Google Hits Brakes on AI Images of People; AT&T, Others Cell Outage This Morning; ARM Claims ‘Software is Driver in Deal With Nuro; Samsung Will Bring Galaxy AI Features to More Devices

Posted: February 22, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Google has pumped the brakes, disabling Gemini’s ability to generate images of people. PCMag.com reports that this came after users found that Gemini was producing historically inaccurate images in some situations. Like some extreme examples? It showed what it claimed was a Native American man and woman as an 1820s German couple…and one of the Founding Fathers as African American. It also came up with Asian members in the 1929 German military. Google put out a message saying “We are aware that Gemini is offering inaccuracies in some historical image generation depictions, and we are working to fix this immediately.” 

There were widespread cellular outages this morning starting at about 3:30 am Eastern that affected calls and even 911 service. The problems were all on  AT&T’s network. According to NPR, AT&T now says it has restored around three quarters of its cellular network. Some 73,000 customers were affected. Verizon and T-Mobile reported that their networks were ‘operating normally.’ This is more concerning than in the past, since these days, nearly 71% of adults and 82% of kids live in wireless-only households. AT&T hasn’t said what caused the outages at this point. 

Chipmaker ARM supplies most of the systems on a chip that run the world’s smartphones, and now they are diving into the world of driverless cars. Thenextweb.com says the chip maker has cut a deal with Nuro, a startup in the autonomous vehicle realm. The partnership aims to accelerate the commercialization of self-driving cars. Arm will bring its famed semiconductor IP to Nuro’s vehicles, starting with the startup’s delivery robots. In an only slightly hyped statement, ARM says ‘software is becoming the driver’ for cars! Arm is finding a nice place in the automotive segment…since 2020, they have nearly doubled their revenue in the sector. As for startup Nuro, they are shooting for level 4 autonomy, which doesn’t need a human driver under certain road conditions. They haven’t given any roadmap for how soon they think that will become a reality.

The AI push marches relentlessly on…Samsung is now going to bring its Galaxy AI features to more devices with a software update in March. The handsets affected are the Galaxy S23 series, S23 FE, Z Fold5, and Z Flip. The tablets that will get the AI include the Tab S9 Ultra, Tab S9+, and Tab 59. With this upcoming update, users will get access to Google’s “Circle to Search” feature, which lets users search from anywhere on their phone using gestures like circling, highlighting, scribbling or tapping. Another feature called Live Translate will provide voice and text translations for phone calls. Plus, users will get access to an “Interpreter” feature that generates text translations for live conversations.

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

GM Hires Ex-Tesla Battery Guru; Official-Google Bard AI is now Gemini; Deepfake ‘Face Swaps’ Surged 704% Last Year; FTC Accuses Microsoft of Misrepresenting Activision Blizzard Plans Post Layoffs

Posted: February 8, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

General Motors has picked up ex-Tesla executive and battery wiz Kurt Kelty to be the General’s new vice president of batteries…a brand new role at GM. Kelty’s role will likely affect the Ultium program, although his job is designed to be far broader. GM has had teams dedicated to different pieces of the battery process. However, there has never been one role that strings together every step, including sourcing raw materials and identifying and testing out new technologies. Kelty spent more than a decade as the head of Tesla’s battery team. He was there through the launch of Tesla’s first four cars: The Roadster, Model S, Model X and Model 3. He also used to work at Panasonic, Tesla’s partner in cell development at the Gigafactory in Nevada. Since leaving Tesla, Kelty was VP of commercialization at Silk Nanotechnologies, a firm that was working on a silicon based anode that can dramatically increase the energy density of lithium-ion batteries. 

Google announced officially today that it is renaming its Bard chatbot to Gemini, releasing a dedicated Gemini app for Android, and even folding all its Duet AI features in Google Workspace into the Gemini brand. It also announced that Gemini Ultra 1.0 — the largest and most capable version of Google’s large language model — is being released to the public. If you download the new app on Android, it can set Gemini as your default assistant…replacing Google Assistant when you say “Hey, Google.” So far, there isn’t dedicated Gemini app for iOS, and at any rate, you couldn’t replace Siri with it on Apple devices. Most people will use the standard version which is now called Gemini Pro. For Gemini Ultra, the more powerful version, you have to drop $20 a month for the Gemini Advanced subscription…which is part of the Google One AI Premium plan. Since that plan also includes 2TB of Google Drive Storage and other features, Google says the Gemini Advanced subscription is only really $10…except you have to pay the $20 to get it!

