YouTube Revenue Up 15%; Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel and More Coming to Apple Vision Pro; Elon Musk $55 Billion Pay Deal Nixed by Court; Comcast Agrees to Stop Calling its Xfinity Network ‘10G’

Posted: January 31, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

YouTube ad revenue bounced back in the last quarter of 2023, to the tune of 15.5%. Variety.com reports that 4th quarter YouTube ad revenue was $9.2 billion, hitting Wall Street expectations. YouTube revenue had dropped nearly 8% in the same quarter of 2022. Parent Alphabet beat Wall Street expectations. The internet giant posted Q4 revenue of $86.31 billion (up 13.5%) and earnings per share of $1.64. Analysts on average expected $85.33 billion in revenue and EPS of $1.59, according to financial data provider LSEG.

Microsoft is releasing a suite of Microsoft 365 apps for Apple’s Vision Pro headset this week. Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Loop, and Microsoft Teams will all be available in the App Store for Apple Vision Pro on February 2nd — the same day Apple’s new headset is available in stores. According to the verge.com, Vision Pro owners will also be able to access an AI powered version of Copilot while using the headset. Besides Microsoft, Disney and others are supporting Apple’s new Vision Pro…but so far Netflix and YouTube won’t be launching apps…you’ll have to watch streaming via a web browser to use their services. 

Elon Musk is lighter in the wallet today after a ruling from the Delaware Court of Chancery that nixed his $55 billion pay package. Theverge.com notes that the ruling threatens Musk’s fortune substantially if it makes it through an appeal. He would drop to third richest in the world…and if the Tesla stock should drop below a certain level, he will have to surrender a substantial chunk of his stock that he pledged to financial firms to borrow the money to buy Twitter, which he changed to X. The pay package was approved by Tesla’s board and shareholders in 2018. The court found that investors weren’t told that Musk himself came up with the plan of that the board’s members were beholden to him. Musk just last week demanded more control over Tesla, calling for 25% ownership of the firm to pursue AI work. That would about double his present stake of 13%.

Comcast has been referring to its ‘Xfinity 10G Network’ for a while, and both Verizon and T-Mobile challenged Comcast’s advertising and promotion of 10G. Arstechnica.com reports that the term has been used by cable companies, but refers to 10Gbps broadband connections, not an ultra speedy 10th generation of wireless tech. A ruling came from the ad industry’s self-regulatory BBB National Advertising Division, which Comcast appealed to the National Advertising Review Board. That board ruled today that “Comcast should discontinue use of the term 10G, both when used in the name of the service itself (‘Xfinity 10G Network’) as well as when used to describe the Xfinity network. The use of 10G in a manner that is not false or misleading and is consistent with the panel decision is not precluded by the panel recommendations.” The cable operator will discontinue the brand name ‘Xfinity 10G Network,’  and won’t use the term ‘10G’ in a manner that misleadingly describes the Xfinity network itself,” Comcast said.

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

Threads Downloads Triple in December; Galaxy S24 Getting Crash Detection; Microsoft Closed Loophole in AI Image Generator That Allowed Swift Deepfakes; Proposed California Bill Would Allow Parents to Block Algorithmic Feeds for Kids

Posted: January 30, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Threads, the Instagram answer to the old Twitter had huge growth when it dropped last summer, then stalled out. Now, it looks like it is taking off again. The app tripled its downloads in December, placing it in the top 10 most downloaded apps for the month on both Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store. According to techcrunch.com, intelligence firm Appfigures reported 12 million new Threads downloads in December, grabbing the #4 spot on Apple’s App store and #8 on the Google Play Store. Meanwhile, X…formerly Twitter, fell to #29 on Apple’s App Store and #46 on the Google Play Store. 

Being in a car crash is a harrowing experience…particularly when it is enough to set off the airbags. Some cars have emergency calling built in, but now Samsung’s S24 phones will join Apple’s iPhones and Google’s Pixel 4 phones in alerting your loved ones if you are involved in a crash. Androidpolice.com notes that all Android devices are equipped with accelerometers and gyroscopes which the OS can read, and the phone can infer when there’s a car crash by analyzing sensor data. Google has been pushing Android phone makers to use the crash detection, so this may open the floodgates for others to follow along. 

