Here's how



USPTO, the patent agency from the US government, has recently published a patent application from Microsoft that describes a system of tailored social media notifications based on engagement.

So, in other words, the Redmond company is developing a system for social media apps to send notifications, but they’re customized based on whether the receiver engages with the poster’s content a lot. The 22-page document‘s publication date is dated April 23, 2024, although Microsoft initially filed for it back in December 2022.



But what does it do? Well, when you follow people on social media apps, like Instagram, X, and YouTube for example, you can opt to get notified on their latest Insta post, tweet, or long video. This system is deemed as outdated because, truth be told, not everyone clicks on all of these “new post” notifications.

Microsoft wants to eliminate that. Even though you’ve followed or subscribed to these accounts, this system will only send you these notifications if you’re engaged with their content a lot (click, like, watch, etc.). Other than that, it will only send you occasional notifications. So, if you’re a content creator, you can use this information to create content that your audience likes a lot, lot better.



This method uses a “scoring system” called rAffinity, which measures how likely a content creator is to interact with a notification when a viewer engages with their content. It then guides content recommendations for content creators so that they know which content gets the most engagement.

It’s somewhat similar to what YouTube does by letting you get “all” or “personalized” notifications, but the difference is, that it’s the system itself that decides on the intensity of these notifications.

The USPTO has granted Microsoft this patent, just like the patent for a system that makes Bing’s reverse image search smarter, so we might see it in action soon. But it’s best to take this with a grain of salt: since most big social media apps aren’t Microsoft’s, except LinkedIn and Skype, they might have to work with other companies.

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(Image credit: Meta)

Meta has announced that its Meta Horizon OS will no longer be exclusive to its Quest headsets (such as the incredible Meta Quest 3), and this might be the most important news we’ll see in the XR space this decade.

It’s an announcement I’ve been expecting for years – for reasons I’ll outline below – but the short version is Meta has started to turn its Horizon OS into the Windows of the spatial computing era; it’s even complete with a rival Apple OS (the Apple Vision Pro’s VisionOS) and a dash of irony given one of the first three non-Quest systems will be Xbox branded (Xbox is Microsoft’s gaming department for those not in the know).

This means big things for us users, hardware makers, and VR game and app creators alike. But while this announcement is likely bigger than any Quest hardware announcement Meta could make – like a Meta Quest Pro 2 or Meta Quest 3 Lite reveal – it might end up being a double-edged sword.

Windows, Android, Meta Horizon OS

To get you up to speed, a Meta blog post has revealed that three third-party companies are working on devices built using Meta Horizon OS. Those are ASUS, Lenovo and the aforementioned Xbox.

From this announcement alone it sounds like we’re getting three very different pieces of hardware, with a “performance gaming headset,” “mixed reality devices for productivity,” and a more Quest-like headset being promised by the three companies respectively.

For me, this is the best thing about Horizon OS being opened up to third-parties: hardware diversity. Rather than having to put up with the two Quest types – which are the regular budget-friendly line, and the high-end, productivity-centric Pro line – other brands can explore different types of headsets to suit a broader range of needs while still offering access to the Horizon OS: the best standalone XR headset OS.

I say that because of Horizon OS’ amazing selection of virtual and mixed reality games and apps, as well as its solid feature set, and its general ease of use. Compared to others I’ve tried from the likes of HTC and Pico, Horizon OS is a clear cut above.


Take your Quest 3 games with you to other headsets (Image credit: Meta)

There’s also an advantage in the form of you now getting a cross-hardware library. Currently, if you want to transition to a new VR headset from a different brand you’ve previously had to say goodbye to your game and app collection.

Now, if you pick up a Quest headset and decide you want to get a more specialist gaming machine you could opt for Asus’s upcoming high-end VR gaming hardware without the risk of losing your digital library – instead, you can kickstart your new gaming experience with a whole suite of your favorite titles.

It also makes it easier for VR software creators to get their apps into more players’ hands. Rather than having to devote resources to several different OS’, they can build one Horizon OS build that can be enjoyed by a huge selection of players across a range of different devices – similar to how one Android app can be downloaded on a whole host of different phones.

