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Hey, Insiders! Welcome to the latest Tech newsletter. Here are the top headlines for today: - Microsoft will unbundle Teams from Office in Europe.
- The DOJ and SEC are investigating Tesla over a secret glass house project.
- X, formerly Twitter, will support video and audio calls.
If you enjoy this newsletter, please consider sharing it with friends or colleagues. Much appreciated! Beth
p/beth-duckett | |
| 1 | | Microsoft will unbundle Teams, its chat and videoconference service, from the broader Office productivity software in the European Union. The move aims to address antitrust concerns in the EU following a 2020 complaint by rival Slack. More: - In July, European regulators opened a probe into Microsoft's tying of Office and Teams.
- Now, the company has chosen to unbundle Teams from its subscription-based Microsoft 365 package, previously known as Office 365.
- Starting from Oct. 1, business customers within the European Economic Area can purchase the package without Teams at a lower cost, saving €2 per month compared to the previous price.
- Teams will also be available as a standalone service for new customers at a monthly rate of €5.
- New customers who want both Microsoft Office and Teams will pay a net price increase of €3.
Zoom out: - The European Commission acknowledged Microsoft's move but refrained from commenting on whether it would address antitrust concerns.
- The ongoing investigation marks Microsoft's first formal EU probe in over a decade.
Question: What potential ripple effects do you think the Teams unbundling could have on the broader tech world? Join the conversation here. |     | |
| 2 | | Tesla is facing separate investigations by the SEC and federal prosecutors over a secret glass house project near its Austin, Texas headquarters, according to The Wall Street Journal. Dubbed "Project 42," the project has been internally described as a house for CEO Elon Musk, although he denied the claims. More: - The project entails a glass-walled building with residential features like bedrooms and kitchens, styled as a "twisted hexagon" or a glass cube akin to Apple's Fifth Avenue store.
- Tesla's board previously launched an inquiry into potential misuse of company funds due to concerns about expensive special glass for the project.
- The SEC and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York have opened their own probes and are seeking details on the project's expenses, purpose, and any benefits to Musk.
Zoom out: - Companies, particularly publicly traded entities, are restricted from using funds for personal expenses.
- The SEC requires disclosing transactions over $120,000 with executive involvement and perks exceeding $10,000.
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| 3 | The sluggish U.S. economy and rising interest rates have led to a drop in robot orders across North America. For the second quarter in a row, companies including automakers ordered fewer robots after record-breaking purchases in 2021 and 2022, according to the latest report from the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). 
What the numbers say: From April to July 2023, North American companies purchased 7,697 robots worth $457M—a 37% decrease in orders and 20% drop in value compared to the same 2022 timeframe. During the broader first half of this year, the North American robotics market was down 29% compared to H1 2022. This follows a record year in 2022 when North American firms ordered 44,196 robots. What it means: There has been a steady uptick in robot orders over the last five years as companies grapple with labor shortages and more non-automotive companies turn to automation, according to A3's Alex Shikany. However, following a post-COVID surge, companies are now pulling back because they don't have the capital to invest in robotics, despite struggling to find workers. The slowdown could put the brakes on the growing machine and automation industry, which is still projected to disrupt 85 million jobs by 2025. | | | |
| 4 | | X, formerly known as Twitter, will soon allow users to make video and audio calls without disclosing their phone numbers, according to owner Elon Musk. The move is part of Musk's vision to transform X into an "everything app" similar to WeChat, offering services from social networking to peer-to-peer payments. More: - The video and audio calls will work on iOS, Android, Mac, and PC, according to Musk.
- In a post, he said X will serve as an "effective global address book."
- A timeline for the launch hasn't been disclosed.
Zoom out: - X recently updated its privacy policy to allow the collection of biometric data.
- The biometrics apply only to its premium users, allowing them to tie their accounts to a government-issued ID for future face verification to make the platform "more secure."
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| 5 | | Chinese tech giants Baidu and SenseTime introduced their ChatGPT-style tools to the public Thursday after gaining approval from Chinese authorities. This follows the successful debut of U.S.-based OpenAI's ChatGPT in November, prompting a race among Chinese tech firms to develop their own generative AI models. More: - Baidu and SenseTime's chatbots are among the first to be approved under China's new AI law, requiring security review before being launched publicly.
- Ernie Bot by Baidu is the first domestic AI app for public use exclusively within China.
- By Thursday afternoon, the Ernie app was No. 1 on Apple's iOS store for free apps nationwide.
- The launch will let the search engine company gather human feedback to improve its AI models.
Related: - Meanwhile, SenseTime publicly launched its SenseChat platform on Thursday.
- Other Chinese tech giants, including Alibaba, have also sought regulatory approval for their AI tools and are expected to hear back in the coming days.
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| 6 | | Sony is raising the prices of its annual PlayStation Plus gaming subscriptions by as much as $40. The three different subscription tiers offer perks like online multiplayer access, cloud storage, and free PS4 and PS5 games. More: - Starting Sept. 6, the PS Plus Essential (base) plan will rise to $80 from $60.
- The "Extra" tier, with access to Sony's Game Catalog, will go up from $100 to $135.
- The final Premium tier will jump from $120 to $160. It includes the other tiers' perks, along with the Classics Catalog, cloud streaming, and game trials.
Zoom out: - Sony said the price hikes will allow the company to "continue bringing high-quality games and value-added benefits" to the subscription service.
- Rival Microsoft raised the subscription price for its Xbox Game Pass in July.
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INSIDE TECH LEADERBOARD (7 DAYS) |
 | AI and technology writer | | Beth is the curator and writer of the AI and Tech newsletters at Inside. With a career in journalism and editing that began in 2007, she has written for publications including USA Today, The Arizona Republic, Arizona Business Gazette, and more. You can reach her at Beth.Duckett@yahoo.com. | | This newsletter was edited by NO ACCOUNT ASSOCIATED WITH THE EDITOR | |
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