Monthly Archives: October 2023

Alienware's latest gaming laptop is the first to feature AMD's Radeon RX 7900M GPU

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Alienware just announced a refresh to the popular m17 R5 gaming laptop. The m17 was already a stellar example of an AMD Advantage system and the m18 kicks this up a notch or two. The Alienware m18 goes all-in with AMD integration, with the company boasting that its the “most powerful 18-inch AMD Advantage laptop” ever made.

The term AMD Advantage is marketing speak for a computer that’s built from the ground up for gaming via various AMD chipsets and technologies. To that end, the m18 is the first computer to feature the all-new AMD Radeon RX 7900M laptop graphics chip. These laptops also come equipped with the well-regarded AMD Ryzen 7945HX CPU. So, yeah, this thing’s a beast, with Alienware calling it a “performance juggernaut.”

The Radeon RX 7900M has been engineered to deliver “desktop-class” visuals even when playing power-hungry AAA titles. The GPU is filled with techy features, like second-gen raytracing accelerators, 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM and other “advanced capabilities to push the limits of gaming and content creation on the go.”

The Ryzen 9 7945 CPU helps everything move along thanks to 16 performance cores, 32 processing threads and AMD’s proprietary Zen 4 chiplet technology. The CPU was manufactured using the new 5nm design, the first for gaming laptops, which promises better power efficiency and faster performance.

These laptops ship with AMD’s Adrenaline Edition software suite, so you can access the SmartShift tool to shift power between the GPU and CPU in real-time to boost performance. Additionally, the company’s proprietary SmartAccess graphics tech automatically prioritizes game performance and reduced latency when using FreeSync.

A laptop computer.
Alienware

Laptops are more than just numbers on a spreadsheet, however, and the m18 has some other perks worth mentioning. These computers come equipped with Alienware’s Cryo-tech thermal regulation technology. This thermal interface material extends to both the CPU and GPU, with an expanded vapor chamber covering each component, helping to dissipate heat across the entire system. Four thin fans finish this process by pulling heated air through eight heat pipes and out via five vents.

You also get an 18-inch display panel equipped with both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, with a 16:10 aspect ratio, QHD+ resolution and a maximum refresh rate of 165Hz. You can overclock this refresh rate all the way to 480Hz at the expense of resolution for competitive gaming scenarios. An FHD webcam and an IR camera for facial recognition are also on board.

As for RAM and storage, there’s user-replaceable dual-channel DDR5 memory and you can shop options with up to three M.2 SSDs for a combined total of 8.5TB of storage. The laptop boasts some aesthetic flourishes, like an aluminum lid and bottom cover, an aluminum die-cast inner frame and an embossed “18” on the exterior. The m18 is available today with a starting price of $2,800.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/alienwares-latest-gaming-laptop-is-the-first-to-feature-amds-radeon-rx-7900m-gpu-130033731.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Alienware’s latest gaming laptop is the first to feature AMD’s Radeon RX 7900M GPU

AMD's Radeon RX 7900M is its most powerful mobile GPU yet

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AMD has unveiled the Radeon RX 7900M mobile GPU built around its RDNA 3 architecture, its fastest mobile gaming chip to date and “first-even chiplet laptop graphics.” The company has positioned the new chips for high FPS 1440p (QHD) gaming rather than 4K as a way to boost regular laptop gaming. AMD is also touting its FSR 3 (FidelityFX Super Resolution) upscaling tech that’s similar to NVIDIA’s DLSS 3, promising a large boost in frame rates for games like Starfield and Forspoken.

As a flagship chip, the RX 7900M comes with 72 compute units (compared to 32 for the RX 7700S) and features 16GB of GDDR6 RAM, while consuming up to 180 watts — well beyond the 110 watt TDP of NVIDIA’s RTX 4080 mobile chip. AMD claims it can outperform the latter by 7 percent on average in terms of frame rates, while offering an additional 4GB of GDDR6 RAM. 

AMD's Radeon RX7900M is its most powerful mobile GPU yet
AMD

In one example, AMD claimed it could beat a laptop with an RTX 4080 mobile chip by 27 percent on Starfield with a 62 fps frame rate (FSR 2, Ultra 1440p). In another, it said that Forspoken could run at 201 fps with FSR 3 turned on, compared to 63 fps with the setting disabled. It also listed higher frame rates for a number of rasterized games, though it was beaten by a majority ray-traced games run on NVIDIA RTX 4080 GPU-equipped laptops. This is an issue we flagged after reviewing the Radeon RX 7900 XTX and 7900 XT desktop processors last year.

