Briefing Desk
Latest Briefings
Concise reporting on the developments shaping internet governance and infrastructure. Browse each area for recent news, context and watchpoints.
Automakers Magna to trial Sanctuary AI’s humanoid robots
OUR TAKE The partnership between Sanctuary AI and Magna, along with similar collaborations in the automotive industry, signals a growing trend of integrating humanoid robots into manufacturing processes. However, the success of these initiatives will depend on obtaining a tangible return on investme…
Apple uses AI technology to overhaul Mac product line
Apple M4 computer processor is coming soon Apple is about to produce an M4 computer processor with AI processing power and plans to update every Mac model with it. The company is reportedly aiming to release updated computers late this year and early next year, including a new iMac, a low-end 14-inc…
DuckDuckGo bundles VPN with privacy protection
DuckDuckGo has launched a new Privacy Pro subscription that bundles VPN services, personal information deletion, and identity theft recovery.
Ethereum’s EIP-3074: Making normal wallets ‘smart’
Ethereum’s upcoming Pectra upgrade, featuring EIP-3074, is set to transform crypto wallets with smart contract capabilities. EIP-3074 makes waves in crypto wallets The upcoming Ethereum Pectra upgrade, expected around late 2024 or early 2025, promises a wave of enhancements for crypto enthusiasts wo…
WhatsApp trials Meta AI in India and other markets
WhatsApp is testing Meta AI, its large language model-powered chatbot, with users in India and some other markets. Meta begins to test Meta AI in India In a strategic move to harness its vast user base, WhatsApp, a subsidiary of Meta, has initiated testing of its large language model-powered chatbot…
ChatGPT upgrade: More direct, less verbose
OpenAI’s popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT, has received a significant upgrade, offering premium users access to an enhanced version of GPT-4 Turbo. OpenAI updates ChatGPT with GPT-4 Turbo ChatGPT, OpenAI’s popular AI-powered chatbot, just got a big update, becoming more direct and less verbose. OpenAI an…
Dubai’s crypto regulation chief eases burden on small firms
Dubai’s VARA CEO Matthew White plans to lower compliance costs for small crypto firms, proposing a framework to include all players in the rapidly growing industry. White indicates his determination to create a fair environment for competence In a bid to level the playing field for small crypto firm…
iPhone users in 92 countries receive spyware attack alert
Apple sent a new round of threat alerts to some users in 92 countries on Thursday, warning them that their iPhones could be attacked by hired spyware, including Israel’s Pegasus spyware. The spyware attack The alert states, “Apple detected that you are being targeted by a mercenary spyware attack th…
Instagram to blur out nude images sent to teens in DMs
Instagram says it’s deploying new tools to protect young people and combat sexual extortion, including a feature that will automatically blur nudity in direct messages. The nudity-protection feature The social media platform said in a blog post on Thursday that it’s testing out the features as part …
SK aims for AI tech leadership and semiconductor market growth
The government is spearheading a $454 billion semiconductor “mega cluster” in Gyeonggi-do Province, aimed at centralising chip manufacturing.
DuckDuckGo launches VPN service in new Privacy Pro subscription
Privacy-focused consumer tech company DuckDuckGo launched a new Privacy Pro subscription on Thursday that bundles a VPN service, personal information removal, and identity theft restoration. DuckDuckGO‘s new plan Privacy Pro DuckDuckGo is a solid web browser for those who care a lot about privacy.…
Quad9 in Africa: Efficient solutions to enhance digital security
OUR TAKE:Wide-ranging benefits have been brought about by the fast expansion of Internet connectivity throughout Africa, but cybercriminals have also profited greatly from this development. Nonetheless, as organisations and governments move to put cybersecurity policies into place and create a workf…
Embracing self-hosted email: Response to compliance demands
The discussion around self-hosted and decentralized email solutions is gaining momentum as major providers like Google, Yahoo, and Outlook announce stricter compliance standards. These standards, aiming to enhance email deliverability and combat spam, emphasize crucial security measures such as SPF …
ICANN 80 preview: How to create a sustainable internet?
ICANN 80 Policy Forum will take place in Kigali, Rwanda, spanning from 10–13 June 2024. This four-day meeting will delve into critical issues facing the Internet ecosystem. About ICANN 80 Policy Forum ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, is a global multistakeholder group …
RIPE NCC engages in ITU Forum, boosts work with CIS countries
Discussions at the forum focused on capacity-building and IPv6 deployment in Asia, with exchanges with Armenian and Kazakh operator unions.
Apple will open the iPhone to repair with used parts
Apple will open iPhone self-repair program to allow used parts and take a very serious stance on tracking used parts.
