Group 1 - Apple is expanding its smart home presence by developing an IP camera expected to ship in 2026 [1] - The camera is anticipated to achieve sales of tens of millions of units annually [1] - Goertek, a Chinese component maker, will assemble the new IP camera [1] Group 2 - Goertek is also rumored to manufacture upcoming AirPod models [2] - The new AirPods are expected to focus more on health features, building on the hearing aid capabilities introduced in AirPods Pro 2 [2]

Waymo has opened its robotaxi service to everyone in Los Angeles, sunsetting a waitlist that had grown to 300,000 people. The Alphabet-backed company said starting Tuesday anyone can download the Waymo One app to hail a ride in its service area, which is now about 80-square miles in Los Angeles County. Waymo has had a presence in Los Angeles since 2019, periodically coming in to map neighborhoods, including downtown, Miracle Mile, Koreatown, Santa Monica, Westwood and West Hollywood. In 2022, the company an ...

There’s an AI chip battle brewing among the major cloud vendors. Google’s Trillium, a custom chip for training and running AI models, recently entered preview, and Microsoft’s Maia is expected to follow in short order. Not to be outdone, Amazon Web Services has AI chips, too: Trainium, Inferentia, and Graviton. In an effort to draw attention to Trainium in particular, the company is launching a new grant program for AI research. Called Build on Trainium, the new program will award $110 million total to ins ...

Core Points - Apple is facing regulatory scrutiny in the European Union for allegedly discriminating against consumers through geo-blocking practices that restrict access to its media services across different EU member states [1][2] - The European Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network have raised concerns about several potentially prohibited geo-blocking practices, which could lead to enforcement actions under EU consumer protection laws [2][4] - Apple has been given one month to respond to the CPC Network's findings and propose commitments to address the identified issues [4][5] Summary by Category Regulatory Concerns - The investigation involves consumer protection authorities from Belgium, Germany, and Ireland focusing on Apple's geo-blocking measures affecting services like Apple Music, iTunes Store, and App Store [1][3] - The EU has established rules to promote the free movement of services and prohibit unjustified geo-blocking, which discriminates against consumers based on their location [3][4] Specific Issues Identified - Different interfaces for Apple media services in various EU/EEA countries that cannot be altered by users, locking them to the interface of the country where their device was registered [3] - Restrictions on payment methods, where users can only use cards issued in the country of their Apple account registration [3] - Limitations on App Store downloads, preventing users from accessing local App Stores while traveling or temporarily residing in other member states [3] Potential Outcomes - If Apple adequately addresses the CPC Network's concerns, it could lead to a resolution of the case, potentially removing the geo-blocks [5] - Failure to respond appropriately may result in enforcement actions at the national level by consumer protection authorities [5]

Core Points - Amazon confirmed that employee data was compromised due to a security event at a third-party vendor [1][2] - The breach involved employee work contact information, such as work email addresses and desk phone numbers, but did not include sensitive data like Social Security numbers or financial information [2][3] - The third-party vendor has addressed the security vulnerability that led to the breach [3] Incident Details - A threat actor claimed to have published data stolen from Amazon on a hacking site, asserting possession of over 2.8 million lines of data from 25 major organizations [4] - The threat actor, known as "Nam3L3ss," indicated that the data released so far represents less than 0.001% of the total data they possess [5] - The MOVEit Transfer breach, which exploited a zero-day vulnerability, was noted as the largest hack of 2023, affecting over 1,000 organizations [5][6] Impact on Organizations - The MOVEit breach resulted in significant data theft from various organizations, including 3.5 million records from the Oregon Department of Transportation, 4 million from the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, and 11 million from Maximus [6]

In Brief After a chip manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company was found inside a Huawei processor, the US Department of Commerce has ordered the company to halt shipments of advanced chips to Chinese customers, according to a report in Reuters.Huawei faces significant trade restrictions from the US, so the pause on shipments is supposed to allow the government to determine whether other companies are diverting chips to Huawei.  TSMC reportedly notified affected customers that it will be ...

In Brief Tesla shares have popped since the U.S. election as investors bet that a Trump presidency will benefit the automaker led by ally Elon Musk. Tesla's shares have rallied nearly 30% since Tuesday, including an increase Friday morning that pushed the company's market cap past the $1 trillion mark. The share spike is largely related to Musk, who launched a multi-million dollar effort to re-elect Donald Trump that included using X, the social media platform formally known as Twitter that he owns. Musk, w ...

In Brief Jack Dorsey's Block is scaling back its investment in TIDAL, the music streaming platform once owned by JayZ, according to a shareholder letter on Thursday. Block is also shutting down TBD, a Bitcoin-focused arm of the business that previously set out to build a decentralized internet, dubbed "Web5." These cuts will free up the company to invest in Bitcoin mining and its crypto wallet. "We are scaling back our investment in TIDAL and winding down TBD," said Block in the letter. "This gives us room ...

Core Insights - Amazon is considering a significant investment in Anthropic, a competitor to OpenAI, with discussions reportedly involving multiple billions of dollars [1] - This potential investment follows a previous $4 billion deal made last year and aims to have Anthropic utilize Amazon-developed silicon on Amazon Web Services for AI training [1] - Anthropic has been projected to incur over $2.7 billion in losses in 2024 as it expands its AI products, indicating a pressing need for new funding [2] Investment Details - The new investment structure is similar to the previous one but includes a requirement for Anthropic to use Amazon's technology [1] - Anthropic is currently valued at approximately $40 billion and has raised a total of $9.7 billion to date, which is nearly half of OpenAI's total funding of $21.9 billion [2]

In Brief The European Union’s flagship market contestability regulation has been in force on a handful of tech giants for months. Since March, the bloc has had open investigations on several gatekeepers. But it’s Apple that will face the first Digital Markets Act (DMA) fine, Bloomberg reports, citing people familiar with the case.Apple’s App Store rules are in the frame. In June, the bloc shared preliminary findings with the company, warning that developers should be free to inform users of alternative purc ...