Tag: google

Google Bard Advanced Tipped to Arrive as Paid Subscription, Might Be Linked to Google One

Google’s Bard Advanced chatbot — a more powerful version of the service that competes with Microsoft’s Copilot and OpenAI’s ChatGPT — might not be free to use, according to details spotted by a developer. Google does not have a very good record when it comes to keeping details of its upcoming products a secret, and now some additional details related the advanced version of its Bard AI chatbot have surfaced online that suggest users will have to eventually pay to access Bard Advanced.

Spotted by developer Bedros Pamboukian (via Android Authority) on X (formerly known as Twitter), the code on the Google Bard website contains references to Bard Advanced. The first sentence states “Try Bard Advanced for 3 months, on us.” A second sentence reads, ” Get more capable large language models with advanced math and reasoning skills with Bard Advanced for 3 months on us.”

These lines of code state that Bard Advanced will be offered as part of a three-month trial, suggesting that users will have to pay to continue using Bard Advanced after the free trial period. It is currently unclear when the company will roll out the most advanced version of Bard — it announced an “early 2024” launch date for the service back in December.

Pamboukian also points out in a subsequent tweet that Bard Advanced could also be linked to the company’s Google One subscription. Upon inspecting Bard’s source code from a browser, a Google One URL — currently broken at the time of publishing this story — suggests that Bard Advanced could either be included as part of a Google One subscription or be available as a separate purchase.

Bard Advanced was announced last month by the company when it unveiled Gemini AI, the company’s most powerful AI model to date. Recent reports suggested that Google would use Gemini Nano to provide Pixie, an AI assistant exclusive to Pixel smartphones, while Bard and Bard Advanced will be powered by Gemini Pro and Gemini Ultra, respectively. The latter is expected to arrive in the coming weeks, in line with Google’s “early 2024” release window.

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ChatGPT App Could Soon Be Set as the Default Assistant on Android Phones: Report

The rise of generative AI applications like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot have made existing standard AI voice assistants like Siri and Google Assistant feel obsolete. Where advanced chatbots can hold human-like conversations, respond to queries on multiple topics, and can now even pull real-time information from the Internet, AI assistants on phones can do limited tasks. The ChatGPT app on both iOS and Android goes a long way in substituting the default assistant on the device. But now, OpenAI’s wildly successful chatbot, could likely properly replace Google Assistant on Android smartphones.

A report by Android Authority says that a code within the latest version of the ChatGPT Android app suggests that it could be set as the default assistant on an Android device..

According to the report, ChatGPT version 1.2023.352, which released last month, included a new activity named ‘com.openai.voice.assistant.AssistantActivity.’ The activity remains disabled by default, but can be manually enabled and launched. Once launched, it shows up on the device screen as an overlay with the same animation as ChatGPT app’s voice chat mode, the report claims. “This overlay appears over other apps and doesn’t take up the entire screen like the in-app voice chat mode. So, presumably, you could talk to ChatGPT from any screen by invoking this assistant,” it adds.

It’s clear, however, that assistant mode is a work in progress. The animation that plays when launching the activity reportedly doesn’t finish and the activity shuts down before you can interact with the chatbot. The report also says that the code required for the ChatGPT app to work as a “default digital assistant app” exists only partially. The ChatGPT app also seems to be missing necessary declarations and metadata tags that would allow it to be set as the default assistant on a device.

The AI assistant wars on mobile phones are about to kick off, with Google Assistant and Siri scrambling to catch up to modern chatbots. The ChatGPT app rolled out its voice chat feature for all free users on Android and iOS in November, effectively allowing the app to act as a voice assistant. Bear in mind, however, that free ChatGPT users cannot access real-time information from the Web on the app, so you can’t ask the chatbot about the latest sports scores or the weather forecast in your city, for example. You can, however, do that on the GPT-4 powered Bing app or the new standalone Copilot app from Microsoft, which launched on both Android and iOS last week.

