Anthropic today said that customers who use Claude without a subscription can create files, use connectors, and access skills, all of which are features that used to require a paid plan. The announcement comes two days after OpenAI said that it was starting to roll out ads for ChatGPT users who don't have a paid subscription, or who use the most affordable Go plan. Anthropic last week promised to keep Claude ad-free, potentially luring ChatGPT users to Claude. The new free options appear to be a continuation of its effort to target people who don't want to see ads when using a chatbot. Free users can create, edit, and work with files directly in a Claude conversation using Sonnet 4.5…

T-Mobile today announced a new live translation feature that allows conversations to be translated in real-time when calling someone from any phone on the T-Mobile network. Live translation does not require any apps, and it is a free service that T-Mobile is offering in a beta capacity. T-Mobile users can sign up to test live translation on the T-Mobile website, with limited spots available. The feature works with more than 50 languages, and voice conversations are translated for each speaker "almost instantly." T-Mobile says that users can speak how they normally do on calls, with live translation detecting the languages and voices that are speaking for a natural conversation. Live translation is built into the T-Mobile network, so it works…

The U.S. version of TikTok is being updated with a new community-focused "Local Feed," according to a blog post shared by the TikTok USDS Joint Venture. The Local Feed is designed to let TikTok users "discover and connect with content, businesses, and services" wherever they are. Available from a tab on the TikTok home screen, the feed features content related to travel, events, restaurants, and shopping, plus posts from nearby small businesses and local creators. TikTok U.S. says that posts are selected based on location, the topic of the content, and when the content was posted. TikTok users who want access to the Local Feed will need to turn on precise location. "This approach is consistent with how many modern…

Apple’s Home app In 2022, Apple announced a “new Home architecture” for its smart home ecosystem, designed to boost performance, reliability, and compatibility with a wider range of accessories. While the update was largely seamless for most when it functioned correctly, early adopters who tried switching during the initial rollout in iOS 16.2 encountered issues like slow or unresponsive devices, leading Apple to halt the transition and later reintroduce it with iOS 16.4. Now, if you delayed adopting the new architecture due to those initial problems or any other reason, Apple is making the switch mandatory starting today. Andrew Cunningham for Ars Technica: ‎ You’ll need to update to the new Home architecture if you want to continue using the…

Apple's 50th birthday is coming up on April 1, and to celebrate, the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, is holding in-person exhibits and promoting online content about the company's history.Apple's 50th anniversary is being celebrated at the Computer History MuseumApple rarely, if ever, looks back on its history — a mentality left behind by Steve Jobs. However, it is difficult to ignore a big number like 50, so even Apple CEO Tim Cook is considering how Apple will celebrate the anniversary.An event with leaders in the tech space will be held on March 11 alongside an exhibit of Apple products, including the Apple I, Apple IIc, Lisa, Macintosh, Newton, iPod, and iPhone. Those interested will need to buy…

Macworld Apple just can’t seem to get its new Siri off the ground. A new report from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg says that testing of the big Siri overhaul due in iOS 26.4 (soon to enter beta, with a release planned for March) will instead be spread out over the rest of the year. At this point, it’s hard to have confidence that important planned features won’t be delayed further. Gurman’s sources tell him that testing has “run into snags in recent weeks” and that some of the features will be delayed to iOS 26.5 (due in May) or iOS 27 (due in September). To recap the timeline: Apple announced iOS 18 at WWDC in June of 2024, promoting three…