Hi there!

This is your daily dose of ☕️ Techpresso, where you get the latest tech news of the day effortlessly.


Here's the latest tech news from the last 24 hours:

📱 Snap is doing what Twitter can’t
🎮 Microsoft's $69B Activision deal nearing UK approval
🔍 DuckDuckGo CEO testifies: Switching from Google is harder than it should be
🎓 Some universities abandon AI detection software for fear of false positives
📚 AI-generated books force Amazon to cap e-book publications to 3 per day

📱 Snap is doing what Twitter can’tLINK

Snap's premium service, Snapchat+, has successfully attracted 5 million users by offering exclusive features, early access to novel experiments, and unique customizations for around $4 a month.

Exclusive features like "My AI", an artificial intelligence tool that is unlocked via a subscription, contribute to Snapchat+'s appeal and the increase in its sign-ups, exceeding the company's initial expectations.

Conversely, Twitter's attempt at a subscription service, led by Elon Musk, is less successful, with a lot of early subscribers having left, and its association with political ideology become a barrier to its growth.

🎮 Microsoft's $69B Activision deal nearing UK approvalLINK

Activision Blizzard has received preliminary approval from the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for its proposed merger with Microsoft.

CEO Bobby Kotick expressed his optimism about the deal and believes Microsoft's resources will provide greater opportunities for creating better games.

Microsoft has agreed to sell Activision's cloud streaming rights to Ubisoft to alleviate the CMA's concerns over hampering cloud gaming competition in the UK.

🔍 DuckDuckGo CEO testifies: Switching from Google is harder than it should beLINK

DuckDuckGo CEO, Gabriel Weinberg, testifies in an antitrust trial, claiming Google's default position hinders users from switching search engines.

The Department of Justice alleges that Google unlawfully maintains its search engine monopoly by paying over $10 billion annually to other tech companies and service providers.

Weinberg argues that switching to DuckDuckGo, which provides better privacy protection, should be a simple one-click option, rather than a complex process.

🎓 Some universities abandon AI detection software for fear of false positivesLINK

Several major universities have discontinued the use of AI detection tools due to concerns about their accuracy.

These tools, which were designed to detect whether essays were written by AI, could lead to false accusations of cheating against students.

Despite the rising popularity of AI tools like ChatGPT among students, OpenAI warns that there is no reliable way to determine if such technologies are being used in essay writing.

📚 AI-generated books force Amazon to cap e-book publications to 3 per dayLINK

Amazon has introduced a policy restricting Kindle authors to self-publishing no more than three books per day to control abuses stemming from AI-generated books.

This change was announced via the Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) forum, and although the official announcement did not detail specific limits, an Amazon representative confirmed the three-book restriction.

This move comes amidst growing reports of AI-authored books, including those attempting to mislead readers by using established authors' names, although Amazon downplays any notable surge in AI-generated content.

Other news you might like

Amazon is introducing limited ads to Prime Video in 2024, chargeable at an additional $3 for ad-free content, first affecting U.S., UK, Germany, and Canada.LINK

Post rebranding as 'X' and changing its iconic bird logo, Twitter has reportedly seen a steep decline in App store downloads.LINK

"YouTube plans to introduce an AI feature, Dream Screen, for creating custom backgrounds on Shorts and an app for beginners named YouTube Create."LINK

Intel faces a €376.36 million fine by the European Union for inhibit competition in the noughties, including delaying and cancelling products containing competitor, AMD's chips.LINK

Since 2017, nearly 500 smartphone brands have exited the market due to factors like component shortages, longer device lifespans, and stronger competition.LINK

Want to get the latest news differently? Find us on:

See you tomorrow for a new dose of ☕️ Techpresso!