Microsoft has announced that it will promote its new AI-supported version of Bing in the Windows 11 taskbar as it attempts to make it simpler for users to use the new Bing chatbot as an alternative to Google Search. Currently, the change will only impact those with access to the new version of Bing; you will need to join a waitlist to get access. More: - As of 2021, Microsoft's Windows still controlled 82% of the operating system market and drove 9% of Microsoft's current revenues.
- As of January 2023, 18% of Windows computers had Windows 11, while 69% had Windows 10. The impact of this change is more likely to be felt in the coming years as Microsoft will end support for Windows 10 in 2025, forcing users to upgrade to Windows 11, where they will be exposed to the new Bing.
- According to Microsoft's head of product, Panos Panay, more than 500 million people currently use the search box in the Windows taskbar each month.
- A survey of 127 people who had gained access to the new Bing found that while 86% said they were impressed with the technology, just 17% would make it their default search engine.
| |
The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee plans to present legislation allowing President Biden to ban TikTok. The bill comes as the committee voted on a series of potential bills related to China ahead of a congressional investigation into China's use of what the U.S. said was an espionage ballon in its airspace. More: - Former President Trump had previously tried to ban TikTok.
- In September 2020, he was set to approve a tentative deal for TikTok to work with Oracle and Walmart that would have made the U.S. companies responsible for ensuring the app's safety and remaining liable to the U.S. government.
- After Trump was defeated in November 2020, the issue was forgotten, as many legislative proposals were ignored following his loss, and the issue wasn't a primary concern for Biden.
- Upon entering office, Biden revoked all executive orders that attempted to ban or limit the use of TikTok but did sign executive orders to create a system for the government to evaluate the risks of technology companies from foreign companies.
- TikTok has previously overcome efforts to ban the app and successfully defeated an attempt by the Trump administration to ban Apple and Google from listing TikTok in their app stores, arguing that such a restriction breached the Berman amendments.
- Only Texas Republican Mike McCaul has sponsored the current bill, but since he is the committee's new chairman, it will move to committee votes despite being a new bill.
- Congress has already passed a bill that bans TikTok from being downloaded on any government device.
| |
 A message from AHREFS The best tools and data are worth nothing if you don’t know how to use them. Our free video tutorials will show you how to get better at digital marketing. Our courses include: - Blogging for business: Learn how to grow your blog past 100K monthly visitors and turn thousands of your readers into paying customers.
- SEO Course for Beginners: It doesn't matter if you know nothing about SEO. By the end of this free SEO training course, you’ll understand how to apply SEO basics like keyword research, on-page SEO, and link building to rank higher in search engines.
- Advanced Link Building: Learn how to get backlinks at scale without traditional link-building tactics.
- How to use Ahrefs: Learn practical ways to use Ahrefs' SEO tools and reports to improve SEO.
- The Best of AhrefsTV: Learn SEO from a curated list of the best SEO tutorials from Ahrefs’ YouTube channel.
Start Learning for free
| |
FTX's former head of engineering, Nishad Singh, pleaded guilty to the six criminal charges against him in New York. The charges were similar to those filed against Sam Bankman-Fried (who previously pleaded not guilty), including conspiracy to commit money laundering, securities fraud, and conspiracy to violate campaign finance laws. More: - Despite Bankman-Fried continuing to plead his innocence, most members of his team that have been arrested and had charges filed against them in the United States have entered into plea agreements. Gary Wang, an FTX co-founder, and Caroline Ellison, co-CEO of Almeda Research, pleaded guilty.
- Bankman-Fried is still facing 12 criminal charges, including eight filed in December 2022 and four filed last week. He is currently released from custody on a $250M bond.
- In addition to the criminal charges, Singh faced civil complaints from the Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission. His lawyers announced that he has agreed to settle with the CFTC, and the SEC said that he is currently cooperating with that agency, although a settlement hasn't been reached.
- Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said that the guilty plea further evidences the widespread fraud perpetrated by FTX.
| |
Realme announced a new smartphone today at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The company claims the new phone can be charged from zero to full in just 9.5 minutes. More: - The phone will be known as the GT3 and will start at $649, which keeps it in the mid-tier pricing range of mobile phones.
- Realme has been attempting to grow and expand out of China, including efforts like launching its two flagship phones, the GT2 and GT2 Pro, in Europe instead of China.
