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Google might launch a Pixel Watch in October

We call it the Pixel XS

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The battle between Android and Apple has endured with neither getting the definite upper hand. For all their squabbles in the smartphone world, one side has already made a deafening salvo in another realm — the smartwatch. Now, the opposing team is gearing up for their own counterattack.

For years, the Apple Watch has beaten back all newcomers to the smartwatch industry, establishing their position at the top of the food chain. However, a new rumor speculates that Google might launch its own smartwatch soon.

First reported by renowned leaker Evan Blass, the Pixel-branded smartwatch will launch during a Google event this fall.

German website WinFuture has further detailed that the Pixel watches will come in three flavors — Ling, Triton, and Sardine. All three watches share a nautical theme for their code names. Each watch takes its name from a species of fish.

Allegedly, the watches will sport the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100. Underneath, they will also have a quad-core chip (with an unknown clock rate), the old ARM Cortex-A7 architecture, and an Adreno 304 GPU.

If true, the new platform will also carry the separate Qualcomm “Blackghost” chip, which optimizes power consumption when the screen is off and eases interactions between voice commands and Google Assistant.

The existence of three simultaneous Pixel watch launches still hovers in the realm of rumor. However, Blass ascertains the launch of at least one Pixel watch this fall.

Regardless, one Pixel watch should sway the smartwatch discussion closer to Android. Currently, the Apple Watch thoroughly dominates the sector. Further, non-Apple variants come mostly from luxury watch brands, instead of tech companies themselves.

This fall’s Google event will likely see the launch of the Google Pixel 3 and new Pixel Buds as well. Whatever Google launches then will definitely rock the tech world.

SEE ALSO: Wear OS is Google’s new name for Android Wear

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NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang resigns after scandals

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NVIDIA’s week is finally and mercifully coming to an end. After being implicated in two extramarital affairs, now-former NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has resigned from his position.

It’s been a terrible week for Huang’s personal life. Last weekend, a bombshell report revealed that Huang engaged in an affair with Alice Huang, who is reportedly involved with Chinese intelligence. Quickly realizing the heaviness of the allegations, the CEO admitted quickly to the affair.

However, barely 24 hours ago, another report revealed that Huang had a second extramarital affair. Though he was clear of any more espionage allegations, his romantic affair of choice was another executive within the company. NVIDIA’s board of directors quickly debated whether Huang should be fired for his actions.

Now, Huang has voluntarily resigned from his position. The former CEO leaves behind his spot at the head of the table since cofounding NVIDIA in 1993.

In his stead, the board of directors have named incumbent CFO Colette Kress as the company’s interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent replacement. Despite her interim role, Kress will continue her duties as CFO.

Additionally, the board has named Harvey C. Jones, a member of board since its founding, as its first chair of the board.

Though the company will leave most of the controversy behind with Huang’s departure, its next chapter is about to begin. Will its new direction maintain the company’s tenuous balance between AI and gaming, or tip the scales towards one segment?

SEE ALSO: NVIDIA CEO admits to having an affair with alleged Chinese spy

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St. Peter reunited people with their deceased loved ones through tech

The new “If Heaven Could Write” campaign generates letters from the imagined perspectives of loved ones.

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Grieving can take many forms. Sometimes, it manifests through a desire to hear a loved one again. We look at their old clothing, a gust of wind, or a butterfly, and imagine them talking to us one more time. This year, St. Peter, through the power of technology, gave 11,000 people that chance through its new “If Heaven Could Write” campaign.

During St. Peter Deathcare Week, which ran from October 27 through November 2, the deathcare provider started the “If Heaven Could Write” campaign, an interactive digital experience that offered participants a chance to reunite with their deceased loved ones. It was available in 37 St. Peter Chapels and 76 cemeteries nationwide.

Upon scanning a QR code which took them to a portal, participants answered questions about their loved ones. Then, the portal generates a personal letter from the imagined perspective of the participant’s loved one, giving them one more chance to converse.

Of course, an imagined letter can’t replace someone who passed away. Still, the experience affords us a way to grieve and process the loss. No, the letter isn’t really from your loved one, but you can imagine what they would have said while reading through it. And sometimes, that’s all we need.

Though St. Peter Deathcare Week has already come and gone for the year, those interested can still participate in the campaign through its link.

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Next iPhone might get rid of the Action Button

Both functions will be in one button instead.

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In a world with a love-hate relationship with extra buttons on a phone, Apple has gone to the deeper end and included two buttons in the latest iPhones: the Action Button and the Camera Control. Next year, Apple might consolidate the two buttons into one, ridding itself of the Action Button.

According to a Weibo leak from Instant Digital, Apple will merge the two buttons starting with next year’s iPhones. Though technically a new button in itself, the merged version will, based on the leak, retain more Camera Control than the Action Button.

Of course, both functions can coexist in the same button. The Camera Control activates with a single press, while the Action Button needs a longer press. In the merged button, a single press can still open the camera and a longer press can activate whatever the user sets it to.

Both buttons have had a storied past. The Action Button came in 2023, replacing the Ring/Silent Switch. Meanwhile, the Camera Control debuted a year later, offering control over the camera with a capacitive button. The current iterations retain both buttons on the same phone.

Personally, as someone used to creating content, the Camera Control button is ultimately a boon to get those shots quickly while in the moment. Retaining that functionality is definitely worthwhile.

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