This Horizon OS announcement feels like a big win for VR accessibility, and giving people access to the hardware they actually crave rather than forcing them to make do with what’s out there.

But why is Meta sharing its OS after years of exclusivity?

Cash is king

Well, the short answer is money, and while I’m not personally invested in Meta’s financial performance (and I expect many of you aren’t either) Quest users do have a reason for caring about the profitability of Meta’s Reality Labs division.

It’s an open secret that Reality Labs has been hemorrhaging cash. In the most recent earnings report at the time of writing, Meta said its Reality Labs had an operating loss of $4.65 billion (via CNBC) – and in total it’s lost over $42 billion since the end of 2020 which is when figures became publicly available.


Its AI smart glasses could be Meta's focus unless things improve (Image credit: Meta)

While Mark Zuckerberg, and Meta executives seem to have faith that virtual reality is the future – and appear to be banking on these current losses turning into profits and market domination down the line – there’s only so long that shareholders will be content with the poor performance of some Meta divisions hampering the dividends they receive.

Combine that with AI and other seemingly more profitable ventures rearing their heads, there’s a non-zero chance that Meta could scale back Reality Lab’s XR development, or even scrap it altogether to focus funds in other areas – which would kill Quest hardware and the metaverse for good.

By licensing its Horizon OS to other companies for a fee, Meta and Reality Labs can start to scale back these losses – buying the division more time in the eyes of shareholders and keeping Quest hardware alive for a little longer.

Obviously, it’s yet to be seen if this tactic will work. It could backfire and kill Quest anyway if a different hardware uses Horizon OS with a more exciting piece of VR hardware, but frankly, that's a Meta issue – if we’re getting great VR headsets, who cares who’s making them?

However, that’s not to say Meta’s Horizon OS  sharing won’t backfire for us in other ways.

The ugly side

Do we want a ‘Windows’ of the XR space?

Windows is one of the most – if not the most – despised pieces of software out there. Just look at our Windows 11 coverage and you’ll see article after article complaining about issues with the software. And Windows issues have existed for generations of the OS, yet we keep buying Windows machines – as of March 2024, 72.52% of desktop computers and laptops use Windows.


Windows 11 is bad, but what's the alternative? (Image credit: Microsoft)

Because what’s the alternative?

Sure you could jump ship to MacOS but it’s not perfect itself with its own occasional bugs, pricey hardware, and inability to run lots of popular software. Chrome OS also runs into those same software incompatibility issues, and others like Linux and Ubuntu are far from approachable if you’re not tech-savvy.

The lack of competition brought about by Windows’ domination has undoubtedly played a part in the OS’ problems and a general lack of truly exciting innovation in the computer OS space. As more and more hardware makers partner with Meta, we might see Horizon OS adopt this ugly side of Windows.

Apple’s Vision Pro, the Samsung XR headset (which I expect Google to handle the OS side of things for given it's announced as an official partner for the headset), and HTC’s standalone VR devices are just some of the brands that should serve as competition to Horizon OS – not to mention PC VR hardware from the likes of Pimax and others – and hopefully they’ll help to keep things exciting.

But only time will tell if Meta will follow Microsoft's Windows and mimic its issues, or dodge its failings.

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A logo for Huawei is seen during the KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe hosted by the Cloud Native
Computing Foundation (CNCF) in Paris, France, March 20, 2024. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo

Chinese tech company Huawei unveiled on Wednesday a new software brand for intelligent driving, marking its latest push to become a major player in the electric vehicle industry.
The new brand Qiankun, symbolizing a combination of heaven and the Kunlun Mountains, plans to provide self-driving systems involving the driving chassis, audio, and driver's seat, Jin Yuzhi, CEO of Huawei's Intelligent Automotive Solution (IAS) business unit, said during an event ahead of the Beijing auto show.

"2024 will be the first year for mass commercialisation of smart driving and the cumulative number of cars on road equipped with the Huawei self-driving system will top 500,000 by the year-end," Jin said.
He also expected within a year more than 10 car models adopting Huawei’s Qiankun system would hit the market.
The Shenzhen-based tech conglomerate launched its smart car unit in 2019 with the aim that it could become the equivalent of German automotive supplier Bosch of the intelligent EV era and supply software and components to partners.

