BMW has launched its latest concept car BMW i Vision Dee, which is inspired by the metaverse. The company showcased the concept car at yesterday’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
Dee, short for Digital Emotional Experience, has digital windscreen displays and a voice interface that will be available in the company’s Neue Classe car models from 2025. BMW also updated its interactive website, “Joytopia,” which features a virtual world to explore and interact with Dee.
Dee has a Head-Up-Display that extends alongside the car’s windscreen to go beyond existing driver assistance and voice control technology. Once activated, the windshield becomes a display panel that features a speedometer and other graphics.
A Mixed Reality slider controls the display, which contains shy-tech sensors where a car’s instrument panel usually is. Working alongside windows that are dimmable, the driver can use the sensors to select various features ranging from augmented-reality projection, analog, and communications, and even enter into a virtual world.
Videos and images of the concept car are inspired by the metaverse, where the display has replaced road pavements with gardens and futuristic buildings. Externally, Dee contains a fusion of both digital and physical elements. In combination with natural language, the tech allows the car to talk to humans and express its emotions with facial expressions through its front grill and headlights.
The car’s exterior surface is made up of e-ink segments and can display up to thirty-two colors. This allows the vehicle’s side windows to project avatar versions of the driver, extending the interior virtual world to the car’s facade.
Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is one of the biggest tech events worldwide, and like every year, it has already begun in Las Vegas. After two years of conducting the show virtually, the event has finally come on the ground to exhibit the best innovative technologies and products. This article sums up some of the top announcements at the consumer electronic show (CES) 2023.
Top Announcements at CES 2023:
Samsung AI-powered TVs
At CES 2023, Samsung introduced a new series of TVs with an AI-powered auto-HDR mode. The company’s Neo QLEDs facilitate Auto HDR Remastering, which Samsung says uses AI deep learning to analyze and apply real-time HDR effects to standard dynamic range content on a scene-by-scene basis. HDR increases the contrast between the darkest blacks and brightest whites a display can produce. The system compares non-HDR content with HDR one and uses machine learning tech to analyze the differences to make the conversion.
LG Artcool Gallery AC
Another announcement at CES came from LG art display-cum-air conditioner. LG’s new Artcool gallery air conditioner features a 27-inch LCD screen capable of displaying photos when synced with the LG ThinQ app. Its shape is metallic rectangular, which makes it more attractive. It also has a dual inverter compressor which, according to the company, uses 70% less power compared to other air conditioners. Moreover, the device operates at low noise levels.
AI Gaming Lights
Govee has introduced the AI Gaming Sync Box Kit at CES 2023 for gamers in pursuit of a more immersive experience. Using AI trained using footage of dozens of different video games, the set-top box syncs Govee-branded smart lights via HDMI and Wi-Fi to whatever games one is playing. One of the 30 lighting effects is triggered for specific in-game achievements and on-screen events. Govee says its AI-based tech solves the issues like slow performance and low color-capture accuracy, typically experienced by lighting sync boxes.
Samsung kicked off CES 2023 with its Bespoke Home smart appliances lineup with a new oven and fridge. The Bespoke AI Oven has an internal camera and various sensors that proactively identify more than 80 dishes and ingredients to enhance cooking settings. It also sends a warning notification if it detects food is burning. The Bespoke AI Oven’s camera can stream a live feed of what is cooking in the oven to streaming platforms like Twitch.
Samsung Bespoke 4-Door Flex
Besides Bespoke AI Oven, Samsung debuted the 4-Door Flex, its newest smart fridge. It has an AI-powered camera that scans food labels to keep track of what is in stock and what is not. Samsung’s previous-gen fridge had the same feature, but the uniqueness of the 4-Door Flex is a larger touchscreen on one of the doors. The Bespoke 4-Door Flex Refrigerator with Family Hub+ offers dynamic features showcased on its 32-inch, bezel-less FHD screen, nearly two times larger than previous models.
LG Wireless OLED TVs
Another announcement from LG at CES 2023 included its entire lineup of the latest OLED televisions for 2023. The most significant addition is a 97-inch OLED TV that’s completely wireless. The 2023 C3, Z3, and G3 OLED TVs have a mode that can automatically detect and refine particular objects, like faces, to have more lifelike and colorful qualities. Another mode called AI Sound Pro attempts to emulate a surrounding sound setup using only the built-in stereo TV speakers.
