Techmeme: In 2023, US metaverse VC funding was ~$910M, the lowest in at least six years and below a $3.11B peak in 2021; no consumer metaverse US startup raised $100M+ (Joanna Glasner/Crunchbase News)

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January 16, 2024, 1:40 PM

Top News

Bloomberg:

SCOTUS refuses to hear Apple's and Epic's appeals, allowing an appeals court ruling that lets app developers steer users to other payment systems take effect — - Billions of dollars in revenue are at stake for iPhone maker — Fortnite maker seeks to open App Store to cheaper alternatives

IDC:

Global smartphone shipments declined 3.2% YoY to 1.17B units in 2023; in a first, Apple gained the top spot with 234.6M units, followed by Samsung with 226.6M — The last time a company not named Samsung was at the top of the smartphone market was 2010, and for 2023 it is now Apple.

Joe Rossignol / MacRumors:

Apple details select streaming and sports apps available on Vision Pro at launch, including Disney+, ESPN, MLB, PGA, Max, and TikTok; some will have 3D movies — Apple today revealed various streaming services and sports apps that will be available on the Vision Pro at launch, including Disney+ …

More: Apple, The Verge, AppAdvice, TechCrunch, PCMag, TechHive, Tom's Guide, The Walt Disney Company, Deadline, Appuals, GameSpot, Cult of Mac, TechRadar, The Streamable, Variety, iMore, TweakTown, Supercharged, and iDownloadBlog.com

Threads: @parkerortolani. X: @gartenberg, @maxwinebach, @stephenrobles, and @rsgnl. Forums: MacRumors Forums

See also Mediagazer

Christopher Dring / GamesIndustry.biz:

Ubisoft rebrands its $18/month tier as Ubisoft+ Premium and adds Ubisoft+ Classics on PC; executive Philippe Tremblay says Ubisoft has “millions” of subscribers — Ubisoft introduces its Classic service to PC; and ‘more to come’ on Activision Blizzard — Feature by Christopher Dring Head of Games B2B

Engadget:

Apple Vision Pro hands-on: eye and hand tracking are very accurate, but typing is frustrating, the killer app is watching movies, can feel heavy after 15+ min — We got hands-on with the device once more before its official launch, with some new features available to test this time.

More: The Verge, 9to5Mac, Apple TV+ Press, BGR, and The Apple Post

Threads: @jw, @jaypetersplus, @parkerortolani, @reckless1280, and @reckless1280. Mastodon: @paul@tapbots.social

X: @gartenberg, @snazzylabs, @tombielecki, and @markgurman

Thomas Seal / Bloomberg:

Vodafone and Microsoft sign a 10-year, $1.5B deal to develop AI, digital payments, IoT, and other businesses; Vodafone will use OpenAI tech for customer service — - Microsoft also plans to invest in Vodafone's IoT spinout — Vodafone will also use OpenAI technology in $1.5 billion deal

Joanna Glasner / Crunchbase News:

In 2023, US metaverse VC funding was ~$910M, the lowest in at least six years and below a $3.11B peak in 2021; no consumer metaverse US startup raised $100M+ — Almost nobody these days is spending much leisure time in the metaverse. Additionally, almost no investors are backing fresh rounds …

More: KnowTechie, Bloomberg, 9to5Google, and MacRumors

See also Mediagazer

Reuters:

Chip design software maker Synopsys plans to acquire 3D design simulation software maker Ansys in a $35B cash-and-stock deal, representing a ~29% premium — Chip design software maker Synopsys (SNPS.O) said on Tuesday it would buy Ansys (ANSS.O) in a $35 billion cash-and-stock deal …

More: New York Times, Financial Times, DatacenterDynamics, Bloomberg, eeNews Europe, HPCwire, TechStartups, Synopsys, Proactive, Barron's Online, CNBC, Wall Street Journal, and The Voice of 3D Printing

Bloomberg:

OpenAI VP Anna Makanju says the company is developing tools with the US DOD on open-source software and held talks on ways to assist preventing veteran suicide — OpenAI is working with the Pentagon on a number of projects including cybersecurity capabilities, a departure from the startup's earlier ban …

X: @samfbiddle and @samfbiddle

Will Nelson / PCGamesN:

Ned Luke, who voiced Michael De Santa in GTA 5, calls out WAME for using his voice in a since-removed chatbot: there is “nothing cool about ripping people off” — GTA 5 star Ned Luke has called out the use of his voice as part of an unofficial and now-removed Grand Theft Auto 5 AI chatbot from WAME.

