Here is the daily technology #threadcast for 11/8/24. The goal is to make this a technology "reddit".
Drop all question, comments, and articles relating to #technology and the future. The goal is make it a technology center.
Here is the daily technology #threadcast for 11/8/24. The goal is to make this a technology "reddit".
Drop all question, comments, and articles relating to #technology and the future. The goal is make it a technology center.
Scientists have successfully stirred a supersolid, a strange type of matter that is both rigid and fluid, for the first time. Supersolids have the properties of both solids and superfluids - a fraction of atoms flow friction-free through a lattice of a rigid crystal structure. Stirring the supersolid resulted in tiny whirlpools called quantized vortices, an indication of superfluidity. The breakthrough will make it possible to simulate phenomena in the lab that normally occur under truly extreme conditions, like in the hearts of neutron stars.
A professor tried to make a tool that lets people unfollow everyone on Facebook at once. But Meta stopped him, and he sued them over it. Now, the court dismissed his case.
Sometimes I’d like to clear out my feed too.
AI companies like Meta and Anthropic are now teaming up with the U.S. military, sharing their advanced technology. It’s interesting to see them shift this way. I think it shows how powerful AI is becoming in all areas, even in defense.
Reuters: US Cellular to sell some spectrum licenses to AT&T for $1 bln
Ether Against BTC ain't looking good
Yes Ether is doing well but it's value against Bitcoin is at the lowest in years. I believe some traders expect more drops but some also hope for a big rebound soon. I can't decide now🤦
well they moment you put it that way all the fear just leaves me man🤣 you're right Long term wins. Thanks
I profit when they go up, then I profit when they go down as a short term trader, so yeah, it's all in how you look at it. Then I buy things that I can actually use, lol, hopefully for the long term...
China aims to lead the world in AI by focusing on strategic development, global influence, education, oh and international cooperation. It's building a strong AI future and US will be competing. More for me the consumer.😎
I think it is safe to say that both the United States and China look to lead the world in AI. The question is who gets there first.
Then we have the AI race among companies. Things are certainly heating up.
That's a tough question man. With China's fast growing infrastructure and America's dominated AI companies 🤔 I'd say a tie if another country like European countries gets involved we'll have an AI Mexican standoff🤣
SpaceX has scheduled its next Starship test flight for as soon as Nov. 18, making incremental changes since the previous flight in October.
The company announced Nov. 6 that it was planning the sixth integrated Starship/Super Heavy flight from its Starbase facility at Boca Chica, Texas, for the afternoon of Nov. 18. The announcement coincided with the release of airspace restrictions for the flight attempt by the Federal Aviation Administration.
SpaceX described the upcoming flight as one intended to “expand the envelope on ship and booster capabilities and get closer to bringing reuse of the entire system online.” The flight will follow a similar suborbital profile as the previous flight Oct. 13, including an attempt to return the Super Heavy booster to the launch site for a “catch” by the launch tower.
Tsinghua University and Zhipu AI researchers created WEBRL to train web agents using open LLMs, helping them learn by trial and error. It means that, instead of preset tasks, agents evolve by solving new tasks generated from past mistakes. This new approach shows promise for smarter, autonomous web agents.
The hacker, who goes by Vizor, tells TechCrunch that they exploited a bug in the popular game's anti-cheat software for months.
In October, video game giant Activision said it had fixed a bug in its anti-cheat system that affected “a small number of legitimate player accounts,” who were getting banned because of the bug.
In reality, according to the hacker who found the bug and was exploiting it, they were able to ban “thousands upon thousands” of Call of Duty players, who they essentially framed as cheaters. The hacker, who goes by Vizor, spoke to TechCrunch about the exploit, and told their side of the story.
“I could have done this for years and as long as I target random players and no one famous it would have gone without notice,” said Vizor, who added that it was “funny to abuse the exploit.”
TechCrunch was introduced to Vizor by a cheat developer called Zebleer, who is familiar with the Call of Duty hacking scene. Zebleer said he had been in touch with Vizor for months, and as such had knowledge of the exploit, which he said he saw Vizor using.
For years, hackers have targeted online video games to try to find flaws capable of installing and using cheats that give players an unfair advantage. Some cheat developers, such as Zebleer, sell their programs as a service, sometimes making millions of dollars. In response, video game companies have been hiring cybersecurity specialists to develop and fine-tune their anti-cheat systems to catch and ban game cheaters. In 2021, Activision released its Ricochet anti-cheat system, which runs at the kernel level in an attempt to make it even harder for cheat developers to get around it.
I read about a new idea in AI called the "Tree of Problems" (ToP), designed by researchers at Inria. ToP helps large language models (LLMs) handle complex tasks by breaking them into smaller steps, like solving a puzzle piece by piece. This structured way of thinking makes LLMs more accurate and efficient. I love how this idea simplifies hard problems, letting AI handle intricate tasks better than before.
Machine learning is now able to create data structures on its own, adapting to the needs of each task. This means quicker, more efficient data searches tailored to how information is arranged. For example, it’s like organizing books by how often you read them instead of alphabetically. This research could make data retrieval way faster and smarter across different fields.
There is also the vectorization of these databases which means we are seeing something is completely new.
Databases are quicker and better able to connect data. This means we are going to see the output of the models getting better over time.
Vector databases improve as more is entered simply by the way they are designed.
I remember you schooled me on that a couple of days ago when I made a mess on threads explaining context in terms of data used to train the models.
Thanks for that.
No. The holdback is that generative AI is still in the early stages. That means it is ready to generate cinema quality videos.
That said, there will be a market for "Human created films" just like there is a market for organic foods.
Damn, you're really smart, haven't thought about that.
I like this part
there will be a market for "Human created films" just like there is a market for organic foods.
Baidu’s gearing up to take on Meta with their own AI-powered smart glasses, planning to reveal them soon in Shanghai. These glasses come with cameras and will work with Baidu’s AI assistant, Ernie, so you can talk to them! They’ll also connect to other Baidu apps, like maps.
The replacement for the smartphone is an interesting race. Will it be smart glasses? I am not so sure.
We might end up with a variety of products that we use to interact.
Yelp, which made a name for itself giving restaurant recs, just bought an auto services website for $80 million in cash.
In the company’s earnings report on Thursday, Yelp revealed that it agreed to buy RepairPal, a site for car repair estimates, for $80 million in cash. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of the year, subject to customary closing conditions.
“We believe RepairPal will accelerate our broader services efforts by expanding our offerings in the multi-billion dollar U.S. auto services advertising vertical,” Jeremy Stoppelman, Yelp’s co-founder and CEO, said in a statement.
While it might not seem like an obvious marriage, RepairPal fits into Yelp’s ambition to become a major home services funnel.
In recent years, Yelp has added functionality beyond restaurant and business search tools, like an AI-powered feature that suggests plumbers, repairmen, and other home service providers to users potentially in need of them. Yelp has also introduced programs like Yelp Guaranteed, which offers up to $2,500 of coverage for qualifying projects in case of problems.
Yelp makes money through fees it receives from service providers for certain leads — and through ads. In the company’s most recent fiscal quarter (Q3 2024), advertising revenue from services businesses increased 11% year-over-year to a record $228 million, with revenue growth of around 15% in the home services category alone.
Scientists found that AI video generators, like Sora and Runway, can mimic physics but don’t truly understand it. They tried teaching them with videos of simple shapes moving, hoping AI would learn physical laws. Turns out, it’s just copying, not really knowing. AI might look smart, but it’s still missing that “understanding”, which I believe it's just a matter of time.
That is true. Computers are deterministic. That means advancing the way humans do (i.e. becoming conscious) is not in the cards.
We have to reduce the fears. What we have today is really search on steroids. AI can mimic what was put in but it will not "learn", at least as we understand it.
Thats a solid point. This simply means AI may not be sentient (at least with the path and way we're good about it).
You right for today however I disagree long run, with enough juice AI can simulate reality along with humans, but right now we are at the stage where we need to guide it and teach it what is good and bad, tiss but an AI baby but best believe it will be all grown up eventually, however there is no reason to fear regardless, this AI sentience will have no desire for things like conquest it's will be nothing like us humans
HCLTech is joining forces with Inspeq AI, a young AI company, to create "responsible AI." They want to make AI safer and more reliable for big businesses, like banks. It’s like putting in “guardrails” so AI doesn’t make unfair or risky choices. Smart move, I’d say.
Sony raised sales guidance for the full year and posted operating profit that smashed analyst expectations after a strong quarter for its gaming business.
Sony raised sales guidance for the full year on Friday and posted operating profit that smashed analyst expectations after a strong quarter for its gaming business.
Here's how the company did in the September quarter, versus LSEG consensus estimates:
Revenue: 2.97 trillion Japanese yen ($19.4 billion), versus 3.03 trillion yen expected. That was up 9% and slightly below analyst expectations.
Operating profit: 445.1 billion yen ($2.91 billion), versus 336.07 billion yen expected. That's up 73% year-over-year and beats expectations.
The Japanese tech giant revised its fiscal year 2025 revenue target up slightly to 12.7 trillion yen. It previously targeted 12.6 billion yen of sales. Sony also expects full-year operating profit of 1.3 trillion yen, in line with its previous forecast.
That came as Sony saw strength in its game and network services division, which houses its popular PlayStation home console brand. Game and network services revenue at the company came in at 1 trillion yen, up 11% year over year.
Right now, we have two kinds of AI language models: LLMs (big ones) and SLMs (small ones). LLMs need a strong internet connection and tons of power. SLMs, though, are designed to work directly on devices like smartphones, offline, faster, and with more privacy. Each has strengths: LLMs are thorough; SLMs are portable and personal. I think there's room for both.