Along with the mobile GPU, AMD announced a partnership with Alienware, integrating its RX 7900M and Ryzen 9 7945HX processor into the m18 laptop. Along with those chips, that model comes with an 18-inch QHD+ (2,560 x 1,600) display, up to 64GB of RAM, 8.5GB of storage max, and more. That model, along with the RX 7900M, is set to arrive in Q4 2023, when we can hopefully put AMD’s claims to the test. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amds-radeon-rx-7900m-is-its-most-powerful-mobile-gpu-yet-130013737.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – AMD’s Radeon RX 7900M is its most powerful mobile GPU yet

Adobe adds plenty of AI wizardry to Photoshop and Premiere

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Adobe just released the latest iterations of Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements. These 2024-branded versions feature plenty of new features that streamline the creative process, many of them aided by, wait for it, artificial intelligence. Beyond AI-powered tools, there’s also some other stuff for photo and video editors to get excited about.

Let’s start with AI features, all of which are powered by Adobe’s new Sensei AI platform. On the Photoshop side of things, there’s a new tool that automatically selects objects and backgrounds for removal, editing or replacement. This looks to be a more nuanced take on Google’s Pixel Magic Eraser tech.

The company says you can use this tool to swap out the sky, which should come in handy for those looking to turn standard outdoor photos into a fiery hellscape. The AI tools even let you smooth out a subject’s skin and complete a number of automatic smart fixes. Additionally, Photoshop Elements 2024 uses AI for its brand-new Artistic Effect options, allowing you to completely transform images into something resembling a famous work of art.

Adobe’s Sensei AI also lets you upscale JPEGs to remove artifacts, creating a more “smooth, natural look.” This should give editors more control over this file type, as it has never been anyone’s first choice when it comes to making image adjustments.

An image of a lady in a lake, but not the lady in the lake.
Adobe

As for Premiere, the popular video-editing software suite now uses AI to automatically create highlight reels culled from uploaded footage. The company says that these AI-created clips will “draw people in by focusing on motion, close-ups and your highest quality footage.”

Of course, this is a proper Elements update, so there’s all kinds of features that don’t dive into the AI well. Photoshop gets updated color and tone presets, photo reels that can be saved as MP4s or GIFs, a bunch of new one-click editing options and an aesthetic facelift to tie everything together. There’s even something called Guided Edits, that teaches you how to do things as you go.

Premiere gets a suite of new audio effects, like reverb, and a number of built-in presets to create a unique vibe. Just like Photoshop, there’s a visual redesign that offers a “fresh look” and access to a similar collection of tutorial-based Guided Edits. Both software suites are available now as solo purchases or in a bundle.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/adobe-adds-plenty-of-ai-wizardry-to-photoshop-and-premiere-130011069.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Adobe adds plenty of AI wizardry to Photoshop and Premiere

AMD Launches The Ryzen Threadripper 7000 Series: Up To 96 Cores, DDR5 RDIMMs, PRO & HEDT CPUs

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AMD today announced the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7000 WX Series as the company’s long-awaited Threadripper update that brings up to 96 Zen 4 cores, RDIMM memory is now required for Threadripper platforms moving forward, and catering to both HEDT enthusiasts and professionals. Here is an initial overview of the new AMD Ryzen Threadripper 7000 series while the benchmark/review embargo isn’t being lifted until a later date.

Source: Phoronix – AMD Launches The Ryzen Threadripper 7000 Series: Up To 96 Cores, DDR5 RDIMMs, PRO & HEDT CPUs

Xbox Boss Is Open To Breaking the Seal On Some Forgotten Games

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An anonymous reader quotes a report from PC Gamer: Whether you think Microsoft’s recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard is a move toward a dry gaming monopoly or a financial windfall for Activision and Blizzard games both, it’s definitely happened. The UK’s CMA has given the thumbs up, Kotick’s on his way out — the deal’s closed, and now we get to see the impact ripples spread. It looks like there’s already some great news for fans of Activision Blizzard’s older catalogue, as confirmed by Xbox boss Phil Spencer himself in an official interview on the Xbox channel. “I do think with Game Pass that we have the ability to pick a couple franchises every year and almost do like a ‘revisited’ [version] — I just made up that term … when you look across the franchises that are part of our teams, there’s an opportunity to go back.”

