Technology

Winter is fast approaching, but that’s never going to put a dent in the streaming content output that’s governed by a revolving slate that switches trends so fast. It can be hard to find time to watch something, even during the weekend, so we’ve returned to make selections easy for you. David Fincher’s The Killer is the top release on Netflix this week, as we follow a nameless hitman on a globe-trotting path of revenge against his employers in a killing spree he insists isn’t personal. On the same platform, we’ve got The Railway Men, charting the untold story of brave railway workers who risked their lives to save others during the terrifying Bhopal gas tragedy. The series is out on Saturday, November 18, on Netflix.

Those keen on some superhero action can watch the Ezra Miller-led The Flash — not listed below — which is finally out on JioCinema, centring around Barry Allen’s attempt at using the Speed Force to change his past, only for things to go wrong when he inadvertently creates a world without metahumans. Paired with an alternate version of himself and Michael Keaton’s Batman, he must engage in multiversal shenanigans to fix the timeline from a returning intergalactic overlord. With that, here’s a guide on what to stream this weekend:

The Killer

When: Now streaming
Where: Netflix

David Fincher doing comedy is always refreshing to see, and with The Killer, he takes it up a notch by somewhat bashing his ideas about perfectionism. In it, we follow a nameless OCD-driven assassin (Michael Fassbender) lying in wait at an abandoned Parisian WeWork, with a sniper rifle pointed at the opposite building and repeatedly chanting a mantra about sticking to the plan and how one must ‘forbid empathy’ to do what he does. That egotistical self-hype all goes down the drain when he misses his target, driving him into panic mode and altering his psyche, leading him onto a revenge path to clean up all loose ends. The premise driving The Killer is undoubtedly cliché, but Fincher’s tactile execution sheds light on how a realistic John Wick would play out in a contemporary world. There’s an incredibly well-choreographed fight scene, cautionary ad placements, and The Smiths’ music to jam along.

The Railway Men

When: November 18
Where: Netflix

On the night of December 2, 1984, the cheerfulness of Bhopal came to a screeching halt when the highly toxic gas from the nearby Union Carbide India pesticide plant leaked into the air, poisoning and killing countless citizens. In the face of this disaster, four men played by Madhavan (Rocketry: The Nambi Effect), Kay Kay Menon (Farzi), Divyendu Sharma (Mirzapur), and Babil Khan (Qala), unite their efforts to escort as many breathing civilians out of the state — despite being abandoned and cut off from all kinds of aid. To make matters worse, running trains are heading into the state, unaware of the catastrophe that our brave heroes must stop. All four episodes of The Railway Men are out this Saturday.

Apurva

When: November 15
Where: Now streaming

Tara Sutaria (Ek Villain Returns) makes her digital debut in Apurva, who on a trip to Agra to surprise her boyfriend, gets kidnapped by a group of gangsters, headed by Jugnu (Rajpal Yadav) and Sukkha (Abhishek Banerjee). After being tortured and harassed for hours, her narrow escape causes disarray within the group when one of the members starts fancying her and affecting his judgement on their next heist mission. Amidst this, there’s an unfolding conspiracy, which Apurva is drawn into and forced to solve to ensure her survival. Nikhil Nagesh Bhat — best known for The Gone Game — helms the film.

The Crown season 6: Part 1

When: Now streaming
Where: Netflix

Netflix is bringing its dramatised reimagining of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign to a close with the sixth season of The Crown, which now sets eyes on France, where Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki) is out on holiday, constantly tailed by the paparazzi for her continued involvement with Dodi Fayed (Khalid Abdalla). If you’ve been keeping up with the British royal monarchy series, you’ll know that the said events are a precursor to the princess’ death in a traffic collision and its resulting ramifications across the world. Back at home, the queen (Imelda Staunton) mourns the loss while grappling with the future of her bloodline and displaying strong resolve as the mother of England. Season 6 is divided into two halves, with the second part dropping on December 14.

Jawan

When: Now streaming
Where: Netflix

After shattering Indian box office records, Jawan is finally out on streaming, with Shah Rukh Khan returning as a rebel prison warden looking to correct the wrongs in society and expose deep corruption. As part of it, he recruits a group of inmates — Priyamani (The Family Man), Sanya Malhotra (Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery), Ridhi Dogra (Asur), and Sanjeeta Bhattacharya (The Broken News) — who would help him commit outrageous crimes to send a message, as he unexpectedly reunites with his ex-commando lookalike father, played by SRK himself. Jawan also stars Nayanthara as the hard-nosed special agent trying to thwart his plans, while Vijay Sethupathi (Farzi) plays an arms dealer.

Remember that while the Netflix version is labelled as an ‘Extended Cut,’ it is only 5 minutes long.

AI chatbot company WiseOx has launched a new AI tool to help people communicate more effectively with AI. Named Pronto, this “AI Mascot” is specifically trained in prompt writing — in other words, it’s here to tell you what to say to other AIs so you can (hopefully) get the results you want.

We all know what coding is — it’s the way we give instructions to a computer so it can understand and produce the desired results. With large language models (LLMs), we can give our instructions in natural human language, but it turns out there are still effective and ineffective ways to do this.

