2 min read Last Updated : Oct 11 2024 | 12:01 PM IST
Apple has stopped signing the previous release of iOS 18.0, meaning users can no longer downgrade to the older iPhone version. This is a routine practice for Apple, where the company stops signing older software versions roughly a week after a new update is released, preventing users from reverting to previous versions.
Apple launched iOS 18 on September 16 and rolled out iOS 18.0.1 to the public a week ago. The first bug fix update for iOS 18 was released on October 3. The fixes in iOS 18.0.1 are expected to improve the performance of iPhones. If users encounter issues with the new release and wish to downgrade, Apple assumes this is done within a week of the update’s release. Now, users who have upgraded to iOS 18.0.1 can no longer revert to iOS 18.0.
Previewed earlier this year at the Worldwide Developers Conference, iOS 18 introduced several new features, including RCS support, a redesigned Photos app, a Passwords app, new customisation tools, and enhancements to Notes and Messages.
iOS 18.0.1 included fixes for the following issues:
The touch screen on iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models could become temporarily unresponsive in certain situations.
The camera might freeze when recording video in macro mode using the ultra-wide lens in 4K with HDR disabled on iPhone 16 Pro models.
Messages could unexpectedly close when responding to a message that includes a shared Apple Watch face.
Performance might be affected by a memory allocation issue on some iPhones.
2 min read Last Updated : Oct 11 2024 | 11:16 AM IST
Chinese smartphone brand HONOR has announced that Google’s gesture-driven visual search feature, Circle to Search, is coming to its Magic V3 foldable smartphone as well as the HONOR 200 series smartphones. In a press note announcing the availability of Google’s Circle to Search, HONOR stated that the feature will provide a “seamless and intuitive search experience” for its users.
With Circle to Search being introduced on HONOR 200 series smartphones, they will be among the first non-Samsung or Google devices in India to offer this gesture-driven search functionality. Although the HONOR Magic V3 has launched in several regions, it has not yet been made available in India.
Google’s Circle to Search is also featured on Xiaomi’s newly launched 14T smartphone, which is expected to arrive in the Indian market by the end of this year. Additionally, China’s Tecno has confirmed that Circle to Search will be included in its upcoming Phantom V Fold 2 smartphone.
First introduced with the Galaxy S24 series, Circle to Search has since expanded to various flagship and mid-range models within the Samsung Galaxy and Pixel lineups. With brands like HONOR, Xiaomi, and Tecno adopting the feature, it is anticipated that other manufacturers, including OnePlus, Vivo, and OPPO, will follow suit in the near future.
Google is reportedly working on new features for Circle to Search. While the ability to scan barcodes and QR codes using the gesture-driven search feature has already rolled out, the capability to search for any video via Circle to Search is said to be under development.
2 min read Last Updated : Oct 11 2024 | 11:08 AM IST
Following its partnership with Airtel in India, Apple announced that it will begin offering its TV Plus content as an add-on for Amazon Prime Video in the US later this month. In the coming weeks, Prime Video subscribers in the US will be able to access Apple TV Plus via Amazon’s app. The add-on will provide the full catalogue of movies and series, priced the same as in Apple’s app. This will allow viewers to enjoy Apple original shows without needing a separate account or billing details. By adding Apple TV Plus to Prime Video, Apple’s content will reach Amazon’s larger audience.
For years, Amazon has enabled audiences to watch content from over a hundred services through Prime Video add-ons, offering customers the convenience of tracking subscriptions and watchlists within the same cross-platform app. While there has been no official confirmation of this collaboration, The Verge reports that the Apple TV Plus add-on will eventually be available to non-US Prime Video users. However, details regarding specific countries and rollout timelines remain unclear. It is important to note that the Apple TV Plus add-on with Prime Video is different from bundled deals.
In India, Apple has partnered with Airtel to bring Apple TV Plus and Apple Music offers to its customers. The partnership, announced in August, will make Apple Music and Apple TV Plus offers available exclusively to Airtel customers later this year. As part of the deal, Wynk Premium users will transition to Apple Music and receive exclusive offers.
Musk’s plan is to operate a fleet of self-driving Tesla taxis called Cybercabs that passengers can hail through an app (Photo: Shutterstock)
4 min read Last Updated : Oct 11 2024 | 8:44 PM IST
Elon Musk showcased a robotaxi with two gull-wing doors and no steering wheel or pedals at a splashy event on Thursday and added a robovan to the roster as Tesla’s goal shifts from low-priced mass-market automaker to robotics manufacturer.
Musk reached the stage in a “Cybercab” which he said will go into production in 2026 and be priced less than $30,000. He said operation will cost 20 cents a mile over time and charging will be inductive, requiring no plugs.
He said the cars rely on artificial intelligence and cameras and do not need other hardware such as what robotaxi rivals use – an approach investors and analysts have flagged as challenging both from a technical and regulatory stand point.
“The autonomous future is here,” Musk said. “We have 50 fully autonomous cars here tonight. You’ll see model Ys and the Cybercab. All driverless.”
Musk also showcased a larger, self-driving vehicle – called Robovan – capable of carrying up to 20 people, and showed off Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot.
Musk’s plan is to operate a fleet of self-driving Tesla taxis that passengers can hail through an app. Individual Tesla owners will also be able to make money on the app by listing their vehicles as robotaxis.