New research from iProov, a biometric firm from the UK finds that Deepfake “face swap” attacks skyrocketed by 704% from the first to the second half of 2023. With their ability to manipulate key traits of an image or video, face swaps made with GenAI are difficult to detect. They’re also user-friendly and affordable. To create convincing face swaps, all you need is off-the-shelf software. The manipulated or synthetic output is then fed to a virtual camera. SwapFace and DeepFaceLive are the most popular tools for bad actors, according to iProov.  By using these tools, crooks can hide the evidence of virtual cameras, which makes the face swaps harder to detect. Four years after researchers highlighted deepfakes the most worrying AI crime, their anxieties are becoming reality.

A week after Microsoft laid off nearly 2,000 employees in its gaming division, the Federal Trade Commission is accusing Microsoft of contradicting its pledge to allow Activision Blizzard to operate independently post-acquisition. Engadget.com reports that the FTC has filed a complaint in federal appeals court as of yesterday, saying that last week’s downsizing, which affected employees of Activision Blizzard, “contradicts Microsoft’s representations in this proceeding.” The FTC is asking for a temporary pause of Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard as it further investigates potential antitrust issues. In Wednesday’s complaint, the FTC argued that the recent layoffs also undermine its own ability to order relief for employees who were negatively affected in the acquisition.

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

Rivian Smaller, Cheaper SUV Coming soon; More Efficient Solar Cell from Oxford Wizards; Google Rebranding Bard to Gemini; Underground Site Uses Neural Networks to Make Really Good Fake IDs

Posted: February 5, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Rivian is getting set to unveil its smaller, cheaper SUV dubbed the R2. The drop date is March 7th. TechCrunch.com reports that it should retail for between $40-60,000, a much lower price than the R1S SUV and the R1T pickup. The reveal will happen in Laguna Beach, CA. Rivian has been operating at a loss, despite decent sales of the present SUV and pickup, as well as the vans it makes for Amazon. They believe at this lower price point, they will be able to scale up production enough to get into the black. Rivian built some 57,000 vehicles in 2023. 

A spinoff from Oxford University called Oxford PV has now made the most efficient solar panel ever built. According to thenextweb.com, compared to the average panels out there…which can convert about 15-20% of solar energy to electricity, this new one can convert 25% of the sun’s energy it receives. It uses a material that is better at absorbing light than previous cells. The spinoff claims that the panels have a theoretical efficiency of 43%…but this has yet to be shown in a real world setting. If they can show that, it would be a gigantic leap forward for solar power.

Google is getting ready to rebrand its Bard generative AI as ‘Gemini,’ likely as early as this week. 9to5google.com reports that Google has upgraded Bard with new features and capabilities. They are also powering the AI with what they call ‘Gemini Pro.’ A Gemini Advanced tier will be available on February 7th. It is a paid product, and includes  “expanded multi-modal capabilities,” better coding support, and “the ability to upload and more deeply analyze files, documents, data, and more.” After the rebranding, Google will be putting out an Android App. The app has a distinct similarity to the current Google Assistant app available in the Play Store, and they note will only run on ‘select devices.’ Most likely that means phones like Tensor-powered Pixels and the Galaxy S24 handsets.

In a flashback to my college days, when one guy I knew made fake out-of-state IDs so his pals could buy booze, a website called OnlyFake is claiming to use “neural networks” to generate realistic looking photos of fake IDs for just $15, radically disrupting the marketplace for fake identities and cybersecurity more generally. This technology, which 404 Media has verified produces fake IDs nearly instantly, could streamline everything from bank fraud to laundering stolen funds. These guys are pikers…the guy I knew charged $25 back decades ago. Ok, inappropriate, I know. At any rate, 404Media says OnlyFake created a highly convincing California driver’s license, complete with whatever arbitrary name, biographical information, address, expiration date, and signature. 404 Media used another fake ID generated by this site to successfully step through the identity verification process on OKX. OKX is a cryptocurrency exchange that has recently appeared in multiple court records because of its use by criminals. BTW, the alleged owner of OnlyFakes goes by John Wick. 

