WebProNews

Category: Developer

App Development, Web Design & Web Development News

  • Microsoft Is Bringing iMessage to Windows

    Microsoft Is Bringing iMessage to Windows

    Microsoft plans to bring iMessage support to Windows 11 via Phone Link for iOS, although it will have some limitations.

    Apple’s iMessage is a defining characteristic of the iPhone experience, one that has caused no small amount of frustration for users of other platforms. Given the number of features iMessage includes, Apple is aggressively protective of the messaging platform, viewing it as one of its most valuable elements that keep customers locked into its walled garden.

    Microsoft plans on bringing one of the best features of iMessage to Windows. Apple customers have long been able to send and receive iMessages from their Macs, and now Windows users will be able to as well.

    Microsoft is rolling out the feature to Windows Insiders, although it will have some major limitations in its current form.

    Once the guided installation completes and your iPhone is paired to your PC and the right permissions given, Phone Link will deliver basic iOS support for calls, messages, and contacts. This means you will be notified directly through your Windows notifications. Phone Link does not support replying to group messages or sending media in messages.

    Apple has been under increasing pressure to adopt RCS messaging for iPhone-to-Android communication, a measure that would have no impact on iPhone-to-iPhone communication, but would significantly improve cross-platform messaging.

    Unfortunately, Apple has no interest in pursuing such a course, but other companies are working to solve the issue without Apple’s help. Sunbird is working on a messaging app that will bring full iMessage support to Android, and now Microsoft is bringing at least some support to Windows.

    Hopefully, Microsoft and others will be able to address this issue sooner rather than later and eliminate a major pain point in the mobile world.

  • openSUSE Begins Enforcing Secure Boot Kernel Lockdown

    openSUSE Begins Enforcing Secure Boot Kernel Lockdown

    Linux distro openSUSE has begun enforcing Kernel Lockdown when Secure Boot is enabled, creating issues for many users.

    Kernel Lockdown was introduced in version 5.4 of the Linux kernel and is designed to help protect the kernel from tampering and unauthorized modification, and serves as an important security feature. It works together with Secure Boot, which is a system to ensure the bootloader process is running legitimate, trusted code signed by Microsoft-controlled master keys.

    While openSUSE has long supported Secure Boot, it did not have Kernel Lockdown enabled for its Tumbleweed distro. Because Tumbleweed is a rolling distro, where updates are pushed out as they become available instead of waiting for a point release, leaving Kernel Lockdown disabled made it easier for users to deal with unsigned kernel modules and drivers, such as Nvidia drivers.

    Evidently, according to a Reddit thread that also links to an openSUSE mailing list, Microsoft evidently refused to continue signing openSUSE’s bootload shim unless Kernel Lockdown was enabled. As a result, beginning with kernel 6.2.1, openSUSE Tumbleweed will enable Kernel Lockdown whenever Secure Boot is also enabled.

    Microsoft’s reasons for insisting on Kernel Lockdown being enabled are easy to understand. Without it, Secure Boot is essentially useless, giving anyone who had it enabled a false sense of security.

    At the same time, users that rely on Nvidia drivers on the fast-moving Tumbleweed now have a choice to make: either disable Secure Boot or manually sign those modules so that the kernel can load them.

    Even for users without Nvidia cards, hibernation is another casualty of the change, and no longer works on systems with Secure Boot enabled, although there is ongoing discussion about how to re-enable it with Secure Boot.

    Contrary to many opinions, while Microsoft does serve as the central signing authority, Secure Boot is not a Microsoft attempt to control people’s hardware, as evidenced by the fact that users can sign their own modules. openSUSE provides instructions on how to do so in the following link:

    https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:NVIDIA_drivers#Secureboot

  • LibreOffice 7.5.1 Brings Improved Dark Mode, 90+ Bug Fixes

    LibreOffice 7.5.1 Brings Improved Dark Mode, 90+ Bug Fixes

    The Document Foundation has released the latest version of LibreOffice, bringing more than 90 bug fixes and improved Dark Mode.

