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Google rolls out a new Drive desktop app for syncing files and photos
It's replacing the Backup and Sync and Drive File Stream apps.
Microsoft: Timeline is staying in Windows 10, but without free syncing
Timeline was the "star" of Microsoft's big 2018 update for Windows 10 and while it will still remember everything you did, it just won't save that information to the cloud anymore.
Google will let you sign in and save passwords on Chrome without syncing
You’ll also be able to use a new card and save its details on that account.
iCloud outage takes down backups and photos for some users (updated)
Apple is reporting outages affecting numerous iCloud services, including backups, calendars and photo syncing.
Opera update uses QR codes to sync data between PC and Android browsers
Opera’s browser is making it easier to sync between desktop and Android devices. The latest updates (version 71 on desktop and version 60 on Android) include a new feature called Sync that lets you scan a QR code rather than entering a password.
Ford's 2021 Bronco SUVs offer 360-degree cameras for a 'spotter view'
Ford has resurrected the Bronco name, and packed its new 4x4 family with technology including Sync 4 and 36-degree cameras that bring an off-road spotter view inside your SUV.
Philips is adding voice control to its Hue light and TV sync box
We cheered when Signify launched the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box last September. At last, a dead-simple way to sync the company's smart lights with whatever is playing on your TV! The hardware wasn't perfect, though. It didn't have baked-in voice control, for instance, or any formal compatibility with Alexa, Siri, or the Google Assistant. For a $230 box -- and one released in 2019 -- it felt like a massive and inexcusable omission. Signify has recognized its mistake, though, and is working on a software update that will add support for all three assistants later this spring. Once it goes live, you'll be able to use your voice to turn the Sync Box on and off, change various Hue light settings and switch between HDMI devices. If you need a refresher, the svelte black slab has five HDMI slots -- one for your TV, and four for your favorite media players, game consoles and streaming boxes. The Sync Box analyzes the incoming image and then chooses the most appropriate colors and brightness settings for your smart bulbs. You can also fine-tune the experience with three different sync modes (video, music and games), a brightness slider and four intensity options (subtle, moderate, high and extreme) inside the Hue Sync app. The effect will vary, of course, depending on the number and type of Hue bulbs that you have set up. Some TV-attached lightstrips, for instance, might be more dramatic than a couple of bulbs placed behind your sofa. Don't care for voice control? No problem. Today, Signify announced that you'll soon be able to use infrared-based TV remotes to control the Sync Box. That includes basic commands -- turning the contraption on and off, and switching between different HDMI inputs -- and more complicated button inputs, provided you "teach" the Sync Box what each of them means through the Hue Sync app. Signify hopes this will make it easier to use the box everyday as part of a more complicated home theater setup.
Firefox makes it easier to send links between VR and desktop
Firefox is making it a little easier to bounce between VR and real life. In a new update for Reality, Firefox has introduced the ability to send videos and tabs straight to your VR headset from your phone or desktop, and vice versa -- you'll be able to send tabs straight to your phone or desktop to access as soon as you take your headset off.
Apple confirms iOS 13 Reminders will be fixed with macOS Catalina rollout
iOS 13 came out a couple of weeks ago, but one thing you may have noticed is that Reminders no longer sync with Macs. Apple has now confirmed that Reminders won't update until its latest macOS update is made available.
Apple introduces real-time lyrics to Music
With the release of iOS13, Apple's added a fun new feature to Music: time-synced lyrics. The updated lyrics experience presents real-time synced song words that animate along with the music as they're being sung, rapped or spoken, no matter how mumbly or shouty. The feature also lets you navigate music in a new way -- skip to a part of a song simply by tapping on the lyric. So no more pretending you know the words. It's available now for all Apple Music users on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. An Android version is on its way, as is one for Apple TV, which will be handy for impromptu karaoke parties.
Google will stop syncing files between Drive and Photos
Google is changing how Drive and Photos share your videos and photos with each other, in a move that might actually cause more problems than it solves. From July 10th, when you upload files to Drive or Photos, they won't automatically sync to the other service. Likewise, when you delete a photo or video from Drive, it won't be removed from Photos and vice versa.
