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Apple’s reconditioned M3 Pro and M3 Max MacBook Pros are cheaper and better for the environment; here’s what you should know

by technovatica.com on

Apple has now listed refurbished 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models equipped with the M3 Pro and M3 Max CPUs, offering the computers at a discount just five months after their October 2023 launch.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Pro or M3 Max chip is generally priced at $1,999, but is now available for $300 discount, lowering the price to $1,699. Similarly, the M3 Max version of the laptop is on sale for $2,719, down from $3,199, saving you $480. Prices can vary depending on size and memory configuration, but you can check out Apple’s refurbished MacBook page to see what works best for you. However, these are still rather significant reductions and worth considering if you’ve been eyeing one of the best MacBooks on the market right now.

So, what exactly is a refurbished Mac, and why should you buy one over a new one? In this context, the term’refurbished’ refers to a laptop that has been returned to Apple, inspected, and repaired to like-new condition. That implies that a pre-owned laptop is repaired and resold rather of accumulating dust in someone’s cabinet or being discarded. This is wonderful news if you’re careful of your tech consumption and want to save some money!

Why is renovated better for the environment and your pocket?

As previously stated, the 14-inch and 16-inch M3 Pro and M3 Max MacBook Pros were released only a few months ago and remain among the most costly (if not the most expensive, depending on configuration) MacBooks available today. The M3 Pro and M3 Max processors are now Apple’s most powerful processors, and they are frequently employed by demanding power users like as animators, illustrators, statisticians, and video editors. If you want to save money on a powerful laptop, reconditioned is your best option!

In addition to the one-year guarantee, Apple replaces any essential parts with genuine Apple replacements and repackages everything in a new box with all necessary attachments and cords. Not only will you receive a like-new laptop with certified refurbished components and repairs, but you will also receive all of the same packing and accessories as if you had purchased it new, but at a lower cost. Apple even updates the operating system to the latest version at the time of purchase, which is now macOS Sonoma.

When will the refurbished Apple Vision Pro be available?

We strongly support refurbished goods not just for their financial benefits, but also for their environmental impact. As more individuals incorporate refurbished things into their life (beyond just laptops and phones), a system emerges in which everyone is upcycling their old technology at a lower cost. This encourages more individuals to postpone purchasing new technology and instead use pre-owned devices. It minimizes the amount of electrical waste created while also improving technology accessibility.

Apple’s refurbishing program extends beyond MacBooks, so if you’re looking for a Mac Studio, a new Apple Watch, an iPad, or anything else, you’ll probably find a fantastic offer. We may soon see refurbished Apple Vision Pros and the headsets are now being returned to retailers, where their two-week return grace period has expired.

We don’t know how much of a discount to expect if the Vision Pro starts being upcycled, but with a starting price of $3,499, any money off is better than none! There are numerous reasons why people may be returning the headset, but overall, this is a positive development for those of us who want to try the Vision Pro without breaking the budget.

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Apple’s second-generation Vision Pro could be at least 18 months away from introduction

by technovatica.com on

Despite being the most powerful mixed-reality headset available to customers, Apple’s Vision Pro is clearly a “version 1.0” device with numerous flaws and peculiarities. There is optimism that a second-generation version of the device may address some of these flaws, but if you were looking for a rapid upgrade, we have some bad news.

According to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter, the Vision Pro 2 is “probably at least 18 months away,” with a probable debut date of August 2025. That’s a long time to wait for Apple to address some of the most obvious issues with its powerful headset.

In our Apple Vision Pro review, we found a lot to like, including its amazing power, controls, and visual experiences. However, like many reviewers, we were unable to overlook its weight, cumbersome detachable battery, and, of course, its price. These are the areas that the second edition, when it arrives, should improve upon.

Rumors say that Apple is not just developing a successor to its headset, but also a lower-cost version that will forego some of the device’s more expensive capabilities, such as employing an iPhone chip and lower-resolution displays, in order to reduce the price. There is no word on when that model will be available, but the fact that Gurman does not mention it may indicate that it will be even later than the Vision Pro 2.

What new features are planned for the Vision Pro 2?

Despite the disappointment that comes with such news, we shouldn’t be shocked by the delay. Given the quantity of strong technology inside the Vision Pro, there is clearly a lot of research and development going on in the background. The Vision Pro took several years to develop, so any improvements will require adequate time to be done effectively.

In addition, Gurman’s newsletter reported that Apple Store staff are questioning each customer who returns a gadget to determine why they were unsatisfied. That feedback is then forwarded to Apple headquarters, presumably to assist enhance the product for the second generation attempt.

What could we observe in that model? According to existing speculations, we should expect an upgraded chip, increased visual clarity, and possibly a redesigned design to address some of the device’s weight difficulties. However, don’t expect a price cut; that’s what the cheaper model is for, and the next generation is expected to cost roughly $3,499, which is the current price.

We’ll have to see if the Vision Pro 2 rumors are true. Given Gurman’s newest report, we don’t expect an answer anytime soon.

