X tests Not A Bot, requiring new, unverified users to sign up for a $1 annual subscription to be able to post and interact, in New Zealand and the Philippines
The owner of X, Elon Musk, has long floated the idea of charging users $1 to use the platform.
While X charging users $1/year to combat bots and spam is an appealing idea, the value in manipulating X is so high that bad actors will still find a way
Matt Mullenweg :
The US' new 400-page chip export rules show officials are open to chip sector input on ways to keep sending AI chips to China for small and medium-sized uses
While stripping China's access to key U.S. artificial intelligence chips, the Biden administration's sweeping new rules also quietly threw Nvidia …
Phil Spencer says Activision Blizzard games won't come to Xbox Game Pass until 2024, as “the regulatory process took so long” before the acquisition could close
There's no 'secret celebration drop that's coming in the next couple of weeks.'
In a rare joint statement, Five Eyes chiefs from the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand warn on China's IP “theft” and using AI to hack and spy
The Five Eyes countries' intelligence chiefs came together on Tuesday to accuse China of intellectual property theft …
ASML reports Q3 revenue up 15.5% YoY to €6.67B, vs. €6.71B est., net profit up 11% YoY to €1.89B, vs. €1.8B est., and forecasts flat 2024 revenue growth
- ASML reported a profit decline in the third quarter, but beat estimates as it forecast 2024 revenue will be flat.
In cross-examining Nishad Singh, SBF's defense finally picked holes in a US witness, pointing out that Singh used a $3.7M FTX loan of user funds to buy a house
Nishad Singh looks less reliable. Is it enough? … Of Sam Bankman-Fried's alleged co-conspirators, Nishad Singh gave the most emotionally compelling testimony.
X now requires a linked source for proposed Community Notes, as researchers say misinformation on X has reached new heights during the Israel-Hamas war
Researchers have said that misinformation has reached new heights amid the Israel-Hamas war. — X is making a significant change …
UK and Chinese officials say China plans to attend the AI summit at Bletchley Park in December, despite controversy over alleged spying by Beijing in the UK
Financial Times :
Foxconn and Nvidia announce plans to build “AI factories”, a new class of data centers to accelerate the development of autonomous EVs and industrial robots
Nvidia and Foxconn are working together to build so-called “AI factories,” a new class of data centers that promise …
Arm CEO Rene Haas says the US' goal to cut off China's access to sophisticated chips with military uses will be “a hard problem to solve” using export controls
and U.S. Export Rules Look Even Worse in the Long Term South China Morning Post : ASML chip-making equipment sales fall as China rushes to secure tools ahead of widened US export controls Aamir Sheikh...
Federated networks like Mastodon and a growing acceptance of paying for content may help move people away from big social platforms and improve online discourse
We're in a very strange moment for the internet. We all know it's broken. That's not news. Mastodon: @stefan@gardenstate.social , @jangles@mastodon.social , @Cassandra@artisan.chat , @timbray@cosoci...
Amazon details Sequoia, its new AI and robotics tools for its warehouses to help reduce delivery times by up to 25% and identify inventory up to 75% faster
Company to use new AI systems at its fulfillment facilities that will work alongside employees — Amazon .com is introducing …
Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao meets with Tim Cook and says China welcomes Apple to benefit from “win-win development” and share the “dividends”
- New iPhone off to a weak start in China, initial data show — China banned use of iPhone in some government, state firms
The IRS plans to offer a free, “mobile-friendly, interview-based” direct e-filing option for 13 US states in 2024, for taxpayers with simpler tax situations
The move deals a blow to decades of effort by Intuit and other tax-prep software vendors to stop government e-filing efforts.
Analysis: Israel has pushed dozens of ads, including graphic videos, on X and YouTube in the EU, the UK, and the US to drum up support for its actions in Gaza
https://conspirator0.substack.com/ ... X: Ash / @theashrb : Twitter is REALLY trying to force pro-Israel content on my FYP despite the fact that my following and followers are overwhelmingly pro-Pales...
Research: 47.25% of machinery tenders by Chinese chip foundries from January to August 2023 were won by local manufacturers, including 62% from July to August
Reuters : Forums: Beehaw Forums: Ijeff To / Beehaw : Chinese chip equipment makers grab market share as US tightens curbs
Amazon now has 10,000 Rivian electric delivery vehicles in the US and Europe, up from 5,000 in July 2023; Amazon aims to have 100K+ Rivian vans by 2030
and a sliding door fit for Star Trek About Amazon : Everything you need to know about Amazon's electric delivery vans from Rivian Kirsten Korosec / TechCrunch : Amazon's fleet of Rivian-made electric ...
Internal document: Amazon has committed more than $1B over five years to secure 1M+ Microsoft 365 license seats
- Internal document shows Microsoft ramping up internally for a huge 365 cloud deal with Amazon. — Amazon has purchased more than 1 million seats for Microsoft's 365 suite, the document states.
How IRS officials tracked down James Zhong, a hacker who stole 50K+ bitcoin from Silk Road in 2012 and was involved in the development of bitcoin itself in 2009
- In 2012, someone stole 50,000 bitcoin from the Silk Road, an illegal dark web marketplace.
Apple unveils an “affordable” $79 Apple Pencil that charges via a USB-C cable, shipping in “early November” and compatible with all iPads that have a USB-C port
But With It Comes Valid Accessibility Concerns The Verge : Apple announces entry-level Apple Pencil with USB-C charging Abdul Raouf Al Sbeei / Supercharged : Apple introduces new, more affordable Appl...
