Tech News Digest – October 2022

In the October digest, we’ve gathered the latest news and occurrences that will make your blood run cold. It seems that Halloween was a great success, given the Meta advancements in virtual reality, AI automated identification of voice, Google updates, Docker release software, etc. So, let’s start.

The Future of Virtual Reality Is Here: Meta Connect 2022 Featuring Meta Quest Pro

At Meta Connect, Mark Zuckerberg, the heads of Reality Labs at Meta, and a few other special guests talked about how far they’ve come in making the metaverse a reality.

The first high-end virtual reality headset was the Meta Quest Pro. It was made with productivity in mind and will be a big step up for people who use VR at work, but hardware is only one part of the equation.

Mark and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella have announced a new partnership that would provide Meta Quest Pro and Meta Quest 2 with robust new work and productivity features. Apps for Microsoft Teams and Windows 365, as well as the option to attend a Teams conference directly inside Meta Horizon Workrooms, are among the capabilities that will be available.

Automatic Speech Recognition for a Speaking Voice

Meta produced the first AI-powered speech-to-speech translation system for Hokkien, a Chinese language that is mostly spoken in the Chinese diaspora.

The translation system is part of the Universal Speech Translator project that is creating new AI methods to let people speak in one language and have it translated into another language in real time. Meta thinks that talking can bring people together no matter where they are, even in the metaverse.

Even though the Hokkien translation model is still in development and can only translate one full sentence at a time, it is a step toward a future where languages can be translated simultaneously. AI research is helping to break down language barriers both in the real world and in the metaverse. This makes it easier for people to connect and understand each other.

Google’s Newest Messages Upgrade Emphasizes RCS Adoption

Google upgraded its Messages app with new organizing features and multimedia to promote RCS.

RCS (Rich Communication Service) replaced SMS as the electronic communications standard. Google announced this new and more secure standard that allows “richer text features,” higher-quality content, and end-to-end encryption (opens in a new tab). Apple did not want to adopt the protocol because, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook, iPhone customers were uninterested. New features make it faster to write messages, transcribe voice, recognize words and suggest actions to do this, watch YouTube videos inside Messages, and do other things.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said iPhone users don’t care about the protocol. But it looks like it will remain this way only until 2024 as the European Union passes a law requiring the change.

Docker Has Released a Preview Version of Its WebAssembly Software

Recently, the first technical preview of WebAssembly (Wasm) support for Docker was published. Wasm was developed by browser makers so that web applications may function at native speeds using code generated from C, C++, Rust, and other languages and executed in a safe sandbox. As of right now, over 40 languages can be compiled into Wasm. Wasm, like node.js before it, is making the transition to the server side. For instance, Cloudflare’s edge computing service employs this technology.

Besides the product updates, Docker also announced recently that it would become a voting member of the Bytecode Alliance, the non-profit organization responsible for WebAssembly and the WebAssembly System Interface.

Toyota Will Introduce a New EV Vehicle in China

Toyota Motor Corporation and BYD Company have announced that they would launch their latest electric vehicle, the bZ3, in the Chinese market.

The Toyota-Chinese joint venture FAW Toyota Motor Co. will handle production and sales, although the car’s price and release date have not yet been set. To compete with Tesla and other electric vehicle manufacturers, Toyota has announced that it would keep releasing bZ series cars in China. The first model in Toyota’s bZ series, the bZ4X, is a sport utility vehicle co-developed with Subaru Corp. By 2030, Toyota expects annual worldwide sales of 3.5 million EVs.

Introducing New Imaging Technology

Mercy Health is the first in Clark and Champaign counties to offer Revolution CT. It offers faster, more complete scanning while reducing the radiation levels in patients receiving the procedure.

Springfield Regional Medical Center’s GE Healthcare Revolution CT allows for high-definition, whole-body imaging. So, physicians may reliably use any of these strategies to diagnose patients. They can provide accurate bone imaging for patients with metal implants, assess the heart in a single beat, and scan the brain in under a second. Low-dose technology keeps patients safer. Regular radiation exposure is reduced by 82% while retaining image quality. Other improvements may minimize patient anxiety.

In the past, diagnosing an illness required a lot of effort and time. But now there are tools available, such as the AI-powered healthcare application for diagnosis imagine industry, that can make this determination rapidly without going to the hospital.

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