Arjun Sha - Page 7
Passionate about Windows, ChromeOS, Android, security and privacy issues. Have a penchant to solve everyday computing problems.
1207 Stories
Qualcomm Snapdragon X80 5G Modem Launched at MWC 2024
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At the MWC Barcelona 2024, Qualcomm announced its most capable 5G modem yet, the Snapdragon X80 5G modem. It's laced with AI features to improve the overall user experience and reduce power consumption while being on mmWave bands. The new modem also has satellite connectivity baked in. The chipmaker has also announced the FastConnect 7900 system for improved Wi-Fi 7 performance using AI.
Qualcomm AI Hub Released at MWC 2024; Run AI Models on Your Device
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Qualcomm has finally released its AI Hub and AI Stack to run AI models locally on Snapdragon platforms, be it your smartphone or PC. The chipmaker has optimized over 75 AI models to run locally on your device. You can generate texts and images, enhance low-light images, perform image segmentation, and do much more locally. Qualcomm's AI Engine delivers 3x-4x better performance than Intel's latest Core Ultra processors.
Windows Copilot Needs to Break Free from the Shackles of a Chatbox
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Microsoft introduced Windows Copilot with much pomp and hype, but is it really an intelligent AI assistant to help you with everyday Windows tasks? Turns out, it's just another AI chatbot like Edge Copilot with few system integrations. Microsoft decided to replace Cortana with Windows Copilot, but there is close to zero feature parity and feels like a downgrade. Windows Copilot should embrace vision models to perform system actions locally like composing emails, interacting with various files, setting alarms, tweaking system settings, and more.
Is Gmail Shutting Down? Google Speaks Out
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Panic ensued on the internet when a rumor suggested that Google is sunsetting Gmail. A purported email was uploaded to X (formerly Twitter) that Gmail is shutting down by August 2024. However, Google took to X and said that Gmail is here to stay and there are no plans to discontinue the popular service. Unrelated to this development, Google indeed disabled the basic HTML view of Gmail starting January 2024.
The Photos App Can Erase Objects Using AI on Windows 11 and 10
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Microsoft has released two new AI features to the Photos app on Windows 11 and 10. With Generative Erase, you can remove unwanted objects from images, and the next feature lets you remove the background from images in a single click. Both features are available on all Insider channels. You just have to update the Photos app from the Microsoft Store.
Google Changes Its Sign-in Page After 6 Years, and It’s Underwhelming
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After a gap of six years, Google is updating the visual look of the sign-in and sign-up pages. The new update has a more modern look and brings changes in line with Material Design 3 principles. Google says it's strictly a visual change, and no changes have been made to functionalities. The login flow remains the same. The new updated look will be visible to both personal accounts and Google Workspace accounts in the next two weeks.
Meet Groq, a Lightning Fast AI Accelerator that Beats ChatGPT and Gemini
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Groq is a company formed by ex-Google TPU engineers who have developed an LPU (Language Processing Unit) that can generate outputs at a blistering speed. It can generate over 500 tokens per second while using a 7B model and close to 250 tokens per second while using a 70B model. ChatGPT and Gemini generate responses at a speed of 50 to 60 tokens per second. The Groq LPUs are said to be highly performant with much less latency and minimum energy consumption. With the introduction of LPUs, expect instant interaction with AI models soon.
Google Launches Gemma, a Family of Open-source Models
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After launching Gemini 1.0 Ultra and Gemini 1.5 Pro in the last few weeks, Google is back with new AI models that are actually open-source. Dubbed "Gemma", these are small open-source models which can run even on consumer laptops. They come in two sizes, one with 2B parameters and another with 7B parameters. The models are largely trained in the English language and are suited for text generation, summarization, reasoning, and Q&A. Google has given a commercial license to Gemma models subject to certain prohibited use policies.