While Android users don’t yet have a way to bring up the ChatGPT app easily with a gesture, like they would bring up the Google Assistant, iPhone 15 Pro users can simply bind the app with the dedicated Action Button, to bring it up and start conversing with the press of a single button. Google, meanwhile, is hard at work to bring Bard, its own generative AI chatbot, to Google Assistant. The company also recently announced Gemini, its most powerful AI model to date that would compete with OpenAI’s GPT-4 model.

Apple, on the other hand, seems to the one lagging behind in the AI assistant race. The iPhone maker is reportedly working on an AI-infused iOS 18 that will likely power its next lineup of smartphones. The default voice assistant on the upcoming iPhone 16 is said to get a major AI update, with the Siri team reportedly rejigged in Q3 2023 to work on including large language models (LLMs) and artificial intelligence-generated content (AIGC).

Will the Nothing Phone 2 serve as the successor to the Phone 1, or will the two co-exist? We discuss the company’s recently launched handset and more on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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OnePlus 9R, OnePlus 8T Stable Android 14-Based OxygenOS 14 Update Rolling Out in India

OnePlus started rolling out the stable version of the Android 14-based OxygenOS 14 to compatible phones globally over the past few weeks. Several OnePlus models in India have also received the update. Now, the company has confirmed that the stable OS update is available for OnePlus 8T and OnePlus 9R users in the country. The OxygenOS 14 update, announced in September 2023, includes the Trinity Engine that is said to enhance the performance and introduces the updated Aquamorphic Design 2.0 which refreshes the look of the UI.

In two separate community posts, OnePlus announced that the stable version of the OxygenOS 14 update is rolling out to OnePlus 8T and OnePlus 9R users in India. The update should be available to users in a phased manner. Users can also head to Settings > About device > Check for Updates in order to manually check for the update. OnePlus notes that users must make sure that their phones have a minimum of 5GB storage and at least 30 percent battery available while downloading and installing the update.

The official changelog states that the stable OxygenOS 14 update brings the File Dock feature to both the OnePlus 8T and OnePlus 9R that allows users to drag and drop content to transfer them between applications and/or devices. It also brings Content Extraction, which can recognise and extract text and visual content from the screen with a single tap.

This update also enhances photo and video-related permission management to increase security and privacy for OnePlus 8T and OnePlus 9R users in India. The Shelf feature is upgraded with more widget recommendations in this version. The OxygenOS 14 update also optimises the performance of the handsets, increases system stability and launch speed of applications, and further smoothens on-device animations. It also adds app-specific refresh rate support. The Aquamorphic Design 2.0 with this update introduces clearer, refreshed colours to the UI and adds Aquamorphic ringtones and notification sounds. 

Notably, both the OnePlus 8T and OnePlus 9R shipped with Android 11-based OxygenOS 11. 

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Microsoft Copilot Now Available for Android Users as a Standalone App; May Come to iOS Soon

Microsoft Copilot appears to have been quietly rolled out to Android users. Copilot, driven by the latest OpenAI models GPT-4 and DALL-E 3, is capable of generating content and creating visuals from basic text descriptions and requests. It is Microsoft’s Bing Chat AI chatbot and other existing AI features rebranded and bundled together as a generative AI assistant. Although the company has not announced the release officially, Microsoft Copilot is currently listed on Google’s Play Store and is available for download to all Android users.

The Play Store listing (first spotted by Neowin) of Microsoft Copilot lists the app as free-to-use, suggesting there could be in-app purchases. As per the listing on the Play Store, the app was last updated on December 19. Microsoft rebranded its Bing Chat AI to Copilot in September this year. However, unlike Bing Chat, the new app is completely dedicated to providing access to Microsoft’s AI conversation helper. There is no distraction from Bing’s search engine or rewards, but advertisements will show up occasionally in this new app.

Copilot, as suggested by the listing, offers free access to OpenAI’s GPT-4 and DALL-E 3 artificial intelligence models, which are claimed to help offer users “fast, complex, and precise responses, as well as the ability to create breathtaking visuals” from simple text cues. 

