Kalakshar US

Over the course of its Made by Google event on Wednesday, it became clear that Google intends to infuse its its new Pixel 8 phones with generative AI. With the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, Google is adding support for on-demand summaries, translations and read-aloud features for articles and web pages, plus more tricks. All of this is handled through the Assistant, either via spoken word or on-screen prompts.

On the new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, the Assistant will be able to quickly summarize website text, offering a breakdown of the page and bullet points of relevant content. It’s a lot like interacting with Bard or Bing AI, in this regard. Prompts will pop up at the bottom of the summary with potential follow-ups — an article about iPhones, for example, will end with action buttons reading, “About iPhones,” and, “Who invented the iPhone?”

The new Assistant can translate text into various languages and will even read the converted content out loud (in supported languages). In the case of translated or original text, read-aloud mode populates a draggable progress bar, playback-speed controls and 10-second skip buttons in either direction.

Call screening is also improved on Pixel 8, and the Assistant should sound more natural when speaking with callers — meaning a few more pauses and weird sounds, basically. Call screening will also offer an expanded list of potential responses for users to choose from as the conversation carries on in the background.

Another Assistant update will allow users to compose messages twice as fast using their voice, and enable typing, editing and sending messages in multiple languages. Overall, Assistant should be able to better understand users when they speak in natural patterns, even across languages. Additionally, Google’s At A Glance feature will provide more useful information, like travel updates and tickets for events.

Google is making the Recorder app more useful with generative AI, too. On Pixel 8s, Recorder will be able to provide high-level summaries of captured content. This is in addition to the Recorder app’s existing transcription abilities.

The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will go on sale October 12, starting at $700.

Follow all of the news live from Google’s 2023 Pixel event right here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-pixel-8-lineup-has-a-bevy-of-generative-ai-features-143036712.html?src=rss 

NASA is planning its first crewed mission to the moon since Apollo 17’s 1972 trip, and it’s doing so in style. Axiom Space — the company NASA chose last year to create the Extravehicular Activity Services (xEVAS) spacesuits for 2025’s Artemis III mission — has announced it’s partnering with luxury Italian brand Prada to design them.   

The two companies will work side by side throughout production. “Prada’s technical expertise with raw materials, manufacturing techniques, and innovative design concepts will bring advanced technologies instrumental in ensuring not only the comfort of astronauts on the lunar surface, but also the much-needed human factors considerations absent from legacy spacesuits,” Axiom Space CEO Michael Suffredini said in a statement. 

Prada Group marketing director Lorenzo Bertelli added, “It is a true celebration of the power of human creativity and innovation to advance civilization.” He also credited the company’s “cutting-edge” work to decades of experience with its Luna Rossa Prada sailing team. 

The Artemis III mission is unique not only because of the five decades since Apollo 17 but because it’s the first time a woman or person of color will go to the moon, astronauts Christina Koch and Victor Glover. Interestingly, Koch’s role in the mission is acknowledged early on in Axiom Space’s release, seemingly creating a subtext that the presence of a woman (read: an accomplished, experienced astronaut) is necessary to justify teaming up with a luxury designer. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prada-will-help-design-the-spacesuits-for-nasas-2025-artemis-iii-mission-150009987.html?src=rss 

During Wednesday’s event in New York, Google officially announced their latest smartphones, the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro, along with the new Pixel Watch 2 and the upgraded Pixel Buds Pro. The announcements didn’t come as a surprise as the company itself “leaked” and then shared a clip of the new Pixels well ahead of the event. 

But now we can say for sure that the new phones will use Google’s latest Tensor G3 chip and that the company will support seven years of security and OS updates for them. The Pixel Watch 2 packs a longer-lasting battery, which will hopefully resolve one of our biggest complaints about the first generation smartwatch. And while the Pixel Buds Pro aren’t completely new, software upgrades (and two new colors) should improve upon the existing buds. Here’s how to pre-order the Pixel 8, the Pixel 8 Pro, the Pixel Watch 2 and the updated Pixel Buds Pro. 