Bell Pepper Picking Robot
The CES also saw the debut of an advanced bell pepper-picking robot. Developed by a Japanese agritech startup named Agrist, the robot can detect and pick harvest-ready bell peppers even when a thick layer of leaves covers those peppers. The robot can determine each pepper’s position, size, maturity, and clipping point using a combination of computer vision models and cameras trained for different parts of the pepper. The robot moves with the help of suspension wires which can be retrofitted to existing farms, whereas a mechanical arm picks and clips, placing harvested peppers into a collection box.
CZ Smartwatch
Wearable brand Citizen debuted in the AI space this year with its second-gen CZ Smartwatch. The 2023 CZ Smart, which runs on the newest release of Google’s firmware for wearables Wear OS 3, sports what Citizen calls a self-care advisor driven by AI. Leveraging technology from IBM Watson, IBM’s AI research division, in particular, the CZ Smart can determine a wearer’s chronotype after collecting a week’s sleep data to provide tips that help combat fatigue.
Bird Buddy Smart Feeder
Bird Buddy participated in the CES with the latest improved model of its smart feeder that takes photos of bird visitors and sends them to a companion app. The smart feeder is equipped with a high-speed camera. This next-gen Smart Hummingbird Feeder can take pictures and videos of birds with a speed of up to 60 mph. The camera is triggered by motion and sends photos via an AI system which is trained using millions of photos to identify about 1,000 species of birds.
NVIDIA RTX Video Super Resolution
Nvidia is now using AI to upscale old, blurry YouTube videos. During its CES presentation, the company trialed RTX Video Super Resolution, a feature that is coming next month to all the Nvidia 30- and 40-series GPUs. When enabled, it will upscale videos played in Edge and Chrome on a PC to the equivalent of 4K. This feature is similar to the AI upscaling feature that has long been available on the Shield TV and Shield TV Pro. RTX Video Super Resolution, which also sharpens and reduces artifacts in videos, will support any video with a resolution ranging between 360p and 1440p up to a frame rate of 144Hz.
AI-powered Smart Stroller
The Ella smart stroller is a hands-free motorized buggy that uses artificial intelligence to detect obstacles and danger on the pavement. It was developed by a Canadian startup Glüxkind. Having sensors, including cameras, the stroller can drive itself when empty to keep up with parents while they hold their infants. It can stop automatically if it encounters an obstacle. Ella’s motors aid when manually pushing the stroller, thus assisting with inclines and brake automatically when going downhill or stationary. The Ella also features an automatic rock-my-baby feature that can sway the carriage back and forth on the stroller’s wheels, along with a built-in, customizable white noise machine.
Carbon Nanotube Sensors
Debuted at CES 2023, the Carbon nanotube sensors can detect the presence of human tissue when it is up to 20 centimeters away. The sensors were developed by the University of Washington in collaboration with CoMotion. Hyundai will use this technology in cars for gesture-controlled smart devices that are able to detect hand movements and translate them into commands, and gesture-controlled door handles.
Microsoft collaborates with the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) to increase access to skills for jobs through CyberShikshaa and Ready4Cybersecurity programs.
According to the partnership, Microsoft and NIELIT will deploy CyberShikshaa and Ready4Cybersecurity programs in 30 NIELIT training centers in Tier 3 and Tier 2 towns with a particular focus on Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, and northeast states of India. These programs can be scaled in subsequent years to include cybersecurity training programs in all the training centers of NIELIT.
Dr. Madan Mohan Tripathi, Director General of NIELIT, mentioned that NIELIT is committed to training people for in-demand jobs, specifically in remote areas, to contribute to today’s digital economy. This can enable a robust pool of skilled professionals to protect organizations from cyber-attacks. He also stated that NIELIT’s collaboration with Microsoft will not only train people through the CyberShikshaa and Ready4Cybersecurity programs but will also provide opportunities in terms of employment.
As per the collaboration, nearly 3500 learners will undergo training and receive employment opportunities for in-demand cybersecurity jobs. Besides training, Microsoft will support curriculum content, certifications, and mentor opportunities. It will also collaborate with the Data Security Council of India, ICT Academy, Tata Strive, and Quick Heal Foundation to deploy CyberShikshaa and Ready4Cybersecurity programs.
Hyundai Motors India unveils the Hyundai Pavilion on metaverse space, which is Hyundai Mobility Adventure on the Roblox platform. As per the company, Hyundai Pavilion will go live along with the commencement of the Auto Expo 2023.
