Breaking Science, Not Your Brain
Adding to its growing list of AI talent acquisitions, Meta has brought in Frank Chu, a senior AI executive from Apple, to join its Superintelligence Labs. Chu, who was instrumental in shaping Apple’s cloud infrastructure, training systems, and search AI, now joins a team building the backbone for Meta’s next wave of AI innovation. (Times … Read more
U.S. Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson issued a sharp warning to tech giants—including Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta—not to undermine privacy protections for U.S. users while adapting operations to comply with Europe’s Digital Services Act or the UK’s Online Safety Act. (Reuters) What’s Fueling This Warning Ferguson’s letter underscores a growing concern: global … Read more
Joby Aviation has just struck a deal to buy Blade Air Mobility’s passenger business for up to $125 million, including $35 million in performance-based payments. This pivot gives Joby access to preferred routes, vertiport assets, and a trusted brand—clear signals that Joby is ready to move from testing to early commercial service. (Reuters) What the … Read more
In a bold push to sharpen its digital edge, Wipro has agreed to acquire Harman’s Digital Transformation Solutions (DTS) business for about $375 million. The deal also includes selected assets and aims to bolster Wipro’s cloud capabilities as the Indian IT services giant looks to strengthen its global presence. (Economic Times) Why This Acquisition Matters … Read more
If you were thinking about upgrading to a PlayStation 5, you might want to hold off for a second. Sony just slapped a $50 price increase on all three PS5 models in the U.S., priced as of August 21. The standard PS5 now sits at $549.99, the digital version at $499.99, and the Pro climbs … Read more
Orchestra BioMed announced on August 5 it has raised $111.2 million through a hybrid equity and royalty financing structure. Medtronic and Ligand have contributed equity and royalty commitments aimed at advanced-phase trials of its AVIM therapy and Virtue SAB program. (Rhea‑AI Impact / StockTitan) The funding positions Orchestra to continue enrollment in its AVIM atrioventricular … Read more
OpenAI unveiled two new open-weight language models on August 5. The models excel at advanced reasoning tasks including coding, mathematics, and health inquiries. They are designed to run on a single GPU or personal computer and mirror performance of smaller proprietary models. (Reuters) In another development, NVIDIA reiterated that its AI chips contain no hidden … Read more
Palantir Technologies raised its annual revenue forecast again on August 4, citing sustained demand for its AI-enabled services from both commercial and government clients. The company thus continues to outperform expectations amid surging AI adoption. (Reuters) Meanwhile, defense tech startup Anduril Industries announced on August 5 it has become the third U.S. supplier of solid rocket motors … Read more
Meta Platforms has announced plans to sell approximately $2 billion in data center assets as it seeks external partners to co-develop AI infrastructure. The move reflects the rising cost of supporting generative AI. (Reuters) The unsold assets, currently classified as land and construction-in-progress, will be transferred to a third party within a year. Meta aims to … Read more
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg cautioned on August 1 that cyberattacks today can cause damage equivalent to traditional military strikes. He emphasized the need for collective cyber defense across alliance members. (Reuters) Speaking at the Brussels summit, Stoltenberg called for increased investment in AI-enabled cybersecurity tools, cross-border threat intelligence, and mechanisms to coordinate rapid response … Read more