Google Pixel 9 may get ‘emergency satellite messaging’ feature

Here is the top trending news from the world of technology. News that every tech enthusiast should keep a tab on.

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Google Pixel 9 may get ‘emergency satellite messaging’ feature

According to rumors and latest leaks, Pixel 9 series phone will soon offer ‘Emergency Satellite Connectivity’ feature. This would allow Pixel 9 users to connect to nearest satellites to perform basic services like texting and sending messages during any emergency. This feature will not only be useful during the emergency period but will also help users in accessing internet in remote locations where the network coverage is usually very weak. As per the leaked information, Pixel 9 series is expected to use Samsung Exynos Modem 5400 for offering satellite messaging service to its users. It was must be noted that Google is yet to officially confirm about launching satellite SOS feature on Pixel 9 phones.

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Meta testing its AI chatbot across WhatsApp, Instagram & Messenger.

Meta is testing its AI chatbot, Meta AI, across its major messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram DM and messenger. This pilot test is currently being carried out in India, African nations and few other countries. This news has already caused lot of excitement among the users as AI chatbot may completely redefine their messaging experience. Meta had launched Meta AI in September 2023 as a general-purpose AI chatbot. It can have conversations with users, answer their questions, and even generate creative text formats or photorealistic images based on prompts.

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Elon Musk’s xAI previews Grok-1.5V, its first multimodal model   

Last week, Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, previewed the latest version of Grok, its AI chatbot that directly competes with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google Gemini. Known as Grok-1.5V, this is the first multimodal model lunched by Musk’s AI company. xAI claims that Grok-1.5V can process all kinds of visual data including images, documents, charts, diagrams, and even screenshots. By incorporating visual information, Grok-1.5V  has certainly got more teeth to compete with its competitors. However, since it is currently in the preview stages, only few testers and developers will have access to it before it is made generally available to all Premium+ users.

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Bluesky reverses ban on head of state signups   

Bluesky, the Twitter competitor platform, has lifted its ban on heads of state registering for accounts. Following this decision, Brazil’s President has become the first global leader to join the platform. This move could potentially attract more high-profile users to Bluesky, including government officials and world leaders. This in-turn could help in popularizing Bluesky and compete more efficiently with Twitter, now known as ‘X.’ Bluesky is a decentralized social network platform founded by Jack Dorsey, who is the former CEO and co-founder of Twitter. It aims to be an alternative to big tech-controlled social media platforms, offering users more control over their data and experiences.

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Microsoft’s Windows 11 is beta testing ads in the Start menu

In an interesting development, Microsoft has started testing ads in the Windows 11 Start menu for a specific group of users. These ads reportedly promote applications available in the Microsoft Store. Currently, only participants in the Windows Insider program’s Beta Channel within the US see this ads. This is just a pilot program by Microsoft, and they’re likely gauging user feedback before potentially implementing it more widely. Some users might find these ads helpful for discovering new apps, while others may consider them intrusive. Mind you, users have the option to turn off the ads if they wish not to see them.