Good morning, and welcome to a new week. Let’s dive into today’s tech news.
1. Australia’s draft fuel efficiency standards are here
Kicking things off, the Australian Government has finally revealed its fuel efficiency standards, intending to lower petrol costs in cars while improving car energy efficiency. Modelled seemingly similarly to standards in the U.S., the new standards will supposedly save Australians $1,000 per year. “This is about ensuring Australian families and businesses can choose the latest and most efficient cars and utes, whether they’re petrol and diesel engines, or hybrid, or electric,” the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen said.
2. AI to be deployed to detect bushfires
iTnews is reporting that one of Australia’s leading timber providers, HQPlantations, is set to predict and detect bushfires with AI, satellites, and camera tech. After operating a trial period from 2022 to 2023, the company said it was worth rolling out: “the exci AI software detected fires – from smoke – and it was enough to convince us that it had a lot of potential in the fire detection space,” HQPlantation’s corporate fire manager Andrew Dunn told iTnews.
3. Meta posts profit after layoffs
Meta has posted tripled quarterly profits, after the so-called by CEO Mark Zuckerberg “year of efficiency”. The tech giant eliminated thousands of jobs in 2023, but now, after those cuts, and after a refocus on digital advertising, things appear to be looking up for the social media company. “The company can talk all it wants to about AI and the metaverse, but it’s still a social media company that gets nearly all its revenue from advertising, and advertisers still clearly love Meta,” tech analyst Debra Aho Williamson said to AP.
4. Geely to launch autonomous car-supporting satellites
Reuters reports that Polestar and Volvo owner Geely has launched 11 satellites into low-Earth orbit, to support autonomous vehicle capabilities for its cars. The company expects 72 satellites to be in orbit by 2025, with plans for up to 240. The satellites will also supposedly provide functionality in the consumer electronic sector.
5. Bard to go Gemini
Wrapping things up, Engadget has the scoop that Google is planning to change the name of its ChatGPT rival Bard to Gemini, the name currently applied to its Large Language Model (LLM). A Gemini app is also supposedly coming soon, with all of this apparently happening this week, according to a leak.
BONUS ITEM: The more I see people using this headset, the more I hate it.
Billions of dollars have been spent trying and failing to achieve something I do every morning with a smartphone and a train https://t.co/EXM5Ern3PI
— the prince with a thousand enemies ♂️ (@jaketropolis) February 4, 2024
Have a lovely day.
Image: Polestar