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Intel leaks indicate that novel battery-boosting laptop processors and a new 14th-generation top dog CPU are on schedule

by technovatica.com on

It’s been a busy time for Intel leaks, and a handful more have recently emerged. One is for Team Blue’s upcoming Lunar Lake laptop CPUs, which are expected to improve battery life, and another is for the rumored Raptor Lake Refresh flagship (say that quickly).

Let’s start with the notebook world and the spillage caused by leaker HXL on X (previously Twitter), as reported by Tom’s Hardware. This image depicts a Lunar Lake sample CPU running on Windows.

Specifically, what we see in the above tweet is a screenshot of Task Manager with information about the Lunar Lake chip in the PC – albeit, as with any leaks, we must be wary of the chance that it is a fake.

At any rate, the leaker claims that this is a ‘A1’ Lunar Lake sample, implying that it is an early version and not typical of the final silicon found in these laptop processors.

It depicts a CPU with eight cores (and eight threads, indicating no hyper-threading) operating at 2.8GHz. This appears to be a setup of four performance cores and four efficiency cores (albeit the latter do not support hyper-threading, while the former generally does).

The processor also contains an NPU (like with Meteor Lake) for AI acceleration, and we get a look at the cache loadouts, which have a bit of a wrinkle. The L3 cache is smaller than the L2 cache, which would ordinarily be the opposite case. We’ll return in a moment to address that and the other specifications.

However, the second piece of information is that Intel’s speculated Core i9-14900KS, a special edition of the current Raptor Lake Refresh flagship, the 14900K, has been sighted at a French online retailer.

Another X leaker, @momomo_us, highlighted the listing for the flagship model, which will run at 6.2GHz, with the CPU priced at €750 (including sales tax).

That equates to just over $800 in the United States – or ₹66958.59, AU$1,240 – but don’t be alarmed by a projected 35% price increase above the MSRP of the current flagship. For starters, the French store may have utilized a placeholder price (most likely), and even so, this will not translate straight to prices in other locations (particularly the United States).

If we look at US pricing, the 14900KS should be roughly 20% more expensive than the 13900KS. However, Intel may charge a somewhat higher premium – but not by 35%.

Analysis: It’s all about time

Regarding the Lunar Lake CPU sighting, the 2.8GHz boost speed appears to be low, but this might be attributed to the chip being an early prototype. The peculiarities with the cache could be due to a misunderstanding of the amounts by Task Manager in Windows, which is not uncommon given the early working hardware. The original leaker (on Zhihu.com, a Chinese Q&A community forum) feels the reported cache levels are correct, but we would add a lot of seasoning to that.

Regarding the lack of hyper-threading, it is possible that the feature was disabled on this sample processor. Alternatively, this could indicate that Lunar Lake will follow in the rumored footsteps of Arrow Lake, which is allegedly falling hyper-threading. We shall see.

Regarding the Lunar Lake CPU sighting, the 2.8GHz boost speed appears to be low, but this might be attributed to the chip being an early prototype. The peculiarities with the cache could be due to a misunderstanding of the amounts by Task Manager in Windows, which is not uncommon given the early working hardware. The original leaker (on Zhihu.com, a Chinese Q&A community forum) feels the reported cache levels are correct, but we would add a lot of seasoning to that.

Regarding the lack of hyper-threading, it is possible that the feature was disabled on this sample processor. Alternatively, this could indicate that Lunar Lake will follow in the rumored footsteps of Arrow Lake, which is allegedly falling

We’ve lately heard various speculations about the 14900KS, including a photo, a leaked benchmark, and reports that it will be available in the middle of March. This additional information on the supercharged flagship adds to the possibility that we will see this CPU next month.

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The Meta Quest Pro 2 should abandon eye-tracking and steal these four Apple Vision Pro capabilities instead

by technovatica.com on

The Meta Quest Pro was almost certainly a flop. I say nearly because we don’t have official sales data to know for sure, but it’s never a good indication when a device gets a permanent price cut by a third barely five months after introduction, slashing $500 / ₹52291.05 / AU$720 off its original $1,499.99 / ₹156872.12 / AU$2,449.99 price.

You might expect Meta to consider benching its high-end Quest line as a result of this failure, and there were rumors that one of its Quest Pro 2 projects was canceled, but given the big and unstoppable Apple Vision Pro launch, there may be a greater hunger for high-end VR hardware.

So, after considering all of the differences between the Apple Vision Pro and Quest Pro 2, and combining them with my professional experience testing VR headsets, I’ve identified four Apple Vision Pro characteristics that I believe the Meta Quest Pro 2 should grab for itself.

Bye-bye, eye-tracking. We barely knew you

In his pseudo-Meta Quest 3 ad comparing his company’s headset to the Apple Vision Pro – which, admittedly, makes some valid arguments about why Quest is superior – Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that eye-tracking will return in future Meta headsets.

We kind of knew this beforehand. Meta has previously stated that Quest Pro capabilities will be available in future Pro and non-Pro devices, but here is official confirmation. However, I am here to tell that we do not need to see it anytime soon.

Eye tracking on the Quest Pro is worthless. It only applies to a few apps, such as Horizon Worlds and Workrooms, where it helps your avatar appear more expressive. Sure, it’s cool, but I can only count the number of times I’ve used it on half a hand, and I use VR frequently.

