24, Meta closed at $390 a share to
pass $1 trillion in market cap, CNBC reports.
.
The last time that the company surpassed $1 trillion in market cap was in 2021 under the Facebook name.
The last time that the company surpassed $1 trillion in market cap was in 2021 under the Facebook name.
That was also the first time
the company reached the milestone.
.
Meta's improved stock performance
follows a surge of almost 200% last year.
The surge came as CEO Mark Zuckerberg implemented cost-cutting tactics such as laying off over 20,000 people.
The surge came as CEO Mark Zuckerberg implemented cost-cutting tactics such as laying off over 20,000 people.
Zuckerberg referred to 2023 as a
"year of efficiency," CNBC reports.
.
The CEO recently announced that
Meta will acquire 350,000 H100 Nvidia graphics cards by the end of 2024...
The CEO recently announced that
Meta will acquire 350,000 H100 Nvidia graphics cards by the end of 2024...
... in addition to "almost 600k H100 equivalents
of compute if you include other GPUs." .
Meanwhile, Microsoft hit a market cap milestone
on Jan.
WhatsApp Is Rolling Out , Passkeys for iOS.
The announcement was made on April 24.
WhatsApp passkey support on iPhones
comes months after Meta's encrypted messaging app made the feature available
to Android users, The Verge reports. .
Passkeys are meant to replace passwords because they are more secure and convenient.
They also enable you to sign in when disconnected from a network.
To enable passkeys for WhatsApp on
iOS, open settings, then go to accounts,
which is where you'll find the option.
However, rollouts can take time, so keep checking if you don't see passkeys right away.
WhatsApp spokesperson Zade Alsawah
said more people should see the option
"in the coming weeks.".
Alsawah also said that a QR code from
"Linked Devices" will still need to be scanned to log into the platform on other devices.
“since Mac, Windows and web can’t
be primary devices for an account.”
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Jon Stewart is saying that Apple asked him not to talk to the Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan on his former Apple show 'The Problem with Jon Stewart.' Khan, who became chair of the FTC in 2021, has made a name for herself for being an outspoken critic of the business practices of Big Tech companies like Amazon and Meta and has been praised by both Democrats and Republicans for her antitrust efforts. Khan was a guest on Monday's episode of Comedy Central's 'The Daily Show,' where Stewart made the revelation.
Credit: The Hollywood Reporter Duration: 01:47Published
Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer promises immediate action if elected prime minister, focusing on stabilising and growing the economy, removing planning restrictions, and addressing the small boats issue. He emphasised that these changes could begin "absolutely straight away" and highlighted the importance of earning voter trust and confidence ahead of the election. "We must be laser focused on that from day one," Starmer insisted. Report by Covellm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer highlights the potential of AI while stressing the need for regulation to mitigate risks and manage job changes. "I do think it's got huge potential," he stated, noting the importance of a strong regulatory framework. Starmer believes the UK can effectively balance opportunities and risks, benefiting from advancements while protecting the workforce. Report by Covellm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Sir Keir Starmer has unveiled a pledge card with six "first steps" the Labour Party would take if it were to form a government after the next general election. The steps include measures to invest in the NHS, education and policing, to set up a new national energy company and an elite border force, and to promote economic stability. The move, unveiled during a campaign speech in Essex, is reminiscent of Tony Blair’s five pledges ahead of Labour’s landslide victory in 1997, and less favourably of Ed Miliband’s promises carved into stone in 2015. Report by Jonesia. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
The UK Health Security Agency said 22 cases of cryptosporidium, a waterborne disease caused by a microscopic parasite, had been confirmed in Brixham. The disease causes sickness and diarrhoea. South West Water had opened two bottled water collection points. Report by Covellm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Conservative Party chairman Richard Holden downplayed Labour’s key election campaign as being “Keir Starmer’s sixteenth relaunch in a few months.” Responding to Sir Keir Starmer’s speech, in which the Labour leader unveiled a pledge card with six “first steps” his party would take if it were to win power, Holden described Starmer as a “serial promise-breaker who doesn’t have the courage or conviction to stick to a single pledge he has ever made.” Report by Covellm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Key Federal Reserve Inflation Gauge , Rose 2.8% in March.
According to Commerce Department
data released on April 26.
the personal consumption expenditures
(PCE) price index, not including food or energy, rose 2.8% year-over-year in March. .