Microsoft closed the loophole in its AI image generator that could create explicit images of celebrities like Taylor Swift. After the widespread outrage from Swift’s fans last week after explicit deepfakes of her showed up on X, Redmond took the action. Theverge.com says that Microsoft’s Designer AI image generator could be hacked by altering prompts that got around simple name blocks. Microsoft put out a statement claiming they are committed to a safe and respectful experience for everyone. Time will tell if the hackers are able to get around the updated software. Just before the Swift explicit deepfakes appeared, recall that someone was making political robocalls in New Hampshire with a cloned voice of President Biden. The battle will continue. 

California is considering a couple of bills that would protect kids from social media addiction and preserve their private data. Engadget.com reports that SB976 would give parents the power to remove addictive algorithmic feeds from their children’s social channels. If passed, it would allow parents of children under 18 to choose between the default algorithmic feed — typically designed to create profitable addictions — and a less habit-forming chronological one. It would also let parents block all social media notifications and prevent their kids from accessing social platforms during nighttime and school hours. AB 1949 would attempt to strengthen data privacy for CA children under 18. The bill’s language gives the state’s consumers the right to know what personal information social companies collect and sell and allows them to prevent the sale of their children’s data to third parties. Any exceptions would require “informed consent,” which must be from a parent for children under 13.

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

Amazon Ends iRobot Deal, Roomba Starts Layoffs; New iPads & Macs in March; X Blocked Taylor Swift Searches after Porn Deepfakes Proliferate on the Platform; EV Battery Charges in 5 minutes

Posted: January 29, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Amazon has ended its proposed $1.7 billion purchase of iRobot, the maker of Roomba robot vacuums after a report that the EU regulatory agency refused to give approval. The UK antitrust agency had ok’ed the deal, but without the EU, both Amazon & iRobot said there was  “no path to regulatory approval for the deal.” The Roomba maker also announced it would lay off 31% of its employees, around 350 people, and that its chair and CEO, Colin Angle, would step down effective immediately. Shares of iRobot fell 10% in morning trading on the news. Amazon will pay iRobot a $94 million break up fee.

Apple is expected to reveal new iPad Air, iPad Pro, and MacBook Air models “around the end of March,” according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Gurman says new iPad Pros and a new 13 inch MacBook Air are already in production. The iPad Air collection will get a new 12.9 inch screen, and the 10.9 inch model gets a refresh…including an Apple M2 chip, and new rear camera. The Pros get OLED displays. Gurman expects both the 13 and 15 inch MacBook Airs to be updated to get the latest M3 chip. The MacBook Pros just got updated to the M3 last year. 

A confirmation has come from X that it is blocking searches of Taylor Swift’s name after pornographic deepfakes of the artist began circulating on the platform this week. Engadget.com notes that the X head of business operations said, “This is a temporary action and done with an abundance of caution as we prioritize safety on this issue.” This step comes days after the problem first became known. X has drawn plenty of ire for being slow to curb the spread of nonconsensual, sexually explicit images. Taylor Swift fans went into action, mass-reporting the images and flooding the hashtags relating to Swift with positive content. Before X acted though, one post was viewed more than 45 million times. The deepfakes are believed to have originated from a Telegram group known for creating nonconsensual pornographic images of women. 

As anyone, whether an EV owner or not, knows…the fact that it takes 30 minutes or more to ‘fast charge’ an EV is a drag on sales of the electric cars. Now, a group of researchers working at Cornell University have made an interesting breakthrough. According to a new paper the researchers published in Joule, their charger could make it possible to charge an EV battery in just five minutes, a nice upgrade from the current EV fast chargers that take at least 30 minutes to charge up. Bgr.com reports that the key to the 5 minute charging is use of a metal called indium for battery anodes. The metal is already used in touchscreens and solar panels. If the battery catches on, it could make EVs more affordable…smaller batteries with less than 300 miles of range would work for a lot of folks, if they could recharge in 5 minutes. If a buyer wanted to spring for the bigger battery, they could surpass the mileage of a gas powered car. 

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

TikTok Tests 30 Min. Videos; Facebook Loses Data Scraper Suit; Microsoft Hits $3 Trillion Value Briefly; Tesla Has Underwhelming Financial Results

Posted: January 25, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

TikTok is testing letting people upload videos up to 30 minutes long…in an obvious move to go after YouTube. Bgr.com notes that this is triple the present 10 minute length. When a user gets ready to upload a video, a pop up announces “Introducing 30 minutes video — You can now upload videos up to 30 minutes long!” Of course, YouTube still allows much longer videos…actually up to 12 hours. The 30 minute time will be interesting, but I have several friends who do programs of 1 to 2 hours in length, so the 30 minute limit won’t be suitable for that sort of longer form programming. Most videos on YouTube aren’t over 30 minutes, though…so this is a big move for TikTok.