“I wanna make sure that when we go back and visit something that we do it with our complete ability not just create something for financial gain (or a PR announcement), and not deliver.” Ultimately, while he’s got his own wishlist (the return of FPS classic Hexen is a running gag), Spencer says it’s important for these fresh coats of paint to be a result of developer passion: “If teams wanna go back and revisit some of the things we have, and do a full focus on it, I’m gonna be all in. I think there’s an amazing trove of [games] we can go and touch on again. I think about things like the Quake 2 remaster that just came out from [id Software], I thought that was awesome. They did a real good job revisiting a game, making it current, but not leaving its history behind. I’d love to see more things like that.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.



Source: Slashdot – Xbox Boss Is Open To Breaking the Seal On Some Forgotten Games

AMD Unveils Ryzen Threadripper 7000 Family: 96 Core Zen 4 for Workstations and HEDT

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Having just recently crossed the one-year anniversary of AMD’s first Zen 4 architecture CPUs – the Ryzen 7000 series – we’re now at the point where the final Zen 4 products are landing in place. Thus far AMD has launched consumer desktop CPUs, multiple classes of mobile CPUs, and a bevy of server CPUs big (Genoa) and small (Siena). The one remaining gap in AMD’s product roadmap has been the workstation and high-end desktop market, which AMD will be filling next month with the launch of a pair of Threadripper product lineups.

Being announced today by AMD for a November 21st launch, this morning AMD is taking the wraps off of their Ryzen 7000 Threadripper CPUs. These high-end chips are being split up into two product lines, with AMD assembling the workstation-focused Ryzen Threadripper 7000 Pro series, as well as the non-pro Ryzen Threadripper 7000 series for the more consumer-ish high-end desktop (HEDT) market. Both chip lines are based on AMD’s tried and true Zen 4 architecture – derivatives of AMD’s EPYC server processors – incorporating AMD’s Zen 4 chiplets and a discrete I/O dies. As with previous generations of Threadripper parts, we’re essentially looking at the desktop version of AMD’s EPYC hardware.

With both product lines, AMD is targeting customer bases that need CPUs more powerful than a desktop Ryzen processor, but not as exotic (or expensive) as AMD’s server wares. This means chips with lots and lots of CPU cores – up to 96 in the case of the Threadripper 7000 Pro series – as well as support for a good deal more I/O and memory. The amount varies with the specific chip lineup, but both leave Ryzen 7000 and its 16 cores and 24 PCIe lanes in the dust.

Most notably for this generation of Threadripper parts, AMD is once again offering the HEDT-focused non-pro lineup. With the Zen 3-based Threadripper 5000 series, AMD only ever released the workstation-focused Pro parts, leaving HEDT hopefuls in the dust. But this time AMD has decided to bring the HEDT back, creating a pair of Threadripper lines in a very similar fashion to the Threadripper 3000 family in 2019.



Source: AnandTech – AMD Unveils Ryzen Threadripper 7000 Family: 96 Core Zen 4 for Workstations and HEDT

You Can Get These JBL Headphones for up to 53% Off

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Amazon is having a sale on JBL headphones, earphones, and Bluetooth speakers, of up to 53% off. I’ve rounded up some of the best deals available after checking their price history to make sure they are, in fact, good deals. JBL is known for their well-balanced sound—they’re tuned to the Harman curve, a frequency type…

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Source: LifeHacker – You Can Get These JBL Headphones for up to 53% Off

ChargePoint starts rolling out Tesla-style NACS plugs for its customers

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A blue Tesla charges at a ChargePoint fast charger

Enlarge / Tesla-style plugs are coming to ChargePoint chargers. (credit: ChargePoint)

Tesla drivers will soon have a new place to fast-charge their electric vehicles. Today, the charging network ChargePoint announced it will have Tesla-style North American Charging Standard support for both its AC and DC chargers over the next few weeks. And in November, it will start shipping NACS cable upgrade kits for existing DC fast chargers, which will allow Tesla EVs to charge at those ChargePoint DC fast chargers.

