Microsoft, which has gone “all-in” on artificial intelligence, has developed a generative AI model designed expressly for U.S. intelligence services. Unlike other AI platforms, such as Microsoft’s own Copilot, this one will be “air gapped” and won’t require a potentially unsafe connection to the internet.
Bloomberg notes, “It’s the first time a major large language model has operated fully separated from the internet… Most AI models, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT rely on cloud services to learn and infer patterns from data, but Microsoft wanted to deliver a truly secure system to the US intelligence community.”
18 months of development
The tool will allow intelligence services to use AI for tasks such as analyzing vast swathes of classified data without the fear of data leaks or hacks that could potentially compromise national security.
William Chappell, Microsoft’s CTO for Strategic Missions and Technology, told Bloomberg that the company spent 18 months working on this special GPT-4-based tool which will be able to read and analyze content, answer questions and write code without needing to go online. Equally importantly, it reportedly won’t learn from, or be trained on, the data it is fed.
At a security conference last month, Sheetal Patel, assistant director of the CIA for the Transnational and Technology Mission Center, said, “There is a race to get generative AI onto intelligence data, and I want it to be us.”
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Sonos’ first headphones and its AirPods Max competitor, the upcoming Sonos Ace, have leaked online. The slip-up revealed the headphones’ design and the array of buttons on both earcups.
Like other Sonos products, the Ace also appears to have a premium design, which should help it stand out.
Meet the Sonos Ace
Schuurman, an authorized Sonos parts dealer, inadvertently leaked the images, which The Verge first spotted. From the renders, it appears the Ace will have a toggle switch to switch between different listening modes. The right earcup has physical buttons for volume controls and a small LED for connectivity and battery status.
This is how Sonos’ first headphones could look like Photo: Schuurman/The Verge
Another image shows the in-box content, which will include a (usable) carrying case, a USB-C cable, and a USB-C to 3.5mm cable. This suggests the headphones will charge over USB-C and can play music over a wired connection.
Apparently, the Ace will integrate with other Sonos products, seemingly allowing you to listen to TV audio directly on the headphones.
Sonos Ace could ship with a usable carrying case. Photo: Schuurman/The Verge
The now-removed listing carried a price tag of €403.58, roughly translating into the Sonos Ace costing $450 in the US. Premium headphones from Sony and Bose are also priced in the same range, with the AirPods Max costing $549. If Sonos can trump the latter with sound quality, the company should have a winner on its hands.
Sonos headphones can give the AirPods Max tough competition
Sonos products stand out for their sound quality and ease of use. The company’s first pair of wireless cans should also excel in this area. They should give the AirPods Max tough competition, especially since Apple’s offering is showing its age now.
The retail leak suggests Sonos is making the final preparations for the Ace launch. So, expect the AirPods Max competitor to launch in the next few weeks.
It’s a pretty good bet that the Google Pixel 8a is going to break cover at Google I/O 2024 on May 14, and as the day approaches, we’ve seen a pile of new leaks turn up that give us a better idea of what we can expect from this mid-ranger.
First up is well-known tipster Evan Blass, who has posted an extensive set of pictures of the Pixel 8a. You can see the phone from the front and the back, and at an angle, and in its four rumored colors: Obsidian (black), Porcelain (white-ish), Bay (blue), and Mint (green).
These designs have previously been leaked, so there’s not a whole lot that’s new here, but it’s more evidence that this is indeed what the Pixel 8a is going to look like. The images are sharp and clear too, giving us a good look at the design.
It appears this phone will look a lot like the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 7a, with the recognizable camera bar around the back. It does seem as though this year’s mid-range Pixel is going to sport a more curved frame than its immediate predecessors, however.
To no one’s surprise, the Pixel 8a will feature AI (Image credit: @OnLeaks / MySmartPrice)
Onward to the next leak, and MySmartPrice has managed to get hold of a promotional video for the Pixel 8a. It was briefly available to view on YouTube before being pulled – and as YouTube is owned by Google, we’re assuming someone higher up had a word.
