available as soon as users sign into the app - although the option to start with a blank canvas remains. Users are nudged to write a prompt, such as “a Facebook post promoting my latest sale”. Since brand identity is important, colors can be defined and images can be uploaded or generated using AI.

Accompanying text now gets the AI treatment. Users only need to write a phrase that captures the mood of the post and Microsoft Designer will make suggestions, along with captions and hashtags. Improved resizing options and animated visuals have also been added. 

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Giving the new tool a spin, we found it relatively quick to generate a series of TechRadar Pro-inspired templates. While none of the designs left us feeling as though we were in the presence of a digital Picasso, they were simple and accessible and fit for posting on social media - although most could use an edit to avoid that templated, stock image appearance. But that’s unavoidable from tools chiefly designed to “assist and empower every person to get started on new ideas.”

The Edge integration is currently rolling out. It wasn’t available for us, but will be accessible from in the Bing sidebar then clicking + to add the app. 

However, it’s not the only tool users will have to wait for - Microsoft has also offered a glimpse of what’s to come on the platform. With a focus on editing designs, users can soon expect the arrival of Fill, Expand Background, Erase, and Replace Background tools, all leveraging AI. Because of course they do. 

Microsoft Designer is free during its public preview and you can try it out by clicking here.

• These are the best online collaboration tools around

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7 new movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and more this weekend (April 28)

It’s espionage season on streamers this month. With Ghosted and The Diplomat having already landed on Apple TV Plus and Netflix, respectively, Prime Video takes up the mantle this weekend with glitzy new spy thriller Citadel. 

Also now available to stream is Disney’s latest live-action reboot, Peter Pan & Wendy, while HBO Max gets yet another star-studded murdery mystery in the form of David E. Kelley's Love & Death.

Below, we’ve rounded up seven new movies and TV shows to catch on streaming services over the next few days. 

Citadel (Prime Video)

Beloved Marvel movie directors Joe and Anthony and Russo turn their attention to television this weekend with Citadel on Prime Video.

Intended to be the first of many interconnected series, this six-episode spy thriller – which reportedly cost Prime Video $250m – stars Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas as a pair of independent agents tasked with bringing down an Illuminati-esque crime syndicate known as the Manticore. Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville also star. 

Suffice to say, Citadel has enjoyed mixed reviews from critics so far. We described the show as “a vanilla-lite clone of what’s come before,” while others have praised the Russos’ latest adventure for being “absurdly fun” and “televisual crack.” Perhaps, then, it could be one of the best Prime Video shows of 2023, after all? For some, perhaps.

Now available to stream on Prime Video. 

Peter Pan & Wendy (Disney Plus) 

Disney’s commitment to rehashing every one of its beloved animated classics continues in earnest this weekend with Peter Pan & Wendy on Disney Plus. 

Helmed by The Green Knight director David Lowery – who we interviewed back in 2021 – this straight-to-streaming movie treads J.M. Barrie's familiar story beats while shedding refreshing new light on characters including Captain Hook (played here by Jude Law) and Peter Pan (Alexander Molony).  

Rather like Citadel, Peter Pan & Wendy has divided critics, with some calling it “passable but unnecessary” and others “the most beautiful, moving children’s film of the year.” Our advice? Check this one out for yourself, especially given the quality of the director's work – it might just be one of the best Disney Plus movies.

Now available to stream on Disney Plus.

Love & Death (HBO Max) 

Elizabeth Olson swaps the MCU for 1980s Texas in HBO’s latest murder-mystery thriller, Love & Death.

Now streaming on HBO Max, this seven-episode miniseries adapts the true-crime story of Candy Montgomery (Olsen); the churchgoing housewife who was arrested and tried for the brutal murder of Betty Gore (Lily Rabe), the wife of the man (Jesse Plemons) she was having an affair with. Expect it to join our best HBO Max shows shortly.

The first three episodes of Love & Death are now available to stream in the US, with the remaining four entries set to arrive weekly every Thursday through May 25. The series will air on ITVX in the UK later this year. 

Now available to stream on HBO Max.

Sweet Tooth season 2 (Netflix) 

Sweet Tooth proved an unexpectedly brilliant new Netflix series on release in 2021, and Jim Mickle’s post-apocalyptic adventure returns for a highly-anticipated second run this weekend. 

Once again led by Christian Convery’s Gus, Sweet Tooth season 2 finds its deer-like hero tasked with uncovering the origins of the Great Crumble, an event which saw 98% of the world’s population wiped out by a mysterious virus. 

Critics have been quick to stress that, despite the darker undertones of its follow-up season, Sweet Tooth remains a family-friendly affair – though many have also described Sweet Tooth season 2 as “a joy for all ages”. One that'll rejoin our best Netflix shows guide soon.

Now available to stream on Netflix. 

Fatal Attraction (Paramount Plus)  

Last weekend saw Prime Video adapt David Cronenberg's 1988 film Dead Ringers into a star-studded series fit for the 21st century, and Paramount Plus will be hoping to repeat the trick with its own adaptation of Adrian Lyne's 1987 thriller Fatal Attraction. 

Starring Joshua Jackson, Amanda Peet and Lizzy Caplan, this eight-episode drama charts the fallout of an affair between a married man and an obsessive (read: murderous) woman. According to the show’s synopsis, Fatal Attraction is a "deep-dive reimagining" of Lyne's 1987 original film, so expect a handful of narrative changes. 

