Google Rolls Out ‘People Generation’ in Gemini Advanced; Meta & Instagram-Social Music Sharing; Self-Store Roofs-Country Wide 100MW Solar Farm; New Wyze AI Lets Users Search Security Video Footage

Google is bowing the ability to generate images of people in the next few days for users of Gemini Advanced, Business, and Enterprise. At first, the feature will only be in English. 9to5google.com reports that free users will also get this feature, but not until the paid folks all get their hands on it first. Google notes that while they have made significant progress in better images of people, they will not support the generation of photorealistic, identifiable individuals, depictions of minors, or excessively gory, violent, or sexual scenes. The rollout will allow photorealistic landscapes, though…and example: a breathtaking mountain vista with jagged peaks and snow-capped summits, bathed in the warm glow of a setting sun. Dramatic clouds, painted in vibrant hues of orange, pink, and purple, streak across the sky. Now, you can put in a proper text prompt, and be a photorealistic Bob Ross…because we all need more happy little trees!

Meta is partnering with Spotify to explore deeper music integration into Instagram. According to TechCrunch.com, they are testing a feature that allows users to continuously share the music they are listening to via Instagram’s Notes. Pardon me, but doesn’t this sound just like an expansion of an old MySpace feature? Back to the Future! As will all these sorts of things, it is a test, so may not end up being rolled out to everyone. A message in the app says ‘you can stop sharing at any time.’ If you are excited for this, great. After decades of programming music on radio, I will stick to my own playlist creation, thank you very much. 

A few years ago, California doled out money to cover parking spaces at colleges and community colleges…for faculty and staff, anyway. The reasoning was to use the roof space for solar panels. A community college near me powers their science building from the panels and some on that building. Now, in a rather huge expansion of that concept, electrek.co says a solar energy company is renting 8.5 million square feet of roof space from the National Storage Affiliates Trust for a new solar panel project. Solar Landscape says the solar grid on the roofs of over 1000 facilities in 42 states and Puerto Rico should produce over 100 megawatts of solar capacity. The power won’t just run the storage facilities..they will provide clean power to nearby business and homes at a discounted price. 

Wyze Labs is introducing a new feature that uses AI to let users search using text prompts for specific moments in their security cam videos. Geekwire.com reports that the feature will be available to Wyze’s $9.99 a month Cam Unlimited plan. The searches can be as specific as “show me my cat in the backyard.” Apparently, Amazon has been working on such a feature for its Ring cams, but Wyze has beat them for now. Amazon may be ready to roll out such a feature at their product unveiling. Wyze was started back in 2017 by some former Amazon folks.

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

AI Can’t Spell ‘Strawberry’; Apple Research-Remote Controlled Home Hub; Clothes to Keep People 15 Degrees Cooler; Experiment Kept Mice Alive 33% Longer-How About People

Maybe if you want to know if you are communicating with a bot, or a person…or at least a person with some degree of spelling literacy, you can just ask them to spell ’strawberry.’ TechCrunch.com reports that in a crazy quirk, when you query muscular AI models like Chat GPT4o and Claude how many times does the letter R appear in the word ‘strawberry,’ they will tell you twice! I just did a video seminar on the use of these AI models, and watched as a guy produced a non-disclosure agreement in around a minute, and then had one of the AI models…Claude in this case…translate the document into French, Italian, and simple Chinese. It spit out the results in about 30 seconds. We already know the things will lie..’hallucinate’ as the AI companies euphemistically say…when they don’t have an answer, but this is a pretty interesting wrinkle. It is a good reminder that they are incredible at predicting the next word and many words, but they don’t have brains or really think. So, Claude…how many times DOES the letter R appear in the word ‘strawberry?’ 

