Tech wrap May 22: WhatsApp's new feature, Realme GT 6T launch, and more

WhatsApp tests a new feature allowing users to clear all unread chats. Realme launches the performance-focused GT 6T smartphone. Adobe introduces an AI-powered photo editing feature in Lightroom

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Soon, WhatsApp could let you clear all unread chats in one go

WhatsApp could soon let you clear all unread chats in one go. Reportedly, Meta's instant-messaging platform is testing this feature in a beta version for Android. Part of the notification settings, the “clear unread when app opens” option will allow users to clear their unread message count whenever they open the app.

Realme GT 6T smartphone, Buds Air 6 wireless earbuds launched in India

Realme on May 22 launched the Realme GT 6T smartphone in India at Rs 30,999 onwards. Alongside, the Chinese smartphone brand launched the Buds Air 6 wireless earbuds. Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 system-on-chip, the smartphone boasts a dual vapour chamber (VC) cooling system that the company said helps the performance-centric phone maintain thermal balance. Moreover, the phone boasts a 5,500 mAh battery and support for 120W fast wired charging. The smartphone is offered in Fluid Silver and Razor Green colours.

Microsoft Copilot Plus AI PCs from Samsung, Asus, and more are coming soon

Microsoft debuted a new category of personal computers, called Copilot Plus PCs, at an event on May 20. The Surface Pro and Surface Laptop are the first Windows PCs to launch under the Copilot Plus PCs platform, powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus. Other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung have also announced Copilot Plus PCs powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite and Plus chipsets.

Adobe Lightroom gets Firefly AI-powered ‘Generative Remove’ editing feature

Adobe on May 22 announced the addition of “Generative Remove” feature in Lightroom. Powered by its Firefly AI model, the generative remove feature is integrated across mobile app, web client, and desktop application of Lightroom. With generative remove, Adobe said, users will be able to remove unwanted objects from any photo. Moreover, according to Adobe, the feature intelligently matches the removed area with “pixel perfect generations for high-quality, realistic and stunning results”.

Microsoft Build highlights: Phi-3-vision, Team Copilot, and more announced

A day after announcing Copilot+ PCs platform and artificial intelligence-powered Windows on Arm, Microsoft unveiled an array of new products and features at its Build 2024 event. While most of the announcements at the event were directed towards developers, there were a few that can bring new experiences to Windows for consumers. These include a new multimodal version of Microsoft’s small language model (SLM) Phi-3 and more AI integration into the Microsoft Edge browser.

Motorola Edge 50 Fusion goes on sale with introductory offers

Motorola Edge 50 Fusion smartphone is set to go on sale in India today, on May 22. Launched in the country on May 16, the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion will be available for purchase in the maiden sale period starting at 12 pm on May 22. The smartphone will be available on e-commerce platform Flipkart with introductory offers.

Microsoft details game performance stats for Arm-powered PC on this website

WorksOnWoA.com website from Linaro, a software development company that works on application deployment on Arm platform, has reportedly tested 1,481 games on the new Arm chip powered Surface Laptop and other devices with Snapdragon X Elite chips. The website allows users to search for a specific game and check how the game will perform on the new PC platform. The website shows if the game of preference falls in “Perfect”. “Playable”, “Runs” or “Unplayable” categories.

Google’s Quick Share for Android has QR code pairing option in beta

Google is reportedly planning to accelerate the connection process for Quick Share with QR codes. According to a report by Android Authority, Google’s alternative to Apple’s AirDrop could soon allow users to scan a generated QR code to establish a Quick Share connection for file sharing between Android devices.

Dixon Technologies set to manufacture Google Pixel 8 smartphones in India

Dixon Technologies, a local contract manufacturer, will produce Alphabet Inc's high-end Google Pixel 8 smartphones in the country. The company said the initial batch of India-made phones will be available in the market by September, as trial production has recently started, according to a report in the Economic Times (ET).

Govt to develop custom AI model for Indian use, Rs 2,000 crore allocated

The government is planning to chart its own course in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) by laying the groundwork for a bespoke foundational model tailored to the needs of Indian companies, entrepreneurs, academics, and researchers, reported The Economic Times citing sources. This ambitious initiative will start with an initial investment of Rs 2,000 crore, slated for launch after the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Chinese tech giants cut prices of language models used to power AI chatbots

Chinese tech giants Alibaba and Baidu slashed prices on Tuesday of large-language models (LLMs) used to power generative artificial intelligence products, as a price war in the cloud computing sector heats up in China.

Explainer: Understanding AI PCs and the underlying technology powering them

The PC just got an AI makeover, raising hopes that the buzzy technology would help revive an industry that has been on a steady decline over the last few years. Manufacturers say AI PCs process data more swiftly than traditional PCs and can handle a greater volume of AI tasks directly on the device, including chatbots. That means they do not have to rely on cloud data centers that currently power most AI applications, including OpenAI's ChatGPT.