Meta takes on the Aussie government. Humane’s much-hyped AI Pin is looking to foray into India. Sony, EA laid off hundreds of employees. The world of technology was dominated by these headlines in the week that was. Take a look.
Meta Vs Australia
Meta Platforms, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, declared its intention to cease payments to Australian news publishers for content distributed on Facebook.
This development has reignited friction between the tech giant and the Australian government regarding regulatory matters. Meta’s decision reflects a broader global discourse on the equity of online platforms profiting from shared news articles, with the company highlighting a pivot away from prioritising news and political content on its platform.
This move aligns with Meta’s previous actions of discontinuing news promotion features in various other nations such as the UK, France, and Germany.
Click here to check out what this means for Meta in Australia
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Pixel Trumps iPhone
At the close of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024 in Barcelona, the recipient of the prestigious ‘Best Smartphone’ award at the Global Mobile Awards (GLOMO) was revealed. This year, the Google Pixel 8 series emerged victorious, surpassing competitors such as the iPhone 15 Pro lineup, Samsung Galaxy S23 lineup, Samsung Z Flip 5, and OnePlus Open. According to the GSMA, the organisation responsible for the GLOMO awards, the Pixel 8 series was commended for its exceptional performance, innovation, and leadership.
Renowned for its advanced AI-powered camera capabilities and computational photography, the Google Pixel series has established itself in the global market. The Pixel 8 models, which further enhance these capabilities, were introduced with updated camera hardware and innovative generative AI-powered editing features.
Click here to check out the full report
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AI Pin Coming To India?
In a significant move towards global expansion, Humane, a startup backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is in discussions with Indian telecom operators to introduce its revolutionary Humane Artificial Intelligence (AI) Pin device. Founded in 2017 by former Apple executives Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri, Humane has secured approximately $200 million in funding from prominent backers such as Microsoft, Qualcomm Ventures, and Sam Altman himself. Initially launched in partnership with T-Mobile in the United States, Humane is now targeting the Indian market for the debut of its AI Pin. Additionally, the company has revealed plans for its first international expansion, having recently signed a deal with South Korean carrier SK Telecom.
Priced at $699, the AI Pin comes with a monthly subscription fee of $24, providing users with a dedicated phone number and unlimited data, enabling seamless utilisation of its AI-powered capabilities.
Read the full report here
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Vivo V30 Series Now Official
Vivo has introduced its latest offerings, the Vivo V30 and Vivo V30 Pro, to the Indonesian market. Boasting impressive features, both models sport expansive 6.78-inch curved 1.5K AMOLED displays with a remarkable 120Hz refresh rate and 300Hz touch sampling rate, providing users with a visually immersive experience. Notably, the Pro variant stands out with its triple-camera setup on the rear, featuring three 50-megapixel sensors, while the standard model also impresses with its triple-camera configuration, comprising two 50-megapixel sensors alongside a 2-megapixel one.
Under the hood, the Vivo V30 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 SoC, complemented by an Adreno 720 GPU, whereas its Pro counterpart runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 8200 chipset, coupled with a Mali G610 GPU. Offering flexibility to consumers, the Vivo V30 is available in two storage variants: an 8GB RAM + 256GB storage option priced at IDR 5,999,000 and a 12GB RAM + 512GB storage variant priced at IDR 6,999,000. Meanwhile, the Vivo V30 Pro comes exclusively with a 12GB RAM + 512GB storage configuration, priced at IDR 8,999,000, catering to users’ diverse needs and preferences in the Indonesian market.
Click here to check out the full specifications
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Mega Gaming Layoffs
Electronic Arts (EA) disclosed plans to trim its workforce by 5 per cent, alongside measures such as downsizing office space and discontinuing certain video game projects. EA’s CEO, Andrew Wilson, clarified in an internal memo that this restructuring aims to enhance immersive experiences for global fans and align with the company’s strategic goals.
Concurrently, Sony Group unveiled a significant restructuring within its PlayStation video-game division, resulting in the termination of 900 positions worldwide and the closure of a London-based division. Departing President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, Jim Ryan, emphasised the need for strategic changes to drive business growth and corporate development.
Click here for details on the layoffs at EA and Sony
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That’s it from the world of tech headlines this week. Stay tuned to this space for more top stories next week.
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