beta

Right up against the weekend here in late July, 2021, Microsoft released the first official Beta for Windows 11. This release is available to anyone who wishes to join the Windows Insiders program, and the software can be found in the Windows Beta Channel right this minute. As it is with any pre-release software, it's important to run this update ONLY on a machine that does not contain any important data.

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The date for the Samsung Galaxy One UI Beta program for One UI 4 was leaked this week. In what appears to have been an accidental posting, a Samsung official revealed that the Galaxy S21 series "One UI 4 Beta" was "coming soon!" It's expected now that users will find the Android 12 beta in the form of the One UI 4 beta at the tail end of September, or early October.

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WhatsApp has introduced a key privacy feature that'll help prevent unwanted snooping in your old chat logs -- but you can only access it if you're a beta user on Android. With the latest beta update, WhatsApp now offers encrypted cloud backups, meaning that anyone who acquires your stored chat logs won't be able to read them.

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Android 12 beta 3 is out, and Google's latest preview of its new OS debuts a number of improvements along with a milestone for app developers. It's the final beta ahead of Android 12 Platform Stability at beta 4, Google says, though there are also some changes which regular users are likely to appreciate.

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When it comes to using beta software, it doesn't matter what the software is used in. You always expect the software to not work as expected at some point. While having a computer crash or a smartphone not make calls isn't catastrophic, beta testing software for fully self-driving vehicles by the public is somewhat concerning. Tesla is reportedly rolling out an early access program for the Full Self-Driving Beta 9.0 software.

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Android users of the popular chat app WhatsApp have a couple of updates to look forward to. The updates are currently in beta and have been submitted to the Google Play Beta Program. The app moves to version 2.21.14.6 in the first update submitted earlier this month.

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Beta software is labeled "beta" for a reason. They are often distributed only to people willing to test software for bugs and are willing to take the risk using potentially unstable software. Of course, some beta versions are in a better state than others but that doesn't remove the chance of a bad release wreaking havoc on devices. That is the unfortunate reality that owners of some HomePods are now facing after what they claim to be a rather buggy HomePod Software 15 beta caused smart speakers to overheat and, in some cases, fry the logic board beyond repair.

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Apple has released the first macOS Monterey public beta, giving us a taste of the software announced at WWDC 2021 earlier this year. There are expected to be several iterations between this first beta release and the final macOS Monterey release later in 2021, and as always there are some provisos and cautions to bear in mind first.

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Apple released iOS 15 Public Beta and iPadOS 15 Public Beta today for public perusal. If you're looking to take advantage of the Public Beta program, you should be aware of the risks in addition to the benefits - don't get so excited that you load this operating system to your main driver! Let's take a peek at what's inside this system, available now for your iPad and iPhone.

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Android 12 Bea 1 Generic System Image (GSI) was made available for download this morning before the official Android 12 Beta 1 for Pixel devices. GSI packages for ARM64, ARM64+GMS, x86_64, and x86+GMS are available for download now for the masses - though we'd recommend you be thoroughly in-the-know about how this software works and what a misstep can do before you make any download attempts or loading attempts as such.

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Niantic announced a new name and a new aim for their augmented reality platform this week. The Niantic Real World Platform is now called Niantic Lightship. This platform will be offered on a broader level with a Niantic Lightship Augmented Reality Developer Kit, AKA "ARDK". This new kit will be delivered in a Private Beta at first - if you're a creator of games, now's the time to act.

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If you were looking for some confusion today in your iOS releases for iPhone, look no further! Today Apple began releasing the iOS 14.6 beta for developers. The general public beta of the same software arrived this afternoon. It's not unprecedented, but it's not something you see everyday - these releases have appeared before iOS 14.5 was released to the public. In any case, it's time for 14.6 in public beta form for everyone willing to test the software.

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