|
December 19, 2024, 11:15 PM
|
Mediagazer
memeorandum
WeSmirchTop News
| Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch: |
Google releases Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking, an experimental “reasoning” model that “explicitly shows its thoughts” and can use them to strengthen its reasoning — Google has released what it's calling a new “reasoning” AI model — but it's in the experimental stages …
More: The Information, Google AI for Developers, The Verge, Ars Technica, MakeUseOf, 9to5Google, Analytics India Magazine, Neowin, Android Headlines, SiliconANGLE, The Decoder, WinBuzzer, Android Police, VentureBeat, and Windows Copilot News
Bluesky: @simonwillison.net. X: @jeffdean, @noamshazeer, @officiallogank, @officiallogank, @lmarena_ai, @sundarpichai, @rakyll, @emollick, @lmarena_ai, @maxwinebach, @erinkwoo, @scaling01, @sullyomarr, @testingcatalog, @osanseviero, @daniel_mac8, @theaiveteran, @_sholtodouglas, @thejacobdean_, @demishassabis, @cedric_chee, @axelgarciak, @rseroter, @_akhaliq, @jeffdean, @lmthang, @dansutera, @deedydas, @koltregaskes, @zoubinghahrama1, @maxwinebach, @jeffdean, @zoubinghahrama1, @zitongyang0, @pallavmac, @koltregaskes, @pallavmac, @keytryer, @thelobbyistguy, @minty_vint, @karpathy, @ai_for_success, @subhash_peshwa, @simonw, @koltregaskes, @ai_for_success, @minty_vint, @test_tm7873, @abacaj, @itspaulai, @drjwrae, @rishdotblog, @dustinvtran, @kimmonismus, @joaoxcruz, @ai_for_success, @_sholtodouglas, @alexanderjiazx, @krishnanrohit, @jeffdean, @gm8xx8, @davegoldblatt, @mrmambwe, @manfreditu, @thomasortk, @melvinjohnsonp, @adityakusupati, @literallydenis, @brij, @tsendeemts, @xinyun_chen_, @altryne, @tokumin, @ankesh_anand, and @alxfazio
Forums: Slashdot and Ars OpenForum
| Benj Edwards / Ars Technica: |
Researchers unveil Genesis, an open-source generative physics engine that trains robots in simulated reality 430K times faster than in the real world — On Thursday, a large group of university and private industry researchers unveiled Genesis, a new open source computer simulation system …
More: Genesis, MarkTechPost, and Analytics India Magazine
Mastodon: @timokissel@mastodon.world. X: @zhou_xian_, @zhou_xian_, @safespace4space, @yumahey, @tom_doerr, @timokissel, @zhou_xian_, @michael_gaio, @frankzydou, @brianroemmele, @brianroemmele, @ericschmidt, @zhou_xian_, @brianroemmele, and @kelloggzz1
Forums: Hacker News, r/LocalLLaMA, and Ars OpenForum
| Jess Weatherbed / The Verge: |
Meta teases an AI editing tool powered by Movie Gen AI in Instagram that can change outfits, backgrounds, and more in videos using a text prompt, coming in 2025 — Instagram is planning to introduce a generative AI editing feature next year that will allow users to “change nearly any aspect of your videos.”
More: Benzinga, SiliconANGLE, The Drum, ZDNET, BGR, Android Headlines, TechCrunch, iPhone in Canada Blog, Gizmodo, Engadget, Digital Trends, and Social Media Today
Bluesky: @oblivionwithbells.com. Threads: @zuck, @supremebagholder, @johnalmighty, and @mattnavarra. Instagram: Adam Mosseri
X: @alexisohanian, @ahmad_al_dahle, and @dtrinh
| Ivan Mehta / TechCrunch: |
YouTube plans to start a crackdown on “egregious clickbait”, or videos where the titles or thumbnails make claims the videos don't back up, beginning in India — A lot of YouTube videos have flashy, misleading titles and thumbnails, such as “BREAKING NEWS” or “The president steps down …
More: Google, Tubefilter, Financial Express, Digit, Cord Cutters News, Mashable India tech, Gadgets 360, Neowin, The Indian Express, and MEDIANAMA
Bluesky: @pcguy8088, @kirbyslastsnack, @bdsams.com, @alexhogan, @ianboudreau.com, @moonlitlycan, and @angelofalls
X: @steved3 and @culturecrave
| New York Times: |
In 150+ X posts, Elon Musk led the charge to kill a bipartisan spending deal, in part by sharing misinfo, which may lead to a government shutdown over Christmas — The world's richest man led the charge to kill a bipartisan spending deal, in part by promoting false and misleading claims about it.