The series’ first three episodes are now available to stream on Paramount Plus in the UK and US, with its remaining five entries set to arrive weekly every Sunday through May 25 (the final two episodes will arrive as a pair). 

Now available to stream on Paramount Plus. 

Saint X (Hulu) 

Hulu’s TV library has come on leaps and bounds in recent years, and Disney’s subsidiary streamer looks set to grow its stock even further with new drama series Saint X.

Adapted from Alexis Schaitkin's novel of the same name, this eight-part series switches between multiple timelines to recount the mysterious death of an American college student – and to document how the event creates a traumatic ripple effect for her now-adult sister.

Alycia Debnam-Carey, West Duchovny, Josh Bonzie, Betsy Brandt, Michael Park and Bre Francis all star in Saint X, which critics have called “hypnotic” and “chilling.” UK viewers will find this one streaming on Disney Plus. 

Now available to stream on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK.

Frog and Toad (Apple TV Plus) 

Here’s one to enjoy with the kids this weekend. Arriving only a few months after Apple’s Oscar-winning children’s book adaptation The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, another page-to-screen series, Frog and Toad, is now streaming on Apple TV Plus.

Starring the voices of Nat Faxon and Kevin Michael Richardson, this eight-episode children’s show follows the adventures of its titular anthropomorphic animals, Frog and Toad, who found fame in Arnold Lobel’s mega-popular book series. 

Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus. 

• Need a way to get all the best streaming services on an older TV? This $20 Google TV streaming box looks like a great cheap upgrade

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ChatGPT's new virtual assistant has freaked me out

ChatGPT is getting a new real-time video assistant called Annie... but as it's built by a Reddit user, it's unofficial. 

According to the Reddit post by qwertyflagstop, Annie can act as a tutor on a vast range of topics, help you practise that big speech or just chat with you about your day. She can also check the weather and perform very basic web searches.

The post goes briefly into how Annie has been set up, including her face and how she’s able to respond. The original image of Annie's face was generated with Midjourney (one of the best AI art generators that can create some stunning graphics in secons), and her expressions and lip movements are animated on-device in real-time to match the generated speech. Right now, the content of what she says is generated by ChatGPT.

As a big fan of AI chatbots, I was keen to give Annie a try, to see if it can successfully give artificial intelligence a more ‘human’ way of interacting.

(Image credit: Future)

Annie has a somewhat familiar, non-threatening face and introduced herself to me as being a 30-year-old digital freelancer. When she moves her mouth you can’t help but be struck by that uncanny valley feeling, and overall it was a strange and unsettling experience. 

The lipsync between Annie's mouth and the words she’s saying is remarkably good considering she’s generating her speech from ChatGPT, though she does pause somewhat between questions and answers, but not enough to warrant frustration.

I spoke briefly to the bot for half an hour and was pretty impressed.  If you head over to the official Annie website, you can call Annie straight from the site or via an app for iOS or Android. When you call her through the app you’ll notice that it’s set up to reflect a typical Facetime or video call, with a camera, mic and end call button at the bottom.

Video call with ChatGPT from r/ChatGPT

She gave me book recommendations based on my favourite books - and they were actually very spot on in terms of genre - and how she feels about all the SpongeBob movies. If you spend enough time with ChatGPT, as I have, you can hear the bot's specific ‘tone’ come through Annie when she speaks.

Uncanny valley

She does tend to go off on tangents, like when we were talking about her yoga habits and she ended up explaining the history of yoga to me, but you can cut her off by saying ‘hold on’. You can also trigger her to do a basic web search by sayings ‘Can you search the web’

You can call Annie through her website or via the app, though be prepared to be a little creeped out. Or, incredibly impressed depending on your stance on AI progression. There is an uncomfortable feeling that creeps up when you're talking to her, specifically when she's listening to you ask questions. Obviously, her face art isn't very realistic, but it's not awful. Her face is always very calm and she flickers between very slight expressions when she speaks which made me feel more than a little weird, as I can sense it trying to be natural, despite it being AI.

There's still some creepiness when I use ChatGPT normally, having in-depth conversations with a robot isn't something you get used to very quickly. As some people on the Reddit thread pointed out, by talking to ChatGPT in a more 'human' like form, it shows how unhuman it actually is. One pointed out that in normal conversations between humans people go off on tangents, interrupt each other, and ask follow up questions. With Annie, you ask a question, and she replied with a stream of information. Helpful in some cases, especially when asking questions via text, but it highlights how false the interactions are when there's a human avatar.

Having said that, attaching a face to it makes it harder to feel like you can have a chat. It's easier to spill your guts out in a DM than it is to an actual face, let alone Annie's face. 

As this is an early version of Annie there are definitely a few bugs and hitches, but as popularity grows I’m sure further updates and video call features will pop up in no time. 

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Chromebooks just got a video editor that takes all the hassle out of movie making

Chromebook owners can now avail themselves of the ability to quickly and easily put together and edit movies thanks to Google Photos.

As Android Police spotted, this new video editing functionality was revealed by Google last month, but it’s now rolling out to all Chromebook users.

The way it works is that you can choose the option to create a movie in Google Photos, then pick a theme – the example Google shows is ‘friendship’ – then select relevant elements, in this case, the friends you want to star in the clip.

The movie creator will then pull images and videos of those friends from Google Photos, automatically putting together some footage, and even intelligently picking sections out from longer video clips (cutting and trimming itself, basically).

