plans

Apple and Google’s Gemini: A Collaboration in the Works

Img 1421
Following a keynote presentation at WWDC 2024 that both introduced Apple Intelligence and confirmed a partnership that brings GPT access to Siri through an deal with OpenAI, SVP Craig Federighi confirmed plans to work with additional third-party models. The first example given by the executive was one the companies with which Apple was exploring a partnership. “We’re looking forward to doing integrations with other models, including Google Gemini, for instance, in the future,” Federighi said during a post-keynote conversation. Apple says users will be able to access the system without having to sign up for an account or paying for premium services. “Now you can do it right through Siri, without going through another tool,” the Apple executive said.

Revealing Rivian’s Strategy for Success: A Clear Path to Survival

Rivian Next Gen R1s Mud
It created an electric pickup and an electric SUV while prepping a monster IPO. It now plans to sell an even cheaper SUV that could make Rivian a dominant EV player for years to come. These changes mean that, for the first time since the company broke stealth in 2018, Rivian’s immediate future is actually remarkably clear. Fisker is on the brink of bankruptcy after dealing with underwhelming sales of its electric SUV and myriad quality and service problems. If Rivian wants to survive long enough to ship its more affordable mass-market R2, it really needs these revamped vehicles to sell well.

Zoox’s Autonomous Vehicles Set to Hit the Roads of Austin and Miami

Austin1
The self-driving technology company announced Wednesday plans to begin testing in Austin and Miami this summer. Earlier this week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requested more information from Zoox to aid its probe into rear-end crash risks posed by unexpected braking. Zoox also didn’t say when it aims to remove the safety driver or begin commercial operations in Austin or Miami. The plans to test in Austin and Miami come as Zoox gears up for its first commercial launch. The company won’t be testing those vehicles on public roads in Austin or Miami, just yet.

Snap to Enhance Image Protection with Watermarks Generated by AI-Powered Technology

Alexander Shatov Frjjnn 8njo Unsplash
Social media company Snap said Tuesday that it plans to add watermarks to AI-generated images on its platform. Other tech giants such as Microsoft, Meta, and Google have also taken steps to label or identify images created with AI-powered tools. Currently, Snap allows users to create or edit AI-generated images with Snap AI for paid users and a selfie-focused feature called Dreams. The company also added context cards with AI-generated images from tools like Dream selfies to better inform the user. In February, Snap partnered with HackerOne to stress its AI image-generation tools by adapting a bug bounty program.

“Unveiling “Truth Social”: Trump’s Innovative Platform for Live TV Streaming”

Truth Social Trump 1
Truth Social, the social media platform owned by Donald Trump’s media company, has announced plans to launch a live TV streaming platform. The streaming service will launch in three phases. The company first plans to introduce Truth Social’s CDN (content delivery network) for streaming to the Truth Social app for Android, iOS and the web. Next, Truth Social plans to release over-the-top (“OTT”) streaming apps for phones, tablets and other devices. Truth Social went public last month after shareholders approved a merger of TMTG and Digital World Acquisition, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).

“Orbit Domination: TechCrunch Space Teams Up with True Anomaly and Rocket Lab for Revolutionary Advances”

Tc Space Hero 2
Hello and welcome back to TechCrunch Space. You also can send a note to the whole TechCrunch crew at tips@techcrunch.com. For more secure communications, click here to contact us, which includes SecureDrop instructions and links to encrypted messaging apps. The Space Force has contracted out its next “responsive space” mission, and this one is a doozy. The two awardees, Rocket Lab and startup True Anomaly, will each build and launch spacecraft that will conduct rendezvous and proximity operations on orbit.

Elon Musk’s Strategy to Monetize Posting for New X Users

Twitter X Logo Musk 1 1
Elon Musk is planning to charge new X users a small fee to enable posting on the social network and to curb the bot problem. Earlier this month, X said that the platform was starting a major purge of spam accounts, warning users that their follower count might be affected. However, with a plan to charge new users, the social media company seemingly aims to tackle the bot problem better. Earlier this month, xAI made its Grok chatbot available to Premium users of X, who pay $8 per month. Last week, Fortune reported that X plans to make Grok available to users to compose posts.

OpenAI to Establish New Tokyo Office, Tesla’s Workforce Reduction Impacts Thousands of Employees

Openai Pattern 03
Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast and airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You can subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads at @EquityPod. For the full interview transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, read on, or check out our full archive of episodes over at Simplecast.

“Empowering Redditors: Vana’s Proposal to Lease User Data for AI Training”

Reddit Ipo V2
Vana plans to let users rent out their Reddit data to train AI A startup, Vana, says it wants users to get paid for training dataIn the generative AI boom, data is the new oil. “It does this by allowing users to aggregate their personal data in a non-custodial way … Vana allows users to own AI models and use their data across AI applications.”Here’s how Vana pitches its platform and API to developers:The Vana API connects a user’s cross-platform personal data … to allow you to personalize your application. This month, Vana launched what it’s calling the Reddit Data DAO (Digital Autonomous Organization), a program that pools multiple users’ Reddit data (including their karma and post history) and lets them to decide together how that combined data is used. We have crunched the numbers and r/datadao is now largest data DAO in history: Phase 1 welcomed 141,000 reddit users with 21,000 full data uploads. “Reddit does not share non-public, personal data with commercial enterprises, and when Redditors request an export of their data from us, they receive non-public personal data back from us in accordance with applicable laws.