If you want to see some stills taken from the video before it disappeared, you can find some over at Phandroid. There’s actually not too much that’s new in this video, besides seeing the Pixel 8a itself – a lot of the AI features the clip shows off, like instant photo edits and live text translations, are already available in newer Pixel phones.
Our final leak for now is over at Android Headlines, where there are some promotional images showing off some of the capabilities of the Pixel 8a: capabilities including tools like Circle to Search. The images suggest all-day battery life, the Tensor G3 chipset, IP67 protection, and seven years of security updates.
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The same source says the on-sale date for the Google Pixel 8a is going to be May 16, and there are some pictures of the official silicone cases that’ll come along with it. Expect to hear all the details about this upcoming phone on May 14.
Wear OS 4 only launched last year, and despite new versions of Wear OS not usually landing yearly, it looks like Wear OS 5 might launch well before the end of 2024.
That’s not confirmed just yet, but leaks point in that direction. So your Wear OS smartwatch could be getting a major software update much sooner than you might have expected.
Exactly what that update will include is less clear, but below you’ll find everything we’ve heard about Wear OS 5 so far, including speculation as to its likely release date and compatibility.
Then, under that, we’ve included a wish list of the features and improvements that we most want Wear OS 5 to bring.
Cut to the chase
What is it? The next major Wear OS operating system update
When is it out? Possibly August
How much will it cost? It will be a free update
Wear OS 5: Rumored release date
Wear OS 5 might launch with the next Samsung Galaxy Watch (Image credit: Future)
Wear OS 5 might launch initially on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, which itself will probably be announced at Samsung’s next Unpacked event, rumored for July, and then – based on past form – will probably ship in August.
The reason we think Wear OS 5 might launch with this wearable is that a leak suggests Samsung is attempting to get Wear OS 5 – based on Android 14 – working on its new Exynos 5535 chipset, which is likely to first be used by the Galaxy Watch 7.
Note however, Samsung’s take on Wear OS 5 will almost certainly use the company’s One UI Watch overlay, so for a less modified take on Wear OS 5, you’ll probably have to wait for the Google Pixel Watch 3, which will likely land in October.
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Take the above leak with a pinch of salt, because while Wear OS 4 launched a year before that on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, it was a whole two years earlier in August 2021 that we saw Wear OS 3, and Wear OS 2 landed three years earlier than that.
Now, there have been some – mostly smaller – updates in between these, but Google hasn’t stuck to a yearly cadence for big Wear OS updates. So based on that history, it would seem more likely that Wear OS 5 would land in July or August of 2025.
For now, we’ll assume the leak above is accurate, which would mean we may only have to wait a few months for Wear OS 5. It might also mean Google is switching to a yearly update cycle for its smartwatch operating system going forward.
Wear OS 5: predicted compatibility
Wear OS 5 is sure to run on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 Pro (or Classic, depending on which launches). In fact as noted above these wearables will probably be the first to launch with Watch OS 5.
The Google Pixel Watch 3 is also certain to support Wear OS 5, since Google makes both, and most other upcoming Wear OS watches probably will support it as well.
Beyond that, most current smartwatches that run Wear OS 4 will likely get Wear OS 5 sooner or later, especially those that launched in the last year or so, like the Google Pixel Watch 2, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 line, the OnePlus Watch 2, and many of the other best Wear OS watches.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is sure to get Wear OS 5 (Image credit: Future)
However, as with Android updates, we wouldn’t expect all of these to get Wear OS 5 on day one, so you might be waiting a while depending on your watch, with Google and Samsung devices likely being first in line.
Wear OS 5: News and leaks
So far, the only real leak surrounding Wear OS 5 is simply that it might launch this year, as detailed above. As such we don’t have any real idea of the features or improvements it might bring, but at a minimum, you can probably expect bug fixes, along with improvements to performance and power efficiency.
Of course, since this update moves the operating system from version 4 to 5, we’d expect quite a bit more than that – we’re just yet to learn what.