    LibreOffice is the open source alternative to Microsoft Office. Version 7.5.1 is largely a maintenance and bug-fix release. According to 9to5Linux, the update brings 90+ bug fixes to the office suite.

    Version 7.5.1 also adds manual control of Light and Dark Mode. LibreOffice 7.5 added an automatic Dark Mode that would activate based on the system settings. The latest update now gives the user the ability to override that and choose Light or Dark manually.

    The latest version of LibreOffice can be downloaded here.

  • Google Play Now Warns Users About Buggy Apps

    Google Play Now Warns Users About Buggy Apps

    Android users may be spared some headaches, with Google Play now warning them before installing buggy apps.

    First spotted by Android Police, Mishaal Rahman tweeted screenshots of a Google Play dialog that warns users when an app they’re about to download has not been performing well on similar hardware.

    The feature is a nice addition to the Play Store and should save users some irritation.

  • Apple Is Not a Fan of ChatGPT Apps

    Apple Is Not a Fan of ChatGPT Apps

    Developers looking to incorporate ChatGPT into their iOS apps are in for a rude awakening when they submit them to the App Store.

    Companies large and small are embracing ChatGPT, with app developers looking for innovative ways to use the AI tech. According to The Wall Street Journal, however, Apple is proving to be a major impediment to that innovation.

    The developer behind the BlueMail email client incorporated ChatGPT to help users write emails. Unfortunately, Apple rejected the update, saying the new version needed content warnings.

    “Your app includes AI-generated content but does not appear to include content filtering at this time,” Apple told the developer last week in a message seen by the Journal.

    Whereas BlueMail’s age restriction is currently 4 years old, Apple told the developer the restriction would need to be increased to 17.

    “Apple is making it really hard for us to bring innovation to our users,” said Ben Volach, BlueMail co-founder.

    To make matters worse, Volach says there are many other apps featuring ChatGPT functionality that have not been slapped with the 17-year-old age restriction.

    “We want fairness,” said Volach. “If we’re required to be 17-plus, then others should also have to.”

  • Qualcomm CEO: Apple Will Use Their Own Modems in 2024

    Qualcomm CEO: Apple Will Use Their Own Modems in 2024

    Qualcomm isn’t holding out any hope of continuing as Apple’s primary modem supplier and is expecting to lose that business in 2024.

    Apple and Qualcomm have a contentious relationship, one filled with alternating deals and lawsuits. For the time being, Qualcomm is the primary provider of the modems Apple uses in its iPhones and iPads, but the Cupertino company has been working hard to build its own modems and end reliance on Qualcomm.

    It appears those plans are closer to reality than ever before, according to Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon.

    “We’re making no plans for 2024, my planning assumption is we’re not providing [Apple] a modem in ’24, but it’s their decision to make,” Amon told CNBC at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

    Apple bought Intel’s failed modem division after the latter exited the business, accusing Qualcomm of creating a “a web of anticompetitive conduct designed to allow Qualcomm to coerce customers, tilt the competitive playing field and exclude competitors, all the while shielding itself from legal scrutiny and capturing billions in unlawful gains.”

    While there’s no love lost between Apple and Qualcomm, the latter is sure to feel a financial hit from losing the lucrative iPhone business.

  • Former App Store Editor: ‘Apple Doesn’t Care About Games’

    Former App Store Editor: ‘Apple Doesn’t Care About Games’

    Former App Store Editor Neil Long has disappointing news for mobile game developers, saying, “Apple doesn’t care about games.”

    Long served as an App Store Editor, giving him a behind-the-scenes look into how Apple’s processes work. Unfortunately, the picture he paints in an article in The Guardian is less than flattering, saying Apple is pocketing billions without making the necessary re-investment in the App Store.

    Long lists a number of early game hits and then makes the case that Apple was unprepared for its newfound success:

    So what did Apple do next? Nothing really. It seemed to create a whole new games ecosystem by accident, and ever since has presided over it like a contemptuous landlord. It takes a tasty 30% cut of almost every in-app purchase while doing next to nothing to earn that fee. Recent privacy policies – including the introduction of that “ask app not to track” pop-up you will have seen again and again – have even actively harmed the mobile games business.