If your instructions are unclear or you skip steps that would be obvious to human listeners, the LLM you’re using could easily get confused and give you output that you don’t want. The reason for this is pretty simple — here it is in Pronto’s own words:

Yes, ChatGPT and other generative AI can’t really understand what you’re saying. They don’t understand what they’re saying either. It’s all just smoke and mirrors, and if you want to maximize the chances of the AI being precise and accurate, you have to be precise and accurate yourself.

This is where “prompt engineering” comes in. By utilizing clear and simple language, concise instructions, and breaking down complex tasks into simpler steps, you can consistently get better results. Things will still go wrong sometimes, but overall, it should improve your experience.

If your prompt game isn’t that strong, you can paste your attempt into Pronto and ask for an improved version. The tool is new right now so we’ll have to wait to see how well its improved prompts actually perform, but if it does a decent job, it could speed things up for people who like to use LLMs but often find themselves having to revise their prompts.

New court documents have surfaced in the Bambu Lab v. Stratasys, Inc. case. Stratasys, the company that invented FDM 3D printing, is currently suing China-based Bambu Lab for patent infringement in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The dispute is over ten U.S. patents covering technology now commonplace in desktop 3D printers, such as PEI-coated build plates, purge towers, and automatic bed leveling.

Armchair lawyers in the 3D printing community were excited when court documents surfaced on CourtListener, a free legal research website that tracks proceedings in the U.S. federal and state courts. The website allows users to download public records filed in any case.

On October 3rd, 2024, the documents appeared to indicate the lawsuit was being dismissed.

However, once the documents were unlocked, we learned that Stratasys merely dropped two names from the list of defendants: Beijing Tiertime Technology Co., Ltd. and Beijing Yinhua Laser Rapid Prototyping and Mould Technology Co. Ltd.

Beijing Yinhua Laser Rapid Prototyping and Mould Technology Co. Ltd. is Tiertime’s original name, so these are in effect the same company. Tiertime is China’s oldest 3D printer manufacturer, founded in 2003. The company is known for launching one of the first desktop 3D printers that included auto bed leveling.

Many in the 3D printing community are concerned this patent dispute will cripple desktop 3D printing for small businesses and enthusiasts. If Bambu Lab can not fight off Stratasys there will be nothing to stop them from going after other manufacturers and driving them out of business.

Stratasys monopolized 3D printing in the early years by patenting the technology and shutting out competition. Once the patents began to expire, other companies were able to enter the 3D printing market and create affordable consumer-grade machines.

The original documents can be read here:

https://insight.rpxcorp.com/litigation_documents/15797606

https://insight.rpxcorp.com/litigation_documents/15797607

macOS Monterey 12.3 has been released by Apple to bring Universal Control for Mac and iPad users. The new feature, which is currently in beta, allows you to use a single mouse and keyboard across your Mac. The new macOS release also brings spatial audio support and new emojis. Alongside the macOS Monterey update, Apple has introduced watchOS 8.5, iOS 15.4, and iPadOS 15.4. The iPhone maker has also enabled users to restore firmware of their Apple Watch directly from the iPhone, without requiring them to visit a nearby service centre.

macOS Monterey 12.3: What’s new

One of the biggest changes that macOS Monterey 12.3 brings to Mac users is the addition of Universal Control. This new feature was announced at WWDC 2021 in June. It was also expected to be available as a part of the original macOS Monterey in October, though Apple delayed the feature.

Universal Control requires your iPad to run on iPadOS 15.4, and both your iPad and Mac to use a single Apple ID. The devices should also be within a few metres of each other.

Once all the above conditions are fulfilled, you can leverage Universal Control to use a single mouse and keyboard across your iPad and Mac. You can also drag and drop files between the devices using the new feature.

In addition to Universal Control, Apple has included spatial audio support in macOS 12.3 specifically for Mac devices with the M1 chip to allow users with supported AirPods to experience a surround sound experience. Customisable spatial audio settings to Off, Fixed, and Head Tracked are also available in the Control Centre when using supported AirPods on Mac computers with the M1 chip.

The macOS Monterey 12.3 brings over 40 new emojis and a new Siri voice — just like iOS 15.4. The new emojis include faces, hand gestures, and household objects.

Apple has updated its Podcasts app within macOS Monterey 12.3 that brings episode filters for seasons, played, unplayed, saved, and downloaded episodes. Safari webpage translation also added support for Italian and Chinese (Traditional). Further, Shortcuts included support for adding, removing, and querying tags with Reminders. Saved passwords in Safari can also include notes.

The new macOS release carries bug fixes and improvements that include improved accuracy of battery capacity readings, updated Apple TV app to fix sound distortion while watching video, and a Photos app fix for an issue of photos and videos being moved unintentionally when organising albums.

Apple has also included a number of security patches in macOS Monterey 12.3 that are detailed on the security updates page.

iPadOS 15.4: What’s new

Apple has introduced iPadOS 15.4 with features including Universal Control, over 40 emoji, and the updated Siri that includes the new voice. Siri on iPadOS 15.4 can also provide time and date information while offline on iPad Pro and later models. Further, the new iPadOS version includes an updated FaceTime that enables SharePlay sessions initiated directly from supported apps.

The iPadOS 15.4 update also includes the ability to adjust volume controls when you rotate your iPad. It works with iPad (5th generation and newer), iPad mini (4th and 5th generation), iPad Air 2, iPad Air (3rd and 4th generation), and iPad Pro. There are also updates to iCloud, Safari, Podcasts, News, and Camera apps with few tweaks.

