The TechCrunch team<\/span> is in Barcelona this week to bring you all the action going on at Mobile World Congress<\/a> 2024. You already know what we\u2019re expecting<\/a>, so sit back, relax and stay tuned throughout the week as we bring you the products, announcements and startup news from MWC that you need to know.<\/p>\n So far, we\u2019ve seen some big announcements from companies, including new Android features from Google, Lenovo\u2019s new laptop concept and rollable phone concept and Xiaomi\u2019s robotic dog. As MWC progresses, here\u2019s how you can follow along with our team\u2019s coverage<\/a>.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Brian Heater<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Earlier this week, Brian Heater met with Brain.ai founder and CEO Jerry Yue<\/a> and what resulted is a delightful chronicle of how generative AI might be foundational to the next generation of devices.<\/p>\n The AI and interface company\u2019s operating system is likely to be seen in the United States in the device known as the T-Mobile REVVL here in the States (known as the \u201cT Phone\u201d in international markets like the EU), Brian writes. The precise model, release date and nature of the deal will be revealed \u201csoon,\u201d according to Yue.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom a privacy and security perspective, we want to give a new level of control that people don\u2019t have right now,\u201d Yue said. \u201cThe computer\u2019s understanding of you, now it\u2019s aggregated into different apps. These AI models are black boxes \u2014 recommendation machines that exploit our attention. We believe in explainable AI. We will be explaining to you, each step of the way, why we are making a recommendation. You have more people owning the AI and not big tech black boxes.\u201d<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Natasha Lomas\/TechCrunch<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Liveliness<\/a> is building a community app around shared sporting passions. The free app offers a chat function and the ability for users to set up events that other users can sign up to join. It also features a feed of (non-user) organized events geared toward learning and improving at different sports, such as running clubs, street yoga, calisthenics sessions and so on. These can include paid events, giving the startup a route to earning commissions. It also plans to monetizes through a premium version of the app, with additional features for subscribers.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Natasha Lomas\/TechCrunch<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Sweanty<\/a> (clever name) is the Spanish startup behind a stick-on patch for tracking athletes\u2019 sweat to monitor salt loss and help them tailor their rehydration strategy. The system is designed to ensure athletes rehydrate with the correct amount of electrolytes (or isotonic drinks) after each training session. Analysis of the patch wearers\u2019 \u201csweatprofile\u201d is sent to a companion app where they access their tailored hydration plan.<\/p>\n Qilimanjaro wins the 4YFN pitch competition at Mobile World Congress 2024. Image Credits:<\/strong> Anna Heim<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Qilimanjaro was chosen as the winner of the Four Years From Now (4YFN) pitch competition<\/a>, which aims to find the \u201cbest startups\u201d around the globe. The company, based in Spain, is a full-stack quantum computing company focused on high-quality qubit architectures and \u201ccoherent quantum annealers, which do not require quantum error correction and can be therefore faster-to-market.\u201d It was awarded \u20ac20,000.<\/p>\n In this week\u2019s competition, Qilimanjaro was among five finalists to emerge from hundreds of applications:<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Natasha Lomas\/TechCrunch<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If the taste of kombucha isn\u2019t your cup of tea, you might enjoy this use for it. While scouting out the Four Years From Now (4YFN) exhibition floor, Natasha Lomas spoke with Laura Freixas about her PhD research project that\u2019s using a base of the fermented hipster tea to \u201cupcycle\u201d organic waste into filaments. Freixas and her peers at the Barcelona School of Design and Engineering are aiming to commercialize the bio-filament and are calling it Biocel<\/a>. Step aside mycelium, kombucha is coming for ya.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Nothing<\/p>\n<\/div>\n London phone company Nothing unveiled its Nothing Phone (2a)<\/a>, and true to form, is teasing out little bits of information rather than making a big splash as other tech companies do. While technically the company\u2019s third phone, Brian Heater explains, \u201cThe \u2018a\u2019 bit, as you\u2019ve likely gathered from previous handsets, implies a budget focus. In recent years, that\u2019s mostly been a game of deciding which flagship features can sacrificed to reduce the price, while keeping is close to a premium feel as possible.