    Apple’s issues are especially apparent during the app review process:

    The woefully understaffed team of app reviewers couldn’t handle the volume of games coming through – and seemingly still can’t today. Ask any staffer at a mobile game studio and they’re guaranteed to have an app review horror story involving their game being repeatedly rejected for an arbitrary reason, or removed from sale entirely. Developers are being treated with contempt.

    Long also takes aim at the plague of copycat apps that so many game developers have to deal with, arguing that Apple could and should have improved the situation through further investment:

    Apple could have reinvested a greater fraction of the billions it has earned from mobile games to make the App Store a good place to find fun, interesting games to fit your tastes. But it hasn’t, and today the App Store is a confusing mess, recently made even worse with the addition of ad slots in search, on the front page and even on the product pages themselves.

    App developers have increasingly grown tired of Apple’s stewardship of the App Store, pushing for more freedom regarding how they publish their apps and make money off of them. Reading Long’s take on the condition of the App Store — especially for game developers — one comes away understanding developers’ plight a little more.

  • Microsoft Angering Users With Overly-Aggressive Edge Ads

    Microsoft Angering Users With Overly-Aggressive Edge Ads

    Microsoft is hell-bent on keeping people using its Edge web browser, resorting to overly-aggressive ads to accomplish its goal.

    Edge is the company’s default browser and successor to Internet Explorer. By all rights, Edge is a very capable browser, but Microsoft seems intent on pushing it as much as possible, even resorting to ads within Windows.

    According to Windows Latest, the company is displaying a popup whenever a user visits the Google Chrome website from within Edge. Interestingly, the popup seems to engage in a bit of false advertising.

    “By continuing, you will set Microsoft Edge as your default browser. Offer valid for 1 person/account within first 14 days of joining,” the popup reads.

    Microsoft Edge Ad – Credit WindowsLatest.com

    It’s unclear why the popup says the offer is only valid for 14 days, since a user can obviously use Edge as their default browser any time they want. The popup was likely recycled from another promotion, and someone forgot to clean up and change the verbiage.

    Clicking on the “Browse securely now” button doesn’t do anything — evidently another bug — but clicking the “X” in the upper right corner closes the dialog box.

    While it’s good to see Microsoft playing nice with other companies, unlike how the company behaved under Gates and Ballmer, it’s more than a little disconcerting to see the company cluttering up its product with ads — especially after users have paid a premium to use those products.

  • Ubuntu Flavors Drop OOTB Flatpak Support

    Ubuntu Flavors Drop OOTB Flatpak Support

    Ubuntu has made yet another controversial decision, dropping out-of-the-box (OOTB) support for Flatpak apps.

    Flatpak is one of the newer methods of packaging Linux applications, one that is distro agnostic. Regardless of whether a user is on Ubuntu, Debian, Arch, Fedora, openSUSE, Slackware, or any of the others, as long as they have the Flatpak backend installed, any and all Flatpaks will work on their distro of choice.

    Flatpaks directly compete with Snaps, Ubuntu’s own attempt to build a distro-agnostic packaging format. Unfortunately for Ubuntu, Snaps are not nearly as popular as Flatpaks. In fact, while some distributions may offer both package managers OOTB few, if any, offer Snaps but not Flatpak.

    It appears Ubuntu plans to be the first, announcing its decision to drop OOTB support for Flatpaks in the upcoming 23.04 Lunar Lobster release.

    Philipp Kewisch, Canonical Community Engineering Manager, broke the news:

    As part of our combined efforts, the Ubuntu flavors have made a joint decision to adjust some of the default packages on Ubuntu: Going forward, the Flatpak package as well as the packages to integrate Flatpak into the respective software center will no longer be installed by default in the next release due in April 2023, Lunar Lobster. Users who have used Flatpak will not be affected on upgrade, as flavors are including a special migration that takes this into account. Those who haven’t interacted with Flatpak will be presented with software from the Ubuntu repositories and the Snap Store.