Wear OS 5: What we want to see
While we don’t yet know what Wear OS 5 will offer, we have some ideas of what we want from it, which you’ll find below.
1. More AI baked in
A Google Pixel Watch showing the logo of the WearGPT app (Image credit: Google / WearGPT)
AI is the big buzzword in tech right now, and smartphones like the Google Pixel 8 and Samsung Galaxy S24 are embracing it in a big way, but so far smartwatches haven’t so much.
Sure, you can now get ChatGPT on Wear OS, but the core operating system doesn’t feel very AI-infused. With Wear OS 5 we’d like that to change. That could mean bringing the AI-powered Google Assistant with Bard to your wrist. Google has already announced this AI upgrade for Google Assistant, but not yet launched it.
Or perhaps the company will instead bring the rumored Pixel-exclusive Pixie AI assistant to at the very least Pixel Watches. In any case though, we want smartwatches to start getting in on the AI action.
2. Bring Safety Check to all devices
Safety Check on the Google Pixel Watch 2 (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
With Wear OS 4, Google added some new safety features to its Pixel Watch line. These include Safety Check – a feature that lets you set a check-in timer on your watch, which will then automatically share your location with emergency contacts if you don’t confirm you’re ok at a designated time.
This and other safety features like Emergency Sharing (which will share your real-time location with select contacts) are important and potentially even life-saving additions that anyone could benefit from, so we’d like to see them offered as a standard part of Wear OS 5, rather than being exclusive to Google’s Pixel Watches.
3. Fitbit for every wearable
Fitness tracking on the Google Pixel Watch 2 (Image credit: Future)
Similarly, Google only offers Fitbit functionality on Pixel Watches, so we’d like to see the Fitbit app work with other Wear OS smartwatches too.
Sure, this is less essential than safety features, and there’s always Google Fit or third-party fitness tracking services, but Fitbit is a particularly accomplished fitness tracking service, and with health and fitness tracking being such a big part of smartwatches, it would be nice if this worked on more of them.
4. Improved efficiency
The Google Pixel Watch 2 (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Smartwatch battery life by and large isn’t great, and while the battery capacity will have the biggest impact on that, making the software more efficient can also help the battery go further.
So one other improvement we’d like to see with Wear OS 5 is a focus on making the operating system as efficient as possible, so your smartwatch will last longer between charges.
Bose could be about to launch SoundLink Max, a bigger and brawnier version of the popular and portable SoundLink Flex Bluetooth speaker, according to a leak and an FCC filing.
That will put another HomePod competitor on the market, and it may be a worthy one with quality sound plus portability.
However, Bose has remained tight-lipped about this potential new addition to its SoundLink family. But it seems likely the new speaker will be another competitor of HomePod 2 released in January 2023 (though Apple’s speakers aren’t designed for portable use).
If the leaks are accurate, SoundLink Max will come in blue and black colors. It will measure 10.4 inches in width, 6.4 inches in height and 3.9 inches in depth. That would make it slightly larger than the SoundLink Flex.
But despite the increased size, a notable feature of the SoundLink Max will likely be portability. It could have a built-in handle on top , allowing users to easily carry it around. That would make it a perfect companion for outdoor activities, beach parties or even just moving it from room to room in your house.
Expect Bose sound quality
Bose has always been known for its exceptional sound quality, and SoundLink Max will probably continue the legacy. With its larger size than Flex, it could offer even better audio performance, delivering rich and immersive sound.
The speaker is rumored to feature multiple drivers and advanced audio technologies, ensuring well-balanced and powerful output.
Connectivity and battery life
Here’s what Bose SoundLink Flex looks like — smaller than SoundLink Max. Photo: Bose
The leaked information suggests that the SoundLink Max will support various connectivity options. Bluetooth 5.1 will let users easily connect their smartphones, tablets or laptops wirelessly. Additionally, it might also come with an auxiliary input for wired connections.
