Briefing Desk
Latest Briefings
Concise reporting on the developments shaping internet governance and infrastructure. Browse each area for recent news, context and watchpoints.
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Market / Trends / Global Trends / Global Cloud Services Trends
In this section: 26 briefingsNissan’s “The Arc”plan: 16 electric cars expected to be produced
Nissan announced a business plan called “The Arc” on Monday, March 25th local time. This plan is positioned as a bridge between Nissan NEXT’s corporate transformation plan (from fiscal year 2020 to fiscal year 2023) and Nissan’s ambitious 2030 vision (Nissan’s long-term vision), with 30 cars to be l…
Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2024 announced for June 10
Apple has announced, as expected, that its WWDC 2024 event will be a live event on 10 June at Apple Park in Cupertino, California. Artificial intelligence will be a major focus of the event. What we expect to know WWDC is typically the place where Apple talks up its upcoming software releases, so th…
Apple to hold Worldwide Developers Conference from June 10
Apple is holding its Worldwide Developers Conference from June 10 to June 14 and is said to be in talks for an AI partnership.
xAI’s chatbot Grok will be available to all premium subscribers
Musk said that Grok, a chatbot from AI startup xAI, will be enabled for all premium subscribers of social media platform X.
3D-printed units boost Marine life along Dublin Harbour
A unique eco-engineering project is deploying habitats along the walls of the Great Wall that could boost coastal Marine life.
Microsoft Teams is getting smarter Copilot AI features
Microsoft is improving the way its AI-powered Copilot works in Microsoft Teams, with a new way to call up the assistant during meeting chats.
USDT stablecoin issuer Tether hiring for AI division
Tether Operations Limited, the issuer, said it is trying to expand its artificial intelligence capabilities by establishing an artificial intelligence division. The latest recruitment Tether has established a new artificial intelligence department within the company, the stablecoin issuer announced …
Cybersecurity startup Cyera is raising up to $300 million to face AI
A cybersecurity startup called Cyera believes that the next big challenge for enterprise data protection will be artificial intelligence. The company is raising a large sum of money as the need for AI increases. Cybersecurity startup Cyera According to TechCrunch, Cyera, which builds AI-enhanced too…
0G Labs pre-invests $35 million to build modular AI blockchain
Why focus on modular blockchain Web3 infrastructure company 0G Labs has secured a $35 million seed round of funding. 0G it is creating a modular AI blockchain designed to alleviate the pain points of on-chain AI applications in the web3 ecosystem, such as speed and cost-effectiveness. Michael Heinri…
Foundry raises $80M to simplify access to AI cloud services
Former DeepMind scientists launch foundry Former Google DeepMind scientists have unveiled Foundry, a advanced cloud platform designed to democratize access to computing resources for AI training. The initiative has successfully secured a substantial $80 million in seed and series A funding, high…
Earth-2: Nvidia announces AI-powered weather forecasting digital twin
Nvidia has debuted a digital twin platform to simulate weather and climate conditions, in a bid to monitor and mitigate extreme weather changes as a result of rising global temperatures. Earth-2 by Nvidia The platform, called Earth-2, was announced last week at Nvidia’s GTC AI conference. “Climate d…
Martin Lund on Board to Expand Networking Hardware for Cisco
Why Martin? Martin Lund, who has extensive experience at companies like Microsoft and Broadcom, will serve as an executive vice president at Cisco to lead its Common Hardware Group and report directly to CEO Chuck Robbins. Tracing back to his previous careers, Martin has managed to acquire Dune Net…
Discover the next frontier in Wi-Fi 7 performance
Wi-Fi 6 and 6E vs Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E set new benchmarks for wireless performance, significantly improving network efficiency, capacity and speed. RF testing ensures efficient use of spectrum and minimisation of interference. Wi-Fi 7 provides industrial and home users with a wide range of d…
Xiaomi CEO teases price on upcoming SU7 electric car
Xiaomi’s CEO said on Monday his goal for the firm’s first electric vehicle was that it would be the “best looking, easiest to drive and smartest car” priced below 500,000 yuan (USD$69,424), as the Chinese electronics maker gears up for orders this week. Xiaomi SU7 on sale The company will on Thursda…
Royal Jordanian Airlines E2 Embraer fleet adds wi-fi with Viasat
Royal Jordanian Airlines plans to roll out high-speed Wi-Fi on its E2 Embraer jets by the end of the month.
UN Internet Governance Forum to be held in Riyadh in December
Riyadh will host the 19th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) held annually by the United Nations in December.
Goldman’s hedge-fund clients get more active with crypto options
Goldman Sachs sees hedge-fund clients re-entering cryptocurrency markets post-ETF approval, using crypto derivatives for various purposes.
