The first quarter of every year is critical to the smartphone industry as companies like Samsung set a benchmark for flagship phones for the rest of the year. 2024 will be no different as Samsung has announced their upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event today. This year is about Samsung's advancement in the field of AI with the tagline "Galaxy AI is coming," adding to the previous leaks and rumors about the incorporation of AI in the upcoming Samsung Galaxy flagships.

Samsung will host Galaxy Unpacked on 17 January 2024, and the event will be in-person in San Jose, California, starting at 10 AM Pacific Time. While all the invitees will gather in San Jose, tech fans all across the globe can watch the live coverage on Samsung's official website or YouTube Channel.

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Samsung Galaxy Unpacked To Take Place In San Jose, California, On 17 January 2024 

Samsung's biggest event of the year arrives early in 2024 as the SAP Center in San Jose will host 2024's Galaxy Unpacked on 17 January 2024, a few weeks earlier than previous iterations. Every year, Samsung hosts their flagship event, Galaxy Unpacked (generally in February), to launch its popular S series smartphones. On 17 January 2024, Samsung is expected to announce the Samsung Galaxy S24 series smartphones with heavy AI incorporation. 

In the teaser video by Samsung, the company reflects on its journey from developing its first phone in 1988 to creating foldable phones in 2020. Samsung will look forward to continuing its legacy with the upcoming S24 which claims to bring the "new era of mobile."

The AI theme is no surprise since, in recent times, the technology industry has revolved around it. The Samsung Galaxy S24 lineup will headline the event with the Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra smartphone variants. The "Galaxy AI is coming" tagline supports the previous rumors of features like real-time translation of audio calls on Samsung phones. Before the announcement, Samsung also announced their generative AI named 'Guass,' which might play a crucial role in their latest smartphone. 

Moreover, Samsung might follow Apple's route of providing a premium titanium build to the high-end Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphone. Regarding specifications, the lower-end S24 and S24+ are expected to feature either Exynos 2400 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoCs based on the market. Meanwhile, the bigger brother, the S24 Ultra, is expected to ship with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip everywhere. Besides the smartphones, Samsung might launch their new flagship TWS, Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, and fitness-focused accessories. After the launch of Apple Vision Pro, Samsung could tease their mixed-reality headset at the Galaxy Unpacked as well.

While Samsung hasn't announced its products, it offers a pre-reservation for Rs. 1,999 (which is refundable). With the pre-reservation, people can receive special discounts, unique designs, and early product delivery. Interested users can get the pre-reservation done on Samsung's official website. 

Meta seems to trying out something new with AI-driven video editing features, allowing advertisers to animate static images and extend the borders of video content. This new tool is aimed at providing brands more creative control and flexibility when creating ads for Instagram and Facebook, providing better ways to engage users with dynamic visuals.

Moreover, Meta has launched new AI-powered tools that enable advertisers to transform static images into dynamic videos. The AI can also expand existing videos by generating additional pixels, enlarging the content without compromising on the quality.

These features are being pushed to users in a gradual manner, with plans for wider availability in 2025. The tools aim to enhance creative options for advertisers on Facebook and Instagram.

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Meta Launches Its Text To Video Model

Facebook owner Meta on Friday revealed a new AI model dubbed Movie Gen that can produce realistic-looking videos using only text prompts. Meta’s announcement comes just 6 months after OpenAI took the AI industry by storm by unveiling its text-to-video generator, Sora.

Movie Gen is also capable of generating background music and sound effects that are synchronized with the video content. The AI tool can generate up to 16 seconds of video in different aspect ratios and up to 45 seconds of audio. The company also shared data from various blind tests where Movie Gen outperformed its other competitors in the segment, such as Runaway Gen 3, OpenAI’s Sora, and Kling 1.5.

Movie Gen can also create custom videos by using an image or video of a person to create a video that features that person in ‘rich visual detail’ while preserving human identity and movement. Meta claims that the new AI tool can be used to edit existing videos by adding different transitions or effects. In a video shared on the company’s blog, Movie Gen was able to add clothes to animals, change the background of the video, and add new elements.

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Meta Won’t Tell Whether Ray-Ban Smart Glass Videos Are Private

Meta is reportedly staying mum on whether it is collecting video and image data from its AI wearable device Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses to train its large language models (LLMs). The company announced a new real-time video feature for the device using which users can ask the AI to answer queries and ask for suggestions based on their surroundings.

The feature offers real-time video capability that enables Meta AI to “look” at the users’ surroundings and process that visual information to answer any query a user might have. For example, a user can ask it to identify a famous landmark. All of these functionalities require the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses to take passive videos and images of the surroundings to understand the context. 

Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar’s popular open-world Western adventure, is finally coming to PC for the first time after it launched 14 years ago. Rockstar Games announced that both Red Dead Redemption and its zombie standalone title Undead Nightmare will be coming bundled to Steam, Epic Games Store, or the Rockstar Store on October 29.

Players will also get bonus content from the Game of the Year edition, although the company has yet to reveal specific details. The project comes from Rockstar and port and remaster studio Double Eleven. It’s not up for preorder yet, but users can wish-ist it on Steam.

Besides, Rockstar has added modern PC improvements: native 4K resolution at up to 144hz, ultrawide and super ultrawide monitor support, Nvidia DLSS and AMD FSR support, DLSS frame generation, HDR10, and full mouse and keyboard compatibility. Users will be able to adjust the draw distance and shadow quality.

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PC Requirements To Play Red Dead Redemption

These changes will give players the same quality they’d get from its prequel, Red Dead Redemption 2, which has been on PC since 2019. Unlike Red Dead Redemption 2, players won’t require the latest hardware to play the game. As per the Steam page, Rockstar recommends having an Intel Core i5-8500 or AMD Ryzen 5 3500X, 8 GB RAM, and an Nvidia RTX 2070 or AMD RX 5700 XT. Users also only need 12 GB of storage space.

While it’s great to be able to play the game on PC platforms at launch, it’s imperative to note that users will still need a Rockstar Games account to play, as per the Steam page. While Red Dead Redemption has been available to play on modern consoles thanks to backward compatibility on Xbox and a 2023 release to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, it had been absent on PC.

However, the PS4 and Switch ports didn’t come with any visual upgrades and still ran at 30 frames per second (fps), although Sony later added support for 60 fps with PlayStation 5.

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Rockstar Games Not Sure About GTA 6 Launch In 2025

Online rumors suggested that GTA 6 had already been internally delayed to 2026, but as per a former Rockstar Games lead, the studio doesn’t know whether the game will require more time in the oven until next summer.

Former Rockstar North technical director Obbe Vermeij has chimed in on the discourse to remind folks that "the decision to delay GTA 4 was made four months or so before the original release date. Any further and it's hard to make the call." The much-anticipated game has another year in prediction, so Vermeij says that Rockstar "is probably not in a position to determine whether they will hit 2025 until May-ish."

Google seems to be going all-cylinders on generative AI out of fear that missing out on the hype could damage its reputation in the search market. It's Gemini assistant and large language model form its key asset in the gen AI war, and thanks to its control over Android, it’s been able to get Geminin in front of a lot of users really fast.

Google is continuously experimenting with new ways to bring Gemini to more users, and its new experiment involves putting a dedicated button right on the Android lock screen. As of now, there are some ways to access the Gemini chatbot on Android. On most Android devices, users can long press the power button to invoke the default assistant, which is Google Assistant on older devices and Gemini on newer ones.

Users will also be able to invoke the default assistant by pressing and holding the home button or swiping up from the corner. Finally, users can say a wake-word phrase like “Hey Google” or “OK Google” to invoke the default assistant hands-free.

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Google’s AI Search Summaries Officially Showing Advertisements

Google has started rolling out ads in AI Overviews, which means users will now see product suggestions in some of their search engine’s AI-generated summaries. For instance, if a user is searching for a recipe, the AI-generated response will provide some tips along with products beneath a “sponsored” header. Google spokesperson Craig Ewer told The Verge they’ll only show up if a question has a “commercial angle.”

Google has been testing ads in AI Overviews since May but says it’s moving ahead with a full rollout because it helps people “quickly connect with relevant businesses, products, and services to take the next step at the exact moment they need them.”

As of now, ads are only coming to AI Overviews in the US on mobile. Microsoft similarly includes ads in its Copilot chatbot and recently changed how they surface in responses. Google is also making some tweaks to the formatting of AI Overviews. 

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Google Will Lock Your Android Smartphone If Stolen

Google has taken some serious measures against phone thefts. The company’s new “theft detection lock” ensures that personal data is safe and that the phone is of no use to the thief.

The new feature, currently being rolled out for Android users in the US, was spotted on the recently launched Xiaomi 14T Pro and was first reported by Mishaal Rahman on Threads. Google is rolling out three major components of theft-related features: theft detection lock, offline device lock, and remote lock.

The new theft detection lock feature leverages a machine learning model that is capable of detecting when a phone is snatched from a user’s hand and the thief runs away on foot or in a vehicle. 

