Good morning! This is your daily ☕️ Techpresso.
In today's Techpresso:
💰 Microsoft invests $1.5 billion in AI firm
🚫 YouTube cracks down on third-party apps that block ads
🎓 Meta announces new educational hub for Quest VR headsets
📈 Baidu says its ChatGPT-like Ernie bot exceeds 200 million users
💻 OpenAI introduces Batch API with up to 50% discount for asynchronous tasks
🚀 Space debris from ISS confirmed to have crashed in Florida
🎁 + 6 other news you might like
🔮 + 7 handpicked research papers and tools
💰 Microsoft invests $1.5 billion in AI firmLINK
Microsoft announced a $1.5 billion investment in Abu Dhabi-based AI company Group 42 Holdings (G42), emphasizing its strategic positioning amidst growing US-China tensions.
The investment is scrutinized due to G42's ties with China, raising US concerns about the potential access of sensitive technologies to Chinese firms.
This deal, illustrating a significant US-UAE partnership in AI development, signals the challenging dynamics of global tech collaborations amid geopolitical rifts.🚫 YouTube cracks down on third-party apps that block adsLINK
YouTube is extending its crackdown on ad blockers to mobile platforms, targeting third-party apps that allow users to watch videos without ads.
The company's updated policy emphasizes that third-party apps must comply with YouTube's API Services Terms of Service or face potential action to safeguard the platform and its creators.
YouTube advises users to sign up for YouTube Premium as an alternative to using third-party ad blocking apps, reinforcing its stance against ad blockers.🎓 Meta announces new educational hub for Quest VR headsetsLINK
Meta is launching a new educational hub for Quest VR headsets to streamline VR technology in educational settings, with expected launch later this year.
The hub will offer educational apps, features, and tools for managing multiple headsets, aiming to enhance learning experiences.
Adoption challenges include cost barriers and availability restrictions to schools with students aged 13 and above in regions with Meta's business-focused Quest subscription service.📈 Baidu says its ChatGPT-like Ernie bot exceeds 200 million usersLINK
Baidu's AI chatbot 'Ernie Bot' has reached 200 million users and its API is used 200 million times daily.
Ernie Bot, the first locally developed ChatGPT-like chatbot in China, was publicly released eight months ago after receiving approval from Beijing.
Despite its growth, Ernie Bot faces strong competition from rival domestic AI services, such as the Alibaba-backed 'Kimi' chatbot from Moonshot AI.💻 OpenAI introduces Batch API with up to 50% discount for asynchronous tasksLINK
OpenAI introduces a new Batch API providing up to 50% discount for asynchronous tasks like summarization, translation, and image classification.
This Batch API allows results for bulk API requests within 24 hours by uploading a JSONL file of requests in batch format, currently supporting only the /v1/chat/completions endpoint.
The batch API aims to reduce costs and offer higher limits for asynchronous tasks, facilitating more efficient application of OpenAI's APIs for large-scale request needs.🚀 Space debris from ISS confirmed to have crashed in FloridaLINK
NASA confirmed that the metal object that crashed into a Naples, Florida home came from the International Space Station, specifically from a cargo pallet of old batteries released in 2021.
The object, identified as a support component for mounting batteries, is made of Inconel, weighs 1.6 pounds, and measures 4 inches tall.
NASA is investigating why the debris, expected to burn up upon re-entry, survived and reached Earth's surface, marking a rare instance of space junk not disintegrating in the atmosphere.Other news you might like
Tesla job cuts heighten Wall Street concerns that EV maker faces a demand problem.LINK
People are making ‘digital clones’ of themselves — to do their work for them.LINK
Elon Musk plans to charge new X users to enable posting.LINK
Mark Zuckerberg wins dismissal in lawsuits that sought to hold him personally liable for social media addiction.LINK
Apple pulls a Game Boy emulator for App Store violations, but says game emulators are allowed.LINK
Adobe releases AI assistant that can summarize all those complex PDFs for you.LINK
Latest research and tools
Descent 3 Source Code: the latest version of the Descent 3 source code, enhanced with the '1.5' patch for compatibility across Windows, Linux, and Mac, minus some original proprietary sound and video libraries.LINK
BTFS: a tool that allows users to mount any .torrent file or magnet link as a read-only directory, downloading file contents on-demand as applications request them.LINK
HonoJS: a small, simple, and ultrafast web framework designed for edge computing, supporting multiple JavaScript runtimes like Cloudflare Workers, Fastly Compute, Deno, and others without dependencies.LINK
ResearchAgent: iterative research idea generation using LLMs enhances creativity and efficiency in scientific explorations.LINK
imgcatr: a Rust-based CLI tool for displaying images in terminals, allowing customization of output format and image size, with support for ASCII format, requiring Cargo for installation.LINK
YouTube Shorts Redirector: a Chrome extension that automatically redirects YouTube Shorts URLs to the YouTube main page.LINK
Understanding AI Deployment: we have no idea how models will behave in production until they are actually deployed in real-world settings.LINK
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