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    I upgraded to the Google Pixel 9 Pro, and its most impressive feature was not the software

    The Pixel 9 Pro hero is a beautiful device from every angle. Jack Wallen/ZDNETA few months ago, I was emphatic that my time with Pixel phones was over because Google had announced it was planning to inject even more AI “goodness” into Android. I saw that as an opportunity to jump ship.My goal was to buy the Nothing Phone 3. Then, as fate would have it, Nothing CEO Carl Pei announced that his company was going all-in on AI, and the next Nothing Phone would leverage the technology in ways no other device had.Foiled again.Also: I replaced my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra with the Pixel 9 Pro XL for a month – and can’t go backA few weeks after that proclamation, the leaks for the Pixel 9 lineup made it clear that Google was serious about returning the “flagship” moniker to the lineup. Instead of questionable design choices for the hardware (like the unsightly camera hump, too-slick glass, and oddly-beveled edges), Google was opting for a classier look.The company succeeded.I placed my order, trading in my Pixel 8 Pro and getting a whopping $700 in credit, sat back, and waited. A couple of weeks later, my pink Pixel 9 Pro More

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    Get 74% off a Babbel subscription right now to learn a new language

    Get a Babbel lifetime language subscription at a big discount right now.  StackSocial Learning a new language can be daunting. But right now, you can buy a lifetime subscription to Babbel Language Learning from Stack Social that lets you choose from 14 languages and access more than 10,000 hours of online language education for just $140 […] More

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    Global telcos pledge to adopt responsible AI guidelines

    Just_Super/Getty Images A band of mobile operators worldwide have pledged to adopt guidelines designed to test and assess their “responsible” use of artificial intelligence (AI) across different levels of maturity.  Released by the industry group, GSMA — the Responsible AI Maturity Roadmap aims to offer the tools telcos need to evaluate their existing AI use […] More

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    Apple officially rolls out RCS for iPhone, but many carriers still don’t support it

    Lance Whitney/ZDNETWith the launch of iOS 18, iPhone users are finally able to exchange rich text messages with their Android counterparts. But beyond Apple’s support of RCS, each carrier needs to activate the capability — and for now, many carriers have yet to jump on the bandwagon.Also: 8 ways I’m preparing my iPhone for iOS 18 – and I recommend you do tooRCS, or Rich Communications Service, is a messaging standard released by Google a few years ago. Designed to replace SMS messaging, RCS is a more modern standard that can handle richer content. With RCS enabled, texts from your iPhone to Android users can include larger file attachments, higher-quality photos and videos, audio messages, read receipts, more types of emojis, and smoother group chats.In the US, RCS is available on the iPhone via the three major carriers (AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile), many regional providers, and a few mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). RCS support also varies across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and India. In general, the major carriers tend to offer it; the smaller ones, not so much.Specifically, support for the iPhone is still limited among MVNOs, according to Ars Technica. Such operators typically offer pre-paid services but then piggyback on the networks of major carriers to provide the actual connectivity. In the US, for example, Consumer Cellular, Cricket, and US Cellular have all implemented RCS for the iPhone. But other MVNOs in the US, such as Boost Mobile, Mint Mobile, Simple Mobile, and Ultra Mobile, have yet to hop onboard.Also: iOS 17.7 rolls out this week – here’s why it might be a safer bet than iOS 18As one outstanding absence, Google Fi doesn’t yet support RCS from the iPhone. The irony here is that Google pushed RCS as a standard in the Android world and shamed Apple into implementing it on the iPhone. Apparently, though, Apple still has more to do to enable RCS for iPhone users on Fi than simply supporting the capability with iOS 18. More

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    8 ways I’m preparing my iPhone for iOS 18 – and I recommend you do too

    Almost every iOS update seems to have one bug or another. If you’re someone who relies on your iPhone, you might be tempted to delay the update for a few days so you can see just how buggy this release is, or maybe even wait for the iOS 18.0.1 bug fix release that will inevitably be rolled out soon after.However, because iOS updates are usually brimming with security updates, I don’t recommend waiting. If you insist on taking this course of action, you do need to make sure that your iPhone isn’t going to automatically update itself during that time. Also: The best iOS 18 features that will make updating your iPhone worthwhileTo do so, go to Settings > General > Software Update and turn off Automatic Updates until you are ready to update.If you don’t install iOS 18, then make sure to install the iOS 17.7 update. More