 "Tech wrap Jan 30: Nothing Phone 3a series, Spider-Man 2 on PC, Pixel 9a")
UK-based tech brand Nothing has confirmed that it will introduce its Phone 3a series smartphones on March 4. The company’s reference to a "series" suggests multiple models could be included, likely follow-ups to last year's Phone 2a and Phone 2a Plus, which were launched separately. A brief teaser video on X (formerly Twitter) has also been released, revealing glimpses of the design of one of the upcoming models.
Insomniac Games, the American video game studio, is set to launch Marvel's Spider-Man 2 for PCs on January 30. Ahead of its release, the company has detailed new features designed for the PC version and outlined the system requirements needed for optimal gameplay.
Reports indicate that Google may release the Pixel 9a earlier than anticipated. According to a 9To5Google report citing Android Headlines, the next A-series Pixel device could arrive in the second half of March. For comparison, last year’s Pixel 8a was unveiled in May.
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GoPro has begun rolling out an update for its entry-level Hero action camera. The new update introduces 4K video recording in a 4:3 aspect ratio. Additionally, the company has announced a price reduction for the Hero camera in India.
Microsoft has revealed that iPhone users can now manage messages, calls, and other functions directly from the Start menu on Windows 11. While this feature has been available for Android devices, the latest update to the Phone Link app extends this functionality to iPhones for PCs enrolled in the Windows Insider programme.
Google has unveiled enhancements to Google Play Protect, aiming to improve security against harmful apps on Android devices. The company stated that it has developed "sophisticated, real-time defenses" to shield users from malicious apps, even when they are installed from third-party sources.
China-based DeepSeek has entered the AI space, a domain largely led by US firms like OpenAI, Microsoft, Meta, and Google. Its latest model, R1, is said to offer reasoning capabilities comparable to its competitors while being more hardware-efficient. Notably, the model is available as open source.
Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Thursday that DeepSeek, the widely known Chinese open-source AI model, will soon be hosted on Indian servers. The move is intended to address concerns about data privacy and strengthen India’s AI infrastructure, as reported by Moneycontrol.
Two court-appointed amici curiae (neutral legal experts) have submitted that the Delhi High Court has jurisdiction to hear a copyright lawsuit filed against OpenAI, according to a report by The Hindustan Times. Their submission noted that under the Indian Copyright Act, jurisdiction is based on the plaintiff’s place of business, which in this case is New Delhi. The lawsuit was filed by news agency ANI against OpenAI over copyright infringement claims.
The Indian government is closely monitoring the rise of DeepSeek’s AI model, which has been gaining traction in app stores. Authorities are particularly focused on potential risks related to data security and sovereignty, given the app’s links to China. Concerns have been raised regarding how user data is stored and the possibility of misuse, according to The Economic Times.
Microsoft has stated that its cloud computing division is expected to see slow growth in the coming quarter due to a lack of sufficient data centres to support demand for its artificial intelligence services.
SoftBank is reportedly in discussions to invest up to $25 billion in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, according to a source familiar with the matter. The Japanese conglomerate is actively looking to increase its presence in the AI sector.
Since launching ChatGPT two years ago, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has emphasised that the company thrives on three key resources: chips, data, and funding. The more of these elements it acquires, the more powerful its AI models become. Now, a relatively small Chinese firm, DeepSeek, is challenging that framework by developing an AI model that matches OpenAI’s capabilities at a fraction of the cost. However, the implications of this development extend beyond a single company—or even China.