The update additionally carries bug fixes to address issues including one where the keyboard may insert a period between typed numbers. The new macOS version also addresses a syncing problem with iCloud Photo Library where photos and videos are not synced.

Apple has also detailed the security updates that are a part of iPadOS 15.4.

watchOS 8.5: What’s new

Apple Watch users have also received watchOS 8.5 with a few upgrades. It brings the ability to authorise Apple TV purchases and subscriptions directly from your wrist. You can also use audio hints in Fitness+ with audio commentary of visually demonstrated moves during workouts. Apple’s Fitness+ subscription service is yet to debut in India.

The latest watchOS release also updates irregular rhythm notifications designed to improve atrial fibrillation identification. It is currently available in the US, Chile, Hong Kong, South Africa, and some regions.

The watchOS 8.5 release also includes a list of patches that are detailed on the security updates page.

Users with iOS 15.4 and watchOS 8.5 get a new tool to let users recover their Apple Watch wirelessly. Up until now, users needed to visit a service centre to fix the firmware on the Apple Watch in case of an unresolvable issue.

Apple has updated its support article, as spotted by 9to5Mac, to detail how users can restore their Apple Watch firmware.

Make sure that your Apple Watch and iPhone are running the latest software version and are connected to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. You will now need to put your Apple Watch on the charger and double-click the side button on the Watch. After that, follow the on-screen steps on your iPhone to proceed with the firmware restore.

Apple Watch firmware can now be restored using an iPhone
Photo Credit: Apple

The Apple Watch might show a red exclamation point in some instances. You just need to double-click the side button and follow the same steps to recover your Apple Watch in those cases.

You may have to contact Apple Support if your Apple Watch continues to show the red exclamation mark.

How to download macOS Monterey 12.3

Apple has released macOS Monterey 12.3 for all eligible MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Pro. You can manually check for the update by going to System Preferences > Software Update after clicking on the Apple menu icon from the top-left corner of your computer’s screen. You can also alternatively get the update by visiting the About This Mac setting from the Apple menu.

How to download iPadOS 15.4

iPadOS 15.2 is compatible with all iPad models that are eligible for iPadOS 15. It can be downloaded by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

How to download watchOS 8.5

You can download watchOS 8.5 on the Apple Watch Series 3 and above by going through General > Software Update on the Watch app on your iPhone. You can also download the latest watchOS update directly from your Apple Watch if it is connected to Wi-Fi, by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

Returnal is headed to PC next month, and with that, Sony has unveiled new features and system requirements for the upcoming port. Developer Housemarque and porter Climax Studios have partnered to bring the once PS5-exclusive roguelike to PC on February 15. Returnal on PC comes with support for Nvidia’s DLSS and AMD’s FSR upscaling techniques, in addition to DualSense compatibility, ensuring haptic feedback when ripping through the haunting alien planets in the game. Returnal is now available to pre-order on Steam and the Epic Games Store at Rs. 3,999.

Returnal PC new features

Akin to past PlayStation–PC ports, Returnal boasts a slew of enhancements and customisable settings. To begin, the aforementioned Nvidia and AMD’s upscaling methods should allow players to dial up their framerate without making sacrifices in the resolution and/or visual quality. Being a third-person, bullet hell roguelike, Returnal is littered with tonnes of moving objects that could heavily stress your GPU — making this feature quite significant. Additionally, support for NIS (Nvidia Image Scaling) has also been added for players who desire better performance, but don’t have the hardware to support DLSS or FSR.

Returnal also derives ray-traced shadows from its original PS5 kin. However, in the PC version, co-developer Climax Studios has added support for ray-traced reflections as well. “This will make the contrast of a dark setting and neon bullets pop out even more than before,” the PlayStation blog notes. Returnal on PC will also enable unlocked framerates, support for ultra-wide monitors ranging between 21:9 and 32:9 aspect ratios, and performance metrics — FPS counter, a gauge for measuring GPU and CPU usage, and a latency tracker.

All of this comes packaged with Dolby Atmos Audio, which extends its auditory flair to plugged-in DualSense controllers. As expected, support for keyboard and mouse controls is included as well, with a wide range of customisation options to tailor your needs. Returnal PC will also feature an FOV (field-of-view) slider, which helps adjust how much of your surroundings can be seen on screen.

As for co-op mode, Housemarque has stressed that cross-play with players on the PS5 console is not supported.

Returnal PC system requirements

The PC system requirements list comes courtesy of PlayStation, with the common requirements being Windows 10 64-bit (version 1903) and at least 60GB of free storage space on an SSD.

Returnal ‘minimum’ PC requirements

• Processor (CPU): Intel Core i5-6400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
• Graphics (GPU): Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 580
• RAM: 16GB DDR4
• Resolution: 1,280×720 pixels at 60fps, at Low settings

Returnal ‘medium’ PC requirements

• Processor (CPU): Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600
• Graphics (GPU): Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 or AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
• RAM: 16GB DDR4
• Resolution: 1,920×1,080 pixels at 60fps, at Medium settings

Returnal ‘recommended’ PC requirements

• Processor (CPU): Intel Core i7-8700 or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
• Graphics (GPU): Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super or AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
• RAM: 16GB DDR4
• Resolution: 1,920×1,080 pixels at 60fps, at High settings

Returnal ‘epic’ PC requirements

• Processor (CPU): Intel Core i7-9700K or AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
• Graphics (GPU): Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT
• RAM: 32GB DDR4
• Resolution: 4K at 60fps, at Epic settings