In terms of battery life, the SoundLink Max is rumored to offer a significant improvement over its predecessor. While the SoundLink Flex provided up to 12 hours of playtime, the SoundLink Max may offer an impressive 20 hours of continuous playback. So you won’t have to recharge via USB-C connection as often.
Additional features
Apart from its core features, Bose SoundLink Max might come with some additional functionalities. One possibility is voice assistant integration, allowing users to conveniently control the speaker using voice commands. It will most likely integrate with Bose Music app and Bose SimpleSync to connect with other speakers.
It may also have water resistance, making it more durable and suitable for outdoor use.
Bose SoundLink Max: Price and availability
As of now, there is no official information about the price and availability of the SoundLink Max. However, based on the leaked details, it is expected to be priced higher than the SoundLink Flex’s $149 price tag, considering the larger size and improved features. The Tanguay site suggested the speaker will come out April 23 for about $399.
Nothing is official yet, but if we had to make an educated guess, we’d say the Google Pixel 8a is going to be unveiled on the first day of Google I/O 2024, which is May 14. Now two new leaks have given us more of an idea about what to expect from the handset.
To begin with we’ve got leaked renders of the Pixel 8a courtesy of Android Headlines. There are four colors on show here, apparently called Mint, Porcelain, Obsidian, and Bay (or light green, pale gray, dark gray, and light blue, as they’re otherwise known).
These colors are similar to the ones we saw for the Google Pixel 7a, though Mint appears to have replaced Coral (orange). Mint is an option on the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro, though here it looks a lot more garish – which might just be due to the way the image is edited.
As Android Headlines points out, we also got a paler Mint color with the Google Pixel 6a in 2022, so this wouldn’t be a first for the mid-range series. We noticed that the Pixel 6a was recently removed from sale on the Google Store, leaving space for the Pixel 8a.
A design for life
This could be the Pixel 8a (Image credit: Android Headlines)
The renders we can see here back up previous leaks: the design is similar to the Pixel 8 and indeed the Pixel 7a. It’s possible that the corners are going to be slightly more curved, but there’s not a lot in it, and this is a phone that still looks very much like a Pixel.
Google may have already revealed the Pixel 8a design in an advert for Google Fi Wireless, and the picture in that ad does match the renders from Android Headlines. The colors seem plausible too – provided that green gets toned down a bit.
Elsewhere in Pixel 8a leak news, serial tipster Evan Blass has spotted some Pixel 8a tutorials have gone live on the website of a US carrier – not ideal from Google’s perspective. How long they remain up remains to be seen.
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Another potential upgrade we’ve heard about is a bump to a 120Hz screen, though the Tensor G3 chip may be underclocked to keep the phone below the Pixel 8 in terms of performance. In around a month’s time, all should be revealed.
DJI is scheduled to announce its new Avata 2 on April 11 yet that hasn’t stopped a flood of information about it leaking onto the internet. We even saw the drone itself being unboxed out in public late last month in a low-quality video. This new leak saw a series of hi-res images and specifications for the Avata 2 as well as the Goggles 3 headset and RC Motion 3 controller posted on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter).
Many of the pictures come from leaker Roland Quandt and they give us our first clear look at the drone which has notable design changes when compared to the original Avata. The camera is now at the front inside a smaller housing rather than sitting prominently at the top. Additionally, the flight fans have three blades instead of five. This streamlined design is identical to the one seen in an earlier leak from industry insider Quadro News giving it some validity.
As for the Goggles 3, the headset looks similar to DJI’s Goggles 2. However if you look closely at the front, you’ll notice a pair of camera lenses. We know these are cameras because Jasper Ellens, another insider, shared screenshots of the Avata 2’s Quick Start Guide on X. Documents reveal the lenses enable the headset’s Real View PiP (Picture-In-Picture) mode, allowing users to see their surroundings without having to remove the Goggles 3. The reported “ultra-low-latency” video feed will then be shown on the device’s “micro-OLED high-definition” displays.