Binance ends support for USDC on Tron blockchain
Binance announced it will end support for USDC stablecoin on the Tron blockchain network, but users can still trade USDC on Binance as usual. Binance and Circle have announced the cessation of USDC token minting on Tron Binance has declared its decision to discontinue support for deposits and withdr…
Stability AI CEO Emad Mostaque resigns to pursue decentralized AI
Stability AI founder and chief executive Emad Mostaque has stepped down from the top role and the unicorn startup‘s board, the firm said Friday night, making it the second hot AI startup to go through major changes this week. Mostaque’s resignment compounded the talent loss in Stability AI Stability…
Polygon zkEVM ongoing downtime due to blockchain sequencer issues
The cryptocurrency community has been speculating on the ongoing downtime, and Polygon has assured users that it is actively working to resolve the issue. zkEVM is experiencing downtime while Polygon reassured it will be solved Ethereum layer-2 scaling solution Polygon has announced that its zero-kn…
BMW presents the Vision Neue Klasse X concept
BMW announced a new concept car, the Vision Neue Klasse X, that the automaker says will inform the direction of its future lineup of electric vehicles. Vision Neue Klasse X For years, the automaker has been planning for the next stage in its EV evolution. The third phase is called the Neue Klasse, t…
Top tech news stories: March 25, 2024
Polygon zkEVM down due to issues with blockchain sequencer, BRICS announces new blockchain-based crypto payment system and other news.
Stability AI CEO resigns to ‘pursue decentralised AI’
Stability AI founder and chief executive Emad Mostaque has stepped down from the top role and the unicorn startup’s board, the buzzy firm said Friday night, making it the second hot AI startup to go through major changes this week. Current situation Stability AI, which has been backed by investors i…
Google integrates ENS data into its search results
Google has integrated Ethereum Name Service (ENS) data into its search results through data available from Etherscan. ENS data has been integrated into Google’s search results, convenient the users A former ENS core team member, Brantly Millegan, noticed that ENS data from Etherscan is now visible i…
Goldman Sachs raises Arista Networks target 14% to $356
Goldman adjusts its outlook on Arista Networks by increasing the stock’s price target to 356$ from the previous 313$.
Meet Cherry, an AI shopping assistant that helps you discover products using images
A new app from a startup called Cherry aims to transform the online shopping experience with its AI assistant, which allows users to discover products on the internet using only screenshots or images. The online shopping app Cherry The startup was founded by Ryan Kim, a software engineer with 20 yea…
Coverage
Market / Trends / Global Trends / Global Institutional Trends
In this section: 1 briefingThe Near Foundation reveals the protocol enabling chain signatures
Near is the chain abstraction stack, empowering builders to create apps that scale to billions of users across all blockchains. The new protocol enabling chain signatures aims to solve the complexities inherent in a multichain ecosystem to streamline the user experience. Protocol enabling chain sign…
Coverage
Market / Trends / Asia-Pacific Trends / Asia-Pacific Cloud Services Trends
In this section: 9 briefingsAlibaba drops Hong Kong IPO plan for logistics unit Cainiao
Alibaba Group Holding has decided to withdraw the initial public offering (IPO) of its Hong Kong logistics business, Cainiao, and has offered to buy all remaining shares in the unit. Alibaba’s big change The Hangzhou-based e-commerce giant said in a filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Tuesday …
Ant eyes Europe and US for its Alipay+travel payment service
Chinese financial company Ant Group is looking to expand the global reach of its cross-border mobile payments service, Alipay+. Alipay+ in Japan Unit president Douglas Feagin said in Tokyo on Tuesday that Ant International aims to considerably boost the number of partner wallets supported by Alipay+…
ByteDance-owned Douyin launches stand-alone shopping app in China
ByteDance-owned Douyin, the Chinese sister app of TikTok, has introduced a stand-alone e-commerce platform on the mainland. Douyin mall Douyin Mall was launched last week as a downloadable app for Android users in mainland China, the world’s largest smartphone market. A representative from this e-co…
APAC CDN Summit 2024: Looking to the future of CDN technology
Discover 2024 APAC CDN Summit in Beijing, where industry leaders showcase digital infrastructure advancements to enhance user experiences.
Apple to install Baidu AI on its iPhone 16 and other products in China
US tech giant Apple has picked Chinese search engine giant Baidu to provide the generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology for its coming iPhone 16 and other products in the mainland market this year. The cooperation Apple will use Baidu’s Ernie Bot for its iPhone 16, Mac OS and iOS 18 in Ch…
Chinese generative AI developers rush to upgrade chatbots to handle super-long texts
China’s biggest generative artificial intelligence (AI) developers, including Baidu and Alibaba Group Holding, have rushed to upgrade their chatbots so they can handle super-long texts of up to 10 million Chinese characters. Google Gemini The move follows Google, which in February unveiled the lates…
Unmanned wonders: Japan trials fully automated dam building
In the village of Higashinaruse, Akita Prefecture, Japan, an extraordinary development is underway: a dam construction site where 20 heavy machines operate autonomously, tirelessly working without a human in sight. This project represents the world’s first fully automated dam construction endeavor, …
Aubot’s Teleport: This robot will make your meetings more social
Aubot’s Teleport is a mobile teleconferencing robot designed to offer a more natural social experience. Founder of Aubot Marita Cheng, an Australian engineer with Hong Kong roots founded Aubot in 2013. This is a robotics company that aims to create products that help people with their daily lives. T…
Dutch chip equipment maker ASML’s supplier Neways is to build a new plant in Malaysia.
