With a whirlwind of news coming throughout the week, it can get difficult to keep a track of top news stories of the week. In order to help with that, we have compiled the Weekly Tech Recap, where we take a look at the top news that made waves in the world of technology. This week, Elon Musk finally introduced Tesla’s much awaited robo taxi termed ‘Cybercab’, Apple rolled out iOS 18.1 Developer beta 6, iQOO 12 launch date was leaked and more.
Top tech news of the week:
Elon Musk introduces Tesla ‘Cybercab’:
Elon Musk unveiled Tesla’s long-awaited robot taxi, dubbed “Cybercab,” at an event at Warner Bros. Studios near Los Angeles called “We, Robot,” an apparent reference to the 2004 classic film “I, Robot. The billionaire stated that production for Cybercab will begin in 2026 and that the upcoming robot taxi will be priced at under $30,000.
The electric taxi shown by Musk has a capacity of only two people and has no pedals or steering, making it a fully autonomous vehicle. The design of the Robotaxi looks like something out of a science fiction novel, with the two doors opening upwards in a butterfly-like motion.
Musk noted that autonomous vehicles could be 10 to 20 times safer than human-driven vehicles, while also being significantly cheaper. He estimated that the autonomous car would cost about $0.20 per mile to operate, compared to $1 per mile for city buses.
Apple rolls out iOS 18.1 Developer Beta 6:
One of the key changes in this beta involves the Control Center. For the first time, Apple has added individual toggles for Satellite and AirDrop, allowing users to customise their Control Center setup with separate buttons, added the publication.
Previously, these features were only accessible through the broader Connectivity control, but now, users can adjust settings for Airplane Mode, Cellular Data, Personal Hotspot, AirDrop, Bluetooth, Satellite, VPN, and Wi-Fi individually. The update also includes controls for the Measure and Level tools, both of which open up the Measure app when selected.
TikTok lays off hundreds of employees amidst AI push:
TikTok is set to lay off hundreds of employees worldwide, including a significant number in Malaysia, as part of its broader plan to enhance its content moderation operations through artificial intelligence (AI).
The social media giant, owned by China’s ByteDance, confirmed the layoffs on Friday, following earlier reports that more than 700 jobs had been cut in Malaysia. However, TikTok clarified that fewer than 500 employees in the country were affected. Most of the redundancies stem from the company’s content moderation teams, which were informed of their termination via email late last Wednesday.
iQOO 13 India launch date revealed:
iQOO’s flagship phone, the iQOO 13, has been generating a lot of buzz on social media due to the new features that the upcoming device is rumoured to bring. While many of the details about the iQOO 13 have already been revealed through numerous leaks, a new leak has also hinted at the phone’s upcoming launch date in India.
According to a report by Smartprix, citing tipster Yogesh Brar, the iQOO 13 will be launched in India on 5 December.
iQOO 13 is expected to feature a 6.78-inch 2K LTPO AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. It could feature up to 16GB of LPDDR5x RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage.
WhatsApp reportedly working on custom chat themes feature:
Meta-owned WhatsApp is set to roll out a new customisation feature that will allow users to personalise their conversations with custom chat themes. The feature is currently in beta testing and promises to give users more control over their messaging experience.
As per a report by WAbetainfo, the new customisations might include options to adjust both the chat background and the colour of the conversation itself.
Currently, WhatsApp only allows users to toggle between light and dark modes, but the new “Chat Theme” settings page will significantly expand personalisation options. Users will likely be able to apply a universal theme for all conversations or set individual themes for specific chats, offering a new level of flexibility.
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Published: 12 Oct 2024, 02:53 PM IST