More: PC Gamer, Video Games Chronicle, TechSpot, Eurogamer.net, IGN, Game Rant, Push Square, Gameranx, TheGamer, and Dot Esports

X: @ned_luke. Forums: Hacker News, r/gamingnews, Beehaw, and Slashdot

Zheping Huang / Bloomberg:

HashKey, which runs a licensed Hong Kong crypto exchange, raised a nearly $100M Series A at a $1.2B+ valuation; sources say OKX Ventures is a lead investor — - The company says its valuation now exceeds $1.2 billion — HashKey operates a licensed Hong Kong crypto exchange

More: HashKey Group, SiliconANGLE, Coinspeaker, CCN.com, Decrypt, crypto.news, Metaverse Post, Forbes, NFTgators, South China Morning Post, DealStreetAsia, FinSMEs, CoinGape, Cryptonews, The Block, Reuters, Cointelegraph, and financialpost

Bloomberg:

Elon Musk says he would prefer to build AI products outside of Tesla, unless he has ~25% voting control at the company; Musk currently has a 12%+ Tesla stake — - CEO suggests he'll build products elsewhere without 25% stake — He sold almost $40 billion of shares in 2022 to buy Twitter

More: Reuters, The Information, Ars Technica, The Hill, Silicon Valley Business …, New York Times, Cryptopolitan, TechEBlog, Cointelegraph, Barron's Online, 24/7 Wall St., Fortune, Livemint, CNBC, Wccftech, Electrek, The Verge, and DigiTimes

Threads: @keubikooriginal, @hoon_kim, @parkert, @ricochet_rowdy, @sofainatl, @lorakolodny, and @originalspin. Mastodon: @carnage4life@mas.to

X: @elonmusk, @elonmusk, @elonmusk, @buccocapital, @basedbeffjezos, @wholemarsblog, @fredericlambert, @sashayanshin, @austen, @wholemarsblog, @sawyermerritt, @andreasjames, @techau, @brij, and @snazzylabs

Sam Fleming / Financial Times:

A PwC survey of 4,702 CEOs: 25% expect generative AI to lead to 5%+ cuts in 2024, ~46% expect using generative AI to boost profitability in 12 months, and more — Impact of cutting-edge AI tools on work and society set to dominate discussions at World Economic Forum in Davos

More: Ars Technica, PwC, PYMNTS.com, Fortune, Business Today, Associated Press, SiliconANGLE, HBR.org, Cointelegraph, Bloomberg, Associated Press, VentureBeat, and Reuters

Forums: r/technology and r/technology

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From Mediagazer

Alex Isenstadt / Axios:

The White House launches White House Wire, a website that looks similar to the Drudge Report, to promote pro-Trump news stories

Mark Stenberg / Adweek:

WaPo plans to overhaul its events business, moving away from virtual events to 30 to 40 in-person experiences, including 10 major franchise-style gatherings

Colby Hall / Mediaite:

Steve Doocy says he will move to a new role as the dedicated host of Fox & Friends remote assignments; the show will continue to be hosted from its NYC studios

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More News

Jon Victor / The Information:

Source: Google has increasingly awarded select DeepMind researchers with large grants of restricted stock worth up to millions of dollars, to fend off OpenAI

X: @iatalkspace

Thomas Black / Bloomberg:

Quantinuum raised $300M, led by JPMorgan, valuing the quantum computing company at $5B; Honeywell remains the majority owner

More: Honeywell International Inc., Crunchbase News, Reuters, HPCwire, and Constellation Research

Rachel Metz / Bloomberg:

Tokyo-based Sakana AI, which is focused on building smaller AI models, raised a $30M seed led by Lux Capital, a source says at a $200M valuation

More: Reuters and Nikkei Asia

Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:

Tel Aviv-based Xyte, which helps hardware OEMs build subscription services for devices, raised a $20M Series A led by Intel Capital, plus a $10M credit line

More: SiliconANGLE and FinSMEs. X: @ingridlunden

Jess Weatherbed / The Verge:

Adobe adds beta AI audio editing tools in Premiere Pro, including labeling clips as dialogue, music, and more, and plans to roll out a dialogue clean-up tool

