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| Welcome to the latest Tech newsletter! Here are today's top stories: - Apple will update the iPhone 12's software in France over radiation concerns.
- Meta's "Horizon Worlds" is coming to mobile and the web.
- TikTok fined over alleged mishandling of children's data in Europe.
If you find this newsletter useful, please consider sharing it with your friends and colleagues. Thank you! Beth
p/beth-duckett | |
| 1 | | Apple plans to update its iPhone 12 software in France in response to the country's sales ban over radiation concerns. France's regulator on Tuesday ordered Apple to halt sales of the iPhone 12 and make existing devices comply with its radiation standards. More: - The French regulator, ANFR, said testing showed that the iPhone 12 emitted excessive electromagnetic waves when in contact with the body.
- The increase in radiation was seen over time and is attributed to Apple's successive software updates after the iPhone 12 launched in 2020.
- While Apple disputes the claims, the company plans to issue a new software update to fix the problem.
- According to Apple, the finding is "related to a specific testing protocol used by French regulators and not a safety concern."
- ANFR said it would test the update, which will "eventually bring the model in line with the European standards applied in France" and allow Apple to resume sales.
Zoom out: - While other regulators say no safety issues are present, Belgium's digitalization state secretary has requested Apple to update iPhone 12 software across the EU.
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| 2 | | Meta is expanding its "Horizon Worlds" metaverse beyond virtual reality, making the social platform available on mobile and the web. Previously only available for Meta's VR headsets, "Horizon Worlds" is launching to limited users in early access on Android and the web, with iOS coming soon. The launch could be pivotal for Meta's broader metaverse goals, as users have been generally reluctant to embrace virtual reality hardware despite the company's significant spending on the metaverse. 
Details: "Horizon Worlds," the avatar-based VR social app, will offer cross-platform play, allowing users to connect across any device. Currently, the first-person shooter "Super Rumble" is the only available world on desktop and for Android through the Meta Quest app, with iOS rolling out "in the coming weeks." Meta is also debuting avatars with virtual legs, a long-awaited feature for the platform. Why it matters: Meta's vision for the metaverse emphasizes accessibility for all, with a focus on providing multiple entry points. Expanding "Horizon Worlds" to a broader user base is crucial for growth, especially given slower-than-expected VR headset sales, which contributed to losses exceeding $40B. The number of VR headset users in the U.S. is projected to reach 32.7 million in 2023, lower than the 157.1 million mobile gaming users in the U.S. Q: Are you personally interested in trying out the "Horizon Worlds" metaverse? Why or why not? Join the conversation here. | | | |
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| 3 | | Apple opened up pre-orders for its iPhone 15 lineup today. Within hours, shipping estimates for the Phone 15 Pro and Pro Max were pushed into October and November, suggesting strong demand for the higher-end models. More: - The series includes the standard iPhone 15, the 15 Plus, and the high-end iPhone 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max, which were slated to hit stores and start reaching customers on Friday, September 22.
- However, customers who pre-ordered the Pro and Pro Max on Apple's online store are now reporting shipping delays into October and November.
- At 7:15 a.m. PT in the U.S., the iPhone 15 Pro had a 2-3 week delay and the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 6-7 week shipping estimate for certain configurations.
- As expected, all iPhone 15 models now have USB-C ports and cables for charging and data transfer, replacing the 11-year-old Lightning port. The Pro models are made of titanium and have an Action button.
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| 4 | | Instacart, the grocery delivery app, has increased its IPO price range following the strong trading debut of British chip designer Arm Holdings. Instacart, which will begin trading on the Nasdaq Tuesday, plans to offer 22 million shares at $28 to $30 each, up from the previous range of $26 to $28 per share. More: - Instacart expects to raise up to $660M in its IPO, making it the third-largest of the year after Arm and Johnson & Johnson offshoot Kenvue.
- At the upper end of this new range, Instacart's fully diluted valuation would approach $10B ― a fraction of its $39B valuation in March 2021.
- San Francisco-based Instacart, founded in 2012, initially focused on grocery delivery but has expanded into areas like advertising and technology services.
Zoom out: - The increase in its IPO price range coincided with Arm's stock surging 25% on its debut trading day Thursday.
- It marks a potential turning point for the IPO market, which has been sluggish due to rising interest rates and lackluster IPO performance.
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| 5 | | A European tech regulator has fined TikTok €345M ($368M) for allegedly mishandling the personal data of children. The Irish Data Protection Commission, which oversees TikTok due to its EU headquarters in Dublin, found that TikTok lacked transparency and did not adequately protect minors' data, violating rules of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). More: - The investigation covered the period from July 2020 to December 31, 2020, focusing on GDPR violations for children aged 13 to 17.
- The Irish commission found that the app's default settings during that time made children's profiles public by default, allowing anyone to access their information and comment on their videos.
- Additionally, a parental control feature called Family Pairing did not require proper verification of adults overseeing child accounts.
- The regulator said TikTok failed to properly inform children about privacy risks and employed "dark patterns" to coerce users into sharing more personal information.
Zoom out: - TikTok said it "respectfully" disagrees with the decision, in particular the fine amount.
- The company said the Irish authority's criticisms relate to features and settings from three years ago, which it had addressed before the investigation began.
- It was still ordered to address the data processing issues within three months.
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| 6 | | California Senator Scott Wiener has proposed a state bill to regulate powerful generative AI models and require labs to test advanced models for safety risks. Wiener's newly unveiled SB 294, the Safety in Artificial Intelligence Act, seeks to create a state agency or delegate the role to an existing one to oversee responsible AI development and hold developers accountable. More: - If passed, the bill would mandate transparency standards for "frontier" model systems, or large language models, when they exceed a certain computing power.
- The "intent bill" also seeks to create CalCompute, a cloud-based compute cluster for AI researchers and smaller developers in the state's public university system.
- From 2016 through 2022, California passed a total of six AI-related laws, second only to Maryland in the number of bills signed into law.
- So far this year, 25 states, along with Puerto Rico and D.C., have introduced AI bills, including California's Assembly Bill 459, which would provide greater protections for actors from AI voice and body cloning.
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- Unity canceled a companywide meeting and closed two offices due to credible death threats following backlash over its new pricing model.
- Amazon is investing in direct air capture (DAC) technology to help cut atmospheric pollutants and meet its 2040 net-zero carbon goal.
- Meta's Threads app on desktop now includes the ability to quote other posts, letting users add their own commentary on a repost.
- Microsoft introduced EvoDiff, an open-source AI system and framework that generates proteins given a sequence. Use cases include drug delivery, therapeutics, and industrial reactions.
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INSIDE TECH LEADERBOARD (7 DAYS) |
 | AI and technology writer | | Beth is the writer of Inside's AI and Tech newsletters, with a career spanning journalism and editing since 2007. She has written for publications including The Arizona Republic, USA Today, and others, and authored a book on the solar industry in 2016. Reach out to her at Beth.Duckett@yahoo.com. | | This newsletter was edited by Eduardo Garcia | |
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