The Vision Pro’s hand-tracking technology now includes eye-tracking, making it more relevant. However, given that every entry in our Apple Vision Pro review roundup acknowledged that it wasn’t always dependable (though our review did appreciate its precision), it doesn’t appear that Apple’s hand-tracking system is functionally superior to Meta’s eye-tracking-less hand-tracking system. So that’s another argument against eye tracking.

Instead, I’d rather remove this component to save money and weight on other vital and beneficial features, such as those listed below.

If it’s here to stay, all I ask is that we see more applications for it, such as foveated rendering, which allows the headset to only fully render the region you’re actively looking at in order to make better use of a headset’s processing capacity. The one or two independent VR apps that employ it have been likened to PCVR in terms of visual quality, so perhaps new software will show my anti-eye-tracking stance incorrect.

Much improved passthrough

The major disappointment with the initial Meta Quest Pro was its passthrough. I had great hopes for Meta’s first standalone mixed reality headgear, but it tripped and face-planted.

Virtual mixed reality looked OK, however unless you were in a really bright environment, the actual world was blurry. It was as if the world had been captured on a slightly worn VHS cassette.

Meta significantly improved the passthrough quality of its headsets with the Meta Quest 3. While it’s still not lifelike, it’s a tremendous improvement, and I’ve gone from never using mixed reality to almost every VR session.

The Meta Quest Pro 2 should take things to the next level with improved visual fidelity and latency. Quest headsets now have a 40ms delay between things happening and it displaying on screen, whilst the Vision Pro is closer to 12ms, indicating that there is still more space for improvement – lower latency should lead to mixed reality being less motion sickness-inducing.

4K OLED displays for each eye

If I could put any Vision Pro feature into my Meta Quest 3, it would be the 4K OLED displays, which have one for each eye and provide sharp graphics with good black contrast.

I believe the Quest 3’s two 2,064 by 2,208 pixel LCDs are adequate for its price range, but if and when the more premium Meta Quest Pro 2 is released, it will require considerably better displays – preferably something closer to the Vision Pro’s.

There are reports that it will also support micro-OLED panels, which I hope happens. If it doesn’t, I can see this being the primary reason why Apple’s headset remains a popular choice among high-end XR gadget owners.

More entertainment video apps

Almost everything I’ve seen on the Apple Vision Pro can be done on a Meta Quest 3 – and, by extension, the Quest Pro and a likely backwards-compatible Quest Pro 2. The glaring exception is that the Vision Pro features a lot of TV streaming apps that are not available on Quest.

You may argue that Meta counters with fitness apps that are not available on Vision Pro, but why can’t we have it all?

Quest currently has a small selection of streaming services, with only YouTube seeming worthwhile; Netflix and Prime Video aren’t worth your time, even if you already subscribe to them. In comparison, the Vision Pro includes an extensive streaming library as well as quick access to 3D entertainment via Disney Plus. Adding 3D films to your Quest is much more time-consuming.

When I asked Meta if it planned to introduce more of the finest streaming services to Quest, a spokeswoman said there was “no additional information to share at this time.”

I’m hoping this indicates that something is in the works, but we’ll have to wait and see.

A detachable battery, but not in the way you expect

One of the Vision Pro’s most despised features is its external battery, which hangs from a cord and fits into your pocket. I’ve previously defended it since I believe that removing the battery is a brilliant concept for productivity-focused headsets, but I’d prefer that the Quest Pro 2 follow in the footsteps of the HTC Vive XR Elite.

HP VR Reverb G2 VR Headset

When I tested the headset for our HTC Vive XR Elite review, I was overall unimpressed. But even now, I can’t stop thinking about the removable power pack, which transformed the headset into much lighter glasses.

To use them like this, you had to plug them directly into a power source or PC – and the glasses felt like they were about to fall off my face – but it was much easier to wear the 273g specs for long periods of time than the 722g Quest Pro, and I imagine it’s also easier than wearing the 600g Vision Pro.

Given that you’ll require more than the two hours provided by most headsets’ internal batteries for work or viewing a movie, you’ll need to plug into an outlet anyway, so why not have the option to remove it? If you don’t move very often, being connected isn’t much of an issue.

When you want to get up and exercise or play a game, simply plug the battery back in. This design feature is truly fantastic, and I would love to see it implemented in an equally fantastic headset.

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Mark Zuckerberg thinks the Meta Quest 3 is superior than Vision Pro, and he has a point

by technovatica.com on

Mark Zuckerberg has tested the Apple Vision Pro and believes that the Meta Quest 3 is “the better product, period”. This is unsurprising given that his company manufactures the Quest 3, but after considering all of his points, he does have a point: in many ways, the Quest 3 is superior to Apple’s high-end model.

In his Instagram video, Zuckerberg begins by stating that the Quest 3 has a more remarkable interactive software library than the Vision Pro, which is currently true. Yes, the Vision Pro features Fruit Ninja, some other spatial apps (as Apple calls them), and lots of ported-over iPad apps, but nothing on the Vision Pro comes close to Matching the quality or immersion levels of Asgard’s Wrath 2, Walkabout Mini Golf, Resident Evil 4 VR, The Light Brigade, or any of the many fantastic Quest 3 VR titles.