Samsung Electronics has fallen behind long-time rival SK Hynix in the area of high-bandwith memory.
Samsung Electronics was once the dominant player in a type of semiconductor known as memory, putting it in a great position to capitalize on the boom of artificial intelligence.
But the South Korea electronics giant has now fallen behind its long-time rival SK Hynix in next-generation chips that have been key component for AI silicon leader Nvidia. The result? Samsung's profit has plunged, around $126 billion has been wiped off its market value, according to data from S&P Capital IQ, and an executive issued a rare public apology about the company's recent financial performance.
Memory is a critical type of chip used to store data, and it can be found in a plethora of devices from smartphones to laptops. For years, Samsung was the undeniable leader in this technology, ahead of South Korean rival SK Hynix and U.S. competitor Micron.
But as AI applications such as OpenAI's ChatGPT rose in popularity, the underlying infrastructure required to train the huge models they rely on became a bigger focus. Nvidia has emerged as the top player in this space with its graphics processing units (GPUs) that have become the gold standard used by tech giants for AI training.
IBM just made a huge step with its AI model, Granite 3.0, by being open about the data it used for training. While tech giants like Google and Apple keep things secret, IBM believes transparency is good for both ethics and business. With more companies now worried about where AI data comes from, IBM’s honesty could make them the go-to choice.
Everyone is getting into the game. That is why I keep stressing LeoAI. The future of Leo is AI or it is dead.
Digital platforms that are not AI are history.
Rivian reported Thursday revenue of $874 million in the third quarter — more than 12% lower than analysts' estimates
Rivian reported Thursday revenue of $874 million in the third quarter — more than 12% lower than analysts’ estimates — as the EV startup struggled to resolve a component shortage that disrupted production of its recently overhauled flagship R1S and R1T vehicles.
Last month, Rivian lowered its annual production guidance to 47,000 to 49,000 vehicles due to the “acute” supply problem for a component within its Enduro motor, a single-motor-per-axle system used in Rivian R1 vehicles. The Enduro motor, which first debuted in vehicles in 2023, is emblematic of Rivian’s push to become more vertically integrated and less reliant on suppliers. In this case, the effort to bring design in-house has negatively affected production.
“This has been a tough quarter for us because of some of those supply chain or supply ramp challenges, and one of those suppliers in particular has limited our production quite substantially,” founder and CEO RJ Scaringe said. “And we’re working very, very hard to address that. This is one of our highest priorities in terms of the business, and we’re seeing this is really a short-term issue, but it certainly introduced challenges.”
Big tech giants, like Zuckerberg and Bezos, are cozying up to Trump now that he’s back. They’re hoping his “pro-business” attitude means fewer restrictions. But with this closeness, brands may need to keep an extra eye on what they do and make sure they’re protecting their customers.
Of course. That is what CEOs do. They have to deal with whatever party is in Washington.
There’s a big opportunity for generative AI in the world of translation, and a startup called Panjaya is taking the concept to the next level
There’s a big opportunity for generative AI in the world of translation, and a startup called Panjaya is taking the concept to the next level: a hyperrealistic, gen AI-based dubbing tool for videos that re-creates a person’s original voice speaking the new language, with the video and the speaker’s physical movements automatically modifying to match up naturally with the new speech patterns.
After being in stealth for the last three years, the startup is unveiling BodyTalk, the first version of its product, alongside its first outside funding of $9.5 million.
Panjaya is the brainchild of Hilik Shani and Ariel Shalom, two deep learning specialists who have spent the majority of their professional lives quietly working on deep learning technology for the Israeli government and are now respectively the startup’s general manager and CTO. They hung up their G-man hats in 2021 with the startup itch, and 1.5 years ago, they were joined by Guy Piekarz as CEO.
Piekarz is not a founder at Panjaya, but he is a notable name to have onboard: Back in 2013, he sold a startup that he did found to Apple. Matcha, as the startup was called, was an early, buzzy player in streaming video discovery and recommendation, and it was acquired during the very early days of Apple’s TV and streaming strategy, when these were more rumors than actual products. Matcha was bootstrapped and sold for a song: $10 million to $15 million — modest considering the significant steer Apple eventually made into streamed media.
The plot concerns a super-intelligent AI system called Skynet which has taken over the world by initiating nuclear war.
In context: October 2024 marked the 40th anniversary of director James Cameron's science fiction classic, The Terminator – a film that popularised society's fear of machines that can't be reasoned with, and that "absolutely will not stop … until you are dead", as one character memorably puts it.
#scifi #technology #theterminator #jamescameron #movie #film #hollywood
The plot concerns a super-intelligent AI system called Skynet which has taken over the world by initiating nuclear war. Amid the resulting devastation, human survivors stage a successful fightback under the leadership of the charismatic John Connor.
In response, Skynet sends a cyborg assassin (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) back in time to 1984 – before Connor's birth – to kill his future mother, Sarah. Such is John Connor's importance to the war that Skynet banks on erasing him from history to preserve its existence.
Good Day guys. Just saw it pop up in my feed.
I guess is a watch and learn time.
Gotta put the links in the article news
This is shaping up to be similar to a subreddit where people can find #technology information.
Its super cool to have a reddit kind of thing on a decentralized Blockchain platform.
Yes. Threadcasts are ideal for that. Anyone can quickly scroll through and get their technology news. We also have the ability to converse about it.
Finally, we are also feeding LeoAI some good stuff to train on.
Never heard of LeoAi. Oh wait I saw something like that on the Brave browser. Luckily that's what I'm using to login to inleo
An effort to bring a broader news ecosystem to the open social web, also known as the fediverse, is now in the hands of the social magazine app Flipboard.
An effort to bring a broader news ecosystem to the open social web, also known as the fediverse, is now in the hands of the social magazine app Flipboard. Press.coop, a service that created mirrored accounts of top news publishers (including Reuters, AP, WSJ, NYT, BBC, CNN, and even yours truly), has transferred its collection of nearly 100 accounts to Flipboard, the companies announced Thursday.
Press.coop was founded a year ago by a fediverse company, Hello.coop, headed by Dick Hardt. Like many, he wanted there to be more access to news in the fediverse, particularly the X rival Mastodon, where many top publishers had yet to set up shop as they had on Twitter/X. To address this need, Press.coop mirrored the publishers’ Twitter/X accounts, bringing their tweets to the broader open social web.
However, when Twitter changed its API rules and upped its pricing, that access was cut off. Press.coop then moved to mirror publishers’ RSS feeds instead.
Though these mirrored accounts were just bots that posted the publishers’ news to the fediverse as it hit their news feeds, many gained a following. The NPR account, for example, gained 10,000 press.coop followers. Others saw smaller followings.
iOS 18.1 can display emoji reactions from Android users correctly. iOS was unable to display message reactions correctly when RCS first launched on the platform in September. Apple has been ignoring Google's campaign to adopt RCS for years, only complying after pressure from both China and the EU. The company will likely keep as many exclusive features as possible for its iMessage service as long as it isn't forced to change.
Meta Lab, a pop-up experiential retail space for Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, will open on November 8 in Los Angeles. The temporary store will allow customers to try out the glasses and customize glasses cases. There will be events with various creators, live podcasts, and cooking classes. The store will close on December 31. Another Meta Lab experience is planned for Phoenix at the end of January.
New research suggests that microplastics in the air could affect weather and climate by producing clouds in conditions where they would not form otherwise. Clouds form when water vapor sticks to tiny floating particles in the atmosphere. Water droplets with microplastic particles can produce ice crystals at temperatures 5 to 10 degrees Celsius warmer than droplets without microplastics. Precipitation typically starts as ice particles. More information about microplastic concentrations at the altitudes where clouds form is needed before scientists can make theories on how exactly microplastics affect weather and climate.
We’re just two days past the election, and there is already a ton of speculation about what another Trump presidency will mean for transportation and tech — as well as adjacent sectors, like energy and climate. It will take months for many of these questions to be answered, and we’ll be watching and reporting on how the future of transportation may be affected.
In these early days, we have produced a few pieces that explore who stands to win or lose and how certain sectors might navigate the change in administration at the executive and legislative branches. TC reporter Tim De Chant provided a bit of analysis on why it might be hard for President-elect Trump to unwind the Inflation Reduction Act, and reporter Rebecca Bellan looked at what the win could mean for Elon Musk and his companies, including Tesla, SpaceX, and X.
Amazon's five-day in-office mandate was not made to reduce headcount or appease city officials, according to CEO Andy Jassy. The topic was brought up during an all-hands meeting on Tuesday. Jassy says that the decision to get workers back into the office was about the company's culture and strengthening that culture. Returning workers to the office will allow employees to be better set up to invent, collaborate, and be connected. Amazon employees will have to return to the office five days a week starting from January 2.
Indonesia is building a new capital to replace Jakarta as the current capital is sinking - in some areas, at a rate of 25 cm per year. This was caused by the over-extraction of groundwater and the sheer weight of buildings. Nusantara, the new city, aims to be a model of livability and sustainability. It will be powered predominantly by renewable energy with the aim of being carbon neutral by 2045. This article looks at the project and its aims and challenges. Local opinions of the project are mixed - many locals have taken to referring to the city as 'Wakanda' as a way to criticize government decisions and officials without the risk of imprisonment.
GeForce Now, which lets users stream games they already own on Nvidia GPUs, has two tiers: the $9.99 Priority tier, now renamed as the Performance tier,
A hot potato: Nvidia is making changes to its popular GeForce Now game streaming service, and it's good news and bad news. The welcome change is that those on the $9.99-per-month tier will be able to stream at 1440p and ultrawide resolutions. Unfortunately, Nvidia is introducing a 100-hour monthly playtime cap for paid memberships.