That exceeded Dow Jones
estimates of 2.7%, CNBC reports. .
When also accounting for food and energy, the all-items PCE measure rose 2.7%,
which was above the 2.6% estimate.
Inflation reports released this morning
were not as a hot as feared, , George Mateyo, chief investment officer at Key Wealth, via CNBC.
... but investors should not get
overly anchored to the idea that
inflation has been completely
cured and the Fed will be cutting
interest rates in the near-term, George Mateyo, chief investment officer at Key Wealth, via CNBC.
The prospects of rate cuts remain,
but they are not assured, and the
Fed will likely need weakness in
the labor market before they
have the confidence to cut, George Mateyo, chief investment officer at Key Wealth, via CNBC.
Consumers continue to spend despite
higher prices, CNBC reports.
Personal spending increased 0.8% in March, while personal income rose 0.5%.
The personal saving rate dropped to 3.2% as more people are having to dip into their savings to cover the cost of living.
The Fed continues to target 2% inflation, which the core PCE has exceeded for
the last three years, CNBC reports.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
Netflix Exceeds Earnings Estimates , As Subscribers Increase.
Netflix Exceeds Earnings Estimates , As Subscribers Increase.
Netflix released a Q1 earnings report on April 18, indicating that its number of subscribers jumped 16% year-over-year to reach 269.6 million.
Analysts only expected the streamer to have about 264.2 million subscribers, CNBC reports. .
The company also brought in $9.37 billion in revenue versus analysts' expectations of $9.28 billion. .
However, Netflix said that its membership numbers are no longer the main factor contributing to the company's growth.
As a result, the company will stop providing "quarterly membership numbers or average revenue per user" beginning in 2025, CNBC reports. .
Instead, it will divulge "major subscriber milestones as we cross them.".
Price hikes, terminating password sharing
and offering an ad-supported tier are all tactics that have boosted revenue.
Netflix is also seeking to gain traction within the video game space and recently partnered with TKO Group Holdings to offer WWE on the platform.
We’re in the very early days of
developing our live programming and
I would look at this as an expansion of
the types of content we offer, the way
we expanded to film and unscripted and
animation and most recently games, Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, via earnings call.
We believe that these kind of event cultural
moments like the Jake Paul and Mike Tyson
fight are just that kind of television, and we
want to be part of winning over those
moments with our members as well, so that
for me is the excitement part of this, Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, via earnings call.
As of the morning of April 18,
Netflix's stock was up 27%
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
Google Fires Employees , for Protesting Israel Contract.
28 Google workers have been fired for protesting
a $1.2 billion contract that the company has with
the Israeli government and military to provide
cloud and AI services, NBC News reports. .
The firings follow an April 16 sit-in at
Google's offices in California, New York and Seattle in which nine workers were arrested.
The group that coordinated the demonstration
is known as No Tech for Apartheid. .
Google issued a statement about the recent firings.
A small number of employee
protesters entered and disrupted
a few of our locations. , Google spokesperson, via statement.
Physically impeding other employees’
work and preventing them from
accessing our facilities is a clear
violation of our policies, and
completely unacceptable behavior. , Google spokesperson, via statement.
We have so far concluded
individual investigations that
resulted in the termination of
employment for 28 employees,
and will continue to investigate
and take action as needed, Google spokesperson, via statement.
No Tech for Apartheid claims that the
workers were fired "indiscriminately.".
This excuse to avoid confronting
us and our concerns directly,
and attempt to justify its illegal,
retaliatory firings, is a lie, No Tech for Apartheid, via statement.
Meanwhile, many of Google's workers have
reportedly quit after experiencing "mental health consequences of working at a company that is using their labor to enable a genocide," No Tech for Apartheid said.
On a personal level, I am opposed
to Google taking any military
contracts — no matter which
government they’re with or what
exactly the contract is about. , Cheyne Anderson, a Google Cloud software engineer based
in Washington who was arrested during a sit-in, to CNBC
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Amazon Cuts Hundreds , of Cloud Computing Jobs.
An Amazon Web Services (AWS)
spokesperson issued a statement about
the job cuts on April 3, CNBC reports. .
We’ve identified a few targeted areas of
the organization we need to streamline
in order to continue focusing our efforts
on the key strategic areas that we
believe will deliver maximum impact, AWS spokesperson, via statement.
