Demis Hassabis says the AI hype caused by a surge of money is clouding research; CB Insights: VCs invested $42.5B in 2,500 AI startup equity rounds in 2023 — British AI pioneer says the billions of dollars being poured into start-ups is obscuring scientific progress in the field
Sources: Dell, HP, and other US tech firms have asked their Taiwanese suppliers to boost production of AI-related hardware in Mexico to reduce reliance on China — Taiwan-based contract manufacturers step up investment south of the U.S. border for American clients
MrBeast's “retention editing”, which uses quick cuts and loud sounds, took over social media, but may fade away as the YouTuber shifts to slower, focused videos — The popularity of so-called retention editing made a generation of creators go viral, but when every video looks the same it's harder than ever to stand out
A look at AI's impact on video game actors, as some fear their voices might be misused while others hope to collect extra payments on top of a base minimum — The increased use of AI to replicate the voice and movements of actors has benefits but some are concerned over how and when it might be used and who might be left short-changed
AT&T confirms that data dumped online appears to be from 2019 or earlier and contains personal details of 7.6M current and 65.4M former account holders — US telco giant takes action after 2019 data breach — Phone giant AT&T is reseting customer account passcodes after a huge cache …
An interview with Morris Chang on starting TSMC at the age of 55, the company not designing or selling its own chips, returning to Taiwan from the US, and more — Morris Chang had decades of experience before he founded a business that's indispensable to the global economy.
Tech CEOs looking to “go direct” and avoid traditional media, which they view as unfairly critical, turn to friendly podcasters like Lex Fridman — Tech CEOs have a growing set of ways to sidestep traditional media. But first... Don't press
As Gmail turns 20 on April 1, a look at its impact on online communication and its future as other messaging apps have come to dominate how we communicate — Gmail revolutionized email with fast search and a whole gigabyte of storage. But where's it headed next?
A look at the MGM hack, carried out by Star Fraud group, part of the Com online community of teenagers from English-speaking countries that also spawned Lapsus$ — A gang of young criminals. A more than $30 million ransom. Casinos in disarray. Six days inside the cyberattack that put corporate America on notice.
How the semiconductor industry can reach 1T transistor GPUs, which will be needed within a decade if the AI revolution continues at its current pace — Advances in semiconductors are feeding the AI boom — In 1997 the IBM Deep Blue supercomputer defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov.
Sources: Accel is in talks to lead a round in Scale AI at a $13B valuation, up from $7.3B in 2021; Scale AI generated $675M+ in revenue in 2023, up ~150% YoY — Venture capital firm Accel, an early investor in the data labeling startup Scale AI, is in talks to lead a new round of funding …
The TikTok divestment bill will not offer any meaningful privacy protection from China, but it will further entrench the dominance of US-based social networks — Earlier this month, the United States House of Representatives passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act …
The US OMB releases new guidance on AI, requiring all federal agencies to have a senior leader overseeing all AI systems they use and submit an annual AI report — All US federal agencies will now be required to have a senior leader overseeing all AI systems they use, as the government wants …
HSBC releases its HSBC Gold Token, minted on its Orion digital assets platform, via its online banking and app, after testing the service in November 2023 — The bank is claiming bragging rights for being the first bank to create a blockchain-based real world asset aimed at retail investors.
An interview with Phil Spencer on bringing Xbox to handhelds via hardware or software, how Valve, Lenovo, and Asus “innovated in a new form factor”, and more — A handheld Xbox could be hardware, an app, or both — Phil Spencer has tried all of the new PC gaming handhelds …
How Netflix co-CEOs Greg Peters, who is obsessed with data, and Ted Sarandos, who loves working with talent, overcame differences to make the partnership work — Hollywood czar Ted Sarandos and data-obsessed techie Greg Peters have gotten the streamer back on track
Despite X's push to attract creators, its strategy remains unclear, as some creators cite concerns about the state of X's ad business and inconsistent payments — Despite platform's push, many creators say X is still a long way away from becoming a major source of revenue for them
Chinese officials have begun following the new PC, laptop, and server guidelines to phase out Intel/AMD processors and Windows from government PCs and servers — China has introduced new guidelines that will mean US microprocessors from Intel and AMD are phased out of government PCs and servers …
An analysis of the DOJ's case against Apple; sources: Apple will start rolling out its system to update packaged iPhones' software to its US stores in April — With its lawsuit against Apple, the Justice Department focuses on outdated issues and irrelevant points, missing an opportunity to address more pressing concerns.
How the restructuring of Diamond Sports, with a lifeline from Amazon, might offer a new model for airing local sports fixtures in the streaming era — A lifeline to the bankrupt Diamond Sports Group might offer a new model for airing local fixtures in the streaming era
Source: Spain's High Court orders the suspension of Telegram after media companies complained it was allowing users to upload their content without permission — Spain's High Court has ordered the suspension of messaging app Telegram's services in the country after media companies complained …
BeReal's challenges show the difficulty for new consumer apps to break out absent a big platform shift, as users lack the time to try additional consumer apps — The recent reports that BeReal is struggling with either a fundraise or growth or both, is a bummer.
The Philippines' new undersea internet cable network is expected to bring jobs to remote islands, boosting the country's BPO sector, which employed 1.7M in 2023 — Project expected to bring stable internet and new jobs to more remote islands — InfiniVAN holds a cable pulling ceremony on the island of Boracay in November 2022.
Sources: YC plans to raise at least $2B across three new funds that include exposure to its next four startup batches and follow-on investments as they grow — The storied startup accelerator is targeting at least $2 billion, sources told Forbes, in its first major fundraising effort under Garry Tan.
Italy opens a probe into Booking.com, says the website's handling of hotels in its Preferred Partner Programme “seems likely to hinder effective competition” — Italy's antitrust has opened a probe into Booking.com (BKNG.O) to establish whether the travel website is in a potential abuse …
William Brown / Firstyear's blog-a-log : Google and Apple use passkeys to capture users by locking credentials into their platforms an...
