Good morning! This is your daily ☕️ Techpresso.
On this day, 21 years ago, the Space Shuttle Columbia, once celebrated for its inaugural launch, embarked on mission STS-107, which tragically ended in disaster 16 days later when it broke apart upon re-entry.
In today's Techpresso:
💻 Microsoft launches Copilot Pro
📱 Apple takes the smartphone market crown for the first time
💰 X is one step closer to becoming a bank
⌚ Apple Watch drops blood oxygen features to dodge the import ban
📈 Elon Musk wants more control of Tesla, seeks 25% voting power
🗳️ OpenAI reveals plan to stop AI interfering with elections
🎁 + 7 other news you might like
🔮 + 3 handpicked research papers and tools
💻 Microsoft launches Copilot ProLINK
Microsoft has launched Copilot Pro, a new $20 monthly subscription service that integrates AI-powered features into Office apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, offering priority access to the latest OpenAI models and the ability to create custom Copilot GPTs. Copilot Pro is available to Microsoft 365 subscribers and includes features like generating PowerPoint slides from prompts, rephrasing and generating text in Word, and email assistance in Outlook.com. The service targets power users by offering enhanced AI capabilities and faster performance, especially during peak times, and is also opening up its Copilot for Microsoft 365 offering to more businesses at $30 per user per month.
📱 Apple takes the smartphone market crown for the first timeLINK
Apple surpassed Samsung as the leading smartphone supplier globally, shipping 234.6 million units in 2023.
During the final quarter of 2023, Apple saw notable growth with 80.5 million smartphones shipped, propelling it into the top position.
This market achievement marks the first time Apple has claimed the annual top spot as a smartphone manufacturer since entering the market in 2007.
💰 X is one step closer to becoming a bankLINK
Elon Musk's social media platform X received a money-transmitter license from Utah, marking the 15th state to approve such a license.
The license enables X to facilitate user-to-user money transfers, potentially diversifying revenue away from digital advertising.
X's acquisition of various state licenses aligns with Musk's vision of creating an "everything app," similar to China's WeChat.
⌚ Apple Watch drops blood oxygen features to dodge the import banLINK
Apple is planning to remove the blood oxygen measurement feature from its Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 in response to a US import ban linked to a patent dispute with medical company Masimo.
The import ban was a result of Masimo's complaint that Apple infringed on its patents for pulse oximetry technology, leading to a USITC ruling against Apple.
While Apple has redesigned the devices to omit the blood oxygen sensor feature, the company is awaiting a decision from the US appeals court on a stay during the USITC appeal period.
📈 Elon Musk wants more control of Tesla, seeks 25% voting powerLINK
Elon Musk expressed discomfort in leading Tesla's AI and robotics ventures without approximately 25% voting control and considers building AI technology outside Tesla without a new compensation package.
Musk, who currently holds a 12 to 13 percent stake in Tesla, implied he needs more influence, akin to 25% voting control, to effectively guide the company's direction.
The possibility of Musk seeking a new compensation package with a higher voting share has been met with both support and criticism among followers and investors.
🗳️ OpenAI reveals plan to stop AI interfering with electionsLINK
OpenAI reveals its misinformation strategy for the 2024 elections, aiming to increase transparency and traceability of information, particularly images generated by AI.
The company plans to enhance its provenance classifier, collaborate with journalists, and provide ChatGPT with real-time news to support reliable information sharing.
OpenAI confirms policies against impersonation and content that distorts voting, while expressing intent to prohibit tools designed for political campaigning and incorporating user reporting features.
Other news you might like
Chinese military and universities bypass U.S. bans to acquire advanced Nvidia chips for AI, highlighting the difficulty of enforcing export controls.LINK
Tesla's Optimus Bot, demonstrated by Elon Musk, now tackles laundry, advancing towards challenging tasks like threading a needle by end-2024.LINK
Uber is closing alcohol delivery service Drizly three years after acquisition.LINK
Apple Vision Pro will launch with 3D movies from Disney Plus.LINK
Vodafone signs $1.5 billion Microsoft deal for AI, cloud and IoT.LINK
Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez deepfakes used in Le Creuset giveaway scam.LINK
Researcher fails to grasp Mark Zuckerberg's true mindset despite extensive documentation of his public comments and transformations over two decades.LINK
Latest research and tools
Modeless Vim: a commit possibly from a project fork that provides Vim editor functionality without requiring different modes.LINK
Speedbump: a TCP proxy designed to mimic changing network delay for testing purposes.LINK
Open-Source Detector: a tool that checks if software contains known vulnerabilities that need patching.LINK
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