The RC Motion 3, like everything else we discussed so far, looks similar to the previous generation with several notable changes. DJI’s upcoming controller has a darker color scheme sporting a different shade of gray and black-accented inputs. The joystick is on the left side pushing the now-flat mode button down towards the middle. Also, the orange lock button has a bumpy texture and is much larger than before. The same goes for the side dial: it’s a lot bigger.
Specs
Moving onto the drone’s specs, they come from Quadro News. Some of the information mentioned is stuff we already know, like the 1/1.3-inch image sensor, although there are plenty of new details.
Starting with the Avata 2’s camera, the lens will have a viewing angle of 155 degrees with an aperture of f/2.8. It’ll be capable of shooting video in 4K resolution at 60FPS or 2.7K resolution at 120FPS. Future owners will be given 46 GB of storage. Video transmission distance maxes out at 13 km (a little over eight miles). DJI’s drone won’t be able to fly for very long. Battery life is set for 23 minutes and it’ll take about 40 minutes to fully recharge.
Pricing info comes from yet another leak, OsitaLV, who posted a photograph of the drone’s cost in China. It shows prices start at 2,988 Yuan (about $413 / £327 / AU$628) up to 6988 Yuan (about $966 / £765 / AU$1,468) for the presumed Fly More Combo package.
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One key acrobatics, that’s interesting. pic.twitter.com/BjPA7CmYO5April 3, 2024
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Quadro News goes on to claim the Goggles 3 has better specs than the old model, “but some things have been trimmed.” He doesn’t really elaborate exactly what has been trimmed. Rather, he highlights some of the headset’s key features like the two-hour operating time, 20-minute charging time, plus a viewing angle of 44 degrees.
Nothing else was shared about the Motion 3 controller. That’s pretty much everything regarding the Avata 2 and its accessories. There are still many things that we don’t know about, including any new features not mentioned. Considering April 11 is coming up soon, we won’t have to wait long to learn more.
The Google Pixel 8a isn’t much of a secret at this stage. A new batch of leaks gives further evidence of the handset’s existence and tells us the specs and the design we can look forward to in the upcoming mid-range phone.
Well-known tipster Yogesh Brar (via Android Authority) has posted several specs for the phone, as well as a price estimate of $500 – $550 (that’s about £395 – £435 / AU$760 – AU$835). As for the phone, we can expect a 6.1-inch, 120Hz, OLED screen, a Tensor G3 chip, as well as 128GB and 256GB storage options.
Google Pixel 8a- 6.1″ FHD+ OLED, 120Hz- Tensor G3- 128/256GB storage- 64MP (OIS) + 13MP (UW)- 13MP selfie- Android 14- 4,500mAh (~)- 27W chargingLaunch: May ($500-550)What are your price expectations?April 5, 2024
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Apparently, there’s a dual-lens 64MP+13MP camera around the back and a 13MP selfie camera on the front, with power provided by a 4,500mAh battery. Those specs match up well with the Google Pixel 8, though we assume the new phone will come with cheaper materials and a few other compromises to hit a lower price.
The leak lends more credence to some of the earlier rumors we’ve seen, including one about the 120Hz screen on the Pixel 8a. As you’ll see from our full Google Pixel 8 review, that handset retails at $699 / £699 / AU$1,199, so there may not be too much to choose between these phones when the Pixel 8a appears.
Google hints
This couldn’t be the Pixel 8a, could it? (Image credit: Google)
There are a couple of other leaks to tell you about. One, as spotted by MySmartPrice, suggests several Pixel 8a models have now shown up in the Bluetooth SIG (Special Interest Group) database. This doesn’t tell us too much, other than that a launch is getting closer.
And lastly, it seems Google is getting in on the leaks. As spotted by GSMArena and others, a new Google Fi Wireless advert shows a phone that doesn’t exactly match the Pixel 8 design, leading to some speculation that this is the Pixel 8a. Of course, it might just be a mockup of a generic Pixel phone.
The biggest changes this year could be around the phone’s design, because leaked renders have pointed to larger bezels and curvier corners. Those extra curves also appeared in a separate leak, making it easier to believe this is the final Pixel 8a design.
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