Facebook sued a data scraping company last year, and now a federal judge has tossed Meta’s breach-of-contract claim. According to arstechnica.com, this is because the defendant Bright Data obtained only public data from Facebook and Instagram.  Bright Data is an Israeli company that collects data from various websites and offers related products to businesses. Meta alleged that Bright Data violated Facebook and Instagram policies by developing and using “unauthorized automation software to scrape data from Facebook and Instagram, including users’ profile information, followers, and posts that users have shared with others.” The judge did let stand one claim…for tortious interference with contract. Us District Judge Edward Chen has scheduled a status conference May 5th to discuss litigation of that remaining claim by Facebook. 

Microsoft hit an historic milestone Wednesday as they briefly surpassed $3 trillion in market value. Bloomberg reports that a lot of the gain was due to optimism over AI. The Redmond firm wasn’t able to hold above that mark for long, but did close right under $3 trillion, with a valuation of $2.99 trillion. Microsoft joins a very exclusive corporate club now…Apple had previously became the first company to ever hit the milestone last summer. 

In some not so hot financial news, Tesla revealed its final quarter of 2023 results yesterday. On the plus side, arstechnica.com reports that they did hit the goal of delivering 1.8 million EVs to customers…but gross profits were down 23% year over year…even with a net income increase of 115% (although in large part, this was due to Tesla recording a “one-time non-cash tax benefit of $5.9 [billion] in Q4 for the release of valuation allowance on certain deferred tax assets.” Tesla also warned that vehicle growth rate may be ‘notably lower’ in 2024. 2025 could pick back up for them, though, with a leak to Automotive News that a compact crossover could be out in that model year. 

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

Google Chrome Gets AI Features; Apple’s Fabled Car Now Due in 2028; Netflix is Dropping Cheapest Ad-Free Plan; Amazon Ring Will Now Require Warrant for Cops to Get Footage

Posted: January 24, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

New AI features are coming to Google Chrome on both Windows and Mac. TechCrunch.com reports that they include a way to organize tabs, customize your theme, and get help writing things on the web…things like forum posts, online reviews, and more. A lot of this has been available on Google’s SGE, or Search Generative Experience, their experimental AI search experience. The still experimental feature for writing should be accessible next month in that Chrome release…just right click on a text box or field on the web, then choose ‘help me write.’ You need to write the first few words, then the AI will begin to help out. 

Actually, I can’t believe I’m writing about this again…talk about vaporware! Yes, Project Titan, the fabled Apple car…which has been on-again, off-again since 2015. 9to5mac.com notes that there have been numerous execs that have left and been replaced, to say nothing of staff churn. Starting a brand new car company is insanely hard…and we’re talking an autonomous EV on top of that. It appears at this point that the possible 2028 vehicle will be a Level 2+ system….originally, Apple was shooting for Level 4. Bloomberg reports that it is possible that Apple could upgrade the system over time with software. Even for famously secretive Apple, it’s a big tell about how rough Project Titan is going that there has never been a prototype spotted in disguise running around on any roadways. Did Apple bite off more than they can chew with the autonomous EV project? We may know by 2028…unless they kick the can down the road again.

Current members of Netflix have been able to keep their ad-free basic subscription plan at $11.99 a month up to now, but that is going to start changing. Theverge.com says company execs told investors in an earnings report that it will be retiring the plan in some countries…starting with Canada and the UK second quarter. That will leave you paying $15.49 a month if you want Netflix’s cheapest ad-free plan. The cheapie ad-supported basic plan remains at $6.99, and the ad-free premium plan is still $22.99 a month. Netflix has also signed a 10 year deal with WWE’s Monday Night Raw.

There have been complaints over the years including from civil liberties groups and some politicians about police obtaining footage from users’ Ring Doorbell cams without their permission or knowledge. That is about to change. Bloomberg reports that starting next week, Amazon will disable its Request for Assistance tool, which  had allowed law enforcement to seek footage from users on a voluntary basis, Eric Kuhn, who runs Ring’s Neighbors app, said in a blog post on Wednesday. Police and fire departments will have to seek a warrant to request footage from users or show the company evidence of an ongoing emergency.

