Here is the top trending news from the world of technology. News that we feel every tech enthusiast should keep a tab on.
1)
X rolls out audio and video calling features to general public
X, formerly known as Twitter, has recently started rolling out audio and video calling features to all non-paying users. This means you now don’t need a subscription anymore to initiate calls directly through the app. X had launched the audio and video calling feature in October 2023 only for paid subscribers. Back then Elon Musk had said that they would offer video calling to all users “as soon as we are confident that it is robust.” By providing this feature for free, X hopes to attract and retain more users. Several social media apps already offer free calling features, and this move helps X stay competitive.
2)
Google’s says ‘sorry’ for Inaccurate Gemini AI images
Google tendered a public apology on Friday after its new AI model Gemini generated inaccurate and embarrassing images of historical figures and diverse races. For example, users reported that Gemini AI was showing the images of black people when asked to identify the founding fathers of America. Google immediately faced criticisms on social media platforms for these inaccuracies. The tech giant acknowledged that “Gemini missed the mark” and expressed regret for the inaccurate and offensive outputs. It has temporarily disabled the feature to generate public images to prevent further issues while they work on improvements. Overall, this incident has caused a great embarrassment for Google and raises question over Gemini AI’s efficiency.
3)
Elon Musk’s latest ‘Optimus’ video has gone viral on ‘X’
Elon Musk has shared yet another video of Tesla’s humanoid robot ‘Optimus’ on his X handle. The video has gone viral on ‘X’ with whopping 66 million views. The 1 minute and 18 seconds video shows Optimus walking and strolling through a Tesla plant. The video even shows the humanoid robot making turns without any problem. Only last month, Musk had shared the video of Optimus folding a shirt, which had generated 3 million likes. Optimus is a humanoid robot owned by Musk’s EV car company Tesla. The tech billionaire claims that Optimus is showing great potential. However, many critics claim that the robot’s current functionalities are very basic and it still has a long way to go.
4)
Amir Khan reacts to use of ‘AI’ in Bollywood films
In its recent interview to a leading television channel, Bollywood superstar Amir Khan has acknowledged the rise of AI and its potential impact on filmmaking. The 58-year-old Indian superstar said that you cannot curb a new technology like AI and the filmmakers should evolve with it rather than show any strong resistance to it. Amir Khan’s statement comes at a time when there has been a growing concern in Bollywood and also Hollywood that AI’s growing prominence could take away jobs of technicians and creative artists. Recently, Hollywood’s trade union body had gone for month long strike demanding job protection for artists in the wake of growing use of AI technology in film making.
5)
Nokia to launch flip phone featuring iconic Barbie Brand
The iconic hot pink Barbie flip phone is becoming a real-life product this summer. This is thanks to partnership between HMD Global and Mattel. For all those who don’t know, HMD Global is the maker of the Nokia Phones and Mattel is the parent company of the famous Barbie doll. However, this Barbie phone will be a dumb phone, meaning it won’t have internet access and will have limited features compared to modern smartphones. It will likely have all the basic functionalities like calling, texting, and maybe a camera. Besides, the design is expected to resemble the standard flip phone model with physical buttons rather than a touch screen.