If you prefer, you can put together your own selection, and indeed add clips from local files on the Chromebook too.

(Image credit: Google)

Whatever the case, once you’ve got that initial set of clips combined into a movie, you can then mess about with it in the movie editor. It’s possible to cut down various clips as needed, add filters, play with elements like brightness and so on. Finally, you can throw in a (stock) soundtrack to liven things up.

Most Chromebooks will already have Google Photos installed, but if that isn’t the case, you can hop over to the Play Store and just download the app.

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Analysis: A compelling slice of convenience

Video editing on Chromebooks is pretty limited in terms of available software – and not everyone wants to use a web-based editor – so this built-in feature is a very welcome string to the functionality bow with Google’s laptops.

The automation aspect of getting the movie creator to trawl through your media and put together something within your specified guidelines is pretty cool, and takes a lot of the effort out of rooting through your pics and clips collection. Which can be a pretty daunting task if you have a lot of media, of course.

Granted, this may never be quite as good as tailoring something yourself, but it’s a seriously convenient option to have all the legwork done for you. As Google notes, all it takes is a few clicks here and there, and you’ve got yourself a video clip (though you’ll still need to edit it, but even then, you can go with a minimal effort approach, of course).

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Hate widgets? Then you won’t like what Microsoft is up to in latest Windows 11 preview

Windows 11 just got a new preview build in the Beta channel that brings in some important changes for widgets, including making the widgets panel a sizeable chunk bigger.

Preview build 22624.1680 introduces what Microsoft is calling an ‘evolved widgets board’, and the main move here is to give the widgets board an extra column of real-estate.

Instead of being two columns wide, it now sprawls over three columns, as long as the device running Windows 11 has a display that can support the additional column. On top of that, there are ‘zones’ to separate the widgets themselves – on the left – and content from the user’s tailored feed (on the right).

Not every tester will see this change to begin with, mind, as it’s rolling out in stages.

On top of this, the preview build also treats folks to animated icons for widgets on the taskbar. These are only working for weather and finance icons right now, and in the former case for example, when rain clouds are displayed, you get a brief animation of the rain falling.

Those are the main changes in this beta release, along with some important fine-tuning of how app defaults work in Windows 11. Specifically, this brings in a new system Microsoft has previously blogged about that employs a Settings deep link URI (uniform resource identifier). This allows software devs to take users straight to the right place in Settings whenever an app wants to be made the default for any given file format (we discuss this further here – note that app pinning hasn’t arrived yet, though).

The full list of work contained in build 22624 is available in Microsoft’s blog post introducing the preview build, as ever, so check that out if you want to see all the nitty gritty details.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

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Analysis: Microsoft is proceeding cautiously with this one

The larger widgets board was seen in testing last month (in the Canary channel), so it seems that Microsoft is signalling its intention to move forward with the bigger three-column panel, given it has now progressed to the Beta channel.

Clearly, you get more space for content here which is, on the face of it, a welcome move for those who use widgets in Windows 11. Sadly, the widgets themselves take up one column, and the feed content takes up the two columns on the right, so the expansion is putting more emphasis on the news feed side of the equation.

As Microsoft puts it, you might want a “high-value break with your personalized feed”, but rather, you may prefer to see more widgets. Maybe Microsoft will tweak the balance of these different zones, as it calls them, going forward.

This is a change Microsoft is clearly a bit tentative about, because as noted above, the rollout is only happening for a limited number of testers in the Beta channel to begin with. The idea is to keep an eye on feedback and “see how it lands before pushing it out to everyone”, which is Microsoft’s standard approach when it’s not so sure on a feature, or whether it might rub some people up the wrong way.

As well as this bigger panel and animated icons for widgets – those look pretty nifty, we reckon – Microsoft could have another major change in the pipeline, too. Rumor has it that Windows 11 could eventually see the ability to drag widgets onto the desktop, should you wish to do so.

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Can't find something to watch? Google TV just got over 800 channels for free in the US

Following its announcement earlier in April, Google is now rolling out its new Live tab that will air over 800 live TV channels for free.

So, even if you’ve recently unsubscribed from Netflix because of its upcoming password-sharing rules – or you’ve ditched any of the other best streaming services – you should still be able to find something to watch on your Google TV device.

The Live tab will collate channels from a bunch of free services including Plex, Pluto TV, and Tubi, but it will also give you easy access to the paid live TV you subscribe to through YouTube TV and Sling. Just note that while you’ll be able to watch free content without downloading any other apps you will need the relevant app to watch paid content – i.e. you can watch free Tubi shows without Tubi, but you’ll need Sling to watch your paid Sling content.

If you do need to download an app, the Live tab will still show you the content in its guide – it’ll just prompt you to install the relevant program before it lets you watch the channel.

This update is currently only available to Google TV device users in the US – though it is at least rolling out to not only Chromecasts but TVs from Hisense, TCL, and Sony that use the Google TV OS as well. We’ll have to wait and see if Google introduces something similar in regions outside the US at some point in the future.

Diamonds in the rough

800 channels is a lot, but don’t expect everything you find in the Live tab to be on par with the best Disney Plus shows or best Netflix movies. There’s a lot of trash TV out there.

WB TV Watchlist will air shows like Westworld for free (Image credit: HBO)

What’s more, Google’s Live tab won’t only air English content, so unless you’re fluent in Spanish, Japanese and a bunch of other languages you might struggle to understand what’s going on on all 800 channels.

