On Wednesday, GitHub, owned by Microsoft, announced a major update to its Copilot AI-powered code completion and pair programming tool. For the first time, GitHub is offering a free version of Copilot, which will also be available by default with Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code (VS Code) editor. Previously, developers had to pay a monthly subscription fee, starting at $10 per month, with only verified students, teachers, and open-source maintainers getting free access.
This update marks a significant step for GitHub as it continues to expand its platform. The company also shared that it now has 150 million developers using its platform, a significant jump from 100 million just earlier this year.
In an exclusive interview ahead of the announcement, GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke reflected on the company’s journey. “My first project at GitHub in 2018 was the introduction of free private repositories, which we launched in early 2019. Then we had a version two with free private organizations in 2020. We introduced free GitHub Actions entitlements, and at my first Universe conference as CEO, we announced free Codespaces. It only felt natural to extend this philosophy to Copilot, offering a free version, not just for students and open-source maintainers,” Dohmke shared.
While the free Copilot plan opens up the tool to a broader audience, it does come with certain limitations. The free version is designed for occasional users, not for developers working on large projects or enterprises.
Here are the key details of the free Copilot plan:
Dohmke explained that the team analyzed years of Copilot usage data to determine the balance between occasional users and professional developers. The goal was to make it as easy as possible for developers to start using the tool and be productive without needing to jump through extra hoops.
The free version of Copilot will work across multiple platforms, including VS Code, Visual Studio, and JetBrains IDEs, as well as directly on GitHub.com. This broad compatibility ensures that developers can integrate Copilot into their existing workflow seamlessly, no matter which development environment they prefer.
Since its launch, GitHub Copilot has become a prominent player in the AI coding tool market. However, competition has intensified with companies like Tabnine, Qodo (formerly Codium), and AWS offering similar tools, many with free plans. To remain competitive and expand its user base, GitHub's decision to introduce a freemium model for Copilot is a logical step.
By offering a free version of Copilot, GitHub aims to make its tool more accessible, particularly in emerging markets where a $10 subscription fee may be prohibitively expensive. This approach aligns with GitHub's broader mission of enabling one billion developers globally. In countries like Brazil, India, and Pakistan, where income disparities are significant, providing a free version of Copilot helps break down barriers to entry and empowers more people to pursue careers in software development.
In addition to supporting global developers, GitHub’s free plan also simplifies access for students. While the platform has offered free access to students before, they had to go through a verification process, which created friction. With the new freemium model, students can sign up and immediately start using Copilot, making the tool more accessible and user-friendly.
This move not only strengthens GitHub's competitive position but also supports its long-term vision of democratizing software development, offering a powerful AI tool to developers regardless of their financial situation or geographic location.
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Amazon has unveiled its new Dual Audio feature for Fire TV, allowing users to stream audio through a hearing aid while others in the room enjoy standard sound from the TV’s speakers. This feature, which uses the Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids (ASHA) protocol, will roll out over the coming weeks, starting with the company’s latest Fire TV Omni Mini LED model.
In an official blog post, Amazon highlighted that this is the first time Fire TV customers using ASHA-enabled hearing aids can simultaneously enjoy streaming content with two different audio outputs. This new addition aims to enhance the communal viewing experience by providing a more inclusive and personalized approach to audio.
Amazon is also expanding its ASHA support to include all Widex Moment Behind-The-Ear (BTE) and Receiver-In-Canal (RIC) hearing aids. The Dual Audio feature will be available across a range of Fire TV devices, including:
This move ensures that a wide variety of Fire TV users with ASHA-enabled hearing aids can enjoy the same enhanced experience.
Alongside the new feature, Amazon is making efforts to improve accessibility for all customers, particularly those with visual impairments. The company has introduced QR codes on the latest packaging for devices like Fire TV, Echo, and Kindle, which now feature tactile, raised UV dots to improve discoverability.
When scanned, these QR codes direct users to Amazon.com, providing detailed product information and step-by-step setup instructions. This feature is especially beneficial for customers who are blind or have low vision, as it allows them to find the code by touch, as explained by Amazon’s Maiken Moeller-Hansen in the blog post.
