Top tech news stories today: September 11, 2024

Top tech news stories today: September 11, 2024 is profiled by BTW Media because public-source evidence links it to internet infrastructure, governance, operational dependencies, or market visibility.

IT infrastructure

1. Amazon to invest $10 billion in UK data centres

Internet giant Amazon’s cloud computing arm, Amazon Web Services, said on Wednesday that it plans to spend 8 billion pounds ($10.45 billion) in the United Kingdom over the next five years to build, operate and maintain data centres. (US News)

2. SpaceX Launches private space mission with billionaire crew on board

SpaceX successfully launched a crew of four—including a billionaire—as part of a private space mission known as Polaris Dawn early Tuesday, as the company looks to make history with the first-ever private spacewalk and the furthest crewed space flight since NASA’s Apollo moon missions more than 50 years ago. (Forbes)

3. Airbus CEO upbeat on new engine technology, but says jury still out

The head of European planemaker Airbus said novel open-rotor technology being tested by engine maker CFM International offers promising efficiencies and reductions in emissions but that the “jury is out” on whether it will be viable. (Market Screener)

4. Salesforce expands local cloud platform to Israel

The platform, two years in the making, will initially run on Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure and possibly later on Google Cloud Platform, company officials said. (Economic Times)

5. Americans used record 100 trillion megabytes of wireless data in 2023

Americans used just over 100 trillion megabytes of wireless data in 2023, up 36% over the prior year in the largest single-year increase in wireless data consumption, according to an industry survey released on Tuesday. (WestLaw Today)

6. OpenAI plans to release ‘Strawberry’ for ChatGPT in two weeks, Information reports

Artificial intelligence market leader OpenAI is reportedly preparing to launch its latest AI model, codenamed Strawberry, on ChatGPT in the next two weeks. (INC)

7. Rubrik shares fall as Microsoft-backed firm nears IPO lockup expiry

Shares of Rubrik fell more than 6% on Tuesday, as the markets braced for the expiry of a lockup period tied to its initial public offering, clouding the Microsoft-backed cybersecurity company’s upbeat second-quarter revenue. (MSN)

Tech trends

8. News Corp would have lost $9 million in 2017 by ditching Google ads, ex-exec testifies

News Corp in 2017 estimated losing at least $9 million in ad revenue that year if it had switched away from Google’s massive advertising apparatus, keeping the media conglomerate captive to the Big Tech company, a former News Corp executive testified on Tuesday. (US News)

9. Tech firms halve business travel in 2023 but Alphabet, Apple lag, study shows

Major tech firms halved flight emissions since 2019, but Alphabet and Apple risk returning to old habits without clear responds. (Finimize)

10. Apple’s iPhone 16 faces rising challenges with AI delay and growing Huawei competition

Apple’s iPhone 16 release failed to meet the expectations of many, especially in China, due to AI features still being in beta. (CryptoPolitan)

11. Huawei unveils US$2,800 Mate XT tri-fold handset in face-off with Apple’s iPhone 16

The Mate XT will officially go on sale on September 20, the same day that Apple kicks off its iPhone 16 retail sales on the mainland. (MY NEWS)

AI

12. Oracle shares jump as AI push perks up cloud demand

Oracle shares rose more than 10% on Tuesday as a push to embed AI into its cloud service products boosted its first-quarter results and helped it narrow the gap with market leaders. (US news)

13. AI search startup Glean announces new funding at $4.6 bln valuation

Enterprise AI search firm Glean raised over $260 million in a new funding round, doubling its valuation to $4.6 billion, as investor interest in startups that deploy artificial intelligence-powered services continues to grow. (US news)