NerdNews

Google's Gemini for Home replaces Google Assistant, introducing a more conversational smart home experience. It allows for context-aware commands, multi-request sentences, and automation creation without the app. Gemini also improves camera notifications and introduces features like 'Ask Home' and 'Home Brief'. It will be available on Google smart home devices, with some features requiring a $10/month Google Home Premium subscription.

Microsoft has announced progress on a new chip cooling approach using microfluidic cooling, which could help address heat bottlenecks in scaling AI infrastructure. The technique involves etching microchannels into silicon chips to flow coolant directly over hotspots, showing up to three times more effective heat removal than traditional methods.

Sora 2 is a new AI model from OpenAI that can generate strikingly realistic video, with improved physics and body mechanics. It can produce clips with synchronized dialogue and sound effects, and can even insert real-world elements from reference footage. While it's not a replacement for traditional filmmaking, it could be used for short social videos and ad campaigns.

OpenAI's new social app Sora is a TikTok-like platform that allows users to create and share deepfake videos. The app has raised concerns about copyright infringement and the potential for disinformation. Users can create 'cameos' of themselves by uploading biometric data, and control who can generate videos using their likeness. However, the app's safety features have been called into question, and users are already finding ways to navigate around the guardrails.

Salesforce has launched Agentforce Vibes, an AI-powered developer tool that helps developers work autonomously on Salesforce apps and agents. The tool includes an autonomous AI coding agent named Vibe Codey and is connected to a company's existing Salesforce account, allowing it to reuse existing code and follow coding guidelines.

OpenAI's new Sora app allows users to create personalized digital avatars and generate AI-deepfake videos of themselves and friends. The app uses OpenAI's latest video generation model, Sora 2, and includes safety features to prevent misuse. Users can create and share AI-generated videos, with options to control who can use their digital likeness.

Meta will start using conversations with AI chatbots to gather data for ad targeting, beginning December 16. This change will affect most regions, excluding the EU and South Korea. The company claims this will help personalize content and ads, but users will not be able to opt out.

The James Webb Space Telescope is a $13 billion observatory that uses hardware and software engineering to process infrared light and transform raw data into stunning images. It has four instruments on board, including NIRSpec, NIRCam, MIRI, and NIRISS, which work together to observe the galaxy and discover new things about the universe.

This article discusses a pipeline approach to language migrations, highlighting the challenges, benefits, and best practices for migrating legacy code to modern languages. It emphasizes the importance of a systematic, verifiable, and modular process, and introduces LionWeb as a language-neutral, open format for representing intermediate states.

JetBrains is collecting code snippets and other data to train AI models, offering free product licenses in return. The data will be used to improve AI coding models, which the company believes are currently insufficient due to being trained on public datasets that don't reflect real-world scenarios.

Microsoft introduces a new $20 monthly subscription plan, Microsoft 365 Premium, which bundles Office apps, 1TB of OneDrive storage, and access to OpenAI's latest models with extended AI usage limits, positioning it as a more valuable option than OpenAI's ChatGPT Plus.

A PwC report found AI-based security is the top investment priority for cybersecurity budgets, with 36% of executives citing it as a top three priority. The report highlights the need for organizations to invest in AI and cyber skills to stay ahead of emerging threats.

Nothing's Essential is a new AI-powered layer on top of Android, offering personalized experiences and generative apps. It introduces Playground, a space for users to build, share, and download community-created apps, potentially breaking the traditional approach of Android and iOS.

Einride, a Swedish startup, has raised $100M to scale its autonomous freight technology, including electric big rigs and pod-like trucks. The funding will help the company grow with its customer base and accelerate deployment.

Google has updated its Home app with Gemini AI, improving performance, reliability, and device management. The app now has a simpler design with three tabs and supports gestures and AI-powered features like Home Brief and Ask Home. The update also brings Nest devices into the Google Home ecosystem, allowing for centralized management.

Google has revamped its smart home app to feature Gemini, a more conversational AI. The app now has a Home tab, Activity tab, and Automations tab, and loads significantly faster. It also includes a persistent AI-powered 'Ask Home' option and improved performance, with reduced app crashes and faster camera view loading.

Google has announced a new line of Nest security cameras, including the Nest Doorbell and Nest Cams, which feature 2K HDR video, a wider field of view, and improved low-light sensitivity. The cameras also come with new AI-powered features, such as the ability to digitally zoom in on subjects and provide animated previews of alerts. The Nest Cam Indoor costs $100, the Nest Cam Outdoor costs $150, and the Nest Doorbell costs $180.

Raspberry Pi has increased prices for some devices due to a 120% rise in memory costs over the past year, driven by demand for high-bandwidth memory for AI applications. The price hikes affect the 4GB and 8GB Compute Module 4 and Compute Module 5, as well as the Raspberry Pi 500.

SWIFT, a global payment service, has announced plans to integrate blockchain technology into its infrastructure to enable faster and more secure cross-border transactions. The move is expected to revolutionize the global financial system, making international payments instant and reducing the need for intermediaries. 30 banks have already signed up to design the new blockchain-based ledger, which will be built for interoperability with existing and emerging networks.

North Wales Police partnered with D-Wave to pilot a hybrid quantum computing application, reducing average incident response time by nearly 50% and police vehicle coordination time from four months to four minutes