23andMe Bankruptcy; Apple Watch May Get Cams and AI; Google Gemini Live-Is Live; CA Bill Update-Cheap Broadband for Poor Details

23andMe, the DNA testing firm, has filed for bankruptcy. The company intends to look for a buyer and continue to operate as a debtor in possession through the process. The CEO has resigned to bid for the company independently…engadget.com reports that the Board had previously rejected a bid from her. Rob Bonta, the Attorney General of California, has recommended that users contact the company immediately and demand that their data be deleted, to try to safeguard their private information and avoid misuse. 23andMe had been hacked in 2023, and the hackers got away with info on some 6.9 million customers. They were hit with a class action over it a year later. 

Although some Apple Intelligence features have been delayed until late this year, with analysts dinging Apple over that…now, it looks like Cupertino is doing anything besides sitting still. According to theverge.com, they are working on adding cameras to the Apple Watch in order to enable AI features like Visual Intelligence in the next two years. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said in his Power On newsletter that the cams will live ‘inside the display’ on the standard Watch, but the Ultra will have them on the side, next to the digital crown and button. What the cameras will bring is that the Watch will be able to “see the outside world and use AI to deliver relevant information.” We had reported previously that Apple was working on adding cams to the AirPods, so it looks like they are going all-in on Apple Intelligence. The cam-equipped Watches and AirPods could roll out in 2027. Visual Intelligence will bow on the iPhone 16’s.

Google has added features to Gemini which are pretty cool. Androidpolice.com notes that Gemini has added new live video AI features. A person with a Google One subscription can now not only engage in live discussion about a screenshot from your device, but (at least on an Xiaomi phone right now) can share their screen in real time with the AI. You can ask the AI anything about what’s on the screen. Up to now, this only was expected to work with static screen shots. No announcements have been made, so it sounds like maybe there is a rolling worldwide staggered release. 

We reported earlier that California had introduced a bill that would make ISPs provide cheap broadband to low income folks like New York has. Now, arstechnica.com reports that it has been amended with details. The Internet service providers would have to furnish 100Mbps download speeds and 20Mbps upload speeds for $15 a month. The Supreme Court has twice refused to step in and stop this, so expect California to move forward on this. and for other states to follow suit. In New York, AT&T stopped offering home 5G internet due to the law there, but they won’t be able to do that so easily in California. That’s because they offer DSL and other fiber internet in the Golden State, and still are classified as a carrier of last resort for landline service.

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.