Day: August 29, 2023

The world’s largest technology company, Google, is strengthening its commitment to AI by implementing the most cutting-edge version of the technology on its user-centered platforms.

At its annual Cloud Next conference this week in San Francisco, Google, whose parent company Alphabet is the largest internet firm in the world, is introducing generative AI enhancements throughout its portfolio, including for Google Meet, Google Slides, and Google Chat.

The updates are “built for the future” and represent a “major evolution” for the company’s ecosystem, according to Kristina Behr, vice president of management of products for collaboration and apps at Google. The ecosystem is a collection of interconnected apps and services that range from the cloud and data centers to workspaces and its Android platform.

Because of our cloud-native design and extensive experience with AI, we were able to quickly apply the power of Google’s sophisticated large language models to workspace, according to the spokesperson. “We’re fundamentally redefining AI’s role as your collaborative companion across workspace,” she added.
The new Take Notes for Me function, which makes use of generative AI to serve as a meeting assistant and record notes, action items, and short video clips in real time, will put Duet AI “at the forefront of conversations and messages” on Google Workspace.

Duet AI is a generative AI-powered collaborator that was unveiled at the I/O conference in May and has features including the capacity to summarize text and produce graphics. First, it was incorporated into Google Cloud.

When a user fails to attend a meeting, Duet AI can represent them and send the user a document after the meeting.

Duet AI will assist users in creating speaker notes on Google Slides, the company’s presentation software, based on the information in each slide. Duet AI also supports real-time teleprompting and language translation.

Google has “significantly invested in chat in order to make it easier for groups to connect and collaborate anywhere,” according to Ms. Behr, and it now supports more than 300 language combinations. In contrast, Duet AI on Google Chat will operate as a “real-time partner” who can offer notifications, analysis, and proactive advice across a user’s Workspace apps.

Insights from a user’s Gmail and Google Drive accounts can also be requested from Duet AI, as well as a recap of recent chats. Google Chat spaces will soon accommodate 500,000 users.

When utilizing any of Google’s services, Ms. Behr added, protection is “kept intact and automatically applied” to maintain the confidentiality and privacy of user data.

Customers may be confident that their conversations with Duet will remain within of their organization and their current workspace because, as she stated, “protecting the privacy and confidentiality of customer data continue to be our top priority” as Duet AI is integrated into Workspace.

Businesses and corporations have long employed AI to improve workflow efficiency and optimize operations.

With the advent of generative AI, which gained notoriety through ChatGPT, the language model-based phenomenon created by Microsoft-backed OpenAI and capable of producing a variety of data types, including audio, code, photos, text, simulations, 3D objects, and videos, its popularity skyrocketed.

As a result, Microsoft and Google competed to release Bard first. Additionally, it spurred Apple to upgrade its Siri personal digital assistant and opened up a new front in the tech industry, with X CEO Elon Musk introducing xAI.

Following a spike in interest in 2019, investors invested more than $4.2 billion into generative AI start-ups through 215 deals in 2021 and 2022, according to latest data from CB Insights.

According to a report released this month by Goldman Sachs Economic Research, global AI investments are anticipated to reach $200 billion by 2025 and may have a greater effect on GDP.
“This is a moment of exciting change. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, earlier said, “We have the opportunity to make AI even more beneficial for people, for businesses, for communities, for everyone.

We have long used AI to make our products significantly more useful. We’re moving forward with generative AI.”

Additionally, Google revealed a partnership with General Motors to implement conversational AI in the US’s largest automaker’s millions of vehicles.

This came after Microsoft and Mercedes-Benz teamed together to test ChatGPT in the German luxury car manufacturer’s fleet in June, marking the first time the technology had been used in a vehicle.

In addition, Google has partnered with international consulting firms like Deloitte and Capgemini to train more than 150,000 individuals in AI. By 2025, they also hope to have tripled the amount of generative AI they can handle for Google Cloud.

Moody’s Investors Service, MSCI, Bayer, a German multinational, and Capcom, a Japanese video game developer, are a few other famous clients that Google has acquired. The Google Cloud Next conference is anticipated to feature additional announcements.

The Saudi cellular Company has finished paying €1.22 billion ($1.33 billion) for the cellular tower assets owned by the Netherlands-based United Group.

In a statement sent on Sunday to the Tadawul stock exchange, where STC’s shares are traded, the business claimed that the deal, which was carried out through its infrastructure unit Tawal, was formally finished on August 24.

The deal’s financial effects will be revealed in the business’ third quarter earnings, which are anticipated to be announced on October 30, 2023.