Returnal ‘ray tracing’ PC requirements

• Processor (CPU): Intel Core i9-11900K or AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
• Graphics (GPU): Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT
• RAM: 32GB DDR4
• Resolution: 4K at 60fps, at Epic settings — upscaling options are recommended

Returnal PC pre-order price and bonuses

Pre-orders for the PC version of Returnal are now live, offering early access to some in-game items. The tools are otherwise obtainable through story progression, with the pre-order bonus simply giving players a headstart — akin to what you would expect from a New Game+ mode. The included items are an Electropylon Driver weapon, a Hollowseeker weapon, one Reflex Stimulant, one Pulsating Mass artefact, and one Adrenaline Booster. Additionally, linking your Steam account to PSN (PlayStation Network) unlocks two in-game outfits — a Prototype and a Tactical suit.

As stated above, Returnal costs Rs. 3,999 across Steam and Epic Games Store. There’s only one edition for this game, and it launches February 15 on PC.

Amazon Prime Day 2024 sale will be held in India on July 20 and 21. Different products, ranging from personal electronics, home furnishing items, large appliances and more, will be available at lower prices than usual. Some of the best deals during this time are expected to be on smartphones from leading brands like Samsung, Honor, iQoo, Motorola and more. The e-commerce site has previously confirmed that the upcoming Prime Day sale will see new product launches from over 450 Indian and global brands. It has been confirmed that the new smartphones will be available during the sale.

Amazon Prime Day 2024 launches

The Samsung Galaxy M35 and the iQoo Z9 Lite 5G are both set to launch in India on July 17 and go on sale during Amazon Prime Day 2024. 

Among new launches are also the Honor 200 series handsets. The Honor 200 5G and Honor 200 Pro 5G are set to launch in India on July 18. They will be available for purchase during the upcoming Prime Day sale. The Lava Blaze X, confirmed to be unveiled on July 10, will also go on sale during the sale.

The Motorola Razr 50 Ultra, launched in India earlier this month, will also go on sale during the Amazon Prime Day 2024. The phone is priced in the country at Rs. 99,999 for the sole 12GB + 512GB option. Customers can get a flat Rs. 10,000 discount, bringing down the price to Rs. 89,999 during the sale. People can start pre-reservations on Amazon from July 10. 

During the sale, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G will be introduced in the Ultra Orange colourway. The Redmi 13 5G and the Realme GT 6T are also confirmed to be unveiled in Orchid Pink and Miracle Purple shades, respectively. An unspecified new OnePlus 12R 5G variant will also be launched during the Amazon Prime Day 2024 sale.

Amazon Prime Day 2024 offers

The Amazon Prime Day 2024 sale will be live for all users in India starting at 12am IST on July 20. It is also confirmed to end at 11:59 pm IST on July 21. During the sale, customers can get massive discounts on a wide range of items besides smartphones. 

The e-commerce site confirmed that all customers would get up to 40 percent discount on mobile phones and accessories. People who use ICICI Bank credit or debit cards or the EMI option will be eligible for a 10 percent discount during transactions. The same benefits would also be extended to SBI credit card holders.

Customers may also be eligible for up to 24 months of no-cost EMI options, as well as additional coupons and exchange offers on any particular item, which can lower the effective price.

Nayar designed a pixel that not only can measure incident light (a ray of light that strikes a surface) but also convert the incident light into electric power.

“We are in the middle of a digital imaging revolution. A camera that can function as an untethered device forever without any external power supply would be incredibly useful,” said Nayar, who heads the computer vision laboratory at the Columbia Engineering.

At the heart of any digital camera is an image sensor, a chip with millions of pixels.

The key enabling device in a pixel is the photodiode which produces an electric current when exposed to light.

The photodiode in a camera pixel is used in the photoconductive mode while in a solar cell it is used in the photovoltaic model.

This mechanism enables each pixel to measure the intensity of light falling on it.

Nayar, working with research engineer Daniel Sims, and consultant Mikhail Fridberg of the consultancy firm ADSP Consulting used off-the-shelf components to fabricate an image sensor with 30×40 pixels.

In Nayar’s prototype camera, which is housed in a 3D printed body, each pixel’s photodiode is always operated in the photovoltaic mode.

When the camera is not used to capture images, it can be used to generate power for other devices, such as a phone or a watch.

According to Nayar, the image sensor could use a rechargeable battery and charge it via its harvesting capability.

“But we took an extreme approach to demonstrate that the sensor is indeed truly self-powered and used just a capacitor to store the harvested energy,” he noted.

“We believe our results are a significant step forward in developing an entirely new generation of cameras that can function for a very long duration ideally, forever without being externally powered,” the authors wrote.

The team is set to present its work at the international conference on computational photography at the Rice University in Houston April 24-26.

Mi Smart Band 7 Pro will offer GPS support and include an always-on display (AOD), Xiaomi has revealed ahead of its official announcement. The new Mi Smart Band will come as an upgrade to the Mi Smart Band 7 that was launched in May. It is expected to offer an enhanced fitness-tracking experience. The Mi Smart Band 7 Pro will launch in China alongside the Xiaomi 12S smartphone series as well as the Xiaomi Book Pro 2022 laptop later today.

