Meta Shares Fell on Big AI Spending; Biden Signs TikTok Bill-What Now; Threads Passes 150 Million Active Users; TSMC Moving to ‘Ultra’ Advanced Chips

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

Meta shares dropped yesterday after the company forecasted higher expenses and lower than expected revenue. The expenses mainly due to its big investment in AI. Meta was still down 11% as of this recording…and lost some $200 billion in valuation yesterday, according to Reuters. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on an earnings call that the focus on AI would “grow our investment envelope meaningfully before we make much revenue from some of these new products.” Meta expects AI features like a new AI chat assistant will driver engagement on its platforms…in other words, a chatbot will make Facebook and Instagram bigger time sucks than they already are for some people!

President Biden signed the foreign aid package that includes the TikTok ban, so things are getting interesting for ByteDance, the China based parent company. Theverge.com reports that they have 9 months to sell control of TikTok to a non-Chinese owner. The president can give them an additional 3 months if it looks like they are moving towards that…otherwise it will be banned from both the Google and Apple app stores. TikTok has repeated that it will challenge the law in the courts. Although some 170 million users in the US use the app, it should be pointed out that the Chinese government forces both Apple and Google to block apps from downloading there on a regular basis. 

Threads has passed the 150 million active monthly user mark. As recently as February, they were at 130 million, so growth is accelerating quickly. Mashable.com notes that X claims 550 million active users worldwide, although some research firms dispute X’s numbers. Threads announced yesterday that they are testing the option to archive posts “with a small number of people.” Individual posts can be archived manually, but you can also automatically archive all posts after a certain period of time.

Taiwan Semiconductor will start building what they are calling ultra-advanced 1.6 nanometer chips by 2026. Right now, the fastest, most advanced chips are using 3 nanometer tech. Nikkei Asia repots that the A16 tech was revealed at the North America Technology Symposium in Santa Clara Yesterday. TSMC says the 1.6 NM chips will have greatly improved logic density and performance. The new tech delivers poswer to chips from the bottom up instead of top down…avoiding complex internal wiring and improving energy efficiency. Intel has already announced backside power, and will start making 2 NM and 1.8 NM chips in 2025. The present iPhones use TSMC’s 3 NM tech. Many tech experts believe that AI will eventually need even more advanced chips…with sizes under 1 NM. 

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

Apple May 7th Event; Android 15-Battling Sensitive Info Leaks; GM Pins Hopes on $35K EV Equinox; FTC Bans Noncompete Clauses

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

Apple has teased an event for May 7th with “Let Loose” as the theme. This will be an online only event, and will start at 7 AM Pacific, instead of the usual 10 AM start time. It is widely expected to be for the new iPad line, and the Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard. In a post, CEO Tim Cook used a pencil emoji, so that seems like a sure thing to get upgraded…a Pencil 3. One rumor has it getting a ‘Squeeze’ gesture of some type, and others mention Find My integration…which would be great…and magnetically swappable tips for different writing and drawing. New iPad Pros should get OLED displays and a slight size increase. The Air will get a 12.9 inch screen size, and might have a Mini-LED display. We’ll have the details May 7th. 

Android is taking steps in Android 15 to stop you from leaking sensitive content while screen sharing. Androidpolice.com reports that not only will they remind you not to share a screen in a meeting or live stream with sensitive info. Android has long let third party apps capture the contents of the display via the MediaProjection API. In version 15, the OS will ask if you want to continue this action, and also will show a persistent recording indicator in the status bar. This will at least give a heads up if a malicious app is trying to record your screen and steal info.  

With the fabled $25,000 Tesla being moved up a year, General Motors is hustling to pick up some market share with a vehicle near the sweet spot for most buyers with their entry level $35,000 electric Chevy Equinox. Electrek.co says GM lost some market share first quarter. The Ultium based vehicles were up 36%, but total EV sales were down 20% after the phase out of the entry level Chevy Bolt EV. GM is projecting that they will build 200,000 to 300,000 EVs this year…a big number, but down from the original 400,000 projection.

