Walmart is putting generative AI in the hands of roughly 50,000 non-store U.S. employees who will have access to My Assistant, an LLM trained on information. From speeding the drafting process to serving as a creative partner and summarizing documents, “My Assistant has the potential to change how our associates work and solve problems,” Walmart said, emphasizing the launch goes beyond productivity gains. “We believe the key to unlocking transformation lies in the creativity and innovation of our associates. Ideally, this technology will free them from monotonous, repetitive tasks, allowing more time and focus for improving the customer/member experience.”  Continue reading Walmart Is ‘Empowering’ 50,000 U.S. Associates with GenAI

Unveiled at IFA 2023, Sony’s Xperia 5 V is a smartphone aimed at creators that also happens to be an entertainment powerhouse. Features include a 6.1-inch OLED HD+ screen, Bravia X1 mobile image engine, and a front stage sound system with “powerful deep bass” that Sony says eliminates the need for external speakers. Building on the preceding model, upgrades include the Video Creator app, which edits select video content into a finished clip in about a minute. This new iteration shoots 4K video at up to 120fps in HDR and features optical image stabilization. A dedicated microphone can isolate and capture the main vocal amidst environmental noise and other voices. Continue reading Sony Xperia 5 V Phone Is Built for Creators and Entertainment

Netflix continues to expand its game ecosystem. The company released a TV game controller for iOS devices earlier this month and has just begun beta testing its game streaming on TVs in Canada and the UK, with plans to begin tests for computer play in the coming weeks. Participating in the tests are partner devices including Amazon Fire TV Streaming Media Players, Chromecast with Google TV, LG TVs, Nvidia Shield TV, Roku devices and TVs, Samsung Smart TVs, and Walmart Onn, with plans for more manufacturers to be added on an ongoing basis. Continue reading Netflix Beta Tests Its Game Streaming on TVs and Computers

Chinese tech firm Rokid released is first AR glasses in 2017, and is now making available an attachment called Rokid Station that brings an immersive 215-inch Android TV virtual screen experience to its new Rokid Max augmented reality eyewear. The Rokid Max glasses list for $439, but bundled with the Rokid Station the price is $529 (via preorder). The Rokid Max glasses feature micro OLED screens that can project what appears to be a 215-inch screen positioned about 10 feet from the user, creating the illusion of an immersive viewing experience. Continue reading Rokid Debuts Portable Android TV Device for Its AR Glasses

London-based fashion phone company Nothing is bringing its second-generation Nothing Phone to the U.S. on July 17, starting at $599. With Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, the Phone 2 is being described as a solid entry in the mid-tier price range. Included is a 32-megapixel front camera, with Sony’s IMX890 the primary sensor. There are also two rear 50-megapixel sensors. The advanced 18-bit Image Signal Processor (ISP) allows the new model “to process camera data up to 4,000 times more than its predecessor,” the company says. Continue reading Nothing Phone 2, Starting at $599, Comes to the U.S. Today

Sony Electronics is launching its Mocopi mobile motion capture system in the United States. Using a dedicated smartphone app for iOS and Android, the wireless system enables full-body motion tracking, captured by six small, lightweight sensors. Sony has been marketing Mocopi in Japan where virtual streamers (also called “VTubers”) have been using the system to drive avatars and fictional animated characters. Mocopi allows users to go mobile with virtual reality, loosening time and location constraints. Sony is now taking preorders for the $499 Mocopi system, which ships July 14. Continue reading Sony Offers Affordable Phone-Based MoCap System in U.S.

Google is debuting a Shop tab that lets users purchase or rent movies directly through the Android TV platform. The Shop tab, which effectively replaces the Google Play Movies & TV smartphone app, was recently introduced to Android TV devices in the U.S. and will roll out to a reported 23 other countries over the next few weeks. In addition to providing browse and purchase capabilities via Android TV, the Shop feature is also a content management platform. Purchases and existing programming from Android TV and Google TV devices, the Google TV mobile app and YouTube will be organized in the Library under the Shop tab. Continue reading Android TV Shop Offers Sales, Rental, Content Management

A new $2,000 mobile device called “Spacetop” comes with its own augmented reality glasses that can create a 100-inch virtual display. Sightful, the Tel Aviv-based startup behind the new AR laptop, was co-founded by CEO Tamir Berliner and COO Tomer Kahan, both previously with Florida-based AR glasses firm Magic Leap. Spacetop utilizes a custom operating system that Sightful says is compatible with Web-based applications such as Google Workspace, Zoom and Figma. The glasses reportedly offer resolution of 1080p per eye, which Sightful says provides sub-pixel viewing resolution. Continue reading Sightful’s Spacetop AR Laptop Offers 100-Inch Virtual Display

