Galaxy AI: Free now, but not forever?

Photo: Samsung

Galaxy AI has arrived, as Samsung has announced with much fanfare, but the company omitted a small detail from its presentation earlier this week: it might not be free forever. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, S24 Plus, and S24 all boast new AI features—from translating phone conversations to removing objects from photos. They'll also be available on many older phones. However, Android Central noticed the fine print on Samsung's site, suggesting they might charge for them in the future. And that might be hard to justify.

The footnote at the bottom of the Galaxy S24 Ultra product page is ambiguous but implies that Samsung could start charging later. It reads: "Galaxy AI features will be provided for free until the end of 2025 on supported Samsung Galaxy devices. Different terms may apply for AI features provided by third parties."

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Swarovski Optik’s AX Visio: The AI-powered binoculars for bird lovers

MonoNeon’s colourful take on the Beosound A9 speaker 

MonoNeon’s colourful take on the Beosound A9 speaker

Photos: Bang & Olufsen

Bang & Olufsen has collaborated with another world-renowned artist to reimagine its iconic Beosound A9 speaker. After David Lynch, the Danish audio brand has tapped Grammy Award-winning bassist MonoNeon for a limited-edition design that reflects his unique musical and artistic vision.

MonoNeon is known for his avant-garde playing style and his vibrant wardrobe that often features patchwork, embroidery, and a bright palette. He wanted the speaker to represent chords on canvas, and he achieved that by covering the A9, which already resembles a canvas on an easel, with a trippy floral pattern that has a retro-futuristic vibe.

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Swarovski Optik’s AX Visio: The AI-powered binoculars for bird lovers

Photo: Swarovski Optik

If you love birdwatching, you might want to check out the world’s first AI-supported binoculars. Swarovski Optik, an Austrian company, introduced the AX Visio at the CES 2024. The AX Visio is a smart device that can recognize more than 9,000 species of birds in real time, using advanced technology and high-quality optics.

The AX Visio has an integrated operating and object-recognition system and a neural processing unit that can identify birds based on their appearance and location. It also has a built-in GPS and a camera that can take photos and videos of the birds at 13-megapixel or 1080p resolution. You can wirelessly transfer the images and videos to the Swarovski Optik Outdoor app on your phone.

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