Boult has announced the launch of Q Headset and Boost Headset, expanding its range of audio offerings in the Indian market. The new launches from the company aim to cater to a wide audience, from gamers to professionals, offering features crafted to upgrade audio experiences. Both headsets come equipped with advanced technology, including BoomX Technology for improved bass and ZEN ENC Mic for clear voice calls.

Speaking of the price, the Boult Q Headset comes at a price of Rs 1,799, while the Boult Boost Headset will set you back by Rs 3,799. The headsets are now available at an introductory price on Flipkart and Boult’s official website.

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Boult Q And Boost Headset features

The Q Headset is crafted for users seeking flexibility. It comes with 40mm Bass Boosted Drivers and four EQ modes that make room for tailored audio preferences. Its Combat Gaming Mode, supported by Bluetooth 5.4, ensures ultra-low latency, ideal for gaming.

The headset is said to offer up to 70 hours of battery life, with a 10-minute quick charge offering 10 hours of playback. It can be used in both wired and wireless modes, making it apt for various scenarios. It is also IPX5-rated for water resistance.

The Boost Headset is aimed at audiophiles and professionals, offering Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation (up to 33dB) to minimize distractions. It comes with Bluetooth 5.4 and 40mm Neodymium Drivers, enhancing audio quality. With a 65-hour battery life, the Boost headset supports fast charging and includes touch controls and voice assistant integration for easier operation. Like the Q Headset, it also comes with BoomX Technology for deeper bass.

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Dyson Launches OnTrac Headphones Without Air Purifiers

Unlike, Dyson’s other headphones, the new headphones do not filter air. This marks a key change in their spiritual predecessors, the Zone, which both fascinated and baffled the tech world with their combination of music play/particulate filtration. That device was, in its own peculiar way, a logical extension of Dyson’s existing product offerings, as a direct line could claim that the product didn’t, at the very, least, failed to stand apart in the much-crowded over-ear headphones.

Considering the years and capital put into the Zone’s creation, there seems to be logic in the company’s decision to turn its R&D work into a more standard set of headphones. After all, the Zone did offer excellent audio quality, but it’s unlikely many shelled out the $700 solely to use them as headphones with so many good alternatives on the market.

OnTrac comes at a cheaper price, though at $500, it’s still a huge premium over the top-end headphones from Bose ($429), Sony ($399), Apple ($449), and even the new entries like Sonon ($449).

Infinix is prepping up to unveil its first ever flip phone in the Indian market, Infinix Flip on October 17. The Zero Flip could be an interesting launch considering that it will be only among the few budget flip phones in the market, going against the likes of Motorola Razr 50 and the Tecno Fantom V Flip 5G.

The Infinix Zero Flip has already debuted in the Malaysian market, offering a sneak peek at the expected specifications of the upcoming device. The Zero Flip is expected to come with a 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 1080 x 2640 pixels.

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Infinix Zero Flip Under The Hood

The smartphone will come with a 3.64 inch external AMOLED display with a resolution of 1056 x 1066 pixels. The Zero Flip is said to be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8020 procesor and coupled with the Mali G77 MC9 GPU. There could be support for up to 8GB RAM and up to 512GB storage.

As for the cameras, there could be a 50MP primary and a 50MP ultra-wide angle lens. Upfront, the Zero Flip is likely to be equipped with a 32MP sensor with built-in flash. The smartphone is expected to come with a dual speaker setup, tuned by JBL. The smartphone will be backed by a 4720mAh battery with support for 70W fast charging.

The Infinix Zero Flip was launched at a price of 10,65,000 Nigerian Naira, which is approximately Rs 53,500. However, it is likely that Infinix could price the smartphone under the Rs 50k range in the Indian market.

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Infinix Zero 40 5G India Launch Confirmed: What To Expect

Infinix has confirmed the launch date of its flagship smartphone -- the Inifinix Zero 40 5G in the Indian market. The company will launch the smartphone on September 18 with a major focus on camera and gen AI features. The launch announcement comes just days after the company also announced that it was launching its first-ever tablet- Infinix XPad in the Indian market.

The new smartphone comes with a round camera module on the back, with a design reminiscent of the OnePlus 12 series. However, the stand-out feature seems to be the dual-tone finish at the bottom with the ‘Zero’ branding.

Speaking of the camera, Infinix has confirmed that the Zero 40 5G will pack a 108MP primary camera with OIS and a 50MP ultra-wide angle lens. There will also be a bokeh lens along with a zoom flash and a regular flash.