The tech launches present no signal of slowing down as we head into October, with this week serving up one other beneficiant spherical of tech treats to assist us wash down final week’s helpings of Microsoft Copilot, Amazon’s Alexa AI and iOS 17.
This time, it was Meta’s flip to take to the stage at Meta Join, the place it made the unsurprising full announcement of the Meta Quest 3, alongside some huge AI information. You possibly can examine each of these beneath, alongside our verdict on DJI’s new Mini 4 Professional drone (spoiler: it is nice).
In between all of that, we have been sorely tempted to pre-order a brand new Raspberry Pi 5 in order that it will possibly sit on our shelf gathering mud once more, and we additionally discovered time to rejoice Google’s twenty fifth birthday. So if you happen to have been too busy this week residing in precise actuality relatively than digital actuality, allow us to fill you in on all of the tech information you missed…
7. Google turned 25 – and we celebrated in model
Okay, most birthday celebrations embody celebration hats, candles and awkwardly preventing co-workers for a slice of cake. However for Google’s twenty fifth birthday this week, we determined to honor it in the one method we all know how – by writing a collection of options delving into the large G’s greatest successes, errors and thrilling future tasks.
We seemed again on how on earth we survived earlier than Google (if you happen to bear in mind Altavista, Hotmail and Netscape, be sure to present {that a} learn), praised our favourite unsung Google apps and companies, and lamented the Google graveyard tasks that we want nonetheless existed.
Naturally, we additionally ranked the very best Google Doodles of all time and in addition the very best Google Easter egg surprises hidden in its varied apps and companies (together with, most lately, Android 14). And as a nightcap, we seemed forward to the following 25 years of Google and its most promising future tasks.
6. The Raspberry Pi 5 arrived to energy your DIY tasks
A fan of a DIY coding venture? The Raspberry Pi has all the time been an awesome board for the hobbyist tinkerer – and now a strong fifth model has simply been launched with a brand new CPU and extra.
Okay, there could also be some points with availability regardless of pre-orders kicking off forward of an October launch, however it appears to be like just like the Pi 5 will probably be value ready for. The principle enhance is a quad-core Arm Cortex-A76 CPU operating at 2.4GHz, and a serious improve from the Pi 4’s 1.8GHz chip.
However you additionally get a brand new VideoCore VII GPU for a lift in graphical efficiency, Bluetooth 5.0 and two HDMI outputs (alongside a pair of USB 3.0 ports) that allow you to hook up it as much as two 4K shows (at 60Hz, with HDR help). Not unhealthy in any respect for the $60 / £60 / AU$125 (4GB model) and $80 / £79 / AU$95 (8GB) value tags.
5. Dune turned our subsequent Netflix must-watch
Properly, we didn’t anticipate Dune, considered one of 2021’s greatest motion pictures, to take an Ornithopter-based journey to Netflix, however that’s precisely what’s occurring very, very quickly.
That’s proper, one of many greatest Max motion pictures is becoming a member of the world’s greatest streaming service on October 1, that means extra of us can stream Denis Villeneuve’s epic movie adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal e book each time we would like. You could find out if it’s value watching by studying our Dune evaluation first.
Will it make it onto our greatest Netflix motion pictures checklist? Almost definitely, however Dune’s arrival on Netflix would’ve been so a lot better if its sequel was nonetheless set to reach in early November. Sadly, Dune Half Two has been delayed till March 2024, that means you’ll should get your spice-laden repair of Arrakis by way of the primary movie for the following few months.
4. The iPhone 15 bumped into just a few teething points
This week we noticed the primary iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Professional telephones delivered to their new house owners – and whereas most have been excited to obtain their new pocket companions, some found just a few small points with the primary batch of Apple’s new telephones.
Apple responded to a few the problems, particularly an iOS bug that made the telephones freeze when straight transferring knowledge from one other iPhone, plus a difficulty with fingerprint smudges on the Professional fashions’ new titanium end. An iOS replace (17.0.2) sorted out the previous, whereas Apple up to date its help web page for cleansing the iPhone 15 collection.
But anecdotal proof suggests different small niggles are persisting for some, together with the odd manufacturing defect and, later within the week, studies of overheating incidents. We’ve not found any of those points throughout testing and there isn’t any suggestion that they are widespread, however it’s one thing we’ll be maintaining a tally of (and asking Apple about) within the week forward.
Meta’s quietly been making important strides on this planet of synthetic intelligence –and at this week’s Meta Join occasion, it revealed a bunch of AI-powered instruments which can be coming to the likes of WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger.
Probably the most helpful is arguably a brand new AI picture era and modifying function for Instagram, which can quickly assist you to apply results like a watercolor filter or convert it to black and white. However Meta can also be baking a lineup of 28 AI characters into its three messaging ups, making them extra like a ‘social’ model of ChatGPT.
These characters are impressed by celebrities like Kendall Jenner, Mr. Beast, Paris Hilton, and Snoop Dogg. You can have direct conversations with these ‘personas’ and even inquire about Paris Hilton’s favourite lip gloss. As you chat with these characters, their profile photographs dynamically animate, including an interesting visible aspect that is usually missing in conversations with typical AI chatbots.
2. The DJI Mini 4 Professional landed and have become our favourite small drone
In case you’re seeking to get into aerial images and videography, then the DJI Mini 3 Professional has lengthy been our suggestion for rookies – and this week it was succeeded by (you guessed it) the Mini 4 Professional.
Okay, not rather a lot has modified on the digicam entrance, with the Mini 4 Professional providing the identical 24mm f/1.7 digicam as earlier than – it has a 1/1.3in sensor for taking pictures 48MP photographs and 4K video.
However what has been upgraded is the drone’s obstacle-sensing, which is now omnidirectional for safer flying, plus the inclusion of Ocusync 4.0 connectivity and waypoints (for pre-determining a route to your drone to fly via). Not a serious improve, then, however the Mini 4 Professional nonetheless does sufficient to inherit the crown of being the very best drone for most individuals.
Alongside its new AI personalities, Meta lastly unveiled the Meta Quest 3 – and primarily based on our experiences with it to date (which you’ll learn extra about in our hands-on Meta Quest 3 evaluation) it’s the very best VR headset you should purchase.
Due to its Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset, the Meta Quest 3 boasts a 2.5x higher graphical efficiency than the Quest 2, plus it has full-color combined actuality that’s increased high quality than what we’ve seen from its rivals – even the Meta Quest Professional. Better of all, the Quest 3 is an affordable value at simply $499.99 / £479.99 / AU$799.99 for the 128GB model.
Certain it might have increased RAM, and eye-tracking would have been appreciated, however we don’t assume you’ll discover a finer VR headset for this value.
