O Inesperado Show de Talentos

Logo após Mariana terminar a explicação sobre as saídas de emergência, ela olhou ao redor e percebeu que, como sempre, muitos passageiros não estavam realmente ouvindo. Foi então que uma ideia surgiu em sua mente: por que não tornar aquele momento mais divertido e memorável? Ela, então, deu um sorriso travesso e chamou a atenção de todos com um gesto incomum. Do bolso do avental, Mariana tirou três pacotes de amendoim. Até aí, nada de estranho, mas o que aconteceu a seguir deixou todos boquiabertos. Com uma destreza digna de uma artista de circo, ela começou a fazer malabarismo com os pacotes, enquanto continuava a explicar os procedimentos de emergência. Quem antes estava distraído, agora olhava com atenção – e riso. Ela arremessava os pacotes de um lado para o outro, e o clima no avião rapidamente mudou. Os passageiros, antes sonolentos e entediados, agora aplaudiam e riam de sua performance inesperada. Mariana terminou o número com uma reverência exagerada e um pedido cômico: “Agora que vocês sabem o que fazer em caso de emergência, por favor, me chamem se alguém souber fazer malabarismo com copos de café!” A plateia, ou melhor, os passageiros, caíram na gargalhada.

A Reação dos Passageiros

“Eu nunca vi nada assim antes!” comentou um senhor sentado na primeira fileira, com um sorriso de orelha a orelha. Uma jovem sentada ao lado da janela, que parecia nervosa antes da decolagem, agora não parava de rir. “Isso devia ser parte de todos os voos!”, exclamou, ainda tentando recuperar o fôlego. Os passageiros pareciam ter se esquecido de que estavam a milhares de pés do chão, e o ambiente no avião ficou leve e descontraído. Alguns até se levantaram para aplaudir Mariana, enquanto outros pediam para gravar vídeos da cena. O que era para ser apenas mais um voo rotineiro havia se transformado em um show de entretenimento a bordo. Mas enquanto os aplausos ecoavam pela cabine, a equipe do avião trocava olhares entre si, tentando entender o que acabara de acontecer. Embora o momento fosse hilário e claramente apreciado pelos passageiros, ele também foi completamente fora do protocolo. Contudo, ao ver a alegria e a energia positiva que se espalhou pelo avião, o capitão apenas deu uma risada e comentou: “Bom, pelo menos estão todos de bom humor para o voo!”

O “Grand Finale” de Mariana

Depois do show improvisado, Mariana voltou ao seu papel tradicional de comissária de bordo, mas agora todos estavam atentos a cada movimento dela, esperando por mais surpresas. E ela não decepcionou. Durante o serviço de bebidas, um passageiro brincou: “Ei, você pode fazer malabarismo com as latas de refrigerante também?” Mariana, sempre rápida, respondeu: “Eu poderia, mas acho que a tripulação ia me demitir se alguma caísse!” O voo seguiu tranquilo, mas com uma vibração diferente. Os passageiros que entraram entediados e cansados agora estavam conversando animadamente, trocando risadas e comentando sobre o talento escondido da comissária. O gesto de Mariana não apenas quebrou a monotonia de um voo comum, mas também aproximou os passageiros uns dos outros, criando um ambiente mais acolhedor e leve. Ao pousar em Salvador, os passageiros aplaudiram mais uma vez, não apenas pelo pouso seguro, mas em agradecimento ao entretenimento inesperado. Mariana fez questão de cumprimentar cada um na saída, e muitos deles saíram elogiando sua performance. “Se toda viagem de avião fosse assim, ninguém teria medo de voar!”, disse uma senhora ao se despedir.

Quando o Humor Nem Sempre Salva o Dia

Embora a viagem tenha sido divertida e sem contratempos, a experiência de voar nem sempre é tão agradável. Atrasos, cancelamentos e perda de bagagem são situações que muitos passageiros enfrentam com frequência. E, em momentos como esses, por mais que uma comissária talentosa como Mariana possa tentar aliviar o clima, a frustração acaba tomando conta. Imagine, por exemplo, que você está prestes a embarcar em uma viagem importante, mas o voo é cancelado em cima da hora. Ou, pior ainda, você chega ao destino, mas sua bagagem se perde no meio do caminho. Essas situações podem transformar o que deveria ser uma experiência tranquila em uma grande dor de cabeça. É aqui que entra a AirHelp, uma plataforma especializada em auxiliar passageiros a receber compensações por transtornos como esses. Se você já passou por um voo cancelado, atrasado ou teve problemas com bagagens, a AirHelp está pronta para ajudar. O processo é simples: basta fornecer as informações do voo e a AirHelp cuida do resto, trabalhando para garantir que você receba a compensação a que tem direito.

