News

Attend WSJ Tech Live With Complimentary Virtual Access

Join award-winning speakers from October 16-18 to explore the transformative forces redefining technology.

Published

3 years ago

August 23, 2023

Joanna Melki

attend wsj tech live with complimentary virtual access

Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal’s (WSJ) Tech Live conference is returning to Laguna Beach, California, October 16–18, to convene more than 2,000 senior executives at the forefront of tech, media, entertainment and finance.

This is The Wall Street Journal’s largest technology event of the year, as members of the WSJ newsroom sit down with the industry’s most innovative minds to uncover today’s most pressing topics. Be prepared to explore the transformative forces redefining technology: from the advantages of AI, to the impacts of social media and the global economic downturn, to leading innovation.

In its 10th year, Tech Live is reaching new heights: bigger names, more insightful discussion and unforgettable moments. Emmy Award-winning technology columnist Joanna Stern and other esteemed Journal tech reporters will engage in unscripted interviews with those at leading innovation across all areas of tech. X CEO Linda Yaccarino, Meta former CTO Mike Schropfer and Adobe’s president of digital media David Wadhwani are just some of the biggest names in tech to join this year’s speaker lineup and explore a wide range of topics: from generative AI, to regulatory crackdowns and what’s catching the eye of investors.

Secure your spot today and be part of a shared experience where the industry’s most significant headlines are discussed, debated and made.

Other confirmed speakers include:

David Baszucki, Founder and CEO, Roblox
Alan Davidson, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce
Vinod Khosla, Founder and Partner, Khosla Ventures
John Legend, Musician, Entrepreneur and Investor
Elsa Majimbo, Comedian and Creator
Nicole Quinn, Partner, Lightspeed Venture Partners
Mustafa Suleyman, Co-Founder and CEO, Inflection AI
Michael J. Wolf, Founder and CEO, Activate Consulting

News

Nano Banana 2 Arrives In MENA For Google Gemini Users

Google brings its latest image model to Gemini and Search, adding 4K output and tighter text control for regional users.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 27, 2026

Nour Nasir

Google

Google has opened access to Nano Banana 2 across the Middle East and North Africa, pushing its newest image model into everyday tools rather than keeping it inside the exclusive (and expensive) Pro tier.

The rollout spans the Google Gemini desktop and mobile apps, and extends to Google Search through Lens and AI Mode. Developers can also test it in preview via AI Studio and the Gemini API.

Nano Banana 2 runs on Gemini Flash, Google’s fast inference layer. The focus is speed, but also control. Users can export visuals from 512px up to 4K, adjusting aspect ratios for everything from vertical social posts to widescreen displays.

The model maintains character likeness across up to five figures and preserves fidelity for as many as 14 objects within a single workflow. This enables visual continuity across scenes, iterations, or edits — supporting projects like short films, storyboards, and multi-scene narratives. Text rendering has also been improved, delivering legible typography in mockups and greeting cards, with built-in translation and localization directly within images.

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Under the hood, the system taps Gemini’s broader knowledge base and pulls in real-time information and imagery from web search to render specific subjects more accurately. Lighting and fine detail have been upgraded, without slowing output.

By embedding the model inside Gemini and Search, Google is normalizing advanced image generation for a mass audience. In MENA, where startups and marketing teams are leaning heavily on AI to scale content across languages and borders, that shift lands at a practical moment.

The move also folds creative tooling deeper into search itself, so that image generation is no longer a separate workflow. It now sits right next to the query box.