“We’ve already said we’re already taking preorders on the home charger, and then over the next few weeks, we’ll start shipping the fast-charge cables to preorder customers that have our fast chargers, and you can already order a new fast charger with NACS cables on,” said Pasquale Romano, ChargePoint’s CEO.

“We think the most important difference is we do not make our customers decide by parking space whether the cable is NACS or CCS. I think that’s a mess and no one should do that. No one should have a dedicated parking space because you’ll never get the ratio right, and it will change over time. So every solution that we have is going to enable both connector types per parking space,” he told Ars.

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Source: Ars Technica – ChargePoint starts rolling out Tesla-style NACS plugs for its customers

GM, Honda and Cruise plan to offer driverless taxi rides in Japan in 2026

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GM, Cruise and Honda are teaming up to introduce a driverless ride-hailing service in Japan, which could launch in early 2026 if things go according to plan. The companies have entered a memorandum of understanding to form a joint venture for the project, and they’re hoping to establish the company in the first half of 2024, provided they’re able to secure the necessary regulatory approvals by then. Their ride-hailing service will deploy the Cruise Origin electric shuttle van that the companies had developed together. It’s a self-driving vehicle with no steering wheel or even a driver’s seat, which means it also has no pedals and no rearview mirror.

A vehicle cabin with four passengers sitting on opposite benches, facing each other.
Cruise

Instead, it has a big cabin space where up to six passengers can sit facing each other, and its doors slide open like a subway’s. “The opportunity for the ridehail service in Japan, which is expected to be the first of its kind, is huge,” GM said in its announcement. It has the potential to solve the country’s ongoing driver shortage and could provide an alternative for those who can’t use Tokyo’s extensive train and subway system for any reason. 

While it’s still early days for the project, the companies already have a vision for how they want to execute their plans. They’re looking to start by deploying “dozens” of Cruise Origins in central Tokyo by 2026 before expanding the fleet to 500 Origins. After that, they’re hoping to make the service available outside of the capital’s center. Like any other similar service, passengers will be able to hail an Origin through a dedicated app, as well as pay for their ride. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gm-honda-and-cruise-plan-to-offer-driverless-taxi-rides-in-japan-in-2026-123500078.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – GM, Honda and Cruise plan to offer driverless taxi rides in Japan in 2026

There’s a new way to flip bits in DRAM, and it works against the latest defenses

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Source: Ars Technica – There’s a new way to flip bits in DRAM, and it works against the latest defenses

Use the ‘OHIO’ Method to Manage Endless Tasks and Messages

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When wading through all endless emails, Slack messages, and other notifications, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. When that happens, it’s best to have a strategy going in. There are a few different ways to approach it, but you have to find the one that works for you—and the “OHIO” technique is one to try if you need an…

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Source: LifeHacker – Use the ‘OHIO’ Method to Manage Endless Tasks and Messages

Lenovo vs. Dell: Size vs. Focus and Synergy

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I’m at a fascinating event this week at Lenovo. For the first time, Lenovo brought all the analysts that cover the company together as a group not to talk about each individual Lenovo product or service, but to chat about how Lenovo is executing its One Lenovo plan and creating an Apple-like experience that drives a “better together” concept. It’s the basis of why the company has become such a huge global success.  

This is in contrast to Dell which has also been built from similar components but still appears largely siloed and defined more by internal conflicts than being a showcase of how to bring the full power of the company to bear on what remains a troubled market that’s struggling with how to deal with generative AI, foundation models, the metaverse, and whether employees come to work or work from home.  

The contrast between the companies reminds me of my time at IBM when I could see what IBM was and how it originally became dominant, but experienced what IBM became while I was there in the 80s and 90s which was more a dysfunctional family that had lost market focus and customers and was struggling to keep the lights on.  

In short, I see Lenovo transitioning to what IBM was at its peak, and Dell transitioning to what nearly put IBM out of business. And Dell is hardly alone in this trend. I’m somewhat of an expert on IBM’s decline because I got so frustrated with what was happening back then I researched and wrote a report on the causes of IBM’s decline, which had me both up for an award and nearly got me fired. 