The Microsoft Copilot app for Android does not require users to sign in to a Microsoft account. However, the company explains that signing in using a Microsoft email ID would allow “more questions” and “longer conversations” with the chatbot. The app also asks for an approximate location permission but it is not mandatory to share. A toggle within the Microsoft Copilot application enables users to turn on GPT-4 access, which the app also warns will be “slower while being creative.”

Meanwhile, a report by Windows Latest citing internal sources suggests that Microsoft is working on an iOS version of Copilot. The report claims that it is “nearly ready” and could launch soon although it does not detail a timeline. For the time being, iOS users can access Microsoft Copilot via the Bing Chat app.

Is the iQoo Neo 7 Pro the best smartphone you can buy under Rs. 40,000 in India? We discuss the company’s recently launched handset and what it has to offer on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Apple, Google May Have to Allow Third-Party App Stores, Payments in Japan: Report

Japan is reportedly working on new regulations that will require big tech giants including Google and Apple to permit app downloading from outside their official app stores — Google Play, App Store. The legislation is expected to be sent to parliament next year. The two tech companies are currently facing regulations from various governments to open their in-built app stores and allow users to install apps from third-party sources. The iPhone maker is expected to bring changes to its App Store policies to comply with the European Union’s new Digital Markets Act (DMA).

As per a new report by Nikkei Asia, the Japanese government is preparing laws that will require Apple and Google as well as other similar companies to allow users to download apps outside their official app stores and let alternative payment methods for any apps. With the latest move, the government aims to stimulate competition and curb abuse of the tech giant’s dominant position in the Japanese market.

The legislation is reportedly slated for submission to parliament next year. The legislation could focus on four areas — app stores and payments, search, browsers, and operating systems. Once approved, the regulations would allow the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) to impose fines on companies for antitrust issues. It would be able to fine firms up to 6 percent of the revenue generated from illegal activities. More details about the regulations are expected to be out before spring next year. 

The legislation is expected to let Japanese companies to have third-party app stores on iOS and Android platforms. Developers might also be able to choose payment systems from local firms with lower service charges.

Japan’s rumoured antitrust legislation seems to be similar to the European Union’s Digital Markets Act. The DMA is expected to come into full force in 2024. As per DMA, companies with more than 45 million monthly active users and a EUR 75 billion (roughly Rs. 670 crore) market capitalisation are to be considered gatekeepers providing a core platform service. The DMA requires Apple to enable developers to publish their iOS apps outside of the App Store.

Apple is reportedly working on allowing users in the European Union to sideload iPhone apps. An upcoming iOS version is expected to enable sideloading of apps in select regions.

Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Google Play Store Update Adds Remote App Uninstall Feature: How it Works

Google has updated the Play Store app for Android smartphones and the latest version adds support for a new feature that allows a user to uninstall applications on one device from another smartphone — similar to the existing process of remotely installing Android apps. With the latest Play Store version, you will be able to remove apps not only from other Android smartphones but also from smartwatches running on Wear OS, smart TVs running on Android TV, and Android Auto devices.

With version 38.8 of the Google Play store that began rolling out to users last week, the search giant describes a “new feature to help you uninstall apps on connected devices.” The feature will be available for smartphones, computers, smart TVs, automotive systems, and smartwatches, according to the company.

The remote uninstall feature is yet to roll out to Android smartphones
Photo Credit: TheSpAndroid

 

After downloading and installing the latest update, Gadgets 360 was unable to test the new functionality, which suggests it is being enabled via a server-side switch. Technology blog TheSpAndroid reports that the feature is not as simple as installing apps on another device — the Play Store already allows you to select an app for installation on another smartphone logged in with the same account.

In order to uninstall apps from another device, you will first have to make sure that your devices are logged in using the same Google account. Then, you can tap on your profile image and select Manage apps & devices > Manage in the Play Store app and select the device from the pop-up menu. You can then pick from apps installed on those devices and remotely delete them, according to the report.

