🤖 Apple's Long Game, X's Brazil Exit, and Worldcoin's Battle
Good morning. It’s Monday, August 19. Today we are covering:
Apple Is Playing the Long Game With Switch From Qualcomm Modems
X says it's closing operations in Brazil
Sam Altman's Worldcoin Is Battling With Governments Over Your Eyes
An Apple search engine might happen, but probably won't
The movement to diversify Silicon Valley is crumbling amid attacks on DEI
Let’s dive in
Apple Is Playing the Long Game With Switch From Qualcomm Modems
By Mark Gurman via Bloomberg
Apple is transitioning away from Qualcomm modem chips, aiming for long-term benefits rather than immediate gains.
The company is advancing its robotics initiative with a new tabletop robot, while Google continues to lead in AI with its latest Pixel devices.
Apple plans to open its iPhone payment chip to third parties, which could generate additional revenue.
𝕏: Power On: Apple’s move to drop Qualcomm modem chips won’t have a payoff at the outset, but it could set the stage for bigger things later. - Mark Gurman (@markgurman)
X says it’s closing operations in Brazil
By Anthony Ha via TechCrunch
X, formerly known as Twitter, is closing its operations in Brazil due to legal pressures from Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
The decision follows a threat of arrest against X's legal representative in Brazil for not complying with censorship orders related to election disinformation investigations.
Despite the closure, the X service will remain available to Brazilian users, with the company highlighting the conflict as a choice between democracy and Alexandre de Moraes.
𝕏: Due to demands by “Justice” @Alexandre in Brazil that would require us to break (in secret) Brazilian, Argentinian, American and international law, 𝕏 has no choice but to close our local operations in Brazil. He is an utter disgrace to justice. - Elon Musk (@elonmusk)
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Sam Altman's Worldcoin Is Battling With Governments Over Your Eyes
By Angus Berwick via Wall Street Journal
Sam Altman's Worldcoin project is facing government resistance over its plan to scan the eyeballs of every person on Earth in exchange for cryptocurrency.
The initiative aims to address the risk of not being able to distinguish between humans and robots in an AI-dominated world created by OpenAI.
Governments are skeptical of Altman's plan, casting doubt on its feasibility and raising concerns about privacy and security.
An Apple search engine might happen, but probably won't
By Ben Lovejoy via 9to5Mac
Apple is unlikely to create its own search engine despite speculation, following a court ruling that prevents Google from paying Apple to be the default search engine on its devices.
While Apple has the resources and data from Applebot, developing a search engine to rival Google would involve significant risks, including challenges related to user data and potential obsolescence due to evolving technologies like chatbots.
The potential revenue from an Apple search engine wouldn’t replace the lost Google payment, making the venture less appealing given the high costs and risks involved.
The movement to diversify Silicon Valley is crumbling amid attacks on DEI
By Naomi Nix via Washington Post
The movement to diversify Silicon Valley is struggling as key donors withdraw support and political backlash against DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs grows.
Nonprofits like Girls In Tech and Women Who Code have dissolved due to financial challenges and declining corporate backing, reflecting a broader trend of tech companies distancing themselves from DEI initiatives.
Critics argue that while DEI efforts promised to transform the industry, progress has been slow, and now some companies are rebranding or abandoning these programs amid increased legal and political pressure.
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