This Week's Technology, Business and Science Highlights

Russia Blames Google for YouTube Slowdown

Russia blamed Google for YouTube's slowdown. Speed issues on the platform in recent days have negatively impacted user experiences. Officials stated that Google should take more responsibility. Users have reported longer video load times and interruptions. Google cited technical problems and network traffic congestion, but Russian authorities are not satisfied with these explanations. Russia continues its efforts to increase control over the internet and requires large companies like Google to comply with local laws. This has sparked a debate that calls into question the influence of digital platforms internationally. Content producers have also been negatively impacted by these problems, reporting a decline in viewership. Russian officials emphasized that Google should take more measures to prevent similar problems from recurring.

Amazon Paid $1 Billion for Twitch in 2014. And Still Making Losses

Twitch, the live video platform that Amazon bought for around $1 billion in 2014, has yet to turn a profit. Internally, employees are worried about slowing user growth and financial losses. In 2023, Twitch generated $667 million in ad revenue and $1.3 billion in commerce revenue, less than 0.5% of Amazon's total revenue. Twitch had grown due to the pandemic, but could not sustain this momentum. This year, the company will focus on improving the user experience with a new mobile app design. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has lost patience with unprofitable units through 2021, and Twitch is also under review. While the platform has seen growth in non-gaming categories, there have been layoffs among employees and uncertainty about its future.

Ford is trying to patent a system that notifies police of speeding cars

Ford has filed a patent application entitled "Systems and Methods for Detecting Speed Violations". The application was published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on July 18. Ford first filed the patent application on January 12, 2023. In the application, Ford discusses the use of vehicles to monitor each other's speed because actual officers would not be available to witness the alleged speed violation. It remains unclear what legal argument the automaker would have if it tried to implement this technology. Speed cameras currently provide constant enforcement of speed limits, but because they cannot confirm the identity of the driver, they can only issue tickets based on the license plate number of the vehicle. Ford often applies for patents for new car technologies, but not all of these technologies go into production.

Intel Laying Off 15,000 Employees

Intel is cutting its headcount by 15% as part of its $10 billion cost-saving plan for 2025. This means that more than 15,000 employees will be laid off. The company plans to reduce R&D and marketing spending by billions of dollars by 2026, cut capital expenditures by more than 20% and eliminate redundant jobs. Intel, which reported a loss of 1.6 billion dollars in its second quarter results, lost 437 million dollars in the same period last year. With revenues down to $12.8 billion, the company is unable to take full advantage of strong trends such as artificial intelligence. Intel expects to receive up to $8.5 billion in support from the US government under the CHIPS Act. However, the company's share price was one of the worst performing technology stocks of the year.

OpenAI on the Brink of Bankruptcy

OpenAI could be on the brink of bankruptcy with a projected loss of $5 billion over the next 12 months. The company spends $7 billion on training AI models and $1.5 billion on personnel costs. Its revenues range between $3.5 and $4.5 billion annually. Unlike other big tech companies like Microsoft, Apple and NVIDIA, OpenAI is struggling. The company has gone through seven funding rounds, raising $11 billion so far, and is now valued at $80 billion. OpenAI is reportedly seeking additional funding to cover its operating costs. Otherwise, the company may not be able to continue its operations.

JP Morgan Launches Its Own Chatbot to Improve Productivity

JP Morgan aims to increase efficiency with its own chatbot called 'LLM Suite'. Employees of the bank's asset and wealth management division in the US gained access to the tool. The chatbot was introduced with the ability to offer information and advice like a research analyst. Around 50,000 employees can use this platform. JP Morgan prohibits the use of general AI chatbots due to sensitive client data. However, it has the potential to partner with large AI companies if security is ensured. A similar initiative is seen in Morgan Stanley's collaboration with OpenAI to develop its own chatbot. Such AI tools are said to provide large-scale productivity gains for companies. JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon has said that AI will change every job and some roles may disappear. The LLM Suite's writing, idea generation and summarization capabilities will be a big boost for employees, bank executives said. It remains to be seen how such technologies will affect workforce dynamics in the long run.

