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Microsoft’s VASA-1 AI video generation system can make lifelike avatars that speak volumes from a single photo
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AI-generated video is already a reality, and now another player has joined the fray: Microsoft. Apparently, the tech giant has developed a generative AI system that can whip up realistic talking avatars from a single picture and an audio clip. The tool is named VASA-1, and it goes beyond mimicking mouth movement; it can capture lifelike emotions and produce natural-looking movements as well.

The system offers its user the ability to modify the subject’s eye movements, the distance the subject is being perceived at, and the emotions expressed. VASA-1 is the first model in what is rumored to be a series of AI tools, and MSPowerUser reports that it can conjure up specific facial expressions, synchronize lip movements to a high degree, and produce human-like head motions. 

It can offer a wide range of emotions to choose from and generate facial subtleties, which sounds like it could make for a scarily convincing result. 

How VASA-1 works and what it's capable of

Seemingly taking a note from how human 3D animators and modelers work, VASA-1 makes use of a process it calls ‘disentanglement,’ allowing the system to control and edit the facial expressions, 3D head position, and facial features independently of each other, and this is what powers VASA-1’s realism.

As you might be imagining already, this has seismic potential, offering the possibility to totally change our experiences of digital apps and interfaces. According to MSPowerUser, VASA-1 can produce videos unlike those that it was trained on. Apparently, the system wasn’t trained on artistic photos, singing voices, or non-English speech, but if you request a video that features one of these, it’ll oblige. 

The Microsoft researchers behind VASA-1 praise its real-time efficiency, stating that the system can make fairly high-resolution videos (512×512 pixels) with high frame rates. Frame rate, or frames per second (fps), is the frequency at which a series of images (referred to as frames) can be captured or displayed in succession within a piece of media. The researchers claim that VASA-1 can generate videos with 45fps in offline mode, and 40fps with online generation. 

You can check out the state of VASA-1 and learn more about it on Microsoft’s dedicated webpage for the project. It has several demonstrations and includes links to download information about it, ending with a section headlined ‘Risks and responsible AI considerations.’

Works like magic – but is it a miracle spell or a recipe for disaster?

In this final reflective section, Microsoft acknowledges that a tool like this has plentiful scope for misuse, but the researchers try to emphasize the potential positives of VASA-1. They’re not wrong; a technology like this could mean next-level educational experiences that are available to more students than ever before, better assistance to people who have difficulties communicating, the capability to provide companionship, and improved digital therapeutic support. 

All of that said, it would be foolish to ignore the potential for harm and wrongdoing with something like this. Microsoft does state that it doesn’t currently have plans to make VASA-1 available in any form to the public until it’s reassured that “the technology will be used responsibly and in accordance with proper regulations.” If Microsoft sticks to this ethos, I think it could be a long wait. 

All in all, I think it’s becoming hard to deny that generative AI video tools are going to become more commonplace and the countdown to when they saturate our lives has begun. Google has been working on an analogous AI system with the moniker VLOGGER, and also recently put out a paper detailing how VLOGGER can create realistic videos of people moving, speaking, and gesturing with the input of a single photo. 

OpenAI also made headlines recently by introducing its own AI video generation tool, Sora, which can generate videos from text descriptions. OpenAI explained how Sora works on a dedicated page, and provided demonstrations that impressed a lot of people – and worried even more. 

I am wary of what these innovations will enable us to do, and I’m glad that, as far as we know, all three of these new tools are being kept tightly under wraps. I think realistically the best guardrails we have against the misuse of technologies like these are airtight regulations, but I’m doubtful that all governments will take these steps in time. 

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visionOS: everything you need to know about the Vision Pro’s operating system
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After over two years of rumors and speculation, Apple has finally revealed its upcoming VR headset, the Vision Pro, at this year’s WWDC 2023 event. The Vision Pro is nothing if not impressive, with capabilities like outputting 4K resolution from each stamp-sized display and creating a “digital persona” just by scanning your face.

But as Mike Rockwell, VP of the Technology Development Group at Apple, states in the announcement “none of [the] advanced technology could come to life without… visionOS.” It’s described as the first operating system specifically designed for “spatial computing”. 

visionOS is described as the first operating system specifically designed for “spatial computing”. And it built on the same building blocks as macOS and iOS, but comes with unique features to better facilitate virtual reality. 

visionOS building blocks

(Image credit: Apple)

For example, visionOS comes with a Foveated Renderer, similar to the PSVR 2. What it does is increase the visual fidelity of whatever a person is looking at while blurring everything in your peripheral vision. 