Thursday’s event at the Warner Bros studio near Los Angeles, California, is titled “We, Robot” – an apparent nod to the “I, Robot” science-fiction short stories by American writer Isaac Asimov, but also echoes Musk’s insistence that Tesla “should be thought of as an AI robotics company” rather than an automaker.
Those attending included investors, stock analysts and Tesla fans.
Investors expecting concrete details on how quickly Tesla can ramp up robotaxi production, secure regulatory approval and implement a strong business plan to leapfrog rivals such as Alphabet’s Waymo were left disappointed.
“Everything looks cool, but not much in terms of time lines, I’m a shareholder and pretty disappointed. I think the market wanted more definitive time lines,” said Dennis Dick, equity trader at Triple D Trading. “I don’t think he said much about anything… He didn’t give much info.”
Musk said he tends to be optimistic with time frames.
Missed Promises
Musk said in 2019 he was “very confident” the company would have operational robotaxis by the next year. After missed promises, Musk this year diverted his focus to developing the vehicles after scrapping plans to build a smaller, cheaper car widely seen as essential to countering slowing EV demand.
Tesla is at risk of posting its first-ever decline in deliveries this year as buying incentives have failed to attract enough customers to its aging EV lineup. Steep price cuts meant to offset high interest rates have also squeezed profit margins.
Complicated technology and tight regulation have led to billion of dollars in loss for other companies attempting to crack the robotaxi market, forcing some to shut shop.
Some are still pushing, including General Motors’ Cruise, Amazon’s Zoox and Chinese firms such as WeRide.
Unlike expensive hardware such as lidar that others use, Musk is relying only on cameras and AI to run FSD to keep costs down. But FSD, which requires constant driver attention, has faced regulatory and legal scrutiny with at least two fatal accidents involving the technology.
“We do expect to start fully autonomous unsupervised FSD in Texas and California next year. Musk said. “That’s with the Model 3 and Model Y.”
He did not say if the robotaxis will use any new technology or depend on FSD.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
2 min read Last Updated : Oct 11 2024 | 10:16 AM IST
Microsoft will soon allow mobile gamers to access Xbox games on their Android smartphones directly through the Xbox mobile app. Xbox president Sarah Bond announced the change on X (formerly Twitter), noting that this development follows a US court ruling to open Google’s mobile store.
“The court’s ruling to open up Google’s mobile store in the US will allow more choice and flexibility,” said Bond. “Our mission is to allow more players to play on more devices, so we are thrilled to share that starting in November, players will be able to play and purchase Xbox games directly from the Xbox app on Android.”
The court’s ruling to open up Google´s mobile store in the US will allow more choice and flexibility. Our mission is to allow more players to play on more devices so we are thrilled to share that starting in November, players will be able to play and purchase Xbox games directly…
Earlier this week, a US judge ruled that Google must allow competitors to distribute their own app stores on the Play Store for Android. This decision was made in the case of Epic Games vs. Google, where Google has been ordered to permit rival app stores on its platform from November 1. The mandate will remain in effect for three years.
Microsoft is among the first companies to act on the ruling. From next month, the company will start distributing Xbox games through its Xbox mobile app for Android. However, it is unlikely that Xbox’s console-level games will run natively on smartphones. Instead, users may be able to purchase a game and stream it via Microsoft’s cloud platform.
Earlier this year, Microsoft announced plans to launch a game store for smartphones, aimed at distributing video games from partner developers. Although the dedicated gaming store is not yet available, it is expected to be different from the Xbox mobile app. The anticipated Xbox mobile game store would likely distribute mobile games from Microsoft’s studios, such as Candy Crush, Minecraft, and Call of Duty Mobile, rather than Xbox console games.
2 min read Last Updated : Oct 10 2024 | 8:28 PM IST
India and the United States (US) are working closely to enable ‘safe, secure, trustworthy’ artificial intelligence (AI) that can be applied in diverse societies, Seth Center, acting special envoy for critical and emerging technology, said on Thursday.
“The US and India have been working closely. I’ve worked closely with my Indian counterparts in a bunch of multilateral settings and bilaterally to get this architecture right, and I think what we’ve realised the next phase in bringing this international AI conversation forward is to ensure that we get the science of AI right,” Center said during his visit to India.
“To get the science of AI right in a way that ensures that we know when it’s safe to deploy AI systems and, if necessary, when safety risks emerge once AI systems are deployed,” Center said during his visit to India,” Centre elaborated.
He added that the best way to achieve that will be with the support of government institutes that can bring together the expertise of the private sector, as well as the international community, and connect it to government resources.
However, there is also a need to ensure that there are going to be common standards regarding the same, Center explained.
Among other areas of cooperation, India and the US’s focus has also been on critical and emerging technologies that include artificial intelligence and quantum technologies.
As a part of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies — a collaborative framework between India and the US and India to enhance cooperation in developing fields of technology — grants worth $2 million were handed to 17 awardees on Thursday.
“The focus was on finding projects that were going to transform and improve lives. In artificial intelligence, if you look at the grants that are going to be focused on the ways in which AI is going to improve cancer screening, the ways in which AI is going to enable the precise kinds of measurements of air quality that are going to improve lives. And so very practical applications of cutting-edge technologies,” he added.
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