Author: Sharilyn Deseo

{ "social": { "email": "", "facebook": "", "twitter": "", "linkedin": "" }, "ja-JP": "", "de-DE": "Sharilyn Deseo ist Content-Writerin und Rezensentin, die sich auf Software und digitale Tools spezialisiert hat. Sie bewertet Anwendungen kritisch und gibt Nutzern klare Einblicke, bevor sie eine Entscheidung treffen.", "en-US": "Sharilyn Deseo is a content writer and reviewer specializing in software and digital tools. She critically evaluates applications and provides users with clear insights before they commit to a download or purchase.", "es-ES": "Sharilyn Deseo es redactora y reseñadora especializada en software y herramientas digitales. Evalúa aplicaciones de forma crítica y ofrece a los usuarios información clara antes de tomar una decisión de descarga o compra.", "fr-FR": "Sharilyn Deseo est rédactrice et critique spécialisée dans les logiciels et les outils numériques. Elle évalue de manière critique les applications et fournit aux utilisateurs des informations claires avant tout téléchargement ou achat.", "it-IT": "Sharilyn Deseo è una content writer e recensore specializzata in software e strumenti digitali. Valuta criticamente le applicazioni e fornisce agli utenti informazioni chiare prima di procedere con download o acquisti.", "nl-NL": "Sharilyn Deseo is een content writer en recensent gespecialiseerd in software en digitale tools. Ze beoordeelt applicaties kritisch en geeft gebruikers duidelijke inzichten voor ze een download- of aankoopbeslissing nemen.", "pl-PL": "Sharilyn Deseo jest content writerką i recenzentką specjalizującą się w oprogramowaniu i narzędziach cyfrowych. Krytycznie ocenia aplikacje i dostarcza użytkownikom jasnych informacji przed podjęciem decyzji o pobraniu lub zakupie.", "pt-BR": "Sharilyn Deseo é redatora e revisora especializada em software e ferramentas digitais. Ela avalia aplicativos de forma criteriosa e oferece aos usuários informações claras antes de baixar ou comprar." }

Apple Maps in iOS 27 gets sharper city views: smarter search too

Apple says Apple Maps on iPhone is getting a solid refresh in iOS 27. The update brings sharper Flyover 3D city views, better place recommendations, more natural route searches, a Parked Car Smart Stack widget, some Offline Maps upgrades, and a new Liquid Glass app icon.

Google Maps Download

For Flyover, Apple says it’s using updated rendering and new aerial imagery, which should make buildings, reflections, lighting, and greenery look more lifelike. Maps is also leaning harder into discovery with Local Lists, broader Suggested Places, and Trending Restaurants. A few limits matter, though: Flyover is only coming to select cities, Local Lists is U.S.-only, and Apple still hasn’t fully spelled out what the Offline Maps changes actually are.

This update sits on top of the work Apple has already done with rebuilt map data, Look Around, 3D landmarks, and more specialized routing, including U.S. national park hiking trails that you can save for offline use. Google Maps still does better on discovery, reviews, and planning trips with multiple stops. Still, Apple Maps has gotten a lot more competitive when it comes to basic navigation.

If you use Apple Maps often, this one looks worth downloading for the day-to-day convenience alone. You’ll get it in Apple Maps on iPhone with iOS 27, Apple says, though what you can actually use will depend on where you live and where you travel.

Xbox tests 15-character Gamertags again: some players can use them now

Microsoft’s latest Xbox console preview includes a small change plenty of players have been asking for: some users can now use 15-character Gamertags.

Xbox Download

In the Xbox Insider Alpha Skip-Ahead ring, Microsoft says you can create a brand-new, unique Gamertag with up to 15 Latin-script characters, up from 12.

There is a catch. Names that need an automatically generated numeric suffix are still limited to 12 characters, so common or already-taken tags don’t get the extra space. Microsoft says it’s testing the change after hearing player feedback about flexibility and self-expression, but it still hasn’t said if or when the update will reach all Xbox users.

If you care about how your profile looks across Xbox services, this change matters. Early reaction has mostly been positive, though the unique-name-only limit will probably leave some of you wanting a bit more.

You can try it through the Xbox Insider Alpha Skip-Ahead preview on Xbox consoles. Microsoft says that same build also adds cloud play during game updates, better Xbox 360 achievement integration in game hubs, and a simpler way to add games to your wishlist.