Artificial Intelligence Brings Back the Voice of Politician Jennifer Wexton

Virginia Representative Jennifer Wexton regained the voice she lost due to Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) with artificial intelligence technology from software company ElevenLabs. The digitally recreated voice model, based on audio clips collected from her past speeches, was used in Wexton's speech on the floor of the House in July 2024. Wexton stated that this technology offers creative solutions to people facing disability issues. The AI-powered voice allowed Wexton to communicate more authentically with colleagues and the public. This once again demonstrated the potential of AI technologies to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.

LinkedIn Agrees to Pay Huge Compensation for Deceiving Advertisers

LinkedIn, the social media platform owned by Microsoft, has agreed to pay a large settlement to resolve a lawsuit over alleged overcharging by advertisers. The advertisers claimed that LinkedIn's ad pricing was inaccurate and that the platform was unfairly profiting. The lawsuit led to serious criticism of LinkedIn's advertising policies and transparency and damaged the platform's reputation. As part of the settlement, LinkedIn will be required to adopt a more transparent approach to ad rates in the future and review its ad pricing strategies. In the process, the company announced that it will develop a more open communication policy to regain advertisers' trust and strengthen business relationships. This suggests that other social media platforms should review similar advertising policies. In addition, LinkedIn's move may increase the debate on transparency and accountability in the digital advertising industry. Advertisers expect the platform to develop more innovative solutions to improve the effectiveness of its advertising services. On the other hand, LinkedIn's move is considered an important step to ensure user satisfaction and protect its reputation in the industry. This process may set an example for raising standards in the digital advertising industry and meeting user expectations.

OpenAI Announces SearchGPT Search Engine

OpenAI announced the prototype of an AI-powered search engine called "SearchGPT". Aiming to provide users with "fast and timely answers", SearchGPT organizes and makes sense of results and clearly identifies sources. Currently being tested with 10,000 users, the tool will be integrated with ChatGPT in the future. This development caused Alphabet shares to fall more than 3%. The introduction of SearchGPT threatens Google's dominance in the search market and increases OpenAI's competition in this area. SearchGPT starts by asking the user "what are you looking for?" and provides summarizing results instead of a flat list of links. Users can ask follow-up questions between search results or open relevant links from a side menu. OpenAI works with third-party partners and uses content streams to develop the search engine. With this new tool, the company aims to make the search experience more natural and intuitive. This step aims to transform the user experience while increasing OpenAI's competition in the generative AI market.

Logitech to Launch Subscription Service with 'Forever Mouse'

Logitech is working on a new product called "Forever Mouse", described as a computer mouse that only needs to be purchased once. Company CEO Hanneke Faber said that new features will be added to the mouse through software updates. The durable construction of the product shows that it is designed for long-term use. Also, certain features of the product may be available through a subscription service. Faber did not elaborate on possible new features that could be added to the mouse, but said that the product aims to provide users with various productivity tools. Although the price of the product has not yet been finalized, it is thought to be around $200. Logitech aims to improve both user experience and environmental sustainability with this mouse.

Meta Will Allow Users to Create Their Own Custom AI Characters

Meta Platforms has announced a new tool called "AI Studio". This tool will allow users to create, share and design personalized AI chatbots. Instagram creators will be able to use these AI characters as an extension of themselves, providing automated responses to direct messages and story replies. Users will be able to share these AI characters across Meta's various social media platforms. AI Studio is built on Llama 3.1, one of the free AI models Meta introduced last week. This model can run in multiple languages and has performance metrics to compete with paid models from its competitors.

Synchron Enables Thought Control of Apple Vision Pro

Neurotech company Synchron has connected its brain implant to the Apple Vision Pro headset, enabling patients to control the device with their thoughts. The company has developed a brain-computer interface (BCI) to help stroke patients use electronic devices. The technology works with a device implanted into the brain via a jugular vein and connected to the motor cortex. Users can send text messages, play games and perform various other tasks. Synchron CEO Thomas Oxley said that this integration offers a new therapeutic option in accessing digital technologies.

