Here is the top tech trending stories from the world of technology. News that every tech enthusiast will keep a tab on.
1)
Samsung unveils AI-powered Galaxy S24 phones
Samsung has finally unveiled its highly anticipated Galaxy S24 smartphone, which will be powered by Google’s Gemini AI. This marks a significant collaboration between Google and Samsung. Talking specifically about features then several of Samsung apps like Notes, Voice Recorder, and Keyboard will be powered by Gemini Pro model, which is the most advanced version in the Gemini AI suite. This means you will get to enjoy more advanced features and functions. That’s not all. You will also get to enjoy some powerful photo editing, thanks to Google’s advanced Imagen 2 text-to-image technology. This opens up creative possibilities for photo editing and artistic exploration.
2)
US Bans Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 (Again)
In a major setback to Apple, Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 with blood oxygen monitoring features will be banned in the United States again. This decision comes after the US Court of Appeals overturned the temporary stay on the ban and upheld the International Trade Commission’s decision to impose the ban. The ban will immediately resume tomorrow. Apple can still appeal the ITC’s decision or seek a presidential veto. If the ban remains in place, Apple might need to offer software updates to disable the blood oxygen feature until the patent dispute is resolved.
3)
Google to cut more jobs in 2024
There is a bad news for Google Employees. Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai has just announced that the company will be laying off the more employees in 2024 to make more room for heavy investments. Pichai said that these heavy investments can only be possible through cost-cutting measures. However, the company has assured that the layoffs in the current year won’t be severe compared to the last year, when it laid off over 12,000 employees, making it the largest layoff in Google’s history. As part of the latest layoffs, Google will immediately cut 100 jobs from its YouTube team. Only last week, Google had laid off 1,000 employees from its hardware and Google Assistant team.
4)
Netflix App says ‘No’ to Apple’s Vision Pro
Netflix has hinted that it won’t launch a dedicated app for Apple’s Vision Pro headset. This means Vision Pro users will have to access Netflix through a web browser, which is not a ideal thing as it offers less immersive experience compared to a dedicated app. Besides, users won’t be able to download Netflix content for offline viewing on the Vision Pro and they will also miss some key VR-related features, like spatial audio. Netflix may have taken this decision as it directly competes with Apple in the streaming market and there might be some reluctance to directly support a potential competitor’s hardware. Over all, this is a bad news for Apple as it is banking on entertainment features to help sell its $3,499 device.
5)
Google to launch ‘Circle to Search’ on Android Phones
Google is all set to launch a new exciting search feature known as “Circle to Search” on Android phones. Circle to Search” basically allows you to use gestures like circling, highlighting, or scribbling on anything on your phone screen to search for it instantly. For instance, you can simply circle an item in a photo or video to find similar products, learn more about it, or even shop for it. You can also scribble over a word you don’t understand to get its definition, translation, or even examples of how it’s used. This feature will initially be available on select premium Android smartphones, including the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, and the new Samsung Galaxy S24 series. This feature will be officially launched on January 31, 2024.