Technology
Made by Google 2024: All the latest from Google, from the Pixel 9 line to the addition of Gemini AI to everything
The Made by Google 2024 event has begun, and after the intense rumor mill leading up to the event, we have now the first round of announcements and divulges from Google’s biggest hardware event of the yr. Interestingly, this yr’s event comes ahead of Apple’s typical September iPhone reveal, with a give attention to AI that anyone who’s watched any tech event in the past few years could be very aware of.
The event remains to be streaming as you read this, so you possibly can catch up live here , where the stream began at 10 a.m. PT. But our team already had a have a look at some of the biggest announcements, so let’s jump right into what the Google Pixel 9 lineup looks like, how Google’s Gemini AI might be incorporated into the devices, and other updates for the Nest, Pixel Watch, and Pixel Buds.
Gemini Live Launches on Android
Google’s answer to OpenAI’s Advanced Voice Mode is becoming public — in case you’re a Google One AI Premium subscriber. Gemini Live enables conversational conversations between users and AI, responding more realistically to human speech and ideally responding more like a human. Google and OpenAI have been demonstrating their services over the past few months, though Gemini can have a bonus, as our AI expert Kyle Wiggers points out:
“The generative AI model architecture that powers Live, Gemini 1.5 Pro, has a longer-than-average ‘context window,’ meaning it can take in and analyze a large amount of data — theoretically hours of conversation — before formulating a response.”
Pixel 9 line gets higher cameras and Gemini AI
There at the moment are three phones in the standard Pixel 9 lineup, in addition to the Pixel 9 Fold Pro (more on that later). The Pixel 9 and 9 Pro are distinguished by the latter’s higher resolution, while the 9 Pro XL is larger in size (6.8-inch display versus 6.3-inch), and every has Gemini in-built as its default assistant.
Google has already announced the end of Assistant as the default virtual assistant on phones. It can also be introducing a number of other camera and hardware improvements, which you’ll be able to review intimately here.
Google’s Foldable Sequel: Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Google’s second foldable phone doesn’t change the screen — it just makes it a bit larger, offering an 8-inch display when fully opened. It’s thinner, has a bigger external display, and an improved camera, similar to the rest of the Pixel 9 lineup. It’ll still have a hefty $1,799 price tag, and yes, in case you thought we forgot, it’s obviously equipped with Gemini as your assistant. Expand the full Fold list here .
Google’s Pixel Watch 3 doubles your possibilities
The Pixel Watch was previously available only in a 41mm size, but this yr there’s a 45mm model on offer. Both models have a bigger display, thanks to smaller bezels, and twice the brightness. You can get a full breakdown here , with the requisite AI-enhanced inclusion, although pricing and availability have yet to be announced.
Follow the live stream of the Made by Google event
If you’ve got made it this far and still want to watch the event or read the archive, you possibly can go here or read the embedded material below.
Technology
Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal is leaving PhonePe’s board
Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal has stepped down three-quarters from PhonePe’s board after making an identical move on the e-commerce giant.
Bengaluru-based PhonePe said it has appointed Manish Sabharwal, executive director at recruitment and human resources firm Teamlease, as an independent director and chairman of the audit committee.
Bansal played a key role in Flipkart’s acquisition of PhonePe in 2016 and has since served on the fintech’s board. The Walmart-backed startup, which operates India’s hottest mobile payment app, spun off from Flipkart in 2022 and was valued at $12 billion in funding rounds that raised about $850 million last 12 months.
Bansal still holds about 1% of PhonePe. Neither party explained why they were leaving the board.
“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Binny Bansal for being one of the first and staunchest supporters of PhonePe,” Sameer Nigam, co-founder and CEO of PhonePe, said in a press release. His lively involvement, strategic advice and private mentoring have profoundly enriched our discussions. We will miss Binny!”
Technology
The company is currently developing washing machines for humans
Forget about cold baths. Washing machines for people may soon be a brand new solution.
According to at least one Japanese the oldest newspapersOsaka-based shower head maker Science has developed a cockpit-shaped device that fills with water when a bather sits on a seat in the center and measures an individual’s heart rate and other biological data using sensors to make sure the temperature is good. “It also projects images onto the inside of the transparent cover to make the person feel refreshed,” the power says.
The device, dubbed “Mirai Ningen Sentakuki” (the human washing machine of the longer term), may never go on sale. Indeed, for now the company’s plans are limited to the Osaka trade fair in April, where as much as eight people will have the option to experience a 15-minute “wash and dry” every day after first booking.
Apparently a version for home use is within the works.
Technology
Zepto raises another $350 million amid retail upheaval in India
Zepto has secured $350 million in latest financing, its third round of financing in six months, because the Indian high-speed trading startup strengthens its position against competitors ahead of a planned public offering next yr.
Indian family offices, high-net-worth individuals and asset manager Motilal Oswal invested in the round, maintaining Zepto’s $5 billion valuation. Motilal co-founder Raamdeo Agrawal, family offices Mankind Pharma, RP-Sanjiv Goenka, Cello, Haldiram’s, Sekhsaria and Kalyan, in addition to stars Amitabh Bachchan and Sachin Tendulkar are amongst those backing the brand new enterprise, which is India’s largest fully national primary round.
The funding push comes as Zepto rushes so as to add Indian investors to its capitalization table, with foreign ownership now exceeding two-thirds. TechCrunch first reported on the brand new round’s deliberations last month. The Mumbai-based startup has raised over $1.35 billion since June.
Fast commerce sales – delivering groceries and other items to customers’ doors in 10 minutes – will exceed $6 billion this yr in India. Morgan Stanley predicts that this market shall be value $42 billion by 2030, accounting for 18.4% of total e-commerce and a pair of.5% of retail sales. These strong growth prospects have forced established players including Flipkart, Myntra and Nykaa to cut back delivery times as they lose touch with specialized delivery apps.
While high-speed commerce has not taken off in many of the world, the model seems to work particularly well in India, where unorganized retail stores are ever-present.
High-speed trading platforms are creating “parallel trading for consumers seeking convenience” in India, Morgan Stanley wrote in a note this month.
Zepto and its rivals – Zomato-owned Blinkit, Swiggy-owned Instamart and Tata-owned BigBasket – currently operate on lower margins than traditional retail, and Morgan Stanley expects market leaders to realize contribution margins of 7-8% and adjusted EBITDA margins to greater than 5% by 2030. (Zepto currently spends about 35 million dollars monthly).
An investor presentation reviewed by TechCrunch shows that Zepto, which handles greater than 7 million total orders every day in greater than 17 cities, is heading in the right direction to realize annual sales of $2 billion. It anticipates 150% growth over the following 12 months, CEO Aadit Palicha told investors in August. The startup plans to go public in India next yr.
However, the rapid growth of high-speed trading has had a devastating impact on the mom-and-pop stores that dot hundreds of Indian cities, towns and villages.
According to the All India Federation of Consumer Products Distributors, about 200,000 local stores closed last yr, with 90,000 in major cities where high-speed trading is more prevalent.
The federation has warned that without regulatory intervention, more local shops shall be vulnerable to closure as fast trading platforms prioritize growth over sustainable practices.
Zepto said it has created job opportunities for tons of of hundreds of gig employees. “From day one, our vision has been to play a small role in nation building, create millions of jobs and offer better services to Indian consumers,” Palicha said in an announcement.
Regulatory challenges arise. Unless an e-commerce company is a majority shareholder of an Indian company or person, current regulations prevent it from operating on a listing model. Fast trading corporations don’t currently follow these rules.
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