Rockwell then goes on to describe the operating system’s “multi-app 3D engine” allowing “different apps to run simultaneously”.

In the workplace

As impressive (or long-winded) as it all sounds, you may be wondering what it all looks like? 

In its most basic form, visionOS looks pretty much like any other virtual reality platform. You have large windows floating in the space in front of you. Turning your head lets you see switch tabs so you can go from Safari to Messages. And when you launch the Vision Pro, you get an assortment of apps to choose from. Pretty simple stuff. 

Where visionOS truly shines is in its individual use cases. You will be able to send 3D image files via Messages as well as display that model right in front of you in every possible angle. The system also responds to the natural light around you so the 3D objects will have shadows befitting of the environment you’re in. It can help you understand scale as well as distance. Professionals can create their own setup for work by arranging apps to their liking. 

Control in visionOS will, for the most part, be done with your hands, eyes, and voice; however people will be able to connect Bluetooth peripherals like the Magic Keyboard if they prefer a more physical interaction.

Man working with Vision Pro

(Image credit: Apple)

Beyond first-party software, visionOS will be running third-party apps natively at launch. This includes the likes of Adobe Lightroom, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom. It’s unknown if other apps like Photoshop will be present upon release.

Additionally, the operating system is set to run specific education apps. The one that impressed us the most is a piece of medical software for looking at renders of the human body. The announcement video shows an exploded view of the human heart, complete with ventricles as well as the pulmonary artery. There’s an engineering app to help people visualize certain physics phenomena like air flowing over a race car. 

On the surface, it sounds like Apple is launching its own version of the Microsoft Hololens with all work-centric tools. But it's a lot more nuanced, as the tech giant is going for broke by incorporating some impressive entertainment features. 

air flowing over race car in visionOS

(Image credit: Apple)

And at home

At launch, Disney Plus will be available alongside over 100 games via the Apple Arcade platform. You can expand the VR screen to massive proportions like you’re in a movie theater. 3D movies will be supported too, so if you want to watch Avatar: The Way of Water as it was intended, the option does exist. Users can have the screen floating in their room, but if they want something more dynamic, the background can be replaced with a different environment like deep space or Mt Hood in Oregon.

We do wish Apple showcased more of the gaming side of things. We saw it’s possible to expand a game screen to a larger size so you can get a better view. Gamers won’t have to play with their hands as visionOS will support gamepads, namely the PS5 DualSense controller. Hopefully, support will extend to other peripherals like the Nintendo Switch's JoyCons.

Man watching movie in visionOS

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple didn't have much in the way of specific titles. If anything, the company seemed more interested in having its headset and operating system adhere more towards providing an experience rather than being a bonafide gaming computer. The keynote revealed a Star Wars VR adventure where you fly around the universe of The Mandalorian. However, there was nothing in terms of a lightsaber duel or anything action packed.

That’s pretty much everything there is to know about visionOS, at least to how it pertains to the everyday user. The rest mostly relates to software development. At the end of the keynote, Apple revealed the operating system will support the Unity game engine. This could mean the company is paving the way for developers to come in and create video games for visionOS. However, given Apple’s spotty history with video games, it remains to be seen if this will attract any developers at all.

WWDC 2023 recently concluded and a ton was shown off from MacOS Sonoma to a brand new Mac Pro. Be sure to check out TechRadar’s coverage of the event. 

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How to choose a POS system for a restaurant and bar
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Let’s be real. You probably didn’t get into the restaurant and bar industry because you wanted to spend time trying to figure out technology. You much prefer good people, good food and good drinks, and wanted to bring them all together.

That being said, spending a bit of time sorting out the tech side of things – particularly when it comes to your point of sale – is a must to keep business running smoothly. You've likely asked yourself, how do I choose the best POS system for my restaurant or bar? In this article, we'll be answering that question. So, read on to find out!

Around 95 percent of restaurateurs reported that restaurant technology improved their business efficiency, and 73 percent of diners said that restaurant technology improved their guest experience. Simply put, the right system makes it easy for you to stay on top of your restaurant’s sales and operations, so you can devote more energy to growing your business.