Apple is working on something that may be somewhat at odds with all the health features that the Apple Watch brings to users. Cupertino is allegedly working on more remote control for things around the home. According to appleinsider.com, the remote could be a free-standing device, or incorporated into iPhones as an app. The actual patent says…somewhat nebulously…as can be the case with patent descriptions… “Electronic devices with touch input components and haptic output components.” From the text of the patent, it looks like it could be for finding, controlling, or reacting to, most any device in the home that runs on electricity. While it could be a phone, Apple says in the description that the aim is not to have an iPhone-like device that a person has to constantly look at. “The use of localized and global haptic output from components… may help a user interact more intuitively with surrounding objects and devices,” says Apple, “by reducing the need for the user to look at [the] device at all times.” In other words, it sounds like Apple has invented a universal remote control…only with haptic feedback. One thought…it may be being planned to control the reported Apple robots!

With climate change here and looming larger as time goes on, here’s something useful from some scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Bgr.com says they have developed a flexible chalk-based coating that can be added to any type of fabric. Once added to the fabric, the clothes can reduce the body temperature by up to 15 degrees compared to untreated clothing. The nice thing about this coating is that it can be applied to nearly any commercially available fabric out there, making almost any outfit into a set of body cooling clothes. And because the coating is surface level, it doesn’t actually change the material in any way. It doesn’t even penetrate the fibers, the researchers note. The additional expense is described as ‘low to moderate,’ so this could be a pretty huge deal.

A research study found that mice that take in less of a specific amino acid lived 33% longer than those that had a more normal amount. Bgr.com reports that if the findings pan out on humans, it could lead to an anti-aging diet that helps us to live longer. As with all human trials, this will take a while to get approved. That said, the scientists were surprised that the result extended the rodents’ life spans so much. The actual study had a control group with 20 amino acids, another group with reduced amino acids, and then a third with just one amino acid…isoleucine…reduced. Cutting that one amino acid seemed to create the anti-aging type diet. Here’s an interesting point…the 33% lifespan increase was for male mice…the females in the group only got a 7% bump in life span. Those eating off the anti-aging diet were also less likely to develop things like cancerous tumors, age-related prostate enlargement, and other common age-related issues. Further, the researchers found that the mice eating the restricted diet ate significantly more calories, but they didn’t actually gain any weight. Instead, they actually burned more energy and maintained lower body weights overall, despite their activity levels being on different than the others in the research.

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

Apple iPhone Event September 9th; Telegram CEO Arrested in France; Threads Tests Expiring Posts; Meta Axes High-End Vision Pro Competitor

Apple will break with a tradition and have their iPhone event on a Monday…September 9th, to be exact. Previously, most prognosticators had guessed the day after, the 10th. Macrumors.com reports that the announcement came with a tease line of ‘It’s Glowtime.’ It will be at the Apple Park Cupertino campus at 10AM Pacific. Expect to see the new iPhone 16 lineup, as well as the updated Watch models, AirPods 4, and we should get drop dates for iOS 18, MacOS Sequoia and other software, too. All the new iPhones will get the customizable Action Button, and also a new Capture button that is for shooting photos…particularly in the horizontal orientation, for use on the Vision Pro as well as other uses. Expect a bigger screen on the Watch, but a thinner case. We’ll have a detailed wrap up after the hype fest ends on the 9th.

Over the weekend, Saturday night Paris time, the CEO and billionaire founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov, was arrested at an airport near the French capital. According to Reuters, his private jet had just landed from Azerbaijan. There is apparently a joint investigation by several agencies into the alleged content moderation failures on the platform that have allegedly facilitated criminal activity. The crimes facilitated on Telegram include terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering, fraud, and child exploitation. French authorities had spotted Durov on the passenger list and moved to arrest him due to an existing warrant. Durov has been dubbed the Russian Mark Zuckerberg. He started Telegram in 2013 after leaving Russia when he refused to shut down opposition communities on his prior social media platform VK. 

Threads is test driving an option for users to put a 24 hour expiration on their posts…after which the post and replies to it would disappear like with Stories. Engadget.com says the feature is being tested by a group of users. Threads has already experimented with auto-archiving, but that hasn’t really caught on for users. Just this month, the Meta-owned platform rolled out an analytics tool called Insights. For users with large followings, it makes it easier to track their account performance. Meta says they also have an option to schedule posts coming out soon.