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

Threads Downloads Triple in December; Galaxy S24 Getting Crash Detection; Microsoft Closed Loophole in AI Image Generator That Allowed Swift Deepfakes; Proposed California Bill Would Allow Parents to Block Algorithmic Feeds for Kids

Posted: January 30, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Threads, the Instagram answer to the old Twitter had huge growth when it dropped last summer, then stalled out. Now, it looks like it is taking off again. The app tripled its downloads in December, placing it in the top 10 most downloaded apps for the month on both Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store. According to techcrunch.com, intelligence firm Appfigures reported 12 million new Threads downloads in December, grabbing the #4 spot on Apple’s App store and #8 on the Google Play Store. Meanwhile, X…formerly Twitter, fell to #29 on Apple’s App Store and #46 on the Google Play Store. 

Being in a car crash is a harrowing experience…particularly when it is enough to set off the airbags. Some cars have emergency calling built in, but now Samsung’s S24 phones will join Apple’s iPhones and Google’s Pixel 4 phones in alerting your loved ones if you are involved in a crash. Androidpolice.com notes that all Android devices are equipped with accelerometers and gyroscopes which the OS can read, and the phone can infer when there’s a car crash by analyzing sensor data. Google has been pushing Android phone makers to use the crash detection, so this may open the floodgates for others to follow along. 

Microsoft closed the loophole in its AI image generator that could create explicit images of celebrities like Taylor Swift. After the widespread outrage from Swift’s fans last week after explicit deepfakes of her showed up on X, Redmond took the action. Theverge.com says that Microsoft’s Designer AI image generator could be hacked by altering prompts that got around simple name blocks. Microsoft put out a statement claiming they are committed to a safe and respectful experience for everyone. Time will tell if the hackers are able to get around the updated software. Just before the Swift explicit deepfakes appeared, recall that someone was making political robocalls in New Hampshire with a cloned voice of President Biden. The battle will continue. 

California is considering a couple of bills that would protect kids from social media addiction and preserve their private data. Engadget.com reports that SB976 would give parents the power to remove addictive algorithmic feeds from their children’s social channels. If passed, it would allow parents of children under 18 to choose between the default algorithmic feed — typically designed to create profitable addictions — and a less habit-forming chronological one. It would also let parents block all social media notifications and prevent their kids from accessing social platforms during nighttime and school hours. AB 1949 would attempt to strengthen data privacy for CA children under 18. The bill’s language gives the state’s consumers the right to know what personal information social companies collect and sell and allows them to prevent the sale of their children’s data to third parties. Any exceptions would require “informed consent,” which must be from a parent for children under 13.

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

Google Chrome Gets AI Features; Apple’s Fabled Car Now Due in 2028; Netflix is Dropping Cheapest Ad-Free Plan; Amazon Ring Will Now Require Warrant for Cops to Get Footage

Posted: January 24, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

New AI features are coming to Google Chrome on both Windows and Mac. TechCrunch.com reports that they include a way to organize tabs, customize your theme, and get help writing things on the web…things like forum posts, online reviews, and more. A lot of this has been available on Google’s SGE, or Search Generative Experience, their experimental AI search experience. The still experimental feature for writing should be accessible next month in that Chrome release…just right click on a text box or field on the web, then choose ‘help me write.’ You need to write the first few words, then the AI will begin to help out. 

Actually, I can’t believe I’m writing about this again…talk about vaporware! Yes, Project Titan, the fabled Apple car…which has been on-again, off-again since 2015. 9to5mac.com notes that there have been numerous execs that have left and been replaced, to say nothing of staff churn. Starting a brand new car company is insanely hard…and we’re talking an autonomous EV on top of that. It appears at this point that the possible 2028 vehicle will be a Level 2+ system….originally, Apple was shooting for Level 4. Bloomberg reports that it is possible that Apple could upgrade the system over time with software. Even for famously secretive Apple, it’s a big tell about how rough Project Titan is going that there has never been a prototype spotted in disguise running around on any roadways. Did Apple bite off more than they can chew with the autonomous EV project? We may know by 2028…unless they kick the can down the road again.

