HeyWhatsNew: The iPhone Is Set to Replace VAR in the EPL, and Google Officially Announced the Latest Pixel Range
Welcome to HeyWhatsNew, your weekly tech news roundup, where we uncover the latest tech news headlines shaping the world we live in. Let’s dive into the latest updates for the week beginning 12/08/2024.
Google Pixel 9 Launch Event Takes Place
The Pixel 9 launch event delivered exactly what the industry anticipated, showcasing the new Pixel 9 with its prominent camera bump, alongside the Pixel 9 Pro and the larger Pixel 9 Pro XL. Engadget reports that the event also marked the official debut of Google’s latest foldable, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
Notably, Google’s second foldable isn’t called the Pixel Fold 2 but rather the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, boasting an eight-inch inner screen, the largest on any phone to date. The first thing that stands out about the Pixel 9 is its redesigned appearance, featuring an oblong oval camera module that replaces the previous camera band, on a body that’s about a tenth of an inch thinner than the Pixel 8.
iPhones Will Replace VAR in This Year’s English Premier League
The English Premier League is set to drop the controversial VAR (Video Assistant Referee) system for the 2024/25 season. In its place, a new offside detection system using iPhones will be introduced. According to an exclusive report by Wired, these Apple devices will be able to pinpoint a player’s position on the field and call offside decisions with unprecedented accuracy.
The system, internally known as “Dragon,” will be developed by Genius Sports and its subsidiary Second Spectrum, both of which have extensive experience in optical tracking and data analysis, particularly in the NBA.
Grok, the AI Image Generator on X, Is Causing a Stir Since Its Update
Social media platform X recently upgraded its AI image generating bot known as Grok, and unfortunately, it’s not yet well regulated and lacks the appropriate guardrails to make it safe. According to a report in NBC News, this rollout has heightened concerns about the use of generative AI to spread misinformation, especially with the upcoming election. Since its beta release on Tuesday, X users have been sharing Grok-generated images ranging from former President Donald Trump kissing Elon Musk to Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris posing in a pilot’s cockpit as if reenacting 9/11.
While most of these images are high quality but clearly computer-generated, some are realistic enough to potentially fool viewers at first glance. X, already under fire for hosting misleading content, faces added scrutiny as its owner, Elon Musk, has shared numerous posts this year containing false or misleading claims about the election.
Acer Announces Plans to Offer a Two-Year Extended Warranty on Intel
Last week, MSN reported that a handful of PC makers may not agree to honor Intel’s extended CPU warranty. Among the companies mentioned, Acer and Dell wouldn’t promise a warranty extension, while Lenovo and MSI offered no reply. Since then, there’s been more feedback from manufacturers, Acer is now on board.
In an official statement released by The Verge, Acer announced that it is offering a two-year extended warranty for users having problems with 13th and 14th Gen Intel Core desktop processors. While Acer is collaborating with Intel on microcode updates to fix the problem, they advise customers experiencing these issues to contact their nearest Acer service center.
Judge Rules That Google Must Reform the App Store
U.S. District Judge James Donato in San Francisco stated on Wednesday that he plans to order Alphabet’s Google to provide Android users with more options for downloading apps. This move follows last year’s jury verdict in favor of Epic Games, the maker of “Fortnite,” in the blockbuster antitrust case.
While Judge Donato emphasized that he wouldn’t micromanage Google’s business, he declared, “Google foreclosed competition for years. We’re opening the gate now and letting competitors come in.” Google declined to comment, and Epic has not yet responded.
SpaceX Plans to Launch a Four-Manned Flight Before the End of the Year
SpaceX is set to make spaceflight history later this year with the launch of Fram2, the first crewed mission to explore Earth’s polar regions. If everything goes as planned, Fram2 will lift off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida’s Space Coast, sending a crew of four into orbit aboard a Crew Dragon capsule.
The mission is named after the Norwegian ship Fram, which made pioneering voyages to the Arctic and Antarctic between 1893 and 1912. Leading the mission will be Chun Wang, an entrepreneur and adventurer from Malta.
That’s a wrap of this week’s tech news updates. Join us again next time when we uncover the tech news that’s shaping the world we live in.
