Here are the top trending stories from the world of technology. Stories that every tech enthusiast should keep a tab on.
1)
Dropbox ends unlimited cloud storage plan
Dropbox has announced that it is indefinitely terminating its unlimited cloud storage plan. The change will take effect for new customers on September 1, 2023, and for existing customers on December 1, 2023. The company said that very small number of customers were using the unlimited plan to store massive amounts of data, putting enormous pressure on company’s resources. Dropbox’s decision to end its unlimited plan comes barely few months after Google Cloud made a similar decision. With the cost of providing cloud storage increasing steadily, could companies like Dropbox, Google and AWS are in pressure to reduce their operational cost.
2)
Walmart partners with Alphabet for Drone Deliveries
American retail giant Walmart has partnered with Alphabet’s Wing for testing drone deliveries up to 6 miles in Dallas. These tests will be conducted at two Walmart Supercenters, one in Frisco and other one in little elm. Walmart customers will be allowed to order several items including food and household essentials through a drone service. The drone service will deliver these products at customer’s doorsteps within 30 minutes. Wing has been testing drone delivery for several years. Wing is a drone delivery company that is owned by Alphabet, the parent company of search giant Google.
3)
Meta officially debuts Code Llama – its own AI code-writing tool
Meta on Thursday officially launched its AI code-writing platform called Code Llama. The social media giant had spoken about the tentative launch of Code Llama only few days back. Developed on Meta’s Llama 2 LLM, it can be used to generate code in a variety of programming languages, including Python, Java, C++, and JavaScript. It can also be used to debug code, find and fix errors, and improve the performance of code. Meta will release Code Llama in three sizes and said that its smallest size will comfortably fit on a single GPU for low latency projects.
4)
Meta is shutting down Messenger Lite on Android
According to 9 to 5 Google, Meta is officially pulling the plug on Messenger Lite app on Android on 18th September. The app has already been removed from the Google Play Store and existing users will no longer be able to use it after the deadline. Users who are currently using Messenger Lite will be prompted to switch to the full version of Messenger. which offers more features and functionalities. Meta has not given a specific reason for shutting down Messenger Lite, but it is likely due to declining usage. The app was originally designed for users with low-end devices or limited data plans.
5)
Binance and Mastercard to end Crypto Card Partnership
Mastercard and Binance has announced that they will be terminating their crypto card partnership in Latin American countries like Argentina, Brazil and Colombia. The crypto card allowed users to make payments in traditional currencies, funded by their cryptocurrency holdings on Binance. Binance said that it was “disappointed” by the decision. Mastercard did not give a specific reason for the decision, but it is likely due to regulatory concerns. Binance is facing legal and regulatory challenges in several countries, including the United States. Earlier this year, Visa has also stopped issuing Binance cards in Europe.