HeyWhatsNew: Never Loose Your Google TV Remote Again, and Apple Is Pleading for the Antitrust Lawsuit to Be Dismissed
Welcome back to HeyWhatsNew, your weekly source for the latest in tech news and headlines. Let’s see what went down in the tech world in the week beginning 20/05/2024.
Google TV’s New Feature Will Help You Find Your Remote
Google TV is introducing a “Find My Remote” feature in the latest Android TV OS update. This feature will let users play a sound to locate their lost remote using a button on the Google TV device.
The remote must be compatible and include a speaker for this feature to work. This feature is already available on Walmart’s Onn Pro box, priced at under $50. Future Google TV devices are expected to include this feature if their remotes support it.
SpaceX Makes Its Mark in National Security with the NRO
The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) launched new spy satellites into orbit today. The mission, called NROL-146, used a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and took off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California early Wednesday morning. This launch marks the start of a new group of intelligence satellites.
Defense One reports that following recent tests to confirm cost and performance, the NRO says this mission is the first that utilizes their new systems for quick data collection and delivery.
Apple Says the U.S. Antitrust Lawsuit Should Be Dismissed
This week, Apple announced plans to ask U.S. District Judge Julien X. Neals to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department and 15 states. The lawsuit accuses Apple of monopolizing the smartphone market, harming smaller competitors, and driving up prices. In a letter to the judge, Apple argued that it does in fact face strong competition from other major companies. Apple also stated that the DOJ’s antitrust theory is new and has not been recognized by any court.
The government has seven days to respond to Apple’s letter, a requirement aimed at speeding up the legal process before potentially moving to dismiss the lawsuit.
The EPA Says Cyberattacks on Water Systems Are Becoming More Frequent
On Monday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warned that cyberattacks targeting water utilities are becoming more frequent and severe. The agency urged community water systems to take immediate steps to improve their cybersecurity to protect public drinking water supplies.
A recent news alert issued by the EPA revealed that over 70% of water systems inspected by the agency since last September violated standards in the Safe Drinking Water Act.
There May Be a Scarlet Johansson/OpenAI Lawsuit in the Works
Scarlett Johansson’s lawyers are asking OpenAI to explain how they made an AI voice that sounds a lot like hers. They sent two letters to OpenAI, asking for details about how the voice, called “Sky,” was created.
After OpenAI showed off “Sky” last week, many people noticed it sounded like Johansson’s voice from the 2013 movie “Her,” where a man falls in love with his computer’s voice.
Yet Another OpenAI Employee Leaves the Company
As if the Scarlet Johansson drama wasn’t enough, Business Insider reports that OpenAI is dealing with more issues as another employee, Gretchen Krueger, announced she quit over safety concerns. This follows the resignations of top executives Ilya Sutskever and Jan Leike, who led the now-closed safety research team, Superalignment.
In a thread on X, Krueger said she left OpenAI on May 14, calling it a tough decision. She stated she resigned before learning about Sutskever and Leike’s departures and shares their safety concerns, as well as having additional ones.
Truecaller and Microsoft Partner to Give All Users AI Voices
On Wednesday, Truecaller announced a partnership with Microsoft that’ll allow its users to utilize the new Personal Voice technology from Microsoft Azure AI Speech.
Truecaller’s AI Assistant, launched in September 2022, already uses various AI technologies to answer calls, screen them, take messages, respond on your behalf, or record calls for you to review later. With Microsoft Azure AI Speech’s Personal Voice, Truecaller Assistant users can now create a digital version of their own voice.
And that wraps up this week’s edition of HeyWhatsNew. We hope you enjoyed catching up on the latest tech news and headlines. Stay tuned to catch more exciting updates and developments in the world of technology.
