AC News Weekly
News Weekly is our column, the place we spotlight and summarize a number of the week’s prime tales so you’ll be able to compensate for the newest tech information.
This is Android Central’s News Weekly, your go-to supply for a concise roundup of the week’s most important tech tales. This is the place we delve into the highest headlines that present the newest developments and improvements contributing to the digital panorama.
This week, the U.S. authorities signed a invoice into legislation that might result in a nationwide ban of TikTok, X plans to tackle YouTube with its personal good TV app, Google revealed the I/O 2024 schedule with some information on the subsequent main model of Wear OS, a significant replace to the Ray-Ban Meta good glasses brings helpful AI options, and HMD revealed its first non-Nokia-branded smartphones.
The bounce to Wear OS 5
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Google I/O 2024 is set for mid-May, and with it, we are going to hear so much about what the corporate has deliberate for the upcoming yr when it comes to {hardware} and software program. With the schedule now out, we have now a glimpse of what’s going to be mentioned on the occasion, together with the subsequent model of Wear OS.
Wear OS 3 marked a resurgence for Google’s Wear OS, and since then, the corporate has continued to make efforts to enhance it. With Wear OS 5 now confirmed to be current at I/O 2024, it appears Google is able to push to the subsequent main model. This differs from the previous few years when the platform went from Wear OS 3 to three.5 after which to Wear OS 4. Now, like Apple’s WatchOS platform, Wear OS will apparently begin making early model jumps, which is a great signal for the platform.
What will we see? So far, there’s not a lot to go on, however Google has hinted at some issues, like an replace to the Watch Face Format, which helps builders create extra battery-friendly watch faces. But we’ll have to attend and see what else we get once I/O begins.
TikTok may very well be banned in lower than a yr
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It’s lastly occurred. After years of battling the worldwide phenomenon of TikTok, the U.S. authorities has issued a invoice that is set to ban the app nationwide. After passing via the Senate and House, President Biden signed the invoice into legislation, which supplies TikTok proprietor ByteDance 270 days to promote the app, thus chopping it from its ties to the Chinese authorities. If that does not occur, then Google and Apple will not have the ability to provide the app inside their respective app shops.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew has lengthy defended the corporate, saying it has spent billions of {dollars} to guard American information. He took to the platform after the invoice was signed, calling it “unconstitutional” and indicating that TikTok plans to struggle again.
There is nonetheless loads of time earlier than the deadline, so this might go both manner, nevertheless it would not look good for TikTok within the U.S., particularly since ByteDance has reportedly indicated that it doesn’t plan to promote the app.
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The Ray-Ban Meta good glasses are already fairly wonderful, however Meta simply dropped an enormous replace that brings extra smarts to its glasses. The replace now lets customers have interaction in POV-style video calling by way of WhatsApp and Messenger, however that is not even one of the best half.
With the built-in digital camera and assist for multimodal AI by way of Meta AI, homeowners of the Ray-Ban Meta good glasses can now ask their glasses questions on what they’re seeing. This consists of translating menus, creating recipes, studying extra about particular animals or buildings, and far more. It’s like Google Lens in your face, and with out having to drag your telephone out of your pocket.
The replace is solely out there within the U.S. and Canada, nevertheless it makes an already nice pair of good glasses so a lot better, notably as we watch for Meta’s subsequent AR glasses to debut someday within the near-ish future.
X is going after YouTube with a TV app
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For extra X randomness, the platform, previously generally known as Twitter, is making ready to launch a sensible TV app. Why? Why not? X CEO Linda Yaccarino posted a brief video on X displaying off a little bit of the app, which can be centered on video content material, not in contrast to YouTube. She stated the app can be your “go-to companion for a high-quality, immersive leisure expertise on a bigger display” and that it’s going to function trending movies, enhanced search, and AI-powered matters to assist personalize the expertise.
The app can even work throughout gadgets, so you must have the ability to begin a video in your telephone and proceed it in your TV, or you’ll be able to simply forged movies out of your telephone to the TV when you favor.
The app is nonetheless within the works, however it’s going to apparently be broadly out there quickly. Does it have what it takes to interchange YouTube in your TV? Who is aware of.
HMD Global does its personal factor
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Nokia is getting pushed apart as the primary HMD Global-branded telephones had been simply launched. The firm’s new Pulse lineup consists of three telephones that are supplied in vibrant colours. The prime mannequin is the HMD Pulse Pro, though it affords roughly mid-range/funds specs, prone to hold the value down. It has an HD+ show with a 50MP dual-camera setup, a 5,000mAh battery with 20W charging assist, and 6GB of RAM. The telephone is powered by a Unisoc chipset and runs Android 14 with a promise of two OS upgrades (we’re you, Motorola).
The Pulse Plus and Pulse each additionally sport HD+ shows, 5,000mAh batteries, and 10W charging, however the Plus will get a 50MP digital camera, whereas the Pulse settles for a 13MP shooter. They use the identical Unisoc chipset however with 4GB of RAM along with 128GB and 64GB of expandable storage for the Plus and Pulse, respectively.
All telephones solely assist 4G connectivity, which is somewhat disappointing in 2024, particularly for the primary HMD-branded telephones. The gadgets additionally aren’t out there in North America for the time being, however a separate HMD Vibe is set to reach sooner or later at a really inexpensive value.
Those are a number of the greatest tales from this week. Meanwhile, right here are another tales that are price catching up on: