Top Tech News Today: What To Expect From Apple's Sep 12 Event, Sony's New Foster Care For Aging Robot Dogs, More
Apple's "Wonderlust" event is set to be held on Tuesday, September 12, starting at 10:30pm IST.
What To Expect From Apple Sep 12 Event
Apple is on the brink of its annual hardware launch event, scheduled to be broadcast from its Cupertino headquarters on September 12. This event is poised to introduce a slew of fresh hardware offerings, with the spotlight shining brightest on the iPhone 15. This year's event has been teased with the tagline "Wonderlust" on the invitations, but as Apple's tradition goes, taglines rarely give away the specifics of the announcements. In keeping with last year's September event, which saw Apple lift the curtain on new iPhones, Apple Watches, and revamped AirPods, this year's launch holds the promise of several exciting updates.
Cost Of Generating AI Tool Is Gallons Of Water
Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and Microsoft's Bard come at a cost and Microsft's water consumption surged by thousands of gallons from 2021 to 2022, which is a steep increase of 34 per cent. According to the latest environment report shared by the software giant, the company revealed that its water consumption jumped to almost 1.7 billion gallons which has been linked to the company's AI research. Generative AI like Bard and ChatGPT consume a lot of water. For example, about half a litre of water for every five prompts they get. It is also known that AI also consumes a lot of electricity.
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Sony's New 'Foster Care' For Aging Robot Dogs
Japanese tech giant Sony has launched a new foster care programme named "Aibo foster parent programme" for its ageing $2,900 Aibo robot dogs to ensure that even robot dogs are for life. The programme will allow owners whose basic plans have been cancelled to donate them and then the company will check the condition and provide the necessary treatment to the Aibos and donate them to "Aibo foster parents" such as medical facilities, nursing care and other organisations.
What To Expect From Apple Watch Series 9, Watch Ultra 2
Apple is likely to release an upgraded Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Series 9 at its "Wonderlust" event tomorrow (September 12), alongside the much-anticipated iPhone 15 series. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the Apple Watch Series 9 is going to get a significant upgrade over last year's Watch Series 8, which is the new version of Apple's optical heart rate sensor. The Apple Watch Ultra is likely to be unveiled in one size while the Watch Series 9 may come in two sizes.
WhatsApp May Soon Allow Cross-Platform Messaging
Meta-owned WhatsApp may soon start supporting messaging on other apps and the upcoming feature has been spotted in testing. The feature will comply with the European Union's (EU) Digital Markets Act (DMA) under which the platform has to offer interoperability in the region. Under interoperability, the meta-owned platform will have to allow cross-platform messaging to other users, even if they do not have the app.
Qualcomm And Apple Extend Deal For 5G iPhone Chips
Apple has extended a deal with chipset-making giant Qualcomm for three more years and the latter will provide 5G communication chips to the iPhone maker. The previous deal between the two brands was set to expire later this year. The extension of the agreement is a sign that Apple's efforts to make in-house chips is yet to bear fruit, the media has reported. Santa Clara, California-headquartered Qualcomm has announced it would supply Apple with the modem chips for smartphone launches in 2024, 2025 and 2026, said a report by The Wall Street Journal.