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

🐦 Meta's Twitter competitor Threads is launching this Thursday
🇨🇳 China responds to US restrictions with chip material export curbs
⚖️ Apple intends to take Epic Games case to Supreme Court
🚗 Dutch students set world record with ultra-efficient hydrogen car
☁️ US looks to limit China's access to key cloud services

🐦 Meta's Twitter competitor Threads is launching this ThursdayLINK

Instagram is launching a new app named Threads, aimed to be a competitor to Twitter, which is expected to debut on July 6 on the iOS App Store in the U.S.

Threads will be its own stand-alone app, allowing users to import their Instagram followers, with features to like, comment, repost, share posts, and control who can respond to their posts.

While it is rumored to be "decentralized" and compatible with Mastodon's decentralized network, the validity of these claims remains to be seen, and it will ultimately be up to consumers to decide if they want another social media experience ruled by Meta.

🇨🇳 China responds to US restrictions with chip material export curbsLINK

China has announced new controls on the export of gallium and germanium, two vital elements in the semiconductor, telecommunications, and electric vehicle industries, in response to proposed US export restrictions on AI chips.

Exporters of these elements and their compounds from China, the world's largest producer, will need licenses from the commerce ministry and must report the details of the overseas buyers and intended use of the materials.

This move has the potential to disrupt the high-tech industries but could also backfire if the increased prices make it economically viable for other countries to mine and sell these metals, potentially undermining China's market dominance.

⚖️ Apple intends to take Epic Games case to Supreme CourtLINK

Apple is appealing to the Supreme Court against lower courts' rulings that it must allow apps to include their own payment options, following an antitrust case with Epic Games.

The dispute began in 2020 when Epic Games introduced a direct payment feature in Fortnite that bypassed Apple's in-app purchases, which netted Apple a 30% cut of the profits, leading to the game's removal from the App Store and subsequent legal battles.

Despite mixed outcomes from previous lawsuits, Apple maintains that the court rulings overstepped their authority, but with new European Union regulations mandating third-party app stores by 2024, Apple may need to make changes regardless.

🚗 Dutch students set world record with ultra-efficient hydrogen carLINK

A student team named Eco-Runner from Delft University of Technology has set a new Guinness World Record for driving a hydrogen car the longest distance (2,488.4 km) without refuelling.

The vehicle used, named ECXIII, is a compact, ultra-lightweight microcar that converts hydrogen into electric energy, with water vapour and heat as the only byproducts.

The Eco-Runner team views their hydrogen car as a part of the future of sustainable mobility, suggesting that hydrogen and electric vehicles can coexist to meet global energy needs.

☁️ US looks to limit China's access to key cloud servicesLINK

The Biden administration is considering a plan to restrict China's access to U.S. cloud computing services, responding to Chinese companies using cloud instances to bypass U.S. chip bans.

The proposed rule would mandate cloud computing companies to obtain government approval before serving Chinese customers, essentially preventing China from using U.S. technology to develop AI tools.

This move is part of an ongoing technology power struggle between the U.S. and China, which has also seen China impose bans on the export of certain chip-making materials, affecting some U.S. companies.

Other news you might like

The CJEU ruled against Meta's "superprofiling" tactics, reinforcing that user consent is crucial for tracking and profiling, which could significantly impact Meta's ad-revenue driven business model.LINK

Chinese researchers have developed an AI tool that can design a functional computer chip in under five hours, accelerating the process significantly and potentially revolutionizing the semiconductor industry. LINK

OpenAI has temporarily disabled the "Browse with Bing" feature in ChatGPT Plus due to concerns about bypassing paywalls and privacy settings. LINK

Productivity platform ClickUp laid off 10% of its workforce, primarily in support roles, to improve efficiency and prepare for potential IPO, despite market slowdown.LINK

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