Google Pixel 8 

The Pixel 8 has a 6.2-inch OLED Actua display, which is a new display for the Pixel, which is brighter and should offer more clarity. The screen iteself is actually a tenth of an inch smaller than on the Pixel 7, though the refresh rate can now reach 120Hz and the peak brightness is higher than the older model, getting up to 2,000 nits. Despite the smaller overall size, the battery is actually bigger this time, with a 4,485 mAh typical capacity. It can recharge from zero to 50 percent in about 30 minutes with Google’s own 30W USB-C 3.0 charger. Though, unfortunately, that doesn’t come with the phone. 

The chip inside is the new generation of Google’s own Tensor G3, which the company says will allow for better photo processing and help to filter out spam calls. The RAM tops out at 8GB and you can opt for 128GB or 256GB of storage capacity. The case is made from a metal frame and polished back glass. The display glass, meanwhile, is Corning Gorilla Glass Victus and the device is rated IP68, which means it’s dust-tight and can handle a dunk in up to a meter of water.  

As for cameras, they are largely the same as last year’s, with a 10.5MP front camera that’s just a few hundred pixels smaller than last year’s 10.8MP selfie cam, and a 50MP and 12MP cameras that match the resolution of the Pixel 7. Though it’s not all about megapixels. Google notes that these rear cameras are improvements over their predecessors thanks to software improvements like Macro focus for closeups and Best Take that blends multiple group photos together to get one where everyone has their eyes open. 

In a solid move towards sustainability, Google will support OS upgrades, security updates and new features drops for seven years after the phone’s launch. The Pixel 8 starts at $699 and comes in Hazel, Rose, and Obsidian. Pre-orders are open now and the phones will ship next week. If you pre-order from Google, the company will throw in a free pair of Pixel Buds Pro. 

Google Pixel 8 Pro

Google says the Pixel 8 Pro has the best Pixel camera yet. (Though, to be fair, no company ever says its latest pro-range cameras are a step down from last year.) The triple lens array includes a 50MP wide, a 48MP ultrawide and a 48MP telephoto camera with a 5x optical zoom. The 10.5MP selfie camera is similar to the one on the Pixel 8, but this one has an autofocus feature. The 6.7-inch screen sports Google’s new Super Actua LTPO OLED display with a intelligently-adjusting 1Hz to120Hz refresh rate, up to 2400 nits of peak brightness and ultra HDR images. It’s covered in Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and is housed in a polished aluminum frame with a matte glass back. 

It’s got the same Tensor G3 chip as the Pixel 8, which will enable all of the AI perks Google has cooked up, like a more helpful Google Assistant who can paraphrase what’s on your screen and understand pauses instead of just barreling ahead with a half-baked request when you take a breath. The Pro model comes with 12GB of RAM and the option of 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage. 

There’s even an infrared sensor on the Pixel 8 Pro to take the temperature of a cup of coffee or the frying pan you’re about to use. And google has submitted an application to the FDA to allow it to act as a thermometer for people too. Like the Pixel 8, the Pixel 8 Pro will get a promised seven years of OS and security updates and new features support. It starts at $999 and ships next week. Google will throw in the new Pixel Watch 2 when you pre-order the Pixel Pro 8 from its storefront.

Pixel Watch 2

We were a little disappointed with the first Pixel Watch’s battery life and thought the emphasis on Fitbit branding took away from a pure Google experience. With the Pixel Watch 2, it looks like the company has improved upon the battery life, with a claimed 24 hours even with the always-on display enabled. But it appears to be doubling down on the Fitbit union. 

There’s a new multi-path heart rate sensor that uses both photodiodes and LEDs to get better estimates of your pulse. Fitbit stress management features use various sensors to potentially identify tense moments in your day and suggests actions such as mood logging or guided breathing and walking sessions. New safety features include Safety Check which can alert friends, family or even emergency services if needed and Emergency Sharing lets your circle of people see your real-time whereabouts. Fall detection and Emergency SOS were already released earlier this year for the Pixel Watch but will come standard on the Pixel Watch 2. 

The housing is made from 100 percent recycled aluminum and the AMOLED screen is covered in 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Many fitness features like workouts and Daily Readiness Score live behind Fitbit’s paywall, but the watch comes with six months of the subscription for free. The updated Fitbit app will integrate more AI features when it updates later this year. 

The Pixel Watch 2 is priced at $349 for the Wi-Fi version and $399 for the cellular enabled model and comes in Black Aluminum, Polished Silver or Champagne Gold cases with a different colored bands. It will ship next week.  