That said, there are some potential diamonds in the rough if you’re willing to dig through it all. Fans of reality TV can find channels dedicated to Top Gear, Hell's Kitchen, and MythBusters; entertainment channels like WB TV Watchlist and Stories by AMC will air hit select hit shows such as Westworld and The Walking Dead; and you can tune in to a wide variety of live news channels so you can keep up to date local, national and international news.

If you find a channel you love, the Live tab will let you favorite it too, allowing you to curate your own selection of go-to content when you’re next looking for something to watch.

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Black Mirror season 6 trailer breakdown: Everything we know so far

The wait is finally over. The highly anticipated Black Mirror season six is officially arriving in the coming weeks, and it’s probably safe to say that following our first look at the trailer it will likely be one of the best Netflix shows this year.    

The trailer for the sixth season of everyone’s favorite dark-side-of-technology-series Black Mirror is now available, a day after the show’s Twitter account broke its four-year long silence, and it’s everything we hoped for, with a big new cast including the likes of Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul and Atlanta’s Zazie Beetz. 

Netflix, which confirmed that the show would premier in June 2023, has promised that the latest chapter in the satirical anthology series will be the most “unpredictable, unclassifiable and unexpected yet”.    

Watch the trailer below: 

If you’re wondering what the shots of Aaron Paul looking lost in space are about or why Zazie Beetz looks to be back in the ’90s and wrestling with a dial-up internet connection, then we’ve got you covered. 

Even though the trailer is only 87 seconds long, there’s quite a lot to unpack from our first glimpse of the show. Looking at the different characters and settings, we think there could be as many as 10 episodes in the latest season – Variety had confirmed in May that there would be more feature-length episodes than season five. 

Here’s what we could work out from the trailer of season six of Black Mirror and what we know so far.

Black Mirror returns to space

One of the most striking things from the trailer is the star-studded cast. In the opening moments of the trailer, we get a glimpse of a large space station moving through a starless cosmos.  

The only other scene with a space setting, which is later shown in the trailer, reveals that the shots are likely part of an episode with Aaron Paul. It shows the Breaking Bad actor wandering through the spaceship alone.

For a show that has a habit of sparking existential thoughts over technology’s unchecked exponential growth, there haven’t been that many episodes set in space – there was only ever one notable episode set in space, and that was the Star Trek riff ‘USS Callister’ from season four.  

(Image credit: Netflix )

Zazie Beetz episode features dial-up 

The futuristic technologies featured throughout Black Mirror, such as uploading an consciousness to a computer and advanced social credit systems (looking at you, China), are often showcasing innovations that aren’t yet available to us. While there are exceptions to this, namely virtual reality and deep fakes, there isn’t often a focus on archaic tech.    

That looks like it’s set to change in season six, with the trailer revealing a favorite pet peeve from the ’90s: dial-up. For those that remember having to unplug the phone line to be able to surf the web, it looks like we’re all going to be reminded of these (not so) fond memories.  

In the trailer, we see Zazie Beetz opening up a laptop to wait for a dial-up internet connection, giving us a throwback to the charms of its insistent ringing tone. Expect a somber tone for this episode judging from what the Joker and Bullet Train actor told The Guardian last year. 

“I wouldn’t say my character is having a lot of fun,” she said. “But I think there’s a really great tongue-in-cheek dark element to it, [a] premonition kind of element. The mirror reflecting back on us.”    

(Image credit: Netflix)

Sneak peek of Salma Hayek 

Black Mirror has done well to attract the attention of Hollywood stars and the latest chapter in the series looks set to feature quite a few compared to previous seasons. Among the cast is Frida and From Dusk till Dawn actor Salma Hayek. 

There’s not a lot to unpack about what the actor’s episode will look like or even be about from the trailer. Only one short scene is included from Salma Hayek’s episode and it cryptically has her saying “don’t do it”. Your guess is probably as good as ours as to what that is suggesting.

Fans of Schitt’s Creek and Russian Doll will also be pleased to hear that Annie Murphy will be joining the season six cast. Scenes from the trailer show the actor walking down what looks to be a wedding aisle dressed as a manic cheerleader waving pom pom in one hand and a fog horn in the other. 

(Image credit: Netflix )

A 'surprisingly' packed new season 

Another major feature-length episode looks set to feature Gangs of London and I May Destroy You star Paapa Essiedu. The actor makes a dramatic appearance in the season six trailer, wearing a striking silver, feathered jacket. While there are only two very short shots from his episode, Paapa Essiedu’s wardrobe exudes showmanship with feverish disco flair.   

Other stars that have been confirmed to feature in the show include Anjana Vasan, Auden Thornton, Ben Barnes, Clara Rugaard, Daniel Portman, Danny Ramirez, Himesh Patel, John Hannah, Josh Hartnett, Kate Mara, Michael Cera, Monica Dolan, Myha'la Herrold, Rob Delaney, Rory Culkin and Samuel Blenkin. 

If the A-list cast surprises you, you’re not alone. The creator behind the show Charlie Brooker told fans at the Netflix Tudum event that he even surprised himself while making it. “I’ve always felt that Black Mirror should feature stories that are entirely distinct from one another, and keep surprising people – and myself – or else what’s the point? It should be a series that can’t be easily defined, and can keep reinventing itself,” he said. 

