Third Party Merchants Get Buy With Prime; Microsoft Pours Cash into ChatGPT Maker; Apple Making Own Cell-WiFi-Bluetooth Chip; Facebook Changes Address Ad Discrimination

Amazon is expanding its Buy with Prime service to US based merchants by the end of January. According to TechCrunch.com, the service allows third party merchants to offer Prime benefits like free shipping and returns on their own apps. Up to now, those benefits were only available to merchants using Fulfillment by Amazon for their shipping and logistics. This latest program has been trialed since last spring with a handful of select merchants. In addition to the expansion, the retail giant also introduced another new feature, Reviews from Amazon, which will allow Buy with Prime merchants to showcase reviews on their own online stores to help further increase conversions and consumer trust. 

After announcing that they would be using OpenAI’s Chat GPT text tool in Word, Microsoft is now getting set to dump some $10 billion into OpenAI, to help them accelerate bring artificial intelligence into their productivity software. Appleinsider.com reports that along with other investors, a total of about $29 billion is being funneled into OpenAI. If it goes ahead, the acquisition will value OpenAI at approximately $29 billion. Under the deal, Microsoft would receive 75% of OpenAI’s profits until it recoups the investment, before reverting to a structure where Microsoft owns 49% of OpenAI. Microsoft had previously injected $1 billion into OpenAI back in 2019.

It’s a couple years away, but Apple is designing their own all-in-one cellular, WiFi, and Bluetooth chip. Theverge.com says Cupertino has been wanting for some time to take things in-house like they have with their system on a chip designs in the latest iOS devices and Macs. Apple is shooting for 2025. They have been using Broadcom WiFi and Bluetooth chips, and cellular modems from Qualcomm. Apple has put out several generations of A series chips in their mobile devices, and is on the 2nd generation of the M chips in Macs…all but the Mac Pro, which will get them later this year. 

Facebook settled a suit by the Department of Justice over ad discrimination last year, and now come the changes. According to cnet.com, parent company Meta is altering the ad tools to prevent landlords and home sellers from running ads that exclude some groups of people. The changes are also aimed at blunting discrimination in employment and financial services. Meta claims the changes will limit what characteristics certain advertisers can use to reach potential customers. Facebook allows advertisers to target ads at people based on the interests, demographics and behavior of the social network’s users. The new so-called ‘Variance Reduction System’ will compare the audience of a particular ad, and limit what characteristics certain advertisers can use to reach potential customers.

I’m Clark Reid, and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.