More: Politico, The Hill, Politico, The Daily Beast, Forbes, Business Insider, Wired, Wall Street Journal, Gizmodo, No More Mister Nice Blog, Associated Press, The Atlantic, Black Wall Street Times, Scripps News, and CNN
Bluesky: @reckless, @pineapple-king, and @rmac
X: @elonmusk, @maxwellfrostfl, @berniesanders, @sensanders, @elonmusk, @elonmusk, @elonmusk, @elonmusk, @elonmusk, @senjeffmerkley, @growing_daniel, @elonmusk, @repjimmygomez, @emrwilkins, @fred_guttenberg, @edkrassen, @imknottheone, @elonmusk, @fscdems, @ahmedbaba_, @brianstelter, @alifarhat79, @scott_4trump, @theliamnissan, @elonmusk, @doctorhenryct, @armanddoma, @ericldaugh, @sadmonsters, @vivekgramaswamy, @davewiner, @c_s_skeptic, @themaxburns, @mattglassman312, @allenanalysis, @chucktodd, @naval, @paulg, @michaelsteele, @aaronblake, @joncoopertweets, @vivekgramaswamy, @arimelber, @benjamingoggin, @daithaigilbert, @hillaryclinton, @voidofroses, @allenanalysis, @jfberke, @repdonbeyer, @ericldaugh, @jamiedupree, @reploritrahan, @karthikfortexas, @fritschner, @daniellamicaela, @repraskin, @ronfilipkowski, @cwebbonline, @billkristol, @pamelabrowncnn, @maddenifico, @leftcoastbabe, @elonmusk, @anniekarni, @boknowsnews, @acnewsitics, @bigskyisawesome, @davetroy, @farhip, @jeffjarvis, @youwouldntpost, @steven_pifer, @markpocan, @maddenifico, @tvietor08, and @repjayapal. LinkedIn: Brian McLaughlin
Forums: r/AntiTrumpAlliance, r/politics, r/musked, and r/Law_and_Politics
| Marina Temkin / TechCrunch: |
Sources: Anysphere, developer of GitHub Copilot rival Cursor, raised a $100M Series B at a $2.6B valuation, up from a $400M valuation in August 2024 — Anysphere, the developer of AI-powered coding assistant Cursor, raised $100 million Series B at a post-money valuation of $2.6 billion, according to sources with knowledge of the deal.
X: @techau, @_anthonyriera, @suhail, and @mattvagni
| Malcolm Owen / AppleInsider: |
Apple researchers say the company's open-source ReDrafter method on Nvidia GPUs led to a 2.7x speed increase in generated tokens per second for greedy encoding — Apple's latest machine learning research could make creating models for Apple Intelligence faster, by coming up with a technique …
More: 9to5Mac, Apple Machine Learning …, Moneycontrol, Gadgets 360, The Motley Fool, Wccftech, and Notebookcheck
X: @dimillian, @appleinsider, and @lafaiel
| New York Times: |
Sources: the US' proposed AI chip framework would block adversaries entirely, and give others quotas based on their US alignment, threatening Nvidia's expansion — The chipmaker expects more than $10 billion in foreign sales this year, but the Biden administration is advancing rules that could curb that growth.
X: @klonkitchen
| Kiyoshi Takenaka / Reuters: |
Sony buys ~$320M of shares in Japanese media powerhouse Kadokawa, which owns FromSoftware, taking its stake to ~10% and becoming Kadokawa's top shareholder — Sony Group (6758.T) said on Thursday it will invest about 50 billion yen ($320 million) to acquire new shares of Kadokawa (9468.T) …
More: Sony Group, The Verge, Reuters, GamesIndustry.biz, Wall Street Journal, nippon.com, CNET, Engadget, PC Gamer, The Mainichi, PC Games Insider, MobileSyrup, Push Square, Polygon, TechRadar, The Japan Times, Game Developer, Game Rant, TechRaptor, Newsweek, Pure Xbox, PlayStation LifeStyle, Metro.co.uk, Rock, Paper, Shotgun, TheGamer, GamingBolt, PocketGamer.biz, IGN, Dexerto, Neowin, Game World Observer, Wccftech, Eurogamer.net, and Windows Central
Bluesky: @annlynzee. X: @wario64, @williamraguilar, @colteastwood, @jawmuncher, @hoeglaw, @williamraguilar, @cattheplayed11, @septic_sauce, @gibbogame, @stealth40k, @stealth40k, @serkantoto, @genki_jpn, @hoeglaw, and @genki_jpn
Forums: r/animecirclejerk, r/PHGamers, r/fromsoftware, and r/PS5
| Stephanie Palazzolo / The Information: |
Anthropic, whose CEO, Dario Amodei, has vocally opposed Donald Trump, and OpenAI look to hire more people with ties to Trump and the GOP for their policy teams — Lately, AI developer Anthropic has been riding high, with its models' impressive performance on tasks like code generation helping … | Yantoultra Ngui / Reuters: |
Singapore-based bolttech, a B2B2C startup that offers “embedded” insurance products, raised a $100M+ Series C led by Dragon Fund at a $2.1B valuation — Singapore-headquartered insurance technology firm bolttech has raised more than $100 million in its latest funding round … | Reuters: |
