Feb 4, 2024 Addis Ababa

Techኢት NightByte🌙      

Apple Vision Pro review: the infinite desktop

The $3,500 headset is very much still a work in progress, offering glimpses of a future that will live or die by developers

As the realities of corporate control settled into the internet, the notion of infinite canvas has somewhat fallen out of popular memory (inhabit a medium long enough and you’ll eventually bump up against its boundaries). Over the past eight months, however, the term is creeping back into popular use, courtesy of Apple. The company loves a catchy slogan — and they think you’re going to love it, too. McCloud’s term presciently touches upon some of the larger paradigm shifts the company is hoping to foster with its new $3,500 headset.

“Vision Pro creates an infinite canvas for apps that scales beyond the boundaries of a traditional display and introduces a fully three-dimensional user interface controlled by the most natural and intuitive inputs possible — a user’s eyes, hands, and voice,” Apple wrote in the first Vision Pro press release.

But where McCloud’s conception of the infinite canvas specifically applied to breaking free of the paper page by embracing the monitor, Apple’s vision of “spatial computing” is an effort to go beyond that monitor. In some ways, the product succeeds brilliantly, but in much the same way that holding your hands up in one of Apple’s “Virtual Environments” displays artifacting, that vision is currently still rough around the edges.

@TechInEthio

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2024/02/03/apple-vision-pro-review-the-infinite-desktop/

Feb 5, 2024 Addis Ababa

Techኢት ማለዳTech ☕️       
 
Secretive moon startup led by ex-Blue Origin leaders raises new tranche of funding

A stealth startup led by ex-Blue Origin leaders, focused on harvesting resources from the moon, has quietly closed a sizable new tranche of funding, according to regulatory documents.

Interlune, a startup that’s been around for at least three years but has made almost zero public announcements about its tech, has raised $15.5 million in new funding and aims to close another $2 million. A representative for Interlune declined to comment on this story.

@TechInEthio

Source:-
https://techcrunch.com/

Join us for a live Techኢት Mini-podcast on Sunday Feb 11, 2024, at 3LT(9PM) featuring Abdulaziz Zeinu and Abenezer Seifu, top scorers from the 2013 batch entrance exam || now A2SVians and 3rd Year Software Engineering Students at AAiT. Get ready for insights into their software engineering journey.

@TechInEthio

Feb 5, 2024 Addis Ababa
Techኢት NightByte🌙  

Title: Inside Apple’s Ambitious Plan to Integrate Generative AI Across Its Device Ecosystem

Apple, once considered a tech industry leader, faced a surprise challenge when ChatGPT and other AI tools gained prominence. In response, the company is now gearing up to revolutionize its approach, aiming to incorporate generative AI features across its entire range of devices.

Despite initial hesitance, Apple is on a mission to catch up with the AI revolution that has gripped the technology sector. Notably, competitors like Google and Microsoft introduced generative AI versions of their search engines, while Amazon enhanced Alexa with AI capabilities. Apple, on the other hand, primarily focused on refining the auto-correct system in iOS 17.

CEO Tim Cook acknowledges that Apple has been developing generative AI for years. However, insiders reveal that the company was taken aback by the sudden surge in AI advancements, prompting a swift response in the past year.

Apple unveiled its own large language model named Ajax and an internal chatbot named "Apple GPT" to explore functionality. The challenge now lies in ensuring that this technology matches or exceeds competitors' standards and determining how it will be integrated into Apple's product lineup.

Senior vice presidents John Giannandrea (AI) and Craig Federighi (software engineering) are leading the initiative, supported by Eddy Cue, the head of services. The trio is set to invest approximately $1 billion annually in this transformative project.

Giannandrea's team is focused on developing the underlying technology for a new AI system, with plans to enhance Siri significantly. Federighi's software engineering group is incorporating AI into the next iOS version, utilizing a large language model to improve Siri and the Messages app. Moreover, Apple's software engineering teams are exploring the integration of generative AI into development tools like Xcode to facilitate faster app development.

Eddy Cue's team is pushing to infuse AI into various apps, exploring features like auto-generated playlists in Apple Music and leveraging generative AI for productivity apps. Internal discussions are ongoing regarding the deployment of generative AI, considering options like on-device processing for privacy and speed versus a cloud-based setup for more advanced operations.

As Apple aims to regain its position in the AI landscape, the company acknowledges the high stakes involved in getting generative AI right. In an industry where generative AI is more than just a buzzword, Apple is positioning itself at the forefront of computing for the decades to come, determined not to take a back seat in this transformative era. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2023-10-22/what-is-apple-doing-in-ai-revamping-siri-search-apple-music-and-other-apps-lo1ffr7p

Remember that time Chinese hackers had a field day at the AU headquarters, exposing listening devices 👂 and Huawei servers doing a data dance all the way to Shanghai? Well, buckle up because with China's finger in every African pie, this spy 🕵‍♂ tale just got a sequel.

As the leaders gather for the summit, it's like a high-stakes game of "Who's Zooming Who?" in diplomatic relations. China's got more influence in Africa than your wife has over your social media passwords😅 So.. while everyone's shaking hands and making deals, don't forget to check your pockets for listening devices.. you never know who's tuning in for the latest gossip.

It's a diplomatic circus, and China's the ringmaster with a penchant for data acrobatics

February 6, 2024 Addis Ababa

Techኢት ማለዳTech ☕️

Songs by Taylor Swift, Drake and More Are Starting to Disappear From TikTok. Here's Why

Universal Music Group (UMG) has removed its music from TikTok due to an expired licensing deal, affecting artists like Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Drake, and even Ethiopian artist Rophnan.

TikTok users can't find UMG-licensed songs, impacting content creation. Past videos with this music may be muted or taken down.

The dispute involves compensation, AI music creation, and online safety. Negotiations are expected, and smaller artists face significant consequences. Additionally, Rophnan, an Ethiopian UMG artist, sees his music muted in TikTok videos.

@techinethio

Source: https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2024-02-01/songs-by-taylor-swift-drake-and-more-are-starting-to-disappear-from-tiktok-heres-why

Valentine is coming cheers 🥂 to the tech visionaries who made our Valentine's Day celebrations possible!

A shoutout to the genius minds behind Facebook and Instagram, the brilliant CEO of Telegram, and, for those with an eye for global connections, cheers to the brainpower behind Tinder. Let's also give a special nod to @leomatchbot , making love accessible to all budgets😂😂

To those still searching for their Valentine, seek wisdom from those who've found love using these social media wonders. Happy love-hunting, everyone! 💖

@techinEthio

📢 Quiz Night Alert! 🕛

Calling all Techኢት family! Join us for quiz night at 12:00LT! 🌐💻

See you there! 🚀