We didn’t make these decisions
lightly, and we’re committed
to supporting the employees
throughout their transition to new
roles in and outside of Amazon, AWS spokesperson, via statement.
Cuts are being made to the store technology division “as a result of a broader strategic shift in the use of some applications in Amazon’s owned as well as in third-party stores,” the spokesperson said.
The layoffs come after Amazon announced that it was ending its Just Walk Out technology in Fresh stores.
The cashierless technology is overseen
by teams within the AWS unit. .
Beginning in 2022, Amazon started
its largest layoffs in history by letting
go of 27,000 roles company-wide. .
So far in 2024, the retail behemoth has cut jobs at Audible, Buy with Prime, Prime Video, MGM Studios and Twitch, CNBC reports. .
This latest round of cuts will
allow U.S. employees to collect pay
and benefits for a minimum of 60 days.
They will also be offered a severance package.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
UPS to Become US Postal Service’s , Main Air Cargo Provider.
On April 1, United Parcel Service announced
that it will replace FedEx as the primary air
cargo provider for the USPS, CNBC reports. .
On April 1, United Parcel Service announced
that it will replace FedEx as the primary air
cargo provider for the USPS, CNBC reports. .
FedEx is walking away from a
22-year partnership after failing to
secure a better contract with the agency. .
FedEx is walking away from a
22-year partnership after failing to
secure a better contract with the agency. .
In fiscal year 2023, USPS paid FedEx $1.73 billion
for its services, down from the $2.4 billion
FedEx received in fiscal year 2020.
The decrease in payments was partially due
to the postal service using more economical
trucks in place of planes, CNBC reports. .
The parties were unable to reach
agreement on mutually beneficial
terms to extend the contract, FedEx, via securities filing.
Since FedEx will lose nearly $2 billion in annual
business from letting go of the contract, .
hundreds of pilots will likely
lose their jobs, CNBC reports .
Following the announcement, UPS shares
increased 1.4% while FedEx stock dropped 1.6%.
FedEx's current contract is
set to expire on Sept. 29
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
Indian Cyber Coordination Centre and Microsoft collaborate to block over 1,000 Skype accounts linked to cyber fraud by fraudsters posing as police or government.. IndiaTimes
Microsoft Makes $1.5 Billion , Investment in Leading , UAE Technology Firm.
Microsoft Makes $1.5 Billion , Investment in Leading , UAE Technology Firm.
'The Independent' reports that Microsoft has announced
a $1.5 billion investment in a leading United Arab
Emirates-based artificial intelligence firm. .
'The Independent' reports that Microsoft has announced
a $1.5 billion investment in a leading United Arab
Emirates-based artificial intelligence firm. .
The deal, overseen by the UAE's powerful national security
adviser, will see Microsoft president Brad Smith join
technology holding company G42's board of directors.
The deal, overseen by the UAE's powerful national security
adviser, will see Microsoft president Brad Smith join
technology holding company G42's board of directors.
The UAE's national security adviser,
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is the
current chairman of G42's board of directors. .
In a statement released on April 16, Microsoft
said the deal “was developed in close consultation
with both the UAE and U.S. governments.”.
In a statement released on April 16, Microsoft
said the deal “was developed in close consultation
with both the UAE and U.S. governments.”.
G42, which runs data centers in the Middle East
and elsewhere, has built the world's leading
Arabic-language AI model, Jais. .
According to Microsoft, G42 will move its
AI applications and services over to the U.S.
tech giant's cloud computing platform. .
According to Microsoft, G42 will move its
AI applications and services over to the U.S.
tech giant's cloud computing platform. .
The deal will also look to bring digital infrastructure
to regions that G42 has already established
a presence, including the Middle East and Africa.
'The Independent' reports that G42 previously cut ties with
Chinese hardware suppliers to limit U.S. concerns that
the company was closely tied to the Chinese government.
'The Independent' reports that G42 previously cut ties with
Chinese hardware suppliers to limit U.S. concerns that
the company was closely tied to the Chinese government.
Prior to Microsoft's investment, the company
reportedly faced allegations of spying for its
connection to a mobile phone app identified as spyware.
The tech company also faced accusations
that it gathered genetic material from
U.S. users for the Chinese government. .
