Microsoft Revamps Teams; Galaxy SmartTag 2 Out Next Week; Twitter (X) Revenue Dropped Every Month of Musk Ownership; 3D Printed Stem Cells

Microsoft has redesigned their somewhat clunky Teams app to make it faster and less of a resource hog on both PCs and Macs. According to theverge.com, the app has been built from the ground up. In fact, Redmond is claiming the app is twice as fast while using 50% less memory. It also takes up 70% less disk space. Microsoft says ‘classic Teams’ users will be automatically upgraded to the new Teams in the coming months. 

Tracking tags are handy to have…personally, I use Apple’s Air Tags, but Samsung has a huge ecosystem of devices that can help track your stuff, too. Now, 9to5google.com reports that the Galaxy SmartTag 2 is launching next week for $30. The original SmartTags came in two flavors that could track items like Apple’s AirTag. They used Bluetooth or UWB, or a combination of the two, using the network of Galaxy smartphones and tablets nearby. The new tag supports Bluetooth and UWB, and in addition has an integrated loop for easy attachment to a keychain, bag, or whatever other item you want to keep track of. It also has a bigger battery that will last up to 700 days according to Samsung. Apple’s batteries only last a year, but are semi-replaceable. Replaceable IF you don’t mind a lot of struggling and cussing. Samsung’s SmartTags are rated for water and dust resistance at iP67. 

Monthly U.S. ad revenue at social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has declined at least 55% year-over-year each month since billionaire Elon Musk bought the company formerly known as Twitter in October 2022, according to third-party data provided to Reuters. U.S. ad revenue dropped by 78% in December 2022 compared with the same month the previous year, the steepest monthly decline since the acquisition, according to ad analytics firm Guideline, which tracks advertising spending data from major ad agencies. Ad revenue in August, the latest data available from Guideline, declined 60% year-over-year. X declined to comment on the data. Musk just got rid of headlines in posts this week. Wait until he tries to make the whole platform pay for play like he has said he would. 

In an amazing breakthrough that could help treat brain injuries, Scientists at Oxford in the UK have 3D printed stem cells that can mimic the architecture of the cerebral cortex, the outer layer of the brain. Thenextweb.com reports that these could potentially be used to treat brain injuries. Such injuries typically cause significant damage to the cerebral cortex, leading to movement, cognition, and communication challenges. The research team fabricated a two-layered brain tissue by 3D printing human neural stem cells. Repairing brain injuries would be a huge breakthrough.

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