A Tranquilidade de Voar com Assistência

A verdade é que voar deveria ser sempre uma experiência positiva – seja com comissárias talentosas como Mariana ou com um atendimento eficiente em caso de problemas. E quando o inesperado acontece e sua viagem é prejudicada, ter o suporte da AirHelp pode fazer toda a diferença. Eles cuidam de todo o processo legal e burocrático, permitindo que você foque no que realmente importa: sua viagem. Portanto, se você já enfrentou imprevistos durante seus voos, lembre-se de que há uma forma de ser compensado por isso. Com a ajuda da AirHelp, seus direitos como passageiro são garantidos, e você pode até transformar um voo problemático em uma história com um final feliz.

The warm weather finally arrived! But before we begin to wind things down for the summer months, let’s catch up once more with the latest developments in Dutch tech. 

Of course, in our mind, the best news from the week that passed was our own TNW Conference taking place in Zaandam, just outside of Amsterdam. (Next year we are back at one of our favourite locations at NDSM island, grab your 2-for-1 tickets now!) 

This year featured some of the best keynote speakers and panellists in our 18-year history, along with rich networking opportunities and the signature festival feel that TNW is known for.

What we are writing about

What we are reading 

Dutch Dealroom rival Bounce Watch secures pre-Seed funding (Silicon Canals)
Noord-Nederland helpt ASML voor Nederland te behouden (Computable.nl)
Europe is at risk of over-restricting AI and falling behind US and China, Dutch prince says (CNBC) 

Dutch startup of the week: Source.ag
Rien Kamman and Ernst van Bruggen founded Source.ag in 2020. Credit: Source.ag

Source.ag is a Dutch agtech startup founded in 2020 by Rien Kamman and Ernst van Bruggen. The company specialises in AI-driven solutions for greenhouse farming to address global food shortages while conserving water usage. 

Source.ag recently launched a new product called Source Cultivate which supports growers in their decision-making process with accurate yield forecasting up to eight weeks before harvest. It claims a 90% accuracy in yield forecasts three to four weeks out, and has been developed in collaboration with top-tier growers. 

Other products track and improve cultivation processes, streamline and enhance greenhouse operations, and also include an autonomous irrigation system which uses AI to adjust irrigation in real-time. 

The startup recently expanded into North America, opening an office in Chicago. It has raised a total of approximately $37mn to date. 

Our weekly coverage of Dutch tech news will be taking a break over the summer. If you have any ideas of what we should feature, a particularly interesting startup to keep an eye on, or what kind of news you would like to see covered, drop us a line and let us know. See you again in September!

Signum Surgical has been granted De Novo clearance for its BioHealx device, which aims to improve the treatment and recovery of anal fistulas.

Read more: Galway’s Signum Surgical gets FDA approval for medical device

UK-based neobank Monzo has unveiled three app-based security features, aiming to safeguard user accounts from criminals even in the case of phone theft.

The new security tools are designed to prevent criminals from transferring or withdrawing amounts from Monzo accounts by offering an additional layer of protection. The digital bank plans to officially roll them out over the coming weeks.

To begin with, customers will be able to use the new “known locations” feature to indicate a specific, safe location (like their home or their workplace) where they need to be when moving amounts of money over a certain limit.

Monzo will use tracking technology to identify if its customer’s phone is in one of the selected locations and block any transactions that fall outside the scope.

Customers can also designate a trusted friend or family member, who also has a Monzo account, to double check bank transfers or savings withdrawals over a certain limit.

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The trusted contact will be able to see some of the transaction details and flag to the bank any suspicious activity. Monzo will put the transaction on hold until the trusted contact confirms it’s safe.

What’s the “trusted contact” feature looks like. Credit: Monzo

Finally, Monzo users will be able to receive a secret QR code either to print and save or to store digitally on another device. Then, they can scan the code with the Monzo app to confirm large transactions.

Monzo says the new features represent a first across mobile banking, as the industry is grappling with dangerously high levels of fraud.