Xiaomi has teased the presence of GPS support on the Mi Smart Band 7 Pro through a teaser posted on Weibo. With GPS support, the Mi Smart Band 7 Pro will be able to offer independent satellite positioning. This will help provide precise location-based tracking, without relying on the connected smartphone.

The Mi Smart Band 7 Pro is also teased to have the always-on display to let users look at the current time and date, without raising their wrist.

Mi Smart Band 7 Pro is teased to come with an always-on display
Photo Credit: Weibo

Xiaomi has also teased that the Mi Smart Band 7 Pro will come with quick-release wristband support. This is an upgrade over the replaceable bands available with the existing Mi Smart Band models.

Users can easily replace the quick-release wristbands of the Mi Smart Band 7 Pro with the ones that match their preference and style. Separately, Xiaomi has teased some of the wristbands that are expected to be paired with the new smart band from Mi, including the avant-garde and classic.

Mi Smart Band 7 Pro is coming with different wristband styles
Photo Credit: Weibo

The Mi Smart Band 7 Pro is coming as the upgrade to the Mi Smart Band 7 that was launched in Standard and NFC variants.

Details about the Mi Smart Band 7 Pro price is yet to be announced. However, it is likely to be higher than that of the Mi Smart Band 7 that debuted at CNY 249 (roughly Rs. 2,900) for the Standard version. The NFC model, on the other hand, came at CNY 299 (roughly Rs. 3,500).

The Google Pixel 7 Pro was a good smartphone overall. It packed in everything a casual smartphone user would expect from an Android smartphone including, the now standard, timely software updates. But it came up short in a few areas like battery life, charging and had its fair share of heating issues and camera-related bugs as well. With the new Pixel 8 Pro, there’s a brand-new design, plenty of AI-enabled features and even a new processor. Keeping this in mind, one would naturally expect Google to have worked on some if not all of the shortcomings of its predecessor. But that’s not exactly the case with Google’s newest Pixel flagship.

Google Pixel 8 Pro price in India

Unlike last year, Google’s Pixel 8 Pro finally offers a higher storage option in India. After years of complaining about offering a measly 128GB of storage with its base models, Google finally decided to add a new storage tier in India with the introduction of a 256GB variant. I received the 128GB storage variant for review which is priced at Rs. 1,06,999 in India, while the 256GB variant is available at Rs. 1,13,999.

As mentioned in my first impressions, both the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro, are Google’s most expensive Pixel smartphones to launch in India. Simply put, the new top-end Pixel 8 Pro has received a price hike of Rs. 22,000, which instantly puts it out of reach of several potential buyers. And then you have to keep in mind that even at Rs. 1,06,999, you are still getting just 128GB of internal storage and no free cloud storage access either.

Indeed, Google has its hands full when it comes to convincing its existing Pixel users to upgrade to the latest model this year. And it’s probably one of the reasons why you are reading this review.

Google Pixel 8 Pro Review: Design

Google’s Pixel 8 Pro has seen more changes than the standard Pixel 8 (Review) this year. Basically, Google’s engineers got rid of some unnecessary stuff and made some refinements to the Pixel 7 Pro’s design. Keeping in mind its flat display, and overall flatter profile it qualifies as a new design. But it is an overhaul of sorts as the new Pixel 8 Pro still appears distinctly Pixel. This is mainly down to its sharper, visor-like camera module at the back which is as chunky as last year’s model.

The visor-like camera module still gets scratched easily, just like the Pixel 7 Pro

The camera module’s edges are quite sharp unlike last year’s model, but I’m glad Google retained its chunky protruding appearance because it makes it easier to hold on to the phone’s rather slippery matte-finished body by resting my index finger below it for support.

The matte-finished rear glass panel is a first for Google’s Pixel range and its overall rounded appearance and curves do remind me of the original Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. As slippery as the rear panel is, it’s excellent when it comes to resisting fingerprints. At 213g the phone does not feel too heavy or too light. This combined with the soft-finished glass back lends the device a very premium and luxurious feel.

Google’s Pixel 8 Pro definitely looks the part for a premium smartphone

Google also offers an IP68 rating which is the same as on last year’s model. Build quality is quite solid and I’m glad Google finally got rid of the curved edge display which seemed pointless on a Pixel, given that it never had any added software features like on Samsung’s smartphones.

Google Pixel 8 Pro Review: Specifications and software

This year’s Pixel 8 Pro brings another new chipset called the Tensor G3. It’s built using the 4nm manufacturing process, which in addition to its new nona-core architecture should in theory translate to better performance and efficiency. However, Google is more focused on its AI capabilities and this is where it is expected to shine. 12GB RAM is standard and the phone offers up to 256GB of storage this year with no expandable storage and no additional SIM card slot. However, one can use the eSIM functionality to use two numbers on the same device.

In terms of connectivity, the Pixel 8 Pro offers an upgraded WiFi 7 experience, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, a USB-C port, ultra-wideband (UWB) support and support for several global positioning systems.

The Pixel 8 Pro’s (right) design shares some similarities with the older Pixel 7 Pro (left)

Apart from the usual camera array, there is also a new thermometer which can be used to check the surface temperature of various materials. Google will be adding support for checking body temperature soon, which would make it useful if it turns out to be accurate.

The phone has a 5,050mAh battery and supports 30W wired charging and 23W wireless charging. However, the box contents don’t include a supported charging adapter.

