We’re now getting very close to the Google Pixel 9’s August 13 launch, but the latest wave of leaks has left us a little less excited about it.One thing you can be almost certain of with a new mainline Pixel is that it will launch with a new version of Android, yet this year that may not be the case, with Android Headlines claiming that the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold will ship with Android 14 rather than Android 15.The reasons behind this possibility aren’t yet clear, but it likely relates to the fact that Google is launching its new Pixel line earlier in the year than normal – though why the company wouldn’t just wait until it has a new version of Android ready (likely in September) is also unclear.Still, this leak might be wrong, and even if it’s accurate, we’d expect the Pixel 9 to be updated to Android 15 shortly after launch. However, while these phones will reportedly get seven years of updates, their launch timing might mean they miss out on one final Android update that they would have gotten had they launched a month or so later with Android 15 out of the box.From old software to a weak chipsetThis isn’t the only potential bad news for the Pixel 9 series either, as Android Authority claims that the Tensor G4 chipset we’re expecting these phones to use will be the smallest chipset upgrade to the series so far.It will apparently offer a tiny power boost, although it might at least be significantly lighter on the battery.The site reports that this is likely such a minor upgrade because Google hadn’t originally intended to use a new Tensor chipset. Rather, the company wanted to build a new chipset independently of Samsung (which produces its Tensor chips) but didn’t get it ready in time, so Google had to craft an upgrade to the Tensor G3 at the last minute.Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.Interestingly, though, if the G4 is such a tiny upgrade, then it’s likely that any Pixel 9-exclusive software features, such as new AI capabilities, would be technically possible on the Pixel 8. So, we might see them filter down to the Pixel 8 over time.Also in the ‘bad news’ basket for the Pixel 9 line, all three expected non-foldable phones (including the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL) will reportedly start at just 128GB of storage, which really isn’t much for a high-end handset.The Google Pixel 8 (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)According to Android Headlines, the Pixel 9 will additionally be available in a 256GB capacity, while the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL will also be available in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB versions. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold, meanwhile, is said to come in 256GB and 512GB capacities, just like the original Pixel Fold.The site adds that the Pixel 9 will have 12GB of RAM, while the Pro models will have 16GB. That would, at least, be a 4GB upgrade in all cases, and the charging speeds could also be improving ever so slightly, as the site claims Google will start selling a 45W charger, up from the 30W one available for the Pixel 8 line. However, it suggests that actual charging speeds likely won’t be higher than around 33W.Finally, Android Police has shed some light on the Pixel 9’s rumored 8K video recording capability, and apparently this will rely on the phone’s Video Boost feature to upscale recordings to 8K, rather than the Pixel 9 actually being able to natively record in that resolution. So, that’s another slight disappointment.As ever, we’d take these reports with a pinch of salt, but we’ll be sure to bring you all the confirmed details once Google unveils the Pixel 9 line on August 13.You might also like
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Aussie Broadband just launched a new budget telco that promises more affordable NBN plans – with a slight catch
When you’re shopping around for the best NBN plans, the first thing you’ll likely look at is how much a plan costs. There can be a huge variance between the cheapest and the most expensive plans on each speed tier for example, but you might feel the cheapest providers won’t offer a reliable service. Buddy Telco is a new NBN provider that aims to offer the best of everything. It’s an offshoot of Aussie Broadband, in a similar vein to Telstra-owned Belong, where it uses the core Aussie Broadband infrastructure, but strips its offering back to basics so that it can be priced lower than its parent company. In other words, Buddy Telco sells just NBN services. It doesn’t sell hardware such as modems, so you’ll need to provide your own, and there’s no telephone customer support. Instead, all troubleshooting is handled via online live chat powered by AI technology via a web browser or smartphone app. If the AI chatbot can’t solve your problem, then you will eventually be connected to a human to fix it. Here’s what the price difference between Buddy Telco and Aussie Broadband on the popular NBN 50 tier looks like:Buddy Telco currently only supports fixed-line NBN services, so if you connect via fixed-wireless or satellite this isn’t the provider for you. The telco does state on its website that it doesn’t support the latter two “yet”, so support may come in the future… but don’t hold your breath.It’s an interesting proposition and Buddy Telco has launched at a time when prices across the NBN have seen increases. NBN Co raised its wholesale costs to internet service providers (ISPs) from July 1, 2024 by around AU$3 per plan on average. As you’d expect, ISPs have generally passed this extra cost onto consumers, with the majority of NBN providers we monitor having increased their plan prices by approximately AU$5p/m since the change went into effect.It’s worth noting that while Buddy Telco promises value-oriented NBN plans, it’s not the cheapest provider other than on the very fastest NBN 1000 tier, where it’s cheaper by up to AU$70 a year. Buddy Telco doesn’t currently offer an NBN 250 plan, either. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.Taking the popular NBN 50 and NBN 100 plans as examples, this is how Buddy Telco compares to the cheapest providers on each tier: NBN 50• Buddy Telco – AU$75p/m• Mate – AU$55p/m (first 6 months, then AU$75p/m)• Flip – AU$64p/m (first 6 months, then AU$74.90p/m)NBN 100• Buddy Telco – AU$75p/m (first 6 months, then AU$85p/m)• Flip – AU$69p/m (first 6 months, then AU$79.90p/m)• Spintel – AU$71p/m (first 6 months, then AU$81.95p/m)What it hopes will convince customers to switch to its service is the fact it uses the Aussie Broadband network, which regularly performs well in official reporting conducted by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC). But Aussie Broadband is also lauded online for its high level of customer service, which obviously isn’t coming to Buddy Telco.Below you can view all of Buddy Telco’s NBN plans.You might also like…
The Google Photos video editor is set to get some useful upgrades
Google Photos offers a lot of neat editing tricks for your photos, and it includes a video editor as well – and it looks as though that editor is getting some much-needed and genuinely useful upgrades in the near future.As spotted by Android Authority, hidden code inside the latest Google Photos app for Android points to a number of upgrades, and they’re going to be particularly useful for people who aren’t that familiar with the app’s video-editing capabilities.The biggest upgrade seems to be larger buttons with clear labels on them for the Mute, Enhance, and Stabilize functions. This makes it much more obvious what these buttons do – they’re currently represented by smaller pictures, with no text.You can get into the Google Photos video editor by opening up a video clip inside the app, then tapping on the Edit button. As well as the tweaks we’ve mentioned, it’s possible to crop videos and add a variety of filters and effects.More features coming soonThe current trio of buttons (on the right) (Image credit: Future)This analysis of the Android app also gives us another look at the upcoming playback-speed control feature, which has actually been spotted before: it’s not live yet, but it will enable users to speed up or slow down videos.It seems as though a 4x speed increase or decrease will be the limit of the feature, and it’s going to be possible to apply the change to the whole video, or just to a specific part of it.There’s no indication here as to when the upgrade to Google Photos might go live, but it looks as though the bulk of the necessary code is now in place, so it shouldn’t be too long before we see these changes on Android (and quite possibly iOS too).Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.As yet we haven’t seen any sign of Google Gemini-generated AI images showing up inside the Google Photos app, though it does look as though we might soon be getting an easier method for hiding images of people we don’t want to see.You might also like
Some huge improvements are coming to Discord on Xbox
Updates are coming to the Discord experience on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox One, bringing some much-needed features to the implementation of the popular chat service on the platform.The biggest improvement is the addition of the ability to join a server voice channel or call your friends directly from your Xbox. Previously, you were required to join a server voice channel or start a call on your mobile phone before transferring it to the console. It was a pretty cumbersome process, so this is a very welcome change, especially considering the fact that the service already received a similar overhaul on PlayStation 5 earlier this year.Your Discord friends list on the console will also begin to display friends who are playing Xbox games or currently chatting, making it easier and quicker to get online. You will be able to view Discord streams on the console too, which was not previously possible. This includes streams from PC and mobile users, so there will be no excuse not to hop on your Xbox for a cheeky movie night.These features are set to arrive over the coming weeks, though they’re already beginning to go out to members of the Xbox Insider program.If you’re wondering how to access Discord on your Xbox, you first need to link your existing Xbox and Discord accounts. The easiest way to do this is to power up your Xbox, navigate to the settings menu, choose the ‘account’ tab, and then select ‘linked social accounts’. You will then be presented with a range of options. Select ‘Discord’ and follow the on-screen prompts to connect your accounts. This will allow you to access all of these new features when they become available.Discord is one of the largest and most well-known chat applications on the market, attracting more than 200 million users per month. In addition to Xbox, it’s available as a native app on PC, Android, and iOS. It can also be accessed through a compatible web browser.You might also like…Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
