Core Viewpoint - Perplexity, an AI search startup, has made a $34.5 billion acquisition offer for Google's Chrome browser, positioning it as a public interest remedy in the ongoing U.S. antitrust case against Google [1][5]. Group 1: Acquisition Proposal - Perplexity's acquisition proposal aims to transfer Chrome to an independent operator, emphasizing public interest as the highest principle [1]. - The company claims to have secured full financial backing from several investors, including large venture capital funds, but has not disclosed their identities [2]. - If the acquisition is successful, Perplexity plans to maintain Google as the default search engine within Chrome while also managing the open-source Chromium project [2]. Group 2: Company Background and Growth - Founded in 2022 and based in San Francisco, Perplexity focuses on AI search capabilities, processing approximately 30 million queries daily, with projections to reach 1 billion weekly searches by the end of the year [2]. - The company has gained attention partly due to endorsements from NVIDIA's founder Jensen Huang, who has publicly praised Perplexity [3]. - Perplexity's valuation reached $18 billion following a $73.6 million Series B funding round in January 2024, with NVIDIA and Amazon as investors [3]. Group 3: Competitive Landscape - Other companies, including OpenAI and Yahoo, have also expressed interest in acquiring Chrome, with OpenAI's representative indicating a willingness to bid if Chrome is separated from Google [3]. - Analysts believe Perplexity's bid may undervalue Chrome, which is critical to Google's business, and view the offer as a strategy to gain publicity for its own browser, Comet [4]. Group 4: Regulatory Context - Chrome has a global market share of 67.94% and over 3.5 billion users, highlighting its significance in the internet ecosystem [6]. - The U.S. Department of Justice has proposed remedies, including the potential divestiture of Chrome, to address Google's monopolistic practices in the search market [7]. - Google has strongly opposed the divestiture, arguing it would compromise browser security and innovation [7].

Group 1 - Musk accuses Apple of monopolistic practices, claiming that only OpenAI can reach the top of the App Store rankings, which allegedly violates antitrust laws [2] - Musk's company, xAI, plans to take immediate legal action against Apple, although no evidence has been provided to support these claims [2]

Core Viewpoint - The Australian Federal Court ruled that Apple and Google abused their market dominance in the app store sector, constituting anti-competitive behavior, stemming from a five-year global antitrust battle initiated by Epic Games over the game Fortnite [2] Group 1: Court Ruling and Implications - The court found that Apple and Google limited app distribution channels, enforced the use of their own payment systems, and charged commissions as high as 30%, which reduced market competition and increased costs for developers and consumers [2] - The ruling criticized Apple's prohibition on installing native apps outside the App Store as significantly reducing competition, while also noting Google's restrictive policies on the Android platform weakened market vitality [2] Group 2: Responses from Companies - Epic Games celebrated the ruling as a victory for Australian developers and consumers, indicating that Fortnite would soon return to Apple devices, although plans for Android were still uncertain [3] - Apple emphasized facing intense competition from Google, Samsung, and other stores, claiming that its commission rates have been decreasing and that many developers do not pay commissions at all [3][4] - Google argued that its Android system is more open than Apple's and disagreed with the court's description of its billing policies, asserting that its historical partnerships were formed in a competitive mobile environment [4] Group 3: Ongoing Legal Actions and Future Outlook - The court's decision allows two class-action lawsuits to proceed, potentially involving around 15 million consumers and 150,000 developers who purchased content from the app stores between November 2017 and June 2022 [4] - The ruling may prompt reforms in Australia's digital platform regulations, leading to lower prices, increased competition, and enhanced innovation, with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) continuing to advocate for regulatory changes [5] - Epic Games' victory in Australia could serve as a pivotal moment for global developers seeking autonomy in app distribution and payment systems [5]

