HeyWhatsNew: PlayStation Link Earbuds Have a Release Date, and EU Laws Are Affecting Photography
What’s up HeyUppers? Welcome to HeyWhatsNew – Your roundup of the latest developments impacting the world of tech for the week beginning 30/10/2023
Meta Needs to Stop Using the name “Threads” in the UK
A software company in the UK which reportedly owns the trademark for the Threads name has given Meta and Instagram 30 days to stop using the name which they trademarked back in 2012. According to Business Insider, Threads Software Limited says their representatives contacted Facebook this week and expect correspondence soon.
In a media statement, the software company claimed that they declined four separate offers from Meta lawyers to purchase the domain name “threads.app”. The Threads Software Limited managing director John Yardley says the company’s success is being threatened by one of the biggest brands in the world.
Microsoft Has Started Rolling Out Windows 11 Update with Copilot
The latest update to Windows is a special one because it marks the debut of a new artificial intelligence that makes surfing the web and finding answers to your questions a more streamlined process by accessing the internet. Windows Copilot is a large language model that generates human-like text in the same way that ChatGPT and other popular chatbots do.
Windows 11 was first released in 2021 and now represents about 24% of desktop usage, according to an article published on CNBC. It’s reported that Windows 10 makes up 72% of desktop users, and it will be supported until 2025 after which Windows 11 will take over completely.
EU Common Charger Law Could Destroy DSLR Photography
The European Union’s decision to push tech companies to manufacture their products to be compatible with the USB-C charger may have received a warm welcome in the smartphone industry, but it could spell the end of an era for DSLR cameras.
According to an article on PetaPixel, the USB-C cable is excellent for transferring data, however, the camera’s batteries must be removed and charged separately. It’s reported that by December 2024, the sale of most electronics that don’t comply with the EU’s charger legislation will be deemed illegal.
What Went Down at the Apple Scary Fast Event
Last week, we promised you an update on what went down at the Apple Scary Fast event, which took place at 8pm on the night before Halloween. We anticipated the release of the new M3 family which consists of the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max.
Apple delivered on our expectations, and they also released two new devices to house the new chipsets. The Verge reports that the new M3 chips have a larger GPU that makes for an excellent gaming experience, plus Apple’s new MacBook Pro offers up to 128GB of RAM
Playstation Link Earbuds and Headset Release Date
Sony is releasing a new collection of audio headsets under the PlayStation brand named Pulse Explore for the earbuds, and Pulse Elite for the headset, with the official release date confirmed as December 6, 2023, for the Explore and February 21 for the Elite.
It’s reported that the Pulse Explore and the Pulse Elite will retail for $199.99 and $149.99 respectively, and pre-orders for the audio accessories will begin next week on November 9th. In addition to allowing you to switch seamlessly between compatible devices, Sony reports that both the buds and headset will feature 3D audio support
The ChatGPT Plus Update Unlocks New Features
ChatGPT Plus could become even easier to use with the new capabilities that are currently being tested in Beta mode. One of the most notable features, as mentioned by a user who posted his experience on Threads, is the bot’s ability to analyze PDF files and answer questions based on the contents. It’s also reported that the updated version can create images based on pictures uploaded by a user.
The article on Tech Radar also reports that the current beta version of ChatGPT can automatically switch modes based on user interaction, and doesn’t need to be manually switched between modes. There’s no official word yet on when the complete update will be released.
Android 14 Is Causing a Bug on Some Pixel Devices
The release of the Google Pixel 8 came with the official release of Android 14 that, naturally, rolled out to Pixel users first. Unfortunately, the latest Android OS appears to be causing some Pixel 6a and Pixel 6 Pro devices to malfunction. Google has confirmed that it is indeed Android 14 causing these problems, and users have been advised against setting up multiple accounts on a single device.
According to reports from users, the bug is causing storage issues and preventing users from taking pictures, installing apps, and accessing files. Some users even noticed their internal storage capacity drop from 128 GB to 4GB. Google says they are working on fixing the problem.
That concludes this week's issue of HeyWhatsNew, your go-to for the latest tech news and analysis that have influenced the world of technology this week. Be sure to check back next week for more fascinating updates.