Founded in 2015, Monzo’s mobile-only banking services quickly gained popularity and the startup achieved unicorn status in 2018. The company navigated financial challenges and significant losses during 2020-2021 but ultimately rebounded.

Monzo said it became profitable in 2023 and now counts a total of nine million users in the UK. In March, it raised £340mn in new funding, reaching a post-money valuation of £4bn. It reportedly secured an additional £190mn in May.

Google has noted that the rapid advancement of AI has brought attention to the tech’s energy consumption and said it ‘won’t be easy’ to reach its net-zero 2030 goal.

Read more: Google’s emissions surge by 48pc amid AI boom

We are essentially one month away from Google’s unveiling of the Pixel 9, so it won’t be any surprise if we start seeing Google’s upcoming devices make appearances from time to time out in the wild. We recently got a very brief teaser of the device from Google, but this week, we’re potentially getting a complete look at the device.

Posted onto X in front of a Samsung poster (lol), someone appears to have their hands on a Pixel 9 in pink. Instant reaction? It’s super hot.

Nothing is shared beyond a look at the outside of the device and mention of its 256GB of storage. It was noted back in May that Google would offer the Pixel 9 in a Peony color option, so we suppose this is that. We also expect the phone to come in Jade (green), Obsidian (black), and Porcelain (white).

For quite some time, companies have been going pretty subtle with the colors and I’ve always been a supporter of bright, bold color options. I have zero issues rocking a pink phone. I think Google knocked this design and color out of the park.

What’s your instant reaction?

// @hanibioud

Samsung is holding an Unpacked event in Paris on July 10th and if you register, you can get a $175 e-voucher towards a new Galaxy device and a chance to win a Galaxy Book4 Pro 360.

The company’s offer runs until July 9th, which gives you about a week to complete registration to get your voucher. The voucher can be used for “eligible” 2024 Galaxy devices. While it isn’t clear which devices are eligible, presumably the new foldables that Samsung is expected to unveil at Unpacked will be included.

Along with the voucher, those who complete the form will have a chance to win one of 10 Galaxy Book4 Pro 360 laptops. So, even if you aren’t planning to buy a new Samsung device, it’s still worth taking the time to register.

You can register here.

MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.

We have only a few months until September which has been officially booked by Apple to launch its iconic products, led by the iPhone lineup. I think if you are even a little bit interested in technology, you must already notice the buzz all over the internet and social media, filled with people’s predictions, guesses, early “confirmations” about Apple plans and leaks, a lot of leaks, from software updates to hardware wireframes. Yes, we love Apple but does it really love us back with such determination?

Okay, the figurative speech aside, there is a big group of people who don’t feel satisfied with what Apple does. Don’t get this wrong, they are still ready to pay more than a thousand dollars for a new iPhone, but the innovation they expect is coming very slowly, at least compared to Samsung, Apple’s biggest rival, which has already introduced its AI capabilities.

It’s important to consider the truth that Apple is not trying to impress with innovations but with safe and intuitive products, which require time to implement and then only pass to the customer. Meanwhile, someone is sitting in front of their Macbook and trying to play the latest game but gets more and more convinced that other PCs may perform way too well, for instance. So, let’s start with this part.

Let’s be real – Apple products excel in many areas, but hardcore gaming performance just isn’t one of their strong suits. I’m an Apple super-fan who loves their signature premium design and intuitive user experiences. But when it comes to running demanding game titles, even Apple’s top-tier hardware gets outpaced by custom gaming PCs.

If you wonder about the difference between Mac Vs. Windows gaming experiences, just look at the experience of playing a graphically intense open-world game like Cyberpunk 2077 on a maxed-out M1 Max MacBook Pro versus a high-end gaming device. While the $3,499 MacBook can handle the game at lower settings around 30 fps, a similarly priced $3,000 PC with an RTX 4090 GPU pumps out over 100 fps at ultra settings with raytracing enabled. You’re talking about the difference between choppy, compromised visuals and a completely immersive experience.

The reason is simple – gaming PCs are purpose-built systems optimized for these 3D workloads. They pack powerful discrete GPUs like Nvidia’s latest 40-series cards with up to 24GB of video memory, liquid cooling setups to sustain peak performance, and ultra-fast M.2 NVMe SSD storage to minimize load times. Apple’s all-in-one designs with integrated graphics simply can’t match that level of raw power.