Google announced the new Fitbit Charge 6 at the same time. It’s also available to pre order now and retails for $160. 

Pixel Buds Pro

This isn’t a brand new product for Google, but the company made enough updates to the Pixel Buds Pro to make them worth a few minutes of air time during the event. We already called the Pixel Buds Pro Google’s best earbuds yet and hopefully these improvements will make them even better. Conversation Detection can discern when you’re talking to someone and pause the music. And Clear Calling with a Pixel phone reduces extraneous noises from the other end of the conversation so you can hear them better. They also come in two new colors, Porcelain and Bay, which happen to match the new Pixel 8 Pro phones. 

Follow all of the news live from Google’s 2023 Pixel event right here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-pre-order-the-google-pixel-8-and-pixel-8-pro-150051904.html?src=rss 

Google has officially spilled the details on its new Pixel 8 phone. While the handset looks broadly similar to last year’s Pixel 7, it packs a new Tensor G3 chip, a faster 120Hz display, a smaller frame that should be easier to hold with one hand and, perhaps most notably, seven years of promised OS and security updates. It starts at $699, though, which is $100 more than before, and it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the larger Pixel 8 Pro. 

Engadget’s Deputy Reviews Editor, Cherlynn Low, got some hands-on time with the new Pixel phones ahead of Google’s launch event on Wednesday, so check out her report for more details on what to expect. To help put the device into context, though, we’ve broken down how the Pixel 8 compares to two high-profile peers, Apple’s iPhone 15 and Samsung’s Galaxy S23, on the spec sheet. Specs aren’t the be-all and end-all — between its new camera features and AI tricks, many of the Pixel 8’s biggest updates are software-based — but if you want a better sense of what kind of hardware your $699 will get you, here’s a quick rundown. If you’re more interested in the Pixel 8 Pro, we have a similar breakdown for that phone too.

Google Pixel 8

Apple iPhone 15

Samsung Galaxy S23

Pricing (MSRP)

From $699

From $799

From $800

Dimensions

5.9 x 2.8 x 0.4 inches

5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches

5.76 x 2.79 x 0.3 inches

Weight

6.6 ounces

6.02 ounces

5.93 ounces

Screen size

6.2 inches

6.1 inches

6.1 inches

Screen resolution

1,080 x 2,400

428 ppi

1,179 x 2,556

460 ppi

1,080 x 2,340

425 ppi

Screen type

OLED

Up to 120Hz (60-120Hz)

Up to 2,000 nits brightness

Gorilla Glass Victus

OLED

60Hz

Up to 2,000 nits brightness

Ceramic Shield

AMOLED

Up to 120Hz (48-120Hz)

Up to 1,750 nits brightness

Gorilla Glass Victus 2

SoC

Google Tensor G3

Apple A16 Bionic

Hexa-core CPU (up to 3.46GHz)

5-core Apple GPU

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy

Octa-core CPU (up to 3.36 GHz)

Adreno 740 GPU

RAM

8GB

6GB

8GB

Battery

4,485mAh

“Beyond 24 hours”

“Up to 20 hours video playback”

3,900mAh

“Up to 22 hours of video playback”

Charging

USB Type-C 3.2

Up to 27W wired

Up to 18W wireless with Google Pixel Stand (2nd gen)

Qi wireless charging up to 12W

Reverse wireless charging

USB Type-C (USB 2.0)

“Up to 50 percent charge in around 30 minutes”

MagSafe wireless charging up to 15W

Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W

Reverse wired charging

USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 1)

Up to 25W wired

Qi/WPC wireless charging up to 15W

Reverse wireless charging

Storage

128GB / 256GB

128GB / 256GB / 512GB

128GB / 256GB

Rear camera(s)

Main: 50 MP, f/1.68

Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.2, 125.8 degree FOV

Main: 48 MP, f/1.6

Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.4, 120 degree FOV

Main: 50 MP, f/1.8

Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.2, 120 degree FOV

Telephoto: 10 MP, f/2.4, 3x optical zoom

Front camera(s)

10.5 MP, f/2.2

12 MP, f/1.9

12 MP, f/2.2

Video capture

Rear: 4K at 24/30/60 fps, 1080p at 24/30/60/120/240 fps

Front: 4K at 24/30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60 fps

Rear: 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120/240 fps

Front: 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120 fps

Rear: 8K at 24/30 fps, 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60/240/960 fps