The Hyundai Mobility Adventure is Hyundai’s immersive virtual city that will allow customers to experience the thrill of Web 3.0 via Hyundai’s five flagship models, including Ioniq 6, Ioniq 5, Tucson, Nexo, Venue N Line, and enjoy musical events at Hyundai Spotlight.
Chief Operating Officer of Hyundai Motors India stated that the company is delighted to expand its presence on the metaverse for the Auto Expo 2023 by going beyond physical experiences and diving into the future of virtual reality through the path-breaking innovations of Hyundai.
Hyundai Pavilion on metaverse will inaugurate the much-awaited all-electric SUV Hyundai Ioniq 5 for customers to experience its wide range of features. Ioniq 5 will be the company’s first all-electric SUV to be launched on Hyundai Motor Group’s Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), an innovative system for next-generation battery vehicles.
As India is all set for Auto Expo 2023, Hyundai Motors India is geared to showcase the innovative and interactive metaverse experience of the Auto Expo 2023 to the forefront at the Hyundai Mobility Adventure on Roblox.
Over the year-end holidays, Joshua Browder attended a phone call with personnel from Wells Fargo to work through a refund request using DoNotPay’s AI-generated deepfake voice and OpenAI’s GPT.
Over Christmas, @DoNotPay managed to create an AI deepfake clone of my voice. Then, with GPT, we got the bot to phone up Wells Fargo and successfully overturn some wire fees.
This is the perfect use case for AI. Nobody has time to argue on the phone about $12!
Browder is the founder of DoNotPay, a world-first application offering robot lawyers. It is a downloadable mobile application that uses artificial intelligence to assist and provide legal services on a subscription basis.
Browder and a few employees used Resemble.ai to test its capabilities to generate a deepfake AI-voice clone of Browder’s voice and called the Wells Fargo Bank. They used the open-source GPT-J to generate continuous responses about Browder’s checking account during the exchange.
When the deepfake AI-voice bot phoned the bank, Browder had US$46.91 in his account. As directed, the voice then spoke to a banker to get a refund on a wire transfer and managed an entire conversation that was scripted using the latest version of GPT, GPT 3.5.
As seen in the video, the bot successfully overturned the wire fees, indicating that AI has demonstrated that applying AI technologies in such situations and use cases can save time.
Microsoft and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have signed a MoU to support the growth of space-tech startups in India. The MoU will provide technology tools and platforms, go-to-market support, and mentoring to space tech startups in order to help them scale and become enterprise-ready.
The collaboration aims to strengthen ISRO’s vision of harnessing the market potential of promising space tech innovators and entrepreneurs in India by onboarding them onto the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub platform for free.
This will include technical support to build and scale on Azure, best-in-class developer, and productivity tools, including Visual Studio Enterprise, Microsoft 365, and GitHub Enterprise. It will also include access to smart analytics with Power BI and Dynamics 365.
According to S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO, ISRO’s collaboration with Microsoft will benefit space tech startups in their analysis and processing of huge amounts of satellite data for various applications with the use of cutting-edge methods like AI, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning.
Moreover, Microsoft will provide mentoring support to space-tech entrepreneurs in fields including space engineering, cloud technologies, product and design, fundraising, sales, and marketing. In addition, founders will be given access to Microsoft Learn for tailored startup-centric training programs and content to help them build connections with potential customers and the industry.
Microsoft and ISRO will also organize thought leadership and knowledge-sharing sessions by space industry experts for the startups. In addition, the collaboration will benefit founders with technical support, go-to-market strategies, and opportunities to sell their solutions through Microsoft channels and the marketplace.
Baidu is launching MetaStack, a technological stack for its metaverse constructing platform XiRang. With this technological stack, the company plans to build infrastructure enabling developers to create metaverse projects independently, within just 40 days.
The announcement was made by Baidu’s WeChat account, anticipating to release of the XiRang MetaStack on January 10 during its annual developers’ conference. Baidu is targeting mainstream technology companies as primary clients and said, “The metaverse will not only become a new marketing front but also open up the imagination for new consumption and production.”
Generally, metaverse projects are very time-consuming and require a lot of complex technology, labor, and resources. Through its XiRang MetaStack infrastructure, comprising the metaverse client kernel, cross-network transmission service, metaverse world service engine, and operation platform, Baidu wants to make the process easier.
