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Microsoft's Victory, Meta Avatars in Video Calls, and Nothing's Flashy Phone 2 Hits the US
The latest from the world of tech
👋Hi, welcome to NotJustProduct Weekly Round-up!
Every Saturday, in this quick and insightful edition, we bring you the latest updates from the world of consumer tech, electronics, and gadgets.
We've curated this round-up to provide you with a concentrated dose of valuable information and insights.
So, let's dive in and explore the fascinating world of tech together!
Discover what's inside this week's round-up:
Microsoft Wins FTC Fight to Buy Activision Blizzard 🎮
Meta Avatars Now Usable in Video Calls on Instagram and Messenger 📷
Nothing's Flashy Phone 2 Lands in the US for $599 📱
Google Introduces Gmail Users to a New Calendar Scheduling Tool🗓️
Meta's Threads: Exploring the Potential 'Twitter Killer' 🔥
ChatGPT Boosts Quality for Routine Business Communications 📈
Google Testing Medical AI Chatbot in Hospitals 🤖
Microsoft Wins FTC Fight to Buy Activision Blizzard
Microsoft has won the fight to acquire Activision Blizzard, as a California judge denied the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) request for a preliminary injunction.
Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley recognized Microsoft's commitments to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation and expand it to Nintendo Switch.
The judge concluded that the merger would not substantially lessen competition, with evidence pointing to increased consumer access to Activision content.
Microsoft praised the court's decision, while the FTC expressed disappointment and stated its intention to continue the fight.
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and Microsoft have agreed to pause their legal battle to negotiate modifications addressing the CMA's concerns.
European regulators have already approved the deal, and the FTC has until July 14th to appeal the decision.
If the court order stands, it would be a significant loss for FTC Chair Lina Khan.
Meta Avatars Now Usable in Video Calls on Instagram and Messenger
Meta has introduced a new feature that allows users to use their avatars to participate in video calls on Instagram and Messenger.
The animated video calls enable users to engage with others without showing their actual faces. The functionality aims to provide a third option for users who may not feel camera-ready during calls.
Alongside this update, Meta also announced easier ways to create avatars on Facebook and WhatsApp, the ability to share animated avatar stickers on various platforms, and standardized avatar appearances across all Meta apps.
The company sees avatars as a glimpse into the self-expression possibilities of the metaverse.
Nothing's Flashy Phone 2 Lands in the US for $599
The Nothing Phone 2 has been officially released with a starting price of $599. It will be available for purchase in the US, unlike its predecessor. Preorders are now open, and the phone will be publicly available on July 17th.
The Phone 2 comes in various variants, including options with 8GB or 12GB of RAM and 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of storage.
The new model retains the distinctive design elements of the Phone 1, such as flashing light strips, a dual-camera setup, and Nothing OS. However, it features improved specs like a faster processor, a larger battery, and a bigger screen.
The Phone 2 offers enhanced lighting effects and customization options with its flashing Glyph interface. Other upgrades include a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, a 6.7-inch display, improved battery capacity and charging speed, and better camera performance.
The Phone 2 will receive three years of major Android updates and four years of security updates.
Google Introduces Gmail Users to a New Calendar Scheduling Tool
Google has introduced a new scheduling tool for Gmail users, allowing them to schedule meetings within the app without having to switch to Calendar.
A new Calendar icon will appear while composing an email, enabling users to select and add meeting times directly from their calendars.
Recipients can review the proposed meeting times and select one from the email to receive a calendar invite.
The feature also allows users to quickly schedule a meeting and share event information back in the email.
The rollout of these new features will take place over a period of 15 days starting from July 11 for Rapid Release domains and July 31 for others.
Meta's Threads: Exploring the Potential 'Twitter Killer’
Meta's Threads has generated significant excitement as a potential 'Twitter Killer.' Developed by the Instagram team, Threads offers concise text updates, photos, videos, and public conversations within an immersive experience.
Threads quickly gained 100 million users, establishing itself as a formidable competitor to Twitter. Influencers have shared diverse perspectives, praising Threads' potential while raising concerns about privacy and mental well-being.
Early feedback has been positive, although users desire essential features and improvements. The integration of Threads with the broader Fediverse and handling content moderation are areas of interest.
Despite challenges, Threads has the potential to shape the future of social networking.
ChatGPT Boosts Quality for Routine Business Communications
A recent MIT study found that using generative AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT, improves the speed and quality of routine business communications, such as emails and short reports.
The study involved 453 participants who performed writing tasks, and those who used ChatGPT experienced a 40% increase in productivity and an 18% improvement in quality. However, the study did not consider fact-checking.
The findings suggest that generative AI can be a valuable tool for simple writing tasks, but the authors emphasized the study's limitations.
Participants in the study expressed excitement and concern about AI, and their likelihood of using chatbots in real jobs decreased over time.
The impact of generative AI on the economy and the future of work remains uncertain.
Google Testing Medical AI Chatbot in Hospitals
Google has been conducting quiet tests of a medical AI chatbot called Med-PaLM 2 in hospitals since April.
The chatbot, powered by Google's large language model PaLM 2, is trained on medical-licensing exams and aims to provide medical advice, organize healthcare data, and summarize documents.
However, early feedback from doctors suggests that the bot's responses contained more inaccurate or irrelevant content compared to human peers.
Similar medicine-oriented chatbots, like Microsoft's BioGPT, have faced issues with fabricating information and providing misinformation.
While Google sees potential in the technology, they acknowledge that it still has significant shortcomings and is not yet reliable for offering accurate medical advice at scale.
The specific availability of Med-PaLM 2 has not been disclosed by Google.
In case you missed our most recent articles, here are some must-reads from previous newsletters:
Wrapping Up This Week's Tech Buzz!
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