In a ruling just out, the FTC has banned noncompete clauses. This will have a big effect in the tech sector, but also elsewhere in the business world. Arstechnica.com notes that Employers will be “banned from entering into or attempting to enforce any new noncompetes, even if they involve senior executives.” Big business has vowed to fight the ban all the way to the Supreme Court. It is worth pointing out that nondisclosure agreements are still ok, so trade secrets and proprietary information can still be protected. The Chair of the FTC Lina Khan said “Noncompete clauses keep wages low, suppress new ideas, and rob the American economy of dynamism, including from the more than 8,500 new startups that would be created a year once noncompetes are banned.” She continued:  “The FTC’s final rule to ban noncompetes will ensure Americans have the freedom to pursue a new job, start a new business, or bring a new idea to market.”

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

Meta Opens Quest OS to 3rd Parties; Amazon Drops CA Drones; Chinese iPhone Sales Down; Tesla Cuts FSD Price

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

Meta has announced that it is opening up Quest’s operating system to third party companies, giving them the opportunity to build headsets of their own. Engadget.com says that you might think of this as following the Android model with mobile phones and tablets, where many makers can build the hardware…as opposed to Apple’s closed system where only Apple makes the hardware and the software. The OS is getting rebranded as ‘Meta Horizon OS.’ There are already a couple of makers diving into using the OS…ASUS’s Republic of Gaming Brand is working on new ‘performance gaming’ headsets, while Lenovo is building headsets for  “productivity, learning and entertainment.” Hopefully, the Lenovo headsets will be better than the last time out…Lenovo also built the poorly-received Oculus Rift S. Meta says they are also working on a limited edition Xbox ‘inspired’ Quest Headset. 

Amazon is dropping drone deliveries to Lockeford, CA. The company had been running test deliveries there for a decade…making it one of the longest running test sites. According to cnbc.com, Amazon intends to open up drone deliveries to part of Phoenix later this year, and to more cities in the US by 2025. Amazon is working with the FAA to get permission to do drone delivery west of Phoenix. They continue with tests in College Station, TX. 

First quarter smartphone sales in China were barely up year over year…only 1.5%. Macrumors.com notes that Apple iPhone sales there dropped by 19.1%, with most of the missed sales going to Huawei, which had a huge 69.7% growth in sales year to year. A lot of that is due to their launch of the Mate 60 series. Some analysts think new color options and the addition of AI features may help Apple to pick up some of what it lost this Fall. 

In the wake of a rough first quarter, Tesla continues to slash things…first staff, then car prices, now the cost of the so-called Full Self Driving product. Mashable.com reports that they have slashed FSD from $12,000 to $8,000. The monthly subscription to FSD has also been cut…in half to $99 a month. The car maker has also dropped its ‘Enhanced Autopilot’ package, leaving only the ‘Basic Autopilot’ or the still pricy Full Self Driving package. 

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

Apple AI-Totally ‘On-Device’; TikTok Says US Ban Tramples Free Speech; Tesla Cuts Prices-Models S, X, & Y; Twitter Wannabe Post News Closing Down

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

In his latest Power On Newsletter, Bloomburg’s Mark Gurman says that the AI feature in Apple’s iOS 18 will be ‘entirely on-device.’ Apple will tout this as giving users more privacy and speed than with AI running from powerful server farms…although the AI Model..code named Ajax…won’t really be as powerful as the ones backed by monster servers. Apple feels that with their tight software and hardware integration that this is the best way for their users…at least for now. Cupertino is doing what all the other big tech firms are…dumping billions into AI, so we may see them open up more to server based large language models before long. We’ll know more after WWDC, which starts June 10th. 