Current members of Netflix have been able to keep their ad-free basic subscription plan at $11.99 a month up to now, but that is going to start changing. Theverge.com says company execs told investors in an earnings report that it will be retiring the plan in some countries…starting with Canada and the UK second quarter. That will leave you paying $15.49 a month if you want Netflix’s cheapest ad-free plan. The cheapie ad-supported basic plan remains at $6.99, and the ad-free premium plan is still $22.99 a month. Netflix has also signed a 10 year deal with WWE’s Monday Night Raw.

There have been complaints over the years including from civil liberties groups and some politicians about police obtaining footage from users’ Ring Doorbell cams without their permission or knowledge. That is about to change. Bloomberg reports that starting next week, Amazon will disable its Request for Assistance tool, which  had allowed law enforcement to seek footage from users on a voluntary basis, Eric Kuhn, who runs Ring’s Neighbors app, said in a blog post on Wednesday. Police and fire departments will have to seek a warrant to request footage from users or show the company evidence of an ongoing emergency.

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

Update: Apple Trying to Avoid Watch Ban in US; Google Tab Over Epic Court Loss-$700 Million; Breakthrough Towards Making Artificial DNA; Tesla Driver Owes $23 Grand Restitution From Crash

Posted: December 19, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Apple software engineers are working overtime on a possible software solution to get around the pending International Trade Commission ban on the Apple Watch that will go into effect on Christmas. Appleinsider.com reports that Apple believes a last minute software update may be able to circumvent the patents they have been accused of violating from Masimo. Without the update or other change, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 will be unavailable after Christmas in the US. For its part, Masimo claims that the patent violations can only be resolved with hardware alterations in a future Watch Model. Apple thinks a software update will satisfy US Customs. 

We reported earlier that Epic Games won a suit claiming Google has an illegal monopoly with its Play Store. According to theverge.com, all 50 state attorneys general settled a similar lawsuit in September, and now we know what Google’s tab is. Google will cough up $700 million and make several small concessions to the way they operate the Play store in the US. So for a brief moment in time, it will become the Google PAY store. The biggest change? Google will need to let developers steer consumers away from the Google Play Store for several years, if this settlement is approved.

A group of scientists have figured out how to create truly artificial DNA. Bgr.com notes that the study published in Nature Communications indicates that this may enable the tech to create new medicines for certain diseases by creating DNA with new nucleotides that can create custom proteins. The scientists were led by Dong Wang Ph.D. Wang helped lead the study alongside Steven A. Benner, Ph.D., and Dmitry Lyumkis, Ph.D.. Together, the three authors have shown that you can not only create artificial DNA but that the artificial nucleotides may also be able to help create custom proteins we could use to target specific diseases that are hard to combat.

A Tesla driver from LA owes over $23,000 in restitution for killing two people in a crash in 2019. The AP says he pleaded no contest to two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. Despite facing more than seven years behind bars, a judge sentenced him to probation in June. Kevin Riad is a limo driver who was behind the wheel of a Tesla that ran a red light while on Autopilot and hit another car in an intersection. Coincidentally, the judgment against Riad came the same day that a recall was announced for most Tesla cars over Autopilot. 

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

Most Popular App Store Apps 2023; Jury Finds Google Has Monopoly in App Store Battle; Ford Cutting Production on F-150 Lightning EV Trucks; Microsoft Agrees to Union Position on Use of AI

Posted: December 12, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

As we near the end of the year, there are always a myriad of lists that come out. Here’s one that is interesting I think. Apple has revealed the most popular App Store apps and games of 2023. Macrumors.com has details on the top free and top paid apps. We’ll just cover the top free apps here. Topping the list is Chinese shopping app Temu. In 2nd place is CapCut Video Editor. #3 is Max, the streaming app for HBO. 4th place is Threads, the barely 6 month old Meta answer to what Twitter used to be before Elon Musk changed it to X and mucked it all up. TikTok is holding down 5th place, and as we reported, it has become the first non-game to top $10 billion in revenue. Instagram is #6…probably getting some growth from people who had to sign up for it like I did in order to sign up for Threads. Google is the 7th place app, and Alphabet—or Google-owned YouTube is close behind at 8th. In 9th place is WhatsApp Messenger…also owned by Meta. 10th place is Gmail. It’s worth noting that 3 of the top ten apps are owned by Meta, and 3 are owned by Google parent Alphabet…so 60% of the top ten apps are owned by two companies…and two apps…Temu and TikTok…come from China. 