Tawal’s portfolio will grow to more than 21,000 telecom towers across five nations as a result of the acquisition, which was first announced in April and represents the company’s first investment in Europe.

Tawal, which was introduced in April 2019, makes it possible for telecom providers, the government, and private organizations to increase infrastructure sharing, which ultimately contributes to cheaper costs and higher operational efficiencies.

United Group operates in eight different nations and employs over 14,500 people. It has about 11 million users.
On Sunday, Tawal announced that it had borrowed a total of $1.42 billion from Sharia-compliant banks to finance the cash portion of the transaction.

In line with the kingdom’s aim for digital transformation, iot squared, a joint venture among STC and the Public Investment Fund, signed a legally binding deal last week to purchase 100% of technology startup Machinestalk, which specializes in the Internet of Things.

The Riyadh-based Machinestalk’s field services capabilities, technology, unique IoT platforms, internal development capabilities, local and international partner, and client relationships would offer value for iot Squared, according to a report at the time by the Saudi Press Agency.

In order to accelerate digital transformation and get ready for the future economy, Saudi Arabia earlier this year promised more than $9 billion in investments in the country’s technology sector.

According to Abdullah Alswaha, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, the investments are spearheaded by a $2.1 billion promise from Microsoft, which will develop a super-scaler cloud in the kingdom.

They also include $400 million from China’s Huawei to improve Saudi Arabia’s cloud infrastructure as well as Oracle’s promises to contribute $1.5 billion to increase the nation’s cloud computing capacity.

A limited edition of Samsung Gulf Electronics’ most recent wristwatch has been released in honor of the Middle East’s significant historical contributions to astronomy, science, and timekeeping.

The 47mm Galaxy Watch6 Astro Edition was unveiled in Dubai by T.M. Roh, president and head of Samsung’s mobile experience division.

It boasts a rotating bezel with an astronomy-inspired pattern and a dial that shows the phases of the moon and sun.

It will be made available by the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, and Turkey.

Al Battani, who was recognized as the best astronomer during the Islamic era, and Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim Al Fazari, an astronomer and mathematician who is credited with developing the first astrolabe in the Muslim world, were among those honored by the Astro Edition.

The Galaxy Z Fold5 and Flip5 as well as the Watch6 series, which includes the basic model and Classic, were unveiled by Samsung during the company’s first-ever Unpacked event last month in Seoul.

The firm did not disclose the quantity of Astro Edition watches in stock, but Fadi Abu Shamat, head of Samsung Gulf’s mobile experience division, told The National ahead of the debut that the company is “confident that it will sell out in the first week of its launch”.

He claimed: “Samsung has a special spot in its soul for the Middle East as an area of dynamic innovation & tech-savvy enthusiasts.”

The launch of the Astro Edition here demonstrates our commitment to providing unique solutions that respect the area’s rich history and cater to the interests and requirements of the Gulf markets.

It is also the first in a series of Middle Eastern-specific limited-edition collections, though neither the release date nor the names of the “innovators and pioneers” Samsung Gulf plans to recognize for the following collection were provided.

According to Mr. Abu Shamat, Samsung is dedicated to offering locally relevant goods that enhance user experience. Samsung is committed to encouraging today’s innovators while recognizing Middle Eastern pioneers.

As smartwatches evolved into smartphone accessories and tools for users to track particular health metrics—the most advanced of which includes heart rate, blood oxygenation, and EKG—their popularity grew.

However, the market continued to shrink in the first quarter of 2023, posting a “slight” drop on an annual basis, based on the most recent data from Counterpoint Research.

In the first three months of this year, Samsung had a 9% market share, maintaining its position as the second-best smartwatch brand internationally. The Hong Kong-based research company did point out that it is currently almost tied with Fire Boltt from India.

Apple continues to have a commanding lead with over a third of the market thanks to its popular Watch series.

According to Samsung, enhanced health tracking features in the Galaxy Watch6 series, complemented by the Astro Edition, are anticipated to improve consumer interest and drive sales in the future.
Mr. Abu Shamat stated, “We believe its unique characteristics will not only bring in prospective consumers but also entice current consumers to explore our wider selection of smartwatches in addition to the wider Galaxy ecosystem.”

In addition, Samsung Gulf revealed a unique “Whimsical Midsummer Collection” bundle for the Galaxy Z Flip5 that features works of art by Lebanese artist Nourie Flayhan, who resides and creates her art in the United Arab Emirates.

The clamshell-style Flip5’s cover screen has almost doubled to 3.4 inches, which is a significant increase.