Good morning, and a happy TGIF to all of you. Let’s get into the tech news.
1. Google pauses Gemini-generated images
Google has paused all image generation with its Gemini AI, after it was found to be offering historical inaccuracies with its images. “We’re already working to address recent issues with Gemini’s image generation feature. While we do this, we’re going to pause the image generation of people and will re-release an improved version soon,” Google said in a statement. Yikes.
2. Mercedes Benz not so energetic about electric
Mercedes Benz, the luxury automaker that was once insistent that it would be all-electric by 2030, has changed its tune. With its latest outlook report, the company is looking to also offer “electrified combustion engine” models well into the 2030s. “Mercedes-Benz will remain strategically focused and tactically flexible and is taking the necessary steps to go all-electric. Customers and market conditions will set the pace of the transformation. The company plans to be in a position to cater to different customer needs, whether it’s an all-electric drivetrain or an electrified combustion engine, until well into the 2030s,” the company said.
3. Reddit selling content to Google, moves forward with IPO plan
Reddit has filed its public offering, disclosing $US90 million in losses and revenue growth of about 21 per cent in 2023, Reuters reports. The company is looking to go public and be listed in March, and amid this news, the social media site has also lifted the curtain on its intention to sell site content to an AI company (which we covered this week). It turns out that Google is that company, Reddit said in a statement. “This enhanced collaboration provides Google with an efficient and structured way to access the vast corpus of existing content on Reddit and enables Google to use the Reddit Data API to improve its products and services – including supporting new ways to display Reddit content and providing more efficient ways to train models,” Reddit said.
4. FDA warns over smart devices that ‘measure’ blood sugar
In kind of obvious news, don’t trust smartwatches and smart rings that claim to measure blood sugar, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned, as reported by AP. The FDA has not authorised any such device, and while this warning comes specifically for the U.S., it’s a good reminder of the limitations of smart devices and their ability to monitor your health. Well, that is, unless the devices come equipped with needles, then they can’t check your blood sugar, the FDA claims.
5. PS VR2 in testing for PC
Ending on a lighter note, PlayStation has announced that it’s currently testing PS VR2 for PC, meaning that Sony’s once PlayStation-exclusive VR headset could soon be an actual Meta Quest and HTC competitor (we’re not calling it an Apple Vision Pro competitor for now). “We are currently testing the ability for PS VR2 players to access additional games on PC to offer even more game variety in addition to the PS VR2 titles available through PS5. We hope to make this support available in 2024,” PlayStation said in a statement. VR is an incredibly niche technology in any capacity, be it gaming, or productivity, or even in industries where virtual design could be seen as viable like architecture, so PlayStation expanding access to its technology isn’t that surprising.
BONUS ITEM: Big noodle.
A team of scientists has discovered a new species of green anaconda in the Amazon rain forest.
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) February 21, 2024
Prof. Freek Vonk has recorded a video of a 26-feet-long green anaconda, believed to be the biggest snake in the world.pic.twitter.com/OpYebSUGAT
Have a lovely weekend.
Image: Mercedes Benz