“Partly as a challenge, and partly to keep things fresh for both me and the viewer, I began this season by deliberately upending some of my own core assumptions about what to expect,” he added. “Consequently, this time, alongside some of the more familiar Black Mirror tropes we’ve also got a few new elements, including some I’ve previously sworn blind the show would never do, to stretch the parameters of what ‘a Black Mirror episode’ even is. The stories are all still tonally Black Mirror through-and-through — but with some crazy swings and more variety than ever before.”

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Rise of the Beasts looks like the nostalgic Transformers movie I've been waiting for

A new trailer for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has debuted online – and it looks to be the nostalgia-inducing Transformers movie I've been waiting for.

The film's latest teaser, which can you watch below, is packed with the usual Autobots and Decepticons-centric drama, as well as copious amounts of metal-on-metal action, so fans of the Paramount Pictures-developed movie series are sure to enjoy what's on offer.

As previous trailers and TV spots have confirmed, though, Rise of the Beasts will finally introduce two other Transformers factions – the animal-based Maximals and Predacons – into the live-action film franchise for the first time. And, as someone who religiously watched the two groups' animated TV series, Beast Wars, as a kid, it's everything I want from a Transformers movie. Well, it would be if the Predacons also showed up, but I'll take what I can get.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, previously known as 'Transformers 7' until its official title was revealed in June 2021, is actually the second prequel in Paramount's live-action adaptation of the iconic Hasbro toy line. 

The first prequel film was 2018's Bumblebee – which starred Hailee Steinfeld (Arcane, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) alongside the titular Autobot – was hailed as one of the best Transformers movies of all-time. Okay, there isn't much competition for that particular title. But, with Paramount moving away from the tired-looking Michael Bay-directed films of the early 2000s, which put over-the-top spectacle above a genuinely compelling plot and character development, Rise of the Beasts looks set to follow in Bumblebee's footsteps and be worth the admission fee.

The new trailer for Rise of the Beasts, which is one of our most anticipated new movies of 2023, comes less than 24 hours after Paramount released a bunch of new Transformer-specific character posters. The one-sheets introduce us to some of the Cybertron-hailing sentient robots who'll appear in the movie, including Cheetor, Rhinox, Optimus Primal, and Airazor – the quartet joining returning favorites Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, plus fellow newcomers including Mirage, Arcee, and Wheeljack, for the '90s-era set flick.

Time to unleash the BEASTS. #Transformers #RiseOfTheBeastsTongayi Chirisa is Cheetor. #Maximals pic.twitter.com/VJmtfcUgxFApril 26, 2023

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Curious to know what the film's plot is about? Here's a very brief official synopsis from Paramount: "Returning to the action and spectacle that have captured moviegoers around the world, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will take audiences on a ‘90s globetrotting adventure with the Autobots and introduce a whole new faction of Transformer – the Maximals – to the existing battle on earth between Autobots and Decepticons."

Rise of the Beasts stars Anthony Ramos (In The Heights, Hamilton) and Dominique Fishback (Swarm) as its human leads. Optimus Prime's iconic voice actor Peter Cullen returns from previous Transformers movies, too. Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Poker Face), Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Pete Davison (Bodies Bodies Bodies), and Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Witcher: Blood Origin) are also on hand to lend their voices to the various Transformers who'll appear in the flick.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will fight its way into theaters worldwide on June 9.

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Microsoft Edge looks set to solve Chrome’s biggest problem – bloat

Microsoft has seemingly got plans to give Edge users a way of turning off optional features if a fresh development in testing for the browser pans out and makes it to release.

The new option under Settings – in an Optional Features panel – was spotted by Leopeva64 on Twitter, and is present in the Canary channel (the earliest test channel for Edge preview versions).

It looks like Microsoft will let you remove some of Edge's features:https://ift.tt/COZWrpV wonder what other features will be included in that section in the future... Games? E-tree? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/9aQC146rJMApril 26, 2023

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Not everyone is seeing it in Canary, mind, so it really is very early days for this chunk of functionality.

As seen in testing, the Optional Features area declares that you can ‘Choose your own features with Microsoft Edge’ and lists the possible extras that can be enabled (or disabled).

You can click to turn something on, or off, as needed, although when switching bits on, you’ll have to wait a little while for the feature to be downloaded and installed within the browser.

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Analysis: A lean, mean, browsing machine

The idea here is to give the user the ability to streamline Microsoft Edge. With fewer features built-in, the application is obviously leaner, and the browser will run faster, so this is a very welcome choice to exercise.

In recent times, we’ve been seeing quite a lot of evidence of feature creep with Edge. Microsoft appears to be pushing ahead with plenty of extra bits of functionality in an effort to one-up Chrome on the features side of the equation, leading us to be concerned about how performance might be affected in the longer term. Of course, not everyone wants any given new feature – so it’ll be great to have the ability to swerve any additions if needed.

Assuming that this Optional Features panel makes it past testing, that is. It’s still in the very earliest stages of experimentation as noted, so we best not get carried away with the idea. Though hopefully testers will get carried away in feeding back some big thumbs-ups to Microsoft here.

With Chrome being a pretty crammed browser these days in terms of options – and still carrying the perception of being bloated, for sure, even if Google has worked on making the app more streamlined in recent times, certainly for memory usage – this could be a key change for Microsoft to give Edge a compelling advantage.

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Don’t fall for the latest Gmail scam – here’s how to protect your inbox

A nasty new Gmail scam appears to be doing the rounds, with some users finding emails with the subject line “Online Reward Program” landing in their inboxes – but as with most unsolicited emails, it’s too good to be true.

