Google has a generative AI-enhanced version of Assistant

Google

Google has unveiled a new feature for its Assistant that uses generative AI to provide personalized assistance to users. Assistant with Bard, which was announced at the Made by Google event along with new Pixel 8 and Pixel Watch 2 devices, can help you with various tasks such as planning your next trip, finding details in your email inbox, and creating a grocery list.

Assistant with Bard works seamlessly with some of Google’s existing apps, such as Gmail and Docs, to help you find and summarize information. You can also interact with the tool through text, voice, or images, and it will still offer some of Assistant’s key features that allow you to do things like send a text message.

Click to read more ...

What you need to know about the Leica Sofort 2

Leica

Leica has launched the Sofort 2, a hybrid instant camera that lets you choose which photos to print and also print photos from your smartphone. The camera, which costs US$389 (around CA$532) and will be available on November 9, is an upgrade from the Leica Sofort, which was released seven years ago. The Sofort 2 also has a sleek and minimalist look that matches other digital Leica cameras. 

Click to read more ...

Meet the Pixel 8: Google’s new CA$949 smartphone with a 120Hz display and secure face unlock

Google

The Google Pixel 8 joins the Google Pixel 8 Pro as one of two new smartphones from the tech giant. The Pixel 8 gets a more refined design, a faster display, a bigger battery, and a more secure face unlock feature. It also costs CA$949 for the base model with 128GB of storage. You can preorder it now in rose, black, or hazel colours, and expect to receive it by October 12.

The Pixel 8 still has a metal frame and a distinctive camera bar on the back, but its corners are more rounded than the Pixel 6 and 7, giving it a softer look. The phone is also slightly smaller than the Pixel 7, with a 6.2-inch OLED screen instead of a 6.3-inch display. It supports a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling and animations. However, unlike the Pixel 8 Pro, the Pixel 8’s screen does not have an LTPO technology that can dynamically adjust the refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz depending on the content. This means that the Pixel 8 may consume more battery power than the Pixel 8 Pro when displaying static or low-motion content.

Click to read more ...

What’s new in the Pixel 8 Pro: AI, camera, screen, and more

Google

The Pixel 8 Pro is Google’s latest flagship phone. It follows last year’s design, but with a sleeker camera bar, smoother corners, and a familiar look that works. It’s AI-powered on the inside and out. The Pixel 8 Pro runs on Google’s third-generation custom chipset, Tensor G3. It enables many of the new AI features onboard, but Google doesn’t claim any improvement in battery life or heat management. It has a 5,050mAh battery and supports 30W wired and 23W wireless with the Pixel Stand).

The Google Pixel 8 Pro differs from the standard Pixel 8 by having a matte finish on the back glass panel. It comes in obsidian black, porcelain, and a light blue “bay.” This Pro phone is the one has an LTPO display (Google calls it “Super Actua”) with variable refresh rates from 1Hz to 120Hz. It’s still 6.7 inches across, but it finally has a flat screen instead of curved edges. It also boasts a higher peak brightness of 2,400 nits, which is very bright in technical terms. If the Pixel 8 Pro can maintain that brightness level without overheating and dimming, that’s impressive.

Click to read more ...