It also lacks fitness applications. I’m now testing some for a VR fitness experiment (the findings will be available in March), and I’ve fallen in love with working out on my Quest 3 in applications like Supernatural. The Vision Pro not only does not provide these types of experiences, but its design is also unsuitable for them – the hanging wire may get in the way, and the fabric facial interface would become soaked in sweat; in my experience, a silicone facial interface is a must-have.

The one software area where the Vision Pro excels is video. The Quest platform currently lacks the finest VR streaming options, with only YouTube and Xbox Cloud Gaming available, and it is unknown whether or not this will change. When I asked Meta if it had plans to bring more streaming services to Quest, a spokeswoman informed me that there was “no additional information to share at this time.”

Zuckerberg also addresses certain design concerns. The Vision Pro is heavier than the Quest 3, and using the cool-looking Solo Knit Band will not provide the best comfort or support; instead, most Vision Pro testers recommend using the Dual-Loop band, which more closely resembles the design of the Quest 3’s default band due to its over-the-head support.

You also cannot wear glasses with the Vision Pro; instead, you must purchase pricey inserts. When using the Quest 3, just extend the headset away from your face with a slider on the facial interface to accommodate your glasses.

Then there’s the scarcity of controllers. Unless you’re playing a game that requires a controller, the Vision Pro relies exclusively on hand tracking. I haven’t used the Vision Pro, but every account I’ve read or heard, including Zuckerberg’s, has made it clear that hand-tracking isn’t any more reliable on the Vision Pro than it is on the Quest, with the general sentiment being that it works flawlessly 95% of the time, which matches my experience with the Quest 3.

Controllers are less immersive, but they help to enhance precision, making activities like VR typing much more reliable without the use of a physical keyboard. Furthermore, given that the majority of VR and MR software currently available is Software developers have told us that having handsets on the Vision Pro would make porting their creations much easier.

Finally, there is the worth. Every Meta Quest 3 vs Apple Vision Pro comparison will bring up pricing, so we won’t dwell on it, but there’s a lot to be said about the Meta headset’s lower price of $499.99 / ₹50045.10 / AU$799.99 rather than $3,499 (it’s not currently available outside the US). Without a question, the Quest 3 provides far greater value for money.

Vision Pro: not down or out

However, while Zuckerberg makes some compelling arguments, he glosses over how the Vision Pro outperforms the Quest 3 in certain areas and exaggerates how much better it is in others – and these are not minor things.

The first is mixed reality. When compared to the Meta Quest Pro, the Vision Pro is light years ahead; however, comments from people who have tested the Quest 3 indicate that the Vision Pro does not provide as big of an upgrade – and in some ways, as Zuckerberg admits, it is worse.

To demonstrate the Quest 3’s passthrough quality, Zuckerberg discloses that the video of him comparing the two headsets was shot with a Quest 3, and it looks very decent – though having used the headset, I can tell you that this isn’t reflective of how passthrough actually appears. Mixed reality recordings on Quest always appear more vivid and less grainy than live experiences, most likely because to how the video is handled.

Based on less biased accounts from people who have used both the Quest 3 and the Vision Pro, it appears that the live passthrough stream on Apple’s headset is generally less grainy, but not flawless; nonetheless, it has significantly worse motion blur when you move your head.

Zuckerberg also criticizes the Vision Pro’s displays, noting that they appear less bright than the Quest 3’s LCDs and have a shorter field of view. Both of these arguments are valid, but I believe he does not give Apple’s headgear enough credit for two other crucial features.

While he does agree that the Vision Pro has a greater resolution, he does so just briefly. The Vision Pro’s dual 3680 x 3140-pixel displays will provide a far sharper experience than the Quest 3’s dual 2064 x 2208-pixel screens. Given that you use this screen for everything, the benefit of better visuals can’t be overstated – and a higher pixel density should also mean the Vision Pro is more immersive, as you’ll experience less of a screen-door effect (where you see the lines between pixels because the display is so close to your eyes).

Zuckerberg also ignores the fact that the Vision Pro’s screens are OLEDs. Yes, this will mean they’re less vibrant, but the upshot is that they offer much better contrast for blacks and dark colors. Better contrast has been shown to improve a user’s immersion in VR based on Meta and other’s experiments, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the next Quest headset also incorporated OLEDs – rumors suggest it will, and I seriously hope it does.

Finally, there’s eye-tracking, which the Quest 3 lacks entirely. I don’t believe the lack of eye-tracking is a problem, but it deserves its own article.

Regardless of whether you agree with any or all of Zuckerberg’s arguments or none of them, one thing that’s clear from the video is that the Vision Pro has got the Meta CEO fired up.

He ends his video by stating his preference for the Quest 3 and Meta’s open model (as opposed to the Apple’s closed-off walled-garden setup, which limits you to only using the headset in the ways Apple wants you to) to “win out again” like Windows in the computing space.

