Apps

Google taps machine learning to help publishers identify trolls and toxic comments

Wouldn't it be great if machine learning could be applied toward improving comments and other conversations online? Big and small publishers alike, from NYT to the site you're now reading, are spending significant resources to stop trolls from bombarding readers with toxic comments.

A new Google tech based on machine learning strives to automate the process of sorting through millions of comments, helping identify and flag abusive comments that undermine a civil exchange of ideas.

The best iMessage games

When Apple took the wraps off the iMessage App Store last year, it quickly became evident that the messaging service would become the next playground for some weird and wonderful applications. Since then, developers have largely graced us with conventional stickers and app extensions, despite another under-represented category increasingly showing promise: iMessage games.

Almost half a year after opening the gate, it seems a good time to take stock of the games playable through Apple's messenger and hand-pick the ones not only most captivating but also smartest at circumnavigating the limitations of iMessage. If you fancy the thought of challenging a friend to a duel on iMessage but don't want to waste anyone's time trialling potential duds, read on to find out about the current top performers on the iMessage App Store.

The best weather apps for iPad

Legend has it that weather apps are about as old as the App Store itself. Their popularity has always sprung from the simple fact that some people like their weather forecast to be scientific and precise to a T. Some like it punchy and condensed, while again others might just want it to be a visual treat. On iPad, it's much more than a matter of taste though, because whatever Apple's rationale, an in-house application for weather is still notably absent.

As a result of this choice, a number of third-party apps have become household names as weather surrogates on Apple's tablet. Even in 2018, some of the old-timers remain too cogent to overlook, but newer arrivals are starting to give the traditional go-to apps a run for their money. Thusly on merits of capabilities and originality, here are some of the best weather apps for iPad you can choose from today.

How to hide Skype calls from the Phone app on your iPhone

Apple has recently introduced CallKit, a new framework available to developers that allows them to integrate their VoIP apps with the native Phone app user interface. In essence, this is a great addition that puts VoIP apps at virtually the same level as normal phone calls. Incoming Skype or WhatsApp calls, for example, are now displayed fully on the Lock screen, which is an improvement compared to how these calls were handled prior to iOS 10. Likewise, any call placed or received with a supported VoIP app will be logged into the Phone app like a normal call.

This tight integration of VoIP apps and the native Phone app UI can have a downside for some users who might prefer not to see their recent Skype calls history show up in their Phone app. If you're one of these people, we'll show you exactly how to stop Skype from showing recent calls in your Phone app.

How to play YouTube and other web videos inline in Safari on iPhone

With iOS 10, Safari didn't receive a major facelift like some other Apple apps did. That's not saying Safari didn't have a few tricks up its sleeve that make browsing the web a more pleasing experience for everyone. One of the little things about iOS 10 that I'm sure many folks appreciated was the ability for Safari to play videos inline on the iPhone and iPod touch, too.

This feature has been present on iPads for years.

Thankfully, you can watch most web videos inline on your iPhone and iPod touch, even while multitasking in Safari. Telling Safari to play a video inside the webpage isn't as obvious as it could have been, so here's a little tutorial to get you up to speed.

How to have Apple Watch automatically pause and resume your runs

Among a myriad of varied health and fitness focused features, watchOS makes pausing and resuming your runs in the stock Workout app a frictionless experience, based on the inclusion of a new feature which taps into built-in sensors to determine when you start and stop moving. This new feature doesn't require a dedicated GPS so it'll work on every Apple Watch model.

Even better, you can enable it with just one tap, here's how.

How to post from your camera roll to your Instagram story

Post iPhone Photos as Instagram Story

When first playing with Instagram Stories, I couldn't figure out how to upload pictures or videos that I had already taken. Instead, it seemed I was forced to first shoot using the Instagram app and upload from there.

Quickly, I finally figured it out, and because it's not that obvious, I thought I should post about it as it may help a few readers wondering the same thing - how do you post from your Camera Roll to an Instagram story?

Importing data to Safari from another web browser

Love it or hate it, Apple's Safari is a zippy web browser that performs well on the Mac, and it continues to get more and more competitive with other web browser platforms.

Since Apple wants you to use Safari on your Mac, it's a no-brainer they're going to make it easier to migrate your web data from one web browser to another.

In this tutorial, we're going to show you how to import bookmarks to Safari, along with your other web data, from a different web browser.