Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount in discussions for a merger: Why it matters

Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount may have discussed a possible merger. The CEOs of both the companies reportedly met in New York City this week to discuss the topic. If this happens, it will be one of the largest platforms to compete with Netflix and Disney+. Citing multiple sources, Axios reported that the meeting between Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav held talks with Paramount CEO Bob Bakish, which lasted several hours, took place at Paramount's headquarters in Times Square. Warner Bros. Discovery is said to have hired bankers to explore the deal. https://ift.tt/EeIhaTR

High-speed transportation company Hyperloop One is shutting down, here’s why

Hyperloop One, a high-speed freight transportation company, will shut down by the end of this year. The Los-Angeles-based firm, which completed the world's first passenger ride on a super high-speed levitating pod system in 2020, failed to win any contract to build a working hyperloop. It will sell off its remaining assets and terminate the employment for its remaining workers. Hyperloop One was founded in 2014 and was backed by United Arab Emirates shipping company DP World and British billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin. https://ift.tt/P84huiA

Toshiba sees power management chips as a profit driver and plans to spend ~$175M to double production as the company completes its $14B buyout by PE firm JIP (Makiko Yamazaki/Reuters)

Makiko Yamazaki / Reuters:
Toshiba sees power management chips as a profit driver and plans to spend ~$175M to double production as the company completes its $14B buyout by PE firm JIP  —  Toshiba Corp (TOSBF.PK) sees power management chips as an immediate profit driver on the back of surging electric vehicle (EV) …

Privacy campaigners say the UK quietly introduced legislation to let police run facial recognition searches on 50M+ driving license holders without oversight (Daniel Boffey/The Guardian)

Daniel Boffey / The Guardian:
Privacy campaigners say the UK quietly introduced legislation to let police run facial recognition searches on 50M+ driving license holders without oversight  —  Exclusive: Privacy campaigners say clause in new criminal justice bill will put all UK drivers on ‘permanent police lineup’

In five experiments, encouraging people to use search engines to evaluate the veracity of fake news posts increased the likelihood of them being rated as true (Lauren Leffer/Scientific American)

Lauren Leffer / Scientific American:
In five experiments, encouraging people to use search engines to evaluate the veracity of fake news posts increased the likelihood of them being rated as true  —  Data voids in search results can lead down rabbit holes that bolster belief in fake news  —  Politics

How excess heat from Meta's hyperscale data center in Odense, opened in 2020, helps heat roughly 11,000 homes in the Danish city (Morgan Meaker/Wired)

Morgan Meaker / Wired:
How excess heat from Meta's hyperscale data center in Odense, opened in 2020, helps heat roughly 11,000 homes in the Danish city  —  Big Tech data centers are not only being used to power the internet but also to heat people's homes.  But who's really winning when Facebook keeps you warm at night?

A look at South Korea's AI industry, one of the world's most competitive and diverse, as startups train on Korean language and culture to compete with US giants (John Yoon/New York Times)

John Yoon / New York Times:
A look at South Korea's AI industry, one of the world's most competitive and diverse, as startups train on Korean language and culture to compete with US giants  —  While they lag behind their U.S. counterparts, their focus on non-English languages could help loosen the American grip on artificial intelligence.

The UK Supreme Court rules that AI can't be a patent "inventor", rejecting a bid to register patents by US computer scientist Stephen Thaler, in a landmark case (Sam Tobin/Reuters)

Sam Tobin / Reuters:
The UK Supreme Court rules that AI can't be a patent “inventor”, rejecting a bid to register patents by US computer scientist Stephen Thaler, in a landmark case  —  An American computer scientist on Wednesday lost his bid to register patents over inventions created …

A look at the tech sector's longevity obsession, with Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, Larry Page, and others pledging millions of dollars to firms pursuing longer life (Ellen Huet/Bloomberg)

Ellen Huet / Bloomberg:
A look at the tech sector's longevity obsession, with Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, Larry Page, and others pledging millions of dollars to firms pursuing longer life  —  Tech titans, venture capitalists, crypto enthusiasts and AI researchers have turned longevity research into something between the hottest science and a tragic comedy.

In Google's $700M settlement in Utah et al v. Google, an estimated 102M US Android users will split $630M and an additional $70M will go to other claims (Eva Dou/Washington Post)

Eva Dou / Washington Post:
In Google's $700M settlement in Utah et al v. Google, an estimated 102M US Android users will split $630M and an additional $70M will go to other claims  —  Google will pay consumers from all 50 states to settle a lawsuit over its app store practices  —  Tens of millions of U.S. consumers …

TSMC Chair Mark Liu plans to retire in 2024, replaced by CEO C.C. Wei, set to become one of the most influential executives in tech; shareholders must approve (Bloomberg)

Bloomberg:
TSMC Chair Mark Liu plans to retire in 2024, replaced by CEO C.C. Wei, set to become one of the most influential executives in tech; shareholders must approve  —  - C. C. Wei will become chairman of Apple's chipmaking partner  — Wei is poised to lead the world's most advanced chipmaker

You can now order Govo earbuds, soundbar and more from Swiggy Instamart

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Portronics launches Dash 4 wireless speaker with karaoke mic: All the details

Portronics expands product portfolio with Dash 4 wireless speaker, featuring karaoke mic. The 50W portable speaker is water-resistant with IPX5 certification. It includes a 360-degree dynamic RGB light system and EQ modes for sound customization. The Dash 4 offers multiple connectivity options, including Bluetooth, USB, Aux-in, and FM tuner. It has an 8000mAh battery with up to six hours of battery life. Priced at Rs 6,999, it is available on various online and offline stores with a 12-month warranty. https://ift.tt/XhKfRZF

How to enable iMessage Contact Key Verification on your iPhone running iOS 17.2

Apple introduces Contact Key Verification (CKV) in iOS 17.2, enhancing security by alerting users of unrecognized device keys in iMessage conversations. This feature adds an extra layer of assurance and confidence in messaging interactions. CKV does not compromise iPhone or iMessage functionality. https://ift.tt/Gvwx0J2

Q&A with Deepu Talla, Nvidia's VP and GM for Embedded and Edge Computing, on the role of generative AI in robotics, designing humanoid robots, trends, and more (Brian Heater/TechCrunch)

Brian Heater / TechCrunch:
Q&A with Deepu Talla, Nvidia's VP and GM for Embedded and Edge Computing, on the role of generative AI in robotics, designing humanoid robots, trends, and more  —  A version of this q&a first appeared in TechCrunch's free robotics newsletter, Actuator.  Subscribe here.