This has been a busy tech week in the world of AI. Not only OpenAI give ChatGPT a human-like memory, it also launched its video generation tool Sora – and it’s mind-blowing.
Keeping up with these and other rapid technological developments can be hard work, so we’ve selected the seven biggest tech news stories from the past week to help you catch up.
As we look ahead to the days and weeks ahead, those of you in the United States can expect that Presidents Day Sale – and our deals experts have worked hard to help you score a great deal on that shiny new technology you’ve been looking for.
And at the end of the month, all eyes will be on Barcelona, when the CMM 2024 The trade show gets underway, with the stage set for a slew of announcements about smartphones and other mobile technologies.
7. OpenAI blew us away again with Sora’s AI-generated videos
Just when you thought the AI hype was over, OpenAI launched something to make you think – and watch – twice this week. THE The latest trick from the creator of ChatGPT is Soraa text-to-video conversion tool capable of creating incredibly realistic video clips from simple prompts. It’s both exciting and terrifying at the same time.
Although Sora hasn’t been released to the public yet, the quality of his clips appears to be a real leap forward for AI-generated video. Scenes that have proven difficult for algorithms to imagine – those containing people, animals and moving textures – don’t seem to pose a problem for Sora, who has considerable computing power behind her.
OpenAI says Sora is still undergoing internal testing and is certainly still far from perfect. But the implications for videos, advertising, games and even movies are clear. Goodbye reality, it was nice knowing you.
6. More Samsung Galaxy S24 display issues have appeared
SamsungGalaxy S24 phones are flying off the shelves, but many users continue to experience frustrating display issues.
Shortly after the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 PlusAnd Galaxy S24 Ultra were released last month, There have been complaints about the phones’ vivid display mode, which would have produced an ugly, washed-out color palette. Samsung has since announced a software fix for this particular issue – but this week, other display-related criticisms have emerged.
Several Reddit Users reported seeing a grainy texture when viewing dark and gray colors on their Galaxy S24 screens, while others reported seeing “frankly unacceptable” horizontal bars when viewing their screens in low brightness.
Those affected by the latter issue have also reported seeing excessive banding when viewing gradient images. So we wouldn’t be surprised to see Samsung release a second display-related update in the coming weeks.
5. We discovered smart earrings
A team of researchers from the University of Washington revealed the thermal earring. This is a smart earring that can measure body temperature very accurately, using a sensor in the stud that takes a reading in your ear and a second sensor that hangs below and measures the ambient temperature .
This dual-sensor setup then transmits the data to a compatible Bluetooth device, and based on testing so far, it’s much more accurate than a typical smartwatch – although the study only counted six participants.
If the earring proves to be a truly useful improvement for temperature tracking and its design can be tweaked to look prettier, it is hoped that this type of device could soon become a valuable tool to help people to track their menstrual cycle and warn of fevers and stress. , and other problems that affect body temperature.
4. Prime Video removed support for Dolby Vision and Atmos from its ad-supported tier
Amazon introduced ads to Prime Video a few weeks ago, and to get rid of it you have to pay an extra $2.99 per month in the US, or £2.99 in the UK (subscribers in Australia won’t have to pay extra for remove the ads until later this year, and we don’t yet know how much it will cost them).
This was frustrating enough for people who prefer ad-free content, but Amazon made the situation worse by revealing that if you don’t cough up for ad-free streaming, you won’t get Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos support in the content you watch either.
This is the latest anti-consumer measure taken in the field of streaming, with advertisements and price increases having been inflicted on many users. best streaming services over the last few months. We hope Amazon changes course on supporting Dolby for its ad-supported tier, but we’re not holding our breath.
3. Samsung and Google fought to give us invisible AI friends
Samsung and Google both have emphasized AI features for their latest flagship phones, and now it’s time to take the next step: bringing that AI assistance to their wireless earbuds. This week, Samsung drew first blood by rolling out an over-the-air update to its Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, Galaxy Buds 2, and Galaxy Buds FE earbuds that gives them live translation and interpretation powers.
The wrong side? For now, you’ll need a Galaxy S24 phone to use these AI features, although they will come to older phones over time because they work on the device rather than needing to an Internet connection. And Google isn’t far behind, with recently discovered code in its Gemini app hinting that its new assistant will soon be coming to compatible headphones as well.
2. Marvel Made Some Fantastic Announcements
After a brutal 2023, wonder made a bunch of exciting announcements this week.
Leading the charge was the long overdue project confirmation from Marvel Fantastic Four movie castingbut that’s not all we learned about the highly anticipated MCU browse. The upcoming superhero movie also got a new release date, new title (Fantastic Four), and a retro-futuristic poster – the latter teases when Marvel Fantastic Four the film will be shot.
Along with the arrival of Deadpool 3the first trailer for – read our Deadpool and Wolverine trailer breakdown for more details – and the unveiling of the next Disney+ to show X-Men 97the official launch date and teaser ofthere are many things to look forward to Marvel Phase 5 and beyond.
1. ChatGPT has a human memory
Not to be outdone by OpenAI’s new Sora tool (see entry #7), ChatGPT also received a significant upgrade this week – at least for some of the early testers. OpenAI revealed that it gave ChatGPT a memory to help it remember all your preferences, interests, and quirks, so it can apply that knowledge in future chats.
Although the feature is still in testing on the free and paid versions of ChatGPT, this is another important moment for this rapidly evolving technology. This means that, unlike most of today’s AI companions, your new conversations will no longer start from scratch, with ChatGPT using its knowledge of your tastes to work more effectively for you – and ultimately appear even more human.