Going with the AI trend, Google introduces its new AI wallpaper feature which is exclusive to this year’s Pixel 8 and 8 Pro devices. It needs an internet connection to work but chomps out some really unique and interesting wallpapers using its AI bits. The rest of Android 14 feels and appears similar to what’s available on a Pixel 7 Pro.

Other new smarts that are available on the Pixel 8 Pro include the ability to read aloud web pages or articles from a web browser. Google Assistant can even translate a web page before reading it aloud which is also useful. The operation is properly hands-free on the Pixel 8 Pro (I could not get the feature to work successfully on a Pixel 7 Pro), which is useful if your hands are busy.

The AI Wallpaper feature is a fun way to sample the power of AI and create some unique wallpapers in the process

The Pixel 8 Pro’s AI editing tools, which are available in its Photos app are jaw-droppingly impressive in terms of capability. While the older Magic Eraser has gotten much better over time, the newly advertised tools still need a bit of polish in terms of output.

The new Magic Editor tool lets you literally reposition people and objects in a photograph (which has to be uploaded to the cloud). The AI models sure are impressive! At times it can get really hard to tell if an image has been edited at all. However, pixel-peeping into these photos usually reveals some clues. Magic Editor isn’t perfect and should get polished with future updates, but it is a very powerful tool nonetheless.

The same can be said about the new Best Take feature which requires a sequence of photos of the same setting in order to work. If you happen to have enough photos of the same people in the same setting, then it’s rather hard to tell if an image has been edited.

Audio Magic Eraser is another AI-enabled tool, which can impressively understand the sounds in a video. Once activated, it listens to the clip and quickly identifies the different sounds and then categorises them (speech, nature, wind, noise etc.) letting one adjust the levels to bump up the volume of the sounds they wish to hear (speech, nature) over the ones that they want to quieten (noise, wind). While I did not find the results all that impressive, it is interesting to see how the AI model identifies the different sounds in any given video.

The Audio Magic Eraser tool in the Photos app is useful for removing or reducing unwanted sounds in a recorded video

As controversial as these image editing features are, I can see a lot of Pixel 8 and 8 Pro users helping many who aren’t able to snap good-looking photos. Moreover, Pixel 8 Pro users may seem like wizards to elderly folk who usually don’t end up composing a vacation photo right, and often request the unimaginable, like moving the Eiffel Tower a bit to the right. Surprisingly, all of that and more is now possible using simple drag-and-drop tools.

As impressive as the Pixel 8 Pro’s photographs and editing capabilities are this year, I still faced the same camera bug as on last year’s models. The Night Sight bug triggers when shooting back-to-back photos from the camera app’s night mode when transitioning from 1X to 2X. Once triggered, all photos captured thereafter do not get stored in the phone, leaving one with a camera that will let you click photos but not save them. The only way to get the camera to start storing snapped photos again is to restart the phone or wait for the camera app to crash.

For long, Pixel smartphones have always been the first devices to receive Android software updates and Google has somehow managed to one-up itself in this area with the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. Google claims that it will provide up to 7 years of software updates which includes its quarterly Feature Drops (that bring new features) and security updates. Adding to this commitment Google also explained that it will stock up on spares for these two smartphones as well, in case your smartphone gets damaged or stops functioning over the next 7 years. Indeed such commitments will appeal to those who don’t upgrade their devices frequently, but replacing your smartphone less frequently works well for the environment as it also reduces e-waste.

Google Pixel 8 Pro Review: Performance

As for the Pixel 8 Pro’s 6.7-inch QHD+ OLED display, it works well under bright sunlight and shows fairly accurate colours when set to the Natural colour mode. Its 120Hz dynamic refresh rate, which can drop to 1Hz when not being used, also works as expected.

Just like last year, battery statistics aren’t all that great as I often found me reaching out for the charger by the end of a work day with about 20 percent left around 7:00 PM, after unplugging the phone at around 8:00 AM. If you end up using the camera and edit several images expect the battery levels to drop even faster. In our video loop battery test, the Pixel 8 Pro managed to last for 14 hours and 15 minutes, which is slightly better than the Pixel 7 Pro, but not great compared to what most smartphones in this segment are capable of. Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra which currently retails an additional Rs. 20,000 managed to last 21 hours and 7 minutes in the same test.

The Pixel 8 Pro (right) has a flat display compared to the older Pixel 7 Pro (left)

On the Pixel 8 Pro, most casual and high-end games run just fine at default settings. But the phone clearly isn’t as powerful when compared to its Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered counterparts so don’t expect flawless frame rates when playing graphics-intensive titles like Genshin Impact or fast-paced games like Call of Duty: Mobile.

The phone does warm up after playing a few Call of Duty tournaments on Ultra settings, but it does not get abnormally hot and that’s mainly down to CPU throttling. However, one can expect plenty of frame drops during gameplay as the Tensor G3 isn’t really designed for running demanding titles at the best settings. Ray-tracing, while being relatively new, is also not supported. I also found the touch sampling to be a bit sluggish when playing fast-paced FPS games.

The Tensor G3 inside the Google Pixel 8 Pro managed slightly inferior scores compared to most smartphones in this segment and were far below what Apple’s latest iPhone 15 Pro Max is capable of. The Pixel 8 Pro scored 10,38,343 points in AnTuTu and managed scores of 1,629 and 3,274 in Geekbench’s single and multi-core tests. To give you an idea about where Google’s Pixel 8 Pro stands, the lower-priced OnePlus 11 5G (QHD+ display) which we reviewed earlier this year scored 11,89,556 points and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 (FHD+ display) managed a score of 12,87,359 while the iPhone 15 Pro Max managed a comfortable lead scoring 16,61,205 points in our review.