Core Viewpoint - Perplexity, a three-year-old AI startup, has made a bold move by offering to acquire Google's Chrome browser business for $34.5 billion in cash, which is nearly double its latest valuation of $18 billion, marking a significant moment in tech history as a "snake swallowing an elephant" case [1][9]. Group 1: Company Overview - Perplexity was founded in 2022 by former Google AI researcher Aravind Srinivas, focusing on an AI-driven "answer engine" that provides concise answers along with source links for credibility [3]. - The company's valuation has skyrocketed from $5 million in early 2024 to $18 billion by July 2025, reflecting a remarkable growth trajectory supported by notable investors including Jeff Bezos, Nvidia, and Turing Award winner LeCun [4]. - Despite having an annual recurring revenue of just under $100 million, Perplexity's valuation implies a staggering market capitalization of 180 times its revenue, which is uncommon in the tech sector [4]. Group 2: Acquisition Proposal - The acquisition proposal was unsolicited, submitted directly to Google CEO Sundar Pichai at a critical time when Google is facing antitrust litigation from the U.S. Department of Justice [2][7]. - Perplexity's offer comes as the DOJ is considering remedies for Google's alleged illegal monopoly in the search market, with the potential forced divestiture of Chrome being a key suggestion [7][8]. - The proposal emphasizes that the acquisition would serve the "highest public interest standard" and includes commitments to maintain the Chromium open-source project and invest over $3 billion in Chrome and Chromium over the next two years [8]. Group 3: Market Reaction and Implications - The tech industry reacted strongly to the news, with Google firmly stating it has no intention of selling Chrome, arguing that forced asset sales would harm business development and innovation [9]. - Analysts generally believe the likelihood of the deal succeeding is low, as the court may opt for less drastic measures than a forced sale, although the judge has indicated that divesting Chrome could be a simpler solution [11]. - Regardless of the outcome, Perplexity's bold move has significantly raised its profile and demonstrated its ambition to challenge industry giants in the AI era, marking a pivotal moment in the evolving tech landscape [11].

Group 1 - The Australian Federal Court ruled on August 12 that Apple and Google are suspected of anti-competitive behavior, allowing consumers and app developers to seek compensation [1] - This ruling may significantly impact the operation of digital platforms in Australia, with Epic Games claiming it as a partial victory in its competition against tech giants [1] - Apple welcomed the court's dismissal of some claims by Epic Games but opposed other rulings [1] Group 2 - Apple has faced antitrust issues in multiple regions, including a ruling in California requiring changes to its app store to promote competition and allow external payment methods [3] - The European Commission fined Apple €500 million for violating the Digital Markets Act, and the French Competition Authority imposed a €150 million fine for abusing its dominant position in targeted advertising [3] - Elon Musk criticized the Apple App Store for favoring OpenAI, claiming it violates antitrust laws, while OpenAI's CEO expressed shock at Musk's comments and called for an investigation [3] Group 3 - Since the beginning of the year, Apple's stock has dropped over 8%, underperforming the major U.S. stock indices, but saw a significant increase of over 13% after announcing an additional $100 billion investment in the U.S. [3] - On August 12, U.S. stock indices rose over 1%, with Apple's stock increasing by 1.09%, bringing its market capitalization to $3.41 trillion [3]

Group 1: Apple App Store Developments - Apple is conducting a gray test for Douyin Pay in the App Store in mainland China, adding it as a fourth payment option alongside UnionPay, Alipay, and WeChat Pay [1] - Users with testing qualifications can bind Douyin Pay to their Apple services without needing to verify the payment password for transactions [3] Group 2: iOS 26 Updates - iOS 26 will reintroduce the C/AC clear button in the calculator app, responding to user complaints about the removal of this feature in iOS 18 [4] - The new layout retains the backspace key while placing the C/AC key next to it, ensuring that the +/- function is still accessible [4] Group 3: App Store Fairness Allegations - Apple responded to Elon Musk's allegations of bias in the App Store favoring OpenAI's ChatGPT, asserting that the platform is designed to be fair and unbiased [5] - Musk threatened legal action, claiming that Apple's practices violate antitrust laws, although he did not provide evidence for his claims [5] Group 4: CarPlay User Experience Issues - The new iOS 26 CarPlay update has received criticism for layout inconsistencies and breaking user habits, particularly with the introduction of a 5x2 grid instead of the familiar 3x3 grid [6] - Users have reported that these changes negatively impact usability while driving, despite some new features being added [6] Group 5: Xiaomi Automotive Payment Policy - Xiaomi clarified that the request for early payment of the final installment only applies to certain customers with special circumstances, such as those who have expressed concerns about delivery [10] - This policy aims to mitigate risks associated with customers potentially backing out after production [10] Group 6: Romoss Recruitment and Market Status - Romoss has resumed recruitment for sales positions in Shenzhen after a period of operational pause and market challenges [11] - The company had previously announced a halt in production due to market conditions, raising concerns about its future viability [11]