The Problem with Umbrella Companies

IBM was and both Lenovo and Dell are umbrella companies. An umbrella company is a firm often, but not always, formed through acquisitions that places each somewhat independent unit under a single brand. From the outside, it looks like one company, but inside, problems emerge when each unit competes with each peer unit for resources while the executives compete in terms of clout, status and the likelihood to lead the combined unit.  

Customer needs tend to be subordinate to the conflict. You can see this play out in the market as Lenovo gradually has advanced on Dell and now tops that company in a growing number of areas, largely due to bringing the full power of the company against a growing list of customers that increasingly want suppliers to reduce, not increase, complexity in an increasingly complex world. 

In short, the reasons that IBM nearly failed and Lenovo is out-executing Dell are tied to customer focus and using the power of the parent company so that the umbrella company becomes a competitive advantage instead of a disadvantage against smaller, more focused, efforts. 

It Starts with the CEO

In looking back at IBM, that company started to break when Thomas Watson, Jr. retired. Until then succession appeared to be in the family so you had a leader that no one was likely to challenge and who could say “jump” and everyone in the company would ask how high. This is what Dell used to have when Michael Dell was more active and what Lenovo still seems to have. At Lenovo, the leadership is crystal clear. At Dell, not so much.  

Succession is always an issue, but it only becomes a big issue should the CEO leave or when leadership is uncertain. What I’m seeing at Lenovo is that leadership is as strong as it was at IBM under Thomas Watson, Jr. (or Sr.). At Dell, leadership started to degrade when Michael Dell first tried to retire in the early 90s. Now it seems divided across a number of people while Michael Dell seems to be taking a far less active role.

This lack of focused and singular leadership is problematic in an umbrella company because each division leader then attempts to fill the leadership vacuum, and the resulting lack of a global authority and vision means they are often working at cross purposes rather than acting like they are on the same team.  

Wrapping Up: Lenovo’s Competitive Advantage Is CEO Yang Yuanqing

While this starts with a clear and growing problem at Dell and uncertain leadership, Lenovo may experience this problem in the future should its current CEO either repeat Dell’s mistake or depart without assuring a similar concept of leadership that he enjoys. The Watsons clearly didn’t anticipate well enough what would happen when the family no longer led the company, and companies that remain in business over 100 years are the exception, not the rule.  It is not uncommon for a firm to lose its way when a strong leader is replaced by someone that lacks experience, leadership skills, implicit/explicit authority, or market understanding.

This may be the strongest argument for why AI needs to focus on assuring the CEO job because that isn’t only the most highly compensated position, but it is the one position that, when it degrades, can put the company into decline. CEOs like Michael Dell, Yang Yuanqing, and Thomas Watson, Jr. are rare, yet we do little to assure the aspects that made them successful are sustained after they leave. Perhaps the most powerful use of AI will be to assure that a CEO who is exceptional is also virtually immortal, then use this to create that same dynamic so that every exceptional employee is also virtually immortal, thus ensuring the immortality and success of the company. 



Source: TG Daily – Lenovo vs. Dell: Size vs. Focus and Synergy

Anker GaN chargers are up to 43 percent off in Amazon sale

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Anker had huge deals running for Amazon’s October Prime Day, but if you missed out, there’s some good news. The tech accessory leader currently has sales on some of its top chargers, including its super-fast Gallium Nitride (GaN) options. The cheapest — and arguably nicest looking — option of that lot is the Anker 511 GaN charger 30W, discounted 26 percent to $17, from $23. 

The Anker 511 is a USB-C charger that provides 30W of power at just 1.12 inches wide. It’s available in natural green, misty blue and lilac purple, alongside standard black and white options. The three-port Anker 735 GaNPrime 65W is also on sale, dropping to $40 from $60 — a 33 percent discount. It offers two USB-C and one USB-A port and uses Ankers IQ technology for more efficient, 65W charging. One of the best deals comes courtesy of a 43 percent discount on the Anker 736 GaN II 100W charger. At two-thirds the size of a MacBook’s 96W power brick, the model also includes two USB-C and one USB-A port, but with even faster charging than its counterparts. 

