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| Here's a look at today's tech briefing: - Tesla recalls 2 million cars due to ‘insufficient’ Autopilot.
- Apple adds iPhone 15 and M2 Macs to self service repair.
- Survey finds 16% of teens use YouTube 'almost constantly.'
Beth
p/beth-duckett | |
| 1 | | Tesla is recalling more than 2 million vehicles, or nearly all those sold in the U.S., to address concerns that its Autopilot can be misused. The software update follows an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) into Autopilot, Tesla's advanced driver-assist system that can steer, brake, and accelerate on highways. More: - The recall covers some U.S. Tesla Models 3, S, X, and Y that are equipped with Autosteer, described as "traffic-aware cruise control."
- In some cases when Autosteer is active, its controls may not effectively "prevent driver misuse," according to the recall notice by the NHTSA.
- Tesla will now provide a free over-the-air software update to roughly 2 million U.S. cars that limits where Autosteer can be used.
- The update will also add more alerts to encourage drivers to remain attentive.
Investigation: - The recall follows a two-year investigation by the NHTSA into 956 crashes, some fatal, that occurred while Tesla's Autopilot system was in use.
- The probe found that Autopilot's way to make sure drivers are paying attention can be insufficient, resulting in "foreseeable misuse of the system."
- Despite the recall, Tesla has disagreed with the regulator's assessment.
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| 2 | | Apple has added the iPhone 15 and M2-powered Macs to its Self Service Repair program. First launched in 2022, the program allows device owners to perform certain DIY repairs at home using Apple components, repair guides, and tools. More: - Apple today expanded the program to include iPhone 15 models, along with the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros, the 15-inch MacBook Air, Mac mini, Mac Pro, and Mac Studio.
- Customers can start a repair by reviewing a product and repair manual on Apple's support site and ordering the parts and tools from the Self Service Repair Store.
- Apple also announced the launch of Self Service Repair in 24 more countries including Croatia, Denmark, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal, and Switzerland. It says the program now supports 35 products in 33 countries.
Related: - Apple has unveiled Apple Diagnostics for Self Service Repair, a web-based diagnostics tool that allows U.S. users to test devices for performance and parts.
- The system conducts tests for the display, software, audio, camera, Face ID, and more, giving regular users many of the same diagnostic capabilities as authorized Apple service providers.
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| 3 | | YouTube remains the dominant online platform for U.S. teenagers, with 93% of respondents reporting using the platform regularly, according to a Pew Research Center survey. Of the 93%, 71% report using YouTube daily, and 16% say they are on the platform "almost constantly." 
What the numbers show: TikTok ranked second in popularity, with 63% of teens using it, followed by Snapchat and Instagram at 60% and 59% respectively. Additionally, 17% of the TikTok users reported using the service "almost constantly." By comparison, only 3% of teens said they use Facebook constantly, and the share of teens who use Facebook has fallen from 71% in 2014 and 2015 to 33% in 2023. Broken down by gender, teenage girls favored apps like Facebook, BeReal, TikTok, and Snapchat, while teenage boys leaned toward video game-centric platforms like Discord and Twitch, according to the researchers. What it means: Overall, there has been little change in teens' site and app usage over the past year, according to Pew. In 2022, the center found that 95% of U.S. were active on YouTube, and 19% are nearly always on the platform. | | | |
| 4 | | SpaceX is gearing up for an insider share sale that values the company at nearly $180B, according to Bloomberg. If the valuation holds, it would make SpaceX the world's second most valuable startup behind TikTok parent ByteDance. More: - With a current valuation of $150B, SpaceX is already one of the world's most valuable private companies.
- The company usually holds these secondary rounds twice a year, allowing employees and shareholders to sell their stock.
- SpaceX has recently been discussing a tender offer in the range of $500M to $750M at an initial price of $95 per share, which has now increased to $97 per share.
- The offer is a secondary sale of existing shares and does not involve raising new capital. It's expected to conclude in January.
Zoom out: - So far this year, SpaceX has had over 90 successful Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rocket launches. Its Starlink business claims over 5,000 satellites and 2 million active users for its broadband internet service.
- SpaceX is set to generate $9B in revenue this year from its rocket launches and Starlink ventures, per Bloomberg. Sales are expected to climb to $15B by 2024.
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| 5 | | OpenAI said it's looking into complaints about GPT-4 becoming "lazier" and is testing new ways to improve the AI model. Users have criticized the latest ChatGPT version for allegedly giving slower responses and not completing tasks. More: - On online developer forums, users complained about ChatGPT's behavior and speculated that OpenAI intentionally tweaked ChatGPT to improve its efficiency by reducing long answers.
- In a post on X, OpenAI said it heard users' feedback about "GPT4 getting lazier" and the performance "certainly isn't intentional."
- The company said it hasn't updated the model since Nov. 11, noting that "model behavior can be unpredictable."
- It's also working to improve the AI model with online A/B tests, calling it "an artisanal multi-person effort to plan, create, and evaluate a new chat model with new behavior."
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| 6 | | TSMC has reportedly demoed its prototype 2-nanometer chips to Apple ahead of their anticipated release in 2025. The 2nm next-gen manufacturing technique will outperform the 3nm chip tech in performance and efficiency. More: - TSMC has reportedly shared the 2-nanometer prototype test results with major clients such as Apple and Nvidia.
- The 2nm chips are on track for volume production in 2025 and will be the "most advanced semiconductor technology in the industry in both density and energy efficiency," the chipmaker said.
- The timeline would allow TSMC to supply Apple with the chips starting with the iPhone 17 Pro in 2025.
Zoom out: - Apple this year acquired TSMC's entire 3nm chip supply, which powers the A17 Pro chip in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, as well as the M3 series chips for Macs.
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 | AI and technology writer | | Beth is a contributing editor and writer of Inside's AI and Tech newsletters. She has written for notable publications like USA Today and the Arizona Business Gazette. During her time as a public policy reporter at The Arizona Republic, she received recognition with a Pulitzer Prize nomination and a First Amendment Award for her collaborative reporting on pension cost increases. Beth also authored a book on the solar photovoltaic industry in 2016. You can reach her at Beth.Duckett@yahoo.com. | | This newsletter was edited by Eduardo Garcia | |
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