GeForce Now, which lets users stream games they already own on Nvidia GPUs, has two tiers: the $9.99 Priority tier, now renamed as the Performance tier, which offers RTX 3060-comparable GPUs, and the $19.99 per month Ultimate tier that is similar to playing games on an RTX 4080.
Starting this January, Nvidia says it is introducing a 100-hour per month cap on gaming time. Team Green says this will allow the service to continue providing "unparalleled quality and speed – as well as short to no queue times – for all paid members, without increasing membership fees."
The free tier won't have the cap, but then users are limited to one-hour sessions, less powerful hardware, and often have to endure long waits. Remaining Founders subscribers, who were promised benefits for life as long as they continue paying monthly, will not be subject to the cap.
this company is shooting for the skies with their tiers now. They're very well established so now can use tiers to make all the money they want. I wonder which company will rival Nvidia ten years from now?
Pkl, Apple's take on configuration-as-code, is aimed at making configuration more reliable and maintainable.
Starting off on the desktop front, AMD's consumer x86 CPUs now command a 28.7% unit share, skyrocketing from just 19.2% in 2023.
AMD's latest quarterly figures reveal it is going from strength to strength across desktop, mobile, and server markets. The numbers were revealed by Mercury Research's new report, and they suggest that the company is steadily eating into Intel's share.
Starting off on the desktop front, AMD's consumer x86 CPUs now command a 28.7% unit share, skyrocketing from just 19.2% in 2023. The last quarter saw it at 23%, so this latest jump is pretty meteoric. AMD's revamped Ryzen portfolio covering value to enthusiast segments seems to be paying dividends.
The 3D V-Cache-equipped Ryzen X3D parts have been a particular hit with gamers and power users. And with the recent Ryzen 9000 series and flagship 9800X3D launch, AMD seems poised to keep making inroads against Intel in the DIY desktop space. The Ryzen 9000 series failed to hit AMD's claimed numbers when it launched, leading to disappointed buyers, but the company has now redeemed itself with the 9800X3D, which we've crowned the "new gaming CPU king" in our review.
Intel's share has never been the same ever since the rise of all these competitors and this might just continue to be the case until either they adapt or get sideline but I doubt it though
Intel was the leader in the semiconductor industry but they lost it. AMD and Nvidia crushed them.
It seems to be a company that is still lost.
yes Taskmaster and I'm doubt they'll be able to pick up to become as big as they were in the past. If they consider doing exactly what Nvidia and AMD is doing maybe there's hope 🤔
Dean Skurka, the president and CEO of Toronto-based financial firm WonderFi, was found uninjured after paying the $1 million ransom.
This is is exactly what I was afraid will start happening. Imagine if they knew Satoshi Nakamoto, they would have kidnapped him long ago
Throughout the years, several reports have accused Roblox, the popular gaming platform aimed at preteens, of lacking strict safety protocols for children, In an update to its safety policy, Roblox prevents users under the age of 13 from accessing unrated experiences, social hangouts, and more.
Throughout the years, several reports have accused Roblox, the popular gaming platform aimed at preteens, of lacking strict safety protocols for children, which exposes them to dangers such as grooming, explicit content, and violent or abusive material.
Roblox says it’ll enforce these requirements starting next year. Creators must fill out the form by December 3. The questionnaire is located in the Creator Hub under the Creations tab. Then, choose “Select an Experience” and “Audience.”
The platform noted in a post to creators on Wednesday that, by default, kids aged 12 years old and younger will no longer be able to “play, search, and discover unrated experiences.” Roblox is also requiring creators to fill out a questionnaire if they want their experience to be available to kids under 13. Creators must ensure that their experience meets either “All Ages” or “9+” recommendations, which notably can still contain “mild violence, heavy unrealistic blood, and/or mild crude humor,” according to its support page. Gambling content, however, is off the table for kids under 13.
In a significant update to its safety policy, Roblox plans to keep users under the age of 13 away from unrated experiences. It’ll also prevent access to social hangouts and experiences that use free-form 2D user creation, which both pose risks, as they include options for chatting with other players, who may use inappropriate language, as well as interactive experiences where users can draw or write within the game.
maybe GTA 6 can try this out but can't such a thing be easily bypassed by older people to let the under 13 play anyways
Age and location verification is often tough. People find a way around them.
They always find a way man. I can't Tell you how many times my little brother asked me to break parental guide so he can watch YouTube 🤣 I said no it's against the law and you could go to federal prison to scare him 🤣
AI Tutor, CoPilot helps tutors improve, especially the new ones Math skills is one thing that'll improve. It'll guide tutors on how best to teach a student math
The Mozilla Foundation is laying off about a third of its staff and reorganizing teams to increase agility and impact.
this is good for the company but what will that layed off staff do😳. And less people doesn't always mean less productivity so I understand their move
This story has been updated throughout with more details as the story has developed. We will continue to do so as the case and dispute are ongoing.
The broader implications of this dispute extend far beyond the WordPress ecosystem, as it raises fundamental questions about the role of corporate control and power in the open-source software landscape. Many in the community fear that if left unchecked, the actions of Mullenweg and Automattic could set a precedent that undermines the collaborative, decentralized nature of open-source development, with potentially far-reaching consequences for the entire tech industry.
WordPress Community Embroiled in Heated Dispute Over Trademarks, Licensing, and power
The world of WordPress, one of the most widely used website building and hosting platforms, is currently engulfed in a high-stakes and contentious dispute between its key stakeholders. At the center of the controversy are WordPress founder and Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg, and the hosting provider WP Engine, which powers many WordPress websites.
The conflict, which has been brewing for months, has nOW erupted into a full-blown legal battle, with accusations of trademark misuse, power abuse, and harm to the broader WordPress community. The fallout has even led to a significant exodus of employees from Mullenweg's company, Automattic, further destabilizing the situation.
The Core Issue: Trademarks, Licensing, and Access to WordPress
The root of the conflict lies in the complex web of trademarks, licensing agreements, and control over WordPress resources that have been points of contention for years. WordPress, as an open-source project, is maintained by a foundation, but its trademarks and branding are tightly controlled by Automattic, Mullenweg's company.
In mid-September, Mullenweg sparked the latest flare-up by publishing a blog post that harshly criticized WP Engine, calling the hosting provider a "cancer to WordPress." Mullenweg's main gripes were that WP Engine had disabled the ability for users to view and track the revision history of their WordPress posts, a feature he considered central to the platform's promise of data protection. He also accused WP Engine of not contributing enough to the open-source WordPress project, and criticized the company's use of the "WP" abbreviation, which Mullenweg claimed was confusing customers into thinking WP Engine was officially affiliated with WordPress.
In response, WP Engine fired back with a cease-and-desist letter, arguing that its use of the WordPress trademark was covered under fair use. The company also alleged that Mullenweg had threatened to take a "scorched Earth nuclear approach" against WP Engine unless it agreed to pay a significant portion of its revenue for a WordPress trademark license.
Automattic, in turn, sent its own cease-and-desist letter to WP Engine, claiming the hosting provider had breached the trademark usage rules for WordPress and the WooCommerce e-commerce platform. The WordPress Foundation, which owns the WordPress trademark, also updated its policies to specifically call out WP Engine, stating that the "WP" abbreviation was not covered by its trademarks and that the hosting service had confused users by implying an affiliation with WordPress that did not exist.
The Legal Battles Escalate
As the conflict between Mullenweg, Automattic, and WP Engine unfolded, the situation evolved into a full-blown legal battle. On October 3, WP Engine sued Mullenweg and Automattic, alleging abuse of power and claiming the defendants had not upheld their promises to run the open-source WordPress project without constraints and to give developers the freedom to build, run, modify, and redistribute the software.
The Escalation: WP Engine Ban and Trademark Battles
The conflict escalated further when Mullenweg banned WP Engine from accessing the resources hosted on WordPress.org, the official WordPress website. While WordPress plugins, themes, and other elements are licensed under open-source terms, WP Engine and other hosting providers rely on the ability to fetch these resources to power the WordPress sites they host.
Mullenweg's decision to cut off WP Engine's access to WordPress.org resources effectively disrupted many websites, preventing them from updating plugins and themes, and leaving some vulnerable to security issues. The WordPress community reacted with dismay, criticizing Mullenweg's tactics as causing harm to innocent website owners and developers who depended on WP Engine's services.
WP Engine pushed back, stating in a post that Mullenweg had "misused his control of WordPress to interfere with WP Engine customers' access to WordPress.org." The company argued that Mullenweg's actions "interfere with the normal operation of the entire WordPress ecosystem, impacting not just WP Engine and our customers, but aLL WordPress plugin developers and open source users who depend on WP Engine tools."
After temporary relief, WordPress.org lifted the ban on WP Engine's access on September 27, the company was given until October 1 to resolve the issues. In a blog post, Mullenweg clarified that the dispute was specifically about trademarks, stating that Automattic had been trying to negotiate a licensing deal with WP Engine for some time, but the hosting provider had been "stringing us along."
On September 30, the day before the WordPress.org deadline, WP Engine updated its website footer to explicitly state that it was not affiliated with or endorsed by the WordPress Foundation or WooCommerce. The company also changed the names of its hosting plans, removing the "WordPress" branding.
WP Engine argued that these changes mooted Automattic's concerns, claiming that it, "like the rest of the WordPress community, use[s] the WordPress mark to describe our business" and that "Automattic's suggestion that WPE needs a license to do that is simply wrong, and reflects a misunderstanding of trademark law."