But we’ll have to wait and see how it works out. As Zuckerberg himself admits, “The future is not yet written” and only time will tell if Apple, Meta or some new player in the game (like Samsung with its Samsung XR headset) will win in the long run.

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ChatGPT is developing human-like memory, which could be the first important step toward General AI

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ChatGPT is becoming more like your most trusted assistant, remembering not only what you’ve told it about yourself, your interests, and preferences, but also applying those recollections to future conversations. It’s a seemingly minor improvement that might make generative AI appear more human and pave the path for General AI, in which an AI brain functions more like the gray matter in your skull.

On Tuesday, OpenAI revealed the limited test in a blog post, stating that it is evaluating ChatGPT’s (both free and Plus) ability to recall what you tell it across all talks.

With this upgrade, ChatGPT can remember casually, picking up intriguing bits along the go, such as my preference for peanut butter on Cinnamon Raisin Bagels, or whatever you specifically want it to remember.

ChatGPT is developing human-like memory, which could be the first important step toward General AI.

ChatGPT has a memory, which means that new talks with it do not have to start from beginning. A fresh prompt could have conveyed context to the AI. A ChatGPT with memory becomes more of a handy helper, knowing how you drink your coffee in the morning and never scheduling meetings before 10 a.m.

In practice, OpenAI claims that the memory will be used for future prompts. If you inform ChatGPT that you have a three-year-old who adores giraffes, future birthday card ideation discussions may provide card ideas including a giraffe.

ChatGPT will not merely repeat its memories of your preferences and interests; instead, it will use that information to function more efficiently for you.

It can remember

Some people may find it unsettling that an AI may recall several discussions and use that information to benefit you. That’s probably why OpenAI allows people to simply opt out of the memories by adopting the “Temporary Chat” option, which will appear to introduce amnesia to ChatGPT.

ChatGPT, like your browser, allows you to go into settings to erase memories (I like to think of this as targeted brain surgery), or you can tell it to forget something.

For the time being, this is a test among some free and ChatGPT Plus users, but OpenAI has not specified when it would make ChatGPT memories available to all users. I did not discover the feature live in my free ChatGPT or Plus subscription.

OpenAI is now introducing Memory capabilities to its new app-like GPTs, allowing developers to incorporate the functionality into custom chatty AIs. These developers will be unable to access memories stored in the GPT.

Are we too human?

An AI with long-term memory is a more challenging proposition than one with a fleeting, at best, recall of earlier talks. Of course, there are privacy considerations. Do you have to be concerned about your details showing in someone else’s ChatGPT discussions if ChatGPT memorizes what it finds interesting or relevant about you at random? Probably not. OpenAI says that memories will be removed from ChatGPT’s training dataset.

According to the company’s blog, “We’re taking steps to assess and mitigate biases, and steer ChatGPT away from proactively remembering sensitive information, like your health details – unless you explicitly ask it to.” That would help, but ChatGPT must recognize the distinction between valuable and sensitive information, which is not always evident.

This upgrade could have far-reaching consequences. ChatGPT can appear relatively human in prompt-driven talks, but its hallucinations and foggy memories about how the conversation began, for example, highlight the fact that more than a few billion neurons still divide us.

Memories, particularly information provided casually back to you during ChatGPT talks, may alter that impression. Our interactions with others are mostly shaped by our shared experiences and recollections of them. We utilize them to shape our interactions and conversations. It is how we connect. Surely, we’ll feel more connected to a ChatGPT who remembers our dislike of spicy foods and our love of all things Rocky Balboa.

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Should you upgrade to Google One AI Premium? Its AI capabilities and pricing are outlined

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Google has been busy updating its AI offerings, changing Bard to Gemini, releasing a dedicated Android app, and much more. For the first time, Google’s generative AI engine has a paid tier, meaning you’ll have another digital subscription to consider.

Our Google Gemini explained explanation provides a comprehensive overview of Google’s AI technologies. However, in this section, we’ll go over the Google Gemini Advanced capabilities that are included with the new Google One AI Premium subscription.

We’ll look at how much this new cloud tier costs, as well as all of the AI features and benefits it provides, to help you decide whether or not to sign up. It has been added to the Google One option includes cloud-based digital storage as well. Here’s how Google One AI Premium is coming along so far…

Google One AI Premium: Pricing and Availability

The Google One AI Premium package is available for purchase today and costs $19.99 / ₹1987.23 / AU$32.99 per month. Unlike some other Google One plans, you cannot pay annually to receive a reduction on the overall price; however, you can cancel at any time.

At the time of writing, Google is offering free two-month trials of Google One AI Premium, so there will be no cost for the first two months. You may join up and compare plans on the Google One website.

Google One AI Premium: Features and Benefits

First and foremost, you receive 2TB of storage to use across your Google services, including Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. If you’ve reached the maximum of the free storage plan, which is only 15GB, there’s another reason to upgrade.

You’ll see that a range of alternative Google One plans are available, with storage ranging from 2TB to 30TB, but only the Google One AI Premium plan includes the Gemini Advanced features.

Aside from storage capacity, all Google One plans include priority support, 10% back in the Google Store, additional Google Photos editing features (including Magic Eraser), a dark web monitoring service that searches for leaks of your personal information, and access to the Google One VPN.

