The tech world is buzzing this week with a packed schedule of events. Read through to know in detail.
1. Significant changes expected for Apple’s fourth-generation iPhone SE
Apple’s fourth-generation iPhone SE is expected to feature significant changes in terms of both design and hardware.
Design-wise, the new iPhone SE is rumored to ditch the Home button and adopt a design similar to the iPhone 14. This would mean a notch at the top of the display and Face ID for authentication instead of Touch ID.
The new iPhone SE is expected to be powered by the A15 Bionic chip used in the iPhone 13 series.
Other rumored changes include a larger display, a better camera, and longer battery life.
The new iPhone SE would significantly upgrade its predecessor if the rumors are true. It would be a more robust and capable phone with a more modern design.
It remains to be seen when the new iPhone SE will be released, but it is expected to arrive soon.
2. Critical Chrome Zero-Day Vulnerability Raises Groundhog Day Fears
Google released an emergency security update for Chrome to patch a critical zero-day vulnerability that is being exploited.
The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2023-4863, is a heap buffer overflow in the WebP image format decoder. Attackers can exploit it to execute arbitrary code on a victim’s computer.
The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it is a zero-day vulnerability, meaning that Google was unaware of it before it was exploited in the wild. This means attackers may have had time to develop and deploy sophisticated exploits for the vulnerability.
Users can check their browser version by going to Help > About Google Chrome.
2. Raspberry Pi 5 is rumored to launch this year
The Raspberry Pi 5, which was rumored not to launch this year, has finally arrived with some significant improvements over the Pi 4.
Starting at $60, the new microcomputer is faster than its predecessor and the first Raspberry Pi to feature its in-house silicon.
The Raspberry Pi 5 is powered by a 64-bit quad-core Arm Cortex-A76 processor that runs at 2.4GHz.
The device also comes with an 800MHz VideoCore VII graphics chip that significantly boosts graphics performance.
The Pi 5 will be available starting October 2023, with the new OS, Bookworm, ready to be launched in mid-October.
3. Disney+ to crack down on password sharing as the company struggles to maintain its subscriber base
Disney+ has not yet announced specific details about its password-sharing crackdown. Still, it is likely to involve some combination of limits on the number of devices that can be used with a single account and notifications to users who are sharing their passwords.
Disney sent an email to the Canadian subscribers on Tuesday evening about the new Subscriber agreement.
Other streaming services like Netflix and HBO Max have already implemented similar measures.
It is unclear how effective Disney+’s password-sharing crackdown will be. Some users may cancel their subscriptions if they cannot share their passwords with others. Others may be willing to pay a fee to add additional users to their accounts.
4. Meta launches consumer AI chatbots with celebrity avatars
Meta is consistently introducing new features, recently providing verification badges to business account holders.
Meta has launched consumer AI chatbots with celebrity avatars in its social apps, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger.
Meta’s LLaMA 2 language model powers the chatbots and can be used for various purposes, such as getting advice, entertainment, and customer support.
Some of the available celebrity avatars include Tom Brady, Kendall Jenner, and Snoop Dogg. Users can interact with the avatars through text or voice chat, and the avatars can respond naturally and engagingly.
Meta says that the chatbots are still under development, but they can potentially revolutionize how people interact with social media.
The avatars can provide users with a more personalized and immersive experience, and they can also help to make social media more accessible to people who are not comfortable using text-based communication.
5. X Under Fire for Removing Misinformation Reporting Feature
Elon Musk’s X has come under fire for removing its misinformation reporting feature. The feature allowed users to flag tweets they believed contained false or misleading information.
Twitter says it removed the feature because it was not being used effectively. However, critics argue that removing the feature will make spreading misinformation on the platform easier.
The removal of the misinformation reporting feature comes when Twitter faces increasing scrutiny over its role in spreading misinformation. In recent months, Twitter has been criticized for handling misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
The removal of the misinformation reporting feature is a significant development for Twitter. It remains to be seen how removing the part will impact the spread of misinformation on the platform.
Closing Thoughts
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