Gemini Advanced Gets a ChatGPT-like Code Interpreter
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Google is consistently adding new features to Gemini Advanced and now it has brought the ability to edit and run Python code inside the chatbot itself. For students and developers, it's a helpful addition as it allows you to run code directly without moving to Google Colab or other services. Unlike ChatGPT's versatile Code Interpreter, the Python interpreter in Gemini is only limited to coding tasks. To access the feature, you need to subscribe to Gemini Advanced which costs $20 per month, but Google is offering two months of free trial along with Google One benefits.
The New Sticky Notes App on Windows 11 is Here, and It’s Fabulous
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The new Sticky Notes app, integrated with OneNote, is a great tool for users who are looking for a solid note-taking app for Windows 11 and 10. You can dock it on the desktop for permanent visibility, capture screenshots with the source link, color code notes, press the hotkey to quickly open it anywhere in the system, and more. Best of all, you can sync all your desktop notes with your smartphone as well. You can get the new app by joining the Microsoft 365 Insider program in the Beta channel.
Show Desktop Button Missing from Windows 11 Taskbar? Here is the Fix
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Rather unsurprisingly, Microsoft decided to disable the classic "Show desktop" button on Windows 11 to give space for Copilot. This has irked many Windows users who want to instantly declutter everything on screen through the button. If the "Show desktop" button is missing from the Windows 11 Taskbar on your PC, do not worry. You can enable it right away from Taskbar Settings -> Taskbar behaviors -> turn on "Select the far corner of the taskbar to show the desktop" option.
OpenAI Launches Sora: A Groundbreaking Text-to-Video AI Model
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OpenAI has unveiled its remarkable text-to-video model, Sora, that can generate AI videos for up to 1 minute. The generated videos are highly detailed and have a resolution of up to 1080p. Unlike existing solutions, Sora-generated videos don't have distortions in the scene, which makes everyone believe that it's trained on gaming engine simulations like Unreal Engine 5. OpenAI says it's a diffusion model built on the transformer architecture. The Sora model is going through safety checks now and currently, it's not available to regular users.
Google Introduces Gemini 1.5 Pro with a Massive 1 Million Context Window
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After releasing Gemini Advanced with the Ultra 1.0 model last week, Google has announced its next-generation model called Gemini 1.5 Pro. The new model is built on the Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) architecture and supports a massive context window of up to 1 million tokens. It performs nearly the same as the much larger Gemini 1.0 Ultra model. The AI model is currently in limited preview and developers can test it on AI Studio after joining the waiting list.
OpenAI Gives ChatGPT a ‘Memory’ So It Can Know You Better
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With the new memory addition to ChatGPT, the AI chatbot can now remember who you are, what you like, and your overall preferences. It will make ChatGPT more personal and helpful to users. The memory feature is currently being rolled out to a small portion of ChatGPT free and Plus users. Over the coming days, it will be enabled by default for all ChatGPT users. Keep in mind, your ChatGPT conversations including memories may be used to train and improve OpenAI's AI models.
Gemini Ultra vs GPT-4: Google Still Lacks the Secret Sauce
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Touted to be the most capable model by the Google DeepMind team, the Gemini Ultra 1.0 model has been finally released. Gemini Advanced is powered by the Ultra model so we compared it with OpenAI's GPT-4 model. In our tests, we found that Gemini Advanced still lacks rigorous commonsense reasoning capability, hence, it's nowhere close to GPT-4. However, in creating writing, it does a better job than GPT-4. In coding tasks, it's indeed an improvement, but with tools like Code Interpreter in GPT-4, you are likely to get better results in ChatGPT.
Windows 12 is Not Coming in 2024; It’s Windows 11 24H2 Instead
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In an official Windows Insider Blog, Microsoft confirmed that Windows 11 version 24H2 will be this year's annual feature update. It means Windows 12 is not coming this year, as earlier speculated. You will be getting the Windows 11 24H2 update in September or October this year. Additionally, Microsoft says that Windows 11 will follow an annual feature update cadence, which will be released in the second half of the year.