You’re here for the AI features, though, and the major benefit of Google One AI Premium is access to Gemini Advanced, which is the “most capable” version of Google’s Gemini model, known as Ultra 1.0. Consider paying for ChatGPT Plus rather than remaining with the free ChatGPT plan.

Google claims Gemini Ultra 1.0 as having “state-of-the-art performance” and the ability to handle “highly complex tasks” such as text, pictures, and code. Gemini Advanced allows for longer talks and recognizes context more accurately. If you want Google’s most powerful AI, this is it.

“The largest model Ultra 1.0 is the first to outperform human experts on MMLU (massive multitask language understanding), which uses a combination of 57 subjects — including math, physics, history, law, medicine and ethics — to test knowledge and problem-solving abilities,” according to Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

The specialized Google Gemini app for Android, as well as the Gemini features embedded into the Google app for iOS, are available to all users, regardless of membership status – and the same is true for the online interface. However, if you choose the premium plan, you will receive the superior Ultra 1.0 model in all of these locations.

By the way, a basic 2TB Google One subscription — with everything from the picture editing skills to the VPN, but without the AI—will cost You pay $9.99 / ₹836.12 / AU$19.99 every month for Gemini Advanced, which amounts to $10 / ₹1,157.31/ AU$13 in total.

Gemini integration with Google’s productivity tools, including Gmail, Google Docs, Google Meet, and Google Slides, will be “available soon”, according to Google, and will be included as part of a Google One AI Premium package. It will assist you in drafting emails, designing slideshows, and so on.

This is a rebranding of Google’s earlier Duet AI features, which are now branded as Gemini for Workspace. Whether you’re an individual or a business customer, signing up for the Google One AI Premium package will get you access to these integrated AI capabilities.

So that’s it: beyond the normal 2TB Google One plan The important takeaway is that you get access to Google’s latest and best Gemini AI features, and the firm promises that there will be lots more coming in the future.

Google One AI Premium Early Verdict

On the one hand, Google’s free two-month trial of the One AI Premium Plan (which includes Gemini Advanced) seems like a no-brainer for individuals looking to experiment with some of the most powerful AI tools available right now. Of certainly, as long as you are reasonably disciplined in canceling undesired free trials.

But it’s still early days for Gemini Advanced. We have yet to put it to the test or compare it to ChatGPT Plus. Its integration with Google’s productivity tools is also “coming soon,” so it’s unclear when that will occur.

If you want to dig more into the performance of Google’s latest AI models, including Gemini Advanced, you can read the company’s Gemini benchmarking study. Some lucky testers, such as AI scientist Ethan Mollick, have been experimenting with Gemini Advanced for some time after gaining advanced access.

Early indications suggest that Gemini complex is shaping up to be a GPT-4 class AI rival capable of competing with ChatGPT Plus on challenging activities such as coding and complex problem-solving. It also promises to work well with Google’s apps. We’ll have to wait and see how well it functions in practice, but the free trial is available for early adopters who want to jump right in.

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WatchOS 11: What We Expect to See, and All the Leaks So Far

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In the decade after the original’s release, the best Apple Watches have advanced significantly. They began as a trendy piece of technology and have since evolved into a fantastic health and fitness device.

There’s a lot of talk about the Apple Watch X, or Apple Watch 10, which is likely to be the anniversary model of the Apple Watch in the same way that the iPhone X was the 10th anniversary model of the iPhone. But what about the software that runs on the Apple Watch? With substantial changes coming with watchOS 10 in 2023, including an entirely new way to interact and use Apple Watch, is watchOS 11 going to take a back seat this year with a minor update?

We are covering what we’ve heard thus far far about watchOS 11, including what features we can expect, when it will be released, and what features we’d like to see.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? When is the next big software release for Apple Watch? Likely September
  • Which Apple Watches will be supported? Likely Series 5 or newer

WATCHOS 11: RUMORED RELEASE DATE

During its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), Apple normally announces which enhancements will be included in its next major software release. The conference is held once a year in early June, with the major keynote on a Monday.

This keynote is frequently used by Apple to announce what will be available in watchOS, iOS, iPadOS, and macOS later that year. Apple has not officially released dates for WWDC 24 – they are typically published in March – but based on historical trends, the conference is expected to begin on either June 3 or June 10.

Public and developer betas are typically issued roughly a month later in July, followed by the final build of the software in September, when the new Apple Watch and iPhone models are announced.

Again, the date for the September announcement is uncertain at this time, but it is normally the first or second week of September, with the software becoming available to compatible devices the week after the announcement. That means WatchOS 11 could come on supported Apple Watch models as early as September 9th.

WATCHOS 11: NEWS AND LEAKS

So yet, there have been few whispers and leaks about watchOS 11, which is not surprising given how early it is. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also stated at the end of 2023 that work on watchOS 11 and other key software releases was temporarily postponed, which could explain the absence of news thus far.

However, there has been some speculation that Apple would include a Large Language Model in iOS 18, making Siri more useful and allowing Apple’s assistant to stay up with artificial intelligence breakthroughs and absorb capabilities offered by competitors. If accurate, we’d expect some of that to leak down to Siri on watchOS 11, perhaps making Apple’s smartwatch more capable of Interacting with information and apps requires less involvement from users.