Despite claiming that the email is from Google and that the recipient has won a prize due to being the person to make the 18.25 billionth search on its search engine, the email is not legitimate.

Users are asked to click on a link to claim their prize, which takes them to a web page asking them to enter personal details. There’s no prize – Google doesn’t offer rewards to people using its search engine – and instead, the victim’s personal information is stolen.

How to avoid email scams

Sadly, email scams like this are commonplace – and they don’t just target Gmail users. No matter what email provider you use, there’s a chance that at some point a scam or spam email could land in your inbox.

However, we’ve got some easy tips to help make sure you don’t fall victim to these kinds of email scams:

1. Be vigilant

(Image: © Shutterstock/Billion Photos)

The most effective - and easiest - way to avoid email scams is to keep a careful eye on your inbox. Avoid opening emails from contacts you don’t know - and certainly don’t click on any links or open any attachments included with those emails.

Most email services should display the subject of the email and the name of the sender. If those raise any red flags - such as poor spelling, ‘spammy’ wording, and strange user names, avoid opening them and simply delete and block the sender.

This also goes for emails claiming you’ve won competitions you don’t remember participating in, which is how this latest Gmail scam works. Remember, if something seems too good to be true, sadly, that means it could be a scam.

If you do slip up and click a link or download an attachment, use anti-virus software to scan your device to make sure you’ve not been compromised.

2. Avoid being phished

(Image: © Proofpoint)

The most common email scam is known as ‘phishing’, which involves a malicious user sending you an email made to look like it’s from a legitimate source such as a store or bank. They will ask you to provide personal information and login credentials; by doing so, you’re essentially giving scammers keys to your digital life.

Sadly, phishing scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and that can make it hard to determine if it’s a real email or a scam. If you get a suspicious email, check for spelling mistakes, wrong images, and other errors that may suggest that the email is not legitimate. The email address it is sent from can also be a clue, as it won’t be the official address.

Also, bear in mind that institutions such as banks will never ask you to provide personal details or login information via email. To be on the safe side, ring the business or bank the email is apparently from (using a phone number on their real website, not any number included in the email) to confirm.

3. Be smart when it comes to passwords

(Image: © Outer Corner)

Most email scams will try to get hold of your password and login credentials, so making sure your passwords are hard to crack is essential. Using the same password for multiple accounts should be avoided because if one password gets compromised, it means scammers could easily gain access to all your other accounts as well.

Password manager tools are worth using, as you may soon find that you have a lot of different, complex, passwords, and remembering them all will be pretty much impossible. These tools will securely store all your passwords so you can enter them quickly when needed, and most will also offer tools for suggesting strong passwords, meaning you can easily come up with new, uncrackable, passwords if one of your accounts gets compromised.

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AI will take over Facebook and Instagram if Mark Zuckerberg gets his way

If you’re tired of seeing generative AI like ChatGPT being introduced to apps and products you love we have some bad news – Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other Meta-owned platforms could soon be flooded with AI.

In the company’s latest earnings call, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg discussed his visions for how “AI agents” could be used across a wide range of the company’s services. He elaborated that we might see chatbots on WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, image creation tools to help make posts and ads on Facebook and Instagram, and in the future video content produced and enhanced by AI. Zuckerberg added, “I expect that these tools will be valuable for everyone from regular people to creators to businesses.”

The metaverse won’t be free from artificial intelligence either. Mark Zuckerberg went on to explain that Meta wants to eventually expand AI to provide assistance to Quest users as they explore virtual reality worlds – using the assistant to design avatars, create VR worlds, and connect metaverse spaces together.

Meta hasn’t revealed exactly when its AI efforts will be released to the public, however, Zuckerberg gave the impression that we won’t be waiting too much longer. He described Meta’s AI position as “no longer behind in building our AI infrastructure” (compared to rivals in the space) and teased that it’ll have a better understanding of its AI investments “later in the year” after seeing the reaction to new products it plans to launch.

We’ll have to wait and see what AI tools Meta releases in the coming months, but if people react similarly as they have to AI on other platforms things might not go as well as Zuckerberg hopes.

Not everyone loves AI

For example, Snapchat recently introduced a Chat-GPT-powered My AI assistant to its users, and a lot of people hate it.

Initially, My AI was exclusive to paid Snapchat Plus subscribers but its subsequently now available to all users. Its release has seen the app bombarded with negative reviews – with Snapchat’s average U.S App Store review being only 1.67 stars in the week following the launch. What’s more, a large percentage of the most negative reviews mention AI, with a lot of negativity spilling over to Twitter.

A sample of Twitter replies to Snapchat's wider rollout of its 'My AI' chatbot provides a taste of the backlash. (Image credit: Future)

The main issue isn’t with the AI itself but how it’s framed in the app. Non-paying Snapchatters are forced to have My AI at the top of their feeds and only Plus subscribers can unpin or move it. Users have also expressed concern that the AI appears to know personal information about them such as their location – however, Snapchat has said that the AI only has access to data that users have already given permission for the app to use.

If Meta does intend to follow Snapchat’s lead and introduce AI to its services, we hope it finds a less obtrusive way to go about it. Generative AI can be neat but not everyone wants to have them shoved down their throats.

Looking to try some other AI bots and assistants? Check out these interesting ChatGPT alternatives.

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Windows 11 just became a tempting upgrade for iPhone owners

Windows 11 users are now getting Phone Link for iOS rolled out to them, so those with an iPhone will be able to hook up their handset to the desktop.

