 "Tech wrap Aug 5: ASUS ROG Ally X, iPhone 16 series, OpenAI ChatGPT and more")
After a global unveiling in June, ASUS launched the ROG Ally X handheld gaming console in India on August 5. The new model from Taiwanese electronics maker boasts double the battery capacity and a faster 24GB LPDDR5x RAM over the first-generation model. Based on Microsoft Windows 11, the ROG Ally X is powered by the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor that comes with the first generation model too.
Samsung has launched the Qualcomm Snapdragon 680-powered Galaxy F14 smartphone in India. The South Korean electronics maker has a model that goes by the same name, but is powered by MediaTek processor. Though the two are not related, there are similarities that the two models share. For example, Samsung has committed two operating system updates and four years of security updates for both the models.
American video game developer Riot Games has confirmed that its tactical shooting game Valorant is available on gaming consoles, including Xbox Series X, Series S and Sony PlayStation 5. The company last month announced that the video game will be available on consoles in a limited beta version. However, after releasing Valorant to select users for testing, the company has updated its website stating that the video game is now available “officially on PlayStation and Xbox.”
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OpenAI has had a system ready for years to watermark text generated by ChatGPT, but it has failed to reach a consensus internally about whether to release it or not – according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has issued a “severe” warning to Apple users, highlighting several vulnerabilities in products such as iPhones, iPads, Macs, and more. The vulnerabilities pose the danger of data breaching, disruption of services, spoofing attacks and more. The nodal agency has given the vulnerabilities a severity rating of “High”.
The news of Apple exploring a foldable form factor for its future iPhone has been making rounds on the web for some time now. However, there is a new report stating that the US-based technology giant is working on more than one device type based on a foldable form factor. Moreover, the report states that Apple could launch its maiden foldable device in 2026.
Apple is not pushing the release of the 2024 iPhone series despite delay in Apple Intelligence roll out. According to a Bloomberg report, the iPhone 16-series will be launching in September, in-line with the launch schedule that Apple has followed for the last few years. This comes after Bloomberg’s last week reports that stated the iPhone 16 series devices would not come with Apple Intelligence tools out-of-the-box.
Apple is reportedly planning to update the MacBook Pro and iMac devices with M4 by later this year. According to a report by 9To5Mac, citing Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, next-generation Mac models with the M4 series chips are on track to launch this year. Gurman also said that the company could launch a new Mac mini this year.
Google has been working on reducing the size of Android apps for years, especially through the Play Store. In 2018, Google introduced a new way to create Android apps called the Android App Bundle (AAB). This became the standard format for new apps in 2021. Developers now make their apps in smaller pieces, including different files for languages, device types, and Android versions. When you download an app from the Play Store, it only downloads the parts your device needs, saving storage space. In its strides, however, the US-based software giant has added an extra step for those who download Android apps from outside the Play Store.
Meta is reportedly working on enhancing its artificial intelligence chatbot for WhatsApp with support for voice inputs. Essentially, it will allow WhatsApp for Android users to interact with Meta AI using voice messages. According to a report by WABetaInfo, Meta is rolling out the feature that allows sharing voice messages with Meta AI to select users with the latest beta version of WhatsApp for Android.
The POCO M6 Plus 5G smartphone and Buds X1 wireless earphones are now available for purchase in India. An addition to the M-series lineup, the POCO M6 Plus 5G features a glass with a ring flash design and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen2 AE chipset. The smartphone is IP53 rated for water and dust protection and has Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection on the display. The POCO M6 Plus 5G is powered by Android 14-based Xiaomi HyperOS. The Buds X1 are budget offerings with support for hybrid noise cancellation and multiple sound profiles.
Google has withdrawn its latest Olympics advertisement featuring its Gemini chatbot after widespread criticism of its portrayal of artificial intelligence (AI) in the creative process of a child.
A ChatGPT query requires nearly 10 times as much electricity to process as a Google search, according to a study by Goldman Sachs. With Artificial Intelligence (AI) gaining momentum and an increasing number of data centres focusing on catering to AI workloads, analysts expect power consumption by data centres to increase significantly.