HMD to create ‘dumbphones’ for children, Spotify confirms ‘hi-fi audio’ – again
As part of The Better Phone project, phone manufacturer HMD is creating a ‘dumbphone’ as a low-tech alternative to a smartphone to give parents control over their child’s screen time and social media use. The aim is to preserve the mental health of the next generation with a phone parents have co-created to protect their children and provide better balance. The digital detox space is one HMD is familiar with having already re-imagined feature phone classics for the modern consumer seeking to limit screen time and social media use. ShinyShiny
Meta has claimed that its new artificial intelligence model is the first open-source system that will rival products from competitors such as OpenAI and Anthropic. In a blogpost, the company said its new model, with the unwieldy name of Llama 3.1 405B, “is competitive” with others – including those from OpenAI and Anthropic – “across a range of tasks”. If true, it would mean that for the first time, one of the most powerful AI models in the world is available without an intermediary charging for access – or controlling what its technology is used for. The Guardian
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek says the streaming service is still in the “early days” of its plans to bring hi-fi support to the platform. During the company’s earnings call on Tuesday, the executive offered details about an upcoming deluxe tier. Spotify announced back in 2021 that it was going to roll out a new high-end subscription tier called Spotify HiFi. At the time, the company said the tier would allow users to upgrade their sound quality to a “CD-quality, lossless audio format.” Fast-forward to the middle of 2024, and the company has yet to release the tier. TechCrunch
Donald Trump, whose time in office made him a pariah to many in the business world, has found new champions among tech leaders as his path back to the White House takes shape. Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, became the biggest name yet to throw his weight behind the former president this month, endorsing him and getting involved in fundraising efforts. The move capped weeks of mounting support from the tech world, as influential venture capitalists and tech leaders rallied publicly around Trump. BBC
British astronaut Tim Peake has said the Boeing test pilots stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) are in no danger, despite uncertainty over how or when they will return to Earth. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams flew the first crewed mission of the aerospace giant’s Starliner spacecraft to the ISS in early June. But several thrusters used to steer the capsule failed and the pair are waiting for Boeing and NASA to find a fix. “The crew are completely safe and I know the agencies are working on a return option for them,” Peake told Sky News
Aston Martin will tentatively enter the electric vehicle (EV) market next year with its first plug-in supercar. The Valhalla will have a hybrid, three-motor powertrain capable of going from nought to 60 miles per hour in just 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 217 mph. Yet the launch of the Valhalla, named after the mythological hall for slain Viking warriors, also underlines a question that still sits at the heart of Aston’s electrification strategy: do its customers really want to drive an electric car? Telegraph
Samsung’s new foldables – the Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 are now on open sale globally. The are joined by the Watch7 and Watch Ultra smartwatches as well as the Galaxy Ring and Buds3 earbuds.
One of the new Galaxy members won’t be available at launch though – the Buds3 Pro are delayed due to quality issues with their silicone ear tips. Samsung US says the Buds3 Pro are coming on August 28 while most of the other markets have them as “temporarily out of stock”. GSM Arena
