Good morning. It’s Tuesday, May 06. Today we are covering:
How China is gaining ground in the Middle East cloud computing race
The internet says goodbye to Skype, and thanks for all the calls
DOJ pushes for Google to sell its advertising platforms
Microsoft shrinks its Surface Laptop down to 13 inches, priced at $899
Why the humanoid workforce is running late
Let’s dive in
How China is gaining ground in the Middle East cloud computing race
By Andrea Benito via Rest of World
Chinese cloud giants like Huawei, Alibaba, and Tencent are gaining ground in the Middle East by aligning with local government priorities, offering competitive pricing, and forming strategic partnerships focused on data sovereignty, security, and AI localization.
Despite the early lead of U.S. firms like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Oracle, Chinese providers have leveraged the Digital Silk Road, government mandates like Saudi Arabia’s cloud-first policy, and collaborations with major telecoms to deepen their regional presence.
A key differentiator has been their aggressive integration of AI, as seen in Huawei’s healthcare applications using Arabic language models, and their hybrid cloud strategies that reflect regional infrastructure realities and cost sensitivities.
𝕏: Huawei and Alibaba are outpacing established U.S. providers by aligning with government priorities and addressing data sovereignty concerns. Think AI data centers, serving Chinese AI agents up all along Belt and Road - Paul Triolo (@pstAsiatech)
The internet says goodbye to Skype, and thanks for all the calls
By Leo Sands Washington Post
Microsoft has officially shut down Skype after a 21-year run, redirecting users to its alternative platform, Teams, while keeping Skype for Business operational.
Once a pioneer in VoIP communication, Skype struggled to evolve with user expectations and lost ground to competitors like Zoom, WhatsApp, and Google Meet, particularly during the pandemic.
The news sparked nostalgia and frustration online, with tributes recalling its cultural impact and criticism over unrefunded credits as users bid farewell to a once-groundbreaking service.
𝕏: Now that Skype has been killed Flashback on how some of the fall might have been self-inflicted When I worked there 2012-14 (already owned by MSFT) never saw any numbers shared to devs on usage (DAU, MAU), revenue... nothing. Every quarter we patted ourselves in the back tho - Gergely Orosz (@GergelyOrosz)
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DOJ pushes for Google to sell its advertising platforms
By Sarah Fielding via Engadget
A US District Court ruled in April that Google monopolized open-web digital ad markets, prompting the DOJ to demand divestment of AdX (Ad Exchange) and Google Ad Manager.
The DOJ argues these platforms suppress competition and are central to Google’s dominance, also referencing a separate case calling for the sale of Chrome over search engine monopolization.
Google plans to appeal the ruling and has proposed alternative remedies, including opening AdX to rival bids and allowing publishers more pricing flexibility, rejecting DOJ’s push as overreaching.
Microsoft shrinks its Surface Laptop down to 13 inches, priced at $899
By Tom Warren via The Verge
Microsoft unveils a 13-inch Surface Laptop starting at $899, featuring a more compact design, powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Plus chip with 16GB RAM and 256GB storage (512GB model available for $999).
This model drops the Surface Connect port, Windows Hello facial recognition, and offers a 1920x1280 60Hz display, alongside USB-C, USB-A, and headphone jack ports.
Despite its smaller size, it retains an active cooling fan, qualifies as a Copilot Plus PC, and supports AI features like Recall and AI-powered tools in Paint and Photos; ships May 20 for consumers, July 22 for businesses.
𝕏: Microsoft is launching a smaller Surface Laptop that starts at $899. It has a 13-inch display and a fingerprint reader instead of a Hello camera. - Tom Warren (@tomwarren)
Why the humanoid workforce is running late
By James O'Donnell via MIT Technology Review
Despite flashy demos, humanoid robots still lack common sense and practical utility in real-world jobs, with challenges including power limitations, manufacturing complexity, and poor generalization across tasks.
Startups like Figure AI are riding a wave of venture capital hype, but scrutiny—such as BMW disputing the scale of their partnership—highlights a gap between marketing claims and operational reality.
While investors, driven by optimism about "physical AI," are bullish on humanoids, roboticists remain skeptical, citing safety concerns, industry-specific hurdles, and a historical pattern of slow technological adoption.
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