Here are the top trending stories from the world of technology. News that every tech enthusiast should keep a tab on.
1)
Amazon will now sell cars online.
Amazon has officially entered the online car sales market with the launch of Amazon Autos. This new e-commerce platform will allow customers to browse, order, and purchase new vehicles directly from participating dealerships. Amazon has partnered exclusively with Hyundai for the initial rollout. This means that customers can currently purchase only new Hyundai models through the platform. Amazon plans to add more dealership and manufacturers in 2025. Amazon Autos will be currently available only in the US. People living in 48 US cities including major metropolitan areas like Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York can access this new e-commerce platform.
2)
YouTube has expanded its auto-dubbing feature to knowledge-based content
YouTube has significantly expanded its auto-dubbing feature by making available for channels focused on knowledge-based content. This means now YouTube channels catering to cooking tutorials and DIY projects can use this feature. The auto-dubbing feature allow creators to generate translated audio tracks for their videos. It supports multiple languages, including English, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese and Portuguese. The auto-dubbing feature utilizes Google’s Gemini technology to replicate human speech. However, YouTube has warned that this technology is still in learning process and hence may not always perform perfectly.
3)
TikTok Shop Launches in Spain, Kicking Off European Expansion
TikTok Shop has been officially launched in Spain, marking its first entry in the continental Europe. TikTok Shop has been delaying its expansion in Europe, mainly due its underwhelming performance in the UK market. Currently, only select content creators in Spain can participate in TikTok Shop. These content creators can up digital stores, offering a range of products from kitchen appliances to health supplements. In Spain, TikTok Shop will directly compete with the likes of Amazon and AliExpress. US ecommerce giant Amazon is especially a formidable player in Spain, with approximately two-third of online shoppers in Spain regularly purchasing from Amazon.
4)
Instagram now let creators share trial Reels with non-followers
Instagram has introduced a new feature called Trial Reels, allowing video creators to share experimental content exclusively with non-followers. When creators enable the Trial setting, their Reels will be shown only to non-followers, bypassing their existing audience. This will help creators to test new ideas without the pressure of impacting their established follower base. It also allows for experimentation with different content types or formats that may not align with their usual themes. Once the 24 hours window period expiries, creators can access detailed analytics on how their Trial Reels performed, including views, likes, comments, and shares. This data helps them gauge audience reactions and decide whether to share the content with their followers or archive it.
5)
ChatGPT Canvas is now available to all users
OpenAI has officially expanded its ChatGPT Canvas feature to all users, moving beyond its previous beta testing phase that was limited to ChatGPT Plus and Team subscribers. This means now free users can also access this enhanced workspace designed for collaborative writing and coding. Canvas basically provides a side-by-side interface with the standard ChatGPT chat. This setup allows users to work on writing or coding projects collaboratively with the AI in real-time, making it easier to edit and refine content directly within the platform
