Apps
Zoom Announces Zoom Mail and Calendar

At their recent annual user conference Zoomtopia, Zoom announced the next step in their platform evolution, the beta of new productivity tools: Zoom Mail and Calendar Clients and Zoom Mail and Calendar Services. These new products work together with the communication and collaboration offerings already available within Zoom Meetings, Phone, Whiteboard, and Team Chat.
Now, teams can move quickly and seamlessly from email to a video meeting, elevate a chat message to a phone call, collaborate on projects, and early next year, they can share out whiteboards, all without ever leaving the Zoom app. The Zoom Mail and Calendar Clients (beta) will let any Zoom user — free or paid — access their existing email accounts from popular third-party email services directly in the Zoom desktop app.
A recent Harvard Business Review study found that employees spend almost four hours a week reorienting themselves after toggling between applications. By giving users the ability to access their email alongside other modalities, Zoom reduces this “toggle tax” and enables users to better focus on their work. With Zoom Calendar, employees can easily create and join meetings in their existing calendar right from the Zoom sidebar.
In addition to the Zoom Mail and Calendar Clients, Zoom also announced a new Zoom Mail Service (beta) and Calendar Service (beta). Zoom customers in the U.S. and Canada with Zoom One Pro or Zoom Standard Pro plans will also have the ability to set up an email account hosted by Zoom at no additional cost, through the new Zoom Mail Service. Customers with a Zoom One Business or higher plan will even have the ability to set up a custom domain.
Zoom Mail Service is designed for small-to-medium businesses without dedicated IT resources who also have a need for enhanced privacy in their business communications, such as law firms or any business needing to share private information within their team. Zoom Mail Service offers end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for emails sent directly between active Zoom Mail Service users and expiring emails with access-restricted links for external recipients.
At beta launch, Zoom Mail and Calendar will include:
Zoom Mail Client: The email experience in the Zoom app is designed to bring all communication into Zoom via popular email services, plus Meetings, Phone, Whiteboard, and Team Chat.
- Connect existing third-party email services to the Zoom app
- Copy an email message to a team chat or channel to continue collaboration
- Available on desktop at launch
Zoom Calendar Client: The calendar experience in the Zoom app, which connects scheduling workflows from popular calendar services to Zoom Meetings, Phone, and Team Chat.
- Connect existing third-party calendar services to the Zoom app
- Quickly see who has joined meetings right from the Zoom Calendar sidebar
- Schedule a Zoom Phone call or Zoom Meeting from the Calendar
Zoom users can link their existing third-party email accounts to access them in Zoom today through the Zoom Mail Client and Calendar Client.
Zoom Mail Service: Zoom-hosted email designed for enhanced privacy.
- Seamless integration within the Zoom app
- End-to-end-encrypted email by default for messages sent directly between active Zoom Mail Service users
- 15 GB of email storage for Zoom Pro or Zoom United, 100 GB for Zoom One Business or higher
Zoom Calendar Service: Zoom-hosted calendar, allowing teams to schedule and follow up on meetings.
- Seamless integration within the Zoom app
- Appointment booking feature for invitees to select from available times
- A unified calendar experience for scheduling meetings, accessing recordings, and notes and attachments

Apps
Experience the ChatGPT ‘Make It More’ Trend: Generate Weird AI Images

AI art generators occupy a peculiar space, capable of rendering diverse scenarios, from a cosmic skateboarding dog to a coffee cup adrift in the ocean. Setting aside ethical considerations, some creations may not initially meet expectations, necessitating user prompts to refine the AI-generated output.
Yet, what if the aim isn’t to craft a polished piece of AI art? Enter the “make it more” trend, where ChatGPT users task DALL-E to generate an image and subsequently request the bot to amplify certain aspects. For instance, Justine Moore prompted DALL-E to create a bowl of ramen, then instructed it to make it spicier. The iterative process led to increasingly absurd results, culminating in a bowl of noodles shooting fire beams into outer space.
A Dad getting increasingly Dad-ier pic.twitter.com/1EUFECmnT3
— Justine Moore (@venturetwins) November 27, 2023
While the Make It More trend gains traction on ChatGPT and DALL-E, allowing users to experiment with various image transformations, it also raises concerns about resource utilization. The AI processing involved consumes power and energy, prompting considerations about the trend’s efficiency and environmental impact. Nevertheless, these prompts contribute to OpenAI’s ongoing efforts to enhance AI capabilities across platforms like ChatGPT and DALL-E.
Apps
Samsung Internet is Now Available for Download on Windows PCs

Samsung’s default browser, Samsung Internet, has expanded its reach to desktop computers and laptops, now available for download on the Microsoft Store. One notable feature is the ability for users to sync their browsing data between their Galaxy devices and computers.
Upon launching the browser, users can import their browsing history, bookmarks, and search engines from other applications like Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge by signing into their Samsung Cloud account. The browser also supports add-ons and extensions from Chrome and Edge, accessible through the Chrome Web Store.
Samsung Internet for Windows offers familiar features such as incognito mode, light and dark modes, and ad-blocker support. The design elements show similarities to both Chrome and Edge, providing a sense of familiarity for users of those browsers. A useful security feature allows users to delete bookmarks, browsing history, passwords, and other data upon signing out, catering to those who share computers.
Despite its promising features, the browser’s PC debut is marred by a lack of complete sync support. Currently, only browsing history, bookmarks, and search engines can be imported, with no support for transferring saved passwords from Galaxy devices to computers. This omission may be addressed in future updates.
In May, Samsung Internet received an optimisation update for Galaxy tablet users. Toggleable features were introduced, allowing users to control the placement of the browser’s address, bookmark, and tab bars. The update also included a warning for users with a high number of open tabs, informing them that opening another tab would result in the deletion of the oldest tab.
Apps
Google Clarifies the Cause of Missing Google Drive Files

Many Google Drive users recently experienced the unsettling disappearance of their files, prompting concerns. Google has now identified the root cause, attributing the issue specifically to the Google Drive for Desktop app. While assuring that only a limited subset of users is affected, the tech giant is actively investigating the matter and promises timely updates.
To prevent inadvertent file deletion, Google provides the following recommendations:
- Avoid clicking “Disconnect account” within Drive for desktop.
- Refrain from deleting or moving the app data folder, located at:
- Windows: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Google\DriveFS
- macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Google/DriveFS
- Optionally, create a copy of the app data folder if there is sufficient space on your hard drive.
Before Google officially addressed the issue, distressed users took to the company’s support forum to report deleted files. One user from South Korea highlighted a particularly severe case where their account reverted to May 2023, resulting in the loss of anything uploaded or created after that date. Additionally, the user emphasised that they had not synced or shared their files or drive with anyone else.
As Google delves deeper into resolving this matter, affected users are advised to heed the provided precautions. The company’s commitment to ongoing updates reflects its dedication to swiftly addressing and rectifying the situation. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of proactive measures to safeguard digital data, especially as users navigate cloud-based platforms such as Google Drive.