YouTube has reportedly tweaked its algorithm to deter Captain Marvel haters. Over the weekend, the video platform tagged results for Captain Marvel star “Brie Larson” as news. The change elevated more authoritative new sources. Twitter user Julia Alexander spotted the difference in search results. In a Twitter thread, Alexander suggested the change may have been …

From dog ears to fairy crowns to monstrous fangs, filters and AR effects are old hat for social-media selfies. Now, YouTube is jumping on the bandwagon. In this video, the glasses are virtual. YouTube In its latest release, YouTube Stories and ARCore now offer the Augmented Faces API so you can add glasses, masks, hats and other items to short …

If you’re using a knock-off version of WhatsApp, your account might be temporarily banned from the platform. In its FAQ, the Facebook-owned messaging app says that people using modified versions of the app like WhatsApp Plus and GB WhatsApp will receive an in-app notification that their account is temporarily banned. “WhatsApp doesn’t support these third-party apps because we can’t validate …

Apple has been rumored to be working on an augmented reality headset since 2017. Now, top Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the gadget could be ready in 2020. In an investors note seen by Apple Insider, Kuo reportedly said mass production will begin in the fourth quarter of 2019, though that start date could stretch into the beginning 2020. While there’s …

The FCC may be violating federal record-keeping laws, according to the head of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. In a letter sent Thursday to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, the committee requested information about the agency’s policies on retaining emails, texts, chat and instant messages and social media posts. The letter suggested that the FCC’s policies aren’t following federal …

If you buy a new Samsung phone, you’ll get the Spotify app too. Spotify said Friday that its app will come preinstalled on “millions” of new Samsung devices, including the Galaxy S10, S10 Plus and S10E released Friday.  New Galaxy owners could also get six months of free Spotify Premium. Spotify noted that you’re ineligible if you’ve already used Spotify Premium or its Unlimited service or …

Sheldon Cooper would totally have Google and CERN’s new app on his phone.    The Big Bang AR app, released Wednesday for Android and iOS, takes you back 13.8 billion years ago before literally anything existed. With the help of augmented reality, space, time and the universe as we know it unfold in the palm of your hand. Actress Tilda Swinton …

If you’re like me, you mostly stick to free apps — even though paid or subscription-based apps might offer higher-quality content. Google on Wednesday introduced a tool to help developers make more money from apps, even from nonpaying users. Rewarded products. Android Developers Blog Google Play’s new rewarded-products feature picks up on the trend of watching a video or taking …

Computers are a part of our everyday lives, and we may not give much thought to their origins. In true royal fashion, Queen Elizabeth II has reminded us on Instagram. The queen posted on Thursday that she visited The Science Museum in London and viewed a letter in the Royal Archives written in 1843 by Charles Babbage. Babbage designed the …

Prosecutors determined Tuesday that Uber won’t be held criminally liable for the death of a pedestrian in Arizona last March. One of the ride-hailing company’s autonomous vehicles struck Elaine Herzberg, 49, who later died from her injuries. “After a very thorough review of all the evidence presented, this Office has determined that there is no basis for criminal liability for …