This week saw a lot of launches – from smartphones to laptops to government portals. Samsung launched two smartphones in India, while Xiaomi launched its most expensive smartphone that costs nearly a lakh. Both Nothing and Realme brought their affordable offerings for the masses. HP announced that it is bringing AI-powered laptops and printers and Apple launched the MacBook Air with M3 processor for AI tasks.Google co-founder Sergey Brin told employees that the company “definitely messed up” with Gemini AI chatbot responses. The week also witnessed social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram as well as Google services hit with snag. All this and more in TOI Tech’s weekly wrap.

National Creators Award 2024: List of winners across 23 categories

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has presented the first-ever National Creators Awards at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. This award celebrates the contributions of digital content creators who have brought about positive social change and innovation. Click here to read the full story.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin: We definitely messed up

Soon after Google Gemini was criticised for generating ‘historically inaccurate’ images, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai dubbed the Gemini’s image generation “completely unacceptable”. Now, the company co-founder Sergey Brin has spoken his mind saying that the AI chatbot “definitely messed up”.
“I wasn’t really expecting to talk about this today. We definitely messed up on the image generation, and I think it was mostly due to, just like, not thorough testing,” Brin said at the “Gemini 1.5 Hackathon” while addressing concerns about the AI’s biases. Click here to read the full story.

Samsung Galaxy M14 4G with Qualcomm SoC, 5000mAh battery launched

Samsung launched the 4G variant of Galaxy M14 smartphone in India. It is listed on Amazon.in, priced at Rs 8,499. The smartphone features an FHD+ display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 chipset, triple rear camera setup, 13MP selfie camera, and 25W fast charging support. Click here to read the full story.

Apple launched 13-inch, 15-inch MacBook Air with M3 chip

Apple unveiled new MacBook Air models powered by M3 chip, promising significant performance boost, improved battery life, AI capabilities, Liquid Retina display, Wi-Fi 6E support, environmental sustainability, availability starting March 8, prices start at Rs 114,900. M1 MacBook Air discontinued. Click here to read the full story.

Xiaomi launched its most-expensive smartphones of 2024 -Xiaomi 14 series in India

After unveiling the Xiaomi 14 series at MWC 24 for the global markets, Xiaomi’s new flagship phones—the Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra—have arrived in the Indian market. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra and Xiaomi 14 come with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset on board and feature a Leica co-engineered triple camera setup. Here’s all that you need to know about the Xiaomi 14.

Mark Zuckerberg, wife Priscilla Chan got impressed by Anant Ambani’s watch

Mark Zuckerberg and other tech moguls attended the pre-wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant. In a viral video, they admired Anant’s Richard Mille watch, rumoured to be worth Rs 10 crore. Anant is also claimed to own a Patek Philippe Grand Complication Sky Moon Tourbillon, which costs Rs 63 crores and a Grand Master Chimes that is priced at Rs 66 crores. Click here to read the full story.

Nothing Phone (2a) launches with Dimensity 7200 Pro, 120Hz AMOLED display, and 50MP cameras

Three years after its first phone, Nothing is back with the Phone (2a). It features a transparent back, Dimensity 7200 Pro SoC, 120Hz AMOLED display, 50MP cameras, and starts at Rs 23,999 in India. Click here to read the full story.

Vivo V30, V30 Pro smartphones with 50MP selfie camera, 80W fast charging launched

Vivo V30 and Vivo V30 Pro are launched in India with FHD+ display, AMOLED curved screen, and 50MP front camera. HDFC bank and SBI users get an upgrade bonus. The smartphones feature Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 and MediaTek Dimensity 8200 chipsets, FunTouchOS 14, dual SIM support, IP54 rating, in-display fingerprint sensor, and 5000 mAh battery with 80W fast charging. Click here to read the full story.

Samsung Galaxy F15 5G with 6000 mAh battery, Android 14 launched

Samsung launches Galaxy F15 5G smartphone in India with FHD+ display, MediaTek Dimensity chipset, 50MP main camera, 6000 mAh battery. Available in multiple colors. Buy on Flipkart, Samsung India online store. Variants starting at Rs 12,999. Limited period offer: Get Samsung charger at discounted price. Click here to read the full story.

Realme 12+ 5G, Realme 12 with Android 14, MediaTek chipset launched

Realme has launched the Realme 12 5G and Realme 12+ 5G smartphones in India. The Realme 12 5G offers a 6.72-inch display, 108MP main camera, and 45W fast charging support. The Realme 12+ 5G features a 6.7-inch AMOLED display, MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chipset, and IP54 rating. Click here to read the full story.

Govt launches Chakshu portal to report fraud calls, messages

In a significant move to curb fraudulent activities plaguing mobile users, the government has launched Chakshu portal under the Sanchar Sathi initiative. The platform empowers subscribers to report suspected fraud calls, deceptive messages (such as lottery offers and job scams), and even instances of phone number leaks by businesses. Click here to read the full story.

YouTube, Gmail faced disruption almost same time as Facebook, Instagram went down

Users of Google apps like Gmail and YouTube, as well as Meta-owned social networks Facebook and Instagram, faced service outages on March 5. Google confirmed ongoing issues with Gmail, including elevated error rates and delays in email delivery. Facebook users encountered error messages and login issues, while Instagram users faced problems refreshing their feeds. Click here to read the full story.

HP’s big AI push: PCs, printers, and more coming soon with AI

HP is making a significant push towards integrating artificial intelligence (AI) across its products and services. That was the message HP CEO Enrique Lores sent out at the company’s Amplify event in Las Vegas. Lores, in an address to HP’s partners, said that with AI the company aims to not only personalise user experiences but also open new possibilities for businesses and individuals. Click here to read the full story.

Europe’s Digital Markets Act: How it forced Apple, Google, Amazon and Facebook to change

New rules came into effect in Europe this week, giving people in the region more control over their phones and computers. This is part of a law called the Digital Markets Act (DMA) that targets big tech companies. These set of European Union regulations that classify six tech companies as “gatekeepers” – Amazon, Apple, Google parent Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok owner ByteDance – came into effect starting March 7. Click here to read the full story.