The Browser Company has launched the beta version of its Windows client for Arc browser, following the demand from users and observers. The company plans to onboard more beta users throughout the month and increase invite roll-outs in January. While it didn't specify if the Windows client has full feature parity with the Mac client, the company is working on porting features like Peek and Mini Arc. The core team for building on Windows includes product engineering lead Alexandra Medway, former VP of Chrome Darin Fisher, and former Facebook engineer Saleem Abdulrasool. Arc browser has introduced various features throughout the year, including an iPhone companion app, AI-based features, and the ability to share folders and spaces with non-Arc users.
WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature to its beta users, allowing them to send self-destructing audio messages. Similar to the "View Once" feature for photos and videos, these audio messages disappear once they have been opened by the recipient. The feature is aimed at enhancing privacy and is currently only available to select beta testers. There is no information on when it will be made available to the public. WhatsApp is also working on an iPad app and recently introduced support for passkeys.
Twitter has launched a new version of Tweetdeck after the old version broke down due to recent limitations on the number of posts users could view each day. The new version, currently called "Tweetdeck Preview," restores basic functionality and supports features like saved searches, lists, and columns. However, it is unclear if the old version will be retired permanently, and there are indications that the new Tweetdeck may become exclusive to Twitter Blue subscribers in the future.
Google Messages is introducing a new quality-of-life feature that allows users to mark conversations as read or unread by swiping in the main conversation list. This feature is available in the beta version of the app and is more convenient than the previous method of long-pressing a conversation and opening an overflow menu. The new swipe action joins "Mark as read" in the Android notification sheet and can be set to the same action in both swipe directions.
Mimimi Games, the studio behind Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew, warns players of a phishing campaign that's offering a fake beta version of the game. Scammers have created a website that looks identical to the real one and are using a very similar domain to fool players into signing up for the bogus site. The studio stresses that there is no beta version of the game available and the real domain is shadowgambit.com.
The latest beta version of Google Messages, "20230428_01_RC00," has a bug that makes the RCS client unusable on Pixel phones with the light theme enabled. The app repeatedly crashes and refuses to open, but can be fixed by uninstalling updates or leaving the beta program. Google should release an update soon to address this issue for Android 14 Beta users.
WhatsApp is testing a new feature that allows users to transfer chats between devices without using Google Drive. The local chat transfer option is available for some users of the WhatsApp beta app and can be accessed from the Chats section of the app's settings. The transfer likely happens over Wi-Fi Direct, and it's unclear if both chat messages and media are transferred. The feature is expected to be available for all WhatsApp users in the future.
Google has launched the first beta version of Android 14, which includes tweaks and improvements such as a transparent navigation bar systemwide and a new permission that allows users to block apps from sending full-screen notifications. Android 13 now makes up over 12% of active Android smartphones and tablets. Google TV has added built-in free channels for Google TV devices in the US and Walmart's Onn brand has released a $20 4K Google TV dongle. Google is updating the Pixel's Call Screen feature to "solve bigger and more important problems" with the help of AI.
Android 14 beta version has introduced a new notification management option that allows users to control whether a service, such as alarms or phone calls, can fire off a full-screen alert. The feature will prevent full-screen notifications from popping up when users receive a Messenger video call or other apps such as Clock, Facebook, and Discord. Users can access this capability by heading over to Settings > Apps > Special app access > Manage full screen intents. Once an app's permission is turned off, it will only be able to display a standard notification without taking up the entire screen.
The New York Times has launched a new daily puzzle game called Digits, which challenges players to reach a designated number using six numbers through multiplication, division, subtraction, or addition. The beta version of the game is currently available for a week, and players can earn 1-3 star ratings depending on the path they choose to solve the puzzles. The New York Times aims to produce puzzles that are "thoughtfully made" and "thoughtfully played." If Digits proves popular, the newspaper will work on further developing the game.
A beta version of PureDark's Upscaler Mod for Elden Ring, which adds support for DLSS 3.1 Super Resolution, is available for download. The mod allows for constant 60fps at 4K with Ray Tracing on an NVIDIA RTX 4090, but FSR is not working with this beta version. DLSS appears to be softer than TAA in a comparison video. It is expected that a better and more performant version of the Upscaler Mod will be released in the future.