In other Meta news, the company has given its high-end mixed reality headset the chop. The device was planned to compete with Apple’s Vision Pro, but with the weak sales of the Vision Pro so far, Meta has decided to hold off on a rival device. They had been wanting to keep the price under $1000, too, but with the price of MicroOLED, that figure seemed unrealistic. The $1499 Quest Pro, like the more than twice as expensive Apple Vision Pro, didn’t really get a toehold in the market and was dinged with bad reviews. Meta will continue to work on mixed reality headsets, but for now will keep them well under $1000. A new one code named Ventura may bow late this year. Besides that, Meta hopes to show off some AR glasses next month, and is shooting to have a Quest 4 in standard and premium versions by 2026. 

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

Pixel 9 Can Sat Call in Emergency; Folding iPad & MacBook Rumor; 2025 VW ID Buzz Electric Microbus Prices and Range; Feds Fine Telcom for Fake AI Biden Robocall

Google has joined the satellite club along with Apple and Samsung, as the Google Pixel 9 gets Satellite SOS. Androidpolice.com reports that the new feature to share info with emergency services will require Google Messages to be set as the default messaging app. Right now, Satellite SOS is only on the Pixel 9 and is limited to the US. The service is free for the first 2 years, though. 

Well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is saying that there will be a folding MacBook in 2027 or 2028, a delay from 2025. According to 9to5mac.com, he also now echoes Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in saying that a folding iPad will hit the market in 2027 or 2028. Originally, the iPad was supposed to be a huge 20.25 incher, but now the rumors have it finalized at 18.8 inches…not that that is small! With a folding iPhone reported to be in the works, it looks like Apple is finally going all-in on folding devices. It should be noted as with all rumors that some of this may not happen. There is some confusion in the Apple supply chain about whether there will be a folding MacBook that size, or iPad, or if it is just one or the other. One thing is for sure…whatever it is or they are, expect a premium Apple price!

New info is out on the Buzzy Volkswagen ID Buzz Electric Microbus. Cnet.com notes that we now have pricing and range information. The cool looking updated microbus will start at $59,995 for the base Pro S model. It will have an EPA estimated 234 miles of range with rear drive, and the dual motor all-wheel drive version will go 231 miles between charges. It’s an unfair comparison in a number of ways, but the average 1967 VW Type 2 microbus went for around $2595…that comes to an inflation adjusted $25,300. Of course the new ID Buzz has way, way more tech and features than the venerable old microbus had…like a 700 watt, 14 speaker Harman-Karson audio system and head up display.  If the $59,995 doesn’t crush your wallet, go for the all wheel drive rig at $67,995. The First Edition brings the tariff up to $69,995!For that you get fancier wheels, exclusive badges, and more plush floor mats, but also an electrochromic glass roof that changes from transparent to opaque at the press of a button. That’s a $1495 extra on the Pro S Plus.

The FCC has fined Lingo Telecom a million bucks for transmitting fraudulent robocalls that used an AI version of President Biden’s voice, and told voters to stay away from the New Hampshire Primary in January. Engadget.com reports that the Feds said in a statement after the settlement  “..the potential combination of the misuse of generative AI voice-cloning technology and caller ID spoofing over the U.S. communications network presents a significant threat. This settlement sends a strong message that communications service providers are the first line of defense against these threats and will be held accountable to ensure they do their part to protect the American public.” Besides the fine, Lingo must demonstrate and implement a compliance plan.

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

Teams-New Single App for Personal & Work Accounts; Ford Will Build EV PU on New Low-Cost Platform; Samsung Odyssey Monitor-Eye Tracking Tech Like 3D Glasses; Microsoft Update Won’t Let Dual Boot Boxes Boot Linux

I know this is what all of you have been waiting for…I am so excited about this…ok, not. Microsoft is launching a single, unified Teams app that lets you switch between personal and work accounts. A show of hands…who ever uses Teams for personal communication outside of work. Yeah, I didn’t think so. At any rate, theverge.com reports that the app is out for both Windows and Mac users today. The app update not only supports work, personal, and education accounts in a single Teams app, but it also improves the experience of switching between different Teams tenants. According to Microsoft, “You can also join as a guest without signing in. “Whether you’re joining a call to connect with a customer or discuss your school’s fall fundraiser, simply select your preferred account the moment you join the meeting.” Of course, if you use Teams and it is on your work computer, they will push out an automatic update…yeah, I’m still not using it for personal… thanks anyway, Microsoft!

