Tech Wrap Feb 27: Apple launch event, Nano Banana 2, Nothing Headphone (a)
Apple may launch new devices next week. Google releases Nano Banana 2. Nothing to Launch Headphone (a). Microsoft's agentic Copilot Tasks. Live location on Google Messages
 "Tech Wrap Feb 27: Apple launch event, Nano Banana 2, Nothing Headphone (a)")
Apple has announced that it will start revealing new products from Monday, March 2. In a post on X, CEO Tim Cook said, “A big week ahead. It all starts Monday morning!” He also used the hashtag #AppleLaunch, hinting at several announcements before Apple’s March 4 event.
Google has unveiled Nano Banana 2, the latest version of its image creation and editing tool. Powered by the Gemini 3.1 Flash Image model, the new iteration is said to blend deeper knowledge, enhanced image quality and improved reasoning with quicker generation speeds.
Nothing has confirmed it will introduce its over-ear Headphone (a) on March 5 alongside the Phone 4a series. The announcement was made on X with a teaser showing the device in a yellow colourway. The image suggests the headphones will feature Nothing’s transparent design language and dot-matrix typography, along with a textured metallic-style rim.
Microsoft has launched an AI capability called Copilot Tasks, describing it as a move beyond chat-based assistance toward systems that can complete tasks independently. The company said the feature can carry out actions in the background using its cloud computing infrastructure rather than just answering questions or drafting responses.
Google has introduced live location sharing in Google Messages, enabling users to share their real-time location within one-on-one and group conversations. As per Google’s support page, users can choose how long their location stays visible, from one hour to indefinitely, until they manually switch it off.
Meta has rolled out a new Instagram safety feature that alerts parents if their teen repeatedly searches for suicide or self-harm-related terms within a short span. The alerts apply to accounts using Instagram’s parental supervision tools. Meta said the platform blocks such searches and redirects users to support resources and helplines, while the new alerts inform parents if repeated attempts suggest a teen may need extra support.
Google pushed out the Android 17 beta 2 update on February 26, two weeks after beta 1. The release introduces several interface changes for supported Pixel devices, including a limited-access contacts picker, EyeDropper API and updates to bubbles.
Google has begun expanding the “Past Chats” feature to free Gemini users globally. Previously available only to paid subscribers, the tool lets Gemini reference earlier conversations for more personalised responses. According to 9To5Google, the rollout excludes Europe for now.
Lenovo is said to be preparing to showcase a foldable Windows gaming handheld concept at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona from March 2 to 5. A Windows Latest report claims the device, referred to as the Legion Go Fold concept, could be introduced on March 2.
India continues to face cyber threats from state and non-state actors, described as a major national security concern in the Home Ministry’s PRAHAAR anti-terror policy document. Group-IB’s Tech Crime Trends Report states that India accounted for 12.8 per cent of global hacktivist attacks in 2024, followed by Israel, Russia and Indonesia.
ByteDance recently launched Seedance 2.0, an AI video tool that generates film-like clips from text prompts. Meanwhile, Anthropic said three Chinese AI labs created thousands of fake accounts to collect responses from Claude through a method known as “distillation,” which can help refine AI systems.
Block founder Jack Dorsey said the fintech company will reduce its workforce by nearly half, cutting around 4,000 roles as part of restructuring linked to AI developments. In a message on X, Dorsey wrote, “Today we’re making one of the hardest decisions in the history of our company: we’re reducing our organisation by nearly half, from over 10,000 people to just under 6,000. That means over 4,000 of you are being asked to leave or enter into consultation”.
India has become one of the largest AI user bases globally. The challenge is turning that scale into leadership rather than merely supporting global tech firms. While the country has engineering talent and abundant data, it lacks large-scale foundational AI research training and sufficient advanced computing infrastructure.
Samsung Electronics is still deciding whether to launch another ultra-thin smartphone after sales of last year’s Galaxy S25 Edge were reportedly lower than its other models. The comments were made by COO Won-Joon Choi following the unveiling of the Galaxy S26 lineup, which features a new privacy display and upgraded AI capabilities.
Anthropic PBC declined the Pentagon’s latest proposal in a dispute over safeguards tied to the US military’s use of its AI technology. CEO Dario Amodei said, “These threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request,” a day before a government deadline.
NTT DATA and Ericsson have entered into a multi-year partnership aimed at accelerating enterprise adoption of private 5G networks and advancing edge AI and physical AI applications.