Huawei said in November that the unit would be spun off into a new company that would receive the unit's core technologies and resources and take investment from partners such as automaker Changan Auto (000625.SZ), opening a new tab.
It has also unveiled seven EV models in partnership with Chinese automakers so far and they are selling well, Jin said.
They include three Aito brand models under a partnership with Seres, the Luxeed S7 sedan co-developed with Chery (CHERY.UL), two models with Changan Auto-backed Avatr, and one with Beijing Automotive Group (BAIC)-owned Arcfox.

On Tuesday, Huawei also unveiled the S9 sedan, the first model under the premium Stelato brand it launched with BAIC.
Its diversification into EVs comes amid an intensifying price war in the world's largest auto market, which is grappling with slowing sales momentum and deepening overcapacity concerns as more than 40 brands vie for consumer attention.
Earlier this month, Huawei-backed Aito offered discounts of up to 20,000 yuan ($2,760) on its new M7 SUVs until the end of April.

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The app recommendations in the Windows 11 Start menu. Image: Microsoft

Microsoft is starting to enable ads inside the Start menu on Windows 11 for all users. After testing these briefly with Windows Insiders earlier this month, Microsoft has started to distribute update KB5036980 to Windows 11 users this week, which includes “recommendations” for apps from the Microsoft Store in the Start menu.

“The Recommended section of the Start menu will show some Microsoft Store apps,” says Microsoft in the update notes of its latest public Windows 11 release. “These apps come from a small set of curated developers.” The ads are designed to help Windows 11 users discover more apps, but will largely benefit the developers that Microsoft is trying to tempt into building more Windows apps.

Microsoft only started testing these ads two weeks ago, so it’s surprising to see this “feature” progress from the Beta Channel to release in such a short period of time. At the time of initial testing I mentioned Microsoft “could decide to ditch these ads” if there was enough feedback that suggested they weren’t popular, but two weeks of feedback certainly isn’t long enough to determine that.

Luckily you can disable these ads, or “recommendations” as Microsoft calls them. If you’ve installed the latest KB5036980 update then head into Settings > Personalization > Start and turn off the toggle for “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more.” While KB5036980 is optional right now, Microsoft will push this to all Windows 11 machines in the coming weeks.

Microsoft’s move to enable ads in the Windows 11 Start menu follows similar promotional spots in the Windows 10 lock screen and Start menu. Microsoft also started testing ads inside the File Explorer of Windows 11 last year before disabling the experiment and saying the test was “not intended to be published externally.” Hopefully, that experiment remains very much an experiment.

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Apple has sent out invitations for its next special event titled "Let Loose," alongside a graphic depicting an Apple Pencil. This suggests that the event will be where the highly anticipated new iPad Pro and iPad Air models will make an appearance after being rumoured for some time and new model numbers appearing in recent software betas.

Expectations for new iPads have been at a high ever since there was no event in October 2023. In recent years, iPad events have been held in the autumn months. However, given the lack of an event last year, many people were wondering what Apple's plans were for the device and when the eventual updates would come, given that the iPad Pro was last updated in October 2022 and the current iPad Air was released in March 2022.

The included image also appears to show an illustration of an Apple Pencil, which could be suggesting that the Pencil lineup will be getting a refresh. This would be appreciated, given the confusing nature of the current range (which Apple has had to provide a comparison table on its website). The Magic Keyboard might also see a refresh, considering that the existing model was released in 2020, giving it a long shelf life by Apple standards.

Finally, there are expected to be four iPad models announced at this event, which would be two new iPad Pro devices and two new iPad Air devices, including the first 12.9-inch iPad Air with a landscape-oriented front camera as seen in the 10th generation iPad, as well as an M2 chip.

Other updates to the iPad Pro are rumored to be a thinner enclosure, thinner bezels, a matte screen option, the aforementioned landscape-orientated front camera, and potentially the inclusion of MagSafe wireless charging.

The event will be live-streamed by Apple at 07:00 AM PT (15:00 BST, 10:00 ET) on Apple.com.

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