Cybercriminals Target Polish SMEs

Cybercriminals targeted small and medium-sized businesses in Poland in May 2024, spreading malware such as Agent Tesla, Formbook and Remcos RAT. According to ESET, these campaigns also affected other countries such as Italy and Romania. The attacks sent phishing emails with RAR or ISO files containing malware, often using the DBatLoader installer. This malware was used to collect sensitive information and lay the groundwork for future attacks. Kaspersky notes that SMEs are increasingly targeted due to their limited resources and emphasizes that Trojans are a common tool in such attacks. In addition, the sophisticated methods used by cyber attackers show that businesses are creating bigger threats by exploiting vulnerabilities. This situation reveals that businesses need more advanced security strategies. Traditional security measures can be insufficient to prevent such sophisticated attacks.

Artificial intelligence can read HDMI electromagnetic radiation to see what's on your screen

Security researchers have announced that they can use artificial intelligence to read the electromagnetic radiation emitted by HDMI cables to monitor screen content. This new technique can reconstruct text with 70% accuracy by capturing leaks emitted from the digital signals of video cables. This increases the potential for hackers to intercept sensitive information such as passwords, financial data and encrypted communications. Attackers can launch attacks by planting hidden signal-capturing devices or collecting these leaks with radio antennas. While such attacks are of great concern to governments and sensitive industrial environments, the threat to average users is not yet widespread, researchers say.

Microsoft 365 Outage: Global Impacts and Security Concerns

Speculation that the outage was caused by a botnet-driven DDoS attack highlights the increasing frequency and sophistication of cyber threats to cloud services. Experts warn that such attacks, especially against major technology platforms, can have serious consequences. Microsoft's statements and actions following the incident will be critical to regaining users' trust. Such incidents once again remind us of the need for strong security measures in the digitalized business world. Companies should continuously update their infrastructure and review their cybersecurity strategies to be prepared for such outages. The Microsoft 365 outage has caused serious operational and financial challenges for many businesses and has increased the need to be more resilient to potential future threats.

New Blood Test to Diagnose Alzheimer's

A new study has found that blood tests are 90% accurate in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. The test offers a higher accuracy rate than traditional cognitive tests and CT scans, representing a significant advance in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. The study was conducted on around 1,200 patients with mild memory problems in Sweden and found the test to be particularly effective as an alternative to expensive and invasive methods such as cerebrospinal fluid analysis or PET scans. The blood test was said to be more accurate than other methods for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease and was particularly successful even in patients with additional health conditions such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease. This suggests that if the test is used more widely, access to early diagnosis and treatment could be increased. In addition, these results, obtained by measuring the tau protein that accumulates in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, make it possible to diagnose the disease with high accuracy even in its early stages. Experts emphasize that the widespread use of such non-invasive tests could increase diagnostic and treatment opportunities, especially for patients living in low-income and rural areas. However, they caution that the test should only be used in people with clinical symptoms, as such diagnoses should only be made on patients with symptoms.

Meta Settles with Texas for $1.4 Billion

Meta's $1.4 billion settlement with Texas over its unauthorized use of biometric data resolves a major legal issue facing the tech giant. In that case, the company was accused of collecting and using users' facial recognition data without their consent. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton emphasized that this is the largest settlement ever achieved by a state and that it is unacceptable for such large tech companies to violate the law. In a similar case in Illinois, Meta paid $650 million in 2021. The company wanted to demonstrate its commitment to user privacy by deciding to shut down its facial recognition system and pledging to erase facial traces. However, the fact that Meta has paid out over $2 billion in total for biometric privacy breaches highlights the potential risks such technologies pose to user privacy. Still, Meta has announced that it intends to continue expanding its business presence in the state, with plans to build new data centers in Texas.

