Welcome back to Week in Review! This week, we dive into HP’s chaotic $116 million purchase of Humane, Mira Murati’s new AI startup, Duolingo’s surprising mascot update, and more exciting news. Let’s get started!
Humane’s AI Pin is no more. The startup has sold most of its assets to HP for $116 million. This is less than half of the $240 million they had raised from investors. Starting now, sales of their $499 AI Pins will stop, and from February 28, these devices won’t connect to Humane’s servers anymore. This means no calling, messaging, or AI features. Customers who bought an AI Pin in the last 90 days can get a refund; sadly, older buyers can’t.
After the HP deal was announced, many Humane employees received job offers from HP, with salary bumps of 30% to 70%, along with stocks and bonuses. However, those involved with the AI Pin were informed that their positions were terminated.
Apple has unveiled a new iPhone SE, three years after the last update. The iPhone 16e boasts an advanced A18 processor, enabling it to run Apple Intelligence. It also replaces the Touch ID home button with Face ID and uses a USB-C port instead of Lightning. The starting price is $599, and shipments begin on February 28.
Here is TechCrunch’s Week in Review, highlighting the week’s key news.
News
Goodbye, Duo: Duolingo’s beloved owl mascot is officially “gone,” thanks to a quirky marketing stunt involving a Cybertruck. The campaign aims to rally users to complete more lessons, with the catchy slogan “Duo or die.”
OpenAI makes changes to ChatGPT: The company has decided to keep ChatGPT neutral by presenting multiple views on controversial topics, even when some may find them offensive. This is a shift towards being more inclusive of different opinions.
Uber sues DoorDash: Uber is taking legal action against DoorDash, claiming the delivery giant has pressured restaurants into exclusive agreements, limiting competition.
Meet Mira Murati’s new venture: The former OpenAI CTO has launched Thinking Machines Lab, a new AI startup. Along with OpenAI co-founder John Schulman and previous research chief Barret Zoph, the team will develop collaborative “multimodal” systems.
Introducing Grok 3: Elon Musk’s xAI has launched Grok 3, the latest version of its AI model. Musk describes this model as striving for truth, even if it conflicts with political norms.
Hackers target Steam: Valve has pulled a video game from its platform that was designed to spread malware. It tricked players into downloading an info-stealer known as Vidar.
DEI programs face cuts: Zuckerberg’s charity announced it will terminate its internal diversity efforts and stop funding advocacy on racial equity and immigration, going back on previous commitments.
Amazon is closing its Android app store: This service will shut down in August as Amazon focuses on its own products. Developers won’t be able to submit new apps anymore.
Negative perceptions of tech leaders: A Pew Research study shows many Americans view Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg unfavorably, with 54% and 67% respectively expressing negative opinions.
Noise-canceling headphones and brain health: A report by the BBC raises concerns that noise-canceling technology could potentially alter how our brains filter sounds over time.
Analysis
Exploring the DOGE ecosystem: TechCrunch delves into the network of people surrounding Elon Musk and DOGE. This includes key players from his inner circle to those working for the project, highlighting how they connect and influence Musk’s tech landscape.
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