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🌐 OpenAI Amplifies ChatGPT's Efficiency with Complete Internet Access
Today: Tesla Profits Dive | Amazon's Robot Boost | ChatGPT Goes Online
Kristoffer Lindström
October 19, 2023
Hello, tech aficionados! This October 19, 2023, we've curated the day's most compelling tech stories just for you. Today's highlights:
Apple's Uncertainty - Market share debate heats up.
Tesla's Q3 Dive - Profits plummet with EV cuts.
Netflix's 12% Jump - Ad-tier subscriptions skyrocket.
OpenAI-Ive Unveiling - Mysterious non-smartphone project.
Square's AI Debate - Revolution or flop?
Meta's Image Magic - Brain-inspired tech breakthrough.
Amazon's Efficiency - Robots deliver a 25% boost.
ChatGPT Upgrade - Now with complete internet access.
Review Wars - Tech giants tackle fakes.
Pixel 8 Pro Glitch - Screen color issues emerge.
Dive in, dissect, and discover the details of these stories. Happy reading!
Tech Companies
A recent report by CIRP asserts that Apple's share of the US smartphone market is currently 39%, a slight 2% increase from last year. This contrasts with other studies, including a July report from Counterpoint suggesting Apple's 55% market share. Such discrepancies underline the fact that these studies are not exact, and the actual market share could fall somewhere in between.
💡 Why does this matter?
The discrepancy between studies on Apple's US smartphone market share, which range from 39% to 55%, has implications for tech investors and competitors. Understanding the accuracy of these figures is critical for strategizing market approaches, gauging competition, and identifying growth opportunities.
Online giants Amazon, Glassdoor, and Expedia, among others, have formed the Coalition for Trusted Reviews to combat fake reviews, a rising issue impacting consumer trust and business authenticity. The coalition's focus areas include industry alignment, content moderation, information sharing on fake reviewer operations, and collaboration with academics and government officials. The fight against fake reviews intensifies as artificial intelligence supports the creation of counterfeit feedback, affecting consumer purchases and increasing spending.
Meta is introducing its "broadcast channels" feature to Facebook and Messenger, allowing creators to engage directly with followers. The feature is already live on platforms like Netflix and WWE.
Startup Scene
KKR, a global investment juggernaut, recently completed its third tech growth fund, KKR Next Generation Technology Growth Fund III, amassing approximately $3 billion in capital commitments. Interestingly, $400 million of the funds originated from KKR's own workforce.
AI Corner
OpenAI's chatbot, ChatGPT, now has full internet access due to the release of the "Browse with Bing" feature. Available to Plus or Enterprise subscription users, the feature allows the AI to provide up-to-date information beyond its pre-September 2021 training data. The AI's ethical constraints appear stout enough for diverse internet exposure, and it can now respond to prompts using a synthesized voice and understand images. In November, the company plans to augment memory storage and vision capabilities on ChatGPT's enterprise developer model.
Amazon is introducing a new AI-based robot system, Sequoia, in its warehouses to improve operational efficiency and safety. Sequoia can reportedly speed up product finding and storing by 75% and order fulfillment by 25%. However, past automation implementations have been linked with a rise in warehouse injuries, a claim that Amazon disputes. The potential impact of Sequoia on workforce numbers remains uncertain.
Meta AI has developed a system that uses AI and magnetoencephalography (MEG) to decode visual brain data in real-time. This breakthrough could advance non-invasive brain-computer interfaces, aiding individuals with speech-impairing brain injuries. The system, including an image encoder, brain encoder, and image decoder, is based on a structure for decoding speech perception from MEG signals.
Square has launched ten new AI capabilities for customer content creation, onboarding, and setup. These AI-powered features include a Menu Generator for restaurants and an automated email copy creation tool.
OpenAI's Sam Altman and ex-Apple's Jony Ive are in early discussions on an AI hardware collaboration, rejecting the idea of a smartphone or self-designed chips.
Markets & Money
TSMC's Q3 profit declined 24.9% but surpassed expectations, fostering optimism for a gradual recovery in the global semiconductor industry. The business's Q3 net profit sank to T$211 billion from T$280.9 billion, beating a T$195.5 billion LSEG SmartEstimate. TSMC, a key supplier for Apple Inc, indicated Q3 revenue dropped 14.6% to $17.3 billion, with the high performance computing segment contributing 42% to total sales. Despite warning notes from its key supplier ASML and an ongoing U.S-China chip spat, shares of TSMC are up around 22% this year.
Netflix shares surged 12%, following better-than-expected Q3 earnings, with subscriptions rising due to a focus on password-sharing crackdowns and a new ad-supported tier. The streaming giant reported an addition of 8.76 million global subscribers, surpassing Wall Street's expectations. Growth in ad plan membership was nearly 70%. The firm projected a 20% operating margin for 2023, revising its previous 18-20% estimate, as it grapples with increasing production costs and plans price hikes for its basic and premium services.
Tesla's Q3 profits tumbled 44% due to price reductions for its EVs, putting pressure on margins. Despite year-over-year revenue growth of 9%, totaling $23.35 billion, Tesla fell short of Wall Street estimates. Gross margin sank to 17.9%, down from 25.1% last year, and the automaker's free cash flow shrank to $800 million from $1 billion.
Nokia plans to slash up to 14,000 jobs following a sharp decline in Q3 earnings, aiming to reduce costs and improve operation efficiency.
Apps & Gadgets
Google is redesigning Chrome's omnibox to provide more efficient navigation, correcting URL typos and providing smarter autocomplete suggestions based on keywords. The changes also include a search feature within bookmarks and the display of popular website URLs when typed into the omnibox. The alterations are introduced amid a landmark antitrust lawsuit against Google and its focus on AI tools, potentially making Google less reliant on search queries.
Google's new Pixel 8 Pro is experiencing display color issues. The problems, seen on various Android 14 releases, suggest potential hardware faults. Users report replacement offers from Google.
YouTube is introducing several new features previously accessible only to Premium users. These include an AI-voice recognition tool, enhanced video speed controls, and a video-lock feature.
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