Wednesday, April 19, 2023

CB Insights: global fintech funding totaled $15B in Q1, up 55% QoQ, with Egypt-based MNT-Halan becoming the only unicorn, a first since the end of 2016 (TechCrunch)

TechCrunch:
CB Insights: global fintech funding totaled $15B in Q1, up 55% QoQ, with Egypt-based MNT-Halan becoming the only unicorn, a first since the end of 2016  —  Global fintech funding totaled $15 billion in the first quarter of this year, growing 55% from the fourth quarter, according to CB Insights' latest State of Fintech report.



China's CATL unveils condensed matter battery to power civil aircraft

Chinese battery giant CATL unveiled a condensed matter battery that it said could supply enough energy to power electric passenger aircraft for civil aviation use. https://ift.tt/ImW29DC

EU proposes $1.2 billion plan to counter growing cybersecurity threats

The European Commission announced a 1.1-billion-euro ($1.2 billion) plan to counter growing cybersecurity threats, underscoring mounting concerns about a series of high-profile hacking incidents. https://ift.tt/0se5Jbi

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Q&A with Bluesky CEO Jay Graber about its AT Protocol, content moderation, and more; he says the federated social network has let in about 20,000 users so far (Alex Heath/The Verge)

Alex Heath / The Verge:
Q&A with Bluesky CEO Jay Graber about its AT Protocol, content moderation, and more; he says the federated social network has let in about 20,000 users so far  —  As Elon Musk continues wielding Twitter like a blunt weapon against competitors like Substack, the downsides …



Microsoft adds Profiles feature to Outlook for Mac users with new update: What is it and how will it help users

Microsoft has announced a new update for the official Outlook app on Mac devices that introduces a new Profiles feature. With this feature, Mac users can manage multiple email accounts and mute notifications from other email accounts as per their requirement. This will help users create a distraction-free workspace. The feature also enables users to create personalised automation like switching between profiles at any time or by pressing Control + Tab with Siri Shortcuts. https://ift.tt/1nIiUaj

Chinese government data: semiconductor output fell nearly 15% YoY in Q1 2023; smartphone production fell 13.8%, as local brands like Oppo and Xiaomi struggled (Bloomberg)

Bloomberg:
Chinese government data: semiconductor output fell nearly 15% YoY in Q1 2023; smartphone production fell 13.8%, as local brands like Oppo and Xiaomi struggled  —  China's production of key electronics declined so far this year despite a bullish rebound in the overall economy, showing the unevenness of the country's recovery.



Apple led global Q1 smartphone shipments for the first time with a 21% market share in Q1 2026; overall smartphone shipments fell due to memory chip shortages (Counterpoint Research)

Counterpoint Research : Apple led global Q1 smartphone shipments for the first time with a 21% market share in Q1 2026; overall smartphone...