Tech News from Simmons Systems (Page 372)

Tech News from Simmons Systems

Spotify Acquires AI Voice Startup Sonantic Behind Top Gun Maverick Tech

Spotify purchases Sonantic, the AI startup that recreates realistic human voices from text and helped simulate Val Kilmer's voice in Top Gun: Maverick. The acquisition aims to introduce new text-to-speech personalization features to the streaming platform.

Bitcoin Plunges Below $23,000 as Crypto Market Cap Drops Under $1 Trillion

Bitcoin falls to its lowest level since December 2020 amid broader risk asset sell-offs and fears sparked by Celsius freezing customer withdrawals.

Google Places Engineer on Leave Over Sentient AI Claims

A Google engineer faces administrative leave after publicly asserting that the company's LaMDA chatbot exhibits human-like sentience. Google officials firmly reject these claims, citing a lack of scientific evidence.

Apple Launches Buy Now, Pay Later Service Amid Fintech Competition

Apple introduces Apple Pay Later, a no-fee installment payment feature, expanding its consumer finance capabilities and challenging dedicated BNPL startups.

Apple's WWDC Highlights Mix With M1 Chip Flaw and Tech Layoffs

Apple dominates the news cycle with its massive WWDC announcements, while an unpatchable M1 chip flaw emerges and widespread tech layoffs continue across multiple industries.

Apple WWDC Highlights Blurred Lines Between Mobile Platforms

Apple's latest WWDC announcements show a continued push to unify its ecosystem, from a redesigned Mac settings app to a highly customizable iOS 16 lock screen. The app economy also remains a massive growth engine, with global spending and downloads hitting record highs.

Tech Layoffs Surge Past 16,000 in May as Reporters Seek Deeper Stories

The tech startup layoff wave continues into June after over 16,000 workers lose jobs in May. Journalists and investors now question where these displaced talents end up next.

MIT Researchers Discover Unpatchable Hardware Flaw in Apple M1 Chips

MIT researchers uncover a hardware vulnerability in Apple's M1 chips that they describe as unpatchable, though Apple downplays the immediate security risk. The flaw allows attackers to bypass the processor's final security defenses using a method called the Pacman attack.

Charm Therapeutics Raises $50M to Simulate Protein-Drug Interactions With AI

Charm Therapeutics secures $50 million in Series A funding to advance its DragonFold platform, which uses artificial intelligence to predict how drug molecules bind to target proteins. This co-folding technology aims to accelerate the discovery of highly selective precision medicines.

QuantumScape Manufacturing Chief Exits Over Management Differences

QuantumScape's chief manufacturing officer, Celina Mikolajczak, resigns after less than a year due to clashing management styles. Her sudden departure causes company shares to drop nearly eight percent.

american express

American Express Partners With Abra to Launch Crypto Rewards Credit Card

American Express is teaming up with crypto platform Abra to introduce a new credit card that lets users earn cryptocurrency rewards on everyday purchases. The card aims to attract both crypto veterans and newcomers by offering a simple entry point into digital assets.

Faraday Future Faces DOJ Inquiry Tied to SEC Investor Fraud Probe

Electric vehicle startup Faraday Future faces a preliminary DOJ information request connected to an ongoing SEC investigation into misleading investor statements. The regulatory scrutiny follows an internal review that exposes a pattern of exaggerated claims common among EV SPAC mergers.

Meta Scales Back AR Glasses Plans and Pivots Portal to Business Market

Meta is canceling the commercial release of its first augmented reality glasses to cut costs and is shifting its Portal smart displays away from consumers toward enterprise use.

NASA Forms Scientific Study Team to Investigate Unidentified Aerial Phenomena

NASA assembles a new research team to scientifically study unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) without focusing on extraterrestrial origins. The study focuses on organizing existing data and developing better methods for future UAP observation.