Here is top trending news from the world of technology. News that every tech companies keep a tab on.
1)
Meta Launches Llama 3.1 – its largest AI model till date
Following months of teasers and leaks, Meta on Tuesday finally launched Llama 3.1. This AI model is bit special for Meta, primarily because this is Meta’s largest and also supposedly its best AI model till date. It is powered by staggering 405 billion parameters, making it the largest open-source AI model in the world. The company even claims that it outperforms its closed source rivals including OpenAI’s GPT-4o and Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet on several important benchmarks. Since it is an open-source model, it will be readily available to all developers, with Mark Zuckerberg betting big on such models. He claimed that open-source models will leapfrog proprietary based models in the future.
2)
Meta’s AI Assistant is making its way to Quest Headset
Starting from next month August, Meta will start rolling out its AI powered assistant to its Quest headset. However, it will be available in experimental model and currently will be accessible only to limited users in the US and Canada. The AI assistant will come with hands-free feature, which means that the users will be interacting with it through voice command. They can ask the assistant for restaurant recommendation for the upcoming vacation, weather predictions and how to dress for a particular occasion. Meta’s AI Assistant upcoming debut on Quest Headset will give it a wider reach. Till now it was only available on Ray-Ban Smart Glasses and WhatsApp.
3)
Adobe adds new generative AI features to Illustrator and Photoshop
Adobe on Tuesday rolled out slew of new generative AI features to its Illustrator and Photoshop designing software. The company claims that these aims to accelerate the creative workflow of designers. Some of its key features include Generative Shape Fill, a feature in Illustrator software that would allow users to convert simple shapes into intricate design by using simple text prompts. Another useful Illustrator feature is Mockup that will assist designers in visualizing how their Illustrations will look on real-world objects like garments or packaging. On other hand, the Enhanced Generative Fill feature in Photoshop is built on previous capabilities and allow for realistic image manipulation.
4)
Amazon launches a new UI design and look for Prime Video
Compared to other streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon’s Prime Video’s UI always came across unimpressive and bit cluttered. But this is thankfully changing. Starting from today, Amazon Prime Video has started rolling out its new UI AI design that will include a new streamlined navigation bar that will make it easier to find your way around. It will also have a new ‘hero rotator’ that will highlight available content in each selected bar section. This is very similar to Netflix but is still a welcome change. And quite unsurprisingly, Amazon is also adding AI-powered recommendations to its navigation bar, which will recommend content tailored to individual preference.
5)
Netflix hires a new President for its rapidly growing gaming division
Netflix has brought a seasoned veteran from the gaming industry to look after its gaming division. Alan Tascan boosts a powerful resume especially with its stint as a vice president of Epic Games being the most impressive thing about its resume. By hiring a seasoned veteran, Netflix has clearly shown its commitment to grow its gaming division. In the coming months, we can expect to see more original game titles based on popular shows and movies with an aim to more gaming fanatics on its platform and boost its active engagement.