In addition to these accessibility enhancements, Amazon has introduced more eco-friendly packaging for its devices. The new packaging includes 30% more recycled fiber and 60% less ink on average, reflecting the company’s commitment to sustainability.
To activate the Dual Audio feature on your Fire TV Omni Mini LED, follow these simple steps:
To set up your hearing aid with your Fire TV device:
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Google Maps users should be aware of a significant change coming in 2025 that could result in the permanent loss of their personal data. According to reports from dailymail.co.uk, Google's navigation app will no longer store users' personal timelines on its servers starting June 9, 2025. Originally known as "Location History," this feature tracks every movement, recording places visited and routes taken by users.
However, Google recently notified its users through emails that this feature will be removed by mid-2025, and with it, nearly a decade's worth of personal data will also be deleted. In response to security concerns, Google has indicated that users' location history will be moved from the cloud to a more secure on-device storage option. This change aims to improve data privacy and protection against potential cyberattacks.
While this shift to local storage will increase security, it also means that any location history not saved by June 9, 2025, will be permanently erased.
Many users may not be aware of the Timeline feature’s operation, as it works in the background and is often overlooked. However, it is crucial to act before the deletion deadline if you wish to preserve this data.
To prevent your data from being permanently deleted, follow these simple steps to create a local backup on your device:
By following these steps, you can ensure that your personal location history is safely stored and accessible, even after Google discontinues its cloud storage for Timeline data.
In early January 2025, tech giant Google will roll out a significant update for its Google Drive mobile app users, introducing an automatic editing feature for the app's built-in scanner. This update promises to streamline the process of capturing and enhancing digital copies of important documents, including bills, identification cards, and more.
At present, Google Drive users can scan documents using their mobile devices, but editing these scans requires manual adjustments, such as tweaking filters and adjusting image levels. With the new update, however, Google Drive will automatically optimize scanned images, eliminating the need for users to make manual enhancements. The new auto-filter feature will automatically improve scans, delivering sharper, brighter, and more readable document versions with minimal user input.
Using the feature is simple. Users just need to tap the "+ New" button located at the bottom-right of the screen, select "Scan," and grant the app access to their camera. After scanning a document, a sparkle icon will appear in the preview mode, indicating that the auto-enhancer tool is ready. This tool will then adjust the white balance, eliminate shadows, boost contrast, sharpen details, and optimize lighting for a more polished final result.
Google has confirmed that this update will be available to all Google Drive users, including those with free personal accounts. The feature will first be available on Android devices starting January 6, 2025.
The goal of this update is to simplify document scanning while enhancing the overall user experience, making it easier to store clear, high-quality digital versions of important documents directly within Google Drive.
In other news, Google has also introduced a groundbreaking generative AI experiment called Whisk, designed to revolutionize creative workflows. Unlike traditional image generation tools that rely on text-based prompts, Whisk allows users to drag and drop images representing the subject, scene, and style they wish to create. By remixing these images, users can produce entirely original visuals.
Powered by Google's Gemini model, Whisk automatically generates detailed captions based on the uploaded images. These captions are then processed by Google’s Imagen 3, the company’s latest image generation model. The focus of Whisk is on capturing the essence of the subject, rather than attempting to replicate it exactly, offering a fresh approach to creative expression.
Apple's Vision Pro has garnered attention for its immersive video capabilities, yet the availability of compatible content remains limited. Addressing this gap, Blackmagic Design has introduced the URSA Cine Immersive, the first camera engineered to capture footage in Apple's Immersive Video format.
Blackmagic Design's CEO, Grant Petty, has expressed enthusiasm for collaborating with filmmakers to explore the creative possibilities this technology offers. The introduction of the URSA Cine Immersive is poised to significantly expand the library of immersive content available for the Vision Pro, enhancing the device's appeal to both creators and consumers.
The camera is currently available for pre-order at $29,995, with shipments expected to commence in late Q1 2025.
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