    Kewisch makes clear that the update will not delete Flatpak from existing installations, and the package format will still be available for users that want to install it manually. Nonetheless, the decision to remove OOTB support is in-line with the company’s belief that Flatpak doesn’t properly fit in with the “Ubuntu experience.”

    We think this will improve the out-of-the-box Ubuntu experience for new users while respecting how existing users personalize their own experiences. However, we don’t want this to come as a surprise. If you have comments specific to this change you are welcome to respond here on discourse.

    There are a number of reasons Snaps are not as popular as Flatpaks, among users and distro maintainers. One of the big ones is the fact that Snaps can only be installed via Ubuntu’s Snap Store. As a result, while the apps themselves may still be open source, the store they are available in is not.

    Another reason many users don’t like Snaps is because of performance. Compared to Flatpaks and native packages, many snaps are notoriously slow to start for the first time. In fact, Canonical’s own Snap Advocate, Alan Pope, left the company and created an app to help users migrate their Snaps to Flatpaks.

    In recent years, Ubuntu has come under increased criticism for being so focused on the server and IoT market that it is no longer the best distro for desktop users, a distinction it held for years.

    This latest decision is sure to add fuel to that fire.

  • Details Emerge Regarding Google’s Upcoming Pixel Fold

    Details Emerge Regarding Google’s Upcoming Pixel Fold

    New details have begun emerging regarding Google’s upcoming Pixel Fold phone, and it’s definitely a mixed bag.

    Google has been rumored to be working on a foldable version of its hit Pixel phone. According to 9to5Google, the upcoming phone will be heavier than any existing fold on the market, including its biggest competitor, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.

    According to the outlet, the upcoming phone will be approximately 5.5 inches tall by 3.14 inches wide. This puts it roughly the same height as the Oppo Find N2, the closest existing phone, but the Pixel Fold will be a bit wider. As a result of the phone’s size, the Pixel Fold will be closer in weight to a small tablet than a traditional smartphone.

    On the flip side, however, the new phone will have a substantially larger battery than many of its competitors. The Z Fold 4 comes with a 4,400 mAh, while the Oppo comes with a 4,520 mAh battery. In contrast, the Pixel Fold will have a battery closer to 5,000 mAh, although sources said it will still come in below that number.

    The Pixel has already helped Google make major headway in the smartphone market, and it looks like the Pixel Fold could help it build on that success even more.

  • Google Chrome 110 Brings Major Optimizations

    Google Chrome 110 Brings Major Optimizations

    Google has released version 110 of its Chrome web browser, bringing significant memory and battery improvements.

    Google Chrome is the most popular web browser by a wide margin, but it has never been known for being light on resources. In fact, Chrome is known as a memory hog, which negatively impacts laptop battery life. Google is working to address these issues, adding a couple of features that are designed to improve the browser’s performance in Chrome 110.

    The first feature is Memory Saver:

    Have a bunch of tabs open in Chrome that you plan to come back to later? Memory Saver mode frees up memory from tabs you aren’t currently using so the active websites you’re browsing have the smoothest possible experience. This is especially useful if you’re running other intensive applications, like editing family videos or playing games. Any inactive tabs will be reloaded when you need them.

    The other feature, Energy Saver, is designed to maximize battery life:

    Running low on battery and don’t have a laptop charger nearby? When you’re browsing the Web with Chrome and your device battery level reaches 20%, Chrome will save battery by limiting background activity and visual effects for websites with animations and videos.

    The new features in Chrome 110 will be a welcome improvement.

  • Get Ready For a Major Microsoft Teams Performance Boost

    Get Ready For a Major Microsoft Teams Performance Boost

    Microsoft Teams is on the verge of receiving a major performance boost thanks to a complete rewrite that should be released next month.

    The Verge has learned from sources familiar with the matter that Microsoft has been completely rebuilding Teams, with a focus on improved performance. The new version is slated to have the 2.0, or possibly 2.1, designation.