It’s being called an Epic win…typical of reporters who love such plays on words…but a jury found in favor of Epic games vs Google over their claimed illegal monopoly battle about Google’s App Store. According to theverge.com, the jury found  that Google turned its Google Play app store and Google Play Billing service into an illegal monopoly. This case was much different from the one Epic lost vs Apple. Here, the issue turned on secret revenue sharing deals between Google, smartphone makers, and big game developers, ones that Google execs internally believed were designed to keep rival app stores down. The damages and remedies are yet to be decided, and you can bet on Google appealing, but for now, Epic as the boss of the level has beaten mighty Google.

Earlier in the year, Ford announced it was dramatically increasing production of the then hot selling F-150 Lightening electric pickup. Now, the Blue Oval company is halving production as sales have slowed. Arstechnica.com says production will drop from 3200 trucks a week to 1600. Ford has said they weren’t making money on the truck, and goosed the base price considerably earlier…from $39,974 before tax credits up about $10 grand to $49,995. Guess what, Ford? You are out of the ‘sweet spot’ for regular joe buyers at that price point. Battery packs are expensive, but with so many less components…like big engines and transmissions, and the like…it seems like they could actually have been making some money at the lower figure…maybe just not what they wanted to make. 

Not an historically union friendly employer, but Microsoft has agreed to union contract language about the use of artificial intelligence. The deal gives workers a voice when challenging how the tech is employed. Engadget.com reports that this is the first time ever Microsoft has done collective bargaining. The Communications Workers of America contract language pretty well echoes Microsoft’s previously announced AI principles, including that AI systems will “treat all people fairly” and “empower everyone.” To that end, it will give employees covered under the contract an avenue of recourse should they feel that Microsoft isn’t holding up its end of the bargain. Principles are fine, but now, it is memorialized in a written contract, which should offer employees more security when it comes to future AI tech.

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

Samsung Folder-Massive Battery; Huawei Nova 4 Has 48 MP Cam; Apple Steals Top Tesla Designer; Google Dropping A Billion on NY Campus

Posted: December 17, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

More is seeping out about Samsung’s folding phone, after the brief and slight showing of it last month. Bgr.com says the Infinity Flex screen phone will have a crazy high price of $1700 or $1800 dollars, will run a Snapdragon 855, and have dual 12 MP cams, with an 8 MP selfie cam. There will be TWO battery cells, for a total capacity of 5,000 mAh or 6,000 mAh. The folder will be out next year, and analysts think that it might drop in price by 2022 to $1300…which will be the price of an iPhone by then!

With most of the news about their CFO being arrested in Canada, Huawei has rolled out a new phone that should grab headlines back for their actual business. Theverge.com reports that the Nova 4 features a 48-megapixel main camera with 3 lenses, and a ‘hole punch’ cut out for the front cam…which is a whopping 25 megapixels…on a selfie cam! Samsung has a similar ‘hole punch’ setup on the galaxy A8. The Nova 4 has a 6.4 inch display, 8 gigs of RAM, 128 gigs of storage, and a 3750 mAh battery. It will run about $490 in the US.

We’ve all heard for over a year that the Apple car…Project Titan, was dead, and that Apple was focusing on self-driving software and hardware for other cars. Now, that may be questioned a bit. According to macrumors.com, Cupertino has poached Andrew Kim, who reimagined Microsoft’s design language, then moved to Tesla in design. With Kim now at Apple Park, as well is Tesla’s chief vehicle engineer…who returned to Apple earlier this year. Kim had worked on the designs for the Models, 3, S, X, Y, the new Roadster V2, and the Semi.