A European automaker will operate Sanctuary AI’s humanoid robot
Sanctuary AI has announced that it will be delivering humanoid robots to a manufacturing facility in Magna. Magna earlier invested in Sanctuary AI, who have a pilot project. Phoenix is Sanctuary’s robot. Specific details of the project have not been disclosed. The focus is on improving cost and scal…
Spotify and Substack team up for broader distribution
Substack shows are now on Spotify, a partnership that allows Substack podcast creators to add Spotify distribution to their shows with just “a few clicks.” Last year, Substack abandoned its exclusive podcast ambitions in favour of wider distribution, including a non-exclusive contract renewal with f…
Meta Platforms launch AI accelerator chip for a new generation
The Meta platforms announced details of the company’s upgrade version of AI chip on Wednesday. AI chip by Meta Meta Platform presented its next generation of artificial intelligence accelerator chip on Wednesday, a meta-custom chip for Meta’s AI workload. Meta has been involved in this project named…
European carmaker will pilot Sanctuary AI’s humanoid robot
Sanctuary AI announces the delivery of its new humanoid robot which stands 5’7″ and lifts 55 lb to a Magna manufacturing facility.
Google Cloud to boost AI and research for three industries
Google Cloud’s expansion to three financial institutions signals a significant advancement in digital capabilities, enhancing research, security, and client experiences. Google Cloud’s financial expansion: Transforming industry capabilities Who is Michelle Zatlyn? The Cloudflare COO had z…
Mastercard introduces three divisions in restructuring effort
Mastercard’s strategic restructuring introduces three divisions led by seasoned executives, aiming to diversify revenue streams and bolster product innovation. Mastercard’s organizational revamp: Introducing three new divisions Global payments behemoth Mastercard has announced intentions to restruct…
Spot bitcoin ETFs options trading decision postponed
The SEC extends review on options trading for bitcoin ETFs, responding to NYSE’s proposal. Grayscale CEO pushes for approval, while Cboe awaits decision. SEC postpones decision on bitcoin ETF options trading The Securities and Exchange Commission has postponed its decision regarding approval of a ru…
DFI launches multipurpose EV charging platform
DFI’s electric vehicle (EV) charging platform can run multiple operating systems simultaneously with just one Intel CPU.
Sandia: Can empty oil and gas reservoirs hold carbon-free fuels?
Why is the problem of storing hydrogen underground worth solving? The reason why this problem is worth solving is that hydrogen, as one of the keys to clean energy, has great potential in energy transition and carbon reduction. Efficient storage of hydrogen can promote its widespread use, promote th…
StepN launches $30M airdrop campaign to reward loyal community
Move-to-earn lifestyle app StepN, built on the Solana blockchain, is airdropping 100 million FSL points, worth approximately $30 million, to its users. StepN airdrops FSL points to reward loyal community StepN, the innovative fitness app, has unveiled a generous airdrop campaign of 100 million FSL p…
Single Apple retail store files to unionise
Apple employees at the Short Hills store in New Jersey seek union representation, echoing a trend in corporate America.
Meta debuts an ‘all-rounder’ MTAI chip 3 times faster than previous
Meta Platform unveiled details of the company’s next-generation in-house AI accelerator chip on Wednesday. The next-generation chip will be more powerful and able to train its ranking models faster. What’s special about this new AI chip Compared to Meta Training and Inference Accelerator (MTIA) v1, …
Amazing flying machines shown at Sun ’N Fun Expo showcase
Sun ’N Fun Aerospace Expo attracts aviation enthusiasts around the world and attendees without a pilot’s license can also fly Hexa.
US Rep proposes bill forcing AI companies to disclose training data
Adam Schiff, a Democrat representative from California, proposed a new bill on Tuesday that would force AI companies to disclose data used to train their models before releasing the system. The bill, officially called the “Generative AI Copyright Disclosure Act”, requires that any AI company submit …
Telecom Infra launches neutral host project group, improving service spec
Telecom Infra Project (TIP)’s board of directors has approved its Neutral Host & Infra Sharing Project Group (Neutral Host PG) ’s charter, aiming at unlocking the economic benefits of shared infrastructure across a wider spectrum of products and services. nLighten acquires 7 data centres …
Vietnam ramps up efforts in semiconductor chip industry
Vietnam is determined to build a self-reliant semiconductor chip industry and the military-run telecom company Viettel will contribute to creating a foundation according to a Vietnamese government’s statement released on Tuesday. The statement cited Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, that Vi…
Google brings AI-powered editing tools to all users for free
Google announced that several enhanced AI-powered editing features will be available to all Google Photos users free of charge.