Sources: Apple is in early-stage talks with Tencent and ByteDance about integrating their AI models into iPhones sold in China; ChatGPT is unavailable in China — Apple (AAPL.O) is in talks with Tencent (0700.HK) and TikTok owner ByteDance about integrating their artificial intelligence models …
More: MacRumors, South China Morning Post, Investing.com, Investing.com, Investor's Business Daily, ReadWrite, GSMArena.com, The Information, Apple Must, Supercharged, iPhone in Canada Blog, PYMNTS.com, 9to5Mac, AppleInsider, Analytics India Magazine, Wccftech, BGR, Tech Advisor, Business Insider, WinBuzzer, news24.com, and TechNode
| Charles Rollet / TechCrunch: |
Backflip, which is building AI models that can generate 3D designs using text, sketches, or photos as prompts, raised a $30M Series A co-led by NEA and a16z — What if it were as easy to generate a usable 3D design as prompting ChatGPT? That's the mission of Backflip …
More: Business Wire, SiliconANGLE, Forbes, and Andreessen Horowitz
X: @dbenny12 and @tkexpress11
LinkedIn: David Benhaim and Gregory Mark
| Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch: |
Charlotte, NC-based Aiwyn, which provides automation software for accounting firms, raised $113M led by KKR and Bessemer, bringing its total funding to $127M — Accounting firms are struggling to adopt high-tech solutions. That's according to a survey earlier this year from Rightsworks …
More: SiliconANGLE and Aiwyn, Inc.
| Bloomberg: |
A look at Frank McCourt's efforts to acquire TikTok and the obstacles he faces, as he lobbies Congress and Trump's team and recruits former TikTok executives — - TikTok hopes Supreme Court will halt ban at final hour — McCourt is pitching his bid to Congress, Trump's team
X: @ali_lev
| Tim Bradshaw / Financial Times: |
Oura raised a $200M Series D with participation from Fidelity and Dexcom at a $5.2B valuation and says sales grew 100%+ in 2024 to ~$500M with 2.5M+ rings sold — Finnish company's growing popularity has led to its sales more than doubling this year — Ōura, the maker …
More: The Information, MassDevice, Forbes, Inc, SiliconANGLE, Gadgets & Wearables, Pulse 2.0, Axios, FinSMEs, Sifted, Wareable, Oura, HIT Consultant, TechCrunch, and VC News Daily
| Robert Booth / The Guardian: |
A coalition of newspapers, writers, movie producers, and others rejects the UK's plans to create a copyright exemption for AI companies to train their models — Exclusive: Coalition of musicians, photographers and newspapers insist existing copyright laws must be respected
More: SiliconANGLE, InPublishing, and New Scientist
Bluesky: @hetanshah, @ericgordy, @fortrenn, @marypcbuk, and @michaelsavage
X: @ednewtonrex, @tomkiehl, @ednewtonrex, @dominicyoung, @profbillmcguire, and @the_ipo. Forums: Slashdot
| Chainalysis: |
In 2024, hackers stole $2.2B in crypto across 303 hacks, up from $1.8B across 282 hacks in 2023; by July 2024, $1.58B had been stolen, but the pace slowed after — The Chainalysis 2025 Crypto Crime Report — Crypto hacking remains a persistent threat, with four years …
More: Bitcoin Insider, CryptoSlate, Cryptopolitan, Blockchain News, CryptoNinjas, The Daily Hodl, PYMNTS.com, Neowin, Cointelegraph, Nairametrics, crypto.news, Help Net Security, Cryptonews, The Record, The Korea Herald, DeCential, Financial Times, Bloomberg, CryptoPotato, TechCrunch, Reuters, and Infosecurity. LinkedIn: Troy Stangarone
| Bloomberg: |
Sources: Insight Partners, which acquired Dotmatics for ~$629M in March 2021, is exploring options for the R&D software maker, including selling it for $5B+ — - Dotmatics expected to draw interest from strategic suitors — Scientists use the company's software in drug research
| Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch: |
Decart, which helps organizations train and run AI models at scale, raised a $32M Series A, sources say at a $500M+ valuation, after a $21M seed in October 2024 — A young startup that emerged from stealth less than two months ago with big-name backers and bigger ambitions is returning to the spotlight.Sponsor Posts
Google:
Try Gemini 3 Pro — Google's newest and most intelligent AI model that helps you bring any idea to life
Try Gemini 3 Pro — Google's newest and most intelligent AI model that helps you bring any idea to life
Shopify:
Shopify's new AI commerce stack — Their VP of Product digs into just-launched products to help entrepreneurs and developers build with the latest AI and tech.