With the passage over the weekend of a bill over the weekend in the House of Representatives that…in addition to foreign aid, demanded that TikTok must be sold to owners not affiliated with the Chinese government or army, a TikTok spokesman has said  the move “would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate seven million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24 billion to the US economy annually”. BBC.com reports that the company went on to say that its owner ByteDance “is not an agent of China or any other country”. ByteDance points to the many global investment firms that own 60% of it. If signed into law, the bill would give ByteDance a year to sell TikTok to non-Chines owners…or else be blocked in the US. 

As business has slowed, in part due to prospective customers tiring of Elon Musk’s antics, as well as the tepid reception then recall of Cybertrucks…Tesla has chopped two grand off the base prices of their Models S, X, and Y. Engadget.com says the price reductions were posted on X Friday night. Tesla is also cutting its referral program in all markets as of April 30th. This all follows on the heels of the company laying off over 10% of employees worldwide. It should be noted that Tesla had just grown their workforce by 10% over the last couple of years. 

It’s kind of sad to report that Post.News is calling it quits. The Twitter wannabe site was started by the former CEO of Waze, and theverge.com notes that it just never got enough traction to be viable. I was on Post from the start, and it was a real seat of the pants operation…very little staff, and really only had about a half million users….compared to the over 100 million that Meta’s Threads got right away. 

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

Google Fires 28 Employees Over Protest; Media Coalition Asks Feds to Investigate Google Dropping Cal News Links; Algorithm May Double Lithium-Ion Battery Life; Boston Dynamics Robot Goes from Hydraulic to Electric

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

Google has fired 28 employees over the sit in protests at two of its offices this week. Theverge.com reports that 9 employees had been suspended and then arrested in both California and New York on Tuesday. The employees were protesting Google’s hand in Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion Israeli government cloud contract. Amazon is also involved in the Nimbus cloud project. The employees sitting in had to be forcibly removed by law enforcement from Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian’s office. There are claims that Project Nimbus has been used by the Israel Defense Force in its campaign against Hamas in Gaza, where thousands have died.

The News/Media Alliance, previously known as the Newspaper Association of America, has ask the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission…as well as the California  Attorney General…to investigate Google after Google removed links to California news media outlets. According to engadget.com, Google has acted in response to a pending legislative measure in Sacramento….which Google vociferously opposes. If the bill becomes law, it would require Google and other tech platforms to pay California media outlets in exchange for links. The bill passed the state Assembly last year. Heaven forbid that online platforms would have to actually PAY for news!

Researchers in Germany have come up with a new algorithm that may help double the life of lithium-ion batteries. Bgr.com says it works by changing the way electricity is sent to the batteries for charging. Right now, batteries get what’s called constant current. That tends to cause cracks in the battery electrodes over time. The new algorithm uses pulsed current. This results in a thinner interface and much less structural wear on the battery, allowing it to hold a higher energy capacity for longer. The researchers think the new algorithm can double the service life of lithium-ion batteries, keeping them at over 80% energy capacity retention. This will be particularly big for EVs, where the battery packs can be a huge expense to replace. 

Boston Dynamics has had their rather amazing Atlas robot for a while now…the one that can walk, stand, jump, and all. It has been cool…but noisy, with hydraulically actuated motors whirring away. Now, TechCrunch.com reports that the new version of Atlas is all electric, no hydraulics. You can still hear the motors humming, but it is much quieter, and a bit less jerky in movement than the old versions. It is smoother…no cables showing, and not such a top heavy torso. the Head is a bit freaky…it looks kind of like a giant searchlight…and it rotates 180 degrees. Boston still won’t say when it will be ready for production at scale.

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

Meta Oversight Board Will Rule on AI-Generated Content; Tesla Pauses Cybertruck Production; Apple Considers Expanding to Indonesia; Ecovac Window Cleaning Robot

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

Meta’s Oversight Board is handling a couple cases involving AI generated explicit images of public figures. Although engadget.com notes that Facebook and instagram prohibit nudity, the board is concerned about what is known as deepfake porn. That usually involves AI generated images of female celebrities, politicians, and other public figures. The board seems to be leaning towards pushing Meta to adopt new rules to address harassment by use of deepfakes on Meta’s platforms. The oversight board is looking for public comment in the next couple weeks, and after that will publish a decision in a few more weeks. It’s debatable whether platforms can keep up with AI generated deepfakes, which continue to get better, but good they are trying. A realistic fake video of President Biden earlier got Meta to agree to label AI generated content.

