🖼️ OpenAI's Image Boom, Copilot Expands, China Outpaces Musk

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🖼️ OpenAI's Image Boom, Copilot Expands, China Outpaces Musk

Plus: Google Boosts Gmail Security, Apple Hosts Risky VPNs.

Jose Montes de Oca

Apr 01, 2025

Transcript

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, April 1. Today we are covering:

OpenAI's new image generator is now available to all users
Microsoft lifts Snapdragon exclusivity on some of the best Copilot+ PC features
China's SpaceSail is expanding where Elon Musk is stumbling
Gmail is making it easier for businesses to send encrypted emails to anyone
Apple and Google app stores host VPNs linked to sanctioned Chinese group

Let’s dive in

OpenAI's new image generator is now available to all users

By Ivan Mehta via TechCrunch

OpenAI has made its GPT-4o-powered image generator available to all users, expanding access beyond paid subscribers; free users are reportedly limited to three images per day.
The tool saw explosive demand upon launch, sparking viral use cases like Studio Ghibli-style images and fake receipts, raising concerns over copyright and content misuse.
OpenAI also announced a $40 billion funding round led by SoftBank, bringing its valuation to $300 billion, alongside a major user milestone: 500M weekly and 700M monthly active users.

𝕏: chatgpt image gen now rolled out to all free users! - Sam Altman (@sama)

Microsoft lifts Snapdragon exclusivity on some of the best Copilot+ PC features

By Sean Endicott via Windows Central

Microsoft is expanding key Copilot+ PC features—Live Captions, Cocreator, Restyle Image, and Image Creator—to devices with Intel Core Ultra 200V and AMD Ryzen AI 300 chips, ending their exclusivity to Snapdragon-powered models like the Surface Pro 11.
These updates, aimed at enhancing accessibility and AI-powered creativity, are rolling out via the March 2025 Windows preview update and will continue over the coming month.
Despite the expansion, inconsistencies remain in Microsoft's Copilot branding, with certain features like Voice Access and Semantic Search still exclusive to Snapdragon systems, adding to user confusion around what defines a Copilot+ PC.

𝕏: Crazy that Intel and AMD Copilot+ PCs are only just getting some Copilot features. - Zac Bowden (@zacbowden)

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China's SpaceSail is expanding where Elon Musk is stumbling

By Lam Le via Rest of World

China’s SpaceSail, backed by the Shanghai municipal government, is rapidly scaling its satellite internet presence with plans for 648 satellites by 2025 and 15,000 by 2030, targeting markets where Elon Musk’s Starlink faces regulatory or political roadblocks.
SpaceSail is making strategic inroads in BRICS and non-Western countries—partnering with Brazil’s Telebras, complying with Kazakhstan’s regulatory demands, and signing an agreement with Malaysia’s Measat amid rising backlash against Musk in the region.
Meanwhile, Starlink’s expansion is hampered by Musk’s controversies and refusal to meet local compliance in markets like South Africa and Kazakhstan, and legal disputes in Brazil, where the Supreme Court froze its accounts over defiance of misinformation rulings.

Gmail is making it easier for businesses to send encrypted emails to anyone

By Jess Weatherbed via The Verge

Google is rolling out a beta feature in Gmail that lets enterprise users send encrypted emails with a simple toggle, without needing to exchange certificates or install special software.
Initially available for internal Gmail communications, the feature will expand to external Gmail and third-party inboxes later this year, providing higher security than standard TLS encryption.
The new system relies on client-side encryption—not full end-to-end encryption—allowing admins to manage encryption keys and monitor access while offering a seamless experience even for recipients without S/MIME.

Apple and Google app stores host VPNs linked to sanctioned Chinese group

By Ryan McMorrow via Financial Times

Apple and Google app stores have hosted at least five popular VPN apps linked to Qihoo 360, a Chinese cybersecurity firm blacklisted by the U.S. government for alleged military ties.
The apps—Turbo VPN, VPN Proxy Master, Thunder VPN, Snap VPN, and Signal Secure VPN—were downloaded over 1 million times in 2025, operated by a Singapore-based firm owned by a Cayman Islands entity connected to Qihoo.
Despite store policies against unauthorized data use, concerns remain over potential data access under China’s national security laws, with Apple and Google removing some apps only after media inquiries.

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