What's New In the Consumer Tech World Last Week? News That You Should Know (July 14 - July 20, 2024)

Experts believe that Japan’s increasing dependence on foreign digital services like Amazon AMZN Prime and YouTube Premium by Google Inc. GOOGL GOOG is contributing to a rising “digital deficit,” potentially pressuring the yen’s value.

Two decades after implementing the “great firewall,” Xi Jinping-led Chinese government is reportedly testing artificial intelligence systems to ensure they align with socialist values. The Cyberspace Administration of China is compelling tech giants and AI startups, including ByteDance, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. BABA,  Moonshot, and 01.AI , to participate in a mandatory government review of their AI models.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has found that the redesigned Electrocardiography in the Apple Watch does not violate patents held by AliveCor, a medical device company. This ruling further complicates AliveCor’s legal challenges against Apple Inc. AAPL.

Also Read: Microsoft’s ‘iPhone Moment’? Wedbush Analyst Dan Ives Expects AI To Add $1 Trillion To Valuation

Gaming, Telecom & Media

Netflix NFLX has decided to discontinue its most affordable ad-free subscription plan in the United States and France beginning Thursday.

Telecom giant AT&T Inc. T allegedly paid a hacker around $400,000 to delete sensitive data they are said to have stolen.

About 82% of American gamers made in-game purchases in freemium titles last year, according to Comscore’s 2024 State of Gaming Report (via GamesIndustry.biz).

Warner Bros. Discovery Inc’s WBD Warner Bros. Games and NetherRealm Studios lifted the veil on the final DLC character for “Mortal Kombat 1” — Takeda Takahashi.

Microsoft Corp.’s MSFT Activision has officially confirmed the beta dates for “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,” marking a significant milestone for the franchise.

Microsoft has unveiled a new Xbox controller inspired by none other than Deadpool himself.

Nintendo ADR NTDOY recently teased a mysterious new project with the hashtag “#WhoIsEmio?” and a cryptic 15-second video.

Larian Studios has officially announced details for the eagerly awaited Patch 7 for “Baldur’s Gate 3.“

Smartphones

In the second quarter of 2024, both Apple and Samsung Electronics Co. SSNLF experienced a rise in smartphone shipments. However, the two tech giants saw a decrease in their overall market shares due to stiff competition from Chinese rivals.

After unveiling it at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, Apple has started rolling out the first iOS 18 public beta to eligible iPhones.

Apple has given the green light to UTM SE, the first PC emulator for iPhone and iPad. This decision comes after the tech giant initially rejected the app, despite revising its App Store guidelines to allow game emulators.

Also Read: 6 New Hidden iPhone Features You Probably Haven’t Discovered Yet on iOS 18

Apple could end up pushing back the use of Taiwan Semiconductor’s TSM 2-nanometer chip technology for its upcoming iPhone 17 series.

Apple should beat last year’s Prime Day results due to “early access deals,” analysts say.

Top analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has cast doubt on the anticipated surge in Apple's upcoming smartphone series, iPhone 16 sales.

Technology & Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Google has been testing the integration of Ultra HDR image capture into a limited camera API for Android 14.

Microsoft launched its AI image generation tool, Microsoft Designer, as a free iOS app, outpacing Apple as the world waits for the iPhone maker to introduce Apple Intelligence.

Apple has stated that its OpenELM model is not used to power any of its AI or machine learning features, including Apple Intelligence.

AI startup Anysphere, the creator of an AI code editor named Cursor, is in the process of raising funds. The valuation of this round is a significant jump from the previous one.

Researchers from the University of Tokyo have successfully attached living skin tissue to robotic faces, enabling them to “smile.” The smiling robot, featured in a study published by Cell Reports Physical Science, is the culmination of a decade-long research by Shoji Takeuchi and his team on the fusion of biological and artificial machines.

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