    Rish Tandon, former Microsoft Teams’ CVP of Engineering, teased these coming improvements as early as mid-2021:

    It appears the architecture change is finally paying off, paving the way for this current rewrite of Teams. Microsoft has already begun testing the new version internally, with plans to release a preview in March.

    According to The Verge’s sources, “the app should use 50 percent less memory, tax the CPU less, and result in better battery life on laptops.”

    Given Teams’ status as the most widely used corporate messaging platform, a boost this significant is good news indeed.

  • Users Can No Longer Downgrade to iOS 16.3

    Users Can No Longer Downgrade to iOS 16.3

    Users can no longer downgrade to iOS 16.3, a result of Apple no longer signing the iOS 16.3 update.

    Apple released iOS 16.3.1 in mid-February and has stopped signing its immediate predecessor. As a result, any users who may be experiencing issues in 16.3.1, no longer have the option to downgrade, according to MacRumors.

    The move is not at all uncommon, as Apple routinely stops signing older versions of its operating systems. This ensures users stay on the latest editions, which in most cases is a good thing.

  • Linux Kernel 6.2 Is Out and Brings Apple M1 Support

    Linux Kernel 6.2 Is Out and Brings Apple M1 Support

    Linux kernel 6.2 has been released, bringing support for the M1 processor, Apple’s Custom Silicon that powers its Mac computers.

    The Asahi Linux Project has been working to reverse engineer drivers for the M1 in an effort to bring native Linux support to Apple’s chip. The project has been making major progress and, thanks to their work, mainline support for the M1 is now in the kernel.

    Read More: Asahi Linux Shows the M1’s Greatest Limitation May Be macOS

    Phoronix details the extent of the support:

    There is now mainline support for the Apple M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M1 Ultra SoCs. There was already supported carried by Asahi Linux’s kernel build while more of that work has been upstreamed for Linux 6.2. There is additional driver work for these newer Apple Silicon SoCs still to be upstreamed. For now the best hardware support for Apple M1/M2 devices on Linux is with using the Asahi Linux code.

    Unlike Windows, where drivers must often be installed manually, most Linux users simply rely on the kernel — the core component of the OS — to provide the drivers for their hardware. Having mainline support for the M1 in the kernel is a major step forward, giving Linux users the ability to run some of the most powerful and efficient chips currently on the market.

  • Google Has Abandoned Fastlane App Automation Tool

    Google Has Abandoned Fastlane App Automation Tool

    Google appears to have abandoned yet another project, with the open-source Fastlane app automation tool the latest in a long list.

    Fastlane is an automation tool for building and releasing iOS and Android apps. Google acquired the company in early 2017 and supported its continued development for several years.

    Peter Steinberger, PSPDFKit founder, noted on Mastodon that the Fastlane project no longer has any active maintainers on GitHub:

    Good luck. Google abandoned Fastlane, it has no maintainers currently.

    RT @testableapple Ridiculous and long-lived nightmare. CI is especially scared.

    @FastlaneTools, what if I say this tiny PR might mitigate this issue?”

    Josh Holtz, Fastlane’s lead maintainer, chimed in, saying that he was still involved but had been struggling with his schedule to find time for the project:

    @jesusfdiaz @steipete Still working on it! Just been struggling schedule wise with a new addition to the family in October 🤷‍♂️

    But almost back to a new normal over here which should make things easier

    In response to a question about Google no longer sponsoring the project, Holtz confirmed that has been the case for more than a year:

    @steipete @jesusfdiaz This is facts ☺️ Have not been paid/sponsored since November-ish of 2021

    Holtz said Google still owns the copyright for Fastlane, but is not contributing anything toward its development, making the project a labor of love:

    @leohidalgo Yup, Google owns the IP… the community just does all (majority) the work these days 🤷‍♂️

    Edit: I think I meant copyright instead of IP but… hello Hackernews 👋

    Google has a long history of abandoning projects after they gain traction. In fact, the company has such a notorious reputation for doing so that it had to reassure cloud customers that they could, in fact, depend on the company long-term.

    It’s a shame to see Fastlane join the list of Google abandonware.

