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| Welcome to Inside Tech! Here are today's top stories: - Apple issues iOS 17 update to fix iPhone 15 overheating.
- U.K. investigating potential anti-competition in cloud computing market.
- AI startup Anthropic could raise another $2B from Google, other investors.
If you find this newsletter useful, please share it with your friends and colleagues. Thank you! Beth
p/beth-duckett | |
| 1 | | Apple has issued an iOS 17 update to fix overheating problems in its latest iPhones. Apple says iOS 17.0.3, an over-the-air fix, offers crucial bug fixes and security updates and resolves an issue that could cause iPhones "to run warmer than expected." More: - Following the release of the iPhone 15 series in late September, some early buyers complained of poor battery life and overheating.
- Apple said a software bug in iOS 17 could cause the phones to run at unusually high temperatures.
- The company later clarified that the iPhone 15 may feel warmer at first due to heightened background activity after setup,
- Recent updates to third-party apps, including Instagram and Uber, have also contributed to system overload, according to Apple.
- Not all iPhone 15 users reported overheating, and the total affected customer count was undisclosed.
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| 2 | | Britain's competition regulator has opened an investigation into the country's cloud market, which is dominated by Microsoft and Amazon Web Services. The probe comes after an Ofcom study found evidence that the companies make it hard for cloud customers to switch providers or use more than one supplier. More: - Ofcom, Britain's media regulator, found evidence of a lack of competition in the cloud market.
- Factors like technical barriers, exclusive discounts, and egress fees can hinder competition, according to its study.
- Ofcom has since referred the case to the U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which is now investigating.
- While both Microsoft and Amazon said they will work constructively with the CMA, Amazon called the conclusions "a fundamental misconception of how the IT sector functions, and the services and discounts on offer."
Zoom out: - In the U.K., AWS and Microsoft accounted for a 70%-80% market share in 2022, with Google was the closest competitor at 5%-10%.
- The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, along with France, Japan, The Netherlands, and South Korea, have also shown interest in investigating their cloud computing markets.
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| 3 | | X has started removing headlines for news story links shared on the platform. The change, which displays only a thumbnail image and a website link for articles, took effect on X's mobile app but not on the web/desktop version. More: - X owner Elon Musk said the policy was coming "directly" from him and that it would "greatly improve the esthetics."
- Musk believes the change could reduce instances of clickbait. It's also expected to accommodate more posts within the timeline screen.
- However, some X users have complained that displaying only graphics of news articles could cause confusion.
- Journalists on the platform expressed concerns that it would reduce attention to news links and make it harder for X users to understand the story's content.
Q: Do you believe removing news headlines could affect the quality of journalism on X? Join the conversation here. | | | |
| 4 | | Generative AI startup Anthropic is in talks with Google and other investors to raise an additional $2B, per The Information. Anthropic has already secured over $5B in total funding, making it one of the best-funded generative AI startups. 
What the numbers say: Anthropic is aiming for a valuation between $20B and $30B, including the new investment, significantly surpassing its $4B valuation from March. Earlier this year, Anthropic announced a $450M Series C round led by Spark Capital, joined by Google, Salesforce Ventures, Sound Ventures, Zoom Ventures, and others. Google invested $300M in Anthropic in late 2022, gaining a 10% stake in the startup. Zoom out: In July, Anthropic launched its latest AI chatbot, Claude 2, to the public at claude.ai. Claude 2 offers upgrades like better performance and the ability to summarize up to 75,000 words. | | | |
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| 5 | | Amazon's Amp live radio app, launched just last year, is being shut down. The audio app on Android and iOS lets users create and broadcast custom DJ sets through a music library. More: - The app was launched in March 2022, aiming to compete with pandemic-era social audio services like Clubhouse.
- It allows users to host live radio shows where callers can join and request to speak.
- The decision to shut down the app "only became clear after months of careful consideration determining the investments Amazon wants to make for the future," said Steve Boom, head of Amazon's digital music unit.
- Earlier this year, Spotify discontinued its live audio feature while Clubhouse announced its transformation into a group messaging app.
Zoom out: - In the past year, Amazon has discontinued its Halo wellness devices, Scout autonomous delivery robots, and free grocery delivery.
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| 6 | | Google is bringing generative AI capabilities to its mobile virtual assistant. The product, called Assistant with Bard, will undergo a limited test before rolling out to Android and iOS devices in the next few months. Bard is Google's previously launched chatbot. More: - Google says Assistant with Bard can help with tasks like trip planning, social media captioning, email searches, list creation, and messaging.
- With user consent, the Assistant can access Google apps such as Gmail and Google Drive to answer queries like "update me on my critical emails."
- In addition to typing in text, users can interact with Assistant through voice and images via a phone's microphone and camera.
- On Pixel and certain Samsung phones, a long press on the power or home button summons a pop-up window for conversations, where Bard can respond to questions about the on-screen content.
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| 7 | | Quick Hits: - LiquidPiston's engines are up to 10x smaller and 30% more fuel efficient. Invest as they disrupt the $400B combustion engine market.*
- LG Energy Solution will supply Toyota, the world's largest automaker, with lithium-ion batteries for U.S.-made electric vehicles starting in 2025.
- Meta is rolling out text chat, dubbed "world chat," in its Horizon Worlds metaverse.
- CD Projekt Red is partnering with Anonymous Content to create a live-action adaptation of the "Cyberpunk 2077" video game.
- These are the 5 core strategies for cloud innovation that showcase how digital native businesses are harnessing cloud innovations. Read now.*
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INSIDE TECH LEADERBOARD (7 DAYS) |
 | AI and technology writer | | Beth is an editor and writer of Inside's AI and Tech newsletters, with a career spanning journalism since 2007. She has written for publications including The Arizona Republic and USA Today and authored a book on the solar industry in 2016. Reach her at Beth.Duckett@yahoo.com. | | This newsletter was edited by Eduardo Garcia | |
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