Techmeme
February 21, 2024, 1:15 PM

Top News

Emilia David / The Verge:
Google releases Gemma 2B and 7B, open-source AI models that let developers more freely use the research that went into Gemini, its flagship closed-source model  —  Google has released Gemma 2B and 7B, a pair of open-source AI models that let developers use the research that went into its flagship Gemini more freely.
Matt Burgess / Wired:
Apple unveils PQ3, a post-quantum cryptographic protocol for iMessage built on the Kyber algorithm, launching in iOS 17.4, iPadOS 17.4, and macOS 14.4 in March  —  Useful quantum computers aren't a reality—yet.  But in one of the biggest deployments of post-quantum encryption so far, Apple is bringing the technology to iMessage.
Ryan Smith / AnandTech:
Intel's Direct Connect announcements: IFS rebranded to Intel Foundry, “systems foundry” era, 18A-P, 14A, and Hybrid Bonding, five nodes in four years, and more  —  5 nodes in 4 years.  This is what Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger promised Intel's customers, investors …
Ian King / Bloomberg:
Microsoft plans to use Intel's 18A tech to make a chip that Microsoft designed in-house; Microsoft recently announced a computer processor and an AI accelerator  —  - Move marks a win for Intel's push into made-to-order chips  — Microsoft is looking to design more semiconductors in-house
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Apple debuts Apple Sports, a free app offering scores and stats for the NBA, NHL, Premier League, and more, in the US, Canada, and the UK, on iOS 17.2 or later  —  Game on!  Apple launched a free standalone app for sports fans, Apple Sports, which is engineered to fire scores and stats to your iPhone as quickly as possible.
Counterpoint Research:
In a first, Apple had the seven best-selling smartphones globally in 2023, and Samsung had the next three; iPhone 14, 14 Pro Max, 14 Pro, and 13 were top four  —  - The combined market share of the top 10 smartphones in 2023 reached the highest ever at 20%, up from 19% in 2022.
Michael Acton / Financial Times:
Source: Meta and Microsoft lobby EU regulators to reject Apple's iOS and App Store changes to comply with the DMA, saying Apple's plans fail to go far enough  —  Meta and Microsoft want Brussels regulators to extract more concessions that unpick iOS mobile software
Stephen Totilo / Game File:
An interview with Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer on Xbox growth, job cuts, and why getting rid of physical Xbox discs is “not a strategic thing for us”  —  Microsoft's gaming chief Phil Spencer is upbeat about his vast Xbox team's future.  But he also tells Game File …
Chance Miller / 9to5Mac:
Apple says the iPhone 15 lineup can retain up to 80% of its original battery capacity at 1,000 charge cycles, up from its original estimate of 500 charge cycles  —  In addition to changes to the Battery Health settings in iOS 17.4, Apple has more iPhone battery news to share today.
Christian Vasquez / CyberScoop:
Biden signs an EO to increase the cyber defenses of maritime ports via additional Coast Guard powers, invest $20B+ in infrastructure over five years, and more  —  President Joe Biden issued an executive order Wednesday morning aimed at increasing the defenses of maritime ports through additional authorities …
Duncan Riley / SiliconANGLE:
IBM: hackers are finding more opportunities to log in via legitimate credentials, rather than hacking into networks; info-stealing malware grew 266% YoY in 2023  —  IBM's annual X-Force Threat Intelligence Index report released today highlights an emerging global crisis in identity …
Bloomberg:
Cybersecurity experts say that global law enforcement agencies dealt Russia-linked LockBit a major blow, but history shows that ransomware gangs regroup quickly  —  - Disruption of LockBit praised as major blow against gang  — History has shown that hackers regroup quickly, experts say
Louis Columbus / VentureBeat:
CrowdStrike's Global Threat Report: in 2023, cloud intrusions grew 75%, data theft victims named on data leak sites grew 76%, 34 new groups were named, and more  —  Traditional security approaches aren't closing the gap fast enough against the onslaught of cyberattacks growing in severity and sophistication every day.
Cat Zakrzewski / Washington Post:
Letter: an FTC “Twitter Files” investigation finds no evidence that Twitter violated its government data security order, despite Elon Musk's directives to do so  —  After investigating his handling of the ‘Twitter Files’ for more than a year, the agency found no evidence the company violated consent order
More: Bloomberg
Yoshiaki Nohara / Bloomberg:
How Japan plans to spend ~$67B to revive domestic chipmaking prowess, hoping to leverage the US' supply chain concerns; Rapidus plans to make 2nm chips by 2027  —  US-China tech battle makes semiconductors a key economic security concern for policymakers  —  Deep in the snowy northern island …
Tom Wilson / Reuters:
Circle no longer plans to mint USDC tokens on the Tron blockchain, effective immediately, to “ensure that USDC remains trusted, transparent, and safe”  —  Major U.S. crypto firm Circle will end support for its USDC token on the Tron blockchain network, a decision the company said on Wednesday …
New York Times:
Tech insiders and engineers say China lags behind the US in generative AI by at least one year, leading Chinese companies to rely on US models like Meta's LLaMA  —  China's tech firms were caught off guard by breakthroughs in generative artificial intelligence.  Beijing's regulations and a sagging economy aren't helping.
Jess Weatherbed / The Verge:
WhatsApp rolls out support for bulleted and numbered lists, block quotes, and inline code to highlight and organize messages on Android, iOS, web, and macOS  —  Four new text formatting options have been added to WhatsApp to help users communicate more effectively.
Margi Murphy / Bloomberg:
A profile of ElevenLabs, whose AI voice cloning tech is being used to spoof politicians; five of ElevenLabs' 40 employees are dedicated to trust and safety  —  ElevenLabs' technology is already being used to spoof political candidates and promote scammy products.

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