Apple has also confirmed RCS support, which is expected to arrive with iOS 18 – however this is not official, with Apple merely stating by the end of 2024. If RCS functionality arrives on the iPhone in September (aside from no more green bubbles surrounding your texts), it seems likely that it will also arrive on the Apple Watch with watchOS 11.

In terms of compatibility, there are presently no leaks indicating which Apple Watch models would lose support, but an educated estimate would be that the Apple Watch Series 4 will be discontinued, while the Series 5 and newer will support the new software. We will update this section as further news and rumors about watchOS 11 surface supported models.

WATCHOS 11: WHAT WE WANT TO SEE

Rumours about watchOS 11 are thin for the time being, but there are a few features we’d like to see when the next major software update for Apple Watch arrives.

1.A recovery ring

When the Apple Watch was first unveiled in 2014, the three activity Rings were crucial to the UI and the concept of the smartwatch – and they still are. Apple Watch uses the Move, Exercise, and Stand rings to calculate how well you’ve met your daily activity goals. You can now tailor all three to your tastes, but the underlying precedent remains same from a decade ago.

We’d like to see a fourth ring introduced in watchOS 11: Recovery or Rest. This may automatically replace the Exercise ring on days when Apple Watch analyzes all of the data it has acquired and determines you need a rest day, for example. Or it might be an additional ring that fills up during the week based on your activity and sleep, and once full, Apple grants you a rest day by blocking out the Exercise ring and allowing the user to accept or reject that day of rest.

2.Steps as complexity or objective

We remember when the 10,000 step per day metric was introduced as a decent beginning point for those who desired to stay active by walking. While the scientific evidence for whether 10,000 steps is enough or not is limited, it is nevertheless a popular metric, and one that Apple Watch does not yet emphasize especially effectively.

If you want to make sure you take 10,000 steps each day in addition to completing your Move and Exercise Rings, open the Activity app on your Apple Watch and scroll down four screens until you find your daily step total. If you hit the Digital Crown once on that page, the following time you access the Activity app, it will immediately display the steps screen – a helpful tip for anyone who didn’t know this – but we’d like to see steps made more accessible with watchOS 11.

It has never been a measure that Apple has prioritized, but the ability to add steps as a complication on Watch Faces without downloading a third-party app, or to adjust the Exercise ring to a step target rather than minutes of activity, would be fantastic.

3.More detailed sleep tracking

Apple updated the sleep monitoring on the Apple Watch with watchOS 9, however while it is now able to observe sleep stages and other statistics such as resting heart rate and respiratory rate, the Apple Watch still lags behind Fitbit and Whoop in terms of sleep tracking.

We’d want to see watchOS 11 integrate the sleep data obtained by Apple Watch to present you with a more holistic view of your overall fitness and more insights into whether you should take a rest and recovery day or whether you should be primed and ready to go in terms of activity. One of our top recommendations would be something like Garmin’s Body Battery or Fitbit’s Daily Readiness Score. Requests for WatchOS 11. This, of course, feeds back into our original desire for a recovery ring.

4.Flexibility of Watch Faces

Every major software upgrade for Apple Watch includes a few of new Watch Faces. For watchOS 10, this added Snoopy, which was hands down one of the nicest aspects of the new software. It was introduced alongside Palette, which was also enjoyable, but it was no Snoopy and Woodstock.

We’d want to see third-party Watch Faces in watchOS 11, but we know it’s unlikely, so we’d rather have a little more freedom with the Watch Faces that now exist. We’d like to be able to add a complication to Snoopy for example, or have Apple Watch recommend some useful complications based on our usage behavior and what apps we have on our Apple Watch for Watch Faces with complication capabilities.

5.Programmable side button

Just as third-party Watch Faces are doubtful, so is Apple’s decision to make the side button on the Apple Watch programmable, especially given the recent arrival of Control Centre with watchOS 10. Nonetheless, we may dream. The Watch Ultra and Watch Ultra 2 both contain an additional programmable Action Button, while the basic Apple Watch Series models do not have this capability.

With watchOS 11, the ability to rapidly start a workout or another app with a single touch of the side button would be very appreciated. Of course, this would need shifting the Control Centre: swiping left to right or right to left from the Apple Watch home screen currently serves no purpose, so the Control Centre could easily relocate there.

We can still open Apple Pay with a double press of the side button, but we’d love to be able to set the single click. Pretty please, Apple.

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Technology

The massive Forerunner 165 leak hints that it will be Garmin’s next inexpensive sports watch

by technovatica.com on

Many details about Garmin’s next entry-level smartwatch, the Forerunner 165, have emerged. Details include device specifications, hardware, and a variety of functions.

Everything listed was uncovered on the official Garmin website by industry insider Fitness Tracker Test, who subsequently published their findings on their personal website. The leak includes almost every feature of the wearable, with the exception of what it looks like, as there are no photographs. However, there are enough clues to paint a picture.

