Apple Agrees to EU Terms: NFC Access for Third-Party Mobile Wallets
July 12, 2024 – In a landmark decision, the European Union Commission has announced its acceptance of Apple’s commitments regarding contactless payment technology, formally binding the pledges under EU antitrust regulations. The move follows allegations that Apple’s exclusivity in granting NFC (Near Field Communication) access on iOS devices to Apple Pay alone, denied to third-party…
Intel Set to Launch Arrow Lake-S Desktop Processors in Early-Mid October
July 12, 2024 – Intel is poised to disrupt the desktop processor market with the impending release of its “Arrow Lake-S” Core Ultra 200 series, scheduled for the first half of October this year, according to reliable sources cited by Taiwanese tech outlet BenchLife.info. Strategically timed to avoid the peak holiday season in China during…
OpenAI on the Brink: Nearly Attaining the Second Tier of AGI Development
July 12, 2024 – In a groundbreaking move, OpenAI has unveiled a five-tier framework for assessing the progress towards Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), marking a significant milestone in the evolution of AI capabilities. Senior executives within the company have shared with their staff that OpenAI currently positions itself at the initial stage of this hierarchy,…
Graphcore’s Fate Sealed: British AI Chipmaker Now Under SoftBank’s Wing
July 12, 2024 – In a major shakeup within the AI chip landscape, Japan’s SoftBank Group has officially acquired Graphcore, a struggling British AI chipmaker, in a deal that will see the latter operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary under SoftBank’s umbrella while retaining its brand identity. The financial terms of the transaction remain undisclosed. Founded…
DJI Drone Ban Omitted from Senate NDAA Version, Yet Uncertainty Looms
July 12, 2024 – The Senate Armed Services Committee has released its version of the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and notably, it does not contain a provision to ban new DJI drones from entering the U.S. market, as reported by DroneDJ. This is in contrast to the House of Representatives’ version…
Tesla Raises Prices of Chinese-Made Model 3 by 1,500 Euros in Germany Amid EU Tariffs
July 11, 2024 – Following the implementation of tariffs by the European Union (EU) on electric vehicles made in China, Tesla announced on Wednesday that it has increased the prices of its Model 3 cars in several EU countries including France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Poland, Spain, and Sweden by approximately 1,500 euros. The new pricing…
Hungary Urges EU to Accelerate EV Transition, Opposes Tariffs on Chinese Imports
July 11, 2024 – Hungarian Minister of Economic Development, Naji Maton, announced at a press conference in Budapest on July 10th that Hungary has submitted a proposal to the European Union’s Competitiveness Council. The proposal outlines a comprehensive set of measures aimed at accelerating the European Union’s transition to electric vehicles. Maton emphasized the need…
Musk’s Neuralink to Perform Second Human Implant Surgery This Week
July 11, 2024 – In a live stream on 𝕏, Elon Musk and the Neuralink team held an “update conference”, addressing inquiries from the online audience. Musk announced that Neuralink intends to implant its device into a second human patient within approximately one week and aims to have its brain-computer interface (BCI) chips implanted in…
FTC Examines Investment Relationship between Microsoft and OpenAI
July 11, 2024 – The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced an investigation into five major technology companies, including Microsoft. The probe primarily focuses on reviewing whether these companies have engaged in monopolistic practices in their investments and collaborations within the AI sector. Additionally, the FTC aims to gain insights into the current competitive landscape…
Microsoft Spends Hundreds of Millions on Carbon Credits to Offset AI’s Environmental Impact
July 11, 2024 – In a significant move to support its overall carbon strategy, Microsoft has recently signed a contract with Occidental Petroleum, agreeing to purchase 500,000 tons of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) “credits” over the next six years. The tech giant has been aggressively expanding its data centers to fuel the growth of the…