Previously, the feature had been in testing, but with the full arrival on Windows 11 PCs, now everyone gets a look in. Indeed, it’s a global rollout, with Microsoft announcing that Phone Link for iOS is inbound in 39 languages across 85 markets.

Phone Link for the iPhone can be used to get notifications, calls, and messages on your desktop PC – and as we’ve previously reported, this means you can use iMessage on a Windows 11 device.

The slight catch here is that you may not see the feature on your Windows 11 PC just yet. The rollout is happening in phases, so only a limited number of users will be able to get Phone Link for iOS right now – but it won’t be long before everyone is covered (we’ll come back to that momentarily).

For those who have got the feature through, when installing the Phone Link app, you’ll see the option for the iPhone (as well as Android of course, which Phone Link has always worked with). Note that you’ll need to be running iOS 14 or better.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

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Analysis: Microsoft is treading carefully here

It seems Microsoft is being pretty cautious around this rollout, with the company admitting that it has purposefully chosen a “conservative approach” to releasing the update in its blog post announcement.

How long will it take for Microsoft to push out Phone Link for iOS exactly? We’re told that the functionality will be deployed for everyone come the middle of May, so the worst-case scenario is that you’ll be waiting three weeks (or that should be the case, anyway).

It should be worth the wait, Microsoft promises us, as the software giant has had some pretty positive feedback from internal testers thus far.

Clearly, though, the Phone Link experience on iOS is far more limited than on Android, with just the basics being piped through to the desktop (not so much Microsoft’s fault as Apple’s, of course). As noted, there is iMessage support which is good to see, but this is barebones too, and you won’t get the full message history for example, or be able to use the entire range of iMessage features.

Still, even the Android experience on Phone Link is restricted in some ways, as some of the coolest features are for Samsung handsets only, which has long been a gripe for many users.

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Prime Video is the new home for Batman's animated content – and I'm all for it

Prime Video is set to become the new streaming home for new animated Batman projects, including the much anticipated Batman: Caped Crusader animated series.

In March, we reported that Batman: Caped Crusader would glide its way onto Amazon's streaming platform following its cancellation on HBO Max. Almost six weeks later, Amazon has finally confirmed that the sequel to the acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series will launch exclusively on Prime Video, with the streamer greenlighting two seasons of the Bruce Timm, JJ Abrams, and Matt Reeves-developed animated TV show.

Caped Crusader isn't the only Batman project in the works for Prime Video, though. In an Amazon Studios press release, the company also confirmed two other animated offerings were being created specifically for one of the world's best streaming services – both of which would star Damian Wayne, Batman's sociopathic son.

The first of these productions is Merry Little Batman, an action-comedy film that'll see a young Damian assume the role of 'Little Batman' as he defends Wayne Manor (and Gotham City) from the Dark Knight's various villains during the holiday season. A spin-off series, titled Bat-Family, will follow, and focus on Bruce Wayne/Batman, Damian, and butler Alfred as they navigate the trials and tribulations of being a rich, superhero-centric family.

As the below images shows, the animation style in these shows represent a marked departure from the visuals we've seen in previous animated Batman projects.

Bat-Family and Merry Little Batman will have a distinctive art style. (Image credit: Warner Bros. Animation)

Commenting on the announcement, Amazon and MGM Studios' Head of Television vernon Sanders said: "Batman: The Animated Series helped pioneer in the evolution of superhero storytelling and defined the Dark Knight for a generation. Batman: Caped Crusader will no doubt continue that tradition and, alongside Merry Little Batman and Bat-Family, we're thrilled to collaborate with Warner Bros. Animation to offer a variety of takes on the Batman mythos to our global Prime Video customers."

No release date has been set for this trio of Batman productions. Their additions to Prime Video in the coming years, though, will only strengthen the streamer's back catalog of top-tier animated content, including Invincible, The Legend of Vox Machina, and Undone.

A Prime (Video) home for Batman's global audience

Batman's next live-action appearance will be in DCEU movie The Flash. (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

It might seem odd that Prime Video is the new home for all things Batman (from an animation perspective, anyway). The legendary superhero/vigilante is one of DC Comics' most popular characters and, by proxy, the rights to the Dark Knight are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).

Considering that WBD has its own streaming platforms – HBO Max, the home of its live-action and animated DC content, and Discovery Plus – it's strange that one of these services, or WBD's forthcoming super-streamer Max, won't be the home to new animated Batman projects.

Well, new animated fare like Batman: Caped Crusader was originally set to air on HBO Max. However, cost-cutting measures at WBD, which began in the wake of Warner Bros' merger with Discovery in March 2022, meant that numerous HBO Max animated projects were cancelled.

Thankfully, Amazon Studios has stepped in to save some of them. And, in my mind, it's a good thing that it did. Not only will we get to see a Bruce Timm-developed sequel to Batman: The Animated Series – one of the best animated shows of all-time, I think you'll agree – but more people will be able to watch it, too. That's due to Prime Video being available globally, whereas HBO Max's availability has been limited to world regions like North and Latin America, and some parts of Europe. As long as Batman: Caped Crusader is half as good as its predecessor, you bet it'll be on our best Prime Video shows in no time.

Batman fans can expect plenty more Dark Knight-centric content over the next few years. First up is the return of Michael Keaton's Bruce Wayne/Batman in The Flash, one of the last DC Extended Universe (DCEU) movies before WBD's main superhero universe is reborn as the DC Cinematic Universe (DCU). Be sure to read our trailer breakdown article on The Flash's latest teaser, too, for all of the coolest Easter eggs it'll contain.