DFI unveils multi-function EV charging application
DFI launched its new electric vehicle charging application, enabling multiple systems to operate simultaneously.
At $149, Kobo brings colour to its e-reader for the first time
OUR TAKE It’s exciting that Kobo is about to release two colour e-readers. E-readers are predominantly black and white displays, which are excellent for reading text but relatively limited in the presentation of content such as pictures and charts. With the introduction of colour e-readers, it is ab…
Qualcomm and Qt to bring Systems on Modules (SoMs) to market
The Qt Group and Qualcomm have declared their partnership to expedite the creation of sophisticated graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and software quality assurance for industrial loT devices. Benefits of the collaboration include faster time-to-market for devices, ease of development of modular syst…
Qualcomm unveils AI-Ready IoT platform at Embedded World 2024
Qualcomm unveiled its RB3 Gen 2 IoT platforms designed for IoT and embedded applications at this week’s Embedded World conference in Nuremberg, Germany. These platforms are compatible with artificial intelligence, computer vision, and camera sensors for use in robots, drones, industrial handheld dev…
Le Reve uses TallyPay QR Code: Facilitating account management in Bangladesh
OUT TAKE:The fierce competition for cashless payments is everywhere, both online and offline. The development trend of cashless payment is actually to cater to the needs of young people. At the same time, the continuous innovation of payment methods will also improve the convenience of customers’ co…
Beiersdorf streamlines ocean shipping with Transporeon
Beiersdorf AG has partnered with Transporeon, a Trimble Company, to transform its transport operations through an end-to-end ocean booking and shipment management system – Transporeon’s Transportation Management Platform. This technology service streamlines global collaboration among multiple stake…
EdCity’s ‘Computational Thinking’ workshops foster game creation with Microsoft MakeCode
The series of four ‘Computational Thinking’ online workshops, supported by Hong Kong Education City (EdCity), drew to a successful close in March 2024, marking a milestone achievement in digital education. Over 800 students from 105 primary and secondary schools actively participated in these enrich…
TransferGo raises $10M, doubles valuation for Asia expansion
UK-based fintech TransferGo raises £10 million from Taiwania Capital to fuel Asia-Pacific expansion, doubling its valuation, as CEO highlights consumer focus driving company’s profitability and growth. Expansion in Asia-Pacific: TransferGo secures £10 million funding for growth TransferGo, the UK-ba…
FinTech Scotland heads to New York for innovation spotlight
FinTech Scotland partners with UK Department for Business and Trade, sending Scottish fintech firms to New York for Tartan Week and FinTech Week, aiming to boost global presence. HSBC and HKSTP collaborate to propel HK fintech development Spotlight on Scottish Fintech: Delegation heads to…
VanEck CEO predicts ether ETFs will be deniedin May
VanEck’s CEO has warned of slim odds for SEC approval of ether ETFs in May, citing regulatory silence. Analysts revise outlook downward. Low probability of SEC approving spot ether ETFs in May According to the Chief Executive Officer of the investment company VanEck, the probability of the United St…
Japan poised to be part of AUKUS security pact
The Trilateral Security Partnership Alliance, comprising Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States (AUKUS), is discussing whether Japan should be allowed to join the alliance. Two stages of Aukus The first pillar of AUKUS was launched in September 2021 with the aim of the three countries …
Intel reveals details of new AI chip to take on Nvidia
Intel released the latest generation of AI chips, Gaudi3 at Intel Vision 2024 on Tuesday. The new Gaudi 3 chip Intel says its new Gaudi 3 chip can train specific large-scale language models 50% faster than NVIDIA’s previous-generation H100 processor. It is also capable of computing generative AI res…
Google is investing $1 billion in subsea cables connected to Japan
Google is investing $1 billion to improve digital connectivity between the United States and Japan with two new subsea cables.
Blue Planet launches first multi-cloud native OSS platform
Blue Planet announces improvement to intelligent automation software portfolio, launching industry’s only multi-cloud native OSS platform.
Musk to visit India, expected to announce Tesla’s factory plan
Elon Musk plans India visit to announce Tesla’s factory investment amid tariff compromise, facilitating market entry.
Foxconn considers rotating CEOs in management reshuffle
Foxconn, considering a rotating CEO system, aims to develop future leaders and enhance governance, responding to investor demands.
LunarCrush CEO: Crypto action not as busy as previous spikes
LunarCrush CEO Joe Vezzani predicts that even with the upcoming bitcoin halving, there might not be a significant shift in retail engagement. The enthusiasm among retail investors is inversely proportional to the crypto market As bitcoin and other digital asset prices continue their upward trajector…