Core Viewpoint - Perplexity, a three-year-old AI startup, has made a bold move by offering to acquire Google's Chrome browser business for $34.5 billion in cash, nearly double its latest valuation of $18 billion, marking a significant moment in tech history [2][21]. Group 1: Company Overview - Perplexity was founded in 2022 by former Google AI researcher Aravind Srinivas, focusing on an AI-driven "answer engine" that provides concise answers with source links for credibility [6]. - The company's valuation has skyrocketed from $500 million in early 2024 to $1.4 billion by May 2025, and then to $18 billion in July 2025, showcasing rapid growth [7]. - Despite having an annual recurring revenue of just under $100 million, Perplexity's valuation implies a staggering price-to-sales ratio of 180 times, which is uncommon in the tech sector [9]. Group 2: Acquisition Proposal - The acquisition proposal comes at a critical time as the U.S. Department of Justice is pursuing antitrust litigation against Google, with a potential remedy being the forced divestiture of Chrome [13][14]. - Perplexity's offer is positioned as a solution to the antitrust concerns, claiming it would serve the "highest public interest standard" by allowing Chrome to operate independently [15]. - The proposal includes commitments to maintain the Chromium open-source project and invest over $3 billion in Chrome and Chromium over the next two years [16]. Group 3: Market Reaction and Implications - The tech industry reacted strongly to the news, with Google's stance being clear: it has no intention of selling Chrome, citing potential harm to business development and innovation [18]. - Analysts generally believe the likelihood of the deal succeeding is low, as the court may opt for less drastic measures than a forced sale [20]. - Regardless of the outcome, Perplexity's bold move has significantly raised its profile and demonstrated its ambition to challenge industry giants in the AI era [21][23].

彭博：美国AI初创公司Perplexity（最新估值180亿美元）向谷歌母公司Alphabet提出，以345亿美元收购Chrome浏览器。报道称，这一主动收购要约旨在抢在可能的美国反垄断处分之前进行。Perplexity表示，交易资金将由外部投资机构全额提供，但未披露具体投资方。有分析师认为，Chrome实际价值接近1000亿美元，且强制剥离的可能性不大。 ...

Core Viewpoint - Elon Musk accused Apple of favoritism towards OpenAI in its App Store, which Apple denied, stating that its platform is designed to be unbiased [1] Group 1: Allegations and Responses - Musk's accusation came after Apple prominently featured OpenAI's ChatGPT link at the top of its app section, promoting the new GPT-5 model, while Musk's Grok app ranked lower [1] - Apple defended its App Store practices, emphasizing that it uses rankings, algorithm recommendations, and expert-curated lists to provide a fair platform for all developers [1] Group 2: Rankings and Legal Actions - On the day of the allegations, ChatGPT was ranked first in the free apps category, while Grok was fifth, raising questions about Apple's selection criteria [1] - Musk suggested that Apple's actions could violate antitrust laws and indicated that xAI would pursue legal action against Apple [1]

IT之家 8 月 13 日消息，埃隆・马斯克（Elon Musk）与山姆・奥尔特曼（Sam Altman）近日又在网上起 了冲突，这场冲突的根源可以追溯到两人在十年前共同创立人工智能公司 OpenAI 时的合作，以及随后 因理念分歧而产生的公开决裂。 本周一，马斯克在自己的社交媒体平台 X 上向苹果发出了"立即采取法律行动"的威胁，指控苹果在 App Store 中存在反垄断行为，偏袒 OpenAI 的 ChatGPT，而对 X 的 Grok 聊天机器人不公。 "苹果的行为使得除了 OpenAI 之外的任何人工智能公司都无法在 App Store 中登上榜首，这无疑是反垄 断行为，xAI 将立即采取法律行动。"马斯克在 X 上写道，尽管他并未提供任何证据来支持自己的指 控。然而，一些网友指出，今年 1 月，DeepSeek 曾登上 App Store 的榜首，而 7 月，Perplexity 在印度 也位居第一，这似乎与马斯克的指控相矛盾。 值得一提的是，在这个讨论中有用户艾特 Grok AI 询问该应用的看法，结果 Grok AI 称："基于已经证 实的证据，萨姆奥尔特曼是对的，埃隆马斯克对苹果反垄断的指控 ...