Google’s Made by Google event brings AI to their smart phones, Samsung workers are back on strike and a new study finds a troubling link between tablet use and aggressive behaviour in very young children.
All this and more on the “Bad Behaviour” edition of Hashtag Trending. I’m your host, Jim Love. Let’s get into it.
Google’s “Made by Google” 2024 event unveiled some new hardware software and AI enhancements to Google’s product lines.
It included the latest line of Pixel phones, the Pixel 9.
There is an entry-level model, featuring a 6.3-inch Actua display, 12GB of RAM, and a dual rear camera system. It’s priced competitively at $799 US and comes in four colors.
The Pixel 9 Pro offers a brighter 6.3-inch display, 16GB of RAM, and a triple camera setup. This model also includes a one-year subscription to Google’s AI Premium Plan. It has a starting price here is $999 US
For those who prefer larger screens, the Pixel 9 Pro XL comes with a 6.8-inch display, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is Google’s latest venture into foldable phones, featuring an 8-inch inner display. The Fold is the priciest of the lineup, starting at $1,799.
Google also introduced Android 15, which features enhanced AI capabilities. Gemini AI replaces Google Assistant as the new default assistant on Android devices.
Gemini is claimed to be more intuitive, with features like ‘Add Me’, which allows users to seamlessly merge group photos with individual selfies, and ‘Call Summary’, which provides a detailed recap of your calls.
On the audio front, Google unveiled the Pixel Buds Pro 2. These earbuds build on the success of their predecessors and claim to have improved sound quality, thanks to custom-designed speakers and advanced noise cancellation technology. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are priced at $229US
Finally, Google launched their Pixel Watch 3 with a larger 45mm model alongside the 41mm version. The new watch features a brighter display, better battery life, and enhanced fitness tracking capabilities. The starting price is $349US for the 41mm model and $399US for the 45mm.
This version maintains a professional tone, providing a clear and concise overview of the key announcements from the event, making it ideal for a single announcer to deliver in a podcast.
Sources include: ZDNET.com
The labour strike by the unionized workers of Samsung Electronics in South Korea I continuing with new action set to take place from August 15 to August 18, 2024.
The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), represents approximately 31,000 workers or 24% of Samsung’s 125,000 workforce, and is demanding a 5.6% pay raise, additional bonuses, and a guaranteed day off on the union’s founding day.
The strike is a continuation of ongoing disputes with management over wages and other labor conditions. There have been some disruptions and rotating strike actions, but workers had returned to work – but are now holding this larger action.
The parties aren’t too far apart on compensation. Samsung Electronics has offered a 5.1% wage increase and expressed a desire to maintain a positive relationship with the union. But that difference and some earlier complaints about how employees are treated and managed are apparently enough to justify the additional job action.
Despite negotiations that began in January 2024, the two sides have yet to reach an agreement, prompting the union to take this additional step.
While the company has claimed that it is maintaining production, these interruptions by such a large number of Samsung workers will undoubtedly affect production and distribution of Samsung products.
Sources include: YonHap News
A new international study led by Université de Sherbrooke researchers has uncovered a concerning cycle between tablet use and emotional outbursts in young children. The research, published in JAMA Pediatrics, found that increased tablet use at age three and a half led to more frequent anger and frustration at age four and a half, which in turn contributed to even more tablet use by age five and a half.
Professor Caroline Fitzpatrick, the study’s lead author, explains: “We hypothesized that a higher rate of tablet use would be associated with more frequent outbursts of anger and that, in turn, children who exhibited a higher degree of anger would increase their tablet use.”
The study, conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlights the importance of limiting screen time for young children. Professor Élizabeth Harvey, a co-author, notes: “Parents may resort to using tablets more often as a strategy to help them regulate their emotions.”
The researchers advise parents to set strict limits on tablet use, model healthy digital habits, and rely on discussion rather than screens to help children manage their emotions. This study paves the way for further research into the context and quality of screen content consumed by young children.
For those who want to know more, there are links to additional resources from this research group including another story on the team’s work on internet use and adolescent depression.
Let me know if this is of interest and I might try to bring in one of the researchers for our weekend interview show.
Sources include:
• Learn more about the Canada Research Chair in Digital Media Use by Children and Its Implications for Promoting Togetherness
• Read this 2024 article published in JAMA Pediatrics
• Read the team’s work on Internet use and adolescent depression
• Read the team’s work on screen use and preschooler global development
• Read the team’s work on child screen media habits during the pandemic
And that’s our show for today. You can find show notes at our news site technewsday.com or .ca take you pick.
Hashtag Trending is on summer hours so there’s no morning news edition tomorrow, but our weekend show will be released early on Friday.
Thanks for listening. I’m your host Jim Love, have a Wonderful Wednesday.