What is Gemini Advanced and How to Get Subscription
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Google has launched a subscription plan called Gemini Advanced that is powered by the Gemini Ultra 1.0 model. Unlike the free Gemini (formerly Bard), Gemini Advanced is much better at highly complex tasks and performs close to OpenAI's GPT-4 model. It costs $20 per month, but you get two months of free trial. Gemini Advanced also bundles 2TB of storage, and Google One benefits. And soon, Gemini Advanced users will be able to access Gemini AI in apps like Gmail, Docs, and more.
Google Rebrands Bard to Gemini; Debuts Ultra 1.0 Model & Android App
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Google is continuously positioning itself as the AI industry leader, and now, the search giant has rebranded Bard to Gemini in a bid to bring Google's family of best AI models to users. It has also introduced Gemini Advanced, which hosts the powerful Ultra model. However, you will have to pay $20 per month to access it. Moreover, Android users can now install the Gemini app on their smartphones whereas iPhone users can access Gemini from the Google app.
How to Enable Reading Mode on Android
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Read Aloud is an essential accessibility feature and Google has improved the functionality using the Reading Mode app on Android. You can install the Reading mode app from the Play Store for free, and it will read aloud the content on your screen effortlessly. It works on web pages and most apps like Gmail and WhatsApp, which is great. Alternatively, you can use Google Assistant's Read Aloud mode to read the contents of any webpage.
Amazon Launches Rufus, an AI Assistant in Its Shopping App
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The e-commerce giant, Amazon, has added an AI shopping assistant called Rufus to its shopping app. It's an AI chatbot trained on Amazon's vast product catalogs, customer reviews, community Q&A, and information sourced from the web. It can answer all your questions based on your shopping needs, find personalized products, offer recommendations for various occasions, and much more. The Rufus AI assistant is currently being rolled out to a small subset of users in the US only.
How to Install Extensions in Edge Browser for Android
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Microsoft has finally brought a feature to Edge that Chrome users have been wanting for years. You can now install web extensions in Edge for Android. Yes, you read that right. So far, it only offers three extensions including Dark Reader, uBlock Origin, and Global Speed. And the feature is hidden behind an Edge flag on the Canary version of Edge. Nevertheless, it's a crucial development and we are happy that Microsoft has taken the effort to bring extension support on Android with Edge.
How to Generate AI Images Using Google Bard
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Google has finally added image generation into Bard and you can create images for free. Simply start your prompt with "create an image of" or "generate an image of" and Bard will generate two images at once. Google is using its in-house Imagen 2 AI model with ImageFX tool for added guardrails to power Bard image generation. Right now, it only supports prompts in English and some countries such as the UK, Switzerland, and EEA regions can't access the feature right away.
India Slashes Import Duty on Smartphone Parts to 10%
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The Finance Ministry of India has issued a notification saying that the import duty on some smartphone components has been reduced to 10% from 15%. Some of the key components include Battery cover, Front cover, Middle cover, Main lens, Back cover, GSM Antenna/Antenna of any technology, PU case/Sealing Gasket. etc. This decision may bring down smartphone prices by 3% to 5% in the budget and entry-level segments.
8 Best AI Photo Enhancers in 2024 (Free and Paid)
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There are a number of AI photo enhancers that let you restore old photos, upscale images, add more clarity and detail, expand images, and more. We have included the eight best AI tools to improve images including popular ones like Remini, Lensa, Clipdrop, and several others. We have also included some tools that you can run locally on your computer if you don't want to upload your images to the cloud.
Microsoft Breaches $3 Trillion Market Value
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Microsoft has become the second company to join the $3 trillion club, after Apple. On Wednesday, MSFT's market cap reached $3.02 trillion with a record-high share price of $405.63. Microsoft has been growing tremendously after OpenAI launched ChatGPT in November, 2022. OpenAI's partnership with Microsoft has been instrumental in pushing the market cap from $1.8 trillion to over $3 trillion. Market analysts say that Satya Nadella's push on AI has largely paid off and the company is expected to outpace even Apple in 2024.
How to Create and Run a PowerShell Script on Windows 10 and 11
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PowerShell is used by developers and general users alike to automate tasks on Windows 10 and 11. You can use a simple text editor like Notepad to create a PowerShell script. However, for advanced users, PowerShell ISE is recommended as it offers an integrated scripting environment. You can also run the scripts from the GUI interface or from the PowerShell or Terminal window. Bear in mind that you need to change the execution policy to "RemoteSigned" in order to run a local script.