Choosing your POS system can seem like a daunting task – but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you operate a neighborhood watering hole or a fine dining establishment, the tips below will help you narrow down your choices and select the best system for the job.

Determine your POS needs and your budget 

Before you can make an educated decision about a restaurant POS system, you have to define your needs and your budget. A full-service restaurant is going to have different requirements than a quick-service restaurant, the latter of which may require the ability to swiftly process orders and payments in order to keep the lines moving.

Take into consideration the features below and what your business will require, then create a list of “must-haves” and “nice to haves”.

Then, create a budget ahead of time, taking into consideration that prices greatly depend on the features that you require. Whereas more traditional systems can run you several thousand dollars for the licensing fees and equipment, modern cloud-based solutions are available for $ 70/month to $ 250. A good rule of thumb is to reserve 3-4 percent of your annual revenue for POS expenses.

Key features for your restaurant POS 

Restaurant POS systems are essential to food and beverage operators. Therefore, the right platform should deliver the following:

Inventory management 

Food costs are estimated to be 28-35 percent of restaurant sales, but yet restaurants leave around $ 2 billion in food waste each year. In other words, inventory is critical, and managing that inventory is something that can be efficiently done with a good POS system.

Look for a platform that tracks inventory based on orders, that will notify your wait staff when an item runs out and that will generate purchase orders when stock of an item gets low. 

In addition, raw ingredient tracking is something specific to restaurant POS systems that can’t be overstated. Because you’re working with “raw” ingredients – those eventually assembled into a final product – having an inventory system that keeps track of both raw ingredients and complete products gives you an accurate look at what you need as well as what gets wasted.

When it comes to bars, choose a platform that tracks the alcohol poured in every drink and alerts you when you get low on any ingredients. There are even systems that store drink recipes, allow you to see stock in real-time and report on the best-selling drink orders. 

See our articles on how a POS system can help you manage your inventory and how to manage your payments and financials with a POS system for more information.

Menu management

There are drink specials, dining specials, seasonal items – and you need a POS platform that can keep up with all of those situations, plus all of the inventory changes you have every day and every week. Being able to program your POS to automatically accommodate these changes means servers won’t have to remember all the specials, or that someone won’t get charged the happy hour price instead of the regular price.

Tab management

Whether you’re a restaurant that serves liquor or a straight-up bar, the ability to efficiently manage tabs is critical to your success. A POS makes splitting a tab among multiple people and transferring tabs between servers and dining areas as simple as a tap on the screen.  

Pre-authorization of payments

Speaking of tabs, closing them out used to be time-consuming. You also ran the risk of getting stuck with the “insufficient funds” or stolen card situation. A good POS makes that a thing of the past by implementing pre-authorization of payments, meaning it saves your customer’s card as soon as their tab is started. With a swipe of their card, it automatically checks that it’s valid, that there’s a bank account with sufficient funds tied to the card and that the card isn’t fake, lost, or stolen.

This streamlines the process and speeds up the workflow, all while incentivizing the guest to stay longer and reducing the risk of the bill not getting paid. 

Employee management 

Modern POS systems can double as employee management tools, allowing you to manage both front-of-house and back-of-house employees through hours tracking, sales and shift performance. Staff can clock in and out using their IDs on POS terminals, plus you can receive alerts about everything from overtime to employee performance and their individual impact on revenue.

In addition, you can set individual user permissions, track cash and credit card tips, pool tips as well as split tips among servers, and implement payroll automation. 

Comprehensive reporting 

Do you know which servers are performing the best? Are you aware of your top-selling items? Sales (by item, hour, department, etc.), food costs, and labor expenses are just a few of the metrics that a good restaurant POS should be able to track. 

For example, POS reports can show you when you’re busiest and what the most popular drinks are, so you know how to stock and staff accordingly. 

A good POS system generates those reports so you can accurately view your operation’s performance, take note of areas of improvement and make educated business decisions as a result. 

Table management

An effective POS system gives you the functionality to design a restaurant floor plan, take orders by table, move parties around freely and manage multiple sections of the restaurant from one central space. 

In addition, they can allow you to assign servers to new tables based on each server’s capability and current workload, calculate estimated wait times, assign properties to tables and set table alarms that alert staff to help reduce slow and poor table service.