\u201d Much about the phone is similar to Nothing\u2019s earlier devices, however what\u2019s different is that the Phone (2a) is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro chip, a variant built specifically for the device.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> HTC<\/p>\n<\/div>\n HTC<\/a> broke off into a mixed reality division about a decade ago. During that time, Vive\u2019s headsets have gone from a mostly consumer play to more of an enterprise tool. Brian Heater sat down with Dan O\u2019Brien, HTC\u2019s Vive general manager, and John Dabill, the brand\u2019s head of product operations, to discuss Vision Pro, Magic Leap, the metaverse and generative AI.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> eQub<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Meet eQub<\/a>, an Ethiopian startup and winner of the fintech pitch-off at 4YFN 2024, Mobile World Congress\u2019 startup event. Nahom Michael, the company\u2019s business development lead, explained that the company\u2019s name is an\u00a0Amharic word referring to a local form of peer-to-peer credit. An Equb is a group of people who join forces to save money, similar to a tanda<\/a>, which is then distributed on a rotating basis. eQub is digitizing the experience, starting with an app, to target users among the growing number of Ethiopians who have bank accounts and mobile phones, but limited access to credit.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Natasha Lomas\/TechCrunch<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The skin is the largest organ that we have, and we don\u2019t always treat it right. That\u2019s where biotech startup SynFlora<\/a> comes in with a new type of skin treatment technology. The company is initially focused on acne and is working on a way to deliver the treatment in a deeper way than topically applied creams and also to design and engineer a wider range of treatments by using biotech methods to harness bacteria to deliver targeted therapeutics.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Natasha Lomas\/TechCrunch<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Lizcore<\/a> has done what Natasha Lomas thought was impossible: digitizing and improving the indoor climbing experience. With Lizcore\u2019s progress tracking system, climbers don\u2019t need to climb with their phone or wear a smartwatch. All they need is its lightweight NFC wearable, which the company calls the Lizy bracelet that pairs with the startup\u2019s app.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Natasha Lomas\/TechCrunch<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Jolla<\/a>, a mobile OS maker, is designing a way for users to gain the superpower of advanced AI without having to let data-hungry third parties gobble their privacy. It is showcasing a device that is like a private cloud and AI router all rolled into one, making the user\u2019s data accessible for running AI queries. It\u2019s like having a personal server \u201creconfigured for the generative AI age,\u201d Natasha Lomas writes.<\/p>\n Image Credits: <\/strong>Displace MiniTV<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Mike Butcher caught up with Displace<\/a> founder and CEO Balaji Krishna, who discussed the company\u2019s 55-inch Display Flex product. It\u2019s a \u201cwireless\u201d $3,000 4K OLED TV that sticks to walls without a traditional mounting. It was launched in January at CES. Krishna says more versions of the screen, and new features, are coming. One we can talk now about is a \u201cDisplay Mini\u201d that will be a smaller 27-inch TV and designed for a kitchen or bathroom space. Krishna also hinted at future feature based on an \u201cAI-powered shopping engine\u201d letting consumers purchase products from ads, and a contactless payment reader.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n What\u2019s the maximum size of a device that you will wear on your wrist? If \u201cbigger is better\u201d is your go-to answer, Lenovo has something for you. The company has designed what it\u2019s calling a \u201crollable concept phone<\/a>\u201d for Motorola that folds around your wrist. Key word being \u201cconcept,\u201d because there is no proof this could become a product. Regardless, it\u2019s fun to see.<\/p>\n DoublePoint WowMouse app. Image Credits:<\/strong> Doublepoint<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Android smartwatch users can now have their own version of Doublepoint\u2019s WowMouse gesture-touch control app. Pinch away!