Version 14.0
Written & Compiled by Macklin Andrick, GPJ Sr. Creative Technologist
GPJ Experience Technology is your trusted guide through the latest technological shifts and how they might benefit your next experience. Another week, another opportunity to explore some of the weird and wild things going on in the tech world!
U2 breaks in the Sphere in Las Vegas, Mark Zuckerberg shows off Meta’s photo-realistic avatar tech, Amazon and Microsoft are adding AI to a wide suite of products. Oh yeah, and we tossed in a rocket-propelled VW Bug because why not?
The Sphere’s first show looks like it was a mind-blowing spectacle
U2 played the first-ever show at the Las Vegas Sphere, a massive, dome-shaped venue wrapped in over a million LEDs. The concert, a live performance centered on the band’s Achtung, Baby album, was also the band’s first in a series of performances it will put on at the venue through the end of December. The cheapest tickets for the shows that haven’t sold out yet start at about $400, as of this writing. From videos being posted to social media, it looks like shows at The Sphere can be breathtaking, probably more than a little nauseating, and undoubtedly expensive to produce.
Top AI Announcements from Microsoft and Amazon Events
Microsoft and Amazon recently announced AI-driven product updates. Microsoft introduced AI integration into Windows 11, including Windows Copilot, available in Microsoft 365 apps, enabling intelligent assistance and even solving math problems. Bing Chat now uses DALL-E 3 for text-to-image generation and Personalized Answers to offer context-aware responses.
Microsoft’s 365 Copilot AI assistant will launch in November, simplifying tasks for businesses. Amazon unveiled AI improvements for Alexa, with a “Alexa, let’s chat” feature for more natural interactions and improved speech recognition. The Alexa Eye Gaze feature aids individuals with mobility and speech disabilities. Amazon also is using AI for personalized content recommendations on Fire TV and plans to introduce AI-generated artwork on the platform.
Humane reveals first AI device “the Ai Pin” at Coperni’s Paris fashion show
Humane Inc. has unveiled its innovative AI device, the Humane Ai Pin, at Coperni’s Paris fashion show, giving a sneak peek ahead of a comprehensive reveal scheduled for November 9. The Ai Pin, a screenless, standalone wearable, exemplifies the intersection of design, technology and fashion, aiming to seamlessly integrate artificial intelligence into daily human activities. Using a variety of sensors for intuitive interactions and boasting privacy-centric features like absence of ‘always-on’ listening, the device offers AI-powered optical recognition and a laser-projected display, powered by Qualcomm Technologies’ advanced Snapdragon platform. Both Humane and Coperniview the Ai Pin as a significant stride towards a new paradigm in ambient, AI-driven computing and fashion-tech amalgamation.
IBM Launches AI-Powered Threat Detection and Response Services to Bolster Cybersecurity
IBM has introduced its enhanced Threat Detection and Response Services (TDR), utilizing AI to autonomously manage 85% of security alerts and provide 24/7 monitoring, investigation, and automated response across diverse tech environments, such as hybrid clouds. The service, delivered by IBM Consulting’s global security analyst team through a sophisticated security services platform, employs AI layers and contextual threat intelligence from IBM’s widespread global security network. The AI-powered TDR services can automatically handle low-priority and false positive alerts, while quickly escalating high-risk alerts. Designed to address issues like staff shortages and rising threats without requiring a total overhaul of existing security investments, the services also offer ongoing enhancement of security operations and access to IBM’s X-Force Incident Response Services, among other proactive security services.
VR Interview With Photorealistic Avatars
Mark Zuckerberg was interviewed by Lex Fridman in VR, with both using Meta’s prototype photorealistic Codec Avatars. Codec Avatars is Meta’s long-running research project aiming to revolutionize remote communication by achieving truly convincing photorealistic real-time avatars driven by headsets with face tracking sensors, and eventually glasses too. Meta first revealed the project’s existence in 2019, and has showed off multiple fidelity updates in the years since and a full-body version. Powered by machine learning, the avatars are generated using a specialized capture rig with over 100 cameras, but Meta researchers are working to replace this with a smartphone scan.
Everything You Should Know About NameDrop, Apple’s New Way to Share Your Contact Info
iOS 17 is available to download and the brand-new iPhone 15 is in stores, which means that Apple fans can finally play around with the exciting new features that the company has been teasing for months. These new upgrades have brought some exciting new additions, including StandBy mode and the Journal app. Among the new-to-iPhone features is NameDrop, a contact-sharing feature that allows you to share your number with just a tap of your phone. The release of iOS 17, and NameDrop, follows the announcement of the iPhone 15 series, the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 at Apple’s Wonderlust event last week. You can now order the iPhone 15 series as well as the new additions to the Apple Watch family. Fans likely know that NameDrop will be hitting Apple Watches later this year, but right now iPhone users are the only people who can access the feature.
More Cool Stuff We Found
- The Mobile Revolution vs. The AI Revolution
- Street-Legal Jet Powered Volkswagen Beetle
- Giant 3D Printed Pokémon
- The Hyper-Personalization of Everything
- Amazon Prepares to Challenge SpaceX’s Starlink With Maiden Satellite Launch
- A Guide to Prototyping Automotive Interfaces
- Adobe launches Photoshop’s web version with Firefly-powered AI tools
- Leica Sofort 2 instant film camera
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