- Realme had projected to sell 85 million phones in 2022, but the most recent data shows the company only sold 52 million, representing a 20% year-over-year decline from 2021.
- The company also saw its market share in Europe fall from 6% to 4% last year. Its sales in Europe fell 44% YoY in 2022 despite its efforts to prioritize growth in Europe.
- Realme has no deals with North American or European cellular network providers, limiting its retail visibility. Many carriers prefer dealing with more established brands like Apple and Samsung.
- The low charging time could be the unique advantage Realme needs to stand out in the market of mid-tier smartphones.
- The global smartphone market had its worst year since 2013 last year.
| |
 A message from ASSEMBLYAI How Jiminny leverages AI for conversation intelligence Join us on Thursday, March 9th for a conversation on how Jiminny, a leading Revenue Intelligence and Sales Engagement platform unlocks your Sales team's potential to drive revenue through conversation intelligence–seamlessly with AI.
Tom Lavery, CEO & Founder, Jiminny and Mısra Turp, Developer Educator, AssemblyAI will discuss how Jiminny thinks about building AI-powered features like Transcription and Speaker Labels into their product to power the success of its customers. Can’t make it? Register anyway and we'll send you the recording. Register Now
| |
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced at a press conference on Tuesday that Tesla had reached a deal to build a new production facility in Monterrey. The new plant will adhere to new rules around water use due to concerns in Mexico about water scarcity, including the entire plant using only recycled water in its manufacturing process. More: - Tesla will release new details about the plant and its plans in Mexico during its Investor Day tomorrow, which will be live-streamed live from Texas on Twitter and YouTube.
- Monterrey is a major industrial city that already has a significant automotive manufacturing industry and is located just 138 miles from the U.S. border.
- The new facility in Mexico will be Tesla's third international production facility after previously expanding into China and Germany.
| |
A Chinese state-run newspaper published a warning to Elon Musk, claiming he could be "breaking the pot of China" after he shared a report from the U.S. Department of Energy that gave a "low confidence" assessment to the theory that COVID-19 leaked from a Wuhan laboratory. The warning comes amid heightened tensions between China and the U.S. due to the recent Chinese balloon flown over the U.S. and Canada, which President Biden ordered shot down after saying it was for espionage.
More: - Tesla has made significant efforts to expand its operations in China, and Musk's involvement in any political conflict could hinder these advancements. Tesla stock was down 0.92% today.
- "Breaking the pot after eating" is a Chinese saying equivalent to accusing Musk of "biting the hand that feeds him."
- The report from the U.S. Department of Energy echoed the findings of a 2021 report by the FBI, which determined with "moderate confidence" that the virus was developed in a Wuhan laboratory.
- China is currently the second-largest market for Tesla vehicles, and its Shanghai campus is one of its fastest-growing production hubs.
- Tesla also recently named Chinese national Tom Zhu, the former head of its Shanghai factory, as its new head of global automotive production, sales, and service, making him the defacto successor to Elon Musk and the official with the most responsibility as Musk balances his duties with Twitter, SpaceX and his other ventures.
| |
Quick Hits: - Get Gusto, the #1 payroll software according to PCMag. Set up your free account and get 25% off for the first 6 months when you run payroll by May 31, 2023. Terms apply.*
- Dish Network has confirmed that the company experienced a "network outage" due to a cybersecurity breach.
- The EU updated its anti-trust case against Apple, dropping the charge of "abusing its dominant position" and instead focusing its case on Apple's anti-steering obligations. The case specifically focuses on how Apple leverages the App Store to suppress downloads of Spotify and increase the use of Apple Music.
- Target is planning to remodel its stores, release new in-house brands, and expand its curbside offerings to include returns as its sales are slowing.
- SpaceX is launching new satellites as part of its Starlink service, which will have four times the network capacity of its previous satellites.
- Don't waste weeks or months on the typical hiring process. Hire carefully vetted talent on demand with Toptal. Start your no-risk trial today.*
*This is sponsored content.
| |
Upcoming Events - March 02 - Inside Marketing w/ Jim Huffman (GrowthHit) (Register Here)
- March 07 - Inside Startups Coffee Break (Register Here)
- March 09 - Webinar on how Jiminny leverages AI for conversation intelligence (Register Here) *
- April 18 - Human Resources Summit'23 (Register Here)
*This is a sponsored listing.
| |
| |
Improve your website’s SEO performance and get more traffic from search. For free! | |
| |