The WordPress Foundation, however, had already filed to trademark "Managed WordPress" and "Hosted WordPress" in July, a move that further alarmed the broader WordPress community. Developers and other service providers worried that if these trademarks were granted, they could be used against them, limiting their ability to describe their WordPress-related offerings.
Community Backlash and Exodus from Automattic
The controversy surrounding the Mullenweg-WP Engine dispute has resonated strongly within the WordPress community, with many voicing concerns about the centralization of power and the potential threats to the open-source nature of the platform.
John O'Nolan, the founder of the open-source content management system Ghost, criticized the concentration of control over WordPress, stating on X (formerly Twitter) that "The web needs more independent organizations, and it needs more diversity. 40% of the web and 80% of the CMS market should not be controlled by any one individual."
Similar sentiments were echoed by David Heinemeier Hansson, the Creator of the Ruby on Rails web application framework, who opined in a blog post that Automattic was "completely out of line" in asking WP Engine to pay 8% of its revenues for a WordPress trademark license, arguing that this violated the principles of open-source software.
The backlash within the WordPress community even led to a significant exodus from Automattic itself. On October 3, 159 Automattic employees who disagreed with Mullenweg's direction for the company and the WordPress project as a whole opted to take severance packages and leave the organization. Approximately 80% of those who departed worked in Automattic's ecosystem / WordPress division.
The fallout continued, with Automattic appointing a new executive director for the WordPress.org community on October 8, replacing Josepha Haden Chomphosy, who was one of the employees that had left the company. A day earlier, one of WP Engine's engineers had announced that they were joining Automattic, further adding to the sense of upheaval.
Mullenweg attempted to rally his remaining Automattic workforce, offering every employee 200 shares of a special class of stock (A12 shares) as a token of gratitude on October 12. However, on October 17, he posted another "alignment offer" on Automattic's Slack, this time with a nine-month severance package, but with the caveat that anyone accepting it would lose access to the WordPress.org community. This move was met with further criticism from the WordPress community.
Automattic dismissed WP Engine's lawsuit as "meritless," with the company's legal representative, Neal Katyal, stating, "I stayed up last night reading WP Engine's Complaint, trying to find any merit anywhere to it. The whole thing is meritless, and we look forward to the federal court's consideration of their lawsuit."
On October 18, WP Engine filed an injunction in a California court, asking the judge to restore its access to WordPress.org. A day later, the company filed a motion requesting the court to expedite the hearing on its preliminary injunction.
In response, Mullenweg and Automattic opposed the expedited hearing, arguing that the case was not about WP Engine's access to the WordPress software itself, as the company could still access the codebase on GitHub. Rather, they contended that the dispute was centered on WordPress.org, a website that Mullenweg claimed was his personal responsibility and not controlled by Automattic or the WordPress Foundation.
On October 23, Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin scheduled the first hearing for the primary injunction to take place on November 26, unless there was further opposition. On October 30, Mullenweg and Automattic filed a motion to dismiss key accusations made by WP Engine, arguing that the hosting provider was responsible for harming itself.
In response, WP Engine filed a document citing Mullenweg's comments at the TechCrunch Disrupt event, where he had discussed the significant loss of business suffered by WP Engine due to the WordPress.org ban.
The ongoing legal battles and the broader implications for the WordPress community have left many stakeholders deeply concerned about the future of the platform and the principles of open-source software development.
Implications and Concerns for the WordPress Community
The WordPress community, which includes millions of website owners, developers, and other service providers, has expressed deep concerns about the ramifications of the Mullenweg-WP Engine dispute. Many fear that the centralization of power and the aggressive tactics employed by Automattic and Mullenweg could set a dangerous precedent that threatens the very foundations of the open-source ecosystem.
The WordPress Foundation's move to trademark "Managed WordPress" and "Hosted WordPress" has further stoked fears among developers and service providers that they could be restricted in their ability to describe their WordPress-related offerings. This has led to widespread calls for greater transparency and clear guidelines from Automattic and the WordPress Foundation on the appropriate use of the WordPress brand and intellectual property.
Moreover, the community has been shaken by Mullenweg's decision to ban WP Engine from accessing WordPress.org resources, which disrupted the operations of countless websites and left some vulnerable to security issues. The perception that Mullenweg was willing to sacrifice the broader community to pursue his dispute with WP Engine has deeply eroded trust in his leadership.
The exodus of 159 Automattic employees, predominantly from the WordPress division, has further unsettled the community, raising questions about the long-term stability and direction of the platform. The departure of such a significant portion of the workforce responsible for maintaining and developing the WordPress ecosystem has fueled concerns about the project's future.
Beyond the immediate WordPress community, the controversy has also drawn the attention of other prominent figures in the tech industry. David Heinemeier Hansson, the creator of Ruby on Rails, has been outspoken in his criticism of Automattic's actions, stating that the company's demands for trademark licensing fees from WP Engine violate the principles of open-source software.
As the legal battles continue and the fallout from the controversy continues to unfold, the WordPress community finds itself at a crossroads, grappling with the delicate balance between commercial interests, community values, and the ideals of open-source software. The outcome of this dispute will have a lasting impact on the future of WordPress, as well as the broader open-source ecosystem that it has come to represent.
I think we have more of a copyright issue but there might be more to it. I am not sure of the total ramifications.
Polymarket, which received a $45 million investment led by tech billionaire Peter Theil in May, enables high-stakes bets on major events using cryptocurrency.
Many people were pleased to see Donald Trump win the election, including a Frenchman who made almost $50 million by betting on the President's victory. He made the bets on Polymarket, a Peter Thiel-backed platform that allows users to bet on events using crypto. According to new reports, the huge winnings have attracted the attention of French regulators, who are now preparing to ban the site in France.
#polymarket #france #trump #wager #election #betting #peterthiel #cryptocurrency
Polymarket, which received a $45 million investment led by tech billionaire Peter Theil in May, enables high-stakes bets on major events using cryptocurrency. The platform claims that its prediction markets are often more accurate than pundits because they combine news, polls, and expert opinions into a single value that represents the market's view of an event's odds.
Polymarket writes that a huge amount was wagered on the US election: $1.3 billion on Trump to win, $827 million on Harris. In total, users spent $3.2 billion betting on the election.
A user with the account name Fredi9999 was particularly confident that Trump would win. They bet $28 million on the outcome across four different accounts, which shortened Trump's odds of winning on the platform.
Polymarket said last month that it had investigated the trading activity and not found any information that the user behind it "manipulated, or attempted to manipulate, the market."
billions of dollars worth of bet was made on Trump and a lot of it was through crypto. I think vets with crypto will keep going on. But what if someone bets with crypto, earns it but value drops before claim.
A lot was lost too I imagine.
That is the nature of betting and gambling France is going to lock it down. We need a decentralized version.
We need a Decentralized version ASAP. HOW quick do you think Inleo can do something like this though? Maybe become a good replacement
Canada just shut down TikTok’s offices, worried about security risks from its Chinese owner, ByteDance. People can still use the app, though.
Is this what happened in America repeating itself?
A U.S. court ruled that Elon Musk and Tesla didn’t mislead investors with Musk’s 2018 tweets about taking Tesla private. They rejected investors' request for a new trial. #dontbetagainstelon
TikTok on Thursday debuted a new feature that will more closely connect its app, which already influences which songs top the charts, to the streaming
TikTok on Thursday debuted a new feature that will more closely connect its app, which already influences which songs top the charts, to the streaming services where users discover and play their favorite music. With the launch of a new “Share to TikTok” feature, music fans will be able to directly share tracks from both Apple Music and Spotify to the short-form video app, including by posting to their For You feed, their Stories, or DMs (direct messages).
The shared content can include tracks, albums, playlists, and more, and will link back to the music-streaming service. This allows users to move between their preferred music app and TikTok to further engage with the content. In doing so, TikTok gains an increased ability to connect users with their favorite songs and artists. This is something it was already doing due to the nature of its app, which allows music clips to be added to users’ videos, where they end up driving TikTok trends.
With “Share to TikTok,” users will now be able to post to TikTok’s feed or Stories, and they can use the popular green screen feature to showcase the content or take advantage of Photo Mode, TikTok says. On Spotify, users can share music, podcasts, or audiobooks by tapping the “Share” button, or they can access the share icon in the bottom-right corner of the “Now Playing” screen.
I always knew TikTok will try to dominate the music industry, it was pretty obvious with they way their platform is designed. I think if they try to they'll dominate because it's easier for musicians to get noticed there
Social media is going to change a great deal. In fact, I dont believe it will be something by the end of the decade. We are moving towards platforms and the barometer is going to be AI. So TikTok and others will be incorporating it in.
That is what Leo needs to do.
Ooooo wow hence LeoAI😍😍 I guess Inleo is on the right path, I honestly can't wait to see the platform rubbing shoulders with the giant social media companies. That'll shoot activities on Inleo through the roof
LeoAI is crucial which means feeding it is vital at this point. The more data that goes in, the more sophisticated the model can be.
AI is how we will be able to market Leo in a completely different way. That is why I feel it is crucial.
Then I think we the users have the responsibility of feeding it as much as we can💪
Anyone with $LEO in their wallets have that responsibility. It is up to each of us to fill it with as much as we can.
#Facts
That's exactly what I'll do as my little contribution to the growth of nlLeo 🙏
I am just wondering how do you see the day to day implementation of LeoAI, what will it mean for us, practically?
Hi, @taskmaster4450le,
This post has been voted on by @darkcloaks because you are an active member of the Darkcloaks gaming community.
Get started with Darkcloaks today, and follow us on Inleo for the latest updates.