Tesla has stopped production and deliveries for the Cybertruck…all due to a serious safety issue. According to mashable.com, the pedal cover can come loose and slide up the pedal. It becomes wedged in an indent in the floor of the Cybertruck when the vehicle is floorboard. After that, the truck tries to continue to go flat out…you can counter it by jamming on the brake and holding that down, but it has caused some scary moments for new owners. A couple of Elon fan sites say the production pause is just for 7 days, but as with a lot of things Tesla…since Musk fired the PR department years ago…no official word.

As Apple continues to pull away from dependency on production in China…having set up shop in India, Vietnam, and South America, now Cupertino is eyeing Indonesia. Macrumors.com says that CEO Tom Cook recently met with the president of Indonesia. During the meeting, Cook apparently highlighted mutual interest in boosting local manufacturing. Cook visited Indonesia right after a trip to Vietnam where he met with the Prime Minister. 

Lots of folks have robot vacuums. I even have a relative that has two of the handy…but pricy little rascals. Now, after some 10 years of making them, Ecovac has a really well working robot window cleaner. Zdnet.com reports that you can put on a cleaning pad, fill the tank…they recommend just water, and turn the little gadget loose and get those hard to reach outdoor windows sparkling clean. The latest greatest is called the Winbot W2 Omni, and while it sounds pretty great from reviews, it runs a substantial $600. When you can buy a Dyson vacuum for that or less, and robot vacuums for not a lot more, you may have to think twice about it…but what a slick deal. It can run about 110 minutes…unless you have a mansion or something like the Crystal Cathedral, you should be able to polish off your windows inside and out on one charge.

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

YouTube Vids May not Play if You Have 3rd Party Ad-Blocker; Threads Tests Realtime Search Results; Rivian R1S-4th Best Selling EV; Apple Adds Redundant Action Button to All iPhone 16’s

Posted: April 16, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

YouTube is bolstering its resistance to third party ad blockers. Be warned that if you are using one, the videos you try to watch may just not play at all. Zdnet.com reports that users may have buffering issues, or get an error message that says “the following content is not available on this app,” stopping you from watching the video at all. YouTube says the company doesn’t want you using ad blockers because such tools prevent video creators from being compensated based on the number of views. The company sees those ads as important and essential because they support creators financially. Let’s be clear…mostly, they are concerned about the revenue THEY get from the ads, not the money that goes to creators. Since YouTube has done this to varying degrees before, expect people to devise hacks and work arounds. 

Threads, the Meta competitor to X, is testing real-time search results. According to engadget.com, an issue has been that the present algorithm when you use the ‘For You’ selection can often show you days-old posts next to current ones. I can verify this as well. More often, I just read my ‘Following’ feed. At any rate, the new search feature they are testing will let users filter by recent posts. I hope this is an easing of their tendency to minimize news…it would really supercharge Threads as X continues to become less useful and relevant by the hour. 

Rivian has had some good buzz with their electric vehicles…no pun intended…and now, in first quarter of 2024 the Rivian R1S claims the #4 sales slot for new EVs sold in the US…beating out Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 and Volkswagen ID.4. Electrek.co says the top 3 are the Tesla Model Y, the Tesla Model 3, and the Ford Mustang Mach-E. Rivian expects to make about 57,000 vehicles this year, but should see growth next year with the cheaper R2 SUV, which will be base priced at $45,000.

Apple is apparently adding the relatively worthless ‘Action’ button to the whole iPhone 16 line. Macrumors.com notes that the iPhone 15 models already carry this button, which lives above the volume buttons on the left side of the handset. You can program it to open the camera, or assign shortcuts to it. I set mine for camera, but it’s really easier to just use the cam button on the lock screen. Note that the button replaces the mute/silence button, so if you don’t like your phone ringing, go turn off the ringer in settings. A survey that MacRumors did of 7,000 users found over half forget the action button is even on the phone! Yep…another bloatware feature. 

