Tech wrap Aug 29: iOS 18.1 dev beta, Gemini AI, Realme 13 5G series, more

Apple introduces the "Clean Up" feature in the Photos app. More Android phones receive Gemini with on-screen awareness. Realme introduces Realme 13 series. Jio will launch"AI Cloud Welcome Offer"

Apple rolls out iOS 18.1 developer beta 3 with more intelligence features

Apple has released the third developer beta of iOS 18.1, which includes additional Apple Intelligence features like “Clean Up” in Photos to remove background objects and enhanced notification summaries. In conjunction with the iOS 18.1 beta, Apple has also made public beta 6 of iOS 18 available. This new public beta is expected to be the last update before the stable version of the operating system is rolled out to users.

Jio to launch "AI Cloud Welcome Offer" this Diwali, announces Mukesh Ambani

Jio will launch the “AI Cloud Welcome Offer” this Diwali to make artificial intelligence more accessible, as announced by Reliance Industries' chairman Mukesh Ambani during the company's annual general meeting on August 29. The service will offer users up to 100GB of free cloud storage along with data-driven AI services.

 

Realme 13 5G series smartphones launched in India

China’s Realme has introduced the Realme 13 series in India, featuring the Realme 13 5G and Realme 13 Plus 5G smartphones. The Realme 13 Plus is equipped with the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Energy chipset, while the standard model uses the MediaTek Dimensity 6300. Both models come with options for 128GB or 256GB of internal storage, with the Plus variant offering up to 12GB of RAM and the base model featuring up to 8GB of RAM.

Google introduces custom chatbot creation with Gems for Gemini subscribers

Google is now allowing Gemini subscribers to create custom chatbots known as Gems. Users can personalise these chatbots with various attributes by providing specific instructions. To get started, users just need to name their chatbot, give it instructions, and begin using it.

Circle to Search: Google adds option to share selected portion with others

At the Made by Google event in August, Google unveiled an enhancement to its gesture-driven "Circle to Search" feature, enabling users to highlight portions of an image. This new capability has begun rolling out, allowing users to swiftly share the circled sections, much like a screenshot, with others.

Motorola to launch Razr 50 foldable in India on September 9

Lenovo-owned Motorola has set the launch date for its budget-friendly flip-style foldable smartphone, the Razr 50, in India for September 9. According to a social media post on platform X, the Razr 50 will be available on Motorola's official website and Amazon India. Announced in June alongside the Razr 50 Ultra, which launched in India in July, the Razr 50 is a 2024 model featuring a large cover display and an IPX8 rating for water resistance.

Google expands Gemini AI's onscreen awareness capability to more phones

Google is said to be introducing new features for its Gemini AI assistant on Android smartphones, enabling users to ask questions about the content displayed on their screens. Additionally, Gemini will now be able to provide summaries of YouTube videos and answer questions about specific YouTube content. While these features have been available on the latest Pixel 9 series smartphones, they are now starting to roll out to other Android devices as well.

Mac out of storage? Apple now lets you install apps on external drives

Apple has reportedly updated the Mac App Store in the latest macOS Sequoia beta, enabling users to install large apps directly onto external storage. As per reports,  the latest macOS 15.1 developer beta 3 allows users to install apps larger than 1GB on an external Hard Disk Drive or Solid State Drive.

Apple permits playlists transfer to YouTube Music from Apple Music

Apple has announced that users can now transfer playlists directly from Apple Music to YouTube Music. Although third-party apps have offered this feature before, this is the first time Apple has provided native support for it. Additionally, Apple has released a support document outlining the steps for transferring playlists from Apple Music to YouTube Music.

Reliance announces green energy-powered data centres for AI in Jamnagar

Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani announced on Thursday that the company will work to 'democratize' artificial intelligence (AI) by establishing AI-ready data centers in Jamnagar, Gujarat.

India, Russia discuss use of space monitoring tech in risk forecast

On Wednesday, India and Russia discussed employing space monitoring technologies for risk forecasting and emergency response during the second meeting of their joint commission on emergency management cooperation in Moscow, according to a government statement.

OpenAI nears funding round at over $100 bn valuation led by Thrive Capital

According to sources familiar with the situation, OpenAI is nearing a funding round led by Thrive Capital that could value the company at over $100 billion.

Despite gruelling hours, 'golden handcuffs' keep Nvidia staffers in place

Under the helm of co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang, Nvidia's philosophy is crystal clear: 'If you want to do extraordinary things, it shouldn't be easy,

Cybersecurity a top concern amid rising tech reliance: Zerodha CEO Kamath

Nithin Kamath, founder and CEO of Zerodha, highlighted that cybersecurity issues are the primary concern for the mutual fund industry as its reliance on technology grows. He made this statement during a panel discussion on using technology and innovation to advance the mutual fund sector at the Global Fintech Fest.