HeyWhatsNew: Self-Driving Tesla Involved in a Fatal Collision, and Samsung Creates a One-of-a-Kind Olympics Foldable
Hey there, HeyUp people. It’s time for your HeyWhatsNew, your weekly plug for the latest tech news updates from around the world. What’s new in the week beginning 29/07/2024? Let’s take a look.
Samsung Gives Olympic Athletes a One-of-a-Kind Gift
Samsung provided every Paris 2024 athlete with a special edition foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Flip 6, even before its global release. Previously, athletes were not allowed to bring personal belongings, including smartphones, to the podium, leaving the audience without a participant’s perspective. For the first time in Olympic history, athletes are permitted to carry and use this special edition device on the Paris 2024 podium.
The custom-built smartphone is designed to enhance the athletes' experience during the Games and is the first-ever Olympic Edition to feature Galaxy AI. It comes pre-loaded with exclusive services and apps, including a 100GB 5G eSIM, unlimited public transport access, and several official Olympic apps. These features aim to help athletes explore new experiences and connect with others while in Paris.This exclusive model is not available to the public and is only offered to the 17,000 participating athletes.
A Tesla in “Full-Self Driving Mode” Involved in Fatal Accident
Authorities in Washington have determined that a Tesla involved in a fatal crash near Seattle in April was using the company’s “Full Self-Driving” system at the time. This was discovered after investigators from the Washington State Patrol downloaded data from the car’s event-data recorder, according to agency spokesman Capt. Deion Glover.
The case is still under investigation, but experts note that Tesla’s technology, which relies on cameras and AI, has limitations. Tesla states that its “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)” software requires active driver supervision and does not make the vehicle fully autonomous. After the crash, which occurred about 15 miles northeast of Seattle, the driver admitted to using Tesla’s Autopilot system and looking at his cellphone while the car was moving.
Microsoft and Other Companies Will Have to Pay Reddit for Their Data
In February 2024, Reddit signed a $60 million annual licensing agreement with Google to allow its content to be used for AI training. Reddit CEO Steve Huffman stressed the need for control over how their data is used, stating that without such agreements, companies lose insight into how their data is displayed or utilized.
Microsoft CEO Mustafa Suleiman has argued that open web content is essentially freeware. Meanwhile, the Anthropic spokesperson reports that the company stopped adding Reddit URLs to its web crawler in mid-May 2024.
ChatGPT Has a New Voice Mode
ChatGPT already has a basic voice mode, but the rollout of a more advanced voice mode could be a game-changer for OpenAI. Starting this week, the advanced voice mode, available with the most powerful version, ChatGPT-4o, will begin rolling out to paid users.
A CNN report mentions that this advanced voice mode sounds incredibly lifelike, and can simulate natural sounding conversations, respond to interruptions, and have realistic reactions like giggles.
Threads Almost Has 200 Million Users
Meta’s Threads platform, which recently reached 175 million users, is now close to hitting 200 million monthly active users. This milestone would double its user base from 100 million MAUs reported in October 2023.
Startup Story Media reports that Meta’s CEO envisions Threads becoming the next billion-user social network within Meta’s app suite, which includes Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. In just about a year since its launch, Threads now has nearly one-third of X’s 600 million users.
AI-Powered Scanners Set to Keep Guns Out of the New York City Subway
New York City is testing AI-powered scanners to keep guns out of its subway system. The Evolv scanner, a sleek weapons detector using AI to detect guns and knives, is being trialed at a lower Manhattan subway station as part of a 30-day pilot program announced by Mayor Eric Adams. However, the program is already facing skepticism from riders and a potential lawsuit from civil liberties advocates, who argue the searches may be unconstitutional.
An article in NBC New York reports that while incidents like the 2022 Brooklyn train shooting have occurred, violent crime in the subway system has generally decreased, with trains and stations being as safe as other public spaces.
That’s all for now, folks. Join us again at the same time, same place next week when we’ll give you the latest tech news updates.