Google sticking with its own Tensor design for its processor does have its downsides as they have yet to figure out better ways to handle all the processing that happens after snapping a photograph. Just like the Pixel 7 Pro, the Pixel 8 Pro struggles when shooting Portrait mode photos and will stop capturing photos (or disable the shutter button) when the photo buffer is full after clicking around 7-8 portrait mode photos in quick succession. It does this to finish processing them in the background and will let one snap more photos only once it’s done processing the ones that have already been captured. While this does not seem like a big problem, I did end up missing several moments while snapping photos of my kid. Shooting RAW photos also takes a while to process, compared to the iPhone 15 Pro Max which is almost instant.

The Pixel 8 Pro just like the Pixel 7 Pro runs a bit hot outdoors when connected to 5G networks

For a phone that’s more focused and known for its photography features, it’s sad to see that the latest Tensor G3 SoC isn’t capable of handling the basics. Google really has to work on the Tensor G3’s imaging pipeline or go with a separate imaging chip solely for handling all of its camera requirements as the current Tensor G3 processor clearly isn’t up for the job.

Even with daily usage, something as simple as scrolling through web pages and social media apps (even YouTube) can get jittery at times. Scrolling is jittery when using both native and third-party apps and this is something many users have complained about on Reddit as well. Google took its own sweet time to attempt to resolve its Pixel 7 Pro’s scrolling issues, but these have yet to be resolved successfully.

The phone still gets hot when using the camera app, especially when shooting more complicated camera modes like Portrait and Night mode. The phone also gets quite hot outdoors when connected to 5G networks. Google still does not offer any cooling solution (apart from CPU throttling) with its Pixel phones, which keeps them running warm most of the time when used outdoors. Many Chinese smartphone brands have adopted vapour chamber cooling to maintain performance levels while performing power-intensive tasks. This year’s Samsung Galaxy S23 also utilised the same, making it run a lot cooler compared to its predecessor. So, it’s really a mystery why Google refuses to include the same in its flagship Pixel smartphones.

The new and secure Face Unlock feature works as quickly as Apple’s Face ID authentication, however, it only works well (or quickly) in good lighting. Dimly lit settings will see the camera struggling to recognise faces, which is when I had to revert to the good old fingerprint scanner, which thankfully worked as expected.

Google Pixel 8 Pro Review: Cameras

This year’s Pixel 8 Pro comes with several improvements in the camera department as well. Key among these is the new 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera which replaces the 12-megapixel camera on the previous model. There’s a new brighter 50-megapixel primary camera as well but I expect minor improvements (if any) with this one. Everything else apart from the new Tensor G3 remains the same, which is not a bad deal as the previous Pixel 7 Pro was not bad at imaging to begin with.

The camera modes have been revamped on the Pixel 8 Pro. The Pixel 8 Pro in particular this year gets a special pro mode called Pro Controls, which brings advanced camera controls for smartphone camera enthusiasts who prefer to tweak things a bit before shooting or while recording.

Pro Controls is wonderfully designed with practicality and simplicity in mind, making it easy to use and understand

To be clear, the Pixel 8 Pro’s Pro Controls mode is not as advanced as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s camera app which also offers various controls for video. The Pixel 8 Pro’s Pro controls seem a lot more user-friendly (designed for the average Joe), and quite practical at the same time, easily making it a lot better in terms of capability and control when shooting video, even when compared to an iPhone 15 Pro Max, I reviewed earlier.

Unlike the Pixel 7 Pro where one gets access to brightness, shadow and white balance sliders in the viewfinder when shooting, the Pixel 8 Pro hides all of its Pro controls under a settings button located at the top right corner. Tapping on it gives one access to advanced controls like Night Sight duration, brightness, shadow, white balance, focus, shutter speed and ISO as well. I particularly liked the focus control as it highlights the currently focused area in pink thanks to a focus peaking feature like on a real camera.

Tapping on the usual gear icon at the bottom now opens a comprehensive menu with a special Pro tab in which one can select the resolution (binned or full frame), output type (RAW/JPEG) and a very handy Lens Selection selector, which lets you choose between Auto or Manual. Choosing Auto basically gets you the entire zoom range which also includes the digital levels between the native focal lengths (0.5X, 1X and 5X).

The manual gets you access to just the native focal lengths, which switches off the camera’s automatic lens selection. This is useful to avoid using the wrong camera (which the smartphone automatically selects depending on the distance of the object/subject from the lens. This often leads to digitally cropped and scaled photos. So, if your subject is too close for the 5X telephoto camera, it just won’t focus, letting you know that you need to maintain a greater distance to get the perfect shot.

Pixel 8 Pro also lets one shoot in RAW using all three cameras which means you can get high-resolution (50 or 48-megapixel) RAW images which can be tweaked later in the post. As for the video, Pro Controls only lets you tweak white balance and exposure in this mode.

The Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro camera samples were captured in daylight and low light using their primary cameras (tap image to expand)

As for image quality, I found the images from the primary camera to be almost identical to last year’s model. The minor differences are mainly down to the tone where the Pixel 8 Pro chooses cooler tones compared to the Pixel 7 Pro’s warmer hues. The level of detail is second to none, but I often noticed that colours aren’t as accurate even though the photographs looked good. Low-light imagery is fantastic, but I noticed that the primary camera tends to crush the blacks in settings with contrasted lighting.

