In our fast-paced lives, it’s hard to keep up with all the important news that happens throughout the week. But fear not, we have got you covered with our Weekly Tech Recap, where we take a look at the top events that made waves in the world of technology. In this week’s Tech Recap, Apple finally gave a glimpse of its iOS 18 AI features with a new developer beta, Google announced some new AI features for Chrome, Nothing launched the Phone 2a Plus in India and more.
Top tech news of the week:
1) Apple rolls out AI features with iOS 18.1 developer beta:
Apple rolled out its latest developer beta update earlier this week, bringing a host of new AI-driven features to iPhones, iPads and Macs. Users running iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS 15.1 Developer Beta can now experience enhanced features such as Siri’s contextual awareness, automatic movie creation in the Photos app, and advanced writing tools, while Safari has been updated with the AI-powered Summarize feature, which provides concise summaries of web pages and articles.
2) DMRC allows using WhatsApp to recharge metro smart card:
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) upgraded its ticketing system on WhatsApp to allow users to recharge their metro smart card right from the Meta owned app. Users can make the payment by choosing their preferred methods like UPI, Debit cards and credit cards.
The new service is powered by PeLocal and is available for all lines in Delhi NCR region including Gurugram Rapid metro.
3) Reddit CEO Steve Huffman ends free data scraping, demands payment from Microsoft and other tech giant
Reddit CEO Steve Huffman announced an end to free data scraping on the platform and is now demanding that Microsoft and other tech companies pay up to access Reddit’s data.
As per the The Verge, Huffman highlighted the importance of these deals for maintaining control over Reddit’s data and ensuring its responsible use. Without such agreements, Reddit cannot oversee how its data is presented or utilized, risking potential misuse.
“Without these agreements, we don’t have any say or knowledge of how our data is displayed and what it’s used for, which has put us in a position now of blocking folks who haven’t been willing to come to terms with how we’d like our data to be used or not used,” Huffman said in an interview with The Verge.
4) Nothing Phone 2a Plus launched in India:
London based smartphone maker Nothing launched its mid-range smartphone, Nothing Phone 2a Plus in India this week. The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro 5G SoC, featuring an octa-core 4nm chipset paired with a Mali-G610 MC4 GPU. Users can choose between 8GB and 12GB of RAM configurations, with storage options capped at 256GB.
One of the standout features of this handset is its dual 50MP rear cameras. The primary camera employs a Samsung GN9 sensor with optical and electronic image stabilization, capable of 10x digital zoom. The secondary camera, equipped with a Samsung JN1 sensor, offers a wide 114-degree field of view. Selfie enthusiasts will appreciate the 50MP front-facing camera, a significant upgrade from the 32MP shooter on the Nothing Phone (2a).
5) Google unveils new AI features for Chrome:
Google has unveiled three cutting-edge AI features set to enhance its Chrome browser, leveraging the latest advancements in Google AI and Gemini models.
Firstly, Google Lens is now integrated into the Chrome desktop browser, offering users the capability to search for visual content directly from their screen with a simple drag-and-drop motion. Chrome users can highlight any part of a webpage, whether it is text or images, to find visually similar results.
These searches can be fine-tuned based on color, brand, and various other specifics, with the option to ask follow-up questions for a more in-depth exploration of a topic. A new feature called Tab Compare will allow users to view AI-generated summaries of products across multiple tabs in one consolidated view. This is particularly beneficial for comparing reviews, prices, and other product details when making purchasing decisions.
Additionally, Google is rolling out a natural language search feature for Chrome browsing history, adds the publication. This function enables users to locate previously visited websites using conversational phrases like, “What was that ice cream shop I looked at last week?” This optional feature, which can be toggled on or off in Chrome settings, does not include data from incognito mode.
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Published: 04 Aug 2024, 02:54 PM IST