Donald Trump’s return to the White House will refocus the nation’s energy policy onto maximizing oil and gas production and away from fighting climate change, but the Republican win in Tuesday’s presidential elections is unlikely to dramatically slow the US renewable energy boom.
President Joe Biden in 2022 signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act guaranteeing billions of dollars of solar and wind subsidies for another decade as part of his broader effort to decarbonize the power sector by 2035 to fight climate change.
Before the election, Trump slammed the IRA as being too expensive and promised to rescind all unspent funds allocated by the law – a threat that, if accomplished, could pour cold water over the US clean energy boom.
“I don’t think a Trump president can slow the transition,” said Ed Hirs, Energy Fellow at the University of Houston. “This is well underway.”
Renewable energy sources like solar and wind are the fastest growing segments on the power grid, according to the Department of Energy, driven by federal tax credits, state renewable energy mandates, and technology advancements that have lowered their costs.
That is because a Biden-era law providing a decade of lucrative subsidies for new solar, wind and other clean energy projects would be near-impossible to repeal, thanks to support from Republican states, while other levers available to the next president would only have marginal impact, analysts say.
But doing so would require lawmakers, including those whose states have benefited from IRA-related investments like solar panel factories, wind farms and other projects, to vote to repeal it.
“The jobs and the economic benefits have been so heavy in red states, it’s hard to see an administration come in that says we don’t like this,” said Carl Fleming, a partner at law firm McDermott Will & Emery, who advised the Biden White House on renewable energy policy.
Many of Trump’s allies also benefit from the IRA through their investments in clean energy technologies, Reuters has previously reported.
Fleming said Trump could, however, slow things down around the margins by hindering federal agencies that deliver IRA grants and loans, or by reducing federal leasing for things like offshore wind.
Pluto TV, a free streaming service, is expanding its offerings in Canada and the UK through a partnership with NBCUniversal. This partnership will bring more free content to viewers in these regions, including popular TV shows and movies.
The video also touched on the ongoing consolidation in the internet provider market. Smaller internet providers are being acquired by larger companies like Spectrum and Rise Broadband. This trend is driven by the increasing demand for high-speed internet and the need for providers to invest in infrastructure. The host warned that this consolidation could lead to higher prices and fewer choices for consumers.
Cord Cutters News: Net Neutrality, Sports, Password Sharing, and More
In a recent episode of Cord Cutters News, the host discussed the potential repeal of net neutrality under the new administration. While net neutrality was reinstated earlier this year, it faces legal challenges and could be overturned. The host explained that while the average user may not notice immediate changes, the repeal could have long-term implications for internet freedom and innovation.
The repeal of net neutrality may reshape internet access, limiting freedom and stifling innovation. Will Blockchain be the solution to this or will it be affected too. Wait a minute is this his plan for people to move to Blockchain 😳
The video also highlighted the growing trend of sports content on traditional television networks. Channels like Ion and The CW are increasingly relying on sports programming to attract viewers and advertising revenue. This shift is driven by the live nature of sports, which allows for more lucrative ad placements. The host speculated that even PBS might start airing sports content in the future.
As streaming services face increasing pressure to generate revenue, they are taking steps to curb password sharing. Max, the latest service to join this trend, will initially implement soft measures to discourage password sharing. However, more aggressive tactics, such as IP tracking and account restrictions, may be implemented in the future.
He just started and things are changing heavily 🤔 a lot will change with Networks and social media. Do you think he'll come for Blockchain before 2025
You obviously don't know how blockchains work. A true decentralized blockchain cannot be taken down by anyone. They have tried for years and have failed miserably. The only power they have is over the on and off ramps like centralized exchanges, which are all garbage anyway. The best thing is to earn it and use it while you support businesses that believe in the crypto economy. Fuck what the government says.
I understand it now man that means Government can't do nothing 🤔 wow Decentralization will eventually be the future then. But what about all the big companies buying crypto. Can they regulate it enough if they own very huge stakes
Depends on the coin. If you are talking about a proof of work network like Bitcoin, Litecoin, Monero, and even DASH, then no, the amount they have does not have any effect on the blockchain. With a proof of stake network, like Hive, Ethereum, Cosmos, etc, yes, the amount they own can have an effect on blockchain governance. That is where Proof of Work is always going to be king. That's why I use Hive rewards to get more XMR, LTC, and BTC... In that order, lol. Privacy first!
Side note to this... DASH is a hybrid network that has both proof of work through ASIC miners and a masternode setup which is basically proof of stake mining. It's a cool concept for helping with decentralization.
Monero has an algorithm that is ASIC miner resistant meaning that it is still mined on CPUs making it able to be mined by anyone with a computer, hell mobile phones can mine it.
AI startup Mistral has launched an API to moderate possibly toxic — or otherwise problematic — text in a range of languages.
AI startup Mistral has launched a new API for content moderation.
The API, which is the same API that powers moderation in Mistral’s Le Chat chatbot platform, can be tailored to specific applications and safety standards, Mistral says. It’s powered by a fine-tuned model (Ministral 8B) trained to classify text in a range of languages, including English, French, and German, into one of nine categories: sexual, hate and discrimination, violence and threats, dangerous and criminal content, self-harm, health, financial, law, and personally identifiable information.
I believe AI moderation is very helpful, but we need to make sure it treats all languages fairly and doesn't make mistakes with different ways people speak. But hey it ain't perfect
The moderation API can be applied to either raw or conversational text, Mistral says.
“Over the past few months, we’ve seen growing enthusiasm across the industry and research community for new AI-based moderation systems, which can help make moderation more scalable and robust across applications,” Mistral wrote in a blog post. “Our content moderation classifier leverages the most relevant policy categories for effective guardrails and introduces a pragmatic approach to model safety by addressing model-generated harms such as unqualified advice and PII.”
AI-powered moderation systems are useful in theory. But they’re also susceptible to the same biases and technical flaws that plague other AI systems.
For example, some models trained to detect toxicity see phrases in African American Vernacular English (AAVE), the informal grammar used by some Black Americans, as disproportionately “toxic.” Posts on social media about people with disabilities are also often flagged as more negative or toxic by commonly used public sentiment and toxicity detection models, studies have found.
Trusted leaker Golden Pig Upgrade recently hinted that Intel's upcoming Arc Battlemage desktop graphics cards will debut in December.
Rumor mill: Reports have long suggested that Intel plans to launch its second generation of desktop graphics cards in late 2024, and there's no indication that Chipzilla has encountered significant delays. While details on specifications, performance, and pricing remain scarce, the new GPUs could arrive weeks ahead of competitor releases from AMD and Nvidia. Moreover, could this be Intel's last hurrah before they abandon desktop GPUs again?
Trusted leaker Golden Pig Upgrade recently hinted that Intel's upcoming Arc Battlemage desktop graphics cards will debut in December. Little is known regarding the company's intended market segment, but the tipster described Battlemage's performance as "wonderful."
Battlemage will succeed Arc Alchemist, Intel's first dedicated GPU series, which launched in 2022. The most powerful Alchemist model, the Arc A770, was roughly comparable to Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3060, so Battlemage is likely to focus on mid-range and entry-level cards.
Earlier reports uncovered three Battlemage GPUs: BMG-G10, BMG-21, and BMG-31. BMG-G10, the most powerful of the three, isn't expected to be released for consumer use, signaling that Intel isn't aiming to compete in the enthusiast space dominated by GPUs like the RTX 4090 or the upcoming RTX 5090.
Meanwhile, BMG-31 appears to be an entry-level or mobile-focused card, featuring the same number of Xe graphics cores as the A770. In September, an unidentified Battlemage card powered by the BMG-G21 chip, equipped with 12GB of VRAM and a 2,850 MHz boost clock – an unprecedented speed for any graphics card – was spotted on Geekbench.
AI needs Only Two things to succeed
Many people want faster service from AI. Businesses will use more AI agents soon. But the main focus should be Trust and transparency if AI will succeed.
Outlook is getting a new features that will allow you to use generative AI to create themes based on your personal preferences.
Microsoft announced on Thursday that Outlook is getting a new feature that will allow you to use generative AI to create themes based on your personal preferences.
Very good update I must say. I love how Outlook is using AI for themes. Wow, based on location and weather. This thing will make email feel unique everyday, people are going to like this
AI-powered themes are available to people who have a Copilot Pro consumer subscription and business accounts with Copilot enabled. They are available on iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and the web.
With Themes by Copilot, you can build a theme inspired by more than 100 locations or create a theme based on your own location. You can decide if you want the theme to dynamically update every few hours, each day, weekly, or monthly.
Once you generate a theme, you can choose to view it in a realistic, oil painting, or cartoon style.
“If you’ve enabled location permissions in Outlook, the My Location theme will bring you imagery uniquely inspired by your locale, dynamically updating for you as you head out the door on a trip or vacation,” Microsoft wrote in the blog post. “Similarly, a dynamic theme based on the weather would be updated to reflect the current weather conditions where you are.”
You can access the AI-generated themes via Outlook’s Appearance Settings.
The company says the new addition will allow people to personalize the email service just as they would spruce up their desk with artwork or candles.
AI technology is rapidly transforming video games, with companies like Decart and Etched leading the charge. Their AI-generated game Oasis, a Minecraft-like experience, demonstrates how AI can create dynamic, real-time environments by predicting and generating frames based on vast amounts of training data. Meanwhile, other projects like AI-powered Pokémon experiments and Skyrim mods are showcasing how AI can enhance gameplay, from training AIs to play games to creating more interactive NPC companions. These developments hint at a future where AI fundamentally changes game design and player experiences.
OpenAI bought Chat.com, a popular domain, adding it to their collection. The domain now redirects to ChatGPT, but no brand changes are expected.