Streaming platforms are the destination of choice for Gen Zers when it comes to content consumption, with mobile devices also playing a crucial role in their television viewing choices, according to a new study by analytics provider Samba TV. That inevitably raises the stock of streaming platforms with advertisers striving to reach the elusive 18-26 demographic now known as the streaming-first generation. A diverse and multicultural generation with unique values and behaviors, including frequently shopping online while viewing, Gen Z offers an opportunity for advertisers that want omniscreen outcomes. Continue reading Samba TV Report Reveals Advertiser Path to Reaching Gen Z

Google’s new Pixel Fold does double duty as a 5.8-inch smartphone that transforms into a small 7.6-inch tablet, made possible by the device’s foldable design. The debut of the $1,800 device sees Google challenging market leader Samsung and its Galaxy Z Fold4 in the foldable phone space. Preorders began this week for a June shipping date. Featuring two 120Hz refresh rate OLED panels — a 1080 x 2092 pixel display on the outside and a 2208 x 1840 pixel inner display — the unit is equally high-end on the inside, using the Tensor 2 processor that powers the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. Continue reading Pixel Fold: Google Officially Unveils Its Foldable Smartphone

While the much-anticipated unveiling of the $1,799 Pixel Fold is generating headlines after yesterday’s Google I/O developer conference, the company made a slew of other announcements, including the $500 Pixel Tablet, the midrange Pixel 7A, AI functionality for Google Search and Android, an AI-powered editing feature for Google Photos, an improved Wear OS 4 (available later this year), and a redesigned Google Home app (available today). In addition, the company announced that its AI-powered chatbot Bard is now available to everyone, whether you were on the waitlist or not. We’ve compiled a helpful list of new products and features, along with links to reviews and related news. Continue reading Google Announces Wide Range of New Products, AI Features

Gen Z users are embracing Apple mobile in a big way, accounting for 34 percent of iPhone users as compared to 10 percent of Samsung users, according to adtech data firm Attain. The imbalance is creating a peer pressure dynamic where younger users around the globe reportedly feel social stigma if they lack Apple’s must-have devices. While Samsung still has a lead in the worldwide global smartphone market, the company is feeling pressure to get hip quick. In addition to the overall iPhone design, fans cite the cameras and AirDrop photo-sharing features as major selling points. Continue reading Gen Z Shifting the Global Smartphone Dynamic Toward Apple

Qualcomm has unveiled a new smartphone chipset ahead of next week’s Mobile World Congress. The Snapdragon X75 5G Modem-RF System will start appearing in devices in the second half of the year. According to Qualcomm, the X75 enables stronger uplink and downlink connections and uses artificial intelligence to help keep signals connected in areas where coverage is weak, like elevators and parking garages. It’s also equipped for 3GPP’s 17 and 18 releases, which set standards for next-gen 5G. Release 18 sets the stage for 5G Advanced, for things like connected cars and smart cities (industrial IoT). Continue reading Qualcomm’s New 5G Chips Benefit More Than Smartphones

Apple’s three-year streak of record-setting sales and profit came to an end with the company’s fiscal first quarter for 2023. The three-month period ending December 31, 2022 produced revenue of $117.2 billion, down 5 percent year-over-year. Apple said the results capped an earnings season “in which the world’s biggest technology companies mostly struggled to shake off a postpandemic hangover.” It was the Cupertino-based company’s first quarterly revenue decline in almost four years, attributable largely to supply chain disruptions in China causing a holiday sales season shortage of the high-end iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. Continue reading Apple Hardware Sales Decline, Services Remain Bright Spot

During Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco, the company introduced its $1,200 Galaxy S23 Ultra smartphone, featuring a 200-megapixel camera sensor, an updated form factor, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, and major jump in storage. Samsung also announced updated Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus models with the same floating camera design of the S23 Ultra and pricing that matches last year’s offerings. The company’s new Galaxy Book3 Ultra laptop touts a 16-inch, 120Hz OLED screen and offers an Intel H-Series Core i7 or Core i9 processor and an Nvidia RTX 4050 or 4070 GPU. The Book3 line features Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED 2X display and an Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU. Continue reading Samsung Unveils Smartphones, Laptops at Unpacked Event