All posts tagged: Google

Nothing Said to Raise Funding, Crosses Billion in Lifetime Sales

Nothing Said to Raise Funding, Crosses $1 Billion in Lifetime Sales

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Nothing, a smartphone maker backed by Google’s venture arm and iPod creator Tony Fadell, is seeking to raise at least $100 million (roughly Rs, 864 crore) in funding to expand its operations, according to people with knowledge of the matter.  The London-based startup, which launched in 2021 to fanfare from technology enthusiasts, kicked off the Series C round in recent days, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans haven’t been announced. Several newcomers have tried to challenge Apple Inc.’s iPhone with new devices, but few outside of China have come close to rivaling the well-capitalised market leaders. Nothing previously raised about $100 million (roughly Rs, 864 crore) in 2023. Nothing has gained fans with the unique design of its smartphones, which feature a transparent back. The startup is run by Carl Pei, one of the creators of OnePlus, a popular China-based phone maker. Nothing sells phones ranging from $250 (roughly Rs.21,625) to $700 (roughly Rs. 60,551), as well as several different earbuds and a smartwatch.  In 2024, Nothing doubled its annual …

Google Workspace Plans See Price Hike as Gemini AI Expands to All Tiers

Google Workspace Plans See Price Hike as Gemini AI Expands to All Tiers

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Google announced on Wednesday that Gemini AI will be available to all Google Workspace Business or Enterprise users, integrating directly into the productivity suite. While all Gemini features will be offered at no additional cost initially, Workspace plan prices will rise to account for the expanded offering. “By removing the need to pay for an add-on to access our latest generative AI capabilities, we’re simplifying our plans and pricing to bring the added value of Google AI to all Workspace customers,” Google President of Cloud Applications Jerry Dischler wrote in the product announcement. The AI features will roll out gradually between January and March. More Google news & tips The cost of the AI will now be spread across plans Before Google decided to include Gemini in all Workspace plans, a Gemini subscription cost $20 per month per user for a Business plan or $30 per month per user for an Enterprise plan. The changes to the basic plans are: Business Starter, offering the smallest pool of storage and fewest features, rose from $6 per …

ChatGPT Can Now Schedule Tasks in Advance

ChatGPT Can Now Schedule Tasks in Advance

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Starting Jan. 14, some ChatGPT subscribers can use the generative AI to set reminders or add to their routines. For example, OpenAI said, ChatGPT can provide weekly news briefings or a daily weather report. The content will be delivered as notifications on desktop (macOS), browser, and mobile. What does the tasks feature in ChatGPT do? The tasks feature instructs ChatGPT to create content at a certain date and time. This content may be preset reminders — such as “Department meeting” — or newly generated text like affirmations or summaries of the news. ChatGPT can suggest tasks based on conversations. Users may set up to 10 tasks while the feature is in beta. More must-read AI coverage How to set up a task or reminder in ChatGPT Tasks is available to Plus, Team, or Pro-level subscribers. To access it, select “4o with scheduled tasks” in the model picker. Users at these tiers can create tasks through ChatGPT on the web, on the desktop application, or in the mobile app. However, the tasks manager pane is only …

Google Lens Updated to Directly Open the Camera Viewfinder When Opened: Report

Google Lens Updated to Directly Open the Camera Viewfinder When Opened: Report

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Google Lens has reportedly received an update that changes how the app functions when it is launched. Currently, searching via the camera tool is a two-step process — opening the app first reveals a preview screen, and then tapping the space with the viewfinder opens the camera. With the latest update, the Mountain View-based tech giant has now simplified the Google Lens UI so that it directly opens the camera instead. This development comes just days after a report claimed that the tech giant redesigned Circle to Search to improve and simplify its interface. How Google Lens is Making it Easier to Perform Visual Lookups According to a 9to5Google report, the tech giant is now simplifying how users can access the camera functionality on Google Lens. The change was spotted by the publication in the Google for Android app version 16.0.7 as well as the latest version of the iOS app. However, it appears that the new feature has not rolled out widely, and Gadgets 360 staff members were not able to verify its presence. …

Up Network, DreamSmart Launch Web3 Smart Glasses with Google Gemini

Up Network, DreamSmart Launch Web3 Smart Glasses with Google Gemini

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Up Network and DreamSmart have collaborated to unveil what the companies call the world’s first Web3- focused smart glasses with artificial intelligence (AI). Equipped with Google’s Gemini AI, the smart glasses offer real-time contextual artificial intelligence. Up Network has developed an AI agent operating system to improve human-machine interactions, while DreamSmart’s technology specialises in advanced tech solutions for EVs, smartphones, and wearables. The device has been announced at a time when Web3 and AI technologies experienced significant growth. The companies have yet to announce a name (or price) for these smart glasses, and which could be rolled out by Q1 2025, as per a press release. The glasses will let users access an AI assistant to handle crypto-related tasks, according to the firms. AI is expected to help newcomers to the crypto space interact with blockchain-related services using natural language commands. Users of the glasses will earn tokenised incentives for engaging in decentralised activities, according to the companies. The glasses let users own their data as an asset and enable them to have complete autonomous …