  • iOS 16.4 Brings ‘Web Push,’ Enables Web App Push Notification

    iOS 16.4 Brings ‘Web Push,’ Enables Web App Push Notification

    The first beta of iOS 16.4 has been released, bringing a major new feature in the form of push notifications for web apps.

    Notifications are an everyday occurrence on mobile devices, but they normally require a traditional app to support them. Apple announced “Web Push,” a way for developers to bring push notifications to web apps, at WWDC 2022.

    With the arrival of the first iOS 16.4 beta, Web Push has made an appearance. In a blog post on the WebKit site, Apple highlights the long-time importance of web apps to the iOS ecosystem:

    Since the first iPhone, users could add any website to their Home Screen — whether it’s a brochure site, a blog, a newspaper, an online store, a social media platform, a streaming video site, productivity software, an application for creating artwork, or any other type of website. For the last ten years, users of Safari on iOS and iPadOS could do this by tapping the Share button to open the Share menu, and then tapping “Add to Home Screen”. The icon for that website then appears on their Home Screen, where a quick tap gets them back to the site.

    Apple then goes on to tout the benefits of Web Push:

    Now with iOS and iPadOS 16.4 beta 1, we are adding support for Web Push to Home Screen web apps. Web Push makes it possible for web developers to send push notifications to their users through the use of Push API, Notifications API, and Service Workers all working together.

    A web app that has been added to the Home Screen can request permission to receive push notifications as long as that request is in response to direct user interaction — such as tapping on a ‘subscribe’ button provided by the web app. iOS or iPadOS will prompt the user to give the web app permission to send notifications. The user can then manage those permissions per web app in Notifications Settings — just like any other app on iPhone and iPad.

    The notifications from web apps work exactly like notifications from other apps. They show on the Lock Screen, in Notification Center, and on a paired Apple Watch.

    Web Push comes at a time when Apple is facing increasing pressure to open up iOS and allow third-party app stores and sideloading on its platform. By bringing web apps closer to native apps, in terms of feature parity, the company may be trying to prop them up as a viable alternative to native apps in its bid to fight regulatory attempts to crack open its walled garden.

  • Adobe’s Figma Purchase May Be In Jeopardy

    Adobe’s Figma Purchase May Be In Jeopardy

    Adobe’s $20 billion Figma deal may be in trouble, with EU Commission weighing whether to launch an antitrust probe.

    Adobe announced in September that it had struck a deal with Figma to acquire the startup for $20 billion. Figma has been gaining in popularity, providing a web-based competitor to Adobe’s tools at a fraction of the cost. Almost immediately, the deal was met with angst and anger from users, many of whom were using the product specifically because they did not want, or could not afford, to use Adobe’s products.

    According to Bloomberg, the European Commission has received a number of requests from member states to probe the deal. The number of requests evidently fell below the threshold that would normally trigger a probe, but the Commission did acknowledge that the deal could “significantly affect competition.”

    The Commission will ask Adobe to notify the transaction, meaning the companies will need EU clearance to proceed.

    “We look forward to working constructively with the European Commission to address its questions and bring the review to a timely close,” a Figma spokesperson told Bloomberg.

  • Microsoft Is Disabling Internet Explorer on Windows 10 Today

    Microsoft Is Disabling Internet Explorer on Windows 10 Today

    Microsoft is disabling Internet Explorer from most Windows 10 installations today, putting another nail in the old browser’s coffin.

    Microsoft has been moving users to Edge for some time. In all respects, Edge is a far superior browser to IE. Given that Microsoft has stopped supporting IE, Edge is also a more secure option.

    Today, the company will be rolling out an update to Edge that will disable IE on most Windows 10 computers.

    The company updated its support document to reflect the move:

    The out-of-support Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) desktop application was permanently disabled on certain versions of Windows 10 on February 14, 2023 through a Microsoft Edge update. Note, this update will be rolled out over the span of a few days up to a week, as is standard for Microsoft Edge updates.

