Google announces $499 Pixel 9a, brings ‘Canvas’ feature to Gemini
Google just announced the Pixel 9A, surprising nobody because it’s been leaked to all heck. The camera bump is gone, it has a bigger screen, a Tensor G4 processor, and better water resistance, and it still starts at $499. It’s all looking like a pretty good deal, especially considering what Apple is charging for its new entry-level phone. The comparisons to the iPhone 16E are all too easy to make, especially since Apple’s “budget” iPhone just launched a couple of weeks ago. The two phones share plenty of specs, including IP68 water resistance, but the $599 16E lacks an ultrawide camera. The Verge
Google has agreed to pay $28m (£21.5m) to settle a lawsuit that claimed white and Asian employees were given better pay and career opportunities than workers from other ethnic backgrounds, a law firm representing claimants says. The technology giant confirmed it had “reached a resolution” but rejected the allegations made against it. The case filed in 2021 by former Google employee, Ana Cantu, said workers from Hispanic, Latino, Native American and other backgrounds started on lower salaries and job levels than their white and Asian counterparts. BBC
Tesla and its hyper-active boss Elon Musk are having a bad month. On both sides of the Altantic, there have been protests against the ‘Nazi-mobile’ and the ‘Swasti-car’. The electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer’s sales are collapsing across Europe, and its stock is in freefall. On top of all that, its main rival, China’s BYD, has just announced a super-faster charger that allows you to ‘fill up’ your EV as quickly as you once could your petrol car. Spectator
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and Google seems to agree. On Tuesday, the company added a feature to its AI-powered Gemini chatbot that the company is calling Canvas. Similar in concept to OpenAI’s identically named Canvas tool for ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Artifacts, Canvas provides Gemini users with an interactive space where they can create, refine, and share writing and coding projects. “Canvas is designed for seamless collaboration with Gemini,” Gemini product director Dave Citron wrote in a blog post. Tech Crunch
The FBI has launched an investigation into Molotov cocktail attacks on Tesla after the electric vehicle maker’s cars were set on fire and dealerships came under attack. Federal investigators have been called in after several vehicles were set alight in Las Vegas on Tuesday, where local police said they found the word “Resist” spray painted on the carmaker’s building. The Las Vegas Policy Department said a person wearing all black had approached the business “with incendiary devices” before setting several vehicles on fire and then shooting at them. Telegraph
Elon Musk’s vast stake in Tesla is no longer his most valuable asset as the electric car company continues to endure a sharp stock market sell-off. Musk’s stake in SpaceX, his private rockets and satellites business, is now the billionaire tycoon’s largest asset for the first time in five years, according to Forbes, which still pegs his net worth at $323bn – more than anyone else in the world. His SpaceX stake is worth an estimated $147bn, about $20bn more than his shares in Tesla. The Guardian
O2 is deploying artificial intelligence to combat the rising tide of scam and nuisance calls, flagging over 50 million suspicious calls every month. Since launching its free Call Defence service in November, the company has flagged over 150 million potentially fraudulent calls. The AI-powered system, in partnership with Hiya, analyzes call number behavior in real-time, alerting customers to “suspected scam” calls before they answer. Tech Digest