Ghost of Tsushima was the “biggest reference” for Star Wars Outlaws, says director
Star Wars Outlaws is inspired by many open world games, according to game director Julian Gerighty.In a recent interview with GamesRadar, Gerighty revealed that he was influenced by several popular role-playing games (RPGs) when creating the upcoming Star Wars game.According to the director, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is one of his favorite Assassin’s Creed games and was used as a reference point for creating the large zones in Outlaws, which he has previously said are roughly the same size as three Odyssey zones combined.Gerighty said it was the “freedom of approach in a very large environment – with traversal [and] curiosity at its heart, with RPG light mechanics” that he loved so much about the game and that there were Odyssey developers he would call to for pointers on Outlaws.Just how George Lucas used Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s filmography as a source of inspiration when creating Star Wars, Gerighty explained that Sucker Punch Studios’ 2020 samurai RPG, Ghost of Tsushima, was his “biggest reference” when creating his open world game, as well as Red Dead Redemption.”It’s super interesting because my biggest reference was Ghost of Tsushima, which is more on the Kurosawa side of inspiration than the Western, the John Ford side of the inspiration for George Lucas,” Gerighty also told GamesRadar.”Red Dead Redemption is phenomenal, [because it treats] the world as a world – not as a checklist of activities that are repeated often. But I think that Ghost of Tsushima, what I loved about it was this purity of having a player fantasy and really leaning into it. This is the story, the world, the character, everything fits together with the gameplay guiding everything. That’s the fantasy of ‘you are a samurai ninja in Japan.’ That was one of the guiding lights for this.”Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.Star Wars Outlaws is set to launch on August 30 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.You might also like…
iPhone 16 Pro Max leak shows off three possible colors, but the most interesting rumored shade is missing
Thanks to a plethora of consistent leaks, we have a good idea of what colors to expect the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max to ship in, with multiple sources pointing to white or silver, rose, black, and gray (which might be marketed as Natural Titanium). And now, not only have these shades been mentioned again, but three of them have been pictured.Leaker Sonny Dickson (via 9to5Mac) has shared a photo of what looks to be three iPhone 16 Pro Max dummy units, and they show a white shade, a black shade, and a color that’s quite similar to the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s Natural Titanium.That similarity suggests it will carry the Natural Titanium name again, though it appears slightly darker here, and the black color is significantly darker than last year’s Black Titanium. The white, meanwhile is, well, white. But it’s very much white rather than silver.Sadly, there’s no sign of the rumored rose color here, which is arguably the most interesting of the rumored shades, both because it’s likely to be a bit more colorful, and is the only option that doesn’t already exist in some form for the iPhone 15 Pro Max.Its absence here also adds to the possibility that rose won’t be offered after all, but Apple sells the iPhone 15 Pro Max in four shades, and we’d expect to see four colors offered again for the iPhone 16 Pro Max, so if not rose then something else.The same shades for the ProIn any case, it’s worth noting that Apple typically sells the Pro and Pro Max in the same colors, so we’d expect all of the same shades to be offered on the iPhone 16 Pro as well.With the possible exception of rose, it’s not the most inspiring selection, but it’s in line with the understated color choices Apple tends to use for its Pro phones. If you want bolder shades, then you’ll likely have to go for the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Plus, which recently leaked in five colors.Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.We should find out exactly what the iPhone 16 colors will be soon though, as these upcoming phones are likely to land in September.You might also like
Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami says he’d “love to see” a sequel to one of the GameCube’s best games