Front: 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30 fps

Water and dust resistance

IP68

IP68

IP68

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 7

Wi-Fi 6

Wi-Fi 6E

Bluetooth

v5.3

v5.3

v5.3

NFC

Yes

Yes

Yes

OS

Android 14

“Seven years of OS, security, and Feature Drop updates”

iOS 17

Android 13, One UI 5.1

Four generations of OS updates, five years of security updates

Finishes

Obsidian, Hazel, Rose

Matte aluminum frame

Black, Blue, Green, Yellow, Pink

Aluminum frame

Phantom Black, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Cream, Lime

Armor aluminum frame (advertised)

Follow all of the news live from Google’s 2023 Pixel event right here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-pixel-8-vs-the-competition-the-seven-year-smartphone-150936894.html?src=rss 

After weeks of teases and leaks, Google formally took the wraps off its next flagship smartphone, the Pixel 8 Pro. Revealed during the company’s Made by Google event on Wednesday, the handset adds a host of new camera and AI features, a brighter OLED display, an improved Tensor G3 chip, seven years of software updates and, oddly, a built-in temperature sensor. It costs $100 more than its predecessor, however. For more on how all of this feels in practice, you can check out some early hands-on impressions from Engadget’s Deputy Reviews Editor, Cherlynn Low.

Here, though, we’ve broken down how the Pixel 8 Pro compares on paper to two other large, pricey and well-known flagships, Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra. As always, raw specs won’t tell the whole story, but if you’re curious about how Google’s latest and greatest stacks up, here’s a quick overview. If you’re more interested in the smaller Pixel 8, meanwhile, we have a similar breakdown for that device too.

Google Pixel 8 Pro

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Pricing (MSRP)

From $999

From $1,199

From $1,200

Dimensions

6.4 x 3.0 x 0.3 inches

6.29 x 3.02 x 0.32 inches

6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 inches

Weight

7.5 ounces

7.81 ounces

8.25 ounces

Screen size

6.7 inches

6.7 inches

6.8 inches

Screen resolution

1,344 x 2,992

489 ppi

1,290 x 2,796

460 ppi

1,440 x 3,088

500 ppi

Screen type

LTPO OLED

Up to 120Hz (1-120Hz)

Up to 2,400 nits brightness

Gorilla Glass Victus 2

LTPO OLED

Up to 120Hz (1-120Hz)

Up to 2,000 nits brightness

Ceramic Shield

AMOLED

Up to 120Hz (1-120Hz)

Up to 1,750 nits brightness

Gorilla Glass Victus 2

SoC

Google Tensor G3

Apple A17 Pro

Hexa-core CPU (up to 3.78GHz)

6-core Apple GPU

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy

Octa-core CPU (up to 3.36GHz)

Adreno 740 GPU

RAM

12GB

8GB

8GB / 12GB

Battery

4,950mAh

“Beyond 24 hours”

“Up to 29 hours video playback”

5,000mAh

“Up to 26 hours of video playback”

Charging

USB Type-C 3.2

Up to 30W wired

Up to 23W wireless with Google Pixel Stand (2nd gen)

Qi wireless charging up to 12W

Reverse wireless charging

USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2)

“Up to 50 percent charge in around 30 minutes”

MagSafe wireless charging up to 15W

Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W

Reverse wired charging

USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 1)

Up to 45W wired

Qi/WPC wireless charging up to 15W

Reverse wireless charging

Storage

128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB

256GB / 512GB / 1TB

256GB / 512GB / 1TB

Rear camera

Main: 50 MP, f/1.68

Ultrawide: 48 MP, f/1.95, 125.5 degree FOV

Telephoto: 48 MP, f/2.8, 5x optical zoom

Main: 48 MP, f/1.78

Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.2, 120 degree FOV

Telephoto: 12 MP, f/2.8, 5x optical zoom

Main: 200 MP, f/1.7

Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.2, 120 degree FOV

Telephoto: 10 MP, f/2.4, 3x optical zoom

Telephoto: 10 MP, f/4.9, 10x optical zoom

Front camera

10.5 MP, f/2.2

12 MP, f/1.9

12 MP, f/2.2

Video capture

Rear: 4K at 24/30/60 fps, 1080p at 24/30/60/120/240 fps

Front: 4K at 24/30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60fps

Rear: 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120/240 fps

Front: 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120 fps

Rear: 8K at 24/30 fps, 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60/240/960 fps