Yes they absolutely do, and buying this means they really want to take over Chat in the tech world
Infosys has gone all in with AI, training employees across all roles to use tools like GitHub Copilot and Meta’s Llama. They’re creating AI models to improve how businesses run, and even a personal assistant called InfyMe for quick information access. It’s all about making work smoother and faster.
This is certainly something that is going to keep expanding.
Of course, my view is that, eventually, enough of the tasks are automated that employees can be let go.
This will affect jobs.
My view is that "adopt or perish". It's been like this since forever, AI is only a massive wave of this.
Horses to cars revolution, phones revolution (Nokia) I think I've made my point.
Bitcoin was able to hit a new high of $77,000. That brings back Satoshi Nakamoto’s 2008 statement about Bitcoin’s potential, even when it had no value at that time.
Trust the process
Things will get interesting if Donald Trump can get Congress to agree to add Bitcoin the the United States Strategic Reserve.
Very very interesting I wonder what will happen to ETFs though and all the companies that seek to centralize crypto like BlackRock
A review of 3,000 startup pitch decks found that the most successful founders incorporated key distribution insights, not just product insights. The best pitches often blended product-led acquisition strategies, such as built-in virality, with compelling storytelling to foster organic growth effectively.
Japan has launched the world’s first wooden satellite into space, marking a big step in space technology. This satellite is made of wood
While generative AI deployments are increasing in enterprises, there remains a gap between expectations and reality.
AI tools are starting to help review research papers, and they’ve brought a unique, formal style to the process. James Zou from Stanford notes that these reviews have a consistent tone and vocabulary. I think it’s a fresh change that may even speed things up. Real conversations could add even more value.
Scott Galloway, a business professor, thinks AI has good and bad sides. He says AI will make jobs but could cause new dangers, like domestic terrorism in the U.S. if bad groups use AI for harm. Galloway suggests we reduce social media arguments and create spaces for young people to connect.
All technology has a good and bad side. This is nothing new.
We have to take control and be aware of what we are putting in to train these models.
Google is testing Gemini 2.0, a new AI model. It’s in the experimental stage and might bring faster, better AI features. The race is on and they're digging for gold
Meanwhile Nvidia selling the shovels
Do not forget the open source models by Meta and Nvidia.
There are a lot of them out there. The Chinese are also doing the same thing.
The venture capital landscape has shifted dramatically toward AI investments, with 49% of all venture funding in Q2 2024 going to AI and machine learning startups. While AI-native companies and model providers receive significant attention, there exists a vast "long tail" of non-AI companies implementing artificial intelligence in various ways, from building proprietary models to using pre-built AI tools. These companies are adopting AI through four main approaches: developing independent models (like Bloomberg's BloombergGPT), leveraging existing closed-source models (like Zapier's use of OpenAI), building on open-source models (like Meta's Llama), and utilizing pre-built AI tools.
That headline caught my eye for sure. I skimmed the first part of the article and will finish it later. I am sure there is at least one article I can write about it.
Lucid Motors has officially started taking orders for its electric Gravity SUV, a critically important vehicle that's supposed to go into production
Lucid Motors has officially started taking orders for its electric Gravity SUV, a critically important vehicle that’s supposed to go into production by the end of this year. Interested buyers can now place $1,000 refundable deposits on the “Grand Touring” trim, which starts at $94,900, on the company’s website.
The Lucid Gravity looks like a great step for the company. I hope it helps them grow and succeed with their vision. I think SUVs will sell way more next year because of EV rise
Similar to the company’s current model, the Air sedan, the Gravity is a more-than-capable electric vehicle. The company promises it can travel more than 440 miles on a full battery. That battery delivers power to two electric motors that put down the equivalent of 828 horsepower. It should be more functional than the Air, too, as it comes standard with two rows of seating and can be optioned up to three.
The launch of the Gravity is crucial to Lucid’s survival. While it has been able to increase sales of its Air sedan in the last few quarters by slashing prices and launching a cheaper trim, Lucid is still way off of the sales figures it originally projected when it went public in a $4 billion reverse merger in 2021. As a result, Lucid has repeatedly gone back to majority owner Saudi Arabia to add more funding to its war chest this year.
The Gravity comes in an SUV form factor that is far more attractive to North American buyers, which could boost overall sales. But the more affordable “Touring” version, which starts at $79,900, won’t be available until “late 2025.” And the Ground Touring version can quickly zoom past the $94,900 sticker price, as car reviewer Kyle Conner realized shortly after Lucid launched the Gravity SUV configurator on Thursday.
A new website called WP Engine Tracker shows how many sites have moved away from hosting provider WP Engine since the company's feud with WordPress
Automattic, which runs a rival web hosting service and is headed by Mullenweg, confirmed it created this site.
#automatic #wpengine #wordpress #wpenginetracker #technology
The site’s full URL is WordPressenginetracker.com, which is ironic given Mullenweg and Automattic have argued during the battle that WP Engine misused the WordPress trademark and tricked people into believing that WP Engine is associated with WordPress.com
Check out all these great offers of people that will migrate you off WP Engine: https://t.co/AKQGU7Hvpf
— WordPress (@WordPress) November 6, 2024
As of the time of writing, the page shows more than 16,000 domains have switched to another hosting provider.
AI might beat quantum computers in fields like physics and chemistry. Companies have invested heavily in quantum tech, expecting a revolution. But with AI stepping up, quantum’s future seems less certain and in my opinion less relevant for now.
The true identity of Bitcoin's creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, will soon be revealed with proof of their role in Bitcoin's creation.
ShibDaily will give live demonstration planned to prove Satoshi Nakamoto's role creating BTC. Can't wait
AI is teaming up with DeFi (Decentralized Finance), reshaping finance in big ways. If you look at Dubai, you'd see how the city’s focus on AI and blockchain is leading this shift. Financial tools are becoming smarter and more accessible, offering more freedom from traditional banks.
Donald Trump’s presidential win is making crypto supporters excited because of the promises
Even if he does nothing, at least fewer restrictions, U.S. based mining and a national Bitcoin reserve is enough for the crypto community
#Crypto doesnt need the government to excel. It will help if it just gets out of the way.
Very true, I guess firing anyone standing in the way of crypto with their opinions and power is the only thing Donald Trump needs to do.
A lot of the change will simply come due to a change in administration.
For example, Gary Gensler will be gone at the SEC. If not, the pressure on him will be enormous.
Having an anti-crypto stance in Washington right now is not great for job security.
yes not so great for job security. By the way who will replace Gary though 🤔 if Trump manages to get him off. And will Congress agree to a Bitcoin reserve in US?
TSMC is stopping the production of advanced AI chips for China. I see this as a big deal, because these chips power so much tech. Limiting them will impact China’s tech growth.
A robot can now learn to clean sinks just by watching someone do it! I think it’s amazing to see robots picking up skills this way. They’re becoming little helpers for everyday tasks and kind of makes me wonder what they’ll learn next.
I'm thinking of some wild stuff here, some are weird and others very productive.😁
Wired: The Best Laptops to Work and Play Wherever You Are
Yes, I think the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will likely undergo revisions. The biggest losers here will probably be companies like Intel. I think Intel has been struggling, and this is just going to add fuel to that fire. The IRA was originally going to be a huge opportunity for Intel, but now they’re on the wrong side of that trend. From a chip perspective, there’s a much bigger focus on AI build-out, especially in the U.S. With tariffs on China, there could be carve-outs, which is why I don’t think companies like Nvidia will be negatively impacted. The same goes for Tesla and Apple. That’s also why Musk’s influence in the White House is so important.
Let me get your feedback, because I know Ed wants to jump in. But I'm curious: do you think Trump won’t live up to a lot of the things he promised during the campaign?
What gives you such conviction that Trump will focus on AI right out of the gate? I think it's going to be a huge focus within the government. The government has been way behind when it comes to AI. There are going to be huge initiatives, I believe, especially through the DOD and various agencies. This will be bullish for Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and other big names. I think these companies will benefit greatly in what is shaping up to be a golden age for AI, especially with the government's involvement.
I want to ask you about Elon Musk. If you'll allow me, let me put it this way: the market tried to make sense of the Tesla move. It's believed that Trump will repeal some or all of what's been legislated for consumer incentives and manufacturing support for companies. There's also the association between Musk and Trump. Why is it that Tesla stands out in your mind, while GM, Ford, and Rivian might not do as well?
Sure, that's a great point. Let me break it down into two parts. First, removing the $7,500 credits will create a much more even playing field. Tesla has scale and scope, which will give them a huge advantage over the Detroit stalwarts. That’s bullish for Tesla. They also still have the option to cut prices further. But the big thing is the value that’s unlocked with the IP. When you look at Trump, he's going to pave the way for autonomous vehicles. I think he will fast-track Full Self-Driving (FSD), which is very bullish for Tesla.
For Musk, one of the best strategic moves he made was aligning with Trump. Is the technology ready? Not necessarily in its current form, but it’s advancing rapidly. When I look at autonomous FSD, I see an incremental $1 trillion valuation. You could have cyber cabs or automated vehicles by 2026 or 2027, and these initiatives will be fast-tracked. Tesla and Musk are the big winners here, along with big tech. Another key point is that Trump is likely going to focus on reducing regulations, which will benefit deal-making across big tech.
There's a lot to be bullish about, but one area of concern is infrastructure. For a lot of this to happen, the growing chip sector in the U.S. is crucial, and that depends on the CHIPS Act. That could be undermined.
