π Startup buzz, Bitcoin $100K, US-China chip war
Good morning. Itβs Thursday, December 05. Today we are covering:
Key leaders behind Google's viral NotebookLM are leaving to create their own startup
Bitcoin price hits $100K for first time in history
US chips are 'no longer safe,' Chinese industry bodies say in latest trade salvo
OpenAI strikes content deal with Tom's Guide owner Future
Would you eat dried microbes? This company hopes so.
Letβs dive in
Key leaders behind Google's viral NotebookLM are leaving to create their own startup
By Charles Rollet via TechCrunch
Three key members of Google's NotebookLM team, including team lead Raiza Martin, designer Jason Spielman, and engineer Stephen Hughes, are leaving Google to launch a stealth startup aimed at building transformative AI products.
The startup is in its early stages, with no disclosed funding or specific focus yet, but hints suggest it will be a consumer-facing product leveraging advanced AI models to create accessible and useful solutions for everyday users.
Despite its nascent status, the team has received strong external support from founders, investors, and academics, signaling optimism for their ventureβs potential impact.
π: SCOOP: Core members of Google's @notebooklm team are exiting to launch a startup, sharing some details exclusively with TechCrunch. - Charles Rollet (@CharlesRollet1)
Bitcoin price hits $100K for first time in history
By Helen Partz via Cointelegraph
Bitcoin surpassed the $100,000 milestone for the first time on Dec. 5, 2024, reaching a peak of $104,000, with its market capitalization hitting $2 trillion.
This milestone followed significant market events, including Donald Trumpβs election victory, speculation about a U.S. Bitcoin national reserve, and pro-crypto cabinet appointments like Paul Atkins as SEC chair nominee.
Bitcoin has surged 126% in 2024, driven by $31 billion in ETF inflows, supply constraints from the fourth halving, and increasing corporate adoption, solidifying its position as a key asset in the financial market.
π: If you bought $100 of Bitcoin when Coinbase was founded in June 2012, it would now be worth about $1,500,000. If you kept the $100 USD you'd only be able to purchase about $73 worth of goods today. - Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong)
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US chips are 'no longer safe,' Chinese industry bodies say in latest trade salvo
By Eduardo Baptista via Reuters
Chinese industry associations issued a coordinated statement urging domestic companies to avoid buying U.S. chips, labeling them as "no longer safe" and advocating for local alternatives, amidst escalating trade tensions with the United States.
In retaliation, China banned exports of critical rare minerals essential for U.S. military applications and manufacturing, signaling a significant escalation in the ongoing trade conflict.
U.S. chipmakers, including Intel, Nvidia, and AMD, face potential sales disruptions in China as the country increases scrutiny of American technology and encourages local procurement to reduce dependency on foreign suppliers.
OpenAI strikes content deal with Tom's Guide owner Future
By Emma Roth via The Verge
OpenAI has partnered with Future, publisher of brands like Tom's Guide, PC Gamer, and Marie Claire, to provide ChatGPT users with access to content from over 200 media brands, featuring attribution and links to original articles.
The collaboration builds on OpenAIβs deployment of AI chatbots in Futureβs outlets like Tomβs Hardware, and Future plans to use OpenAIβs technology in sales, marketing, and editorial workflows.
This deal adds to OpenAIβs growing list of content partnerships with publishers, including Vox Media, News Corp, and The Atlantic, though it continues to face copyright lawsuits from entities like The New York Times and Canadian media outlets.
Would you eat dried microbes? This company hopes so.
By Casey Crownhart via MIT Technology Review
LanzaTech is developing a microbe-based protein powder from bacteria like Cupriavidus necator, which is 85% protein and could be used in food products, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional animal and plant proteins.
The companyβs technology transforms industrial waste gases into ethanol, with the excess bacteria from the process repurposed into protein-rich byproducts currently used in animal feed and now being explored for human consumption.
Microbial protein production uses less land and water and generates fewer emissions than conventional protein sources like beef, with LanzaTech aiming for large-scale production by 2026, targeting the protein needs of 10,000 people per day with its pre-commercial plant.
Trending in AI
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