The remote app management feature could come in handy when you want to quickly uninstall an app from your smart TV or your smartwatch, especially when these devices aren’t nearby. You can also reportedly select multiple apps to uninstall from another device. You can also sort the app by size or name — the former will let you identify which apps are taking up the most space on your phone.  

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FM Sitharaman Says Google Took Down Over 2,500 Loan Lending Apps From Play Store: Report

Google took down over 2,500 fraudulent loan apps from its Play Store between April 2021 and July 2022, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reportedly claimed in a written reply to a query in the Lok Sabha Monday. The minister also said that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had shared ‘whitelist’ of betting apps with the government to separate applications that operate legally from those that flout guidelines. Earlier this year, the Indian government banned over 230 Chinese-linked lending apps that facilitate betting and loans following complaints of extortion and harassment.

According to Sitharaman, the government has been in talks with the RBI and other industry stakeholders over curbing illegal loan apps in the country, a report in the Mint said.

“Between April 2021 and July 2022, Google also reviewed approximately 3,500 to 4,000 loan lending apps and suspended or removed over 2,500 fraudulent loan apps from its Play Store,” Sitharaman was quoted as saying in the report. The issue of fraudulent loan apps is regularly brought up in meetings of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC), the report added.

The FM also said that a ‘whitelist of legal loan apps, prepared by the RBI, had been shared with the government and further sent to Google, as well. The search engine giant has also updated its Play Store policy on enforcement of loan lending apps and implemented stricter requirements for lending apps in the country.

Back in April, Google had said that it had acted against more than 3,500 loan apps in India for violating Play Store policy requirements. The company had claimed it prevented 1.43 million policy-violating apps from being published on Google Play, banned 173,000 bad accounts, and prevented over $2 billion (nearly Rs. 16,350 crore) in fraudulent and abusive transactions last year.

Google’s announcement had come weeks after the Indian government banned over 230 loan lending and betting apps with Chinese links following complaints of extortion and harassment from borrowers in February. The crackdown on loan apps saw 138 betting apps and 94 loan lending apps blocked under Section 69 of the IT Act.

In March, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed charges against payment gateway Razorpay and three Chinese-linked fintech companies, among others, in a money laundering probe linked to fraudulent loan lending apps.

In addition to Razorpay, firms named in the chargesheet included fintech companies Mad Elephant Network Technology Private Limited, Baryonyx Technology Private Limited and Cloud Atlas Future Technology Private Limited — all allegedly controlled by Chinese nationals — and three non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) registered with RBI.

Earlier this month, security researchers revealed details of apps used by loan sharks to defraud users, and listed the methods used by the apps to bypass some of the restrictions put in place on the Play Store. As many as 18 apps identified as ‘SpyLoan’ malware were found on the Play Store in 2023.

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Google Reportedly Working on Pixie, a Pixel-Exclusive AI Assistant Said to Launch With Pixel 9 Series

Google unveiled the Pixel 8 series of smartphones in October this year and it is likely to be followed by the Pixel 9 lineup in 2024. Although the expected launch of the next Pixel series is several months away, few rumoured details of the handsets have surfaced online including processor and charging features. Now, a report claims that the Mountain View, California-based tech giant may be working on a new Pixel-exclusive Artificial Intelligence assistant, that may arrive with the Pixel 9 series.

According to a report by The Information (via MySmartPrice), Google is working on a Pixel-exclusive AI assistant called Pixie. The report claims that the new AI assistant is expected to perform all the functions of the current Google Assistant and more. The assistant will likely be baked into the Google Pixel 9 series in 2024. It is important to note that ‘Pixie’ may be an internal codename and vary from its final name.

The report also claims that Pixie would integrate data from several Google products and services, such as Gmail and Maps, to provide more personalised assistance to users. It is said to be able to perform sophisticated and multimodal activities such as directing someone to the nearest store where they can purchase a product they have photographed. The rumoured AI assistant is tipped to be powered by Gemini Nano.

