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Techmeme
February 4, 2025, 6:20 PM
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Top News

Alphabet Inc:
Alphabet Q4: revenue up 12% YoY to $96.47B, net income up 28% to $26.54B, Google Cloud revenue up 30% to $12B, and Google Services revenue up 10% to $84.1B  —  MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - February 4, 2025 - Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG, GOOGL) today announced financial results for the quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Alphabet reports YouTube Q4 ad revenue up 14% YoY to $10.47B, vs. $10.23B est.; together, Google Cloud and YouTube ended 2024 at a $110B annual revenue run rate  —  YouTube, the internet's biggest streaming video platform, delivered a healthy 13.8% increase in global ad revenue …
Washington Post:
Google drops language from its AI Principles that said it would not pursue AI applications “likely to cause overall harm”, such as for weapons and surveillance  —  In 2018 the company updated its policies to explicitly exclude applying AI to weapons.  Now that promise is gone.
Juli Clover / MacRumors:
Apple debuts Invites, an app to help plan events like birthdays, graduations, and more, with Image Playground and Writing Tools tie-ins, for iCloud+ subscribers  —  Apple today announced the launch of a new app called “Invites,” which is designed to allow users to plan events like birthday parties …
Mike Masnick / Techdirt:
Elon Musk accused an X user, who named federal staff in a post X then removed, of “a crime”, showing what actual government social media censorship looks like  —  For years, we've watched self-proclaimed “free speech warriors” hyperventilate about imaginary government control of social media content moderation.
Elizabeth Lopatto / The Verge:
Elon Musk's goal seems to amount to a coup over the US administrative state; Musk said the 18F Direct File tax program was “deleted”, but that may not be true
Wired:
Sources: Marko Elez, a 25-year-old Elon Musk-linked engineer, has admin privileges over Treasury Department code that controls Social Security payments and more
Makena Kelly / Wired:
Sources: Thomas Shedd, GSA's new Technology Transformation Services director and Elon Musk ally, told GSA workers the agency will pursue an “AI-first strategy”
Ian King / Bloomberg:
AMD reports Q4 revenue up 24% YoY to $7.66B, Data Center revenue up 69% to $3.86B, vs. $4.09B est., and forecasts Q1 sales of $6.8B to $7.4B, vs. $7.04B est.  —  - Results suggest the chipmaker is still lagging behind Nvidia  — Company fares better in PC market, making gains on Intel
Jess Weatherbed / The Verge:
Adobe adds “contract intelligence capabilities” to Acrobat's $4.99-per-month AI Assistant, letting the PDF manager summarize complicated language in contracts  —  The new contract surfaces key terms and dates within complex agreements.  —  The new contract surfaces key terms and dates within complex agreements.
Juli Clover / MacRumors:
Apple raises the monthly AppleCare+ price for iPhone users by $0.50 in the US and will only offer one-time AppleCare+ purchase options in its online store  —  Apple this week increased the prices for its monthly AppleCare+ subscription prices for the iPhone, raising the cost by 50 cents for all models in the United States.
Dominic Preston / The Verge:
Opera launches Opera Air, a free browser focused on mindfulness and mental well-being, including break reminders and ambient soundscapes, for Windows and macOS  —  Opera Air offers break reminders, ambient soundscapes, and breathing exercises, all in your browser.
Financial Times:
Sources: China is looking at launching a formal probe into Intel; a source says whether such a probe is officially launched could depend on US-China relations  —  Beijing seeks leverage against US president by reviving investigations into tech giants  —  China has revived antitrust investigations …
Josh Xiao / Bloomberg:
China's State Administration for Market Regulation says it will probe Google for alleged antitrust violations, moments after Trump put tariffs on Chinese goods
The Information:
Sources: Meta is merging the teams behind Facebook and Messenger into one unit and shuffling its generative AI group, as it prepares for layoffs next week  —  Meta Platforms is merging the teams behind Facebook and Messenger into one unit as the company prepares for layoffs across the business next week.
Mark Keierleber / Wired:
An investigation into 300+ cyberattacks against US K-12 schools since 2020 shows how they can withhold details from students and parents whose data was stolen  —  An investigation into more than 300 cyberattacks against US K-12 schools over the past five years shows how schools …
More: The 74.  Bluesky: @zackwhittaker and @dell.  Mastodon: @douglevin@infosec.exchange.  LinkedIn: Nicole Ridgway

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About This Page

This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 6:20 PM ET, February 4, 2025.

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

Paul Glynn / BBC:
HarperCollins UK drops children's author and comedian David Walliams following allegations of inappropriate behavior toward young women

Natalie Korach / @nataliekorach:
Sources: VF's article by Chris Whipple featuring quotes from White House chief of staff Susie Wiles led to VF's biggest subscription signup day since 2016

Kirsten Chuba / The Hollywood Reporter:
TikTok's first awards show, held on December 18, handed out 14 awards, including Creator of the Year for Keith Lee; at the event, none of the screens worked

More News

Foo Yun Chee / Reuters:
The EC releases its guidelines on prohibited AI practices under the EU's AI Act, such as using AI to track employees' emotions or manipulate website users
Rebecca Bellan / TechCrunch:
Memo: Cruise is laying off 50% of its staff, after GM cut funding to robotaxi operations and shifts its focus to tech like hands-free driver assistance

Earlier Picks

Anne Steele / Wall Street Journal:
Spotify reports Q4 revenue up 16% YoY to €4.2B, MAUs up 12% YoY to 675M, subscribers up 11% YoY to 263M, and €1.14B in 2024 net income, vs. a €532M loss in 2023
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