YouTube adds a news page on its mobile apps to suggest content from “authoritative sources”, and plans to spend $1.6M to promote the creation of news on Shorts
YouTube is embracing news from “authoritative sources” at a time when Meta is reluctant to promote hard news or politics …
At a conference, Sam Altman and other tech leaders say AI may lead to seismic workforce changes, eliminating many professions, a hard sell to those affected
At WSJ Tech Live, Sam Altman said coming workforce changes will play out unevenly — LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. …
Meta Quest 3's better passthrough video means people are again walking in public with face-mounted, video-recording devices, a throwback to Google “glassholes”
Google says government-backed hackers linked to Russia and China are exploiting a since-patched zero-day in WinRAR, first discovered in August 2023
Google security researchers say they have found evidence that government-backed hackers linked to Russia and China are exploiting …
NYC Mayor Eric Adams is using AI to make robocalls in languages he doesn't speak, raising ethical issues over making voters think he is fluent in many languages
Katie Honan / The City :
Qualcomm announces developing a Snapdragon RISC-V chip for Wear OS in partnership with Google, in what could be the first mass-market RISC-V Android SoC
Ron Amadeo / Ars Technica :
Researchers: soundscapes and an AI model trained on 100+ wildlife songs can be an effective and low-cost tool to track biodiversity recovery in tropical forests
Bloomberg :
Reddit kills Community Points, started in 2020 as a blockchain-based way to reward creators and developers, citing the regulatory environment and scaling issues
Plaid hires former Expedia Chief Financial Officer Eric Hart as its first CFO, a milestone in its IPO plans after a failed $5.3B sale to Visa in 2021
Start-up appoints former Expedia CFO two years after failed sale to Visa — US financial technology start-up Plaid has hired …
Roblox CEO David Baszucki says the company is “transitioning away” from remote work, as virtual workspaces aren't as “engaging, collaborative, and productive”
This wasn't a pivotal moment for anyone else. Just him. [embedded post] M.H. Williams / @mhwilliams.bsky.social : You were selling your game as a solution for remote work just a few months ago... w...
Sources: internal Microsoft data shows that Windows 11, released in October 2021, passed 400M monthly active devices and is on pace to pass 500M by early 2024
Sources: SK Hynix refused to approve the merger of Kioxia and Western Digital, a blow to Bain Capital's ambitions of creating a US-Japan chip company
Financial Times :
Meta now lets Instagram users control specific activity that third-party websites share with the app, an ability previously only available on Facebook
Emma Roth / The Verge :
Filing: Invesco marked up Swiggy's valuation to $7.85B on July 31, up 42% from ~$5.5B in January 2023 but down from a reported $10.7B valuation in January 2022
Manish Singh / TechCrunch :
Privacy experts say that US state laws requiring data brokers to register are not adequately enforced, letting large numbers of brokers operate under the radar
Suzanne Smalley / The Record : X: @suzannemsmalley X: Suzanne Smalley / @suzannemsmalley : Data broker registry laws have not been well enforced, leading many brokers to ignore them + raising questio...
Similarweb: in September, X's global monthly website traffic fell 14% YoY, US traffic declined 19% YoY, while traffic to Elon Musk's profile page was up 96% YoY
Google rolls out new accessibility features, like Lens in Maps screen reader options, Google Maps accessible walking routes, and faster Chrome mobile search
here's how Cosmin Vasile / PhoneArena : New accessibility features coming to Google Maps Sagar Naresh / SamMobile : Google adds more accessibility features to its Android apps
Israel announces talks with SpaceX to set up Starlink, a first for the country, as a backup in case its other wartime communication systems are disrupted
Marissa Newman / Bloomberg :
Evident Vascular, which develops AI-enabled tech for more precise intravascular ultrasound images, exits stealth with a $35M Series A from Vensana Capital
Jessica Hagen / MobiHealthNews :
Document: the EU is considering a three-tiered approach to regulating generative AI under the AI Act and wants to finalize the legislation by the end of 2023
Bloomberg :
PwC partners with OpenAI to consult clients on complex tax, legal, and HR matters, as the Big Four audit firms look to AI to cut costs and boost productivity
Consulting and finance have taken the lead here (outside of writing software) but this will only spread as capitalism abhors a vacuum. … Bluesky: @jjinandtonic.bsky.social : Mmmmm AI powered accountin...
PitchBook: global AI startup funding rose 27% YoY to $17.9B in Q3, one of the lone bright spots as overall startup funding dropped 31% YoY to $73B
Sarah McBride / Bloomberg :
Alibaba announces S Plan, which offers “traffic flow, operations, and logistics” support to merchants affected by Indonesia's ban of e-commerce on social media
Tracy Qu / South China Morning Post :
Shopify: Revolutionizing Commerce with Winter Edition '26
Over 150+ new features transform how merchants build, design, and grow—with technology that amplifies creative vision.
Email fatigue is real: Here's how smart email tools help you regain control
Picture this: It's Monday morning. You walk into the office feeling energized and ready to take on the week.
Protecting your Cloud Applications Data
Backing up Office 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox & Box data is critical to preventing data loss or corruption, complying with laws and avoiding critical downtime in case of a disaster.