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This week, Apple finally added support for it. Rich Communication Services (RCS) has been added to Messages as part of the second developer beta of iOS 18. Until now, iPhone users could only send SMS or MMS messages from the Messages app to people who didn’t have an Apple device. You can now share high-quality images and get read receipts and typing indicators when messaging with Android users – but the text bubbles are still green.
OpenAI is delaying its release Its new voice mode. The company had planned to launch Advanced Voice Mode in alpha for a small group of ChatGPT Plus users in late June, but said pending issues forced it to postpone the launch to sometime in July. The company says that based on internal security and reliability checks, Advanced Voice Mode may not launch for all ChatGPT Plus customers until autumn.
FCC proposes an easier way for consumers To unlock your phone This rule suggests to their carriers that all devices should be unlockable 60 days after purchase. This rule would potentially allow the phone to work with different mobile networks after that time period, but this could be difficult for today’s phone and wireless markets.
news
OpenAI releases ChatGPT for Mac: ChatGPT is now available to all macOS users via a new app. Mac users can quickly call up ChatGPT using the keyboard combination of Option + Space after installing the new app. Read more
Apple reportedly will not integrate Meta’s AI model: Days after The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple and Meta were in talks to integrate Meta’s AI models, a Bloomberg report says Apple has shelved the idea due to privacy concerns. Read more
Waymo ends its waiting list in San Francisco: Waymo has announced that anyone can now download its app and instantly summon a robotaxi in San Francisco, removing the final barrier for customers wanting to use self-driving technology. Read more
Zuckerberg denounces “closed” AI: In a new interview, Meta’s CEO said he doesn’t believe there will be “just one AI” and stressed the importance of open source AI. Zuckerberg also said that closed source AI competitors are trying to “create God.” Read more
Andrew Ng’s AI Fund is looking to raise a lot of money: Andrew Ng’s AI Fund plans to raise more than $120 million for its second attempt, according to a new SEC filing. The startup incubator supports small teams of experts to solve major problems using AI. Read more
Gemini AI comes to Gmail: Google is rolling out the Gemini AI side panel in Gmail to help you draft emails and find information from your inbox. The Gemini side panel will also be available in Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive. Read more
OpenAI continues its M&A campaign: OpenAI has acquired Mult, a startup developing an enterprise-focused, video-first collaboration platform. A source familiar with the matter told TechCrunch that most of Mult’s team will join OpenAI after the deal is completed. Read more
An eerie smiling robot with living skin: Will robots ever have living human skin? Researchers at the University of Tokyo and Harvard University are exploring this question – and they’ve come up with some pretty surprising results. Read more
Meta’s chatbots head to India: After a few months of testing during the general elections, Meta is making its Llama 3-powered AI chatbot available to all users in India. But Meta AI currently supports only English. Read more
Prosus reduces its stake in Byju’s to zero: One of Byju’s biggest investors said his once-valued $2.1 billion stake in the Indian edtech startup is now worthless. However, Prosus is still hopeful that Byju’s can be saved. Read more
Analysis
Silicon Valley is once again behaving strangely about DEI: DEI has become incredibly divisive. A prime example of the tension is the conversation started by Alexander Wang, founder of startup Scale AI, in which he discussed moving away from DEI and instead embracing “MEI” — meritocracy, excellence, and intelligence. But Dominic-Madory Davis and Kyle Wiggers write that, according to the data, “meritocracy” is no better than DEI. Read more
What Ayana Parsons’ resignation means: Fearless Fund co-founder Ayana Parsons is stepping down. The announcement comes after continued legal troubles and upheavals in tech that have resulted in a rise in anti-DEI sentiment. Julie Bort and Dominique-Madory Davis explain how the latest developments for Fearless Fund and publicly criticizing DEI are a sad reflection on the VC world for black women. Read more
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