HeyWhatsNew: Samsung Announces Its Latest Flagship Smartphone, and OpenAI Is One of the Major Investors of the Stargate Project
Hey, what’s new crew! As January draws to a close, the tech world is buzzing with groundbreaking announcements and thrilling innovations. This week has been packed with updates you won’t want to miss, let’s dive into the biggest stories shaking up the industry in the week beginning 20/01/2025.
Galaxy S25 Series Is Here with More Dedicated AI Features
Last year, Samsung launched Galaxy AI with the S24 to introduce smart features. With the S25, Samsung has added even more advanced AI tools to act like a personal assistant. The new AI can handle tasks across different apps. For example, it can find your favorite team’s schedule and add it to your calendar or look up pet-friendly restaurants and share them with a contact—all without switching apps.
It works with third-party apps like Spotify and WhatsApp, as well as an array of Samsung’s and Google’s apps. The AI can even adjust phone settings based on your requests. Samsung’s updates show its push, along with other tech companies, to make AI more helpful and personalized for everyday use.
Samsung Reveals Its First Android XR Headset
Alongside the Galaxy S25 Series, Samsung introduced Project Moohan, its new XR headset developed in collaboration with Google and Qualcomm. This move signals Samsung’s entry into the growing market for immersive 3D content. The XR headset is powered by an upgraded Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chipset, the same one used in Meta's Quest 3, making it a strong competitor and potentially more powerful than one of the most popular headsets currently available.
Built on Google’s Android XR operating system, Project Moohan positions Samsung as a direct rival to Apple’s Vision Pro. With Apple’s mixed results since its launch, Mashable believes that Samsung is clearly aiming to take a strong foothold in the XR market and intensify the Android vs. iOS rivalry.
Open AI to Invest $19 billion Capital in the Stargate Project
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has announced The Stargate Project, a $500 billion AI infrastructure initiative in partnership with Oracle, Japan’s SoftBank, and the UAE’s MGX investment fund. Unveiled at the White House by President Donald Trump, the project is being hailed as the largest AI infrastructure venture in history, aimed at securing the future of technology in the United States. The Stargate Project promises $100 billion in immediate funding, with the remaining $400 billion planned over the next four years. It is expected to create 100,000 jobs and solidify the U.S. as a leader in AI innovation.
However, Elon Musk, both a key adviser to Trump and a rival to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, has questioned the project’s financial viability, claiming the venture lacks the funds it has pledged. Despite these criticisms, BBC News reports that the partnership highlights a global collaboration between leading tech companies and governments, signaling a massive investment in the future of artificial intelligence.
Some Users Have Started Experiencing Google TV’s News Briefs, Powered by Gemini
Google has announced an experimental feature for Google TV users in the U.S. called News Briefs. This feature will appear on the “For You” page and is designed to deliver concise, narrated overviews of top news stories, along with related videos from trusted news sources on YouTube.
Powered by Gemini models and human evaluation, News Briefs keeps users updated with the latest news throughout the day, offering a quick and seamless way to stay informed. This trial aims to enhance the Google TV experience by integrating timely and relevant news content into its personalized recommendations.
The Literary Classic, Macbeth, Is Coming to Life as a Video Game
The Royal Shakespeare Company has partnered with New York-based immersive game producer iNK Stories to create their first-ever video game, Lili. This groundbreaking project reimagines Shakespeare’s Macbeth in a modern setting, placing Lady Macbeth at the center of a thrilling story set in contemporary Iran. Lili allows players to step into Lady Macbeth’s shoes and make choices that shape her fate. Set against a backdrop of authoritarianism and surveillance, the game provides a powerful commentary on the inequities of our digital age.
In the video game, Macbeth’s witches become hackers, and the narrative unfolds through cyber-infiltration, surveillance, and the manipulation of information. Players will navigate a world dominated by authoritarianism and technological control, offering a fresh and thought-provoking lens on the classic tale.
That wraps up another exciting week in tech! As the year picks up speed, the innovations just keep rolling in, and we’re here to bring you all the latest. Stay tuned until next time for more updates.
