Weekly Tech Wrap: Nothing Phone 2a Plus Now Official, Zomato To Offer Ticket Bookings Through 'District', More

Weekly Tech Wrap: From OpenAI looking at a possible crisis to Meta’s new AI tool, here are the biggest tech headlines from the week that was.

Weekly Tech Wrap: Nothing Phone 2a Plus breaks cover. Zomato announces new lifestyle app. Elon Musk (falsely) claims that Google has put a search ban on Donald Trump. The world of technology was dominated by these headlines in the week that was. Take a look.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus Now Official

Nothing Technologies, led by Carl Pei, has introduced its latest smartphone, the Nothing Phone 2a Plus. This new model builds on the foundation laid by the Phone 2a, which launched in March this year, offering slight but notable improvements. The Phone 2a Plus continues to showcase the brand’s signature transparent design, while upgrading its internal specifications. The company aims to provide a more refined user experience with these enhancements.

The Nothing Phone 2a Plus is available in two variants: an 8GB RAM model with 256GB storage priced at Rs 29,999, and a 12GB RAM model with the same storage capacity priced at Rs 31,999.

Musk Claims Google’s Banned Trump

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and outspoken supporter of Donald Trump, launched a sharp criticism against Google on Monday, alleging that the tech giant may be involved in influencing the upcoming US presidential election. Musk warned that Google could face serious repercussions if any evidence of such interference is found.

ABP Live conducted a test using incognito mode and found that searching for "Donald Trump" appeared to yield results without any issues at the time of their investigation.

 

Meta AI Offers Creators A Way To Create Assistants

Meta, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, has unveiled AI Studio, an innovative platform aimed at empowering users to create their own personalised AI characters. This latest development is particularly geared towards Instagram creators, offering them the ability to craft unique digital companions with distinct voices, appearances, and personalities.

AI Studio is designed with user-friendliness in mind, ensuring that individuals do not need technical expertise to utilise the platform. The interface is intuitive, allowing users to easily develop their AI companions without any specialised knowledge.

Currently, AI Studio is available exclusively in the United States and only on Instagram. Meta has not yet announced a release date for India.

OpenAI’s Impending Doom?

Sam Altman-led artificial intelligence (AI) company OpenAI, known for its widely-used ChatGPT chatbot, is reportedly facing severe financial challenges, according to a recent analysis. If current spending trends continue, OpenAI could deplete its cash reserves within the next year.

The report from The Information highlights that OpenAI's projected losses may reach as high as $5 billion. This financial strain is attributed primarily to the immense expenses tied to cloud infrastructure required for the training and operation of its AI models, including ChatGPT.

OpenAI's longstanding collaboration with Microsoft has been pivotal in securing the necessary computing power. Microsoft, which invested $1 billion in OpenAI well before the launch of ChatGPT, provides the computing resources essential for OpenAI's operations. The company reportedly utilises around 350,000 Nvidia A100 chips, with approximately 290,000 dedicated to ChatGPT. These servers are rented from Microsoft at a rate of $1.3 per hour, leading to projected costs of approximately $4 billion in 2024 alone.

Review of the Week: Oppo Reno 12 5G - Excelling In The Mid-Range Segment 

Zomato Wants You To Go Out

Zomato, the delivery aggregator that posted a net profit of Rs 253 crore in the April-June quarter, has announced the launch of a new app named 'District,' aiming to consolidate various "going-out" services like dining, movie ticketing, and event booking. This strategic move marks a significant expansion beyond its core delivery offerings.

In a letter to shareholders, CEO Deepinder Goyal introduced 'District,' which will integrate services such as dining out, sports ticketing, live performances, shopping, and staycations into one platform. This initiative underscores Zomato's ambition to enhance its presence in the lifestyle sector.

A release date is yet to be announced.

That’s it from the world of tech headlines this week. Stay tuned to this space for more top stories next week.

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