Display upgrade

The Forerunner 165 will purportedly feature a 1.2-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 390 x 390 pixels. This is noticeably larger than Garmin’s current entry-level model, the Forerunner 55, which has a 1.04-inch screen. Despite the size difference between the displays, the Forerunner 165’s case will be only slightly larger, measuring 43 x 43 x 11.6mm. The Fitness Tracker Test even states that the “increased weight is hardly noticeable.”

There is a disadvantage. Using an AMOLED has resulted in drastically reduced battery life.

According to the leak, the Forerunner 165 has a runtime of only 11 days while in smartwatch mode, as opposed to the Forerunner 55’s two weeks. Certain features drain the battery much more quickly. Having the GPS turned on reduces the battery life to 19 hours. When the wearable’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is active, the battery life drops to 17 hours. When you combine music listening with GNSS, the runtime drops to just 6.5 hours. Again, none of these details have been confirmed by Garmin.

Features

Moving down the list, Fitness Tracker Test reports that there will be two models at launch: the basic model and the Forerunner 165 Music. The latter, as the name implies, will have storage space for your favorite music that can be played via Bluetooth headphones. Take notice that the smartphone will only have 4GB of storage. In addition, the Forerunner 165 Music will enable Wi-Fi connectivity, which the normal model will not.

The next smartwatch will also include unique hardware capabilities. It will have the Elevate V4 PPG Sensor for detecting heart rate variability, as well as a barometric altimeter. This enables the device to calculate altitude and record air elevation during sporting activities. It can also keep track of the number of floors you’ve climbed.

Fitness Tracker Test indicates that the rest of the features are similar to those found on other Garmin products. You have an internal compass, Nap Detection, and SpO2 capabilities for monitoring blood oxygen levels. It’s worth noting that certain features may be stripped-down versions of those found in higher-end devices. According to the article, Garmin has previously done this with the Forerunner 55. Whether or not this happens “remains to be seen”.

impending launch

The Forerunner 165’s price and release date have yet to be announced. Given the latest revelations, an official release could be just around the corner. Fitness Tracker Test predicts that the regular smartwatch will cost  ₹25002.60 (around $225), while the Music variant will cost  ₹29467.35 (about $355).

As usual, take this leak with a grain of salt. Even the name can change at the last minute. Tracker Tests claims to have found evidence that the wearable could be called the Forerunner 65, but owing to all of the changes, they believe the official name will be the Forerunner 165.

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Technology

Intel Lunar Lake laptops could feature a secret weapon that allows for significantly greater battery life

by technovatica.com on

Intel’s Lunar Lake CPUs should be available for the best laptops this year, and we’re just learning more about how these chips will hopefully live up to the claims made about being extremely power-efficient.

Cirrus Logic, not Intel, has announced that it will provide a new and fancier power converter chip for reference designs of notebooks powered by Lunar Lake CPUs.

The Cirrus CP9314 chip for power conversion appears to be a bit dry on the surface, but it is actually a vital component for pushing higher efficiency.

It will let Lunar Lake notebooks use power more efficiently, resulting in longer battery life. Alternatively, laptop designers who want to take a different approach may opt for more tiny batteries, allowing them to produce even smaller laptops.

Overall, the usage of this component should result in longer battery life, more portable notebooks, and lower thermals (heat production), allowing cooling to be lowered. (That means less noisy fans, which is always a good thing when you need your laptop to handle demanding tasks that cause those fans to spin up faster).

Cirrus also disclosed that Lunar Lake laptops will employ its CS42L43 codec chip and CS35L56 audio amplifier, although that silicon isn’t as fresh as the power converter, as Tom’s Hardware discovered after looking around on the Cirrus website. (The power converter isn’t even officially featured on the website yet.

The audio chip is another exciting advancement for Lunar Lake, promising deep bass and a high level of clarity Even a “proprietary rattle limiter algorithm”

The latter implies that when the speakers are turned up loud with, say, bass-heavy content, the laptop chassis and internal components will rattle less, which is certainly a good thing.

Analysis: Lunar launch this year, with any luck!

To summarize, as previously said, Lunar Lake is a specific series of CPUs for laptops aimed at being significantly more power-efficient. And this power converter chip appears to be an essential piece of the puzzle for Lunar Lake in achieving its overall goal.

Lunar Lake is slated to make its appearance with Arrow Lake later in 2024 or slightly later, although it should arrive before the end of the year (despite previous hints of an early 2025 release date – which could still happen if the range slides).

Arrow Lake is intended for desktop CPUs and higher-end laptop chips, whereas Lunar Lake is intended for thin-and-light notebooks, with an emphasis on power efficiency rather than raw performance. (It should be noted that Arrow Lake is also supposed to include low-end laptop CPUs, sitting below Lunar Lake – although this is just speculation).

So, Lunar Lake will be the primary driver of premium thin-and-lights, and the more we learn about it – and Intel’s overall renewed quest for efficiency – the more appealing it becomes.

However, as always, beware of the hype train. We need to see the truth of Lunar Lake, and we should be seeing more leaked benchmarks to give us more of an idea of where these mobile CPUs will sit soon enough. (There has already been some spilling, but in little amounts so far).

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