Technology

Snap exec and head of growth Jacob Andreou heads to Greylock

March 27, 2023

Snap’s head of growth and previously longtime product head Jacob Andreou is leaving the social media company after 8 years to join Greylock as a General Partner. The exec announced his transition plans via a Twitter post noting he would be leaving Snap in May to focus on partnering with the “next generation of consumer […]

Snap exec and head of growth Jacob Andreou heads to Greylock by Sarah Perez originally published on TechCrunch

Biden executive order bans federal agencies from using commercial spyware

March 27, 2023

The Biden administration on Monday announced a new executive order that would broadly ban U.S. federal agencies from using commercially developed spyware that poses threats to human rights and national security. The move to ban federal agencies — including law enforcement, defense and intelligence — from using commercial spyware comes as officials confirmed that dozens […]

Biden executive order bans federal agencies from using commercial spyware by Zack Whittaker originally published on TechCrunch

Microplastics are messing with the microbiomes of seabirds

March 27, 2023
Tiny pieces of plastic are everywhere. They’re in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. By one estimate, some people ingest around a credit card’s worth of plastic every week. Microplastics have been found in human blood, placentas and feces. But we don’t fully understand what all these miniscule…

Despite uncertain U.S. future, TikTok launches a Branded Effects platform for marketers

March 27, 2023

While the U.S. government debates TikTok’s future following last week’s Congressional hearing, the video entertainment platform today announced a new product called Branded Effects aimed at businesses marketing themselves on its platform. The solution will allow brands to collaborate with TikTok effect creators to design custom effects — like AR experiences and other interactive features […]

Despite uncertain U.S. future, TikTok launches a Branded Effects platform for marketers by Sarah Perez originally published on TechCrunch

Apple acquired a startup using AI to compress videos

March 27, 2023

Apple has quietly acquired a Mountain View-based startup, WaveOne, that was developing AI algorithms for compressing video. Apple wouldn’t confirm the sale when asked for comment. But WaveOne’s website was shut down around January, and several former employees, including one of WaveOne’s co-founders, now work within Apple’s various machine learning groups. In a LinkedIn post […]

Apple acquired a startup using AI to compress videos by Kyle Wiggers originally published on TechCrunch

Sonos Era 100 and Era 300 review: The next generation of great, reliable multi-room sound

March 27, 2023

Sonos has two new speakers going on sale Tuesday, March 28, and they’re both significant new models that occupy a couple of key spots in the overall Sonos line-up: The Era 100 is essentially the replacement for the Sonos One, arguably the ‘default’ starter speaker for anyone looking to build out a Sonos system. The […]

Sonos Era 100 and Era 300 review: The next generation of great, reliable multi-room sound by Darrell Etherington originally published on TechCrunch

The Download: AI’s gold rush, and how to regulate generative models

March 27, 2023
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. ChatGPT is about to revolutionize the economy. We need to decide what that looks like. Whether it’s based on hallucinatory beliefs or not, a gold rush has started over the last several months…

An early guide to policymaking on generative AI

March 27, 2023
This article is from The Technocrat, MIT Technology Review’s weekly tech policy newsletter about power, politics, and Silicon Valley. To receive it in your inbox every Friday, sign up here. Earlier this week, I was chatting with a policy professor in Washington, DC, who told me that students and colleagues alike are asking about GPT-4…