Front: 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30 fps

Water and dust resistance

IP68

IP68

IP68

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 7

Wi-Fi 6E

Wi-Fi 6E

Bluetooth

v5.3

v5.3

v5.3

NFC

Yes

Yes

Yes

OS

Android 14

“Seven years of OS, security and Feature Drop updates”

iOS 17

Android 13, One UI 5.1

Four generations of OS updates, five years of security updates

Finishes

Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay

Polished aluminum frame

Natural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium, Black Titanium

Titanium frame

Phantom Black, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Cream, Lime, Sky Blue, Red

Armor aluminum frame (advertised)

Follow all of the news live from Google’s 2023 Pixel event right here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-pixel-8-pro-vs-the-competition-from-tensor-to-temperature-sensor-151016002.html?src=rss 

Google officially announced the Pixel 2 on Wednesday during its ‘Made by Google Event.’ Perhaps, the most exciting change is that the wearable will run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chip and use a Cortex M33 co-processor. That new coprocessor specifically should be able to handle less demanding tasks, like driving the always on display (AOD) more efficiently. The Pixel 2 can hold more charge at 306 mAh, up from the first Pixel watch’s 294 mAh charge capacity. This slight bump in battery capacity, combined with more efficient processors should extend the time between charges. While the official Pixel Watch 2 specs list the battery life at 24 hours, the same as the original Pixel Watch, that is with the AOD enabled.

Another welcome change? Improved durability. Aside from the Gorilla Glass crystal encasing on the face, the watch has an IP68 rating now, meaning it can survive dust and being dunked in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes. The new Pixel’s casing is also completely made of recycled aluminum, making the wearable slightly lighter. But, in tandem with the thinner domed glass cover on the face, the new wearable boasts a sleeker design.

In the landscape of smartwatches that have a wealth of tracking capabilities, the Pixel 2 is running up against Apple’s latest Watch Series 9 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6. While specs aren’t the only way to discern which watch is right for you, it helps to know how they compare on things like battery life and screen size. So, don’t base your purchasing decision purely on the table below, but here’s how the Google Pixel 2’s hardware stacks up.

Google Pixel 2

Apple Watch Series 9

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

Pricing (MSRP)

$349 for Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

$399 for 4G LTE model

41mm Aluminum: $399
45mm Aluminum: $429
41mm Stainless steel: $699
45mm Stainless steel: $749

40mm: $299.99
44mm: $329.99

Dimensions

41mm: 12.3mm height

41mm: 1.61 x 1.38 x 0.42 inches
45mm: 1.77 x 1.50 x 0.42 inches

40mm: 1.53 x 1.59 x 0.35 inches
44mm: 1.69 x 1.75 x 0.35 inches

Weight (approx.)

41mm: 1.09 ounces (without the band)

41mm Aluminum: 1.13 ounces
45mm Aluminum: 1.37 ounces
41mm Stainless steel: 1.49 ounces
45mm Stainless steel: 1.82 ounces

40mm: 1.02 ounces
44mm: 1.16 ounces

Case material

Aluminum

Aluminum or Stainless steel

Aluminum (Stainless steel on Galaxy Watch 6 Classic)

Display Size

41mm: 1.2 inches

41mm: 1.69 inches
45mm: 1.9 inches

40mm: 1.31 inches
44mm: 1.47 inches

Display resolution / pixel density

320 ppi

41mm: 430 x 352, 326 ppi
45mm: 484 x 396, 326 ppi

40mm: 432 x 432, 330 ppi
44mm: 480 x 480, 327 ppi

Display Type

AMOLED display with DCI-P3 color
Custom 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5

LTPO OLED
Aluminum: Ion-X glass
Stainless steel: Sapphire crystal glass

Super AMOLED
Sapphire crystal glass

Display brightness

Up to 1,000 nits

Up to 2,000 nits

Up to 2,000 nits

Chipset

Qualcomm SW5100
Cortex M33 co-processor

Apple S9 (dual-core)