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

Google & AT&T Invest in Starlink Rival; US EA Aims to Stop Citizen Data Exploitation; iOS 17.3 Drops-With Stolen Device Protection; FTC Tells Intuit to Stop Pushing Free Software That Isn’t

Posted: January 23, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Google, AT&T, and Vodafone are pumping $206 million into AST SpaceMobile, a Starlink competitor that intends to offer smartphone service from low-earth orbit satellites. AST said it has “over 40 agreements and understandings with mobile network operators globally, who collectively service over 2 billion subscribers.” While Starlink already has over 5,000 satellites delivering home Internet service and plans to launch tens of thousands more, it isn’t too far ahead of AST SpaceMobile in terms of cellular-enabled satellites. SpaceX launched the first six Starlink satellites that can provide cellular transmissions to standard LTE phones a few weeks ago and demonstrated the technology with text messages sent between T-Mobile phones.

The US is planning to issue a new executive order that will be aimed at prevent foreign adversaries from accessing troves of highly sensitive personal data about Americans and people connected to the U.S. government, according to Bloomberg News. The draft order focuses on ways that foreign adversaries are gaining access to Americans’ “highly sensitive” personal data through legal means and through intermediaries like data brokers, third-party vendor agreements, employment agreements or investment agreements. The administration is concerned about the collection of data on political figures, journalists, academics, activists and members of marginalized communities, as well as patient data obtained through health-care providers and researchers. This order will NOT be voluntary like the commitments AI companies made this year. 

Apple has released iOS 17.3, which is a minor upgrade except for one feature…Stolen Device Protection. Theverge.com notes that of late, a number of accounts have been taken over after a person meets another in a bar, and gets them to enter their passcode to the phone…allegedly to put in the new person’s number and info. The scammer has memorized the passcode, and has your name, etc…so they can take over your iCloud account and get into all your saved passwords…like banking info to drain accounts. Stolen Device Protection requires either Face ID or Touch ID for certain actions…like viewing saved passwords or applying for a new Apple Card. If you are away from your home or work, any time you try to change a password or the like, you will have to input the passcode AND use the biometric ID…and then wait an hour. To use the feature go to Settings, then select Face ID and Passcode. Scroll WAY down, and you can see Stolen Device Protection. Turn it on. It is off by default. 

The FTC ordered Intuit to stop promoting its software products and services as “free” unless they’re actually free for all consumers. Bleepingcomputer.com reports that the order comes after the consumer protection watchdog’s investigation into how Intuit promoted its tax preparation software TurboTax as being a “free” product as part of a years-long deceptive advertising campaign. Around two-thirds of all tax filers in the U.S. could not use TurboTax for free as advertised by the accounting and tax software provider, instead being hit with charges when it was time to file. In other words, plug in all your info, and go through the whole stressful procedure and then…oh, yeah…you can’t actually file without paying these fees. By the way, if your taxes are pretty simple and you have an adjusted gross income of $79,000 or less, you can use products available through the IRS’ Free File Program to file federal and state tax returns for free.

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

Apple Vision Pro-180,000 Orders Over Weekend; Pixel Watch May Grow; Vans Maker Data Hack; Lamborghini Licenses MIT’s New Faster High Capacity EV Batteries

Posted: January 22, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Apple may have gotten preorders for up to 180,000 Vision Pro headsets the first weekend. That’s according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, as cited by macrumors.com. Kuo says the headset sold out soon after the preorder window opened. He went on to note that the shipping dates haven’t really slipped, so orders may have tapered off not long after the most hard core Apple fanboys and fangirls (with deep pockets) placed their orders. What the order number does mean though is that Apple will have no trouble hitting their goal of shipping 500,000 Vision Pro headsets this year. 

One of the knocks on the Pixel Watch has been its small display size…another has been battery life. Now, it looks like Google may be set to tackle those issues with a makeover that will include two Pixel 3 models in different sizes. According to androidcenteral.com, the larger variant might be big enough to get new health sensors, but the bigger display and battery alone would go a long way towards making the watch more useful. 

Apparel maker VF Corp had noted a cyber attack in December. Now, they have revealed in a disclosure with the SEC that the data breach has impacted up to 35.5 million customers. Engadget.com says that means if you’ve purchased from its major brands like Vans, North Face, Timberland, Dickies and more, you may have been impacted. VF hasn’t given much detail about the hack, except to say that it likely included personal information. Fortunately, though, VF says it did not collect consumer social security numbers, bank account information or payment card information, and that there is no evidence the hackers stole passwords. Yet another example of how determined and talented hackers can breach just about any system on the internet. 