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

Samsung Retakes Top Smartphone Sales Spot; US Gives Samsung Billions for Chip Factory in TX; Tesla Lays off 10% Plus of Workforce; Super-Creepy Face Detecting AI Camera-Repeller

Posted: April 15, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Samsung has grabbed back the top spot in the worldwide smartphone race, passing up Apple. 9to5google.com reports that Samsung shipped 19.69 million smartphones first quarter, eclipsing Apple’s 17.41 million. Samsung is now reporting 20% market share, with Apple at 18%. Samsung had been the top smartphone maker for quite a while until being passed up by Apple. As Samsung comes out with new phones again this summer and then Apple in September, we’ll see if Cupertino can claw back the #1 spot. 

We reported last week on the over $6 billion the US has given TSMC for their chip plants in Arizona and $8.5 billion to Intel for chip production here. Now, the feds have ponied $6.4 billion to Samsung for its facilities it is building in Texas. Samsung is investing $45 billion in the facilities over the next 10 years. All the funds are from the 2022 Chips and Science Act. 

With sales softer first quarter, Tesla is now laying off over 10% of its workforce. Emails started going out yesterday. Engadget.com says that Tesla had over 140,000 employees as the end of December 2023. Elon Musk wrote in a memo “As part of this effort, we have done a thorough review of the organization and made the difficult decision to reduce our headcount by more than 10 percent globally.” It is notable that Tesla had doubled its headcount since 2020, and in fact added 10% in 2023 alone. Deliveries were down 8% year over year, and now are expected to continue to be soft. Tesla announces first quarter earnings April 23rd. 

The first thing that came to mind when I saw this is ‘lawsuit waiting to happen.’ Thenextweb.com reports that a startup in Slovenia has made an AI powered home security system. It has Via computer vision tech that works day and night. Owners can designate guests as friends or foe using an app…even designate pets. That’s all well and good, but this rig goes further. If someone unknown or listed as a foe comes on the property, a speaker warns them they have 5 seconds to leave. If they don’t, it shoots paintballs or tear gas at them. The system also records video. The Paintcam, as it is called, launches April 23rd…no pricing yet.

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

New & Used EV Prices Dip 20%; Macs Getting AI Centric M4 Chips; British Version of DARPA Building AI Gatekeepers; Taylor Swift Music Back on TikTok

Posted: April 11, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

If you are in the market, or thinking about getting in the market for an EV, the timing may be good for you. Inventories of both new and used EVs are up and that is putting pressure on prices. Online searches for EVs on cars.com are up 14.9 percent year over year. Arstechnica.com reports that inventory of electrics is 107% more than a year ago, and they are staying on lots over 90 days. Dealers and manufacturers like to just see a 60 day inventory. The average selling price of a new EV…again according to cars.com is now down 4.3% from this time last year to $63,806…still pricy, but moving in the right direction. Of note…the data doesn’t include new Tesla sales, as they have no dealer network. Looking at used EVs…the prices of those have dipped a bit over 20% since last year…the average selling price is now $36,429. Now, if new EVs or even the used ones would hit that buyer sweet spot of $32,000…you might see a real burst of EV buying.

In the continuing race for faster, better, more powerful chips, plus the push to make AI ubiquitous, Apple will start refreshing its Macs with M4 chips late this year. According to macrumors.com, the new chips will focus on improving performance for artificial intelligence capabilities. As with the current batch, there will be low, medium, and high powered chips in the M4 line. The new chips will still be 3 nanometer chips, but prime Apple maker TSMC says they have improved the process to give better performance and power efficiency. After the M4’s, we may see the move to 2 nanometer chips. 

