What's the biggest news in tech this week? Steam Machine, Valve's impressive new slot machine, or iPhone Pocket, a sock for your phone?
If you think it's neither, then perhaps it's one of the five other big tech announcements we've highlighted here so you can catch up on another huge week in the tech world.
7. Gemini Live received its biggest update ever
GoogleReal-time conversational AI assistant Gemini Live has gradually gotten smarter since its launch in August 2024 – and this week it received its biggest update ever, making it sound even more human.
For example, it is now a much better learning assistant thanks to its personalized learning capabilities and ability to imitate accents. You can also practice speaking to get him in the mood for a job interview or difficult family conversation, and he'll even respond in a calmer voice if he senses you're talking about something stressful.
We still need our real friends for their jokes and potential drinking buddies, but their days may be numbered.
6. Superman spin-off
This week we learned that James Gunn's Superman film will be getting a spin-off, Variety reports.
The title role is reportedly being played by Skyler Gisondo's Jimmy Olsen, whose character is expected to be the “host” of the in-universe true crime docuseries. Apparently, he will appear along with other members of The Daily Planet's reporting team. However, David Corenswet's Clark Kent and Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane, who also work at The Daily Planet, apparently won't be involved.
Gunn hasn't officially announced the show yet (he usually takes to social media to confirm or deny trade reports), but he has previously teased an announced TV show that is his “favorite thing in all of this.” [DCU Chapter One]”
5. Apple released a pocket for iPhone
This week, Apple has released a brand new product… a pocket for your iPhone. This design was created in collaboration with Issey Miyake, designer of Steve Jobs' iconic turtleneck.
At first glance, the fabric sling, which comes in two sizes, appears to be a fashionable carrying case that comes in a variety of vibrant shades, but commenters were quick to criticize the asking price: $149.95/£139.95, or $229.95/£219.95 for the long strap.
Apple is no stranger to outrageous accessory prices, but there appears to be a reason for this madness. These kinds of phone slings are gaining traction in regions like Asia, which Apple is actively targeting due to the availability of the Pocket.
4. DJI Neo 2 takes off
DJI Taking selfie drones to new heights with Neo 2, the lightest and most affordable drone with omnidirectional object recognition – a truly fantastic feature for beginners. We played with the Neo 2 before its launch, and it's clearly a much improved model, even if it's a little heavier and more expensive than the original Neo.
However, it weighs only 151g and has better wind resistance, flight speed and now voice. And Gesture Control – Neo 2 can take off from your palm and follow voice or gesture prompts for flight movements, then return to your palm. This is incredibly smart stuff. It will record the antenna 4K 60fps video or 2.7K vertical video combined with intelligent object tracking features make it child's play. Prices start from just £209/AU$409, but again, if you're in the US, there's bad news: the Neo 2 is another DJI product not available at launch.
3. OnePlus cured a regular phone
According to reviewer Philip Byrne: “The OnePlus 15 is better than perfect. It ticks every box I want in a smartphone and exceeds most expectations. It has the best battery life of any smartphone, amazing performance and top-notch cameras, and a discreet yet rugged design. You can't buy a better phone than this.”
That's very high praise, so it's no surprise that this is the first phone Phil has ever given a five-star review to. It might finally be time to ditch the iPhone or Galaxy phone in your pocket for something much better.
2. Valve's Steam Frame has finally broken its cover
After months of leaks, we've finally seen what the Steam Frame is, and it might be the best VR headset we've seen in years.
It's a standalone design with impressive specs (including Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, 16GB of RAM and at least 256GB of internal storage, expandable via SD card) and SteamOS.
This essentially makes it both a VR headset and a Steam Deck for your face, which sounds like it could finally put Meta Quest 3 in its place.
The only downside is that we haven't listed a price, but rumors point to it costing $1,200, and based on the specs announced by Valve, our resident VR expert Hamish Hector says he'd be surprised if the device didn't sell for that price.
1. Valve introduced the Steam Machine
Valve made a splash in the gaming scene for both PC and console players with the announcement of the Steam Machine. It's a mini PC, but designed as a hybrid PC-console, in a small form factor, designed for TV-couch gaming setups, and using AMD Zen 4 hardware that looks like it could give SonyPlayStation and MicrosoftXbox reasons to worry.
With the promise of providing an optimized console interface using the popular Linux. operating systemSteamOS, Valve releases current generation consoles, particularly the PlayStation 5, but especially the Xbox Series X | WITH, And Microsoft Windows 11 Release Notice: If the price was reasonable, we could become a serious contender in the gaming console market and possibly be a game changer for gamers on every platform.
