This week unfolded with AT&T disclosing plans to alert approximately 110 million of its subscribers about a significant data violation. This infraction enabled hackers to pilfer comprehensive phone records of essentially all its clientele. The compromised information encompasses phone contacts alongside call and text records over a span of six months in 2022, as per the telecom giant. For those subscribed to AT&T, this breach spells certain ramifications.
In other news, Samsung is venturing into the domain of wearable technology. During its Galaxy Unpacked event this week, Samsung introduced the latest iterations of the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold handsets, alongside a new generation of its wireless earphones. Additionally, it shed light on its upcoming $399 smart ring, poised to rival the Oura ring.
On a different note, Tesla has postponed the unveiling of its much-anticipated “robotaxi” to October, diverging from its initial plan for a reveal next month, as Bloomberg reports. This deferment is attributed to the need for more time to finalize the prototypes, resulting in a notable dip in Tesla’s stock by over 6%.
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News
Fisker opts for a $1 salary: Henrik Fisker, along with Geeta Gupta-Fisker, is drastically reducing their salaries to a mere $1. This effort is to sustain the bankruptcy process of their faltering electric vehicle startup as legal teams endeavor to finalize the sale of its remaining assets. Discover more
Elon Musk wins Twitter severance lawsuit: Musk has emerged victorious in one among several lawsuits following the layoff of over 6,000 Twitter personnel. A federal court determined that X Corp., formerly known as Twitter, is not obligated to pay additional severance to its former employees. Discover more
New beginnings with Infactory: Departing executives from Humane have initiated Infactory, a new enterprise leveraging AI for fact-checking across search engines. TechCrunch engaged in conversation with the founders about their vision. Discover more
Revamping Siri with Apple Intelligence: Siri is poised for a major overhaul, integrating new functionalities and enhancements courtesy of Apple Intelligence and a collaboration with OpenAI. This is set to revolutionize user interaction with iPhones. Discover more
Innovations in robotics presented by Google: Google’s DeepMind Robotics introduces Gemini 1.5 Pro, enabling a robot to comprehend commands and traverse an office space efficiently. Discover more
OpenAI parts ways with observer seats: In the aftermath of Microsoft securing an observer’s position on OpenAI’s board, the latter has decided to vacate such non-voting positions, effectively suggesting that rumored Apple’s involvement may not occur. Discover more
Introducing Amazon’s Rufus: Rufus, the AI-backed shopping assistant from Amazon, is now available for all U.S. users within the Amazon app, ready to assist with product searches, comparisons, and recommendations. Discover more
FTC uncovers deceptive subscription tactics: A new investigation by the FTC reveals that subscription services frequently employ deceptive practices, making it challenging for users to cancel. Discover more
Creative responses to Hurricane Beryl: Following the storm, residents of Houston utilized the Whataburger app innovatively to monitor power outages, checking which outlets remained operational. Discover more
Lucid Motors achieves a milestone: With a record-breaking delivery of 2,394 electric vehicles in the second quarter of 2024, Lucid Motors marks a significant stride towards establishing itself in the EV market. Discover more
Wikipedia enhances late-night browsing: To facilitate easier nighttime reading, Wikipedia has finally introduced a dark mode on its mobile website, offering a more eye-friendly interface for those night-time knowledge quests. Here’s how to activate it. Discover more
Analysis
Spotify evolves into a social platform: With new features such as podcast comments, Spotify is gradually transforming into an auditory-centric social network. This shift, detailed by Sarah Perez, highlights Spotify’s ambition beyond streaming to fostering a community around audio content. Discover more
The visual perception of AI models: Recent advancements suggest language models now possess the capability to interpret images and audio alongside text. However, a study by Auburn University and the University of Alberta indicates these multimodal models may not genuinely ‘see’ as expected, raising fascinating questions about the nature of AI’s visual understanding. Discover more
Compiled by Techarena.au.
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