Ford, like a lot of manufacturers, has throttled back on EV production due to sales tapering off after the early adapters bought in…and like other makers, is building more hybrids. According to TechCrunch.com, this doesn’t mean Ford is taking its foot off the gas on EVS…Dearborn is planning a new EV pickup based on its low-cost EV platform being developed by a skunks work crew. That EV will bow in 2027. Ford is delaying the next generation of EV F-150 Lightning pickups a couple years from 2025 to 2027 now. They say they the next gen F-150 will “utilize lower-cost battery technology” and take advantage of other unspecified “cost breakthroughs.” Meanwhile, they are seeing a big boost in hybrid sales, with the F-150 hybrids up 25% and the Maverick compact pickup now running about 70% hybrid.

Samsung has brought a feature to its new Odyssey monitors that let you play games in glasses-free 3D. Theverge.com notes that the monitors use eye-tracking tech to convert 2D visuals to glasses-free 3D. The Odyssey 3D is due for a global release before the end of the year, and Samsung claims that it will allow users to “seamlessly switch between 2D and 3D modes” based on preference — which may tempt folks who are curious about 3D gaming, but apprehensive to commit. It will come in 27 and 37 inch sizes and has a 4K QLED panel. How much? No pricing has been released, but you can bet it won’t be in the bargain bin range!

In its latest monthly patch update, Microsoft patched a 2 year old vulnerability in GRUB…an open source boot loader used to start many Linux devices. Arstechnica.com reports that the intended fix has now made it so dual boot devices…ones running Windows and Linux can no longer boot into Linux when Secure Boot is enforced. Users have gotten a message…“Verifying shim SBAT data failed: Security Policy Violation. Something has gone seriously wrong: SBAT self-check failed: Security Policy Violation.” Windows had said that the update wouldn’t to apply to dual boot systems running both systems, but many user found that isn’t the case. So far, Redmond hasn’t responded to numerous complaints about this. The Linux user base is a small group, but very computer literate and very noisy. Microsoft had best address this soon!

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now. Technified…better than being petrified…

Microsoft Bug Let Hackers Spy on MacOS Users; COVID Wave-FDA May OK COVID Shots Early; Disney Backs off Using Disney Plus Arb Agree Applied to Death in Park; Waymo Now Giving 100,000 Robotaxi Rides a Week

They might be bored silly a lot of the time in my case, but a vulnerability in Microsoft apps for macOS has allowed hackers to spy on Mac users via the camera and microphones in Macs. 9to5mac.com reports that researchers at Cisco Talos say the attacks are based on injecting malicious libraries into Microsoft apps to gain their entitlements and user-granted permissions. Apple’s macOS has a framework known as Transparency Consent and Control (TCC), which manages app permissions to access things like location services, camera, microphone, library photos, and other files. They found 8 vulnerabilities. Microsoft apparently considered the exploit to be ‘low risk,’ but did update Teams and One Note. Right now, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook are still vulnerable to the exploit. The Cisco researchers say Apple could also implement changes to the Transparency Consent and Control framework to make the system more secure. 

After a fairly substantial summer COVID wave, the FDA is mulling signing off on this year’s strain-matched COVID-19 vaccines as soon as this week. According to arstechnica.com, CNN had that word from unnamed officials at the FDA. Last year’s vaccine was green lighted on September 11th, but the summer wave this summer started sooner and hit a much higher level. According to waste water samples, there were ‘very high’ virus levels found in 32 states and the District of Columbia. The South and West regions of the country had the highest concentrations. Even though vaccinations have dropped off, the good news is that there is enough accumulation of protection that emergency room visits and deaths are not near what they were in prior years. The biggest thing is to be prepared for the winter wave…so get your jab as soon as possible after the new vaccine blend comes out.

