prisma AI Style Transfer Transforms Children Into Storybook Characters Prisma Labs partners with Kabook to bring AI style transfer technology into personalized children's books, seamlessly inserting a child's likeness into printed stories.
squad Squad App Brings Mobile Screensharing to Casual Teen Hangouts A new app called Squad lets friends seamlessly share their phone screens during video chats, turning passive scrolling into a shared social experience.
alexa Amazon Upgrades Alexa With Professional Newscaster Voice Amazon introduces a professional newscaster voice for Alexa that uses advanced neural text-to-speech technology to emphasize the right words when reading the news. This contextual adaptation allows the assistant to sound more natural and paves the way for future speaking styles.
aws AWS Introduces Unified Backup Tool for Cloud and On-Premises Data AWS launches a new centralized service called AWS Backup that automates data protection across multiple cloud services and on-premises applications. The tool allows users to manage backup policies and retention periods from a single location.
byju's Indian Education Giant Byju's Acquires U.S. Kids Learning Startup Osmo for $120M Byju's purchases Osmo to expand its blended learning capabilities for young children, paying $120 million in an all-stock deal. The acquisition aligns with Byju's goal to launch global English courses for kids aged three to eight.
china China Auto Market Declines for First Time Since 1990s as Used Cars Surge China experiences its first annual drop in new passenger car sales since the 1990s due to trade tensions and a cooling economy. Meanwhile, the used car market sees significant growth driven by e-commerce platforms and relaxed cross-provincial trading rules.
facebook Facebook Hires Google AR/VR Lead to Oversee Portal Hardware Facebook hires Ryan Cairns, Google's former AR/VR engineering lead, to manage its Portal hardware division following a recent internal restructuring.
google Google Increases G Suite Subscription Prices for the First Time Since 2006 Google raises G Suite Basic and Business plan rates by $1 to $2 per user, citing years of added features like Hangouts Meet and increased storage.
hyperscience HyperScience Raises $30 Million to Automate Enterprise Data Entry Machine learning startup HyperScience raises $30 million in a Series B round to expand its automated data-entry platform. The company uses AI to convert arbitrary human-readable documents into machine-readable data without human intervention.
microsoft Microsoft Commits Record $500 Million to Tackle Seattle Housing Crisis Microsoft pledges its largest sum ever, $500 million, to build affordable housing in the Puget Sound region as tech expansion drives up living costs. The funds provide below-market loans to developers to support low- and middle-income residents.
niantic Niantic Closes $245 Million Series C, Reaches Nearly $4 Billion Valuation Pokémon GO creator Niantic officially closes a $245 million Series C funding round led by IVP. The company plans to use the capital to launch Harry Potter: Wizards Unite and expand its AR platform for third-party developers.
motorola Lenovo Reportedly Revives Motorola Razr as $1500 Foldable Lenovo plans to bring back the iconic Motorola Razr as a premium foldable smartphone with a hefty $1,500 price tag. The device reportedly heads to Verizon this year, though its high cost raises questions about mainstream consumer appeal.
augmented reality Augmented Reality Check: Are AR Goggles Ready to Replace Smartphones? AR technology shows potential to replace smartphones but hardware limitations keep it years from consumer readiness.
box Box Hires Former SAP Exec as Chief Information Security Officer Box names Lakshmi Hanspal, a veteran executive from SAP Ariba and PayPal, as its new CISO.
mozilla Mozilla Shuts Down Firefox Test Pilot Program After 3 Years Mozilla shuts down its Firefox Test Pilot program after 3 successful years, integrating lessons into main development.