The tech company also faced accusations
that it gathered genetic material from
U.S. users for the Chinese government.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
US Government Emails With Microsoft , Were Stolen by Russian Hackers.
On April 11, American officials confirmed
that emails sent between Microsoft and
U.S. government agencies have been
stolen by Russian hackers, CNN reports. .
According to Eric Goldstein, a senior
official at the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), .
those emails may have included login information like usernames and passwords.
At this time, we are not aware of any
agency production environments that
have experienced a compromise as
a result of a credential exposure. , Eric Goldstein, a senior official at the U.S. Cybersecurity
and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), via CNN.
Even though there is currently no evidence that the stolen credentials have been used to compromise federal computer systems, .
CISA described the occurrence as an "unacceptable risk to agencies.".
As a result, the agency released an "emergency directive" on April 11 ordering those potentially affected by the hack to bolster their defenses. .
The hack was first revealed by
Microsoft in January, but it has gotten more serious as new details continue to emerge.
CNN reports that the U.S. has
previously linked the hackers in question
to Russia's foreign intelligence service. .
A Microsoft spokesperson
issued a statement on April 11.
As we shared in our March 8 blog,
as we discover secrets in our
exfiltrated email, we are working
with our customers to help them
investigate and mitigate, Microsoft spokesperson, via CNN.
This includes working with CISA on
an emergency directive to provide
guidance to government agencies, Microsoft spokesperson, via CNN
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
NYC’s AI Chatbot Has Been , Telling Businesses to Break the Law.
New York City's AI chatbot was created to help small business owners, but it's been dispensing concerning advice, AP reports. .
For example, many small business owners have
been given inaccurate information about local policies or been encouraged to break the law.
However, the city is not removing
the chatbot from its official website.
Instead, it has provided a disclaimer stating that the chatbot may "occasionally produce incorrect, harmful or biased" information.
Critics say that the situation highlights
the dangers of AI being used by
governments without proper guardrails.
They’re rolling out software that
is unproven without oversight, Julia Stoyanovich, computer science professor
and director of the Center for Responsible AI
at New York University, via statement.
It’s clear they have no intention
of doing what’s responsible, Julia Stoyanovich, computer science professor
and director of the Center for Responsible AI
at New York University, via statement.
There’s a different level of trust that’s
given to government. Public officials need
to consider what kind of damage they can
do if someone was to follow this advice
and get themselves in trouble, Jevin West, a professor at the University of Washington and
co-founder of the Center for an Informed Public, via statement.
Microsoft, which powers the chatbot, said it
is working with the city "to improve the service
and ensure the outputs are accurate and
grounded on the city’s official documentation.".
On April 2, Mayor Eric Adams said that
letting users find issues with the chatbot is just part of sorting out the new technology.
Anyone that knows technology knows this
is how it’s done. Only those who are fearful
sit down and say, ‘Oh, it is not working the
way we want, now we have to run away from
it all together.’ I don’t live that way, Mayor Eric Adams, via statement.
Julia Stoyanovich, a computer science professor and director of the Center for Responsible AI at New York University, referred to Adams' approach as "reckless and irresponsible," AP reports.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
OpenAI and Microsoft Make Plans , for $100 Billion Data Center.
According to The Information, the two companies are planning to build a data center that would house an AI supercomputer
called "Stargate," Reuters reports.
According to The Information, the two companies are planning to build a data center that would house an AI supercomputer
called "Stargate," Reuters reports.
The project, which could cost $100 billion or more, is reportedly set to launch in 2028.
The tentative cost is roughly 100 times
more expensive than some of the
biggest data centers that exist today. .
Demand for AI data centers has increased due to
the rapid advancement of generative artificial intelligence technology, Reuters reports. .
This is because traditional data
centers aren't as capable of handling
the advanced tasks that AI requires. .
Several supercomputers
would be built across five phases.
"Stargate" would be launched in the fifth phase, while a smaller supercomputer would be launched
in the fourth phase, tentatively around 2026.
Microsoft and OpenAI are reportedly
in the third phase currently.
We are always planning for
the next generation of infrastructure
innovations needed to continue
pushing the frontier of AI capability, Microsoft spokesperson, to Reuters .
The cost for the next two phases largely revolves around acquiring expensive AI chips.
In March, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said
that the newest "Blackwell" B200 AI chip
will cost between $30,000 and $40,000
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published