Lots of researchers are in the hunt for a better battery to replace lithium-ion batteries. Alternatives have used manganese and sodium…even iron. Now, a new type from MIT has shown enough promise that Lamborghini has licensed the tech for EVs. TechCrunch.com reports that the alternative is called TAQ…which is an organic compound primarily made of carbon. Up to now, most organics have stored more power, but tended to not be very durable. The new TAQ material doesn’t dissolve in two widely used electrolytes, and it sports an energy density that’s 50% better than one of the most common lithium-ion battery chemistries in use today, nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC). TAQ, short for bis-tetraaminobenzoquinone, is composed of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen arranged in a row of three neighboring hexagons. The structure is similar to that of graphite, which is almost universally used today as an anode material (the positive terminal). Time will tell if the TAQ battery will be the magic bullet for battery tech…or at least one of them. 

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

Unredacted Meta Docs-“Historical Reluctance’ to Protect Kids; Apple SellingWatch 9 & Ultra Sans Blood Oxygen Feature; Samsung Teases Smart Ring; Costco Trials Membership Card Scan for Entrance

Posted: January 18, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Internal Meta documents about child safety have been unsealed as part of a lawsuit filed by the New Mexico Department of Justice against both Meta and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. The documents reveal that Meta not only intentionally marketed its messaging platforms to children, but also knew about the massive volume of inappropriate and sexually explicit content being shared between adults and minors. TechCrunch.com reports that the documents were unsealed yesterday as part of an amended complaint. In a statement to TechCrunch, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said that Meta and Zuckerberg enabled child predators to sexually exploit children. Originally filed in December, the lawsuit alleges that Meta platforms like Instagram and Facebook have become “a marketplace for predators in search of children upon whom to prey,” and that Meta failed to remove many instances of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) after they were reported on Instagram and Facebook. 

Apple Watch 9 and Ultra 2 models are back on sale today, albeit without the Blood Oxygen feature that is at the center of legal action between Cupertino and Masimo. According to macrumors.com, removing the feature allows Apple to continue selling the watches and stay in the good graces of the US International Trade Commission. Older Watch models and those sold outside the US will still have the Blood Oxygen feature. Apple is appealing a ruling in Masimo’s favor by the ITCk and is also working on changes to the Blood Oxygen app’s algorithm in an attempt to avoid Masimo’s patented technology.

After all the hoopla surrounding the new Galaxy smartphones at Samsung Unpacked yesterday, the company had a quick video tease about the Galaxy Ring they are working on. Theverge.com notes that the ring is intended to be what the company called a “powerful and accessible” health and wellness device. Samsung didn’t provide any details about the tech in the ring, when it might be released, or pricing. Here’s a hint from last year though… Samsung filed a patent for a smart ring that would offer EKG and smart home controls. 

In case you missed it, Costco is running a trial at some stores, requiring you to scan your card in a scanner to get into the store. Geekwire.com reports that instead of flashing your card to an employee, the scanner will be able to tell if the person holding the card is really a member, since they have your photo on them. Costco says this is to prevent account sharing. The company claims it is able to sell items so cheaply partly due to the membership fees paid each year by members. When you pay, you will no longer need to have the card scanned again as has been the practice up to now. We may know later this year if Costco will adapt the new system to all stores.

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

Unredacted Meta Docs-“Historical Reluctance’ to Protect Kids; Apple SellingWatch 9 & Ultra Sans Blood Oxygen Feature; Samsung Teases Smart Ring; Costco Trials Membership Card Scan for Entrance

Posted: January 18, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Internal Meta documents about child safety have been unsealed as part of a lawsuit filed by the New Mexico Department of Justice against both Meta and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. The documents reveal that Meta not only intentionally marketed its messaging platforms to children, but also knew about the massive volume of inappropriate and sexually explicit content being shared between adults and minors. TechCrunch.com reports that the documents were unsealed yesterday as part of an amended complaint. In a statement to TechCrunch, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said that Meta and Zuckerberg enabled child predators to sexually exploit children. Originally filed in December, the lawsuit alleges that Meta platforms like Instagram and Facebook have become “a marketplace for predators in search of children upon whom to prey,” and that Meta failed to remove many instances of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) after they were reported on Instagram and Facebook. 

Apple Watch 9 and Ultra 2 models are back on sale today, albeit without the Blood Oxygen feature that is at the center of legal action between Cupertino and Masimo. According to macrumors.com, removing the feature allows apple to continue selling the watches and stay in the good graces of the US International Trade Commission. Older Watch models and those sold outside the US will still have the Blood Oxygen feature. Apple is appealing a ruling in Masimo’s favor by the ITCk and is also working on changes to the Blood Oxygen app’s algorithm in an attempt to avoid Masimo’s patented technology.