Google Pixel 8 Pro captures some quality 5X telephoto shots (top) and macro photos (bottom) (tap images to expand)

Photos from the ultra-wide camera, which has seen the most changes this year, pack in more detail and dynamic range when shooting in daylight. Colours are quite accurate as well. Macro photos also came out great and the new camera lets you get even closer (up to 2cm) to your subject.

Google Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro daylight and low-light camera samples captured using their ultra-wide-angle cameras (tap image to expand)

In terms of zoom, the telephoto camera shoots really impressive photos with good detail. I used the 5X telephoto to capture some crisp portraits and close-ups and well and they all looked gorgeous with a natural bokeh. Going beyond its optical limits, Google’s Super Res Zoom manages quality images up to 10X (hybrid zoom) but the quality starts to dither thereafter.

Google Pixel 8 Pro telephoto zoom camera samples captured in daylight (tap image to expand)

While it manages good image quality, the Pixel 8 Pro just like the Pixel 7 Pro struggles with edge detection when in Portrait mode (tap image to expand)

After managing average video quality last year, it’s good to see that Google has finally upped its video game. 4K 30fps video recorded from the primary camera looks sharp, has a good bitrate and offers a steady frame rate. Stabilisation is also impressive, making it a solid upgrade over the Pixel 7 Pro’s video recording capabilities. Low light footage also has good detail with low noise. HDR footage shot at the same resolution appeared a bit saturated but showcased good contrast and detail even in low light.

Google Pixel 8 Pro Review: Verdict

What sets the Pixel 8 Pro apart from every other Pixel of the past, is its AI capabilities. It’s a direction that Google has charted for its Pixel smartphones, and the Pixel 8 Pro surely shines in this area with the ability to process a lot of requests and use several tools without the need to connect to the internet or the cloud for processing. The very capable and well-designed built-in Pro Controls is also an area which mobile photography enthusiasts will enjoy.

But the price hike may convince many upgraders to stick with their Pixel 7 Pro models this year as all of the above-mentioned features (except for a 7-year commitment for software updates) don’t really seem like must-haves on anyone’s list.

To make things worse, the Pixel 7 Pro today retails for as low as Rs. 63,999, which isn’t a bad deal, depending on what one is looking for in a new smartphone purchase. Its still camera performance is similar to the Pixel 8 Pro but falls behind when it comes to video recording. The new Pixel 8 Pro may not heat up as much as the Pixel 7 Pro but its battery life only offers minor improvements over the older model.

If you are willing to spend upwards of Rs. 1,00,000 in India, Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra (Review) (available at Rs. 1,24,999 for the 256GB variant) surely offers better value, with impressive zoom capability, a better and larger display, excellent battery life, and to an extent even Samsung’s Galaxy ecosystem of devices which includes, smartwatches, audio accessories, tablets and laptops.

Hot on the heels of its $6.6 billion funding round, OpenAI on Thursday debuted the beta of a new collaboration interface for ChatGPT, dubbed Canvas.

“We are fundamentally changing how humans can collaborate with ChatGPT since it launched two years ago,” Canvas research lead Karina Nguyen wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). She describes it as “a new interface for working with ChatGPT on writing and coding projects that go beyond simple chat.”

For the first time we are fundamentally changing how humans can collaborate with ChatGPT since it launched two years ago.

We’re introducing canvas, a new interface for working with ChatGPT on writing and coding projects that go beyond simple chat.

Product and model features:… pic.twitter.com/ruVvtCNKrV

— Karina Nguyen (@karinanguyen_) October 3, 2024

Canvas appears to work much like Claude’s Artifacts window (which is available for free), providing users with a real-time view of the chatbot’s output in a separate window outside of the chat stream. The feature reportedly works autonomously with ChatGPT automatically launching Canvas when it “detects a scenario in which it could be helpful,” per the announcement post.

With it, users can provide the AI inline feedback on its generated content, either for specific lines or the body of work as a whole. They’ll be able to highlight specific sections of code or text for ChatGPT to focus on and revise, or directly edit the output themselves. Canvas will even enable users to actively command ChatGPT to research specific subjects on the internet and incorporate that new information into the current project.

Canvas will also introduce a shortcuts menu of common tools, such as suggesting edits, adjusting the output length or reading level (from kindergarten to grad student), debugging code, adding emoji, and adding “final polish,” which checks for grammar, clarity, and consistency. Coding tasks have a shortcut menu of their own. Users will have quick access to tools like Review Code, Add Logs, Add Comments, Fix Bugs, and Port to a Language, which translates code between JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, C++, and PHP.

We’re rolling out an early version of canvas—a new way to work with ChatGPT on writing & coding projects that go beyond simple chat.

Starting today, Plus & Team users can try it by selecting “GPT-4o with canvas” in the model picker. https://t.co/GoGZiRzCsB

— OpenAI (@OpenAI) October 3, 2024

Canvas is still in beta release and, as such, is currently only being made available to Plus and Teams subscribers. Enterprise and Edu users will receive access next week, ChatGPT Free users will be able to try it once it’s out of beta.

Update: This post was updated to include additional information about canvas’ release timing.