I think the reality might be worse than the bite when it comes to tariffs. Some of them could be much nastier, but I think there will be carve-outs for certain exports. So, I don’t think the impact will be as negative for tech and the supply chain. That’s why this is such a Goldilocks scenario for tech, and it’s a champagne moment for Tesla investors.
Dan, can you hear me?
Okay, here's the question: Be honest with me—can Elon Musk have an informal or formal role in the administration while still being the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and leading other ventures like Neuralink and The Boring Company?
Yes, I think he could have an informal role, but not a formal one, like a cabinet position. A formal role would complicate his ownership of Tesla and other companies. However, I believe he’ll be an unofficial advisor with significant influence within the White House. This could end up being one of Musk’s best strategic bets, aligning with Trump.
The Guardian: Apple MacBook Pro M4 review: faster, better and cheaper
AI will change how we use everything around us. Instead of pressing buttons, we'll just talk to our stuff - like our phones, cars, and even microwaves. They'll "understand" us and do what we ask, just like talking to a person.
AI will also make amazing new games. These games will mix movies and gaming in a new way. The story will change based on what you do, making each person's experience different.
Some people are already testing games where you can talk to characters, like being a detective who questions suspects. It feels totally new and different from regular games.
The Guardian: AI may displace 3m jobs but long-term losses ‘relatively modest’, says Tony Blair’s thinktank
The Guardian: Facebook asks US supreme court to dismiss fraud suit over Cambridge Analytica scandal
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/nov/06/facebook-cambridge-analytica-lawsuit
BBC: AI artwork of Alan Turing sells for $1m
BBC Video: New tech helping to combat illegal elephant ivory trade
https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0k247bv/new-tech-helping-to-combat-illegal-elephant-ivory-trade
BBC: Up close with the 300 tonne driverless trucks
Reuters: TSMC to suspend production of advanced AI chips for China from Monday, FT reports
Reuters: Russia's Yandex plans to invest in Indonesia's AI, minister says
Reuters: LightOn to become Europe's first listed GenAI startup with Paris IPO
Reuters: South Korea says pro-Russia groups responsible for cyberattacks after North's troop dispatch
Reuters: Motorola raises full-year forecasts on steady demand
https://www.reuters.com/technology/motorola-raises-full-year-forecasts-steady-demand-2024-11-07/
The fund will invest in A.I., which he acknowledged is in a so-called hype cycle.
Ashton Kutcher, the Hollywood actor and venture capital investor, raised the money for his firm’s new AI fund quickly.
“We pulled the fund together in about five weeks,” Kutcher said Thursday in a Bloomberg Television interview. “We have a base of LPs that have been with us for years on end.”
Kutcher’s new fund plans to put $243 million toward artificial intelligence startups, the tech industry’s current hottest category. The portfolio already includes investments in AI startup darlings OpenAI, Stability AI Ltd. and Anthropic.
With the new fund, assets under management at Los Angeles-based Sound Ventures LLC are about $1 billion, the firm said. Kutcher said the firm had surveyed its portfolio companies to see how they were embracing AI, and that the sector would mark “the next absolute transformation for technology.”
“We’ve been investing in AI for the last seven years,” Kutcher said. “But when we saw GPT be launched, we realized that this was an absolute breakthrough.”
He acknowledged the so-called hype cycle that washes across technology investing, most recently with the rush into crypto, a field where Sound Ventures also has been active. The blockchain technology at the heart of cryptocurrency has value in a number of applications, he said, while “tokenization” in many areas went too far.
Regulation of AI is “needed badly,” he said
Regulation of AI is “needed badly,” he said, just as it is in the crypto industry.
Ashton Kutcher, co-founder of Sound Ventures, believes that every company is going to become an AI company, but that there might not be a winner in the space.
The actor and investor spoke at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 on Tuesday alongside Sound co-founder Guy Oseary and partner Effie Epstein to detail what the firm is looking for in founders and startups, and how they believe foundational AI companies are setting the stage for the future.
“Foundation layer AI companies are going to be some of the most valuable companies that have ever been created in the history of humankind,” Kutcher said.
He said it’s easy to underestimate how big of a deal AI is, and that he believes foundational AI models are going to be the foundation of everything to come.
“There will not be a company in the world that is not, in some way, shape or form, using AI in the future,” Kutcher said. “So every company is going to be an AI company. And it’s our thesis that whether it’s open source AI, whether it’s closed systems like Anthropic or OpenAI or World Labs, or whether you’re building software using Magic.dev, those things are going to be the underpinnings of everything else.”
However, he doesn’t think there will be a winner in the space. He believes that while foundational AI companies converge in some ways, they are also differentiating.
“Sometimes you can get too smart and too cute and think that you can pick the winner, and there might not be a winner,” Kutcher said. “It might not be in one of these monopoly spaces, because there’s a lot of different people that stand up gain a lot from AI and AGI in general.”
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While some people fear AI, Kutcher says e
Got a new stress-relief trick: Talk it out with AI when someone makes you mad on the road! Instead of letting road rage get to you, have a chat with AI playing the role of that annoying driver. You can get everything off your chest without any real drama.
Way healthier than honking or getting worked up!
AI in farming means if you have enough money, you can make your whole farm run on its own.
Think about how this is going to change #war.
The ability to launch multiple drones mid-air and then use the mothership as a command center is a dream project of China and several other countries.
A head of the Zhuhai Air Show in China, an international aerospace trade show organized by the Beijing administration, a drone mothership concept has been spotted at the event’s grounds.
Drone mothership concept’s specifications
The markings on the drone mothership read SS-UAV, along with others in Chinese script. While clearly the UAV stands for unmanned aerial vehicle, it is unclear what SS stands for.
A look at the aircraft reveals that it uses a normal tricycle landing and take-off gear, and carries a jet engine on top of its central fuselage.
While initially it can look like a normal attack aircraft, its central payload section is labeled as ‘Isomerism Hive Module’. This reveals that the mothership could have the capability to launch drones mid-air and then manage swarms to carry out operations.
The ability to launch multiple drones mid-air and then use the mothership as a command center is a dream project of China and several other countries.
The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has proven how effective drones can be in tilting the balance to one side.
The drone mothership, which is said to have a maximum takeoff weight of 10 tons, could have the capability to launch drone swarms in the air.
The drone, Called Jiu Tian, which stands for ‘High Sky’ in Chinese, is powered by jet engines. Its design is by the government-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).
In the future, everything will have an LLM. You’ll put food in the oven, tell it what you’re making, and it will do everything for you.
I think things will still have screens, but you'll be able to talk to most of them. Being able to tell things what you want, like a washer and dryer, will probably make life easier for people.
I believe AI has a lot of potential in the food industry, and there are already some exciting examples or use cases:
It's being used to speed up the process of flavor research, with companies like Coca-Cola and McCormick testing it out.
In architecture and engineering, blueprints for houses and buildings can be made instantly. With today's tech, you can already do this easily, but soon you’ll just tell it exactly what you want, and it will be ready right away.
In the rapidly changing world of generative AI, vector databases have taken a center stage for any enterprise generative ai solution.
GPU acceleration: Leveraging the computational power of GPUs can significantly accelerate similarity search and other vector operations. Vector databases offer GPU acceleration, enabling Gen AI models to achieve breakthrough performance and efficiency.
Efficient similarity search: One of the core functionalities of vector databases is their ability to perform fast and accurate similarity searches within the vector space. This feature is crucial for Gen AI models to identify and retrieve semantically similar data entities, facilitating tasks such as content recommendation and semantic understanding.
Cosmos DB: This offering from Microsoft boasts high availability and scalability, making it a good choice for enterprise-grade applications. It integrates seamlessly with other Azure services.
Pros
· Scalability: Cosmos DB offers seamless horizontal scaling, making it suitable for handling large volumes of data, including vector embeddings.
Pros
· Speed and efficiency: Pinecone excels in delivering blazing-fast similarity search performance, thanks to its optimised indexing structures and GPU acceleration.
· Scalability: With its distributed architecture and seamless horizontal scaling capabilities, Pinecone offers unmatched scalability for handling large-scale Gen AI workloads.
Tailored for high dimensional data efficient for data storage and retrieval mechanisms, they play a crucial role in the world of AI and machine learning.
Understanding Vector Databases
So what exactly are vector databases? Think of them as data warehouses specifically designed for high-dimensional vectors. These vectors are like mathematical fingerprints, capturing the essence of your data – text, images, or even sensor readings – in a multi-dimensional space. Each dimension represents a specific feature or characteristic.
Traditional vs Vector Database
Now let’s understand how traditional relational database differs a vector database through key features.
Comparison of traditional database vs vector database
Vector Database – Empowering Gen AI
Vector databases play a pivotal role in enabling the functionality and efficiency of Generative AI (Gen AI) solutions. Let’s go through them:
Let’s understand this by a simple example. Imagine you have a giant room filled with books. A traditional database would be like a card catalog, letting you find books by title or author. But a vector database is more like a mind map. It connects books based on ideas and themes, allowing for lightning-fast searches based on content and meaning.
Technical Architecture of Vector Databases
Now one would think how a Vector database actually works. Let's dissect the technical architecture of vector databases to unravel their inner workings. At a fundamental level, they comprise two key components:
· Embedding: We transform raw data (text, images) into vectors using machine learning techniques. Imagine a complex algorithm summarising a book into a series of key points.
· Indexing: The vectors are then stored and meticulously indexed within the database. This is where the magic happens – the database structures the data for efficient retrieval.
Scalability: As Gen AI solutions scale to handle ever-growing datasets and user interactions, scalability becomes a critical factor. Vector databases are designed to scale horizontally, allowing for seamless expansion across distributed clusters without compromising performance or reliability. This scalability ensures that Gen AI models can continue to operate efficiently, even as the volume of data grows exponentially.