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Virtual influencers face fresh backlash: brands used them as real customers

A new investigation into virtual influencers, and the made-up customer-style posts used to sell products on social media, is bringing the business under renewed scrutiny. It found posts that looked like real customer recommendations even though the people in them were computer-generated. Critics say content like that should be labeled clearly, so people don’t have to guess what’s real.

Instagram Download

The money is moving fast. One forecast values the sector at $6.06 billion in 2024 and $45.88 billion by 2030. Another puts it at $11.74 billion in 2026 and $154.6 billion by 2032.

Consumers are already there. Some 58% of US consumers follow at least one virtual influencer, and 35% of Gen Z shoppers say they’ve bought a product promoted by one.

If you pay attention to influencer marketing, this investigation deserves a look. It shows why brands like the tighter control over messaging, the lower risk of scandal, the lower costs, and engagement rates said to be as much as three times higher.

It also makes the other side of the argument hard to miss: efficiency and authenticity aren’t the same thing when a fake customer can still earn your trust.

You can read the investigation online.

The timing isn’t accidental. New European Union labeling rules are due to take effect in August. In the US, existing Federal Trade Commission rules on deceptive endorsements already apply. New York state will require ads to disclose “synthetic performers” starting in June 2026, and TikTok now lets creators label generated content.

Snap spins off generative video team into Dotmo: a cheaper bet on advanced media tools

Snap Inc. has spun its in-house generative video group into a separate company, Dotmo, in 2026. The move gives Snap a cheaper way to keep advancing its media tools without carrying the full weight of that work internally. Some current Snap employees are leaving to join Dotmo full-time, where they’ll focus on video generation, gaming, and entertainment products. Snap won’t fund Dotmo directly, but it will keep a sizable equity stake and license its existing technology to the startup for gaming and interactive entertainment. In practice, that lets Snap trim costs while still keeping a hand in the work and some of the upside if it pays off.

CapCut Download

Cost is the obvious reason. Moving the team out allows Snap to step back from the huge expense that comes with top-tier talent, computing infrastructure, and development cycles that can stretch on, while still holding onto strategic access and a financial interest. Analysts will probably read that as a practical middle ground. Dotmo also has room to go beyond social media through licensing deals and partnerships. Still, Snap CTO Bobby Murphy is expected to be the main personal investor while staying on as Snap’s CTO, and that leaves real questions about governance. For now, there’s very little public detail.

If you follow Snap closely, this is one to watch. It’s Snap’s second major spinoff of 2026 after Specs, and it comes after roughly 1,000 layoffs, which says a lot about how aggressively the company is remaking itself. There’s nothing to download yet. Dotmo is simply a new independent company built on Snap’s technology.

Microsoft eyes DeepSeek: cheaper Microsoft 365 Copilot could be weeks away

Microsoft is reportedly looking at a cheaper Copilot Cowork plan for Microsoft 365, with a launch that could come within weeks. For some customers, that lower-priced Copilot Cowork tier may run on a self-hosted, fine-tuned DeepSeek V4 model, or on another open-source option. Microsoft is also said to be considering a pricing change for Copilot Cowork, moving away from a flat subscription and toward usage-based billing.

Microsoft Copilot Download

That lower-cost Copilot Cowork tier could arrive within weeks. Microsoft is also reportedly weighing a shift away from flat-rate pricing, with charges tied to model usage, context retrieval, tool calls, and runtime.

Why the change? These agentic assistants can handle hundreds of multi-step tasks in a week, and they’re expensive to operate. It also fits Microsoft’s wider push to rely less exclusively on OpenAI and Anthropic. The setup looks a lot like GitHub Copilot‘s metered pricing, and it could give customers a cheaper path in as Microsoft broadens the mix of models behind the product.

DeepSeek V4 stands out for two reasons: it’s open-source, and it’s much cheaper to run. Its Chinese origins, though, bring political, regulatory, and security questions with them.

Microsoft says any DeepSeek V4-based option would be optional, hosted inside Azure, and covered by Azure’s security, compliance, and data residency controls. The company also says it would include fine-tuning along with added bias protections.

If you use Copilot Cowork a lot, this cheaper tier may be worth a look. Still, Microsoft says nothing has been finalized, and it’ll confirm the model choice when the new Microsoft 365 option officially launches.