Origami-inspired shape-shifting robots from NC State engineers

North Carolina State University engineers have discovered a method to transform a single plastic cube structure into more than 1,000 configurations using just three motors. This breakthrough could pave the way for multifunctional and load-bearing shape-shifting artificial systems. The researchers realized these transformations by joining hollow plastic cubes created with a 3D printer with rotating hinges. Various forms such as bridges, tunnels and multi-storey structures were obtained with these cubes. Controlled by three active motors, these robots can carry three times their weight. In the future, these robots will be designed as more durable structures that can be used in space.

Star Catcher Aims to Build a Power Grid in Space

Star Catcher Industries plans to develop a space-based energy grid to support energy-intensive activities in space. The company's satellites will collect solar energy and efficiently transmit it to customers' solar panels. In this way, the batteries of the low-cost satellites will be charged when needed, enabling them to do more work. Star Catcher's vision is for satellites to use home-scale energy or more. The company plans to send a demonstration satellite into orbit in December 2025. This project is funded by a $12.25 million investment. The goal is to create a constellation of 200 satellites to provide full coverage in low earth orbit.

Coordinated Attacks on Telecom Infrastructure in France

France has been hit by a massive wave of sabotage, this time targeting telecom operators. The attacks took place on Sunday night and affected fiber optic networks in six regions of the country. Infrastructures belonging to the main operators SFR and Bouygues Telecom were damaged. The incidents were seen over a wide area, including near Paris and the border with Luxembourg. Around 11,000 customers were reportedly affected. The incidents have raised concerns about national security and critical infrastructure security, especially ahead of the Paris Olympic Games. There have been similar sabotages in the past, but it is noteworthy that this time the target was fiber optic cables on a large scale. The French government has launched a thorough investigation to find the perpetrators behind these attacks.

Shanghai's $13.8 Billion Artificial Intelligence Move

The Chinese city of Shanghai has announced a major investment package for the artificial intelligence, integrated circuit and biomedical sectors. Under this package, a total of 13.8 billion dollars of funds will be created. The aim of this fund is to support technology innovation and increase China's global competitiveness. The focus on the integrated circuit sector is part of China's efforts to strengthen its technological independence. Investments in the biomedical sector aim to positively impact human lives by promoting advances in health technologies. The development of artificial intelligence technologies is also an important component of this investment, with the aim of increasing international cooperation in this field.

ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode Introduced

OpenAI introduced ChatGPT's advanced voice mode and surprised users. This new voice mode offers a very realistic and human-like voice, unlike the robotic voice we are used to in digital assistants. This feature, which can react in real time and understand emotional intonations, will be rolled out gradually, especially for paid users. OpenAI predicts that this new voice mode can make ChatGPT stand out as a virtual personal assistant and increase user interaction. However, this development also raises important questions, such as the risk of the tools misleading users. OpenAI stated that it is conducting tests to make the tool safe.

Qualcomm's New Chipset Could Pave the Way for Cheap 5G Phones

Qualcomm has unveiled the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 chipset designed for entry-level phones. This new platform offers long battery life, advanced camera features and 5G speeds up to 1 Gbps. With this chipset, Qualcomm aims to increase access to 5G technology for 2.8 billion smartphone users. The chipset, which is expected to be adopted first by major OEMs such as Xiaomi, will be available by the end of the year. Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 will offer a significant performance boost, especially in the $99 phone segment. The new chipset will provide consumers with better image quality and gaming performance, while offering advantages to carriers and phone manufacturers. This chipset has great potential, especially in regions where LTE is still widespread, such as China and India.

Tesla to remotely update 1.8 million vehicles due to hood issue

Tesla has issued a recall for 1.8 million cars in the US, one of the largest vehicle recalls in the company's history. The problem is related to the cars' software failing to detect an unlocked hood, Reuters reported on Tuesday. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an unlatched hood "can also open fully, blocking the driver's view and increasing the risk of a crash." The recall affects 2021-2024 Model 3, Model S and Model X cars, as well as 2020-2024 Model Y vehicles. The total number of potentially affected vehicles is said to be 1,849,648. Fortunately for Tesla and Tesla car owners, this is one of those recalls that can be fixed with an over-the-air software update, and Tesla has already started rolling out a fix. The company also issued a smaller recall for a similar issue earlier in July.