Here is today’s top trending news from the world of technology. News that every tech enthusiast should keep a tab on.
1)
Google Search is launching ‘Daily Listen’ that will create personalized podcast
Google is launching a new experimental feature called ‘Daily Listen, which is designed to create personalized audio summaries based on users’ interests derived from their Discover feed. This new feature will be part of Google’s experimental platform, Search Labs. Daily Listen will generate five minutes long audio, summarizing the latest news and topics relevant to each user. It offers playback controls similar to those found in podcast players, including options to pause, rewind, and adjust playback speed. To use Daily Listen, users must opt into the experiment via the Labs section of the Google app. After enrollment, it may take up to a day for the first personalized episode to appear.
2)
Grok may soon launch an unhinged mode
According to rumours, Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, is set to introduce a controversial new feature known as Unhinged Mode. Unhinged Mode has been designed to deliver responses that are intentionally “objectionable, inappropriate, and offensive. The entire idea is to copy the style of an amateur stand-up comedian, potentially pushing the boundaries of humor and provocation in AI interactions. This is a stark diversion from the cautious and restrained approach used by other popular AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini. Elon Musk had first spoken about launching an unhinged mode in April 2024. However, Musk or anyone from XAI still hasn’t given any timeline for the launch of this controversial feature.
3)
Meta to show eBay listings on Facebook Marketplace
Meta is currently testing a new feature that allows users to browse eBay listings directly on Facebook Marketplace. This pilot test is being carried out across Germany, France and the United States. Users will be able to explore eBay listings within Facebook Marketplace and will be redirected to eBay to complete their purchases. This integration comes in light of a significant fine imposed by the European Commission last year, which accused Meta of engaging in anti-competitive behavior. European Commission had accused Meta of engaging in anti-competitive behavior by unfairly promoting its Marketplace service over competitors.
4)
Instagram and Threads will now start recommending political content
Meta has announced a drastic policy shift regarding political content on Instagram and Threads. It now plans to show such content in users feed by default. This change was announced by Instagram head Adam Mosseri. This marks a departure from the past approach where political content was not actively recommended unless users opted in. Users will still have the option to adjust their settings to see more or less political content, categorized into three tiers: less, standard (the default), and more. The rollout will begin in the U.S. and is expected to expand to other regions shortly thereafter.