There was quite a bit of outrage when Disney’s legal folks tried to use part of an online agreement for a reason to force a man to arbitration after his wife died from an allergic reaction after eating at a restaurant at Disney Springs shopping complex in Orlando. Theverge.com notes that the House of Mouse was claiming that a click to agree when the woman had signed up for a Disney Plus trial membership also forced her into arbitration for the death in a restaurant. After quite an uproar, the chairman of Disney experiences Josh D’Amaro said in a statement to The Verge. “As such, we’ve decided to waive our right to arbitration and have the matter proceed in court.” Disney originally made no mention of arbitration when the case was filed.

As recently as earlier this summer, Waymo as giving 50,000 paid robotaxi rides a week. That number has now doubled to 100,000! These are all in its primary commercial markets of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix. Techcrunch.com reports that info gleaned from the California Department of Revenue indicates that there are 778 Waymo robotaxis with permits in the state. It wasn’t clear if some of them might be operating in Phoenix. We just reported last week that the service in San Francisco has extended down the peninsula to Daly City. There was already service to and from San Francisco International Airport. 

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

Google Dropping Fitbit Watches for Pixels; Apple Podcasts Launches Web App; National Public Data-Big Data Breach; GM Chopping 10,000 Software Gigs

This will make several people I know sad…Google has announced it won’t make any more Fitbit smartwatches. From here forward, Pixel Watch is being called the ‘next iteration’ by Google. 9to5google.com reports that Google’s director of product management for Pixel wearables is quoted as saying “Pixel Watch is our smartwatch part of the portfolio” in response to a question about any future Fitbit-branded smartwatches, adding that Pixel Watch is “our next iteration of smartwatch for Fitbit.” Instead, Fitbit-branded products will focus on trackers that are “more minimalistic” with long battery life. For now, the Fitbit Versa 4 an Sense 2 remain on the market. 

Apple has…fanfare please…launched a web app to let you listen to Apple Podcasts in desktop browsers…their own Safari, and also Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. According to 9to5mac.com, users can now access their Up Next cue, library of saved shows, and browse for new podcasts inside their PC with a web browser. Up to now, you have had to use just the podcasts app. Besides Apple PCs, you can listen to podcasts on a Windows laptop or desktop just using the browser. So what took so long, Apple? As you might expect, Apple Podcasts syncs with your Apple Account so you can continue listening to something you started on your phone on the PC and vice versa. 

It seems like every day, there is a new data breach announced somewhere, but this one is a doozy. National Public Data scrapes information from non-public sources that it sells for background checks. Engadget.com says that the company has confirmed that it had ‘a data security incident’ that exposed peoples’ names, email, addresses, phones numbers, social security numbers and mailing addresses. It’s not a tiny breach…it’s 2.7 billion with a B records! Apparently, the hacker had been trying to get in since late December 2023, and finally did in April of this year and again this summer. The National Public Data is already facing a proposed class action lawsuit that was filed in early August by a plaintiff who received a notification from their identity theft protection service that their personal information was posted on the dark web. They argued that the company failed “to properly secure and safeguard the personally identifiable information that it collected and maintained as part of its regular business practices.” Getting a $10 voucher in a class action suit may be a small consolation for people affected by this.

General Motors is cutting about 1,000 software jobs worldwide, claiming to focus on more ‘high-priority’ projects like making its Super Cruise better, beefing up its infotainment platform, and exploring the use of AI. I know, who knew GM even had that many people in software? At any rate, techcrunch.com reports that the General is trying to move more quickly as it tries to compete in what they are calling ‘software-defined vehicles.’ It may not be so much of a joke these days to say that cars are looking to eventually become a battery powered computer you can ride in. 

