Technologies

Google’s Nudity Warnings Will Warn You of Incoming Explicit Images in Messages

The process happens entirely on your device, and Google says it doesn’t have access to any images.

Google wants to give you more control over viewing and sharing images that may be explicit when they’re sent to you via Google Messages. The tech giant is currently rolling out sensitive content warnings, a safety feature announced last year that will automatically blur images suspected of containing nudity before they’re viewed.

When a message comes in, you’ll see a «speed bump» notification, where you have to stop and choose an option before opening a message. Those options include learning why explicit images can be harmful, getting the chance to block the number immediately, getting the option to click Back or choosing the ability to view the image. It will also remind you of the potential risks of sharing explicit content and help prevent accidental sends.

Google said this process happens entirely on your phone to maintain privacy and ensure end-to-end encrypted messages remain accessible only to the sender and recipient. The company also clarified that it does not have access to image contents, will not know whether nudity actually has been detected and does not send identifiable data to its servers.

In a post on its website, the company acknowledged that the feature «isn’t perfect,» noting: «It may occasionally detect images that don’t contain nudity or not detect images that contain nudity.»

The feature is opt-in for adults via Android settings and enabled by default (opt-out) for users under 18. It will roll out to Android 9 and above, including Android Go devices, with Google Messages.

Technologies

A Samsung Tri-Fold Phone Could Be in Your Future, if This Leak Is to Be Believed

UI animations might have revealed the imminent release of a so-called «Galaxy G Fold» device with three screens.

Samsung has been showing off mobile display concepts with three screens at trade events such as CES for several years, but it might finally bring one to market soon if a leaked UI animation is any indicator.

As reported by Android Authority, an animated image from a software build of One UI 8 appears to show what some are dubbing a «Galaxy G Fold» device with three display panels. The screens would be capable of displaying different information or working in unison as one large display. The new phone model could debut as early as next week at Samsung’s Unpacked event on July 9 in Brooklyn.

Huawei released a tri-folding phone in February, the Mate XT Ultimate Design.

Some websites have gone into overdrive trying to uncover details on what Samsung’s new device might include and how much it may cost, with Phone Arena reporting that according to a Korean media report, it could be priced at about $3,000.

Samsung didn’t immediately respond to request for comment.

Technologies

Early Prime Day Headphone Deals: Up to $100 Off Top-Rated Pairs From Apple, Beats and More

Technologies

See the First Breathtaking Celestial Images From the Vera C. Rubin Observatory

More images of deep space from the new observatory were promised in a livestream.

A sneak preview of the first batch of deep space imagery from the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile made its way to news sites and social media last week, followed by a livestream event.

«(The Rubin Observatory is) going to build the greatest time-lapse movie of the cosmos ever made,» the observatory said in a post.

The observatory is named for the American scientist widely credited for finding some of the first evidence of dark matter, with the project being funded by the National Science Foundation and the US Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

The scientists and officials from the NSF and DOE participated in a news conference and Q&A about the findings last week. You can watch the stream below.

Millions of galaxies, big images

Though the livestream was plagued by a few technical issues, it still offered some context on what data is being captured at the Rubin Observatory and why.

«Starting today, our ability to understand dark matter, dark energy and planetary defense will grow even faster than ever before,» said Brian Stone, the NSF’s chief of staff.

The observatory’s 3,200-megapixel camera is used for a full-sky scan that happens every three to four days. Stunning images that the observatory shares are only a fraction of what is being captured, in some cases showing only 2 percent of the full view, which would require 400 HDTVs to show.

One image can capture 10 million galaxies. Closer to Earth, astronomers have discovered 1 million asteroids in our solar system and expect to discover 5 million more in the next few years.