Here is the top trending news from the world of technology. News that every tech enthusiast should keep a tab on.
1)
Samsung Increases Stake in South Korean Robotics startup Rainbow Robotics
Samsung Electronics has officially become the largest shareholder of South Korea’s Rainbow Robotics, increasing its stake from 14.7% to 35% through a fresh investment of KRW 267 billion (approximately $181 million). Samsung had first invested in Rainbow Robotics in 2023, acquiring a 14.7% stake for KRW 86.8 billion. The investment would give the South Korean electronic giant a sizeable presence in the critical field of robotics. Founded in 2011, Rainbow Robotics specializes in developing advanced robotic solutions, including dual-arm mobile manipulators and autonomous mobile robots for manufacturing and logistics applications. The company has also gained recognition for creating Hubo, Korea’s first bipedal robot.
2)
Alibaba announces massive discount on AI Large Language Models
Alibaba has announced significant price reductions on its AI large language models (LLMs), with discounts reaching as high as 85%. The steep price cut primarily focuses on Alibaba’s visual language model, Qwen-VL, which is designed to interpret both text and images. The price reductions reflect an intensifying competition among major Chinese tech firms, including Tencent, Baidu, and ByteDance, all of which have launched their own LLMs. By the way, this is not the first time that Alibaba has cut the prices of its model. Earlier in 2024, it had cut the price of its Tongyi Qwen models by as much as 97%.
3)
YouTube is experimenting with a new feature: a floating “Play something” button.
YouTube is currently testing a new floating “Play Something” button in its Android app. The feature aims to enhance content discovery for Android users. It basically allows users to tap the button to randomly select and play videos tailored to their viewing preferences. The feature is especially useful for users who are confused about what to watch next. The button appears just above the bottom navigation bar. The feature is largely inspired by Netflix’s now defunct “Surprise Me” button, which was discounted due to low customer traction.
4)
Spotify showed pornographic videos of Popular artists in search result
Spotify is currently facing backlash after users reported seeing pornographic videos appearing in search results for popular artists, most notably the rapper M.I.A. The issue came to the fore when a Reddit user shared a screenshot showing explicit content among suggested results. Reddit users further claimed that explicit videos were disguised as podcasts, which are usually not pre-screened before being uploaded. Spotify has acknowledged the problem and stated that the offending videos have been removed for violating its content policies. Nonetheless, the incident raises issues about platform’s efficiency in handling content moderations.