More: PetaPixel

Bloomberg:

Coinbase offering custody, trading, and financing to a majority of bitcoin ETF issuers, including BlackRock, poses concentration risk and may intensify scrutiny

More: Analytics Insight, Crypto Daily, Cryptopolitan, crypto.news, Cointelegraph, and Coinspeaker

Damilare Dosunmu / Rest of World:

How Spotify's on-the-ground work in Nigeria, like hiring local staff, contributed to the success of Afrobeats, which grew 550% on Spotify between 2017 and 2022

X: @anupkaphle

Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:

Despite nine years of music industry growth thanks to streaming, companies like Spotify and UMG are tightening payouts or laying off employees

More: Digital Music News and Music Ally

X: @lucas_shaw, @lucas_shaw, and @lucas_shaw

See also Mediagazer

Earlier Picks

Federico Maccioni / Reuters:

Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority grants OKX Middle East a license, allowing the crypto exchange to offer its services to retail clients in the UAE

More: OKX, Cryptonews, crypto.news, CoinGape, Crypto Briefing, Bitcoin Insider, Cryptopolitan, Watcher Guru, Crypto Daily, The Block, and Cointelegraph

Wall Street Journal:

John Deere plans to use SpaceX's Starlink service to provide satellite internet connections for tractors, harvesters, and other equipment in remote areas

More: PCMag, The Register, DatacenterDynamics, Business Insider, Telegraph, Wccftech, Fierce Wireless Industry News, The Verge, and Total Telecom

X: @starlink, @elonmusk, @levie, @apollozac, @spaceabhi, and @trengriffin. LinkedIn: Tim Marquis

Dan Primack / Axios:

Uber shuts down alcohol delivery service Drizly, which had operated “independently within the Uber family” since its $1.1B acquisition three years ago

More: San Francisco Business Times, PYMNTS.com, Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch, Fortune, PCMag, The Boston Globe, Fast Company, Engadget, The Messenger, SGV Tribune, and KNSD-TV

X: @shaig, @danprimack, @metzgov, @jacksongates, @robdauster, @angusdav, @ellliotttb, @fintechfrank, and @thecubsfan

LinkedIn: Michael Handman and Wayne Blum

David Segal / New York Times:

A look at music streaming fraud, including bot farms and pirates relabeling musicians' work to steal revenue; Beatdapp estimates fraud costs musicians $2B/year

More: Tabletmonkeys and Breakfast At Ralf's

X: @orinkerr and @klonick

LinkedIn: Andrew Batey and Doug Hudson

See also Mediagazer

OpenAI:

OpenAI shares its plans ahead of 2024 elections, including image provenance tools and not letting users make tools for impersonation or political campaigning

More: PCMag, Axios, PetaPixel, Security Boulevard, The Verge, Cybernews.com, Wall Street Journal, WinBuzzer, MediaNama, The Decoder, Tech.co, Cointelegraph, Analytics India Magazine, Engadget, Decrypt, PYMNTS.com, SiliconANGLE, Neowin, and Proactive

Threads: @vpalepu. Mastodon: @carnage4life@mas.to. X: @openai, @williamallen, @_aidan_clark_, @scottbelsky, @davidclinchnews, @elonmusk, @miramurati, and @minimaxir. LinkedIn: Katie Harbath

Forums: Hacker News and Slashdot

See also Mediagazer

Hartley Charlton / MacRumors:

Gurman: Apple prepares to split its App Store in two to serve the EU, as the deadline for the DMA, which mandates sideloading support, looms on March 7

More: Computerworld, Developer Tech News, BGR, PhoneArena, iMore, MSPoweruser, Wccftech, Gizchina, AppleInsider, MobileSyrup, The Apple Post, 9to5Mac, Times of India, Pocket-lint, and The Verge

Threads: @carnage4life. Mastodon: @carnage4life@mas.to, @slightlyoff@toot.cafe, @rileytestut@mastodon.social, and @rileytestut@mastodon.social

X: @carnage4life, @appcensorship, @rkobylinski, @baconbrix, and @appltrack

Forums: Hacker News, Slashdot, and MacRumors Forums

Barry Schwartz / Search Engine Land:

Microsoft debuts Copilot Pro for $20/month/user, offering the latest models, like GPT-4 Turbo, and features, like Office integration and creating Copilot GPTs