Technical support

Whether you run a bar or a restaurant, you know the panic that ensues when your system goes down – and that could be at 12 am. The system you choose should provide customer support (hopefully) 24 hours a day, so you can get your system up and running again in no time. 

Good support should also be there when you’re not in a panic situation, including during the initial setup, and with ensuing credit card help, software upgrades and ongoing training. Technical support is often overlooked, but reliable help from your POS provider will go a long way towards your establishment’s success.

Moving forward with your POS system 

Buying a POS system for your restaurant or bar is a big commitment of both time and money, so it’s important that you do your research before making the purchase. One thing to also keep in mind is the ease of use for your employees. In an industry with a turnover rate of 75 percent, it’s critical that the POS software you implement is user-friendly and intuitive so staff don’t leave out of frustration. 

When everything runs smoothly, a good POS system provides them with the right tools to do their jobs as efficiently as possible – reducing stress and turnover, and increasing productivity and profits. 

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How to use POS system customer data: 9 inspiring ideas that work wonders
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Learning how to use POS system customer data means you can exploit a wealth of information about your customers. This can give you an edge on building up relationships and brand loyalty. In that respect, the best point of sale (POS) systems offer businesses so much more than just a fantastic payment experience. 

Many, if not the majority of POS (point of sale) systems on the market today, have sophisticated customer shopping behavior analytics, which are often built in. So what's the best way to use all that amazing POS data?

Pro Tip 💡

Person using a Point of Sale (POS) system card reader

(Image credit: Artur Debat via Getty Images)

Before you delve into customer insight, make sure you understand the basics of how a POS system works so you can choose the right POS system for your business. 

Monitoring these analytics is the first step in gleaning insights into the the people who walk through your doors or shop with you online. POS system customer data is an endless source of insight that can help you build out a promotional sales calendar, create content about popular products and offer data-backed marketing to your mailing list – but only if you act on it. 

Exploiting your POS data to make new shoppers loyal regulars is the second and most important step. How you use that POS system customer data can cause a spike in sales or deliver free word-of-mouth marketing for your business. 

In this article, we’ll shed light on nine inspired ways to use POS system customer data for insight in your retail business.

1. Serve up relevant product suggestions 

This is one of the low-hanging fruits when it comes to POS data. Knowing what shoppers have purchased before makes it simpler to suggest products they might be interested in. 

If a customer bought items from certain brands or categories in the past, you can use that data to market similar items in the future. Be sure to get their feedback on those suggestions too and involve them in the process. Over time, your product suggestions become increasingly accurate. 

The department store Nordstrom does this really well. The retailer takes note of specific purchases by its customers (e.g., cosmetics, designer products, etc.) and sends tailored product recommendations, based on the buying history of a shopper and their preferences.

Nordstrom POS data

(Image credit: Nordstrom)

When marketing to new customers, you can use the purchase histories of shoppers with a similar profile to make appropriate product recommendations. 

Amazon is a master at this, which is why all of its product pages contain the section “People who viewed this also viewed…” 

Amazon product suggestions based on POS system customer data

(Image credit: Amazon)

Consider doing something similar in your small business marketing initiatives. Pay attention to what people are buying and use that information to create relevant messages and suggestions. 

2. Make timely product recommendations 

LinkedIn Sales Navigator from Pexels

Use your POS system to make timely product recommendations all year round, not just during national holidays.  (Image credit: Pexels)

You can also use POS data to inform the timing of your customer marketing campaigns or promotions. By knowing when a customer bought something, you can make an educated guess on what they’ll buy next or when they would need to replenish their supplies. 

We can see this in action in the supplements store Acupuncture Atlanta. When you purchase a product – e.g., a bottle of vitamins – the store takes note of when you made the purchase and sends an email around the time when the vitamins are about to run out. 

Acupuncture Atlanta using POS system customer data

(Image credit: Acupuncture Atlanta)

If you sell items that need to be refilled, take a leaf out of Acupuncture Atlanta’s playbook and schedule reminders that encourage customers to repurchase your products.  

3. Know your top customer segments 

In addition to shedding light on what people are buying, your POS data also tells you who your best customers are. That data is incredibly valuable, especially if you want to home in on your target market. 

Knowing what types of shoppers are buying from you the most can help you tweak your brand messaging, figure out which retail marketing channels to invest in and decide what types of promotions to offer. 