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

T-Mobile Fined $60 Million Over Data Breaches; Iranian Hacker Group Targeted Both GOP & Dem Presidential Campaigns; iPhone Driver’s License Support for CA Coming Soon; Threads Bows New Features

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the US has fined T-Mobile $60 million for failing to report and stop data breaches, the biggest civil penalty they have ever levied. Engadget.com reports that T-Mobile is owned by Deutsche Telekom, a German based company. The fines date back to 2020 when T-Mobile bought Sprint. The CFIUS put some conditions on the purchase, including some related to protecting consumer data. The Committee found that T-Mobile didn’t comply with these conditions by failing to secure data and then by failing to report unauthorized access to this data. 

Google’s Threat Analysis Group just published a new report on a group called APT 42, a group that Google says has aggressively tried to compromise both the Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns…in addition to Israeli Military, government, and diplomatic organizations. According to Wired.com, APT 42 is believed to be under the control of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. They target about a dozen people associated with both the Trump and Biden campaigns during May and June. This appears to be the same group who targeted both campaigns in 2020. Google says it has blocked ‘numerous’ ongoing attempts to log into the accounts of the campaign officials. They have been pretty successful with their phishing operations…so as always…be careful with your email and for that matter, texts. Don’t react and click on a link or call a number you don’t know without doing a check first. 

California is finally…finally rolling out support for digital driver’s licenses and IDs in the Apple Wallet App on iPhone and the Apple Watch. Often in the vanguard of tech, macrumors.com notes that California is the 6th state to add the feature. More than 500,000 people have used the California DMV Wallet App, which was something of a test before the Golden State rolled out license for the Apple Wallet. IDs and licenses stored in the Wallet app on ‌iPhone‌ or iPad can be used for TSA screenings at select airports and for age verification at select stores. Right now, California’s mobile wallet support is still in a pilot stage, and only 1.5 million participants are able to sign up. California requires people to continue to carry a physical license or ID card because the digital license is not accepted by law enforcement, state government agencies, and most businesses.

Threads has announced several new features. Techcrunch.com reports that you will be able to store multiple drafts, rearrange columns on the desktop, and gain insights into user audiences. The TweetDeck type multicolumn view came out in May, but now you can rearrange them in a different order. The one thing you can’t do that most would like is move the ‘For You’ column from its default position as the first column on the left side. An insights screen shows age, gender, and location of people who view and engage with you. 

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

Geofence Warrants are Unconstitutional-5 Circuit Court of Appeals; iPhone 16’s New Button; DOJ May Call for Breakup of Google; SAG-AFTRA Deal on AI Voice Cloning

The Fifth Circuit Court Of Appeals has ruled that geofence warrants are unconstitutional. TechCrunch.com reports that the decision will limit the use of these controversial search warrants in the states that fall under the conservative court’s jurisdiction, which include Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The judges found that  geofence warrants are “categorically prohibited by the Fourth Amendment,” which protects against unwarranted searches and seizures. Geofence warrants, also known as “reverse” search warrants, allow police to draw a shape on a map, such as over a crime scene, and demand that Google (or any other company that collects user locations) search its entire banks of location data for any phone or device that was in that area at a specific point in time. Critics have complained that such warrants are unconstitutional because they are overbroad, and include information on entirely innocent people. Note that the Fourth Circuit…which includes Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina, has held the opposite. This almost certainly means the issue will find its way to the Supreme Court. Considering the conservative bent of the 5th Circuit, I would predict that the Supremes will also find geofence warrants unconstitutional. 

We have been hearing for almost a year about the new button iPhone 16 models are getting. Now, it looks like we know a good deal more about it. Of course, a month from now, we will know all about it…along with the requisite hype…or as it was dubbed in the Jobs era…Apple’s ‘reality distortion field!’ According to macrumors.com, Apple has been calling the button the Capture Button internally…and it looks like it will primarily be related to the cameras. Here are the functions, if the rumors are accurate: first, a light press on it will autofocus while shooting an image or video. Secondly, you can press harder to take a photo…much like on many DSLR and SLR cameras. Another function-you can swipe left or right to zoom in or out. Additionally, there may be a gesture to allow switching from photo to video mode. The button will live on the right side of the iPhone. Note that it may..and I would say is likely…be a feature exclusive to the Pro models. Although this all seems like a bit much when the functions already live on the screen, it will make shooting pictures and video easier and better when you use the phone in landscape orientation…and that’s how it is used for a lot of serious video and a must for those that will be viewed on Apple’s Vision Pro headset.

