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| These are our top stories today: - Google and Apple maps disable live traffic updates in Israel and Gaza.
- State AGs sue Meta over harmful features targeting children.
- Nvidia and AMD plan to introduce Arm-based PC chips.
- Apple is holding a product launch event on Oct. 30.
Thank you for reading! Beth
p/beth-duckett | |
| 1 | | Google Maps and Waze have temporarily suspended live traffic updates in Israel and Gaza ahead of a potential ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. Apple has also deactivated live traffic updates in its Maps app, according to the Israeli blog GeekTime. More: - Google is removing real-time crowding data in Israel and Gaza at the request of the Israel Defense Forces, as live traffic information could reveal Israeli troop movements, according to a Bloomberg source.
- Google Maps and Waze users will still get route recommendations and estimated arrival times that account for current traffic conditions.
- Google acquired Waze for $1.3B in 2013 and merged the Waze and Maps teams late last year.
Zoom out: - Google has taken similar actions in other conflict situations, including in Ukraine after Russia's invasion.
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| 2 | | Forty-one states and the District of Columbia are suing Meta, alleging that the company's addictive features on Instagram and Facebook harm children. Thirty-three states, including Colorado and California, are jointly filing a lawsuit in federal court, while D.C. and eight states are filing separate complaints. More: - The lawsuits, filed in federal, state, and local courts, allege that Meta has used harmful and manipulative tactics to draw and keep children and teens on its platforms.
- Meta is accused of designing its features to retain young users through tactics like algorithms, constant alerts and notifications, and infinite scrolling.
- The company knew about the potential harm its design could cause young users, according to the attorneys general.
Zoom out: - Meta is also accused of violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting personal data from users under 13 without parental consent.
- In response, Meta said it's striving to create a safer environment for teens on its apps, introducing over 30 tools for teen and family support.
Q: Do you think Meta should bear more responsibility for the mental well-being of its younger users? Join the conversation here. | | | |
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| 3 | | Nvidia and AMD are reportedly working on Arm-based chips for Windows PCs, which could hit the market in 2025. Qualcomm, which has been making Arm-based Windows laptop chips since 2016, will face new competition as its exclusivity agreement with Microsoft expires in 2024. More: - Microsoft has welcomed other players to join the market after the agreement expires.
- According to Bloomberg, Nvidia is quietly designing CPUs that run Microsoft's operating system, challenging Intel in the market for PC processors.
- AMD is also working on Arm-based processors for PCs, sources said.
Zoom out: - Intel dominates the PC chip market, with AMD following in second place.
- The move is part of Microsoft's aim to compete with Apple, whose shift to Arm-based processors for laptops and PCs has boosted sales.
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| 4 | | Apple will hold a product launch event on Oct. 30, when it's expected to reveal new Mac laptops. The "Scary Fast" event will stream on Apple's website and YouTube starting at 8 p.m. E.T. More: - Apple's event page features an animation of the Apple logo transforming into the logo for Finder, which is a Mac app.
- According to Bloomberg, Apple could unveil a refreshed 24-inch iMac and a new MacBook Pro.
- Apple's tagline on the invites, "Scary Fast," hints at chip updates, possibly regarding its upcoming M3 chip.
- Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims the event will spotlight the M3 series MacBook Pro models, which could include multiple M3 chips in the series.
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| 5 | | In Q3 2023, the number of Spotify Premium subscribers rose by 6 million to 226 million, surpassing the company's previous forecast of 4 million. The uptick in paid users helped drive Spotify's first profitable quarter in over a year, as detailed in its earnings report released Tuesday. Spotify now projects 9 million new paying subscribers for Q4, surpassing previous estimates of 8 million. 
What the numbers show: Besides the growth in paid subscribers, Spotify's overall monthly active users (MAUs) grew to 574 million in Q3, a 4% increase from the prior quarter. Year over year, Premium subscribers rose by 16%, and MAUs by 26%, with Spotify reaching its second-largest third-quarter MAU growth in history. The company expects to end the year with over 600 million MAUs. What it means: Spotify's user base continues to expand despite a recent subscription price hike in the U.S. That hike contributed to an 11% rise in its Q3 revenue, which reached $3.6B. The growth was also bolstered by a recovery in the ad market, budget cuts, and lower operating costs stemming from its layoffs in January. | | | |
| 6 | | Microsoft announced plans to invest AU$5B ($3.2B) to boost its AI and cloud computing capabilities in Australia over the next two years. The company plans to grow its computing capacity in Australia by 250% to meet the rising demand for cloud computing, which is expected to double by 2026 with the growing prevalence of AI. More: - Microsoft is planning a 45% increase in data centers across Canberra, Sydney, and Melbourne, growing from 20 to 29 sites.
- President Brad Smith said it's the largest investment in Microsoft's 40-year history in Australia.
- The spending is "a testament to our commitment to the country's growth and prosperity in the AI era," he said.
- Additionally, Microsoft aims to help provide 300,000 Australians with skills for the digital economy and enhance its cyber threat information-sharing agreement with Australia's cybersecurity agency.
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- California's DMV suspended Cruise's autonomous vehicle permits due to safety concerns and incidents following the company's approval for robotaxi service in San Francisco
- Pebble, a Twitter clone founded by ex-Twitter employees, has shut down after a rebranding, citing slow growth and competition.
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 | 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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