Google intends to expand Pixie beyond the upcoming flagship Pixel 9 series to lower-end phones as well as other devices such as wearables, according to the report. It is unclear whether the AI assistant will be available for existing smartphones or if it will just be available for future products. 

An earlier report suggested that the Pixel 9 phones are likely to be powered by Tensor G4 SoCs, which have been tipped to carry the codename “Zuma Pro.” Notably, the Tensor G3 chipsets that power the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro have the codename “Zuma.” The Google Pixel 9 series is also expected to be among the first Android phones to adopt Qi2 wireless charging technology. 

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The Creator, Starring John David Washington, Is Set to Release on Disney+ Hotstar on December 20



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Nokia 110 4G, Nokia 106 4G Get Support For YouTube Shorts, More Cloud Apps

Nokia 110 4G and Nokia 106 4G were launched in India earlier this year. The Nokia 110 was introduced in the country in July alongside a 2G-supported variant, while the Nokia 106 was unveiled in May. The phones launched with inbuilt UPI 123PAY support that allows users to make instant, contactless payments. Now, HMD, the Nokia parent company, is bringing support for YouTube Shorts and several other cloud applications to the 4G-supported phones.

HMD announced on Wednesday, December 13, that it is introducing new integrated Cloud Apps to the Nokia 110 4G and Nokia 106 4G, which are currently priced in India at Rs. 2,399 and Rs. 2,199, respectively. Users can access the new features by tapping the Cloud icon and signing in using their Google IDs.

The Nokia 110 4G and Nokia 106 4G users will now be able to access YouTube Shorts on their handsets. The company claims that people can also get news, weather updates and cricket scores using the cloud services. Alongside YouTube Shorts, there are seven more apps that are supported with this including BBC Hindi, Sokoban, 2048 Game, and Tetris.

The Nokia 106 4G sports a 1.8-inch QVGA display and runs on the Series 30+ operating system. It supports FM radio connectivity with both wired and wireless modes. It comes with an inbuilt MP3 player and packs a 1,450mAh battery which claims to offer up to eight hours of battery life.

The Nokia 110 4G shares similar display, battery and OS specifications. It arrives with an IP52 rating for dust and water resistance. Both handsets carry a micro-USB port and support Bluetooth connectivity. As previously mentioned, they also launched with an inbuilt UPI application.

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Google Working on Anti-Phishing Scanning for Deceptive Apps, May Arrive With Android 15: Report

Google has updated Android with several security and privacy-oriented features over the years and the search giant is reportedly working on adding support for identifying phishing apps to protect users. Expected to arrive with a future update to the Android operating system, Google is developing a feature that will inspect app activity to check for deceptive behaviour, including phishing. The phishing app detection service will reportedly run locally on Android phones, while some detection-related details will be used to alert other users about the same threats.

Android Police reports that a new “scanning for deceptive apps” feature is in development and some references to the functionality are available on the second Android 14 QPR2 beta version that was recently rolled out to testers. The publication uncovered details of the feature in the More security & privacy sub menu in the Security & privacy section of the Settings app.

According to the report, Google will introduce a system service that will scan apps that show users a password field — while many legitimate apps also prompt users to enter their password, phishing scams are designed to trick users into typing their password on a deceptive website or app. However, it is unclear at the moment whether the system will scan all apps for phishing, or just unknown apps.

Another feature that was recently spotted in the works on the second Android 14 QPR2 beta version was a new ‘Private Space’ feature that can hide apps from other users. In addition to providing a safe space for users to be able to hide and lock their apps and files, the feature might even let users hide the fact that they are utilising the locking functionality by making them type “private space” in the search bar on the app drawer.

While Samsung has offered similar functionality via its Secure Folder feature since 2017, the addition of the Private Space feature to Android would allow all Android OEMs to provide the same functionality. Google’s upcoming feature, bringing the feature to billions of Android devices.

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E3 Is Officially Dead After a Series of Failed Attempts at Reinvention



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