Other Anker devices for sale outside the GaN family include the 313 10W wireless charger pad, down to $12 from $16, and the 332 USB-C hub with 100W, available for $30 versus its usual $50. Alongside its chargers for sale, Anker also has a markdown on its PowerConf S3 Speakerphone with six microphones. The home office device is discounted 38 percent in Black, dropping to $80 from $130. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/anker-gan-chargers-are-up-to-43-percent-off-in-amazon-sale-122043698.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Anker GaN chargers are up to 43 percent off in Amazon sale

ChargePoint’s EV network rolls out support for Tesla’s NACS connector

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EV charging infrastructure company ChargePoint announced Thursday that it’s rolling out support for Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector. In a move announced earlier this year, the network will support AC and DC charging for the formerly proprietary, soon-to-be-ubiquitous Tesla plug. Rival Electrify America announced a similar change in June, but it set a more modest deadline of 2025 to make the transition.

Support begins rolling out today with “much of the lineup” expected to deliver during the next month. Cable upgrade kits for the company’s existing DC fast chargers will be delivered to customers in November, “offering Tesla drivers a public fast charging alternative for the first time,” the company wrote in a press release Thursday.

The ChargePoint app now includes an NACS selection filter to help find a compatible station on your route. “With many car manufacturers recently adopting the NACS standard for upcoming models, ChargePoint now offers every necessary cable solution to charge an EV in North America and Europe,” the company wrote. ChargePoint has over 48,000 EV charging stations globally.

ChargePoint marketing image of an electric charging station. A red car is plugged into a (primarily) orange charging station sitting atop a curb in front of a building.
ChargePoint

ChargePoint will provide a native DC connector and AC “solutions” compatible with Tesla vehicles. It will also continue supporting the Combined Charging System (CCS-1) standard. “The lineup offers AC solutions as well, negating the need for a cumbersome adapter to charge,” the company wrote. In addition, ChargePoint begins shipping cables for its Level 2 Home Flex charging system this month. It’s the first publicly available option offering NACS DC fast-charging speeds for non-Tesla EVs.

“With more than 35 million historical ChargePoint sessions initiated by Tesla vehicles, we saw the need to offer native connector solutions for this large portion of the EV market,” Pasquale Romano, CEO of ChargePoint, wrote in a press release. “Our support for both installed and new products opens up ChargePoint DC chargers to millions of drivers who have not yet had a fast charging alternative to the Tesla ecosystem, and makes their AC charging experience more convenient.”

The auto industry has lined up behind NACS in recent months. Ford, GM / Rivian, Volvo, Polestar, Mercedes, Honda, Jaguar, BMW and Hyundai have announced plans to adopt the standard in upcoming vehicles. Toyota and Volkswagen stand as two of the few remaining holdouts.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/chargepoints-ev-network-rolls-out-support-for-teslas-nacs-connector-120034510.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – ChargePoint’s EV network rolls out support for Tesla’s NACS connector

How to Keep Potted Herbs Alive Inside All Winter

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I almost never buy fresh herbs at the store unless I have a specific need—but when they’re right outside my door in the garden in the warmer months, I use them in everything. When things cool off, though, you can keep fresh herbs close at hand by growing them inside—but that’s not without its challenges. The little…

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Source: LifeHacker – How to Keep Potted Herbs Alive Inside All Winter

WhatsApp tests self-destructing voice notes

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WhatsApp is finally giving you the option to send voice notes without concerns about them being recorded or shared. The messaging app is rolling out a feature that lets you set voice notes to view once and then self-destruct, WABetaInfo reports. Now, there’s really very little reason to call anyone.

The new feature works similarly to when you set a photo sent over WhatsApp to be viewable only once. When recording a voice note, you’ll see the number one inside a circle. Simply click that, and your voice note will become a one-time listen. However, you cant hear it again either, so if you’re someone who either likes the sound of your own voice (rare) or to analyze everything you’ve just said, then you might want to skip it. It also appears that the audio will be lost if your recipient accidentally closes out of the conversation while listening to it.

With voice notes’ popularity growing tremendously over the past few years, this new feature could be a great option for sending friends your streaming password, card information or just cold-hard gossip without it getting out there. The ability to set your audio messages to listen once is currently in beta testing on both Android and iPhone devices but should roll out to more testers in the coming days. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/whatsapp-tests-self-destructing-voice-notes-113555275.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – WhatsApp tests self-destructing voice notes