Let’s say you’re an apparel retailer and you discover that your top customers are women aged between 28 and 35. Armed with that information, you can come up with campaigns and assets that incorporate images and ad copy that these women can relate to.

4. Improve your store’s layout and merchandising 

POS card reader with mini shopping cart

(Image credit: Future)

At a loss for ideas on how to merchandise your store? Turn to your POS data. Identify things like: 

  • Your best sellers
  • Top colors or sizes
  • Items frequently bought together 

Having the data above can inform decisions such as what items to display and how to merchandise your mannequins, windows and so on. 

For example, if you know that customers typically buy a purse with a specific pair of shoes, then you can create a display showcasing those items together. Or, if a particular color is flying off the shelves, then you can put it front and center at your store so customers can see it. 

Whatever the case may be, take the time to go through your sales and customer reports and identify trends that you can use in your in-store merchandising and design decisions. 

5. Come up with effective promotional ideas 

In the same way that POS data helps you merchandise your store, that same information can also give your promotional ideas. Insights into your top categories or products can aid you in determining which items to spotlight in your promo materials. 

In some cases, you can use sales data to drive a sense of urgency. If an item is selling quickly, you can indicate that in your advertising to entice people to purchase right away. 

Some retailers choose to highlight popular items in their marketing when products that were previously sold out become available. 

Have a look at this example from UNTUCKit, which spotlights the fact that the brand's best selling polo shirt is back in stock.

UNTUCKit using POS system customer data

(Image credit: Untuckit)

6. Determine what types of product packages or bundles to sell 

Selling item bundles or packages can be an effective strategy to move your inventory. Many retailers, for example, bundle popular products with slow-moving items to help get the latter out the door. In certain instances, a bundle containing high and low-margin items allows merchants to maximize their profits. 

That said, bundles work best when you know which items go well together. And that’s where your POS data comes in. 

Identify the merchandise that your customers typically buy at the same time, then calculate your pricing and margins to ensure that bundling up those products makes sense from a financial standpoint. 

7. Figure out what to stock up on (and what not to order) 

Hands look over customer spending report with pencial

POS system sales reporting tools allow you to look into customer spending behaviour and use that insight when stocking up.  (Image credit: Matthew Henry via Burst)

Knowing which products are most popular among your shoppers enables you to make smarter inventory decisions. 

If you have a solid handle on what your bestsellers are (and why they’re so popular) you can stock more of those products. Then, put your least popular stock on sale to move it quickly and make space for best-selling items.

You can take things a step further by using POS system customer data to predict trends and determine which items to add to your catalog. On the flip side, it’s also important to know which products are no-sell duds, so you can avoid stocking them in your shop again. 

8. Make decisions on what to put on sale 

Large retail glass window shows the word SALE in capitals

(Image credit: Markus Spiske via Unsplash)

Speaking of duds, you need to keep a close eye on the items that shoppers aren’t buying. The sooner you can figure out what products aren’t resonating, the more time you’ll have to correct course. 

For instance, if a certain dress style or brand isn’t selling, you’ll want to know sooner rather than later so you can put it on sale. That way you can also ensure that the person in charge of purchasing stock doesn’t re-order that particular item. 

9. Improve staff knowledge and customer service 

woman using a pos system in a store

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Thanks to the internet and our smartphones, consumers today are more well-informed than ever. Research by Tulip Retail found that 80% of consumers believe that they’re more knowledgeable than retail associates.

To that end, you can stay competitive by instilling knowledge, skills and confidence in your staff. In doing so, you’ll show customers that your employees are product experts who can guide shoppers in their purchasing decisions. 

You can accomplish that by giving your team access to your POS system customer data. When your staff members know what items are trending and when they’re aware of each shopper’s purchase history, they’ll be in a much better position to assist and impress your customers. 

Bringing it all together 

Your POS system customer data can improve various components of your business. From retail marketing and sales to inventory management, having the right information at your fingertips can truly be a game-changer. 

So, aside from knowing how to use POS systems or how POS systems work, it’s important to know how to extract the right data from your platform. Doing so will enable you to make smarter decisions so you can grow and thrive.

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Microsoft admits Windows 11’s default apps system needs work – and changes are coming
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Windows 11 is getting some fine-tuning around how default app selections are handled and how apps are pinned on the desktop, making these systems work better and with more overall consistency.