    All remaining consumer and commercial devices that were not already redirected from IE11 to Microsoft Edge were redirected with the Microsoft Edge update. Users will be unable to reverse the change. Additionally, redirection from IE11 to Microsoft Edge will be included as part of all future Microsoft Edge updates.

  • PSA: iOS 16.3.1 Breaks Google Photos

    PSA: iOS 16.3.1 Breaks Google Photos

    Google Photos appears to be randomly breaking for some users on iOS 16.3.1, with users advised to wait before upgrading.

    Apple released iOS 16.3.1 Monday and users almost immediately began reporting issues with Google Photos. First spotted by 9to5Mac, Twitter quickly filled with comments by impacted users.

    While not everyone is affected, users are advised to hold off upgrading iOS until Apple or Google come up with a fix.

  • Microsoft Edge Is Receiving a Major PDF Upgrade

    Microsoft Edge Is Receiving a Major PDF Upgrade

    Microsoft Edge is getting a major upgrade, incorporating Adobe Acrobat PDF capabilities — with one major catch.

    Microsoft Edge has a PDF viewer built in, but it is fairly basic, in terms of the features it offers. Microsoft and Adobe have announced an agreement to bring Acrobat PDF capabilities to Edge, with many of them remaining free, as Microsoft explains in a blog post:

    Together, the two companies are updating the PDF experience and value users have come to expect in Microsoft Edge by powering the built-in PDF reader with the Adobe Acrobat PDF engine. This will give users a unique PDF experience that includes higher fidelity for more accurate colors and graphics, improved performance, strong security for PDF handling, and greater accessibility—including better text selection and read-aloud narration. These capabilities will continue to be free of cost.

    The catch, however, is that more advanced features will require a subscription:

    Users who want more advanced digital document features—such as the ability to edit text and images, convert PDFs to other file formats, and combine files—can purchase an Acrobat subscription that enables access to these features anywhere, including directly inside Microsoft Edge via a browser extension. Microsoft Edge users with existing Adobe Acrobat subscriptions can use the Acrobat extension inside Edge at no extra cost.

    Executives from both companies emphasized the productivity gains the collaboration will make possible.

    “Bringing Adobe and Microsoft closer together is good for productivity and good for customers,” said Jared Spataro, Corporate Vice President, Modern Work & Business Applications at Microsoft. “Adobe’s PDF technology in Microsoft Edge means users will have fast and secure access to critical digital document capabilities.”

    “PDF is essential for modern business, accelerating productivity in a world where automation and collaboration are more critical than ever,” said Ashley Still, SVP and GM, Adobe. “By bringing the global standard in PDF experience to Microsoft Edge and the billion-plus Windows users worldwide, Adobe and Microsoft are using our joint heritage and expertise in productivity to take an important step forward in making modern, secure, and connected work and life a reality.”

  • Opera Is Getting In On the ChatGPT Bandwagon

    Opera Is Getting In On the ChatGPT Bandwagon

    Opera is preparing to adopt ChatGPT, with plans to integrate the AI into both its desktop and mobile web browsers.

    Opera is a popular niche browser, providing a plethora of features not found in its bigger rivals. The company has announced plans to include ChatGPT in its desktop and mobile offerings, and will use it to provide webpage summaries in the browser’s sidebar.

    “In more than 25 years of our company’s history, we have always been at the forefront of browser innovation. Whether inventing browser tabs or providing our users with built-in access to generative AI tools, we always push the limits of what’s possible on the web,” said Song Lin, Co-CEO of Opera. “Following the mass interest in generative AI tools, we believe it’s now time for browsers to step up and become the gateway to an AI-powered web”.

    “We see the rise of Generative Intelligence as the beginning of a new future in which consumer app developers like Opera will be able to build experiences on top of AI-based platforms. We are excited to see the rapid roll-out of developer programs for solutions such as Google Bard, for example, and are starting to build and roll out new experiences in web browsing that not very long ago seemed impossible to achieve,” added Per Wetterdal, Head of Strategic Partnerships and AI ecosystem.

    The inclusion of ChatGPT makes a lot of sense for Opera and fits in well with its approach to web browser design.