Punjab Times

Google is rolling out its redesigned Workspace app icons

A screenshot of six redesigned Google Workspace app icons

It’s not just you – the Google Workspace apps are getting a new look. The redesigned app icons, leaked last month, are now rolling out widely, as we started noticing this morning. Users with the redesigned icons will notice they now have a gradient look that fades from lighter to darker shades, rather than being the same flat tone throughout, similar to the redesigned Google logo that launched a year ago.

Two side-by-side screenshots of the Google Workspace app icons before and after a redesign

Some of the icons switched from a rainbow design to a single color, like Google Chat, Meet, and Calendar, which could help all of the icons stand out a bit more from one another – or make them harder to recognize. Others haven’t changed a …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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Sony is raising short-subscription prices for PlayStation Plus

Sony is hiking the starting price of one-month and three-month PlayStation Plus subscriptions in “select regions,” blaming “ongoing market conditions.” Beginning May 20th, 1-month subscriptions will start at $10.99 USD / €9.99 EUR / £7.99 GBP, while 3-month subscriptions will start at $27.99 USD / €27.99 EUR / £21.99 GBP.

In the US, the changes result in a $1 price increase for a one-month Essential tier subscription and a $3 increase for a three-month Essential tier subscription. It’s unclear if other PlayStation Plus tiers will see price hikes as well. PlayStation didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.

If you are a current su …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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Amazon Alexa Plus can now create AI-generated podcasts

Alexa Plus, Amazon’s upgraded AI assistant, can now generate podcasts on “virtually any topic,” according to an announcement on Monday. With the update, Amazon says you can give Alexa Plus a topic, and the AI assistant will offer an overview of what its AI hosts plan to talk about, allowing you to steer the conversation and adjust its length before it starts generating the episode.

Some “Alexa Podcast” examples shared by Amazon have two AI-generated hosts talking about the history of the Roman Empire, new music, and expectations for the World Cup. Amazon says you can also ask Alexa Plus to generate audio lessons about the Apollo missions, o …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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Philips Hue smart lights and a whole lot more are over 20 percent off

A two-pack of wall washers usually costs over $300, but you can get them for $240. | Image: The Verge

Woot is having a day-long sale on a range of tech, including a mix of new and open-box Philips Hue smart lighting. The retailer’s already-discounted prices are even cheaper today when you enter the code SAVETWENTY at checkout through midnight Central Time. The products included in the sale serve as a great introduction to setting up smart lights, or diving a little deeper.

For starters, there’s the Philips Hue Bridge Gen 2 that’s $25.60 with the code (versus $65.99 new at most), which is a required gadget for operating some Philips Hue products. For instance, you’ll need it to setup the Play HDMI Sync Box 8K ($212 with code, originally $384.99) that can sync other Hue lights to what’s showing on your TV screen. While some Hue devices fall back on Bluetooth, you’ll eventually need a Bridge if you plan to setup more than 10 lights or if you want to control lights remotely.

Philips Hue Solo Lightstrip (10-foot)

Where to Buy:

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