Tech wrap Jul 31: Nothing Phone 2a Plus, ChatGPT advanced voice mode, more
Nothing on July 31 launched the Phone 2a Plus, its third mid-range smartphone in 2024. Based on the Phone 2a, which it launched in March, the Plus model brings performance improvement, new front facing camera sensor, and some design changes. Based on Nothing OS 2.6, powered by Android 14, the Phone 2a Plus will receive Android updates for three years and security patches for four years.
Advanced voice mode is starting to roll out to a small group of ChatGPT Plus users, announced Microsoft-backed artificial intelligence startup OpenAI in a post on X. Announced in May, the feature was originally slated for release in June this year but got delayed because it needed time to reach its launch standard.
Garmin announced a price cut on its athletes-oriented Forerunner 165 series smartwatch on July 31. Launched in June at Rs 33,490, the smartwatch is now priced at Rs 29,990. Alongside the price cut, Garmin announced that it will refund the price difference to existing customers who have purchased the smartwatch at the original launch price.
Google’s latest Android update is reportedly rolling out cross-device sharing features to simplify transfer of calls and sharing of the internet between devices. First announced at the Google I/O 2024 developer conference in May, the cross-device sharing is currently limited to call casting and internet sharing. The cross-device sharing feature is similar to the one available on Apple’s ecosystem platforms.
Google Photos is reportedly working on a new option to let users have control over faces they see in Memories for personalised experience. According to consumer technology news platform Android Authority, Google is testing the “Show more” option for faces visible in Memories in the Photos app (version 6.93). With this option, users will have a choice to see more of a particular face in auto-generated Memories feed. Google Photos uses the face recognition function to make this possible in Memories feed.
The Blaze X is an Android smartphone in the budget segment from Indian brand Lava, which is known for its feature-packed value-for-money offerings, but most importantly a clutter and advertisement free user experience. This is important because most other smartphones in the budget segment cut corners on user experience by pre-loading bloatware and adware. Clean user interface is not the only thing that the Blaze X has going for it – there is curved AMOLED display, a megapixel rich camera sensor, a high capacity battery with support for fast charging, and a good enough processor to keep the show going.
Microsoft Corp. is calling on Congress to pass a comprehensive law to crack down on images and audio created with artificial intelligence — known as deepfakes — that aim to interfere in elections or maliciously target individuals.
Britain’s antitrust watchdog is scrutinising Google-parent Alphabet’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic and its impact on competition, the regulator said on Tuesday.
With fewer than 100 days until the 2024 election, social media users are claiming that a lack of Google autocomplete results about former President Donald Trump and his attempted assassination is evidence of election interference.
Microsoft said it would spend more money this fiscal year to build out AI infrastructure even as growth slowed in its cloud business, another sign the payoff from hefty investments in the technology may take longer than Wall Street had hoped.
Samsung Electronics forecasted strong artificial intelligence-driven demand for chips in the second half of this year, as it reported a more than 15-fold rise in its second-quarter operating profit.
The average cost of a data breach in India this year reached Rs 19.5 crore, an all-time high. Costs for organisations have increased 39 per cent since 2020 as breaches become more disruptive, said a report by IBM on Wednesday.
A recent study by Gartner predicts that 30 per cent of generative AI (GenAI) projects will be abandoned after the proof-of-concept stage by the end of 2025. The statement is full of concern as GenAI is being seen as the new growth area for the over $200 billion IT (information technology) services industry.
More than 70 per cent of the fintech and banking apps, analysed in a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) report, have access to important information of users such as their media, storage on communication devices, and can track their location.
First Published: Jul 31 2024 | 8:03 PM IST
