🚁 China Blocks Skydio, Microsoft Rises, Google’s Creator Crisis
🚁 China Blocks Skydio, Microsoft Rises, Google’s Creator Crisis
Good morning. It’s Thursday, October 31. Today we are covering:
Chinese sanctions hit US drone maker supplying Ukraine
Microsoft's gaming revenue keeps going up, even though hardware sales are down
I Attended Google's Creator Conversation Event, And It Turned Into A Funeral
Apple told TikTok it’s unfit for young teens, new lawsuit details allege
Elon Musk Wants You to Think This Election's Being Stolen
Let’s dive in
Chinese sanctions hit US drone maker supplying Ukraine
By Ryan McMorrow via Financial Times
Skydio, the largest US drone maker, faces a supply crisis after China imposed sanctions, halting the supply of key components and batteries critical to Skydio's operations in Ukraine.
Skydio has sought US government support to secure alternative suppliers in Asia and held high-level discussions with Biden administration officials to address Beijing's restrictions.
The sanctions underscore the US-China tensions over supply chain dependencies, with concerns that China's economic tactics will expand to other sectors as relations worsen.
𝕏: SCOOP - Biggest US drone maker (@SkydioHQ which supplies Ukraine with drones for intelligence gathering) faces supply chain crisis after China bans company from selling batteries to the group. - Demetri (@Dimi)
Microsoft's gaming revenue keeps going up, even though hardware sales are down
By Jay Peters via The Verge
Microsoft reported a 61% year-over-year increase in Xbox content and services revenue, largely driven by the Activision acquisition, despite a 29% drop in hardware sales.
The Intelligent Cloud segment rose by 20%, reaching $24.1 billion, with Azure and AI services fueling a 33% growth, as AI investments near a $10 billion annual run rate.
Microsoft continues prioritizing security and enhancing its Copilot AI tools, as CEO Satya Nadella emphasizes AI's role in transforming work and driving new customer growth.
𝕏: Microsoft's Q1 2025 (fiscal) earnings:• Windows OEM + devices revenue up 2% • Gaming revenue up 43% • Xbox content + services rev up 61% • Xbox hardware down 29% - Tom Warren (@tomwarren)
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I Attended Google's Creator Conversation Event, And It Turned Into A Funeral
By Joshua Tyler via GIANT FREAKIN ROBOT
At Google’s Web Creator Conversation Event, frustrated independent site owners criticized Google for shadowbanning their sites, receiving dismissive responses from Google’s Chief Search Scientist.
Attendees highlighted Google’s favoritism toward big brands and lack of support for smaller, independent sites, which were shadowbanned without explanation, fueling a sense of hopelessness among creators.
The event underscored Google’s declining relevance as a supportive platform, with the company’s campus portrayed as eerily empty and disused, symbolizing a once-thriving ecosystem now disconnected from its users
𝕏: How. HOW is this the state of things? - Rebekah Edwards (@rebekah_creates)
Apple told TikTok it’s unfit for young teens, new lawsuit details allege
By Cristiano Lima-Strong via The Washington Post
Apple warned TikTok about unsuitable mature content for children under 17 and suggested raising the app’s recommended age rating, according to newly exposed communications from a South Carolina lawsuit.
TikTok faces multiple lawsuits from states, including South Carolina, for allegedly misleading consumers about its child safety measures, despite implementing "aggressive strategies" to filter mature content.
The South Carolina lawsuit also claims TikTok tried to influence political leaders through donations and events, aiming to build goodwill as child safety concerns escalate.
𝕏: SCOOP: Apple privately warned TikTok that the app featured too much “mature” content for young teens & urged the company to raise its age rating to 17+, new inadvertent disclosures in a state lawsuit reveal - Cristiano Lima-Strong (@viaCristiano)
Elon Musk Wants You to Think This Election's Being Stolen
By Charlie Warzel via The Atlantic
Elon Musk has transformed X (formerly Twitter) into a tool for spreading election misinformation, actively amplifying unfounded voter fraud claims and promoting a community to report alleged irregularities.
Through algorithmic prioritization, X elevates far-right voices and conspiracy theories, creating an echo chamber where misleading election claims dominate user feeds, reaching millions.
Musk’s political maneuvering on X primes the platform for narratives questioning the election outcome, echoing the disinformation tactics famously used by Donald Trump.
𝕏: Wrote about X's Election Integrity Community which is the purest distillation of using this platform as an efficient incitement machine/bullshit/paranoia engine. And how it is so very clear that this chaos is the return on Musk's $44 billion investment - Charlie Warzel (@cwarzel)
Trending in AI
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Artificial intelligence under increasing scrutiny from regulators
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