<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Nicolas Economou\/NurPhoto \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Brad Smith, the president and vice chair of Microsoft, announced a framework today called \u201cAI Access Principles,\u201d which is an 11-point plan that Smith said will \u201cgovern how we will operate our AI datacenter infrastructure and other important AI assets around the world.\u201d Although the implication here is that Microsoft is open to dialogue and conversation with stakeholders, ironically, Smith delivered the news in a keynote speech, with no scope for follow-up questions.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Brian Heater<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Xiaomi EV\u2019s first product \u2014 the highly anticipated Xiaomi SU7<\/a> \u2014 is light on details. We do know that it is a \u201cfull-size high-performance eco-technology sedan\u201d with plans to arrive in China at some point next year. In addition to design, Xiaomi has developed the five core EV technologies: E-Motor, CTB Integrated Battery, Xiaomi Die Casting, Xiaomi Pilot Autonomous Driving, and Smart Cabin. And, as mentioned before<\/a>, it will have the \u201cHyperOS\u201d operating system.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Brian Heater<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Diamonds may be a girl\u2019s best friend, but if you\u2019re a girl who can\u2019t sleep, Samsung\u2019s new Galaxy Ring<\/a> may become your new favorite. Some of the features include on-board sensors to measure heart rate, movement and breathing to create a cross section of the wearer\u2019s health and sleep patterns. Questions around pricing and battery life remain unanswered for now.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> OnePlus<\/p>\n<\/div>\n OnePlus<\/a>\u2019 upcoming Watch 2 is promising a jaw-dropping 100 hours \u201cin full Smart Mode.\u201d This claim comes after the company spent three years on its battery technology. Brian Heater spoke with Tuomas Lamp\u00e9n, OnePlus Europe\u2019s head of strategy, about why the company took that long<\/a> and how it was able to squeeze 100 hours out of the new watch.<\/p>\n Last week, Brian reported that \u201cbattery is precisely the sort of thing OnePlus needs to lean into<\/a>,\u201d given that its first-generation product had only about 25 hours of battery life. And that was with the GPS turned off.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Brian Heater<\/p>\n<\/div>\n After years of reporting on Xiaomi\u2019s CyberDog<\/a>, Brian Heater was finally able to see the robotic dog up close at MWC. He got to see the little dog\u2019s dressage shuffle and do a little dance, which he wrote reminded him \u201cof a scaled down version of Boston Dynamics\u2019 familiar robot.\u201d Since Brian\u2019s story in 2021<\/a>, Xiaomi has made some changes to its dog, including a more realistic version of a head to replace the previous flatter one. CyberDog 2 can currently be purchased online for $3,000 \u2014 that\u2019s nearly double the $1,600 price point of its predecessor.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Brian Heater<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you\u2019ve always wanted to look at the back of your desk while working, Lenovo\u2019s new transparent laptop<\/a> will certainly give you that joy. That is, if it ever makes it to production. It looks like your standard laptop with a few exceptions \u2014 the screen has a transparent pane, and it and the keyboard part remind us of an augmented reality experience, meaning the graphics are overlaid on whatever is behind it. For now, Lenovo enjoys showing off its creativity.<\/p>\n Today, Google<\/a> rolled out AI into more of its services, including a new set of features for phones, cars and wearables. These are using Gemini to craft messages, AI-generated captions for images, summarizing texts through AI for Android Auto, along with access to passes on Wear OS. In addition, Google Messages will get a feature that lets you access Gemini in the app. The feature is currently in beta and only supports English. The mobile giant is also launching some\u00a0accessibility-related features as well. One is the Lookout app, which helps visually impaired people with things like food labels and documents<\/a> and\u00a0will now generate AI-powered captions for images that have missing or inaccurate captions or alt text.<\/p>\n Also at MWC, DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis spoke on a panel with Wired\u2019s Steven Levy to talk about Google being able to \u201cunpause\u201d<\/a> the ability of its multimodal generative AI tool, Gemini, to depict people. The capability to respond to prompts for images of humans should be back online in the \u201cnext few weeks,\u201d he said. Natasha Lomas reports that \u201cGoogle suspended the Gemini capability last week\u00a0<\/a>after users pointed out the tool was producing historically incongruous images, such as depicting the U.S. Founding Fathers as a diverse group of people, rather than only white men.