Technology News for Sunday 17th October 2021

1. WhatsApp for iOS working on new message reaction feature

Even though WhatsApp is working on this feature, reactions are still not available for public beta testers to try it out, the report said. Previously, ...

2. Get Microsoft Office for free: How to get Word, Excel, PowerPoint at no cost

You can use Microsoft Office apps for free. Josh Miller/CNET. Whether it's for work or personal use, you'll probably need to access a Microsoft Word document, a PowerPoint presentation or other basic tools found in Microsoft 365 at some point.

3. Apple's October 'Unleashed' event: what to expect

Chief among those are new, more powerful MacBook Pros, which will follow the incredible Apple Silicon-powered 13-inch MacBook Pro that launched last November. The company is also expected to release new AirPods, and it's got an entire OS that was announced ...

4. Facebook disputes report that its AI can't detect hate speech or violence consistently

Facebook vice president of integrity Guy Rosen wrote in blog post Sunday that the prevalence of hate speech on the platform had dropped by 50 percent over the past three years, and that “a narrative that the technology we use to fight hate speech is ...

5. Hate Speech Prevalence Has Dropped by Almost 50% on Facebook

In 2016, our content moderation efforts relied mainly on user reports. So we built technology to proactively identify violating content before people report it. Our proactive detection rate reflects this. However, we report prevalence figures so we can be ...

6. Pixel 6 is coming soon, and you may want to give Google's phones another chance

Google's Pixel phones have a lot going for them. Juan Garzon/CNET. Are you looking for a smartphone with Google Photos, Chrome, Gmail and Drive integration? If so, a Pixel might be a good choice for you. Google offers a few iterations of its Pixel ...

7. iOS 15: How to make sense of deleting and moving apps on your iPhone

Ever since app support for the iPhone showed up in 2008, the process to delete an app had been the same. Long-press the app icon until you enable jiggle mode (that's the official name, per Apple), then tap the "X." Confirm you wanted to remove the app, and ...

8. Drag race: Mercedes C63 Black Series vs BMW M3 vs Audi RS5 Sportback

Today we're pitching the old-school against the modern age, as we find out if the old Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series can still cut it against the latest performance saloons. Play. The AMG C63 Black Series was pretty bonkers when it came out, ...

9. MacBook Pro 2021: Every rumor we've heard ahead of tomorrow's Apple event

This is pretty much a given. Apple's M1 CPU has made it as far as the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, 24-inch iMac, Mac Mini and iPads, but thus far we haven't seen any of Apple's home-grown silicon in systems for power users.

10. Facebook disputes report its AI has little effect on hate speech

Facebook on Sunday responded to a news report that its artificial intelligence program has little effect at curbing and removing violent content from the social network. The Journal cited internal documents from two years ago in reporting that the ...

11. iOS 15: You can finally FaceTime between iPhone and Android. Here's how

In iOS 15, you can join a FaceTime call from your iPhone, Android or Windows device. Apple/Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET. If you're on the lookout for an alternative to Zoom or Microsoft Teams, you may want to check out this new FaceTime feature ...

12. Apple's MacBook Pro Overhaul Poised to Finally Be 'Unleashed'

Tim Cook at Apple's Town Hall auditorium. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg. That MacBook Pro had limited ports, having moved entirely to USB-C and dongles. It had ...