Elon Musk’s Neuralink implants brain chip, Amazon/iRobot merger shelved
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has claimed his Neuralink company has successfully implanted one of its wireless brain chips in a human. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he said “promising” brain activity had been detected after the procedure and the patient was “recovering well”. The company’s goal is to connect human brains to computers to help tackle complex neurological conditions. Several rival firms have already implanted similar devices. “For any company producing medical devices, the first test in humans is a significant milestone,” said Professor Anne Vanhoestenberghe of King’s College London. BBC
Apple is reportedly releasing its ‘biggest’ iOS update in the company’s history, which is predicted to include new AI-powered features for the iPhone. The company is expected to announce the iOS 18 update at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, which will incorporate large language models (LLMS) and generative AI in iWork apps. Some of the predicted software updates are a revised version of Siri and the Messages app, which are said to be powered by advanced AI. Daily Mail
Broadband and mobile users face being trapped this Spring between price rises of potentially more than £60, or contract exit fees which may exceed £500, Which? research has found. The consumer watchdog is calling on telecoms firms to scrap these grossly unfair plans for April 2024 inflation-linked hikes that regulator Ofcom clearly determined cause ‘substantial harm’ to consumers. Most of the big broadband and mobile providers are expected to go ahead with unfair and unpredictable price hikes using Consumer Prices Index (CPI) plus an arbitrary figure in April this year. Tech Digest
Plans by Amazon and vacuum cleaner maker iRobot to merge have been abandoned following concerns that the move would harm competition. The $1.4bn (£1.1bn) deal, which was first announced in August 2022, had previously been approved by UK regulators. But in November the European Commission expressed concerns the online retailer might give iRobot’s products preferential treatment on its website – ahead of rival vacuum companies – if the merger went ahead. Sky News
New footage has leaked for Google’s Assistant with Bard demonstrating how the digital AI helper could work at launch. Nail Sadykov posted the video on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) after discovering the feature on the Pixel Tips app. Apparently, Google accidentally spilled the beans on its tech, so it’s probably safe to say this is legitimate. It looks like something you would see in one of the company’s Keyword posts explaining the feature in detail except there’s no audio. Tech Radar
Huawei is preparing to launch the Mate 70 devices in September, revealed insiders. The aim is for the launch to coincide with the iPhone 16 announcement, and the flagships are expected to be in direct competition, at least in China. The information comes at the same time as another report that claimed Huawei sold 30 million units of the Mate 60 devices since they arrived unannounced in August 2023.
Multiple reports revealed Huawei is gaining traction in its home market. Since Google services are banned in China anyway HarmonyOS phones lacking them are at no disadvantage. GSM Arena
You’ve only got a few hours left to take advantage of the best Galaxy S24 Ultra preorder deals, as well as offers on the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+. All three of these brand-new Samsung phones launch in the UK tomorrow, ending almost two weeks of preorder giveaways, including a Galaxy Watch6 worth £289, double the built-in storage at no extra cost, 30% off Galaxy Buds2 Pro wireless earbuds, and a year of free Disney+ worth £79.90. While some of these offers are no longer available, others will be around until the preorder deadline at 11.59pm tonight (January 30). GB News