With Amazon busily working on its two HQ2s outside D.C. and in NY, and Apple announcing a huge new billion dollar campus in Austin, TX, you knew Google couldn’t be sitting on their hands. Now, techcrunch.com says Google has announced it will pump a billion into setting up a campus at Hudson Square in New York. Google already has 7,000 located in NY, and this will double that over 10 years…in a 1.7 million square foot campus the company is touting as ‘the primary location’ for Google’s ‘Global Business Organization.’ The facility will be operational by 2020.

Apple Could Make More iPhones Outside of China; Intel’s New Sunny Cove Chips & Archetecture; Amazon NYC Warehouse Workers Push for Union; Top 10 2018 Google Searches

Posted: December 12, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

With the continued threat of higher tariffs from the Trump Administration, Apple is looking at moving more iPhone production out of China. Techcrunch.com says Apple is looking at more production in India, and in Brazil, where Foxconn has had a factory since 2011. If there ends up being a 10% tariff, Apple (through Foxconn) will probably stay with China. If the tariff hits 25%, Apple will say goodbye to production in China (with the exception of phones built for sale within China proper.)

Starting new year, Intel will release Core and Xeon chips with a new architecture…the add a number of instructions that accelerate frequently used workloads like cryptography and compression. Intel claims a 75% improvement in compression performance. Arstechnica.com reports that Sunny Cove chips will be built using the 10nm process. It is a derivation of Skylake, but can execute more instructions in parallel with lower latency.

In news that will give Jeff Bezos heartburn, Amazon workers in New York City are pushing to unionize. They are working with the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union, and according to the verge.com want to address safety concerns, long unpaid security checks, what they term unreasonable hourly quotas, and insufficient breaks. A leak recently of an anti-union training video Amazon made has increased interest. Among other things, the video encourages managers to express opinions like ‘Unions are lying, cheating rats.’ Even the raise to $15 per hour doesn’t begin to cover things for workers living in NYC, which is also true of other costly areas like Connecticut and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Because we love lists, and think it gives us insight into what the collective of humanity is (or was) thinking about, here are the top 10 Google searches of 2018: #10 (imagine some echo on the numbers if you must) Kate Spade; at 9, Stephen Hawking; XXXTentacion was in the 8th slot; #7 Anthony Bourdain (note that all of these people had died); the #6 most searched was Meghan Markle; 5 actually wasn’t a person…it was ‘Black Panther’ the movie; Stan Lee was 4th; #3 was Mac Miller; in 2nd place was Avicii; and the top spot was the World Cup. Don’t you feel so much more informed?

Ultrasound Powered Qualcomm Fingerprint Sensor; Snapdragon 855; Google & Amazon Making AirPod Alternatives; Apple Adding Health Sensors to AirPods

Posted: December 5, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Adding an extra layer to fingerprint sensor security, Qualcomm is baking in ultrasound to beef up its in-display fingerprint sensor. Engadget.com reports that the ultrasound will allow creation of a 3D mold of your finger, which will be much harder to copy. It will pick up on the ridges and even pores. As a bonus, the sensor should be able to tell it’s you, even though you still have a little of today’s lunch on your finger (wash up, you slob!) They didn’t allow testing at the demo, so we’ll have to wait to see how fast the new tech is.

Speaking of fast, Qualcomm also showed off its Snapdragon 855 at its event in Hawaii. According to 9to5google.com, the chip will power the 2019 flagship phones, including from Samsung. It will support multi-gigabit 5G, which also rolls out next year in a number of markets. Qualcomm says the chip has 3x the AI performance of last year’s chip.

It’s not that there aren’t already cheaper alternatives to Apple’s AirPods on the market, but a couple are coming from some heavyweights…Google and Amazon appear to be preparing to launch competitor products.

9to5mac.com says Apple isn’t exactly waiting around for the increased competition…they are working on more water resistance, support for Hey Siri, and interchangeability…so you could put one in an ear without checking to see if it’s Left or Right, and the AirPod would orient itself and the audio automatically. Apple is also expected to integrate health sensors into the next gen AirPods, and integrate the data with Apple Watch as well as the health app on iPhones. Well known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says to look for Cupertino to sell 26-28 million sets this year, 50-55 million in 2019, and over 100 million in 2021.

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