Here is the top trending news from the world of technology. News that we feel every tech enthusiast should keep a tab on.
1)
Hyperloop One is closing down
One of the most high-profile Hyperloop startups, Hyperloop One, is winding up its operations. Hyperloop One, which is backed by Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, will be officially ceasing its operation on 31st December, 2023. Although the exact reason of its closure is not known, the company off late has faced numerous challenges, including financial troubles and a shift in focus from passenger transportation to cargo. The company had also laid off most of its employees in 2022 owing to its financial problems. This is the latest stumble for the nascent hyperloop industry. The idea of hyperloop gained prominence after Elon Musk first put forth in a whitepaper in 2013.
2)
ChatGPT launches ‘Archive chat’ feature for Web & IOS users
OpenAI has introduced an “Archive chat” feature for ChatGPT, allowing users to archive old conversations without deleting them. This feature is currently available on the web and iOS versions of ChatGPT, with the Android version expected to be released soon. To archive a chat, users can navigate to the search chats window, tap on the three dots, and select the Archive option. The archived chats can be accessed and managed in the Settings. This feature aims to help users declutter their chat interface without losing access to their old conversations.
3)
Microsoft is shutting down Windows mixed reality platform
Microsoft has officially announced that it is shutting down its Windows Mixed Reality platform. The platform, which was launched in 2017, allowed users to access games, apps, and other experiences within the VR space. The company will also be shutting down couple of other apps including the Mixed Reality Portal app. The company has not provided a specific timeline for the shutdown, but it is expected to happen soon. The enterprise-focused HoloLens 2 is not affected by the shutdown and will continue to be available to the users.
4)
Google Unveils VideoPoet, a New LLM for Zero -Shot Video Generation
Google has unveiled VideoPoet, an advanced large language model (LLM) with a wide array of video generation capabilities, including text-to-video, image-to-video and video-to-audio. Google claims VideoPoet’s test results have shown its potential to generate high-quality videos with interesting motions, hinting at a promising future. The model is not currently available for public usage, and Google has not provided a specific timeline for its release. Barely a week ago, Google launched text-to-image tool imagen 2, which the software giant claimed is better than DALLE 2.
5)
Apple has stopped selling Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2
Apple has pulled the plug on sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 models in the United States. This is a temporary halt due to a legal dispute over Apple watch’s blood oxygen monitoring feature. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled that Apple infringed on a patent held by medical technology company Masimo concerning the blood oxygen sensor in these watches. This move does not affect previously purchased watches or the Blood Oxygen app compatibility for models like the Series 6 and above. It’s still unclear if or when Series 9 or Ultra 2 models will return to the market. Apple needs to either resolve the patent dispute or modify the designs before selling them again in the US.