Shopify's new AI commerce stack — Their VP of Product digs into just-launched products to help entrepreneurs and developers build with the latest AI and tech.
Zoho:
Email fatigue is real: Here's how smart email tools help you regain control — Picture this: It's Monday morning. You walk into the office feeling energized and ready to take on the week.
Email fatigue is real: Here's how smart email tools help you regain control — Picture this: It's Monday morning. You walk into the office feeling energized and ready to take on the week.
IDrive:
Protecting your Cloud Applications Data — Backing up Office 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox & Box data is critical to preventing data loss or corruption, complying with laws and avoiding critical downtime in case of a disaster.
Protecting your Cloud Applications Data — Backing up Office 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox & Box data is critical to preventing data loss or corruption, complying with laws and avoiding critical downtime in case of a disaster.Featured Podcasts
Channels with Peter Kafka:
"Neither Side Is Used to Losing." Lucas Shaw on What's Next for Netflix and Paramount in the Battle for Warner Bros.
Media and tech aren't just intersecting - they're fully intertwined. To understand how those worlds work, Peter Kafka talks to industry leaders, upstarts and observers.
Subscribe to Channels with Peter Kafka.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Saam Motamedi from Greylock Partners
Conversations with people I admire about things I'm genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
Invest Like the Best:
Henry Ellenbogen - Man Versus Machine
The leading destination to learn about business and investing. We do this by showcasing exceptional talent and ideas.
Subscribe to Invest Like the Best.
Grit:
How Evan Spiegel Is Building the Future of Computing
Grit explores what it takes to create, build and scale world-class organizations.
Subscribe to Grit.
Acquired:
10 Years of Acquired (with Michael Lewis)
Learn the playbooks that built the world's greatest companies - and how you can apply them as a founder, operator, or investor.
Subscribe to Acquired.
Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith:
Ted Sarandos: Netflix and how tech changed storytelling
Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith speaks with leaders in government, business, and culture to explore the most critical challenges at the intersection of technology and society.
Subscribe to Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith.
About This Page
This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 11:15 PM ET, December 19, 2024.
The most current version of the site as always is available at our home page. To view an earlier snapshot click here and then modify the date indicated.
From Mediagazer
New York Times:Ivan Mehta / TechCrunch:
Associated Press:
Upcoming Tech Events
More News
| Allyson Versprille / Bloomberg: |
More: faa.gov, Washington Post, abc7NY, The Verge, Law & Crime, Axios, Associated Press, CNBC, The Gateway Pundit, WNYW-TV, Business Insider, Reuters, Fox News, and NBC News. Bluesky: @kevinhardiman
| Mackenzie Hawkins / Bloomberg: |
| S.E. Smith / The Verge: |
More: The Information. Bluesky: @harrymccracken.com, @crystaljjlee.com, @kcoxdc, @karlbode.com, @andreagrimes, @jetjocko, @chetsucks.com, @sesmith, @ryanlcooper.com, and @reckless. Forums: r/DataHoarder
Earlier Picks
| Joel Khalili / Wired: |
| Melissa Heikkilä / MIT Technology Review: |
More: Data Provenance Initiative. Bluesky: @jathansadowski.com, @technologyreview.com, @niallfirth, @hypervisible, and @melissahei. Forums: r/TrueReddit
| Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch: |
More: Anthropic, Anthropic, Computerworld, ZDNET, Gadgets 360, Sherwood News, MarTech, Anthropic on YouTube, and Time
Bluesky: @dylanfreedman.nytimes.com, @tobyord, @tedunderwood.me, @eryk, @saxon.me, @moultano, and @sleepinyourhat
X: @anthropicai, @evanhub, @davidsacks, @elonmusk, and @matthewberman. LinkedIn: José Manuel de la Chica
Forums: Hacker News, r/Futurology, and r/worldnews
| Sarah Perez / TechCrunch: |
More: Metro.co.uk, Android Authority, Android Headlines, and 9to5Mac
Mastodon: @asymco@mastodon.social. X: @katezhabina1, @arielmichaeli, @arielmichaeli, and @100percentrandy
| IDC: |