Google Workspace AI is now free to paying business customers

Google Workspace AI is now free to paying business customers

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If you wanted to use all of Google’s AI features inside Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Meet, and the rest of the Workspace suite, you previously needed to pony up another $20 per user per month for the Gemini Business plan. As of Tuesday, it’s free. Google is bringing all its AI features to its Workspace app at no extra cost as it continues to race Microsoft, OpenAI, and others to build the AI-powered office suite of the future. There is a catch, though: as it makes this change, Google is increasing the price of all Workspace plans. Jerry Dischler, Google’s president of cloud applications, tells me companies will pay roughly $2 more per month per user for the AI-enabled Workspace than they were paying before. (The numbers aren’t exact, because companies have complicated and varying contracts, but the base subscription price was $12 a month and now it will be $14.) Workspace AI includes things like email summaries in Gmail, generated designs for spreadsheets and videos, an automated note-taker for meetings, the powerful NotebookLM research assistant, …

Google Under Investigation to Determine Compliance with New UK Competition Law

Google Under Investigation to Determine Compliance with New UK Competition Law

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Google is the first company investigated for potential strategic market status under the new U.K. Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act. If it receives the designation, bespoke conduct requirements will be drafted for the company to follow, preventing anti-competitive practices. “The investigation will assess Google’s position in search and search advertising services and how this impacts consumers and businesses, including advertisers, news publishers, and rival search engines,” the Competition and Markets Authority said in a press release. More Google news & tips What is the DMCCA? The DMCCA, which came into force on Jan. 1, is designed to regulate the behaviour of major digital firms with significant market power in the country. It grants the CMA new powers to impose requirements on tech companies with “Strategic Market Status,” reminiscent of the “gatekeeper” organisations that must abide by the E.U.’s Digital Markets Act. For the investigation into Google, the CMA will look at whether it is using its position to prevent innovation by others, such as withholding resources or designing AI services to limit how competing …

Pixxel to Launch India’s First Private Satellite Network, Eyes Billion Market

Pixxel to Launch India’s First Private Satellite Network, Eyes $19 Billion Market

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India’s Pixxel is set to launch three of its six hyperspectral imaging satellites aboard a SpaceX rocket from California on Tuesday, the first such network in the country’s nascent private space sector, Pixxel’s chief told Reuters. The satellites will be placed in a sun-synchronous orbit at roughly 550 km, with the remaining three slated for deployment in the second quarter of the year. The launch is scheduled to take place at the Vandenberg Space Force Base at around 10:45 a.m. Pacific Time (1845 GMT) on Tuesday – just after midnight the next day in India – subject to final approvals. Pixxel’s founder and chief executive Awais Ahmed told Reuters that it plans to add 18 more spacecraft to the six it has already developed, eyeing a share of the satellite imaging market projected to reach $19 billion (roughly Rs.1,64,451 crore) by 2029. The launch is a milestone for India’s nascent private space sector and for Google-backed Pixxel, a five-year-old startup. It aims to use hyperspectral imaging — a technology that captures highly detailed data across …

Google Messages brings back customizable contacts

Google Messages brings back customizable contacts

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Google is adjusting the “profile sharing” feature in its Google Messages app to allow users to set custom contact names and photos on their own devices for their stored contacts and others they send text messages. As reported by 9to5Google, a change rolled out late last year that overrode your custom names and photos with each individual’s broadcasted profile, but now you can change it back to give friends, colleagues, and family members the names and avatars that you think they should have. Google’s updated support page for profile sharing now outlines steps to set a local contact photo that replaces the one shared by your contact. To customize their name or appearance, tap on a contact name or picture of a person in a Google Messages chat, then tap their photo on the details page. From there, you can switch between their shared one or your own custom one for them. Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For …

Linux Foundation Announces Initiative to Support Chromium

Linux Foundation Announces Initiative to Support Chromium

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The Linux Foundation announced on Thursday a fund to support and organize open projects to build Chromium-based browsers. The Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers now accepts new members. “With the launch of the Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers, we are taking another step forward in empowering the open source community,” said Jim Zemlin, executive director of the Linux Foundation, in a press release. “This project will provide much-needed funding and development support for open development of projects within the Chromium ecosystem.” Many browsers, including Arc, Microsoft Edge, and Opera, use Google’s Chromium as their underlying infrastructure. Interested potential partners can apply with the Linux Foundation. What’s hot at TechRepublic What is the Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers group? The purpose of the Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers group is to “provide a neutral space where industry leaders, academia, developers, and the broader open source community can work together to support projects within the Chromium ecosystem,” the Linux Foundation wrote. As such, the group will “remove barriers to innovation, expand adoption, and ensure that projects within the Chromium ecosystem receive …