TopTechTrends

Generative AI services pulled from Apple App Store in China ahead of new regulations

August 1, 2023
Multiple generative AI apps have been removed from Apple’s China App Store, two weeks ahead of the country’s new generative AI regulations that are set to take effect on August 15. The move came after Chinese developers received notices from Apple informing them of their apps’ removal. In its letter to OpenCat, a native ChatGPT […]

Uber reports first quarterly operating profit in Q2 2023 results

August 1, 2023
Uber has reported an operating profit during a fiscal quarter for the first time in its history. The company reported its second quarter earnings for 2023 [PDF] on Tuesday morning, which included a net income of $394 million for the quarter, up $1.0 billion year-over-year and $588 million versus the preceding quarter. The company attributed […]

Steg.AI puts deep learning on the job in a clever evolution of watermarking

August 1, 2023
Watermarking an image to mark is one’s own is something that has value across countless domains, but these days it’s more difficult than just adding a logo in the corner. Steg.AI lets creators embed a nearly invisible watermark using deep learning, defying the usual “resize and resave” countermeasures. Ownership of digital assets has had a […]

These new tools could help protect our pictures from AI

August 1, 2023
This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first, sign up here. Earlier this year, when I realized how ridiculously easy generative AI has made it to manipulate people’s images, I maxed out the privacy settings on my social media accounts and swapped…

China is suddenly dealing with another public health crisis: mpox

August 1, 2023
Hazmat suits, PCR tests, quarantines, and contact tracing—it was hard not to feel déjà vu last week when China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention published new guidance on how to contain a disease outbreak.  But what was happening was not another covid wave. Rather, the Chinese government was addressing a potentially significant new public…

Vanguard cuts Indian ride-hailing giant Ola’s valuation by 52%

August 1, 2023
The U.S. index fund pioneer Vanguard has cut the worth of its holding in the Indian ride-hailing startup Ola by more than half since original investment, according to an analysis of its filings. Vanguard cut the worth of its shares in Ani Technologies, Ola’s holding firm, by 51.6% as of the end of May, it […]

Traction raises $6M seed as Nigeria’s merchant acquiring space continues to heat up

August 1, 2023
Micro, small, and medium-sized firms (MSMEs) constitute the backbone of the Nigerian economy, accounting for more than 60% of GDP growth and playing a crucial role in job creation. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, there are over 39 million such firms, and 87% operate informally, meaning they primarily receive cash and perform activities […]