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Google will start testing a feature this year that uses machine learning to weed out children trying to access adult content on YouTube. The machine learning-based age estimation model will try to predict whether a user is under 18 and, if so, apply appropriate age filter settings to their account. The announcement came amid a flurry of Google child safety announcements as the US Senate considers a bill that would ban pre-teens from social media. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan first mentioned the ML age restriction feature on Tuesday in his letter about the platforms bets for the coming year. Well use machine learning in 2025 to help us estimate a users age distinguishing between younger viewers and adults to help provide the best and most age-appropriate experiences and protections, he wrote. A YouTube spokesperson clarified to Engadget that the model will make its predictions using data like the types of info the person searches for, the categories of videos they watch and the age of their accounts. For example, if someone frequently searches for info about mortgage lending or taxes, that probably points to the person being over 18. Ditto for an account thats over 20 years old. If the ML model predicts that someone is underage, YouTube will apply its standard protections to deliver a more age-appropriate experience. Of course, the platform blocks explicit (and otherwise age-restricted) videos from under-18 users. Googles underage restrictions also include its SafeSearch Filter, which (as its name suggests) blocks explicit content from search results. YouTube told Engadget it will begin testing the filtration tool by the end of this year. The platform plans to roll it out globally in 2026. Although YouTubes CEO first announced the feature, Google will test the feature in other areas, too. However, we dont yet know where else the new ML feature will pop up. Google isnt alone in trialing such a feature. Google isnt alone in trialing such a moderation feature. Last year, Meta said it would use an adult classifier tool to identify underage Instagram users posing as adults. Google Google also said on Wednesday that School Time, a feature previously only available as a smartwatch app on the Fitbit Ace LTE and Galaxy Watch for Kids, will roll out to Android phones and tablets. Part of Googles Family Link parental controls app, School Time will let parents determine what phone features and apps their children can use during school hours. Parents can choose which apps remain active (like, say, learning-friendly apps) while allowing messages and calls from certain contacts. The idea is to minimize screen time and help kids focus on their work while still green-lighting emergency contacts. Along similar lines, the Android Family Link app will let parents approve or deny contacts to add to their childrens devices. (This is another feature making its way over from the Galaxy Watch for Kids.) Parents can then limit calls and texts to only approved contacts. However, that feature isnt quite here yet: Google says it will roll out in the coming months. Finally, this spring, parents using Google parental control features can add tap-to-pay to their childrens Android phones. (Google said this was coming last year.) Parents will be able to approve a payment card, add or remove further cards and view the childs transactions. Google says the feature will also work for things like gift cards and concert tickets.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-will-use-machine-learning-to-try-and-tell-if-a-user-is-under-18-204713279.html?src=rss
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After years of waiting, the Apple TV app is finally available natively on Android devices. This version was built from the ground up to take advantage of the Android operating system and is currently ready for download from the Google Play Store. It was designed for smartphones, tablets and foldables. This is a full version of the app, with all of the stuff Apple users have come to expect. Theres a feature for picking up a show where you left off and a tool for downloading content to watch offline. It works via Wi-Fi or cellular. The app allows access to Apple TV+ content, so you can finally watch the absolute boatload of original shows the platform pumps out. Its a veritable cornucopia of sci-fi goodness, with hit shows like Severance, Silo and For All Mankind. The platform also airs non-genre fare like Ted Lasso, Shrinking and Slow Horses. New users get a free seven-day trial to the platform. Otherwise, pricing is the same as always and folks can sign up for subscriptions via Google Play. The app even grants access to MLS Season Pass content, just in time for Major League Soccers 2025 season. Sports fans can also check out a weekly MLB double-header each Friday with no local restrictions. There have been workarounds to get Apple TV content on Android devices. In the past, users were forced to enter credentials via the web app or use a Prime Video bundle. Android TVs have long had a dedicated Apple TV app, but there was no way to subscribe on the television itself. That also changed today, as Google Play now offers the ability to subscribe on Android TVs. Theres no casting support on this first version of the app, but we hope itll come soon via a future update. The Apple TV app only works on devices running Android 10 or later.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/an-apple-tv-app-is-finally-available-for-android-devices-200044050.html?src=rss
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Iconic game designer Jeff Minter is back with another modern take on a long-forgotten Atari title. Minter has turned his psychedelic eye toward the 1984 arcade cabinet I, Robot. His version ups the visuals and takes serious liberties with the original design, adopting techno music and some new game modes. The original I, Robot was a flop, despite being made by Dave Theurer, the guy behind Missile Command and Tempest. Maybe it was just ahead of its time. After all, it was the very first commercial video game to use real-time, flat-shaded 3D polygon graphics. The game came out a full eight years before Segas Virtua Racing and more than a decade before the PlayStation and N64 brought 3D gaming into the mainstream. The original title had players control a robot as it jumped around mazes to flip the color of tiles and shoot enemies. There was also a giant eyeball that had to be avoided at all costs. Minters version keeps the core gameplay mechanic, but increases the speed and incorporates new gameplay elements. For instance, there are new tube shooter levels and an exploration mode called Ungame. It looks pretty nifty. If the name Jeff Minter seems vaguely familiar, hes the person who made Tempest 2000 and its various sequels. More recently, he remade an unreleased Atari prototype called Akka Arrh that originally dates back to 1982. He also provided the visuals for a Nine Inch Nails video. Minters version of I, Robot will be released this spring on pretty much every platform, including Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. The design team is also working on a port for PlayStation VR2.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/acclaimed-designer-jeff-minter-is-back-with-a-remake-of-the-80s-arcade-curio-i-robot-194037105.html?src=rss
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