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| Welcome to today's Inside Tech newsletter! Here are the top stories: - Twitter rebrands to "X."
- Spotify raises Premium plan prices.
- Apple may charge more for iPhone 15 Pro models.
- TikTok introduces text posts.
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| 1 | | Elon Musk revealed a new "X" logo as part of Twitter's rebranding, replacing the iconic blue bird symbol that has represented the platform since 2012. The fresh logo, showcasing a white "X" against a black background, now serves as the emblem for official accounts, including the primary @Twitter. More: - The "X" logo has been visible on the desktop version of Twitter, though the blue bird continues to be displayed in its mobile apps.
- Musk has changed his profile picture to the new design, describing it as "minimalist art deco."
- Additionally, he shared the news that X.com now redirects to Twitter.com.
- When asked what tweets would be referred to under the new "X" branding, Musk said "x's.
- Twitter's CEO, Linda Yaccarino, also emphasized the potential of the "X" branding to revolutionize interactions and shape Twitter into a "global marketplace for ideas, goods, services, and opportunities."
Zoom out: - Musk has expressed a vision for Twitter to become an "everything app" similar to China's WeChat, incorporating features like audio, video, messaging, and payments.
- The letter "X" has been a recurring theme in Musk's ventures, including his new AI company xAI.
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| 2 | | The news: Spotify is raising the prices of all its Premium plans, marking the first increase in over a decade. By the numbers: In the U.S., the Premium Single subscription will now be $11 per month, up from the long-standing $10 since 2011. The Premium Family and Student plans will cost $17 and $6 per month, respectively. Premium Duo will have the largest hike, going up to $15 per month. Similar price adjustments will also apply in other countries, including Canada, France, the U.K., Mexico, and Australia. The bigger picture: The move comes after similar price hikes by competitors like Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, and YouTube Music. According to Spotify, the evolving market landscape justifies the price increases, as it aims to support its growth and continue delivering value to fans and artists on its platform. The company's user base remains robust, with five million more users reported in the first quarter of 2023. An additional cost of $12 per year may not significantly impact sign-ups or user engagement. 
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| 3 | | According to Bloomberg, Apple is considering raising the prices of its upcoming iPhone 15 Pro models, aiming to increase overall revenue despite a projected decline in the smartphone market. The current iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max currently begin at $999 and $1,099, respectively. Any price increase would push both high-end models above $1,000 for the first time. More: - Apple plans to announce the iPhone 15 series in September, with about 85 million units expected to be produced this year, similar to last year's levels.
- All four models are rumored to feature a USB-C port, a more curved frame, and the Dynamic Island.
- Apple's stock has surged nearly 50% this year, propelling its market cap to above $3 trillion.
Zoom out: - Unlike other smartphone manufacturers, Apple has maintained stable sales and had a 17% market share as of Q2 2023, driven by demand for higher-priced premium phones in places like India.
- According to Counterpoint Research, overall global smartphones sell-through fell 8% YoY and 5% QoQ in Q2.
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| 4 | | TikTok has introduced a new feature allowing users to post written content on the platform. The move aims to compete with Twitter and Meta's new Threads app in the text-based content space. More: - TikTok's text posts resemble Instagram Stories, with options to edit background colors,add music and stickers, and change the text appearance.
- The platform allows up to 1,000 characters for text posts, and users can engage with each other through commenting, stitching, and dueting.
- Platforms like Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, and TikTok are vying to take some of Twitter's declining traffic.
- Although Threads had a strong first showing, the platform has seen a decline in daily active users, creating an opportunity for other apps.
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| 5 | | A federal jury in Waco, Texas, has ordered Google to pay $338.7M in damages over the infringement of patents related to remote-streaming technology. In a recent court ruling, Google was found guilty of infringing on a software developer's patent rights. More: - The patents belong to Touchstream Technologies, also known as Shodogg, and are specifically related to the ability to stream videos from one screen to another.
- Touchstream filed the lawsuit in 2021, alleging that Google copied its innovations after initial discussions.
- Specifically, Touchstream accused Google's Chromecast of infringing on three patents.
- It also claimed that Google's Home and Nest smart speakers, as well as third-party devices with Chromecast capabilities, violated its patents
- Google plans to appeal the verdict, maintaining that its technology has always been independently developed and not based on any infringed ideas.
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| 6 | | Major U.S. AI companies, including Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Inflection, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI, have made a commitment to embrace voluntary AI safeguards endorsed by the White House. The decision was reached during a meeting with President Biden, where the companies agreed to adopt eight specific measures aimed at enhancing safety, security, and trust in AI technology. More: - The measures include third-party model testing, cybersecurity investments, and virtual watermarks for identifying AI-created content.
- The companies agree to subject their AI systems to independent testing to identify and address potential security flaws.
- The safeguards have been set in motion while Congress deliberates on implementing long-term regulations for AI.
- U.S. lawmakers are reportedly considering a bill that would require political campaigns and groups to reveal their use of AI-generated imagery in political ads.
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- Meta has decided to halt the development of its high-end mixed-reality headset, the Meta Quest Pro, and has discontinued work on the Quest Pro 2.
- Microsoft Bing's AI chatbot can now be accessed through the Google Chrome and Safari web browsers.
- Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX has filed a new lawsuit against former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried and three other ex-senior executives to recover more than $1B of funds in doubtful transactions.
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 | 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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