What's New In the Consumer Tech World Last Week? News That You Should Know (June 16-June 21, 2024)
The Biden administration is reportedly set to ban the sale of Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab's software in the United States, citing potential national security risks.
Amid calls to limit phone usage among those under 18, the Los Angeles Board of Education voted on Tuesday to create a plan for public approval prohibiting phones entirely during the school day. Many other districts have implemented similar policies.
Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy has called to introduce warning labels on social media platforms. He cites significant mental health risks for adolescents as the primary reason behind this proposal.
Recently, four European tech firms have been selected as the first beneficiaries of the €1 billion ($1.1 billion) innovation fund set up by a consortium of NATO allies.
The European Union is set to vote on a controversial proposal that could potentially undermine encryption by allowing the scanning of private communications for illegal content. This has been slammed by Elon Musk-backed Signal app, and encrypted email provider, Proton.
Gaming
Sony Group Corp.’s (NYSE:SONY) FromSoftware, the developer of Elden Ring, has urged fans to avoid spoiling the upcoming expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, after significant details, including the final boss fight, were leaked online.
Nintendo ADR (OTC:NTDOY) announced notable upcoming releases, including “Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD” on June 27 and “Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition” on July 18.
Smartphones & Technology
Spotify Technology’s (NYSE:SPOT) platform recently added video support for all users in its latest foray to capture market share. The platform now has over 250,000 video podcast uploads, up from just 100,000 in 2023.
Despite Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META), formerly Facebook, promising to provide an age-appropriate experience for young users, it has been revealed that Instagram‘s algorithm continues to recommend sexually explicit content to accounts of teenagers.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) made waves with its AI-powered features, a new iOS update and a partnership that sparked a public spat with Elon Musk.
Apple’s new artificial intelligence offerings, unveiled last week, are set to roll out gradually, with some features not expected until 2025.
Apple CEO Tim Cook recently participated in a blind ranking of five iconic Apple products, during an interview. The lineup included the MacBook Air, iPad, iPhone 4 and 5, Magic Mouse and Vision Pro.
Apple intends to join forces with Japanese companies, including Canon, to bolster the development and popularity of its first-generation mixed-reality headset Vision Pro.
Apple is reportedly planning to launch a “significantly skinnier” iPhone 17 as part of a broader strategy to make its devices thinner.
Apple has unveiled its new AI features, collectively known as Apple Intelligence, which will only be available on the latest iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models. Now, Cupertino’s top executives have clarified that the features are not a ploy to drive new iPhone sales.
Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Google has added a new feature to its Chrome browser, “Listen to this page,” which enables the browser to read webpages aloud to users.
South Korean tech behemoth Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.’s (OTC:SSNLF) upcoming flagship Galaxy S25 is expected to feature Qualcomm Inc.’s (NASDAQ:QCOM) next-generation chipset exclusively.
Related: Qualcomm Stock Surges With Samsung Partnership For Galaxy S25: What’s Driving The Growth?
Snap Inc (NYSE:SNAP) announced the roll-out of new augmented reality experiences on Tuesday.
Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus and Anduril Industries, is working on a new headset that's designed to meet military specifications but will also cater to non-military applications.
Elon Musk
Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Monday reacted to a video of Jensen Huang, where the Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) CEO predicted that humanoid robots will soon become as common as cars.
Elon Musk‘s artificial intelligence startup, xAI, has reportedly seen an influx of former Tesla employees. This move has sparked controversy, with some accusing Musk of using Tesla as a talent pool for his other ventures.
Musk once again expressed his agreement with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs who, in an old interview, said, "The doers are the major thinkers."
Elon Musk made a surprising appearance at the Cannes Lions conference in France. The tech billionaire used the platform to address his previous outbursts and reassure advertisers about the platform's future.
Noland Arbaugh, the first human recipient of a Neuralink implant, is preparing to receive a second brain-computer interface implant. This was announced by Neuaralink founder Elon Musk on social media.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Microsoft Corp.’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) Japan president Miki Tsusaka has expressed her belief that the country’s rapid adoption of artificial intelligence could further boost its economy and technology sector.
Also Read: New Windows Vulnerability Poses Major Threat: Hackers Can Infect PCs Via Wi-Fi
Best Buy Co. (NYSE:BBY) is preparing for a monumental launch of Microsoft’s new AI-powered Copilot+ PCs, marking one of the most significant product debuts this year.
OpenAI co-founder and former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever announced his new AI venture, Safe Superintelligence Inc., or SSI, just a month after resigning from ChatGPT-parent.
SoftBank Group Corp. (OTC:SFTBY) founder, Masayoshi Son, revealed his intent to make a significant investment in artificial intelligence (AI).
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