After all the hoopla surrounding the new Galaxy smartphones at Samsung Unpacked yesterday, the company had a quick video tease about the Galaxy Ring they are working on. Theverge.com notes that the ring is intended to be what the company called a “powerful and accessible” health and wellness device. Samsung didn’t provide any details about the tech in the ring, when it might be released, or pricing. Here’s a hint from last year though… Samsung filed a patent for a smart ring that would offer EKG and smart home controls. 

In case you missed it, Costco is running a trial at some stores, requiring you to scan your card in a scanner to get into the store. Geekwire.com reports that instead of flashing your card to an employee, the scanner will be able to tell if the person holding the card is really a member, since they have your photo on them. Costco says this is to prevent account sharing. The company claims it is able to sell items so cheaply partly due to the membership fees paid each year by members. When you pay, you will no longer need to have the card scanned again as has been the practice up to now. We may know later this year if Costco will adapt the new system to all stores.

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

Today’s Samsung Unpacked Highlights; Google Lays off Hundreds in Ad Division Switching to AI Powered Sales; Uber Shutters Booze Delivery Service Drizly; Semiconductor Revenue Declined in 2023

Posted: January 17, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Samsung showed off the new Galaxy S24 phones at their latest Unpacked event today. The S24 Ultra has a titanium body like the iPhone 15, and more notably, a flat screen…after years of the curved OLED panels we’ve seen on the Samsung phones. Arstechnica.com reports that the new Ultra has 42% slimmer bezels and that the front hole punch cam cutout is 11% smaller than on the S23 Ultra. The bottom still houses an S-Pen for handwriting and drawing. The Ultra got a $100 price bump, so will set you back $1300…a hundred more than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and $300 more than the Pixel 8 Pro. As we previously reported, Samsung will match Google with  “seven years of security updates and seven generations of OS upgrades.” Samsung spent a lot of time talking about the generative AI in the phone, which it calls ‘Galaxy AI.’ The keyboard’s “Chat Assist” will let you enter text, then change the tone to something like “professional” or “fun” before sending it. The notes app can reformat your typed notes. The phone app can live-translate your speech into another language and vice versa. Samsung’s updated voice recorder app will now transcribe multiple speakers and AI-generate a summary of the recording. “Browsing Assist” in Samsung’s browser will summarize websites. “Generative edit” in the photo editor will create missing background chunks when you cut and paste an object or reframe a photo. Preorders start now, with the phones in stores on January 31st.

Google has apparently laid off ‘hundreds of employees’ from its ad sales team. Remaining employees won’t be picking up the slack, either…the work is to be handled by AI. Arstechnica.com reports that most of the layoffs are in the ‘Large Customer Sales’ team. Some employees have been reassigned as opposed to laid off. Part of what an AI system will be doing is helping people navigate the large selection of ad products; another system can just make ad assets like images and text on its own based on a budget and goals given by the ad purchaser. Google used to have humans do sales guidance for its products, create art assets, and decide on text and layouts, but now AI can do it a thousand times a second. A few years ago, Google tried programmatic buying of radio time that was unsold by stations. That experiment was closed down after a while, as it proved to be not quite ready for prime time. Time will tell how the AI does…for clients that know exactly what they want, it may actually be fine…for those who are less sophisticated at ad buying…maybe not.

Back in 2021, Uber bought Drizly for $1.1 billion, thinking that adding it to their food delivery service might be a plus. The food delivery biz kept losses manageable for Uber during the pandemic. Engadget.com notes that Uber’s SVP of delivery said that they were shutting down the US based alcohol delivery service to focus on its ‘core Uber Eats strategy.’  Uber integrated Drizly’s offerings into its Eats app, but the alcohol delivery service maintained a separate application of its own. In a statement, Uber said customers can get almost anything from food to groceries to alcohol, all on a single app. So the shutdown of Drizly doesn’t mean Uber will no longer deliver alcohol…your booze delivery is safe.

Gartner has crunched the numbers, and worldwide semiconductor sales revenue dropped 11% in 2023. The revenue total was $533 billion. Gartner notes that the semiconductor industry tends to be cyclical, but said “while the cyclicality in the semiconductor industry was present again in 2023, the market suffered a difficult year with memory revenue recording one of its worst declines in history.” Intel did reclaim the #1 spot from Samsung after two years. Nvidia grew revenue 56.4% and made it into the top 5 for the first time ever. 

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

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