Jensen Huang and Mark Zuckerberg's Fireplace Conversation SIGGRAPH 2024 took an unexpected turn. What started out as a conversation about the power of Nvidia GPUs and Zuckerberg’s vision for the future of AI chatbots quickly turned into something more casual, including a custom jacket exchange, a rare F-bomb from Meta’s CEO, and a slightly unsettling anecdote about cutting tomatoes.
Bumble, Hinge, and Other Apps Are Open to StalkersThere is a vulnerability that allows tracking within 2 meters of a user’s physical location. It took researchers some effort to identify the issue, but it has since been fixed, but it is a reminder that there is always one more vulnerability before privacy is compromised.
Intel Announces Massive LayoffsThe company, which employs 15,000 people, continues to face declining revenue, lack of success with its AI initiatives, and what CEO Pat Gelsinger says is a forecast that the rest of the year will be “more challenging than expected.”
SEC Charges BitClout Founder Nader Al-Naji with Fraud And it raised over $257 million in cryptocurrency while claiming to have conducted an unregistered securities offering and used pseudonymous identities to avoid regulators’ scrutiny. BitClout, a decentralized social media platform, raised money from big-name firms such as a16z, Sequoia, Social Capital, Coinbase Ventures, and Winklevoss Capital.
Meta Reaches $1.4 Billion Settlement This week, it reached a settlement with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The settlement stems from a two-year-old lawsuit alleging that Meta’s past use of facial recognition technology violated the state’s privacy laws and that Facebook failed to disclose the practice to users and obtain their consent. The first payment, $500 million, is due next month, according to court documents.
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News
Try Apple Intelligence now. Apple is finally releasing some of the highly anticipated Apple Intelligence features as part of the iOS 18.1 developer beta. Here’s how to enable them on your iPhone. Read more
OpenAI has started releasing voice mode. Following controversy and delays, OpenAI is giving access to GPT-4o’s advanced voice mode to a small number of ChatGPT Plus users. The company says the feature will be rolled out to all Plus users in the fall of 2024. Read more
This necklace wants to be your friend: Friend is a wearable AI device designed to overcome loneliness. Rather than focusing on productivity, the AI necklace works like an always-listening walkie-talkie, allowing you to chat. Read more
Meta Launches AI Studio: Now, US creators can build AI bots across all Meta platforms that can be used to create captions, format posts, create memes, and even create personal chatbots to interact with followers. Read more
Here's how to opt out of facial recognition at the airport. U.S. airports are adopting facial recognition technology to scan travelers’ faces before boarding their planes, but Americans may not choose to do so at all. Read more
In conclusion, doomscrolling is probably not good for you. A recent study published in the Journal of Computer Science and Human Behavior found that doomscrolling was associated with feelings of existential anxiety, despair, distrust, and suspicion of others. Read more
Canva acquires Leonardo.ai: Canva has acquired generative AI content and research startup Leonardo.ai to expand its AI technology stack, with the startup’s entire staff of 120 joining Canva. Read more
Flo Health Becomes a Unicorn: A fertility-focused period-tracking app has raised a $200 million Series C, valuing the startup at more than $1 billion after the investment. The money will be used to attract more users and add features for menopause and premenopause. Read more
Is this the beginning of an adversarial era for OpenAI and Microsoft? Microsoft has invested heavily in OpenAI and uses its models across many of its products. And while OpenAI may raise eyebrows when it is listed as a “competitor” in SEC filings, there are subtle differences. Read more
The Motorola Razr flip phone is back. Samsung is still the king of foldable smartphones, but there’s more competition in this category. We compare the new Galaxy Fold 6 to the Motorola Razr+ (yes, it comes in the iconic pink color). Read more
analyze
Why Did Wiz Give Up $23 Billion? Google reportedly offered Wiz $23 billion to acquire it. But Wiz backed out. Why? Ron Miller argues that Wiz showed great courage and a willingness to make a big bet on itself by rejecting what could have been the most lucrative deal ever offered to a startup. Read more
Can you do it actually Can we create an AI friend for children? Ambitious startup Heeyo wants to create an AI that can be both a friend and a teacher to children. But privacy and safety are top concerns for its target audience, and Rebecca Bellan puts both to the test in her exclusive exploration of chatbots. Read more