I’m utterly obsessed with the Apple ecosystem, but there’s no denying Spotify’s streaming service seems to consistently out-innovate the music discovery experience versus Apple Music. While Apple has drastically improved their offering, Spotify’s cutting-edge data science and recommendation engines give them a decided advantage.

Take Spotify’s advanced ‘Audio AI’ features like their AI DJ or the all-new ‘AI Utterance’ voice models. These use machine learning to analyze your listening patterns, demographics, and taste profiles to craft incredibly personalized DJ commentary and seamless playlist transitions tailored just for you. It’s like having a knowledgeable music expert as your private curator.

By comparison, Apple Music’s recommendations still feel more rudimentary and standardized. Their approaches like grouping playlists by moods or genres just doesn’t achieve that hyper-personalized user experience Spotify nails so well.

The user numbers underline Spotify’s dominance too. As of Q3 2023, Spotify boasts over 236 million paying subscribers globally versus Apple Music’s estimated 93 million (as of 2024). That incredible scale means Spotify can ingest vastly more listening data to train their AI models. Industry data indicates Spotify tracks over 79 billion monthly plays across its platform versus Apple’s 35 billion.

So while both are excellent services, for music superfans craving that next-gen AI-curated experience, Spotify’s aggressive emphasis on personalization AI gives them the decided edge – at least for now.

We all saw that splashy Meta keynote video where Mark Zuckerberg threw unmistakable shade at Apple’s upcoming Vision Pro mixed reality headset. Calling the $3,499 device “expensive” while claiming Meta’s $1,499 Quest Pro offers a superior extended reality (XR) experience, Zuck was clearly attempting to get out in front of Apple’s invasion into his virtual territory.

In reality, both the Vision Pro and Quest Pro represent enormously expensive bets on an as-yet-unproven consumer XR market. While Meta enjoys a significant cost advantage thanks to their content-neutral, open ecosystem approach, Apple’s track record for premium industrial design and obsessive hardware optimization could give Vision Pro’s experience a serious edge.

Take the Vision Pro’s novel aluminum and curved glass design, for example. With an internal fan, vents, and over a dozen cameras and sensors, it represents a technical marvel of miniaturization and ergonomics – hallmarks of Apple’s renowned hardware chops. The Pro’s ultra high-res displays also output at a silky 120Hz refresh rate for life-like visual fidelity.

By contrast, Meta’s plastic Quest Pro headset looks comparatively toy-ish and low-rent, with LCD panels that max out at 90Hz and less than half the number of cameras. But as always with Apple products, that seamless user experience comes at a premium cost.

The launch of the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro will without a doubt have a heavy AI focus. Google just spent an entire Google I/O talking nothing but AI and the applications they believe will arrive in the near future. There’s just no way they wouldn’t follow that up with more AI chatter around their own flagship devices. The Pixel 9 launch will also be an AI launch.

A part of that launch could be the first arrival of “Google AI,” according to a new report. Google AI will essentially be the name for all of the AI magic a Pixel can do, because underneath Google AI is Gemini, the AI that so many Android phones already have access to.

A screenshot shared by Android Authority shows this Google AI with a set of features that includes Gemini, Circle to Search, Add Me, Screenshots, and Studio. Those final 3 in the list are what may be new when Google AI launches.

What do all of these new features do? To be honest, we don’t really know, but this is what the screenshot says:

Add Me: Make sure everyone’s included in a group photo
Screenshots: Find the info you need from screenshots
Studio: You imagine it. Pixel creates it.

Because we have no other info to go on, everyone is just guessing at what these could be. The “Add Me” feature sounds like Google might cook up a way to include people in a photo that may have been around an event, yet missed out on the big group photo. That’s odd and creepy, but maybe it’ll be great? As for “Screenshots,” this could be a feature where Google looks through all of the screenshots you’ve ever taken and finds data from them, as well as related data from the time you took the screenshot to return results. And finally, “Studio” could be a built-in image or video generation tool beyond just the wallpaper maker that Pixel phones have now.

I’m still processing these ideas while not trying to get too caught up in our guesses being correct. The general takeaway here should just be that the Pixel 9 is going to introduce a blanket AI term called “Google AI.” Google can do a lot with that.

Stay tuned for August 13.

// Android Authority