All articles tagged with #cross platform
A Tom’s Guide hands-on piece shows how the ThreadPort Chrome extension lets users move full chat transcripts between ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, preserving context and enabling seamless cross‑AI collaboration with just a few clicks.
ZDNet tester finds Wispr Flow, an AI-powered dictation app for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, accurate and easy to use with features like speaker identification, dictionaries, and auto-formatting; free plans impose word caps (desktop 2,000 soft/5,000 hard; mobile 1,000 soft/1,500 hard), while Pro ($15/mo or $12/mo annually) unlocks unlimited dictation and advanced AI tools, with Enterprise adding security and admin controls; overall, it’s more reliable and convenient than built-in dictation and well worth trying.
Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 is on sale for $29.97 (regularly $499) through Aug 23, 11:59 p.m. PT, highlighting AI-assisted coding, hot-reload, and cross-platform development with .NET MAUI, Blazor, .NET and C++, plus collaboration features like CodeLens and Live Share in a 64-bit IDE.
A tech piece highlights Brave, Vivaldi, Firefox, and Opera as Chrome rivals that offer more power through built-in privacy tools, customization options, and extra features like Tor integration and VPNs, with cross-platform availability across mobile and desktop.
Timed to GPT-5’s first birthday, OpenAI and rivals (Amazon, Anysphere, Microsoft, GitHub, and Vercel) unveiled Agent Plugins, an open standard to package an AI agent extension in one format so it runs across competing tools. A plugin is a folder with plugin.json; the two core components are Model Context Protocol servers and Agent Skills. Adoption is voluntary; marketplaces, permissions, sandboxing, and trust stay with each client. The standard aims to reduce integration friction and widen access for developers, though critics call it a thin standard. Governance rests with a five-member steering committee, and it’s early to see how it will affect competition.
Sunbird Messaging has relaunched on Google Play, letting Android users access iMessage-style blue bubbles, reactions, and high-quality videos for $2.99/month. The company says it fixed security flaws that led to its 2023 shutdown, with messages encrypted on-device and in transit, and iMessage end-to-end protection maintained on the final leg to iPhones. An independent security audit found no critical vulnerabilities in the rebuilt app. Sunbird also supports Google Messages and SMS, with plans to integrate WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger later this year and add an AI assistant to summarize chats and draft replies.
Disney and TikTok have announced a first-of-its-kind deal that lets opt‑in TikTok videos from fans live on both platforms, with a select group of creators gaining access to Disney assets and increased visibility. A curated set of videos will live on TikTok and on Disney+ through Disney’s vertical-video initiative, Verts. The partnership aims to reward creators with better exposure, exclusive events, and career development opportunities, and will roll out in the United States in the coming months with plans to expand to other markets, tying fan-made content to Disney IP across properties like Marvel and Star Wars.
New data shows Xbox Play Anywhere adoption is climbing toward 50% for new releases, with recent AAA wins like 007: First Light helping, but many major titles and older games still lack support. Ubisoft’s PC/Play Anywhere experience is notably inconsistent, and indie developers face costs to port to PC/Xbox. While the feature is highly valued, Microsoft must do more to persuade developers to adopt it across more titles to strengthen the ecosystem.
Xbox expands its Ubisoft deal: by linking your Xbox account to Ubisoft Connect, you can claim free PC copies of 13 Ubisoft games—including Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Valhalla, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Far Cry 6, Immortals Fenyx Rising, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Riders Republic, Skull and Bones, The Crew 2, The Crew Motorfest, Rainbow Six Extraction, Rainbow Six Siege, and Watch Dogs Legion—via the Ubisoft Connect app on PC; premium editions are also available through the Xbox PC app, and you don’t need to own the PC copy to claim it.
Ubisoft and Microsoft announced a one‑way deal: Xbox Store purchases of 13 Ubisoft games will grant a free PC license redeemable via Ubisoft Connect, with licenses rolling out to accounts by August 4, 2026. DLC and season passes cross over to PC, but consumables do not, and the PC licenses will be tied to Ubisoft Connect (not Steam).
Halo: Campaign Evolved announces Early Access starting July 23 for Premium/Collector’s Editions with up to five days of play before the global launch on July 28; pre-load windows vary by platform, cross‑platform account linking is required for co‑op across Xbox, PlayStation, and Steam, and the article also covers PC specs, optimization tips, accessibility options, Twitch Drops, and modding guidelines to help players prepare.
WhatsApp is rolling out its Liquid Glass redesign to the Mac app, bringing a UI that mirrors iPhone and iPad with a redesigned sidebar, chat bar, and attachment menu, plus new Locked Chats (requiring authentication) and Communities sections in the sidebar. The desktop update closes the design gap with mobile versions, but the rollout is limited and will reach more accounts over the coming weeks.
Escape the Backrooms, a popular day-one Xbox Game Pass co-op title, has launched on Nintendo Switch 2 with full cross-play across Xbox Series X|S, PC, Steam, and PS5, allowing Game Pass subscribers to play with Switch 2 friends. The Switch 2 version supports cross-platform play with all supported systems, and the game remains a top Game Pass debut in 2026, though the Completionist achievement is currently unobtainable until a future update.
Researchers disclosed six local flaws in AirDrop and Quick Share that let nearby attackers crash the receiving devices or bypass session checks. Apple and Google have begun patching these flaws (Apple has assigned a CVE; Google fixed the Windows Quick Share bug; Samsung’s issues are under investigation). The exploits are local (about 10–30 meters or on the same LAN) and affect macOS/iOS, Samsung Quick Share, and Windows Quick Share. Users should update to the latest OS and adjust AirDrop to Contacts Only or disable Everyone, and limit Quick Share visibility when not actively receiving.
Tim Sweeney, in a PC Gamer interview, pushes a 'Team Open' concept to unify social and identity layers across Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC storefronts, arguing that cross-platform connectivity would reduce friction for players; he likens it to the early email standard, but critics note that services like Discord already offer similar functionality and question the feasibility and business implications of uniting rival ecosystems.