Don’t blame MKBHD for the fate of Humane AI and Fisker Famed YouTuber Marques Brownlee makes a splash not for what he said — but for howHumane AI raised more than $230 million before it even shipped a product.
“It was really hard to come up with a title for this video,” Brownlee says in the video itself, which currently has over 5 million views.
The actual review was fair and balanced.”An underdog worth $800 millionCritics of MKBHD’s video are operating as though Humane AI is an underdog in the space.
In the month preceding the MKBHD review, federal safety regulators began investigating the Fisker Ocean for complaints about the brakes not working well.
The Humane AI pin was widely panned across the tech review board, but the only person receiving outsized and long-lasting criticism for his review is MKBHD, a Black man.
Microsoft’s AI ambitions dominated the news as well, so let’s dive right in.…Did someone forward this to you?
The U.S. joined international regulators in accusing Apple of using monopolistic tactics to lock in iPhone users.
In response, Apple claims the DOJ’s actions could ruin exactly what its users enjoy about its phones and ecosystem.
NewsMicrosoft absorbs Inflection AI’s leads: The co-founders of the high-profile AI startup were scooped up by Microsoft on Tuesday in a deal that positions Mustafa Suleyman as the lead of consumer-facing unit Microsoft AI, and Karén Simonyan as the EVP and CEO of the same group.
Amid numerous feature launches and AI updates, the company remains unclear about its path to monetization.
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced its first industry-wide review of data security and privacy policies across the largest U.S. airlines.
Those airlines include Allegiant, Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, and United.
Wyden has raised alarms about the sharing and sale of sensitive U.S. consumer data to data brokers — companies that collect and resell people’s personal data, like precise location data, often derived from their phones and computers.
In recent months, Wyden has warned that data brokers sell access to Americans’ personal information, which can identify which websites they visit and the places they travel to.
In remarks, Wyden said: “Because consumers will often never know that their personal data was misused or sold to shady data brokers, effective privacy regulation cannot depend on consumer complaints to identify corporate abuses.”
“[W]e await feedback from the Irish Data Protection Commission [DPC], our lead data protection regulator in the EU,” he added.
While Meta’s compliance with the GDPR is led by the Irish DPC, under the regulation’s one-stop-shop.
This structure does not mean the Irish authority gets final say on Meta’s compliance with EU privacy rules, though.
In the case of Meta, this has frequently led to objections from other data protection authorities which have landed stiffer enforcements than the DPC originally proposed.
So who gets the final say on the GDPR compliance of Meta’s consent mechanism is complex too.
Airbnb already has labels like “Guest favorites” and “Superhost” to indicate the quality of a property or the host.
Now the company is adding a new label for the top 25% and top 1% properties on the listing page.
Usually, Airbnb releases updates twice a year with so-called winter and summer releases.
Airbnb said today that nearly 1.5 million properties would be verified by the end of this month in these five markets with a verification badge shown next to the listings.
Airbnb said that it plans to add photo and video verification tools for hosts to verify their listings.
As Amazon initiates job cuts across its entire business, including its streaming division, the e-commerce giant is now laying off employees within its Buy with Prime segment.
Launched in 2022, Buy with Prime is a service that enables third-party merchants to offer Prime benefits like free shipping and returns.
Buy with Prime expanded its availability in early 2023, adding more U.S. brands like BigCommerce and Sustainable Glam.
“Buy with Prime is a top priority for Amazon, with strong adoption from merchants and positive feedback from customers, and we will continue investing significant resources in Buy with Prime to build on that momentum.
Earlier this month, Amazon laid off 500 Twitch workers and hundreds of employees at Prime Video and MGM Studios.
This edition of WiR spotlights Brian’s review of the new Amazon Echo Frames, MrBeast’s bizarre TV-like game show, the Apple Watch U.S. ban and the expected release date of the Apple Vision Pro.
Most readNew Echo Frames: Brian test drove Amazon’s new and improved Echo Frames, which feature upgraded sound and a 14-hour battery.
Apple Watch banned — then not: A recent U.S. ban on Apple Watch imports — centering on a pair of pulse oximetry sensor trademarks held by health tech company Masimo — nearly remained in place after the Biden administration declined to veto an earlier ruling by the International Trade Commission.
But then, an appeals court instituted a pause, allowing Apple to resume sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 — at least temporarily.
Hyperloop One crashes and burns: One of the longest-running hyperloop startups is reportedly shutting its doors.
Meta has been restrained from offering moderation services to the social media giant, and it is unclear who is currently reviewing its platforms in sub-Saharan Africa. This lack of oversight…
Online shoppers use product reviews as a means of confirming their purchase decision. 92.4% of consumers reportedly relies on product reviews when making a purchase, in order to gain confidence…