Neways, a key supplier to Dutch computer chip equipment maker ASML, announced on Friday that it will build a new plant in Klang, Malaysia. Neways Netherlands-based Neways, the global innovator in mission-critical technology for leading semiconductor, connectivity, and smart mobility companies and a …
Coverage
Market / Trends / North America Trends / North America Cloud Services Trends
In this section: 8 briefingsEliyan raises US$60million for chiplet interconnects that speed up AI chips
Eliyan has raised $60 million in funding for its chiplet interconnect technology that speeds up the processing for AI chips. Funding from other compannies Samsung Catalyst Fund and Tiger Global led the Series B round. They were joined by several other institutional backers, including Intel Capital a…
Top tech news stories today: March 27, 2024
From the web3 infrastructure firm 0G Labs build their modular AI blockchain to America’s FCC introduces IoT cybersecurity labelling, here’s the technology news you need to know today. 1. 0G Labs launches with whopping US$35M pre-seed to build a modular AI blockchain According to TechCrunch, as the c…
0G Labs raises US$35M pre-seed funding from crypto leaders
0G Labs, a web3 infrastructure firm, secured $35m in pre-seed funding from over 40 leading crypto institutions, including Hack VC and Stanford Builders Fund. Fundings from other companies As the crypto space heats back up, so has funding for new startups. 0G Labs, known as the pioneers of the first …
Meta, allies oppose Nevada’s child online protection rollback
US state Nevada’s push to relax online protections for children has sparked opposition from internet safety advocates. Led by Meta‘s Internet Technology Director, Dan York, a coalition of organisations is contesting Nevada’s bid to prevent Meta from implementing end-to-end encryption (E2EE) as the d…
FTX to sell majority of stake in Anthropic for US$884 million
The estate of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX is offloading about two-thirds of its 8% stake in artificial intelligence startup Anthropic for $884 million. Buyers Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX has struck a deal with a consortium of buyers to sell the majority of its stake in artificial intelligence star…
Top tech news stories today: March 26, 2024
No need to search through various websites for your daily tech roundup. We have it right here all in one place. 1. FTX estate selling majority stake in AI startup Anthropic for US$884 million, with bulk going to UAE Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX has struck a deal with a consortium of buyers to sell t…
BRICS announces blockchain payment system as US$ alternative
Russia has announced to utilise a new blockchain-based payment system within the BRICS alliance, intending to be user-friendly. A new blockchain-based payment system will be utilised in BRICS BRICS member Russia on Tuesday announced the creation of a new blockchain-based payment system. The blockcha…
Chinese chip maker SMIC may have violated US law to make Huawei chip
Chinese chip maker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) “potentially” broke American law if it manufactured a processor for sanctioned telecoms giant Huawei Technologies, a senior US official has said. The Chinese chip When asked by Representative Michael McCaul if Semiconduc…
Coverage
Market / Trends / Asia-Pacific Trends / Asia-Pacific Institutional Trends
In this section: 2 briefingsChina accused by UK and US of multiple ‘malicious’ cyber attacks
UK and US have claimed that several cyber attacks against government entities and critical infrastructure were orchestrated by Chinese.
Australia policy summit canvasses the digital assets platform issue
Ripple, the provider of enterprise blockchain and cryptocurrency services, has held its inaugural Australia policy summit in Sydney. This landmark discussion brought together nearly 200 global and local policymakers, regulators, and industry leaders to delve into regulatory developments in both Aust…
Coverage
Market / Trends / Africa Trends / Africa Cloud Services Trends
In this section: 2 briefingsBinance executive escapes Nigerian custody
An executive of cryptocurrency exchange Binance has escaped custody in Nigeria, where a criminal investigation into money laundering has been launched against the platform. The escape for Binance exec Nadeem Anjarwalla, the regional manager for Binance in Africa, “fled Nigeria using a smuggled passp…
African fintech Union54 launches chat + payment app
Zambia-based fintech company Union54 has launches a new social commerce platform called ChitChat, aiming to accelerate commerce across Africa. New social commerce platform ChitChat provides convenience for businesses in Africa ChitChat, the new social commerce platform developed in partnership with …
Coverage
Market / Trends / Europe and Middle East Trends / Europe and Middle East Cloud Services Trends
In this section: 1 briefingEricsson to lay off 1,200 workers in Sweden
Network and telecom technology developer Ericsson unveiled plans to cut 1,200 employees from its Sweden operations in the wake of a drop in sales and profits. This follows last year’s much larger cut of 8,600 employees. The process The Stockholm, Sweden-based developer of networking and communicatio…
Coverage
Market / Trends / Europe and Middle East Trends / Europe and Middle East Institutional Trends
In this section: 1 briefingUK fintech needs to be become ‘ubiquitech’ to benefit next generation
OUR TAKE:The report reveals the urgency of combining fintech with other sectors like healthcare and agriculture, through the digital economy. The UK has to perfect the legislation and investigation rules about fintech since the technologies are emerging at an astonishing speed. Otherwise, there will…