Good morning! This is your daily ☕️ Techpresso.
On this day, 26 years ago, Compaq Computer acquired pioneering computer company Digital Equipment Corporation for $9.6 billion, marking the end of an era for an innovator slow to adapt to the PC revolution, before Compaq itself later merged with HP.
In today's Techpresso:
👩⚖️ Taylor Swift deepfakes spark calls for new laws
🤔 Spotify accuses Apple of ‘extortion’ with new App Store tax
📺 Netflix co-CEO says Apple's Vision Pro isn't worth their time yet
🦿 Scientists design a two-legged robot powered by muscle tissue
🤖 OpenAI and other tech giants will have to warn the US government when they start new AI projects
🎁 + 9 other news you might like
🔮 + 1 handpicked research papers and tools
👩⚖️ Taylor Swift deepfakes spark calls for new lawsLINK
US politicians have advocated for new legislation in response to the circulation of explicit deepfake images of Taylor Swift on social media, which were viewed millions of times. X is actively removing the fake images of Taylor Swift and enforcing actions against the violators under its 'zero-tolerance policy' for such content. Deepfakes have seen a 550% increase since 2019, with 99% of these targeting women, leading to growing concerns about their impact on emotional, financial, and reputational harm.
🤔 Spotify accuses Apple of ‘extortion’ with new App Store taxLINK
Spotify criticizes Apple’s new app installation fee, calling it "extortion" and arguing it will hurt developers, especially those offering free apps.
The fee requires developers using third-party app stores to pay €0.50 for each annual app install after 1 million downloads, a cost Spotify says could significantly increase customer acquisition costs.
Apple defends the new fee structure, claiming it offers developers choice and maintains that more than 99% of developers would pay the same or less, despite widespread criticism.
📺 Netflix co-CEO says Apple's Vision Pro isn't worth their time yetLINK
Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters described the Apple Vision Pro as too "subscale" for the company to invest in, noting it's not relevant for most Netflix members at this point.
Netflix has decided not to launch a dedicated app for the Vision Pro, suggesting users access Netflix through a web browser on the device instead.
The Vision Pro, priced at $3,499 and going on sale February 2, will offer native apps for several streaming services but not for Netflix, which also hasn't updated its app for Meta’s Quest line in a while.
🦿 Scientists design a two-legged robot powered by muscle tissueLINK
Scientists from Japan have developed a two-legged biohybrid robot powered by muscle tissues, enabling it to mimic human gait and perform tasks like walking and pivoting.
The robot, designed to operate underwater, combines lab-grown skeletal muscle tissues and silicone rubber materials to achieve movements through electrical stimulation.
The research, published in the journal Matter, marks progress in the field of biohybrid robotics, with future plans to enhance movement capabilities and sustain living tissues for air operation.
🤖 OpenAI and other tech giants will have to warn the US government when they start new AI projectsLINK
The Biden administration will require tech companies like OpenAI, Google, and Amazon to inform the US government about new AI projects employing substantial computing resources.
This government notification requirement is designed to provide insights into sensitive AI developments, including details on computing power usage and safety testing.
The mandate, stemming from a broader executive order from October, aims to enhance oversight over powerful AI model training, including those developed by foreign companies using US cloud computing services.
Other news you might like
EU warns Apple of strict consequences if App Store modifications fall short of regulations.LINK
Mozilla says Apple’s new browser rules are ‘as painful as possible’ for Firefox.LINK
Opera to launch new AI-powered browser for iOS in Europe following Apple’s DMA changes.LINK
In major gaffe, hacked Microsoft test account was assigned admin privileges.LINK
The era of the AI-generated internet is already here.LINK
ElevenLabs reportedly banned the account that deepfaked Biden's voice with its AI tools.LINK
Weirdest chatbots on OpenAI’s GPT store, ranked.LINK
If you use AI to teach you how to code, remember you still need to think for yourself.LINK
Tesla Infotainment hacked at Pwn2Own for $100,000 prize.LINK
Latest research and tools
NMAP-formatter: converts NMAP results into easily readable formats like HTML, CSV, JSON, graphviz (dot), and SQLite.LINK
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