AI, XR, and Smart Feature Updates Roll Out Across the Industry

Oct 17

Emerging Tech Roundup — October 18

The Quantious team’s top picks for timely trending news in the tech world.

This week in tech: The power of AI agents is uncovered, Alo Moves XR debuts on Meta Quest 3, Apple teases the exploration of smart glasses, Adobe unveils AI-powered video and audio content generators, Apple shares new iPad Mini details, and Google rolls out a personalized shopping experience.

Agents Are the Future AI Companies Promise — And Desperately Need

(The Verge, October 10)

Agents — customizable, decision-making, AI-driven assistants — are rising in popularity within the tech industry, serving as a shortcut for companies looking to automate tasks and enhance productivity. Agents differ from bots in the way that they can interact with the environments around them and learn from feedback, and are able to work without additional human direction. Agents are great for tackling administrative tasks and freeing up time for creative tasks among workers. In the future, they could be used to monetize powerful AI models.

Workout App Alo Moves Is Now in VR on Meta Quest 3

(Engadget, October 10)

Users can now use Alo Moves XR on Meta Quest 3 headsets — making it the first wellness app on the Meta Quest store to provide immersive classes with volumetric 3D-capture. Offering 32 classes to start, users can adjust the 360-degree view of instructors, change the background scenery for added ambience, and collect milestone badges as they progress through classes. Alo Moves XR costs users $10 per month, $69 per year, or an additional $20 annually for those who are already Alo Moves subscribers.

Apple Reportedly Developing Smart Glasses to Rival Meta's Ray-Bans

(CNET, October 14)

Apple is reportedly using some of its visual intelligence R&D investment to expand its product suite — aiming to release their own smart glasses with mass-market appeal. The tech giant is also rumored to be working on Airpods with outward-facing cameras that would also be equipped with visual intelligence. In addition, Apple is allegedly considering offering a lower-end model of its Vision Pro in an effort to make purchasing more affordable.

Adobe Unveils AI Video Generator Trained on Licensed Content

(Ars Technica, October 14)

Adobe has introduced AI video generator Firefly Video Model. Joining a competitive video generation market, Adobe sets itself apart from the rest with consideration to copyrighting issues — the model is trained exclusively on licensed content. The company’s new model is currently in beta testing, available only to users from a waiting list, and has not yet announced a general release date.

Adobe’s Project Super Sonic Uses AI to Generate Sound Effects for Your Videos

(TechCrunch, October 15)

Adobe introduced its first prototype demo for Project Super Sonic at its annual MAX conference, offering seemingly smarter features than its competitors. The technology’s object recognition can be used to click on any part of a video and generate audio that relates to it — or to record an imitation of audio they’d like to use themselves, which the technology then uses to produce a more polished version. At the moment, this project is merely a “sneak peak” by Adobe — a glimpse into something that they’re working on that may or may not eventually make its way into the Adobe Creative Suite.

Apple Introduces Powerful New iPad Mini Built for Apple Intelligence

(Apple Newsroom, October 15)

Apple has introduced its new iPad mini, equipped with artificial intelligence and a 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display — available in four colors. The new iPad has a faster CPU and GPU, all-day battery life, and supports the Apple Pencil Pro. Customers can preorder today starting at $499, or buy the new iPad Mini when it hits the shelves on October 23.

Google Unveils AI-powered Google Shopping Overhaul

(Search Engine Land, October 15)

Google is rolling out a new AI-powered, personalized shopping experience for users. With Google Shopping, users will be able to shop with personalized recommendations, enhanced search tools, price comparisons, virtual try-ons, and more. This is not only exciting for shoppers but also an opportunity for businesses to reach higher engagement with targeted content. This new experience will be rolling from October 15th onward.