XDA Developers spotted that Microsoft wrote a blog post on its new ‘principled approach’ to these app behaviors, with the incoming changes set to arrive in testing (Dev channel) in the “coming months,” we’re told.

The first measure to be implemented is with app defaults. Windows 11 will get a new Settings deep link URI (uniform resource identifier), allowing developers to take users directly to the correct place in Settings whenever any given app flags itself up as wanting to be the default.

The default app is the software which is opened automatically for a specific file format, so for example, your default browser is the one used when you click a link in, say, an email.

Secondly, Microsoft is changing the way that pinning apps – putting icons permanently on the Start menu or taskbar – works, by introducing a new notification. In the case that an app wants to request being pinned, this notification will pop up explaining just that, allowing the user to either click Accept or Decline.

Crucially, the software giant wants consistency with these interface tweaks, so all third-party software, and Microsoft’s own core apps for Windows 11, work the same way and abide by these rules. That’s the plan, anyway, although whether things work out this neatly, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Windows 11 Pinning Prompt

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Analysis: Defending against dodginess, and making up for past mistakes

As made clear in its blog post, part of Microsoft’s aim with this tweaking of app behavior is defending against “unrequested modifications” from dodgy developers. In other words, things happening in the background unbeknownst to the user, and the likes of adware or other rogue software managing to infiltrate into the system.

It’s also designed, no doubt, to reassure Windows 11 users that Microsoft is putting the past well and truly behind it regarding the firm’s own policies on default apps, which have been a source of criticism previously.

You might remember that when Windows 11 first launched, Microsoft made it an unnecessarily clunky process to change browser defaults away from its own Edge product (you had to go through every file type and change the preference individually, such as HTML, PDF and so on – a ridiculous state of affairs, really).

That nonsense was canned a year ago now, but it still lives on in the memories of some folks (likely because of the many other ways Microsoft has tried to push Edge within Windows 11).

Indeed, Microsoft even mentions its browser specifically in the post, noting that: “We are committing that Microsoft Edge will release an update that adopts the new Settings deep link URI for defaults and public pinning APIs as they become available.”

At any rate, this is a welcome move, although in all honesty, app defaults should never have appeared in the state they were when Windows 11 was launched in the first place. Mind you, the same could be said about a number of things in the Windows 11 interface upon its release, with the OS having very much been a work in progress as Microsoft has gone along.

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Apple’s test of a new iOS subscription payment system is a huge step back
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Apple is testing out a new subscription payment system for iOS devices that would let developers automatically charge a higher subscription-renewal price rather than ask for explicit acceptance, so long as the user is notified ahead of the renewal price increase and given the chance to cancel their subscription.

While this is a fairly common practice with subscription services, this isn't the way this is supposed to work on iOS. From Apple's developer documentation:

“When you increase the price of a subscription, Apple informs affected subscribers via email and push notification and asks them to agree to the new price. On iOS 13.4 and iPadOS 13.4 and later, affected subscribers are also notified through a price consent sheet that automatically displays in your app… If they don’t agree, their subscription expires at the end of their current billing cycle.“

The new payment system was first flagged by developer Max Seelemann on Twitter and later confirmed by TechCrunch.

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The issue appears to be limited to the Disney+ app for now and only seems to affect a limited number of users as part of a pilot test of a new iOS payment system.

Apple told TechRadar that the company is “piloting a new commerce feature we plan to launch very soon. The pilot includes developers across various app categories, organization sizes, and regions to help test an upcoming enhancement that we believe will be great for both developers and users, and we’ll have more details to share in the coming weeks.”

It's not clear whether this system, if implemented, would be open to all developers on the iOS platform, or whether only a selection of developers would be granted the ability to auto-charge for a price increase.

Analysis: while it could be worse, this is still a terrible idea

One of the worst things about subscription-based models is that they require a lot of management and juggling on the part of the user. Who among us hasn't completely forgotten that some subscription charge was due on a certain date and only realized it once we suddenly had a lot less money in the bank than we thought we had?

This is especially problematic when you're dealing with an annual subscription, which is a large chunk of money and is much more likely to be forgotten by the user (making it more unlikely that it will be cancelled ahead of the renewal charge). Subscription services are a very appealing model for businesses for that reason, and a major headache for users.