Exynos W930 (dual-core, 5 nm)

Storage

32 GB eMMC flash72 GB SDRAM

64GB

16GB

Battery life (claimed)

24 hours with always-on display
306 mAh

Up to 18 hours / up to 36 hours in Low Power Mode

Up to 40 hours with always-on display (AOD) off / up to 30 hours with AOD on
40mm: 300mAh
44mm: 425mAh

Wireless charging

No

Yes, via proprietary standard

Yes, via WPC-based chargers
10W

Water resistance

IP68, 5 ATM

Up to 50 meters, IP6X dust resistance

IP68, 5 ATM

GPS

GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS

GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS

GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo

Health features

Multi-path heart rate sensor, red and infrared sensors for oxygen saturation (SpO2), ECG app, skin conductance (cEDA) for stress tracking, skin temperature sensor, sleep tracking, irregular heart rhythm notifications

Optical heart rate sensor, blood oxygen measurements, temperature sensor, ECG app, sleep tracking, irregular heart rhythm notifications

Optical heart rate sensor, blood oxygen measurements, temperature sensor, ECG app, sleep tracking, irregular heart rhythm notifications, bioelectrical impedance analysis sensor

Wi-Fi

802.11 b/g/n

802.11 b/g/n

802.11 a/b/g/n

Bluetooth

v5.0

v5.3

v5.3

NFC

Yes

Yes

Yes

OS

Wear OS 4

watchOS 10

Wear OS 4, One UI 5 Watch

Case colors

Matte Black, Polished Silver, Champagne Gold

Aluminum: Pink, Starlight, Midnight, Silver, Product Red
Stainless steel: Gold, Silver, Graphite

Graphite, Gold

Other features

Always-on display, 4G LTE, altimeter, accelerometer, gyroscope, fall detection, emergency SOS, 6 months of Fitbit Premium included

Always-on display, ultra-wideband chip, fall detection, crash detection, emergency SOS, optional 4G LTE (standard with stainless steel model), altimeter, accelerometer, gyroscope

Always-on display, fall detection, emergency SOS, optional 4G LTE, altimeter, accelerometer, gyroscope

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-pixel-watch-2-versus-the-competition-a-more-robust-wearable-152810881.html?src=rss 

Google’s hardware event has been chock full of information on new devices, like the Pixel 8 smartphone, but camera software has also gotten some TLC. The company announced a ton of Pixel 8 features exclusive for shutterbugs and video editors.

The new Best Take feature solves the issue of, uh, one person looking really gross in group photos. When enabled, the software takes a series of photos in quick succession and you can actually mix and match faces to create the perfect group shot, sort of a face-based riff on the pre-existing Magic Editor tech. Grab a face from one photo and slap it on the next. If you have a friend who truly relishes ruining group shots, they likely won’t be able to.

Speaking of Magic Editor, it’s getting a boost thanks to the power of generative AI. The new version now allows you to circle objects to reposition them in the shot and pinch to resize them. There are also a number of background presets that are accessible via a single tap. This technology’s advancing quickly and it won’t be long before you have absolute and total control over every aspect of your photos after the fact. 

The Guided Frame feature has been enhanced and now operates via both the front-facing and rear-facing cameras. This tool is great for capturing centered shots of important subjects, like faces, pets, dinners and documents. It works rather simply, with the phone emitting a series of vibrations to let you know when an object is perfectly in frame, even if you aren’t looking at the display. 

Magic Eraser is dipping its toes into the world of video. The new Audio Magic Eraser helps you delete unwanted sounds from videos. It looks to work as quickly and simply as its image-based cousin, splitting a video’s audio track into layers and allowing you to delete individual sounds. For instance, if there’s an ambulance blaring in the background at your kid’s birthday party, just get rid of that ambulance. We were impressed by this feature, though we noted that it didn’t entirely eliminate unwanted audio artifacts, instead significantly reducing them in volume.

Finally, there’s a new feature called Video Boost that upscales footage using HDR technology. Basically, it sends the entire footage to Google’s servers where it’s split into individual frames. Each frame gets the HDR treatment before being recombined into a video and sent back to your phone. This won’t be available until a software update launches in December.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-pixel-8-gets-more-nifty-ai-powered-editing-tools-for-photo-and-video-153528797.html?src=rss