Possible Small Screen Pixel; GM Looks to Own Chips; Emoji Trend Report

Google may or may not be working on a smaller screen Pixel. Some users are put off by the size of the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro (and the 7 models will be just as large), so in that sense, a small screen phone may seem to be a good move. according to 9to5google.com, the rumored phone, code named ‘neila’, has a name that doesn’t follow their usual code name conventions. It’s also worth noting that Apple’s smaller phones haven’t really sold like hotcakes. People gripe about the size, but buy them anyway. The same is true for Samsung handsets. Still, for folks with smaller hands, or children, a smaller handset makes sense. Stay tuned. 

GM’s Cruise division has developed its own chips for self-driving cars, which will be deployed starting in 2025. Reuters reports that GM got into the chip making biz due to the high prices of chips and difficulty getting enough supply. Previously, they had bought Nvidia Chips. Now, GM has developed their own ARM chips, which are being made by an unidentified foundry overseas. For the next iteration, they may move to RISC-V, since its open source. The chips will power its Origin self-driving vehicle. With a nod to Sci-fi, the main CPU is called the Horta, and the sensor data chip is called Dune. 

You know you care, even if you pretend not to. Adobe is out with their Emoji Trend Report. The company surveyed 5,000 US emoji users, and here are the headlines. 73 percent of those surveyed believe that adding emoji to your messages makes you cooler, friendlier, and funnier. 91 percent of those surveyed use emoji to bring levity to conversations. On the down side, 32% of Gen Z have ended a relationship with someone by using an emoji! 68 percent of those surveyed say they like it when people use emoji at work, but they also stated that it positively impacts likability (69 percent) and credibility (59 percent). There may have been a time when emoji were considered unprofessional, but that sure isn’t the case now.