Apple's current system is about as good as you can expect, all things considered. It can't save you from forgetting about a looming renewal and over-drafting your bank account as a result, but at least it requires you to explicitly accept a higher price after an 'introductory' rate expires and automatically cancels the subscription if you don't do anything. 

We would much rather see Apple stick with that system than let a company automatically bill users a higher rate if they don't take action on it. On the plus side, it appears that the renewal-price increase notification is very obvious and there is at least a link for users to review the subscription and cancel it if they so choose.  

There's no getting around the fact, though, that this could open the door for ne'er-do-well developers to take advantage of users by starting off at a very low price and then jacking it up considerably for the renewal. While most users would immediately move to cancel if they saw that kind of scammy behavior, even with the new notification system, there's going to be some small subset of users who misread, misunderstand, or just miss the notification and find themselves getting hit with a higher-than-expected charge out of the blue.

Given that potential nightmare scenario, it's likely that only certain large developers would be allowed to automatically charge you an increased price in this way, which raises a different problem. This would give bigger players in the industry special treatment that puts smaller, legitimate developers at a disadvantage, with no obvious benefit to the user.

Given Apple's generally good track record on user protections, this feels like a big step back and is disappointing to see. If the big fish in the App Store pond do get special privileges, we should stop pretending that Apple's platform is as fair as the company claims it is. 

Since this appears to be a small pilot test, we hope Apple comes to see how valuable its current subscription payment model is for its users and doesn't break what is already working well. 

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Google Calendar is turning into an appointment booking system
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Booking appointments in Google Calendar just got even easier as Google is now rolling out a new appointment scheduling feature to its calendar app.

First introduced for paid Google Workspace users last June, the company's appointment scheduling feature allows users to share their availability through a booking page.

This booking page can be used by external stakeholders, clients, partners and others to schedule time to meet in-person or over video through Google Meet.

Creating a bookable appointment schedule in Google Calendar is just as easy as setting up a new event or task and on desktop, it can be done by clicking the plus icon. However, you will need a paid Google Workspace Individual account to test out this feature for yourself.

Appointment scheduling vs appointment slot

While Google Calendar's appointment scheduling may sound similar to its existing appointment slot feature, they have entirely different use cases.

The appointment slot feature in Google Calendar is intended for internal use cases where you don't know who needs to meet with you but want to make yourself available. For instance, professors can use it to hold their office hours while an IT department can make itself available for employees experiencing computer issues.

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> This Google Calendar update gives your co-workers nowhere to hide

> Google Calendar update will prevent disastrous scheduling mishaps

> Google Calendar will soon show how much time you spend in meetings

Appointment scheduling on the other hand is suited for external use cases and allows for people outside of your organization, including those who don't have a Google account, to schedule meetings. However, you won't have to worry about double bookings or rescheduling appointments as the feature also supports automatic conflict detection with existing Google Calendar events.

Now that businesses have begun implementing hybrid work policies, this additional flexibility makes it easier to schedule meetings and share your availability in a way that works for everyone.

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You can now ride the metro system in Cyberpunk 2077 thanks to a mod
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It's been a year since the game's release and modders are still coming to the rescue of players who are unable to use some features within the city.

Cyberpunk 2077's wide-ranging metropolis has had a metro system that you could visit, but not use. Thanks to a modder by the name of keanuWheeze, you can now use the metro system to get around the city as you please.

There are 19 stations that you can use, and as you ride one, you can also switch between a first or third-person perspective, so you can get a good view of the city as you travel.

The posts on the page by players are already full of praise, with some exclaiming how this one mod has convinced them to re-install the game again.

Analysis: modders to the rescue

It's well-established that Cyberpunk 2077 has not had the best of launches, with constant patches to fix up characters, vehicles, and much more to make it playable at least, and enjoyable at the most.

While CD Projekt RED is most likely planning to enable the NCART System in time, the priority is still to make sure the game plays as originally planned. But mods have also been able to improve games in ways that the developers never intended.

Sonic Mania is a great example – released in 2017, modders have been able to implement brand new zones that reimagine levels from previous Sonic games.

Mods can not only enable features such as the NCART System, but they can also give new experiences that can be seen as unofficial expansion packs.

This could be Cyberpunk's saving grace, as there's still a significant fanbase who want the game to meet expectations that CD Projeckt RED set many years ago.

The game can still be breathtaking in an official capacity, but it could be the mods that can really help the game shine in time.

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