XiRang was launched on January 5 to facilitate metaverse projects. The metaverse platform soon launched a comprehensive suite of Web3 AI tools to enhance brand marketing of metaverse projects developed on XiRang. With MetaStack, Baidu wants to go beyond brand marketing and accelerate metaverse creation altogether.
Palantir Technologies, a leading data analytics company, is excited to announce the release of Palantir Skykit, which is a fully disconnected intelligence center giving soldiers an advantage over adversaries by allowing them access AI technology wirelessly from distressed places.
Palantir Skykit aims to empower soldiers to effectively integrate their data, make decisions, and carry out operations from remote places using the Palantir software which allows users to task and analyze data from anywhere. The Skykit will be released soon at Customer Experience Show 2023. The company has released a YouTube video of the product before the launch.
Skykit has its own secure satellite communications, which means soldiers can access satellite internet for communication from distressed areas. The kit has a ruggedized laptop with pre-installed Palantir intelligence platform software to generate insights from sensitive military data.
It also has a Quadcopter drone, which runs computer vision algorithms via Palantir AI interface platform, to detect any peculiarities from the surroundings. Moreover, the kit includes Trailcam Nano, which is a detachable small camera that also searches the surroundings using detection algorithms.
Skykit is built for disconnected adverse, hostile, and extreme environments to harness the power of AI running onboard. Skykit contains dual integrated monitors, onboard battery packs to power the entire unit for a day fully disconnected, and a secure storage area for the included devices.
Palantir AI interface platform powers the computer vision algorithms to be deployed onboard to send detections from the drone and Trailcan Nano directly to the base station for decision making.
Skykit has a modular design with variants for various use cases. For example, model Skykit L is the lightweight backpack form factor, whereas Skykit S is for sea and maritime use.
Salesforce Inc. announced that it would close certain offices and lay off roughly 10% of its staff, affecting over 7,000 employees, making it one of the recent tech companies to make cost-cutting measures in the face of a slowing economy.
Marc Benioff, co-CEO, wrote to the employees that it is challenging for the company as clients are making more “measured purchasing decisions.” He expects the move to save up to US$1.4b to US$2.1b in charges in Q4 2023.
The Salesforce layoffs have also stemmed from a rapid ‘hiring phase” that the company claims to have gone through. Benioff added that the company hired over 79,000 employees in February 2022 alone.
He said, “As our revenue accelerated through the pandemic, we hired too many people leading into this economic downturn we’re now facing, and I take responsibility for that.”
The previous year witnessed several big companies planning or announcing layoffs to cut costs amidst uncertain market conditions, recurring COVID scares, and worldwide recession. The anticipated worldwide recession results from interest rate hikes by several global central banks trying to curb inflationary pressures in the respective countries. Many other companies have also laid off massive chunks of their workforce, including Meta, Datarobot, Amazon, and many others. In fact, Salesforce laid off over 2500 employees in November 2022 due to product challenges and sales performance.
NVIDIA and Foxconn, the world’s largest electronics and technology manufacturer, announces a strategic partnership to develop automated and autonomous vehicles.
As part of the partnership, NVIDIA will be a tier-one manufacturer to produce electronic units (ECUs) based on NVIDIA DRIVE Orin for the worldwide automotive market.
Foxconn-manufactured electronic vehicles will feature DRIVE Orin ECUs and DRIVE Hyperion sensors for highly automotive driving capabilities.
Eric Yeh, Senior Director of the Software Development Center at Foxconn, mentioned that the strategic corporation with NVIDIA can strengthen intelligent driving solutions, and both companies can enable the automotive industry to build energy-efficient, automated vehicles.
The collaboration with Foxconn will enable NVIDIA to scale its efforts further and meet the growing industry demands as more transportation leaders select DRIVE Orin for their intelligent vehicles. By building EVs on the DRIVE Hyperion qualifies sensor set, Foxconn can speed up its time-to-market and time-to-cost strategies.
Rishi Dall, Vice President of automotive at NVIDIA, stated that collaboration with Foxconn can provide OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) developing intelligent driving solutions with a world-class supplier to scale the NVIDIA DRIVE Orin manufacturing platform. Foxconn’s decision to use the DRIVE Hyperion sensor for its EVs will help accelerate production without compromising safety, reliability, and quality.