Shinji Mikami, renowned creator of series such as Resident Evil and The Evil Within, recently sat down with Grasshopper Manufacture’s Goichi Suda (aka ‘Suda51’) to discuss the upcoming release of Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered.As reported by VGC, Mikami expressed interest in Suda developing a follow-up to one of his studio’s most beloved games. “I’ve realized that I want to stay as hands-on as possible when it comes to game creation,” says Mikami when asked about plans for future projects during the Grasshopper Direct presentation. “And I’d love to see Suda make a sequel to Killer7.”Suda, appearing taken aback by Mikami’s comment, replies: “Seriously?!” He follows up by saying: “Someday we may just see a Killer7 sequel, or a ‘complete edition’… I’d rather make a complete edition first.”Humorously, Mikami chides that a complete edition of the original game would be “kinda lame,” after Suda suggests ideas for a sequel title in “Killer11” and “Killer 7: Beyond.”Nobutaka Ichiki, project manager on Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered, chimes in, stating that in the original Killer7, one of the playable characters – Coyote Smith – had lots of cut dialogue. Mikami then admits: “Fans would probably love a complete edition. That could actually be doable.”Killer7 launched on the Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation 2 all the way back in 2005 (with a surprise Steam release landing in 2018). It was immediately notable – and divisive – for its striking cel-shaded art style and peculiar gameplay which had its seven playable characters – the Smiths – follow pre-determined on-rails paths through stages instead of being able to fully explore them.Despite its quirks, it’s maintained a healthy following over the years thanks to its captivating story, incredible style and exceptional music and sound design. Next year will be Killer7’s 20th anniversary, too, so I don’t think there’ll be a better time than then to release a complete edition on modern consoles and PC.Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.You might also like…
Finally, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew has a Disney Plus release date – and a first look at its adorable kid characters
It’s been over a year since we were updated on Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’s development. But, at long last, Disney and Lucasfilm have pulled back the curtain on the legendary sci-fi franchise’s next TV show, including when it’ll premiere on Disney Plus.Announced yesterday (July 31), Disney and its subsidiary confirmed Skeleton Crew will debut on Disney Plus, aka one of the world’s best streaming services, on Tuesday, December 3. That date is still a ways off, but Disney and Lucasfilm haven’t left fans hanging with that solitary reveal. Indeed, the entertainment giants also unveiled some first-look images for the forthcoming Star Wars TV series, which shows the main cast – Jude Law included – in various settings, including on board the spaceship owned by Law’s mysterious character.Here’s your first look at the upcoming Star Wars Original series, #SkeletonCrew, streaming December 3 on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/QkMxeE8Kn8July 31, 2024Who is part of the Skeleton Crew cast? And what are their character names?Jude Law (second left) is joined by four child actors in Skeleton Crew (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney Plus)Both good questions – and, thanks to a new article in People magazine, ones we can answer.Speaking to said print outlet, Law confirmed he’s playing Jod Na Nawood, an enigmatic individual who becomes the protector-in-chief of Skeleton Crew’s young cast of human and alien characters. Law described Nawood as “someone who uses quick thinking, charm, and conversation to get out of all sorts of scenarios”. People didn’t ask Law about online rumors that suggest Nawood is secretly a Jedi, though, so it’s unclear if this fan theory holds any weight. Judging by Law’s tease, it appears as if Nawood will share more in common with legendary Star Wars rogue Han Solo than a Force wielder.I already absolutely love this cute little dingus https://t.co/YxTUYGf3EQJuly 31, 2024As for the kids he’ll be keeping safe, their identities were also unveiled in People magazine’s latest issue. Child actors Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Kyriana Kratter, Robert Timothy Smith, and Ryan Kiera Armstrong will play the shaggy-haired Wim, visor-wearing KB, the blue-skinned Ortolan known as Neel, and the Sherpa jacket-wearing Fern respectively.Lastly on the character reveal front, Nick Frost will voice a brand-new droid known as SM 33, with co-creator Jon Watts telling People that “he’s like a rusty old, cranky droid that sort of reluctantly helps the kids along the way.”Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.Other names attached to one of 2024’s new Star Wars movies and TV shows are Kerry Condon, Jaleel White, and Tunde Adebimpe. Their characters weren’t revealed as part of these first-look images, however.What is Star Wars: Skeleton Crew about?A brief plot summary aside, not much is known about Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney Plus)No new plot details were revealed alongside Skeleton Crew’s first batch of pictures or in People magazine’s exclusive story. However, we’ve known what the series will be about since Star Wars Celebration 2023, which was held in London last April.Per a Disney press blast released at the time: “Skeleton Crew follows the journey of four kids who make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, then get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home – and meeting unlikely allies and enemies – will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.”Law, Watt, and the latter’s co-creator Christopher Ford teased that Star Wars diehards and newcomers alike can expect a “joyful”, Goonies-inspired space adventure story that’ll have “a lot of Easter eggs” for long-time fans of the franchise to keep an eye out for. The trio are, though, keeping other story details close to their chest. Let’s hope we learn more about the show’s plot – and get a first official trailer – at D23 Expo, which takes place in California between August 9 and 11.You might also like