Google is quietly logging users into Chrome, but it's not all bad (updated)
Google has found itself under fire over a recent change the company made to the way users sign into its Chrome browser. Released in early September, Chrome 69 logs the user in automatically at the moment they sign in to any Google service. The change predictably led to a backlash from privacy-concerned members of the community. Matthew Green, a cryptographer and professor at John Hopkins University, published a lengthy blog post outlining why the change ultimately made him decide to part ways with Chrome.
OneDrive makes it easier to backup your desktop clutter
Microsoft rolled out a new OneDrive folder protection feature to its business users in June -- now it's available to regular users, too. The feature lets you choose which folders you want to automatically back up to Microsoft's cloud service -- desktop, pictures or documents -- and it'll keep this activity in sync across multiple Windows 10 PCs, which is handy if you're a fan of downloading files to your desktop.
Dropbox just made it easier to find your files in Gmail
A few years ago, Dropbox partnered with Microsoft, and the official line about the partnership was that the cloud-storage company wanted to help its users work better and easier in the tools they're already used to. For untold millions, Microsoft Office is a big part of that workflow, so tying Dropbox tightly into Office made both services work better. Today, Dropbox is doing the same thing with Google. A partnership between the two companies was announced earlier this year, and today we're seeing the first product: a Dropbox add-on for Gmail.
Firefox 12 for iOS includes file downloads and easier syncing
Firefox 12 for iOS is available today and it offers three new useful features. First, the browser now allows users to download files, which can be viewed in a dedicated section in the Firefox menu, through Apple's Files app or through other third-party apps. Secondly, link management functions are now all gathered into one spot. One menu will give you the option of opening a link in Firefox, bookmarking, adding to your reading list or sending to another device that you've connected to your Firefox account.
Waze's traffic data is available in Ford Sync 3 cars
You now have a simple way to put Waze on car's screen -- if you have the right phone and the right car. As promised back at CES, iPhone owners can now project the crowdsourced navigation app on the touchscreens of Ford's Sync 3-equipped cars. It won't be as sophisticated as the Android Auto implementation, but you can still use both touch and voice control for most tasks (you can't type in an address while the car is moving, for obvious reasons). You don't need to do much more to get started beyond plugging your iPhone into the car's USB port.
All Ford vehicles will have built-in 4G LTE by 2020
Ford's vision for the future is electric, connectivity and assisted driving. For the Blue Oval company, that means by 2020 its entire lineup will have 4G LTE connectivity and offer Waze navigation by way of AppLink and Sync 3. The former means that all aspects of a vehicle can be updated over the air rather than just the Sync platform. The latter is a bid to make the road safer by decreasing distracted driving that's caused by fumbling with your phone while behind the wheel; all cars with Sync 3 can start using Waze next month. And after studying how people use their trucks, the F-150 will have an available bed-mounted generator for the folks who need to export power on the job-site -- an idea Chevy experimented with on its ZH2 concept truck for the military.
Ford is updating Sync with Waze and a driving assistant
Ford is updating its Sync infotainment software with a few new navigation options. Sygic is a name we haven't heard in quite awhile, but the GPS company will bring its voice assistant to certain Ford vehicles. If your blue-oval-clad ride has Sync 3 and you've got Sygic's nav app installed on your phone, you'll be able to press a button on your steering wheel to activate Sygic's new voice-powered Driving Assistant. According to TechCrunch, you can ask Driving Assistant for traffic info, gas prices and parking advice, among other tasks. It sounds quite a bit easier than using voice commands while driving with Siri, or fiddling with your car's infotainment screen.
Google's Assistant will help 'sync' your smart home devices
Smart homes can be tricky to manage, especially if you've invested in a bunch of different brands. If you have a Google Home, good news: You can now use the Google Assistant to clean up and "sync" any misbehaving devices. Let's say you have some Philips Hue lights in your living room — you set them up and everything works great. A few months later, you buy some extra bulbs for the kitchen, but your Home doesn't seem to recognise them. You could, of course, start poking around the appropriate apps, but now there's a voice command that will do it for you: Sync My Lights.
Import your Instagram contacts to Facebook Messenger
Facebook started testing a way to cross-post Instagram Stories to your Facebook timeline this past September, and finally released the feature to everyone in early October. You can also launch Instagram directly from the Facebook app, making for an even more integrated experience across the two apps. As initially reported by TechCrunch, Facebook is now testing a feature to import and sync your Instagram contacts with Messenger.
