Musk's Neuralink Gains FDA Nod for Breakthrough Vision Restoring

TECH BRIEF

Market Falters Following Rate-Cut Rally Amid Economic Concerns (13 minutes read)

Major indexes fell slightly Friday amid concerns over weak FedEx earnings and potential valuation issues. Today’s trends didn’t build on yesterday’s rally, sparked by the recent Federal Reserve interest rate cut. There’s speculation of a Qualcomm-Intel takeover, but this remains unconfirmed. Nike saw a surge following a CEO change announcement. Despite small losses today, Wall Street remains optimistic due to the Federal Reserve’s confidence in falling inflation and positive labor market trends.

💡 Insight: The market's response to the Fed's recent rate cut highlights mixed signals: valuation concerns are emerging as major indexes falter, despite positive momentum in certain sectors like utilities and semiconductors. The Intel-Qualcomm merger speculation underscores significant M&A activity potential, indicating a shift in the tech landscape. FedEx's disappointing earnings serve as a crucial economic indicator, stressing the need for vigilant monitoring of consumer and business demand trends. The evolving labor market and upcoming economic reports will be pivotal in shaping future market sentiment.

Musk's Neuralink Gains FDA Nod for Breakthrough Vision Restoring Device (3 minutes read)

Elon Musk's Neuralink has received FDA approval for Blindsight, an implant aimed at restoring vision using microelectrode arrays to activate neurons in the visual cortex. Musk states that it could enable those blind from birth to see, starting with low resolution but could potentially surpass natural vision to include infrared or ultraviolet. The company is now seeking participants for a clinical trial aimed at enabling those with quadriplegia to use digital devices.

Meta Connect 2024: Anticipating New VR Hardware and AI Innovation (3 minutes read)

Meta's annual Connect developers conference next week anticipates launching new Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) hardware, potentially including successors to the Quest 3 and Rayban Smart Glasses. The conference could also present significant updates to Horizon Worlds and the rumored "Orion" AR glasses. A cheap variant of the Quest headset, the Quest ""3S"", expected to be priced around $299.99, might be released while software and gaming updates remain under speculation.

Elon Musk's Social Media Platform X Experiences Major Exodus Amid Rising Dissatisfaction (6 minutes read)

Social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, is experiencing a decline in active daily users in the UK from 8 million to around 5.6 million, a fall of about a third since summer riots. The exodus, termed 'Xodus', is due approximately to the political stance of Elon Musk, the new owner. Alternatives such as Bluesky and Meta's Threads app are gaining in popularity, with the former becoming the favored platform for academia and media personalities.

Apollo Eyes Multibillion-Dollar Stake in Intel Amid Qualcomm Interest (2 minutes read)

Apollo Global Management has proposed a multibillion-dollar investment in Intel Corp., potentially injecting up to $5 billion. This happens as Intel Corp is undertaking a costly strategy overhaul and as rival Qualcomm Inc. contemplates a friendly takeover. Discussions, however, are ongoing and the deal is not yet final.