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| Welcome to Inside Tech! Here are today's top stories: - The EU named six tech 'gatekeepers' under its new digital law.
- China expanded its iPhone ban for government workers.
- Google is giving Chrome a makeover.
If you find this newsletter useful, please consider sharing it with your friends and colleagues. Thank you! Beth
p/beth-duckett | |
| 1 | | The European Union plans to impose stricter rules on six major tech companies, known as "gatekeepers," under its new digital law. The EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) imposes tougher obligations and restrictions on these designated gatekeepers, which are Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta, and Microsoft. More: - Under the DMA, companies with over 45 million monthly active users or a market capitalization exceeding €75B ($82B) are labeled as "gatekeepers."
- The DMA prevents gatekeepers from favoring their services over rivals' and from trapping users within their ecosystems.
- Companies must also allow third-party entities to integrate with their services in specific situations.
- Violations can result in fines of up to 10% of a company's annual global turnover, or as high as 20% for repeat offenses.
- The companies will have six months to adhere to the rules.
Q: How do you think the EU's new law could shake up the business strategies of the tech giants? Join the conversation here. |     | |
| 2 | | Apple's stock experienced its largest single-day drop in a month following reports that China had banned government workers from using iPhones. 
What happened: China, one of Apple's biggest markets, has reportedly barred central government agency officials from using iPhones at work or bringing them to the office, according to news reports. The Wall Street Journal noted that the extent of the ban remains unclear, describing it as an expansion of an existing restriction that had been in place for some years at specific government agencies. By the numbers: Apple's stock plummeted nearly 4% Thursday after reports emerged of China's expanding restrictions, causing a ripple effect in the tech sector. The drop resulted in Apple losing around $100B in market value, its largest one-day decline in over a month. Why it matters: Apple is highly popular in China but faces challenges from the new iPhone ban and the launch of a rival high-speed smartphone by Shenzhen-based Huawei, which could weigh on its sales. The potential threat to Apple's business in China also raises questions about the viability of Western companies in the Chinese market. Beijing's order has heightened concerns about the economic fallout from growing U.S.-China tensions, which have worsened amid efforts by the U.S. to restrict AI chip exports to China. | | | |
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| 3 | | Warner Bros. Discovery's Max streaming service is considering a limited-time offer of free live sports, including basketball, baseball, and hockey games. The company is hoping to attract more viewers before it starts charging for the sports content, Bloomberg reported. More: - Max, formerly HBO Max, could offer the free live sports to its subscribers until February or March, after which it could begin charging.
- The promotion is expected to begin later this year.
- Warner Bros. holds media rights for major sports leagues like the NBA and MLB and is working on securing the streaming rights.
- Max's monthly cost is $10 with ads and $16 for an ad-free plan. Cable TV is still required for live sports.
Zoom out: - Other streaming platforms, including Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video, Apple, and Peacock, have also been venturing into live sports to expand their viewer base.
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| 4 | | Google is celebrating Chrome's 15th anniversary with a refreshed desktop design, embracing the "Material You" design principles. The update includes improved icons for better legibility and customizable color palettes. More: - The new design aligns more closely with Android and other Google apps, featuring light and dark color palettes reminiscent of Pixel smartphones.
- Additionally, Chrome will enhance its search capabilities, allowing users to explore and pin search results in a side panel.
- The Chrome Web Store will also receive a refresh with new extension categories and safety checks.
- Safe Browsing in Chrome will now check against a real-time database, aiming to provide a 25% improvement in protection against malware and phishing threats.
- The changes are expected to roll out gradually over the next few weeks.
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| 5 | | Apple has significantly increased its investment in AI technologies, allocating millions of dollars daily to enhance its language models, according to The Information. The company's cutting-edge language model, internally referred to as Ajax GPT, reportedly surpasses the capabilities of OpenAI's GPT-3.5. Initially designed for internal use, the advanced chatbot remains under tight control within the company. More: - Apple is actively working on other AI initiatives, including the development of a chatbot for AppleCare interactions and another aimed at streamlining complex tasks with Siri.
- Its "Foundational Models" division consists of more than a dozen members who specialize in conversational AI.
- Other teams are focused on researching image generation and exploring multimodal AI for text, images, and videos.
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| 6 | | ESA, the organization behind E3, has severed ties with ReedPop, the organizer of PAX. The two entities will no longer work together on future E3 events, according to GamesIndustry.biz. More: - The decision comes after major players like Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo withdrew from this year's E3, which was later canceled.
- Although the yearly trade event and video game conference for 2024 hasn't been canceled, it won't be held at its usual location, the Los Angeles Convention Center.
- The ESA is reportedly planning a complete revamp of E3 for 2025.
- CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis said the ESA is exploring ways to evolve E3 and will share updates in the coming months.
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- Salesforce is preparing to pilot its Slack AI features, which include instant channel highlights, one-click thread summaries, and improved search capabilities.
- U.K.-based Envisics secured $100M in Series C funding for its automotive holographic technology.
- Data from Appfigures shows a decline in U.S. App Store downloads. The Mobile Download Index dropped 9%, from 91.87 in 2022 to 83.59 as of Aug. 31, 2023, with varying declines across app categories.
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 | 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 Eduardo Garcia | |
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