Sunbird is shutting down its iMessage app for Android and other top product news

Here are some of the top product-related news we are tracking including Sunbird, Chrome, MediaTek, new Galaxy devices, Bard, and Copilot.

Sunbird is shutting down its iMessage app for Android

Sunbird, the messaging app attempting to put an end to the blue versus green bubble battle has decided to shut down its app due to security concerns.

The unified messaging app which came into the spotlight after partnering with smartphone company Nothing to bring the iMessage and other messaging apps to Android had encountered initial problems following the launch of the beta version of the Nothing Chats app. Nothing had consequently pulled the app from the Play Store just a day after launch due to multiple bugs.

A report by 9To5Google highlighted concerns, including the possibility that messages sent via Sunbird might not be end-to-end encrypted. Additionally, Sunbird was found storing thousands of media files on the cloud service Firebase, potentially making them accessible to third parties.

Sunbird noted that it is investigating the security issues and is shutting down Sunbird media temporarily as a precautionary measure to protect users' confidential data.

Google Chrome is testing an AI tool to automatically sort tabs

According to news outlets, Google Chrome is testing a new AI tool called Organize Tabs to automatically sort tabs, drag, and drop them, similar to what Microsoft Edge already offers, which uses AI to group similar tabs.

This AI tool would use natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) to understand the content and context of each Chrome browser tab and group them into relevant categories based on their similarity or purpose.

The new settings pane is currently still under development and does not seem accessible without jumping through some developer flags. As Chrome expert @Leopeva64 reports on X (formerly Twitter), this new AI setting section is officially called Advanced, but its URL seems to make clear that its settings are related to AI, sitting at chrome://settings/ai.

Competing with other browsers using AI tools, Google Chrome’s version might be more advanced and customizable, as it would allow users to create their tab groups based on their preferences and needs.

MediaTek's New Dimensity 9300 Chip Could Boost Smartphone AI

MediaTek recently announced its latest flagship processor, the Dimensity 9300. The new Dimensity 9300 chip is a powerful and innovative device that could boost smartphone AI in many ways.

Dimensity 9300 is built on TSMC’s third-generation 4nm+ process node and its standout feature is the all-big core CPU design. You get a prime Cotex-X4 core clocked at 3.25GHz alongside 3x Cortex-X4 cores @ 2.85GHz and 4x Cortex-A720 cores @ 2.0GHz all based on the Armv9 architecture.

The Dimensity 9300 chip boasts several AI features: it pioneers a hardware-based generative AI engine for quicker and safer edge AI computing, handles diverse AI tasks like face detection and voice recognition, accommodates large AI models with up to 33 billion parameters for personalized applications, employs on-device model adaptation techniques like LoRA Fusion to reduce data transfer latency, and supports high-resolution screens with refresh rates up to 180Hz.

The Dimensity 9300 is expected to power the next generation of flagship smartphones from various brands, and the first smartphones powered by the Dimensity 9300 chipset will be available in the market by the end of 2023.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Series Launch, Pre-order, and Sale Dates Unveiled

The most anticipated Samsung’s latest flagship Android phones, Galaxy S24 series is expected to launch around January 18, 2024. This would be a month ahead of the Samsung Galaxy S23 lineup, which launched on February 1, 2023. The pre-orders for the Galaxy S24 will start immediately after the event, with pre-sale launch and general availability dates following shortly after.

The Galaxy S24 series will consist of three models: the Galaxy S24, the Galaxy S24 Plus, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is rumored to have a flat screen and some upgraded cameras, while the other two phones will be mostly the same.

Although the prices of the Galaxy S24 series are not yet confirmed, they are likely to be similar or just slightly higher than the previous generation.

Bard can now watch and explain YouTube videos

Google has announced that Bard can now watch and summarize YouTube videos for users. According to Google, users' demand for more in-depth interaction with YouTube content, motivated this upgrade.

With Bard's new YouTube Extension, to summarize a video, you need to take a screenshot of the video you want to summarize and upload it to Google Bard with the prompt “Summarize this video”. This feature is part of the Bard Extensions that allow Google to access Gmail, Drive, and Docs, as well as other first-party services, to get things done. 

The capability to analyze videos holds vast potential beyond YouTube interaction. Bard might soon assist in educational video content, summarizing podcasts, and more.

This feature is still in its early stages and may not work perfectly for all videos.

Microsoft’s AI-powered Copilot for Windows 10 now available for testing

Microsoft has backported the new AI-powered Windows Copilot feature from Windows 11 to Windows 10 and it is now available for testing in the Windows Insider Release Preview channel for Windows 10.

As stated by Microsoft, "Copilot will begin rolling out to devices running Home and unmanaged Pro editions of Windows 10, version 22H2 in the near term." "Devices running Enterprise or Education editions of Windows 10, version 22H2, or managed Pro devices, are not included in this initial rollout"

Copilot in Windows 10 will require a PC with 4GB of RAM and at least a 720p display to run, and will be released in preview to selected global markets. The initial markets for the Copilot in Windows previews include North America and parts of Asia and South America. Other additional markets will be included over time, aligned with the release policy for Copilot in Windows 11.

While this marks the most significant update for Windows 10 since its replacement by Windows 11 in late 2021, it doesn't alter the broader support timeline for Windows 10. The 22H2 version stands as the final major update for the OS, and security updates are slated to conclude on October 14, 2025—less than two years from now.

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