Canadian Reviewer Weekly Roundup - 2/25- 3/2

MWC 2024: Lenovo showcases concept laptop with a see-through screen

HMD partners with Mattel to launch Barbie flip phone this July 2024

OnePlus Watch 2 promises 100 hours of battery life

Samsung showcases Galaxy Ring at MWC 2024

Google adds Gemini chatbot feature to Messages app

Lens in Google Maps gets upgrade for users with visual impairments

Android Auto gets AI summaries and suggestions

Handwritten annotations arrive in Google Docs for Android users

Android ups its music game with easier device switching for Spotify users

Wear OS gets smarter notifications, longer battery life with new update

Energizer Hard Case P28K packs in a 28,000mAh battery

Adobe’s experimental tool lets you generate music with text prompts

Adobe’s experimental tool lets you generate music with text prompts

Adobe is expanding its generative AI portfolio with a new tool for music creation. Project Music GenAI Control is a cutting-edge tool that lets users generate and edit music from text inputs. It is similar to other AI models that can produce images or videos from text descriptions.

Project Music leverages the same technology that powers Firefly, Adobe’s AI tool for generating images from text. Users can enter text prompts such as "powerful rock," "happy dance," or "sad jazz" to create music in different genres and styles.

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Energizer Hard Case P28K packs in a 28,000mAh battery

Photo: Avenir Telecom

Avenir Telecom is back with a phone unlike any other: the aptly named Energizer Hard Case P28K. It boasts a massive 28,000mAh battery, promising up to a week of regular use on a single charge. This is a phone built for off-the-grid adventures, with a rugged IP69 rating to withstand the elements. Talk time is a staggering 122 hours (over five days), and standby stretches to a mind-blowing 94 days.

However, with great power comes great size. The Hard Case P28K is a thick boi at 27.8mm and a hefty 570g, making it three times thicker and heavier than an iPhone 15. This isn't the phone for those seeking a sleek device.

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Wear OS gets smarter notifications, longer battery life with new update

Photo: OnePlus

At Mobile World Congress 2024, Google unveiled a significant update for Wear OS that focuses on improving performance and battery life, particularly in handling notifications.

Since 2018, Wear OS watches have utilized two processors: an application processor (AP) for demanding tasks and a low-power co-processor (MCU) for simpler functions like step counting. This update allows wearable manufacturers to delegate notification processing to the MCU, including reading, dismissing, and sending quick replies.

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