Canadian Reviewer Weekly Roundup - 1/28- 2/3

Louis Vuitton unveils stylish, premium Nanogram Speaker

'Succession' and 'Loki' directors join Season 2 of HBO's 'The Last Of Us'

Samsung's Galaxy AI feature leaves Galaxy S22 users in anticipation

Zoom's Apple Vision Pro app shows facial expressions via digital avatars

Threads is preparing a trending topics feature

Sugar Cubes unveils a case that turns a tiny Android phone into a retro gaming device

Skylight Calendar Max is a 27-inch digital family calendar

Say his name twice: The first foster for 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' is here

The future of Google Assistant Driving Mode: Less apps, more voice

Google Bard gets AI image generation capabilities

OnePlus offers deals on high-performance devices this February

OnePlus offers deals on high-performance devices this February

Image: OnePlus

If you’re in the market for cutting-edge smartphones, tablets, and accessories, look no further than OnePlus. This month, OnePlus.com is rolling out a lineup of amazing deals that will leave tech enthusiasts thrilled. Whether you’re upgrading your phone or adding to your audio gear, here’s what you need to know:

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Google Bard gets AI image generation capabilities

Image: Google

Google's Bard chatbot has introduced AI image generation, bridging a gap with its competitor ChatGPT Plus, which has offered this feature for several months. You can now prompt Bard to create images using Google's Imagen 2 text-to-image model. Notably, you can access the enhanced Bard with Imagen 2 at no cost, in contrast to ChatGPT Plus, which requires a subscription.

Despite initial expectations for Bard to be powered by the more advanced Gemini Ultra model, it is currently fueled by the Gemini Pro large language model, with the Ultra model still in development.

Recent concerns about the misuse of AI image generation, particularly in generating explicit content, have prompted tech companies to enhance security measures. Google, in response, has implemented a watermarking feature in Bard's images to indicate their AI-generated nature. Additionally, safety measures have been put in place to avoid generating images of well-known individuals and to restrict violent, offensive, or sexually explicit content.

The scope of AI image generation extends beyond Bard, as Google introduces ImageFX, an experimental photo tool powered by Imagen 2. This tool allows users to create images using simple text prompts, with the feedback loop going directly to Google engineers. SynthID markings—along with adherence to Google's AI principles and technical safeguards—are applied to all images generated through ImageFX. This tool joins Google's array of AI creation tools, including MusicFX and TextFX, and is available for testing on Google Labs.

Bard's expansion goes beyond image generation, encompassing language support and functionality improvements. While image generation is currently limited to English, Bard now supports over 40 languages in more than 230 countries, a significant increase from its previous availability in only 170 countries and exclusively in English. Moreover, the double-check feature, enabling users to evaluate responses by automatically searching the internet for supporting or contradictory content, has been expanded to 40 languages, enhancing the chatbot's capabilities across a diverse linguistic landscape.

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The future of Google Assistant Driving Mode: Less apps, more voice

Image: Google

Google is deprecating some Assistant features, including the App Launcher in Assistant Driving Mode. This launcher lets you access various apps and shortcuts while navigating with Google Maps. It will be removed on February 7, along with the media apps and the fullscreen user interface.

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