Amazon plans to bring ChatGPT-like technology to Alexa: Report

Amazon calls its LLM Alexa Teacher Model but a company spokesperson echoed Jassy's comments saying that Amazon is building larger “more generalised and capable” LLMs to make Alexa “more proactive and conversational.” The spokesperson also said that Alexa has been using the Teacher model for several years. Just like Amazon, Google also relies on its own language models. https://ift.tt/AJwFkP6

Apple may ship the 14-inch iPad Pro with M3 Pro chipset in 2024

Apple is rumoured to be developing a new iPad Pro model, which may be called iPad Pro Max or iPad Ultra. According to a Twitter user, the tablet is expected to feature a 14.1-inch OLED screen and be powered by Apple's M3 processor, which is expected to be announced in 2024. https://ift.tt/yfKMotF

Google may add a Bard AI widget on Pixel phones: What to expect

Google is reportedly planning to make its Bard AI language more accessible to users of Pixel phones and Android tablets. The company is said to be developing an exclusive home screen widget for Pixel devices that will allow users to access AI conversations at the touch of a button. Bard, which was previewed in March, has already been integrated into Gmail and Docs, and may soon be added to ChromeOS. https://ift.tt/z2RyL8Z

Shopify reports Q1 revenue up 25% YoY to $1.5B, above $1.43B analyst estimates, GMV up 15% to $49.6B, and plans to cut 20% of its staff; SHOP jumps 14%+ (Ilya Banares/Bloomberg)

Ilya Banares / Bloomberg:
Shopify reports Q1 revenue up 25% YoY to $1.5B, above $1.43B analyst estimates, GMV up 15% to $49.6B, and plans to cut 20% of its staff; SHOP jumps 14%+  —  Shopify Inc. cut jobs for the second time in less than a year and agreed to sell the majority of its logistics business to Flexport Inc …

Impact Nano, chip materials startup, wins funding from Intel, Goldman Sachs

Impact Nano, a Massachusetts-based startup that makes specialty chemicals for the semiconductor industry and others, said it raised $32 million in funding from investors including Intel Capital and Goldman Sachs Asset Management. https://ift.tt/Ghp38uW

As US VCs flood to the Middle East in search of funding, some view their desperation poorly because the region's investors value long-term relationships (Bloomberg)

Bloomberg:
As US VCs flood to the Middle East in search of funding, some view their desperation poorly because the region's investors value long-term relationships  —  Silicon Valley has taken investment from moneyed state-run funds in the Middle East for years.  Now that the technology industry …

Assassin's Creed Mirage may release in August: Report

Ubisoft released a cinematic trailer for Assassin's Creed Mirage in 2022, but has not yet disclosed its launch date or gameplay. As per a GameStop employee's leak, the title may release in August. However, the game's release date has reportedly undergone several changes in GameStop's system. More details are expected to come out soon. https://ift.tt/1QIGsMf

Hackers offering crypto accounts for as low as $30 on darknet

Cybercriminals operating on the dark web are reportedly selling verified, hacked crypto accounts on the darknet for as little as $30 each. https://ift.tt/gBhsJtu

How to set storage limit for YouTube download to save storage space on the phone

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Bluesky, which has ~55,000 users, feels absolutely wild, highlighted by the CEO pleading to stop "skeets" and increasingly weird struggles over norms and vibes (Sarah Jeong/The Verge)

Sarah Jeong / The Verge:
Bluesky, which has ~55,000 users, feels absolutely wild, highlighted by the CEO pleading to stop “skeets” and increasingly weird struggles over norms and vibes  —  Early last week, barely anyone had heard of Bluesky.  On Wednesday, it was just one of many alternatives vying …

Mozilla acquires fake review detection startup ‘Fakespot’

With Fakespot, the company said that Firefox users will have access to a trustworthy shopping tool that will help improve the ecommerce experience. https://ift.tt/P5K1C98

A guide to how quantum computing, qubits, and "quantum algorithms" work, the biggest challenges, government involvement, and potential for hacking, or "Q-day" (Financial Times)

Financial Times:
A guide to how quantum computing, qubits, and “quantum algorithms” work, the biggest challenges, government involvement, and potential for hacking, or “Q-day”  —  The next generation of quantum computers will open a new world of possibilities, but also pose enormous risks to our online security

How to disable Smart downloads on YouTube to free up space

YouTube Premium's Smart downloads feature automatically downloads videos in the background based on your viewing history, using up valuable device storage. However, users can toggle this feature off in the Downloads section of the app. https://ift.tt/Dwe0TSO

Reddit’s latest update improves content sharing with other platforms: How will it help users

Reddit has added rich previews for content sharing across its Android and iPhone apps to enable users to find and share content to platforms like iMessage and Instagram. With its new tools, the platform will also allow publishers to show Reddit content on their own platforms. The app's latest update now includes a new shortcut to help share posts without saving images to a device. https://ift.tt/efT1Hws

Sources detail Amazon's canceled plan to make Halo a success; the sophisticated AI-based fitness service was undone due to "significant headwinds" and low sales (Chris Welch/The Verge)

Chris Welch / The Verge:
Sources detail Amazon's canceled plan to make Halo a success; the sophisticated AI-based fitness service was undone due to “significant headwinds” and low sales  —  A redesigned Halo service was due this fall with an AI-powered personal trainer, celebrity-led fitness classes, and even Apple Watch support.