\u201d<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Brian Heater<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Seaborough, a Dutch company, showcased small devices designed to replace large light therapy lamps<\/a> that mimic the sun\u2019s impact on the production of serotonin in the brain. One sits next to the computer and the other clips above display, looking a lot like an external webcam. Both plug into the USB port for power. You\u2019ll have to wait a bit, though, as the lamp is still in proof-of-concept mode.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Brian Heater<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Infinix E-Color Shift<\/a>\u00a0improves upon the e-ink screen work started by YotaPhone<\/a> years ago. What\u2019s new here is the addition of color and what Brian Heater describes as \u201ca fun aesthetic addition to the part of your device that is nearly always covered by a case, your hand or otherwise facedown on a table.\u201d<\/p>\nThursday, February 29<\/h2>\n
Brain.ai and the future of smartphones<\/h2>\n
Wednesday, February 28<\/h2>\n
Liveliness wants to help you find a workout buddy<\/h2>\n
![\"Liveliness\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Liveliness.jpg?w=680\")
<\/p>\nSweanty\u2019s wearable patch for athletes<\/h2>\n
![\"Sweanty](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Sweanty-patch.jpg?w=680\")
<\/p>\nQilimanjaro named winner of 4FYN pitch competition<\/h2>\n
![\"4YFN](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/IMG_3661.jpg?w=680\")
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![\"Biocel\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Biocel.jpg?w=680\")
<\/p>\nEco-friendly thread\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0made from kombucha?<\/h2>\n
Nothing Phone (2a)<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2560x2040_5fe778b6-8919-4143-bf11-8d86af754f52_2192x.webp?w=680\")
<\/p>\nTuesday, February 27<\/h2>\n
HTC Vive became an enterprise business<\/h2>\n
![\"Vive](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/vive-xr-elite-1920.webp?w=680\")
<\/p>\neQub digitizes peer-to-peer lending in Africa<\/h2>\n
![\"eQub](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/equb-screenshot-1.jpeg?w=314\")
<\/p>\nSynFlora is taking on acne<\/h2>\n
![\"SynFlora](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/SynFlora.jpg?w=680\")
<\/p>\nLizcore\u2019s sport tracking system<\/h2>\n
![\"Lizcore\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/P1060892.jpg?w=680\")
<\/p>\nJolla\u2019s \u201cblackbox for your life\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"Jolla](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/jollamind2.jpg?w=680\")
<\/p>\nDisplace wireless television<\/h2>\n
![\"Displace](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Displace-MiniTV.jpg?w=680\")
<\/p>\nMotorola\u2019s rollable concept phone<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/IMG_0392.2024-02-27-11_23_30.gif\")
<\/p>\nMonday, February 26<\/h2>\n
Doublepoint\u2019s updated WowMouse gesture-touch<\/h2>\n
![\"DoublePoint](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/DoublePoint.jpg?w=680\")
<\/p>\nMicrosoft\u2019s AI Access Principles<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GettyImages-1185699748-e1697104507888.jpg?w=680\")
<\/p>\nXiaomi\u2019s first electric car<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/IMG_0362.jpg?w=680\")
<\/p>\nSamsung\u2019s first smart ring<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Hon-Pak-Editorial-News-Thumb.jpg?w=680\")
<\/p>\nExtended battery life for OnePlus<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Render-1.jpeg?w=680\")
<\/p>\nXiaomi\u2019s CyberDog<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/874FC4BB-50C2-48CC-968C-D46A436F93F7.jpeg?w=680\")
<\/p>\nLenovo\u2019s laptop concept<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/FFE866A0-9B42-40EF-A6E3-DC555E8062AA.jpeg?w=680\")
<\/p>\nGoogle brings AI to new features<\/h2>\n
A desktop lamp to improve your mood<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Screenshot-2024-02-25-at-8.18.54\u202fPM.jpg?w=680\")
<\/p>\nInfinix wants to put the back of your phone to work<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/IMG_0225-1.2024-02-25-18_40_22.gif?w=383\")
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![\"Read](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/mwc-2024-banner.jpg\")
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