TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, filed a trademark application with the US Patent and Trademark Office for “TikTok Music” in May. According to the filing, the service would let users purchase, play, share, and download music. It would also allow users to create, share, and recommend playlists, comment on music, as well as livestream audio and video. ByteDance already filed for a “TikTok Music” trademark in Australia last November.

ByteDance already has experience with music streaming. In 2020, ByteDance launched a music streaming app, Resso, in India, Brazil, and Indonesia. Resso has some of the same features described in the “TikTok Music” filing, such as the ability to create playlists, share songs on social media, and interact with the app’s community.

ByteDance even uses TikTok to bring existing users to Resso. According to a report from The Information, the TikTok app in Brazil comes with a button that redirects users to Resso so they can listen to the full version of a song they’re interested in, a move that helps keep users within the ByteDance ecosystem.

The add-ons in the Twitter Blue package range from extremely useful (an undo tweet window to fix typos, a customizable navigation bar, a list of Top Articles shared by people you follow, and ad-free access to articles on sites including The Verge) to trivial (the ability to choose from different app icons) to questionable (NFT hexagon profile pics).

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Twitter shouldn’t be hiding basic app improvements behind its Blue paywall

In an email to users, the Twitter Blue team insists the higher rate “helps us continue to build some of the features you’ve been asking for, improve upon the current ones you already love and sustain our mission of supporting journalism.”

Google’s more affordable and palm-friendly spin on the Pixel 6, the $449 Pixel 6A, is now available to preorder, as are the new Pixel Buds Pro. Focusing on the phone first, your preorder will ensure that you’re among the first to get the Pixel 6A on or close to launch day, which is Thursday, July 28th. Google announced the release date all the way back at its I/O conference in May, and we’ve been waiting very patiently.

The same goes for the $199 Pixel Buds Pro (scroll down to see a $15 off deal), Google’s first wireless earbuds to include active noise cancellation and ship in multiple bright color options. Those are releasing the same day, and you can place a preorder right now.

We have a review of the Pixel 6A right here from Allison Johnson, and we’ll have a full review of the Pixel Buds Pro within the coming days. But whichever gadget you’re after, we’ve pulled together some buying links and promotions that you may want to know about.

WHERE TO PREORDER THE PIXEL 6A

Compared to the 6.4-inch Pixel 6, the Pixel 6A’s 6.1-inch OLED screen is much better suited to people with smaller hands or who just prefer a smaller phone. It has some key traits in common with Google’s pricier flagship phones, most notably that it has the same Tensor processor. Also, its general design (which blends the Pixel 6 and the upcoming Pixel 7) and Android software experience are familiar.

Its camera hardware is one section that is taking a hit due to the lower price, though it should still deliver excellent photos compared to other phones in its price range. It features two rear cameras, one of which is a main 12.2-megapixel camera, while the other is a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens with a 114-degree field of view. It has an 8-megapixel selfie cam.

Of the 84 shortcomings, four are rated Critical, and 80 are rated Important in severity. Also separately resolved by the tech giant are two other bugs in the Chromium-based Edge browser, one of which plugs another zero-day flaw that Google disclosed as being actively exploited in real-world attacks.

Top of the list of this month's updates is CVE-2022-22047 (CVSS score: 7.8), a case of privilege escalation in the Windows Client Server Runtime Subsystem (CSRSS) that could be abused by an attacker to gain SYSTEM permissions.

"With this level of access, the attackers are able to disable local services such as Endpoint Detection and Security tools," Kev Breen, director of cyber threat research at Immersive Labs, told The Hacker News. "With SYSTEM access they can also deploy tools like Mimikatz which can be used to recover even more admin and domain level accounts, spreading the threat quickly."

Very little is known about the nature and scale of the attacks other than an "Exploitation Detected" assessment from Microsoft. The company's Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) and Security Response Center (MSRC) have been credited with reporting the flaw.

Another day, another Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro bug

The black square in the right corner is another Pixel 6 series bug

Some of those Pixel 6 series users affected have found the black dot right behind the front camera while others are complaining about the black dot that has started to form in the upper right corner of the phone. Users consider the black marking to be the work of dead pixels on the phone screen.

The roadmap reveals that the Outlook Lite app will be available worldwide at some point this month. ZDNet reports that an Outlook Lite app already exists in a few countries, so Microsoft appears to be readying it for a broader release. Microsoft’s own documentation on Outlook Lite suggests the app will be limited to only Outlook, Hotmail, Live, and MSN accounts, and won’t support work or school accounts.

OUTLOOK LITE WILL JOIN OTHER ANDROID LITE APPS

Meta was one of the first big tech companies to create a slimmed down version of its original Facebook Android app. Facebook Lite appeared in 2015 as just a 1MB app, aimed directly at developing markets. Google followed with its line of “Go” lightweight Android apps, including Gmail Go in 2018.

Outlook mobile is one of the most popular email apps on Android, with more than 500 million downloads on the Google Play Store. The Verge recommends Outlook as the best iOS email app, and a top choice on Android.

Microsoft is also testing a new Outlook for Windows app. The new app is in testing, and is based on Outlook on the web. It will eventually replace the Outlook for Windows app in the years ahead.

Apple is offering a $150 gift card with the purchase of any new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or iMac model, and a $100 gift card with the purchase of any new iPad Pro or iPad Air model, with full terms and conditions outlined on Apple's website. The gift cards can be used towards the purchase of Apple products, accessories, App Store apps, subscriptions to services like Apple Music, iCloud+ storage, and more.

The free gift card is in addition to Apple's standard educational discounts, with students able to save around $50 to $100 off a Mac or iPad.

The list of eligible devices includes the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 chip that became available to purchase at Apple Stores starting today, and the new MacBook Air with the M2 chip will also be eligible when it launches next month.

The offer is available through Apple's online education store or at Apple retail store locations for students attending or accepted to a higher-education institution, faculty and staff of higher-education institutions, parents purchasing on behalf of an eligible student, employees of a K-12 institution, and select others.

The promotion ends on September 26 in the United States and Canada.

Update: Apple's Back to School promotion has also gone live in some Asian countries such as India, Singapore, and Thailand, with Apple offering free second-generation AirPods with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad.

Tag: Back to School Promotion