Real-time updates: In dynamic environments where data is constantly changing, real-time updates are essential for maintaining the accuracy and relevance of Gen AI models. Vector databases support efficient real-time updates, enabling models to adapt and learn from new data on the fly.
Exploring Vector Databases
Pinecone: A cloud-based vector database known for its ease of use and focus on developer experience. It offers features like real-time updates and integrates well with popular machine learning frameworks.
Cons
· Limited support for complex data types: While Pinecone excels in storing and querying high-dimensional vectors, it may have limited support for complex data types beyond simple numeric vectors.
· Absence of SQL support: Pinecone lacks built-in support for SQL, the standard language for relational database management systems. This absence can present challenges when integrating with existing systems or conducting complex analytical queries that rely on SQL functionality.
· Schema flexibility: Cosmos DB's flexible schema allows for storing complex data structures, including vector embeddings, without predefined schemas.
· Integrated querying: Cosmos DB supports SQL-like querying over JSON documents, enabling efficient retrieval of vector embeddings based on various criteria.
Cons
· Cost: Cosmos DB can be relatively expensive, especially for large-scale deployments or workloads with high throughput requirements.
· Indexing overhead: Managing indexing for efficient querying of vector embeddings can add overhead and complexity to the implementation.
Azure SQL database: While not a pure vector database, Azure SQL offers extensions that enable vector capabilities. This can be a good option if you're already invested in the Azure ecosystem.
Pros
· Integration: Azure SQL integrates seamlessly with other Azure services and tools, simplifying development and management tasks.
· Security: Azure SQL provides built-in security features, including encryption, authentication, and access control, ensuring data integrity and confidentiality.
Cons
· Scalability limitations: While Azure SQL can scale vertically, scaling horizontally for large-scale deployments may be challenging.
· Performance: For workloads with high concurrency or throughput requirements, Azure SQL may struggle to deliver the same level of performance as NoSQL or specialised databases.
· Cost: Azure SQL can become costly, especially for large databases or workloads with high resource utilisation.
PostgreSQL: This open-source relational database can be extended with vector search functionalities through libraries like FAISS. It's a cost-effective option for those comfortable with managing their own infrastructure.
Pros
· Reliability: PostgreSQL is known for its reliability, stability, and ACID compliance, ensuring data integrity and consistency.
· Extensibility: PostgreSQL supports a wide range of data types and extensions, allowing for flexible storage and querying of vector embeddings.
Cons
· Scalability limitations: While PostgreSQL can scale vertically, horizontal scaling for large-scale deployments may require additional complexity and effort.
· Performance: For workloads with high concurrency or throughput requirements, PostgreSQL may require careful optimisation to maintain performance.
· Cost: While PostgreSQL itself is open-source, managed PostgreSQL services on Azure may incur costs based on usage and configuration.
Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all solution.
The best vector database for you depends on your specific needs – factors like scalability, ease of use, and integration with your existing infrastructure aLL play a role.
This is just a glimpse into the exciting world of vector databases. As Gen AI continues to evolve, these powerful tools will play an even more crucial role in unlocking the potential of AI to understand, create, and interact with the world around us.
Intel's had a tough year, so now they're bringing back free coffee and tea at the office. They’d stopped it to save money, but they’ve realized even small perks matter for morale.
Everything is going to change. We are seeing the digital world expanding to the point where it moves into the physical realm.
By 2030, things will be completely different.
Simply looking at the pace of Ai, we will be stunned.
Will it be something like Will Smith's movie iRobot?
That would be darn cool.
Lance Seefeldt and Zhi-Yong Yang are among a Gates Foundation-funded collaboration publishing new knowledge in PNAS that could simplify genetic transfer of nitrogen fixation to food crops.
Food productivity is dependent on the availability of fertilizer, says Utah State University biochemist Lance Seefeldt.
“We need nitrogen to survive, but we can’t take it in from the air,” says Seefeldt, professor and head of USU’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “We get nitrogen from the protein in our food.”
Little over a century ago, the Haber-Bosch process revolutionized how atmospheric nitrogen could be converted to a form to allow for industrial-scale production of fertilizer. The discovery led to a huge increase in global food production and a massive population boom. Still, certain areas of the globe, including Sub-Saharan Africa, lack the infrastructure to allow import and distribution of fertilizer, much less the capacity to produce the nutrient-essential product close to home.
Since 2019, Seefeldt and USU Senior Scientist Zhi-Yong Yang have collaborated on a project with colleagues in Spain and the United States, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to re-engineer the biology of cereal crops, such as corn and rice, to achieve nitrogen fixation on their own, from sunlight, without applying fertilizer.
With lead author Luis Rubio and Lucía Payá Tormo, Carlos Echavarri-Erasun, Natalia Makarovsky-Saavedra and Ana Pérez-González at the Center for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics at the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM), along with Yisong Guo of Carnegie Mellon University, Seefeldt and Yang report a simpler pathway, involving a newly known minimum of seven genes that allow the plant cell to make the enzyme that can covert N2 gas from the air to fertilizer. Their findings appear in the Nov. 6, 2024 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
“The goal is to place genes into the crops’ mitochondria and chloroplast enabling them to generate sufficient energy to drive nitrogen fixation,” Yang says. “This is a pretty cool piece of evidence. Essentially, these staple caloric crops – rice, corn, potatoes – could have built-in fertilizer.”
The team initially narrowed the number of genes needed to fix nitrogen to nine, and identified gene combinations they thought were essential to complete the process. To their surprise, they discovered genes they’d designated as critical middlemen could be omitted.
Earth is surrounded by an immense magnetic field called the magnetosphere.
Scientists in China claimed that the magnetic shield over North America is weakening rapidly. The geomagnetic field, a kind of natural barrier, protects Earth from cosmic radiation, which can create disturbances in the atmospheric system.
The cause of the magnetic shield losing strength ‘exceptionally fast’ has yet to be determined. However, initially, it’s being linked to the shift of the geomagnetic poles from the western to the eastern hemisphere.
Significant reversal occurred in past 30 years
Chinese scientists published a peer-reviewed paper last month highlighting the weakening of magnetic shields.
Fang’s team employed the latest models and data to reconstruct global magnetic field strength changes since 1900. They found that from 1930 to 1990, the magnetic field strength in North America increased and was higher than in many other regions of the world, reported SCMP.
Scientists, led by Professor Fang Hanxian of the National University of Defence Technology, also revealed that the magnetic field over the eastern hemisphere, including China, is strengthening.
However, Chinese scientists claimed that a significant reversal has occurred in the past 30 years: by 2020, the magnetic field strength in this region had dropped to a level barely above the global average.
Scientists maintain that the change is exceptional from a global perspective.
Magnetosphere plays role of gatekeeper
An immense magnetic field, called the magnetosphere, surrounds Earth. Generated by powerful, dynamic forces, the magnetosphere shields us from the erosion of the atmosphere by the solar wind (charged particles our sun continually spews at us), erosion and particle radiation from coronal mass ejections (massive clouds of energetic and magnetized solar plasma and radiation), and cosmic rays from deep space.
NASA claims that the magnetosphere plays the role of gatekeeper, repelling unwanted energy harmful to life on Earth, trapping most of it a safe distance from Earth’s surface in twin doughnut-shaped zones called the Van Allen Belts.
The firm’s advanced Turing AI chip, with a 40-core CPU, provides AI capabilities for robots, cars, and even future flying vehicles.
A Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer is going the Tesla way by unveiling its first humanoid robot.
At its 2024 AI Day event, Xpeng unveiled its first robot, Iron, marking a major leap into robotics.
The robot has more than 60 joints and 200 degrees of freedom, and it uses technology shared with XPENG’s AI Electric Vehicles (EVs).
XPENG reports that Iron is already active on its automotive production lines, helping assemble the upcoming P7+ EV.
“The robots have already been integrated into XPENG’s daily operations and focus on internal applications, such as factories and stores,” the firm said in a statement.
Versatile system
XPENG, known for its EVs, held its 2024 AI Day event, showcasing cutting-edge AI innovations. One of the standout reveals was the humanoid robot, Iron.
Standing 5’8″ tall and weighing 154 pounds (70 kilograms), Iron is already operational, working on Xpeng’s production lines. This robot is tasked with assembling the upcoming P7+ electric vehicle, highlighting its practical role beyond just display.
Although little details are available, Xpeng’s specially designed Turing AI chip is known to power the robot. With more than 60 joints and 200 degrees of flexibility, Iron can precisely handle delicate parts and carry out intricate activities like walking.
Tesla officially launched the Model 3 sedan and the Model Y crossover in the Philippines. Both vehicles are priced competitively against mainstream rivals in the country’s automotive segment.
Tesla first Experience Center in the Philippines is located at 22 Uptown Parade, Bonifacio Global City (BGC), a central business district and one of Metro Manila’s most high-end areas. Videos and photos taken of the site’s opening ceremony showed that the event was quite prolific, as it attracted a good number of people, including some officials.
Tesla Philippines’ pricing for the Model 3 is quite competitive. The Model 3 Rear Wheel Drive starts at Php 2,109,000 ($36,142), the Model 3 Long Range All Wheel Drive (AWD) starts at Php 2,489,000 ($42,652), and the Model 3 Performance starts at Php 3,099,000 ($53,105) before options.
This places the Model 3 in the same price range as the Toyota Camry 2.5 V HEV, which is currently being sold in the Philippines for about Php 2,457,000 ($42,106). It is also significantly more affordable than the BMW 3-Series Sedan 318i Business, which is sold with an MSRP of Php 3,590,000 ($61,522) in the Philippines.