Here are the hottest news stories from the world of technology and AI. News every tech enthusiast should be watching.
1)
Google Launches Gemini Live as Response to OpenAI’s Advanced Voice Mode
At its highly anticipated Made By Google event on Tuesday, Google officially unveiled Gemini Live, an advanced voice assistant that will be built into the Pixel 9 phone. But it’s only available to Gemini Advanced subscribers. Users can choose from 10 custom voices to talk to Gemini Live, each of which is designed to sound as real and human as possible. You can talk at your own pace, speak slowly, and pause mid-response to ask clarifying questions or follow-up questions, just like you would with a normal person. You can also pause and resume the conversation whenever you want.
2)
Pixel 9 and more new products unveiled at Made by Google event
Google has unveiled all of its Pixel 9 phones at its annual Made by Google event, including the Pixel 9 Pro, the larger Pixel 9 Pro XL, and the new foldable model, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. To add to the mix, the Pixel 9 has a generous camera bump, while the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is actually thicker. It’s nearly 0.4 inches thick. But the big news, and somewhat sad news, is that the Pixel 9 won’t be launching with Android 15, but will run on Android 14. In other news, the Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2 have also been announced, and Google’s AI-powered chatbot, Gemini, will be the default assistant on all Pixel 9 phones.
3)
Opera’s AI-powered browser ‘One’ is now available on iOS
Opera One, Opera’s new browser packed with generative AI features, is now available for iPhone and iPad users. It was previously available for desktop users and Android users. Opera One for iOS has a number of unique features, such as customizable navigation, with iOS users able to choose between standard navigation or bottom search. It also offers a full-screen browsing experience, which improves the browsing experience for iOS device owners. But more importantly, it comes with the Aria AI Assistant, which can be incredibly useful for a variety of tasks, such as gathering information on a variety of topics, generating code, and even creating images.
4)
Twitch Launches ‘Video Stories’ to Compete with Instagram
Twitch has launched Video Stories, following the launch of Photo and Text Stories last year. Streamers can upload videos of up to 60 seconds long on the Twitch mobile app. Video Stories appear on the streamer’s profile and are accessible to both followers and non-followers. They can also include polls, quizzes, and question stickers to engage with their audience. Similar to Instagram Stories, Twitch Stories disappear after 24 hours. This new feature will help Twitch streamers connect with their audience in new ways.
5)
OpenAI quietly updates ChatGPT with new GPT-4o model
OpenAI has updated ChatGPT with a new GPT-4o model without much fanfare or publicity. The update was released last week. OpenAI made the announcement in a post on ChatGPT’s official ‘X’ handle and later confirmed it in a blog post. However, OpenAI declined to elaborate further on how the update will improve ChatGPT. Some ChatGPT users have claimed since last week that ChatGPT’s answers are more detailed and comprehensive. However, it is too early to say how effective or ineffective the updated GPT-4o model is.