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| Hey, Insider! Want to be featured in next week’s newsletter? Answer our weekly question: What are your thoughts on using AI in critical decision-making processes, such as healthcare, finance, or law? Share your response here. Beth
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| 1 | | Twitter has faced criticism over its decision to restrict content in Turkey before Sunday's election. The company began blocking posts in Turkey ahead of the vote, which pitted current Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan against opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu. More: - In explaining the move, Twitter cited legal processes and its commitment to ensuring the availability of its platform to users in Turkey.
- Owner Elon Musk also defended the decision, saying that the only options were to limit access to some tweets or throttle the platform in its entirety.
- While the company didn't specify what content was restricted, it did inform affected account holders. Users in other countries could still view the content, it noted.
- According to the news site Turkish Minute, the censored accounts included Kurdish businessman Muhammed Yakut, who accused Erdogan and allies of orchestrating a coup attempt in 2016, and investigative journalist Cevheri Güven, who exposes corruption within the country.
Election results: - Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu will now face off in a runoff election on May 28 after neither secured more than 50% of the vote needed for an outright victory.
- Erdogan, who has been in power for two decades, holds an advantage in the runoff due to his first-round lead and the potential support of conservative voters who previously backed another candidate.
- Turkey briefly blocked Twitter in February following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that caused over 50,000 fatalities
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| 2 | | What happened: Chinese smartphone manufacturer Oppo has abruptly shut down its Zeku chip design unit as it deals with the ongoing slump in the smartphone market. Details: Oppo formed Zeku in 2019 to design chips for its own devices. The move was intended in part to boost Oppo's self-reliance and curb its dependence on U.S. suppliers amid ongoing chip export restrictions. By the numbers: However, an uncertain economy and smartphone market have prompted it to abandon the unit. According to Canalys, the global smartphone market fell by 13% YoY in Q1 2023, the fifth consecutive quarter of decline. Oppo has seen its smartphone shipments plummet from 37.5 million in Q4 2020 to 25.8 million in Q3 2022. What it means: The move suggests that Oppo is confident in its ability to source components, either by avoiding sanctions or securing supplies within China. 
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| 3 | | European Union regulators on Monday granted approval for Microsoft's $69B acquisition of gaming giant Activision Blizzard. The green light comes after the U.K.'s antitrust regulator blocked the deal last month, saying it could undermine competition in the cloud gaming market. More: - In the EU, Microsoft's licensing deals with cloud streaming rivals were enough to appease regulators' concerns about reduced competition.
- The deals between Microsoft and rivals like Nintendo and Nvidia will allow users to stream Activision Blizzard games, including Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, on other platforms for 10 years.
- The European Commission considers the licensing deals "practical and effective" and "pro-competitive," according to EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager.
Zoom out: - The EU's approval could boost Microsoft's chances as the deal still faces antitrust challenges in the U.S. and the U.K.
- In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission sued to block the takeover in late 2022. An evidentiary hearing for the case is scheduled for August 2.
- Microsoft's appeal against the U.K. regulator's decision remains ongoing.
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| 4 | | Foxconn, Apple's largest contract manufacturer, plans to invest $500M in new manufacturing plants in India, according to a state IT minister. K.T. Rama Rao on Sunday announced the groundbreaking of the first plant in India's southern Telangana state. More: - The facility will produce Apple products, primarily AirPods, as part of Apple's effort to diversify its production away from China.
- The $500M investment, up from an initial $200M, is expected to create 25,000 jobs in its first phase.
- In March, Apple awarded Foxconn a substantial manufacturing contract for AirPods.
- Production at the plant is expected to start in late 2024 or later.
Zoom out: - Foxconn currently assembles 70% of all iPhones. While the Taiwanese manufacturer was hesitant about taking on AirPods, it ultimately decided to move forward in order to "reinforce engagement" with Apple.
- In March, Foxconn gained approval to invest $968M in India’s state of Karnataka.
- Meanwhile, Apple wants to expand its iPhone production capacity in India to account for 25% of all iPhones by 2025.
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| 5 | | Apple is said to be testing an M3 chipset for an upcoming MacBook Pro, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The chip is part of Apple's upcoming M3 line and has a 12-core processor, 18-core GPU, and 36GB of memory. More: - Gurman speculates that the chip is the base-level M3 Pro that Apple plans to release sometime next year.
- This chip would power Apple's next-generation 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, also due out in 2024.
- App Store developer logs show the chip running on one of the future MacBook Pros with macOS 14.
- The M3 Pro is said to boast a 50% increase in CPU cores compared to its predecessor.
- According to Gurman, Apple's M3 chip line will utilize TSMC's upcoming 3nm node process, an advancement from 5nm that will provide a significant leap in efficiency and performance.
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| 6 | | Google has introduced "Project Gameface," an open-source AI tool designed to enable users to control their PCs through facial and head movements. By using a webcam and machine learning, the technology identifies 468 key points on an individual's face, which it translates to replicate cursor movements accordingly. The tool is designed to make gaming more accessible to people with disabilities. More: - To develop the tool, Google collaborated with Lance Carr, a PC gamer from Colorado who has a rare form of muscular dystrophy,
- Together, they created software exclusively for Windows, enabling users to manipulate their computers using webcam-based head movements and gestures.
- By utilizing the tool's user interface, players can assign different actions and shortcuts to specific facial expressions.
- For instance, raising an eyebrow could translate as a right-click command on a mouse.
- Although the tool is still undergoing development, a preview build is currently accessible via GitHub.
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| 7 | | Community Corner Last week, we asked our tech community, "How do you feel about AI-generated content, such as art, music, or writing?" and received dozens of responses! Here are some highlights: - Steve Hutt (p/fastlane), Founder and Podcast Host at eCommerce Fastlane, answered, “AI-generated content is an intriguing development. Thinking about how computers can take data and form something new is fascinating. This could open up new opportunities for creativity and collaboration between humans and machines. At the same time, I think it's vital that we maintain a healthy skepticism when it comes to AI-generated content. We should be aware of potential flaws or ethical issues when using AI-generated content. We should also remember that AI-generated content can never truly replicate the unique creativity of humans.”
- Rick Canfield (p/Nativecreation), Producer at Native Creation, answered, “There are many fascinating areas for AI usage, but personally I think it'll be great for creating new game worlds or telling cinematic stories that have previously been unknown. In other words, it could be useful for leveling the playing field of storytelling, reducing myth and stereotypes from marginalized communities or countries. That's if these communities also have equal access to AI tools, and it's not hidden behind paywalls or through gatekeeping.” You can read Rick’s full comment here.
- Ande Lyons (p/andelyons), Founder/Host at Startup Life LIVE Show, answered, “I'm not a fan of AI generated artwork - it exploits real artists' work. I love AI for generating show notes from the delicious conversations on my podcast. It's a time saver and SEO game changer!”
Join the conversations at Inside.com, and we may shout out your name and business, or contact you for more! ⭐️ | | | |
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Term of the Day Demand elasticity: Demand elasticity is calculated by measuring the percentage change in quantity demand for a good or service in response to a change in price. Question of the Week How do you approach networking, and what advice can you give others looking to build their professional connections? Join the conversation |
 | AI and technology writer | | Beth is a writer and editor at Inside.com covering artificial intelligence and daily technology news. She has written the Inside AI newsletter since 2019. You can reach her at Beth.Duckett@inside.com. | | This newsletter was edited by Eduardo Garcia | |
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