The DCU will also see Damian Wayne make his live-action debut in a new Batman film, titled The Brave and The Bold, sometime in the next few years, too. Be sure to read about why it's one of our most anticipated DCU Chapter One projects while you're here. Lastly, WBD is fleshing out its Elseworlds universe centered on Matt Reeves' The Batman, with The Batman Part II, an HBO Max spin-off starring Colin Farrell's Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin, and a horror-esque Arkham Asylum series in the works.

For more Batman coverage, find out how to watch the Batman movies in order. Alternatively, read our Batman movies ranked piece, or see which Dark Knight films made it into our best superhero movies guide.

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Netflix sets a summer lovin' launch date for Heartstopper season 2

Get ready, Heartstopper fans – Netflix has announced when the second season of its wildly popular romcom series will be back on our screens.

The coming-of-age comedy-drama TV show, which debuted on Netflix to critical acclaim in April 2022, will officially launch on August 3, 2023. For those of you in the northern hemisphere, then, you best start preparing for a Netflix-style summer of love (sorry, southern hemisphere dwellers).

Heartstopper season 2's launch date was announced via a behind-the-scenes video posted on Netflix's various social media and YouTube channels. In it, the series' cast discuss what fans can expect from its sophomore year before an end card at the end of the footage confirmed when season 2 would air. Take a look at the announcement below:

In a press release, Netflix revealed an official story synopsis that details more about what the show's second season will dig into narratively and thematically.

"Nick and Charlie navigate their new relationship; Tara and Darcy face unforeseen challenges, and Tao and Elle work out if they can ever be more than just friends," Netflix explains. "With exams on the horizon, a school trip to Paris, and a prom to plan, the gang has a lot to juggle as they journey through the next stages of life, love, and friendship."

Like its predecessor, Heartstopper season 2 will comprise eight episodes and sees Alice Oseman – author of the LGBTQ-plus webcomic and graphic novel series that the show is based on – return as showrunner. Euros Lyn is on directing duties again, too.

Kit Connor, Joe Locke, Yasmin Finney, William Gao, Corinna Brown, Kizzy Edgel, and Oscar winner Olivia Colman are among the stars returning for the series' next outing. Jack Barton, Nima Taleghani, Leila Khan, and Bradley Riches are some of the season 2 newcomers.

Analysis: Netflix didn't skip a beat over another massive hit

Heartstopper season 1 was an unexpected hit for Netflix. (Image credit: Netflix)

Anticipation levels are understandably high ahead of Heartstopper's return on Netflix. In the two days following its season 1 debut, the show was catapulted into Netflix's top 10 TV shows list in multiple countries, including three where same-sex relationships are illegal – those being Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Sri Lanka. Heartstopper's global impact, particularly among the LGBTQ-plus community, then, was an unexpected but *ahem* heartening surprise.

Equally impressive was Heartstopper's critical reception among reviewers. The series earned a 100% certified fresh rating on the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes pre-release. Since Heartstopper season 1 publicly aired, it's also accrued an 86% positive rating among TV aficionados on the same site.

With a heartwarming, uplifting, and inclusive tale centered on gay and queer romance – one told with striking sensitivity – plus its excellently assembled cast and humorous dramedy moments, Heartstopper quickly became one of the best Netflix shows ever made. Unsurprisingly, Netflix renewed the series for two more seasons just one month after it arrived on the world's best streaming service. Filming on Heartstopper season 2 wrapped in December 2022, so it's high time we received an official release date from the streaming giant.

For more Netflix-based coverage, check out our guides on the best Netflix movies, best Netflix documentaries, and new Netflix movies to hit the service.

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Slack now has its own office software Docs app, for literally no reason

Not content to merely be an app that excels at messaging, Slack has revealed it is coming for Google’s office tools crown with its new Canvas feature, first announced in September 2022.

The idea is that, because any messaging app in the workplace is a fast-moving, mostly irrelevant cacophony, canvases (essentially individual documents, think Google Docs) will allow for storing and quickly referring to information.

Per The Verge, the Canvas rollout has now begun, although our quick internal team survey found not all Slack users have received it just yet, so some users may just have to wait that little bit longer.

Productivity tools, and “the everything app”

Not that it really matters: if your workplace uses Slack, it’s probably because it’s notable as a very good messaging app that, for a time, offered features Google Chat just didn’t, like threaded conversations, @ mentions, or (admittedly a less earth-shattering development) emoji reactions.

It’s more of an equal playing field now, but if your workplace started using Slack because it excels in messaging more than any other area, it probably also uses another productivity tool better designed for producing, organizing and sharing documents, like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.

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> The all-new Google Chat might finally be enough to make you drop Slack for good

> Microsoft Teams is about to become optional for Office users

> We’ve also listed the best office software right now

What’s more bizarre is that Slack does allow for integration with the third party applications, such as Google Drive, that you already use at work. Did we need this? Honestly? Are software companies so devoid of ideas that they just need to do everything now?

Even Ali Rayl, Slack’s Product SVP, says “Google Docs 100 percent still has a place in our universe.” It’s convenient, maybe, to have essentially an identical, if less good version of it directly in Slack, but good luck getting your colleagues to adopt one or the other. Prepare for chaos. Civil war.

•  Here’s our list of the best collaboration tools right now

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