The original Apple Computer cost $666.66, but you can get Steve Jobs’ Polaroids of it for $2148
When Apple co-founder Steve Jobs wanted to price his new Apple-1 computer, he chose a price roughly three times what it cost to build it: $666.66. The price made his cofounder and chief system designer Steve Wozniak laugh because of its proximity to a joke line he used to dial, and it ultimately caused the pair some grief because of its digit relationship to, well, the sign of the beast.Almost 50 years later, that price is a fraction of what you might pay for Polaroid pictures of the original Apple-1 Computer prototype. A collection of three photos of the board, the board and its caseless computer, and a monitor running Apple’s own brand of BASIC are on auction at RRAction House and currently sit at a bid of $2,148. The auction is open until August 22, so that price might differ by the time you visit and maybe bid.Jobs used these images as part of his pitch deck, which he presented to early client Paul Terrell of the Byte Shop. By today’s standards, the Apple-1 looked like, at best, a home-brewed system. Still, according to Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs biography, Jobs’ pitch and those images eventually convinced Terrell to sign up for an order of 50 pre-assembled Apple-1 systems.(Image credit: RR Auction)For that $666.66, Terrell was getting, by 1976 standards, a revolutionary 8K (expandable to 65K RAM) system that included a built-in video terminal and keyboard interface (instead of a TeleType system), that hooked up directly to a monitor or TV. There was even 1K of dedicated video memory. And then, of course, there was Apple BASIC. While it doesn’t sound like much, the system sold well enough to lay the groundwork for the better-known and far more widely sold Apple II computer (I used an Apple IIe for a time and loved it).The auction is a walk back through some of the iconic history of Apple and Steve Jobs. Along with the Polaroids, it includes a leather bomber jacket Steve Jobs wore in 1983 when photographed giving the finger to an IBM logo. IBM was, of course, a chief Apple rival in the early days of the personal computer revolution.Other items include checks written by Jobs and even a restored and fully functional Apple-1 computer. What you can do with that system (logged as No. 104 in the Apple Computer Registry) is a fair question. It might be ready for some simple math and low-key BASIC programming, but that’s about it. Still, what a museum piece.As for those photos, since they were likely taken by Jobs himself, they’re much more than a record of early personal computer efforts, they speak to how Jobs viewed their creation and how the eventual master of product marketing might’ve planned to market this magical piece of hardware. That’s what could make it worth the cost of one of the best MacBooks.Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.You might also like
Zuckerberg says Meta will need 10x more computing power to train Llama 4 than Llama 3
Meta, which develops one of the biggest foundational open-source large language models, Llama, believes it will need significantly more computing power to train models in the future.
Mark Zuckerberg said on Meta’s second-quarter earnings call on Tuesday that to train Llama 4 the company will need 10x more compute than what was needed to train Llama 3. But he still wants Meta to build capacity to train models rather than fall behind its competitors.
“The amount of computing needed to train Llama 4 will likely be almost 10 times more than what we used to train Llama 3, and future models will continue to grow beyond that,” Zuckerberg said.
“It’s hard to predict how this will trend multiple generations out into the future. But at this point, I’d rather risk building capacity before it is needed rather than too late, given the long lead times for spinning up new inference projects.”
Meta released Llama 3 with 80 billion parameters in April. The company last week released an upgraded version of the model, called Llama 3.1 405B, which had 405 billion parameters, making it Meta’s biggest open-source model.
Meta’s CFO, Susan Li, also said the company is thinking about different data center projects and building capacity to train future AI models. She said Meta expects this investment to increase capital expenditures in 2025.
Training large language models can be a costly business. Meta’s capital expenditures rose nearly 33% to $8.5 billion in Q2 2024, from $6.4 billion a year earlier, driven by investments in servers, data centers and network infrastructure.
According to a report from The Information, OpenAI spends $3 billion on training models and an additional $4 billion on renting servers at a discount rate from Microsoft.
“As we scale generative AI training capacity to advance our foundation models, we’ll continue to build our infrastructure in a way that provides us with flexibility in how we use it over time. This will allow us to direct training capacity to gen AI inference or to our core ranking and recommendation work, when we expect that doing so would be more valuable,” Li said during the call.
During the call, Meta also talked about its consumer-facing Meta AI’s usage and said India is the largest market of its chatbot. But Li noted that the company doesn’t expect Gen AI products to contribute to revenue in a significant way.