Tech News from Simmons Systems (Page 185)

Tech News from Simmons Systems

OpenAI Secures Record $6.6 Billion to Reach $157 Billion Valuation

OpenAI closes the largest venture capital round in history, raising $6.6 billion led by Thrive Capital. The massive influx of cash aims to fund the company's expensive AI model training and talent recruitment efforts.

Students Demonstrate Ray-Ban Meta Facial Recognition for Instant Doxxing

A new student project called I-XRAY connects Ray-Ban Meta glasses to facial recognition software to instantly reveal personal details about strangers. The creators emphasize this is a demonstration to raise awareness about current consumer tech privacy risks rather than a released product.

Waymo Launches Autonomous Rides in Austin Ahead of 2025 Uber Partnership

Waymo opens its fully autonomous ride-hailing service to select Austin residents via the Waymo One app, paving the way for an exclusive Uber integration in early 2025.

Anthropic Hires OpenAI Co-Founder Durk Kingma in Ongoing Talent War

OpenAI co-founder Durk Kingma joins Anthropic to help develop AI systems responsibly, working mostly remotely from the Netherlands. This latest hire continues Anthropic's successful streak of recruiting top talent from its chief rival.

Microsoft Ends HoloLens 2 Production Without Announcing a Successor

Microsoft confirms the discontinuation of its enterprise-focused HoloLens 2 headset as competitors like Meta and Snap push forward with new AR hardware. The tech giant continues to provide software support through 2027 but remains silent on the possibility of a HoloLens 3.

OpenAI Launches Realtime Voice API for Developers Amid Company Shakeups

OpenAI introduces a public beta of its Realtime API, allowing developers to build low-latency, speech-to-speech AI applications. The announcement comes during a turbulent week of executive departures as the company fights to maintain its lead in a highly competitive AI market.

Pinterest Introduces Generative AI Tools to Enhance Advertiser Product Images

Pinterest launches new generative AI features that allow advertisers to transform blank product backgrounds into engaging lifestyle scenes. The tools join a growing industry trend and promise significant improvements in ad performance and campaign efficiency.

SpaceX Grounds Falcon 9 Rocket After Third Anomaly in Three Months

SpaceX pauses Falcon 9 launches after a deorbit burn issue follows a successful crew delivery to the International Space Station. This marks the third technical anomaly for the rocket in just three months.

Waymo Robotaxi Blocks Vice President Harris Motorcade in San Francisco

A driverless Waymo vehicle stalls while making a U-turn in front of Vice President Kamala Harris' motorcade, requiring police intervention. The incident adds to a growing list of high-profile malfunctions for the autonomous driving company.

Series AI Raises $28 Million to Build Generative AI Game Engine

Series Entertainment secures $28 million in a Series A round backed by Netflix and a16z to fund its AI-native Rho Engine. The startup aims to reinvent game development by replacing traditional design tasks with advanced generative AI tools.

Y Combinator Faces Backlash Over AI Startup's Open Source License Violation

A Y Combinator-backed startup called PearAI sparks outrage after admitting it cloned an existing AI code editor and initially applied a fake, closed license to the open source code. The founder apologizes for the misstep and restores the original Apache license amid heavy public criticism.

Elastic Reverses Course, Returns to Open Source After Four Years

Enterprise search giant Elastic abandons its proprietary licenses to return to open source, bucking the industry trend of tightening software restrictions. Co-founder Shay Banon reveals the move stems from a desire to move past lengthy trademark disputes with cloud providers.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold Embraces Larger Screens Without the Bulk

Google fully integrates its latest foldable into the flagship Pixel 9 lineup, featuring a massive eight-inch inner display that rivals a tablet. The device grows in size but remains surprisingly manageable for everyday use.