Since Google has been found to have a monopoly on online search, the next step from the Department of Justice is to offer proposals to the court on how to remedy this situation. 9to5google.com says new reports indicate that the remedies may include a breakup of Google…specifically, a spin-off of Android and/or Chrome. Another spin off possibility being considered is Google Ads…especially AdWords text advertising. Alternatively, the government might ask for an  “interoperability requirements that would make it work seamlessly on other search engines.” As  Google paid Apple a bit over $20 billion to be the default search on Apple’s iOS for iPhones just a couple years ago…and probably a bit more than that now, it’s no wonder Apple has been working quietly on their own search engine. Count on any remedy the court decides on being appealed by Google…which has billions at stake in this matter. 

SAG-AFTRA has cut a deal with AI voice startup Narrativ that will allow union performers to give consent or not to cloning their voices and to get paid…basically all members have asked for. Variety.com reports that under the deal, members will get the opportunity to add themselves to a database that connects voice talent to advertisers. The individual members will have the ability to negotiate fees for the use of their voice on a project by project basis, so long as the fee isn’t lower than SAG-AFTRA’s minimum per its most recent commercials contract with advertisers. In addition to being able to give a thumbs up or down to ads, union performers will be able to negotiate fees…but always will get the minimum scale, and in addition will get pension and health contributions made based on the ads they are paid for. 

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

Made by Google Recap

Today was the big day for Google’s hardware…the Made By Google extravaganza. So what all did they show? Well, for starters, the Pixel 9 line now has 3 phones in the common form factor, plus a folder. There is a base Pixel 9 with a 6.3 inch screen, a Pixel 9 Pro XL rocking a 6.8 inch screen, and a new Pixel 9 Pro with a smaller 6.3 inch screen like the base model. All have an oval-shaped cam bump, and run Google’s next gen G4 Tensor chip. Theverge.com reports that Google is touting better battery life and a new satellite SOS feature like Apple and Samsung have. The base 9 gets a $100 price bump, now starting at $799. The Pro XL is $1099. Both phones will ship August 22nd. The Smaller Pixel 9 Pro will be available in September. The 9 Pro Fold is thinner and taller than last year’s folder…the displays are 6.3 inches on the outside, and 8 inches on the inside. The Fold also uses the G4 Tensor chip. The Pixel 9 Pro fold is $1799 and it ships September 4th. 

The new Pixels run Google’s Gemini AI assistant, which will find info for you within apps or you can just ask it questions. There are two new apps from Google…Pixel Screenshots, which uses on-device AI to let you search for info in saved screen shots, and Pixel Studio, a text-to-image generator. You also get som AI image editing tools. 

Besides the handsets, Google bowed the Pixel Watch 3, with a larger 45 mm screen option. You can still get the 41 mm size. The watch 3 has a new ultra wideband chip and brighter display. The smaller Watch 3 starts at $349 with Bluetooth, and the 45 mm model starts at $399. Both Watches are available September 10th. 

Google is also rolling out Gemini Live to Gemini Advanced subscribers. We reported on this from the Google A/I meeting in May. The new voice chat option lets you ask Google’s AI assistant questions out loud, and it will respond using your choice of 10 different voices. Just like ChatGPT’s voice assistant, Gemini Live will let you talk conversationally, and you can even interrupt it mid-sentence.

Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds are smaller and lighter, but they now have 11 mm drivers and a new Tensor AI chip that Google claims improves active noise cancellation. The Pixel Buds Pro 2’s start at $229, up from $200 for the predecessor. They have 8 hours of playback with ANC active, and you get up to 30 hours with the charging case. The Buds 2 ship September 26th. 

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