📈 Threads' Growth, GPS Threats, Japan's Tech Victory

Good morning. It’s Thursday, July 04. Today we are covering:

• Adam Mosseri on the first year of Threads 

• Why GPS Is Under Attack

• Japan declares victory in effort to end government use of floppy disks

• Amazon is bricking its Astro business robots less than a year after launch 

• How robotics startup Cartken found its AV niche

Let’s dive in

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Adam Mosseri on the first year of Threads

By Casey Newton via Platformer 

• Meta's Threads celebrated its first anniversary, growing to 175 million monthly users despite initial declines after a rapid launch.

• Adam Mosseri discussed Threads' rapid development, emphasizing a focus on real-time conversations, political content management, and a commitment to user-driven feature updates.

• Threads aims to maintain a less hostile environment compared to other platforms, with a focus on news, sports, and key verticals to foster vibrant communities.

𝕏: Meta's Threads has hit 175 million users after a year - Alex Heath (@alexeheath)

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Why GPS Is Under Attack

By Selam Gebrekidan via The New York Times

• GPS is under daily attack, with over 60,000 commercial flights affected by bogus signals this year, threatening pilots' safety.

• American GPS is becoming outdated as China, Russia, and Europe modernize their systems, and the U.S. lacks a civilian backup.

• Spoofing and jamming attacks are major threats, particularly near conflict zones, with Russia and an Israeli air base implicated; the U.S. lags in satellite replacement and backup development.

𝕏: This year alone, researchers say, more than 60,000 commercial flights have been hit by bogus GPS signals, which can confuse pilots. The American GPS network that was once the gold standard is at risk of becoming a relic as Chinese, Russian and European - Karen Wu (@karin62366)

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Japan declares victory in effort to end government use of floppy disks

By Rocky Swift via Reuters

• Japan has eliminated the use of floppy disks in all government systems, marking a significant step in modernizing its bureaucracy.

• Digital Minister Taro Kono announced the victory on June 28, highlighting his ongoing efforts to eradicate outdated technology like fax machines from the government.

• The Digital Agency, established during the COVID-19 pandemic, has faced challenges such as a failed contact-tracing app and slow adoption of the My Number digital ID card.

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Amazon is bricking its Astro business robots less than a year after launch

By Sean Hollister via The Verge 

• Amazon is discontinuing its Astro for Business robots on September 25, 2024, and will issue full refunds plus a $300 credit to customers.

• Digital Minister Taro Kono announced the focus on Astro for Home, with an emphasis on enhancing consumer robotics and home experiences.

• Astro for Business devices will be bricked and cannot be repurposed for home use; Amazon offers a recycling program for these devices.

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How robotics startup Cartken found its AV niche

By Kirsten Korosec via TechCrunch 

• Cartken, a robotics startup, has successfully expanded its sidewalk delivery robots to indoor environments like factories, labs, and airports, with notable efficiency improvements.

• The company has raised $22.5 million, with the latest funding round led by 468 Capital, to scale its sidewalk delivery business and unlock new indoor use cases.

• Cartken's AI-first, camera-based self-driving system, which does not rely on lidar or GPS, enables its robots to navigate complex environments both indoors and outdoors.

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Trending in AI

• China is the runaway leader in generative AI patent applications followed by the US, the UN says

• Salesforce proves less is more: xLAM-1B ‘Tiny Giant’ beats bigger AI Models

• OpenAI’s ChatGPT Mac app was storing conversations in plain text

• Microsoft, Google, and Meta are all admitting the risks AI poses 

• WhatsApp is testing personalised AI avatar generator for users; how it works

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Thanks for reading to the bottom and soaking in our Newslit Daily fueled with highlights for your morning.

I hope you found it interesting and, needless to say, if you have any questions or feedback let me know by hitting reply.

Take care and see you tomorrow!

— Jose Montes de Oca

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