Google Is Adding Three Cool AI Features to Chrome
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With the Chrome 121 release, Google is adding three new generative AI features to Chrome. Currently, the AI features are available on Windows and macOS in the US only. The AI features include smart tab organization, Help Me Write, and theme generation using AI. You can put similar tabs in a tab group using AI automatically. Help me write will let you draft texts on the web using AI. And you can generate unique themes based on your mood, and visual style using AI.
OnePlus 12R Launched with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 100W Fast-Charging
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OnePlus has launched its affordable OnePlus 12R smartphone that brings the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. It also offers LPDDR5X RAM on all variants, but UFS 4.0 storage is reserved for the 256GB variant only. The display is super-bright that can deliver a peak brightness of 4500 nits, and 1600 nits in HBM mode. The phone packs a 50MP Sony IMX890 image sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, and a 2MP macro lens. For selfies, there is a 16MP camera. OnePlus 12R has a 5,500 mAh battery and can be fully charged in just 26 minutes.
Samsung Exynos 2500 Specifications Leaked Online
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Samsung is reportedly working on its next flagship SoC, the Exynos 2500, and it might come with 10 CPU cores. It is also being said that Exynos 2500 will be fabricated on Samsung's 2nd-gen 3nm process node. The 10-core CPU may come with a single Cortex-X5 core, 5x Cortex-A730 cores, and 4x Cortex-A520 cores. According to the leak, the big prime core clock speed can vary between 3.2GHz to 3.3GHz.
Exynos 2400 vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: Benchmark Comparison
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We ran extensive benchmark tests on both Exynos 2400 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. In the Geekbench test, the Exynos 2400 remains behind the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, however, the scores are comparable. In the CPU Throttling test, the Samsung chip falters a bit, but again regains the performance. In the next AnTuTu benchmark test, the Exynos 2400 is 15% behind the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. And to test the GPU, we ran the intensive 3DMark Wild Life test, showing promising results from the Xclipse 940 GPU.
Meta is Working to Achieve AGI: Mark Zuckerberg
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Meta is going bullish on AI development by building a large infrastructure of hardware resources and bringing top AI talents from around the world. According to Mark Zuckerberg, Meta is working to achieve AGI and to make the vision a reality, it has already ordered over 340,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs. By the end of 2024, it will have a stockpile of 600,000 GPUs. Zuckerberg also says that Meta might open-source AGI as long as it makes sense. The company is now training the next-gen Llama 3 model that will have advanced reasoning and coding abilities.
Exynos 2400 vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: Samsung Closes the Gap
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Samsung has quietly announced the Exynos 2400, which will be powering Galaxy S24, and S24+ in most regions around the world. We compared the Exynos 2400 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 to find the performance difference. Samsung has used a 10-core CPU, which comes close to Snapdragon 8 Gen 3's performance. The South Korean giant has also brought an upgraded Xclipse 940 GPU based on the AMD RDNA 3 architecture with HW-accelerated Ray Tracing support. Overall, Samsung has done a pretty good job with the Exynos 2400 and closes the generational gap against the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs S23 Ultra: What’s New?
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Samsung has announced the Galaxy S24 Ultra with a lot of noise, but how does it compare against last year's flagship, the Galaxy S23 Ultra? The Galaxy S24 Ultra features a titanium frame, a brighter display, performs better, and offers seven years of OS updates. Except these improvements, there are very few reasons you should upgrade from S23 Ultra. In most categories, and especially in the camera department, both devices are almost on par. In fact, the lack of 10x periscope lens on the S24 Ultra might push users to opt for the S23 Ultra. Read our comparison to find the difference between both flagship devices.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Series Will Get 7 Years of Android OS Updates
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At the Galaxy Unpacked 2024 event, Samsung has announced that Galaxy S24 devices would receive Android OS updates for seven years. This comes after Google made seven years of update commitment for the Pixel 8 series in 2023. Earlier, flagship Samsung devices were offered four years of OS upgrades and five years of security updates. So this change is quite significant for Android users and more phone makers might follow suit.
