Microsoft is previewing a new cloud-based Windows App that lets users securely stream Windows remotely using Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365, Microsoft Dev Box, Remote Desktop Services or remote PCs. The new Windows App also works with iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Windows, and web browsers. “When using a web browser on a desktop or laptop, you can connect without having to download and install any software,” Microsoft explains. Smartphones and tablets are also supported, but at the moment the preview does not offer dedicated Android support. Read more

Samsung TV Plus reports it has seen enthusiastic consumer use over the past year, with a 60 percent rise in global viewership. Accordingly, the TV maker is upgrading its free streaming service — available on Galaxy devices, Samsung Smart TVs, Smart Monitors and Family Hub appliances and on the Web — with an emphasis on discoverability for kids and music programming. Launched in 2015, the free ad-supported TV (FAST) and ad-based video on-demand (AVOD) service offers content spanning news, sports, entertainment, music, and more, in 24 countries where it is accessed on 535 million TV and mobile devices. Read more

Rumors were running rampant over the weekend as an unanticipated executive shuffle played out at OpenAI. It began on Friday when CEO Sam Altman was pushed out by the OpenAI board. President and co-founder Greg Brockman quickly resigned in solidarity, followed by several top researchers. Reports circulated the following day that investors were pressuring the board into reconsidering its decision, but by Sunday evening, OpenAI announced that former Twitch leader Emmett Shear would serve as the new interim chief. Shortly after, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said Altman, Brockman and other OpenAI employees would join Microsoft to lead an advanced AI research unit. Read more

Having made the leap from image generation to video generation over the course of a few months in 2022, Meta Platforms introduces Emu, its first visual foundational model, along with Emu Video and Emu Edit, positioned as milestones in the trek to AI moviemaking. Emu uses just two diffusion models to generate 512×512 four-second long videos at 16 frames per second, Meta said, comparing that to 2022’s Make-A-Video, which requires a “cascade” of five models. Internal research found Emu video generations were “strongly preferred” over the Make-A-Video model based on quality (96 percent) and prompt fidelity (85 percent). Read more

Unity has officially released its Muse AI platform for general use in early access. Muse is a suite of AI-powered tools that streamline game development. The Muse package includes Muse Chat to source answers and generate code, Muse Sprite for 2D sprites generation, and Muse Texture, providing 2D and 3D ready textures. Originally announced in July, Muse is now offered at a $30 per month subscription. Also announced at the firm’s annual Unite conference was the next major software update, Unity 6, for 2024, and the deployment of Unity Cloud to connect development tools across projects and pipelines. Read more