ICYMI: the 7 biggest tech stories of the week, from leaking Meta smart glasses to Superman’s dog and ChatGPT on WhatsApp
The year is coming to a close, but we have time for at least one more ICYMI overview to keep you up to date on the most important tech announcements before the holidays, and more importantly, CES 2025 land.
This week we saw plenty of leaks for the Samsung Galaxy S25, Nintendo Switch 2 and Ray-Ban’s new smart glasses, and we also got a trailer for Superman which introduced us to a really good guy in Krypto.
You can’t watch Superman Not yet, but if you’ve caught up on the week’s news and are looking for something to fill your spare time, check out our picks for the seven new movies and TV shows to stream this weekend.
7. Panasonic has brought back the point-and-shoot camera
One thing we didn’t have on the 2024 bingo card was a new point-and-shoot camera, even though it’s a trending market this year. So it was surprising when Panasonic announced the Lumix ZS99 / TZ99 (called the former in the US and the latter elsewhere), which will be available from February 2025.
The pocket-sized camera has a Leica lens with a whopping 30x optical zoom – a 24-720mm range that’s far more versatile than your smartphone, and can be digitally doubled to 60x using Panasonic’s iZoom feature. It takes 20.3 MP photos and 4K video, supported by Panasonic’s 5-axis image stabilization for sharp recordings. That all sounds great, but it’s actually 10-year-old technology borrowed from the Lumix ZS80/TZ80 it replaces, and the newer model may well be a downgrade as the EVF (electronic viewfinder) has been removed.
So why the new model? It can be charged via USB-C, meaning the green light to stay on shelves will come in 2025 when the EU’s common charger directive comes into effect. So it’s not so much a comeback for the point-and-shoot camera, but a matter of keeping it alive… just.
6. The Nintendo Switch 2 has been leaked… again… twice
We just talked about the Nintendo Switch 2 leak in last week’s ICYMI recap, but it’s happened again, with the upcoming console being shown off not once but twice.
When announcing his new Kill switch 2 Arguing for the incoming hardware, Dbrand apparently showed it off with a 3D rendering of the handheld inside, which the CEO says is based on a “3D scan of the real hardware.”
Then apparently we got another look at the hardware thanks to the YouTube channel NerdNest publishing a video showing what appears to be a dummy model of the Switch 2, which they apparently obtained from a third-party accessory manufacturer, iVoler.
We’ve yet to see the Nintendo Switch 2 in person, but the leaks seem to indicate that those of you wanting a major redesign will be sorely disappointed. Perhaps this is one of those occasions where we would have been better off sitting in the dark beforehand.
5. The Samsung Galaxy S25 also leaked left, right and center
Leaks are common in the consumer tech industry, but someone at Samsung has clearly left the tap open as we were treated to numerous revelations this week about the design, specs and release date surrounding the upcoming Galaxy S25 series.
We were already pretty sure the rumored Galaxy S25 would be announced on January 22, and that date was all but confirmed on Wednesday with a leaked poster from the launch event, which teased the upcoming release of four (yes, four) Galaxy phones teased.
Even more recently, a well-known leaker shared an image of a Spigen case for the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and since Spigen is a big brand, it’s likely that these design details are as accurate as they come.
Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are good, but could be better, and a leak this week suggests Meta is gearing up to give the specs the most in-demand upgrade in 2025: a display.
That is according to the Wall Street Journal, stating that “a person familiar with the project” suggested that the Ray-Bans would have a “single small screen in the lens” to give users a small HUD, saving them from having to keep taking their phone out of their pocket .
It won’t be as feature-packed as the consumer version of the Meta Orion AR glasses prototype that wowed us this year, but it’s a step in the right direction and adds credibility to a rumor suggesting Orion will arrive in 2027 – and that is much closer than it seems.
3. DC showed us a Superman trailer, and a very good boy
2024 isn’t over yet, but next year is already shaping up to be a big year for a host of new movies, including James Gunn’s Superman movie.
The film is still seven months away from release, but the first trailer for the DCU Chapter One movie was revealed this week – and we don’t know about you, but we’re completely obsessed with Superman’s best friend in Krypto the Superdog , who stole the film. show after the teaser reveal. Indeed, it already looks like he’s going to be a really good – albeit naughty – boy, so roll on July 11, 2025, we say!
Read more: I’m completely obsessed with the DCU’s take on Krypto the Superdog
2. ChatGPT came to WhatsApp as part of a 12-day event
OpenAI surprised everyone this week by announcing, as part of the ’12 Days of OpenAI’, that we can now text ChatGPT via WhatsApp. You just need to add ChatGPT as a contact in WhatsApp (the number is 1-800-CHATGPT) and you can text it just like any other WhatsApp contact. If you are outside the US, make sure you add it as a US phone number and it will still work.
Using WhatsApp for ChatGPT is perfect for quick interactions, like asking ChatGPT if there are any good places to eat nearby or what to visit when you’re in town. And if texting doesn’t float your boat, you can (provided you have a US number) call ChatGPT and talk to it using voice mode. You get 15 minutes of conversation per month on a free account, but longer if you’re a ChatGPT Plus subscriber.
1. Google unveiled its Sora-beating AI video generator
Last week, OpenAI fully launched Sora, the highly anticipated AI video generator. Well, Google has already unveiled an update to its video generation tool and Veo 2 might just be the best we’ve seen yet.
Google’s Veo AI video generator update adds massive improvements like 4K resolution output and a focus on “a better understanding of real-world physics and the nuances of human movement and expression,” bringing the detail and realism into generally be improved.
Veo 2 launched as part of Google Labs and you can join a waitlist to get access to the AI video generator, as long as you’re over 18 and live in the US. Google plans to roll out the AI model in 2025, and once we get our hands on it, we’ll be sure to compete against Sora to see which AI tool comes out on top.