Galaxy Unpacked 2024: Samsung Galaxy S24, S24+ & S24 Ultra Launched
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Samsung finally unveiled the Galaxy S24 lineup at the Galaxy Unpacked 2024 event. Galaxy S24, S24+ and S24 Ultra, all come with Galaxy AI features, and feature immersive displays that offer up to 2600 nits of brightness. S24 Ultra, in particular, is powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy in all markets and regions. On the other hand, S24 and S24+ come with Exynos 2400 in majority of the markets, but some countries get all three models with the Snapdragon chipset. Samsung has also used a titanium frame on the Ultra variant this year.
Microsoft Launches Copilot Pro for $20 a Month
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Microsoft has introduced a new Copilot Pro plan that allows paid users to gain priority access to GPT-4 and GPT-4 Turbo models even during peak times. The plan costs $20 per month, per user (Rs. 2,000 in India). It also brings AI-powered Copilot features to Office apps (Microsoft 365) including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. With the Copilot Pro subscription, you can also generate images faster using Dall -E 3 and soon, you will be able to create a custom Copilot GPT for specific purposes.
How to Check the Windows Version in Windows 11 and 10
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Finding the Windows version on Windows 11 and 10 is quite easy and straightforward. You can open Windows Settings and move to System -> About to find the OS build, edition, and version. Apart from that, enter "winver" in the Run dialog box to view the Windows version details. And if you are interested in using Command Prompt or Powershell to check the Windows version, you can do that too.
Realme 12 Pro Series Launch Date Revealed for India
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Realme is finally launching the Realme 12 Pro series in India on 29th January at 12 noon. Both Realme 12 Pro and 12 Pro+ are going to feature a periscope lens for capturing stunning portraits comparable to portraits taken on the iPhone 15 Pro Max and up to 120x zoom photos. Zoom shots are also said to be better on the 12 Pro series. As for the chipsets, leaks suggest that Realme 12 Pro will be powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 and the Pro+ variant will feature the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2.
10 Best Android Emulators for Windows PCs in 2024
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Earlier, third-party Android emulators like BlueStacks and Gameloop used to rule the roost, but with the introduction of Google Play Games on PC and Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) by Google and Microsoft, things have changed for better. With better optimization from Google and app developers, Android apps run much better on Windows 10 and 11 PCs. Particularly, Google Play Games on PC consumes less memory and offers better performance. However, you can use WSA to use any Android app on your Windows 11 PC. You can also explore other emulators such as LDPlayer, MEmu Play, and Nox Player.
A China-based company, Betavolt Technology is developing nuclear batteries that might power smartphones for 50 years. It means you will never have to charge your phone. According to the company, it's using a decaying nickel isotope to generate energy and a thin layer of artificial diamond which acts as a semiconductor. The company also says that no toxic chemical is produced during the process and no radiation escapes from the system, making the technology suitable for mass use on smartphones.
OpenAI’s GPT Store is Now Live at Last!
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The App Store of GPTs is finally live. OpenAI has rolled out the GPT Store for ChatGPT Plus users after multiple delays. You can explore GPTs for various categories including Writing, Research and Analysis, Programming, Education, Productivity, Lifestyle, and more. Bear in mind, it's not available to free users, and you have to subscribe to ChatGPT Plus to use the GPT Store. OpenAI says that GPT creators can also monetize their GPTs based on the usage.
Microsoft Is Adding an AI-powered Cowriter to Notepad
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A new AI-powered Cowriter feature has been discovered for the Notepad app. It's currently in the testing phase as Microsoft has just added the placeholder in the latest Windows 11 Insider build. The upcoming Cowriter feature will let you rewrite content, make paragraphs shorter or longer, change the tone of the text, and change the format. There is also an "Explain with Copilot" menu in the context menu of the Notepad app. The feature will have a waiting list and a credit system for using the AI tool.