The British version of DARPA…you know DARPA, the Pentagon advanced science folks that invented Darpanet, which became the internet…have rolled out what they are calling a Gatekeeper for AI. Thenextweb.com says it’s a digital sentinel that will ensure that other AI agents only operated within the guardrails set for a specific application. The Advanced Research and Invention Agency, or ARIA, will pour 59 million pounds into the system. They hope to soon be demonstrating a proof of concept for the plan, which includes electricity grid balancing and supply chain management. If effective, the project could safeguard high-stakes AI applications, such as improving critical infrastructure or optimizing clinical trials.

Not exactly tech, but of interest…Taylor Swift’s music has returned to TikTok after a 10 week lapse due to a licensing fight between the platform and Universal Music Group. Variety.com reports that the tunes were back this morning. This all happens just in front of the release of her next album ‘The Tortured Poets Department,’ which drops April 19th. UMG had accused TikTok of trying to ‘bully’ the music company into a deal worth less that the prior agreement…which of course TikTok disputes. At any rates it looks like the platform cut a separate deal with Swift, who owns her masters and would be able to make her own deal…though her music is distributed by UMG. Swifties, rejoice! I will show some uncharacteristic restraint, and refrain from telling a Swifty…a Tom Swift joke here.

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

Consumers Getting FCC Mandated Labels on Broadband Plans; Google Vids-AI Powered Workspace App; Automattic Picks up Beeper; 14% of iPhones Now Made in India

Posted: April 10, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

After 8 years of fighting it, internet companies will finally have to display FCC mandated so-called ‘nutrition labels’ for most broadband plans. Theverge.com reports that the labels will include info on the costs, fees, and speeds of their broadband services. All but the smallest ISPs will be required to publish the labels on their plans. The labels detail  monthly broadband prices, introductory rate details, data allowances, broadband speeds, and links to find out about any available discounts or service bundles. Links to network management practices and privacy policies should be listed as well. The labels should appear both online and at physical stores. Most of the info has been available, but has been pretty well buried..you had to really dig around to find it. Verizon, Google Fiber, and T-Mobile have already released labels ahead of the Wednesday deadline. 

A new Workspace app that was announced as coming at Cloud Next 2024 by google is Google Vids, and here’s a little preview. It’s an AI powered video creation app. According to 9to5google.com, Google says it has an easy to use interface, and it allows you to share and collaborate with others. You start by simply enter the prompt ‘Help me create a video.’ Then, go ahead and ‘describe your idea with a goal, audience, and length. You can associate a document from Google Drive with it if you wish. The app generates a storyboard you can edit by reordering, deleting, or adding. The app offers scenes from stock videos, images and background music, and it walks you through doing a voice over using your own or preset voice. Expect to see Vids in Workspace Labs this June.

Automattic, the company behind a huge number of websites via WordPress, has picked up Beeper, and will keep Beeper’s 27 employees. Macrumors.com notes that Beeper had built an app that was in the news in December called Beeper Mini which allowed iMessage to work on Android devices, with the precious blue bubble that some people…especially young people…crave. Without Beeper, non-iMessage messages on the Apple app show up as green.Apple blocked the Mini app, and they tried again with a couple workarounds, but finally gave up trying to get into iMessage. As the DOJ mentioned Beeper Mini in the Department of Justice antitrust suit against Apple, it may be able to interact with iMessage at some later point…but for now, Automattic just plans to have the team continue to work on Beeper…a universal chat app for Android, iOS, and desktop devices. The Beeper app is able to integrate multiple chat networks into a universal inbox, which is quite handy…even if it isn’t able to tie in iMessage right now.

Apple is now building up to 14% of its iPhones in India, as it continues to push to make the handsets outside China. Macrumors.com reports that now 1 in 7 of flagship iPhones are made in plants in India, double the number from last year. According to the Indian government, the Apple manufacturing has added 150,000 direct jobs at Apple’s suppliers. Of the phones made in India, 67% are being built by Foxconn, with 17% being put together by Pegatron. The balance of the phones are made by Wistron. 

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

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