Ryan Christoffel / 9to5Mac:
Apple Intelligence, with features like Genmoji and Image Playground in iOS 18.2, requires 7GB of storage, compared to 4GB in iOS 18.1 — Apple Intelligence arrived on compatible iPhones, iPads, and Macs via a staggered rollout. There were new features launched in both iOS 18.1 and iOS 18.2.
Meta says the viral AI profiles on Facebook and Instagram were created in 2023 as part of “an early experiment” with AI characters, and it is deleting them (Jason Koebler/404 Media)
Jason Koebler / 404 Media:
Meta says the viral AI profiles on Facebook and Instagram were created in 2023 as part of “an early experiment” with AI characters, and it is deleting them — Earlier this week, Meta executive Connor Hayes told the Financial Times that the company is going to roll out AI character profiles …
Elon Musk fanboy Adrian Dittmann’s alleged 4Chan posts and X activity suggest he might be Musk’s fake online persona; source: the viral 4Chan screenshot is fake (The Verge)
The Verge:
Elon Musk fanboy Adrian Dittmann’s alleged 4Chan posts and X activity suggest he might be Musk’s fake online persona; source: the viral 4Chan screenshot is fake — A screenshot that seems to suggest billionaire Elon Musk is cosplaying superfan “Adrian Dittmann” — showing X account permissions beyond …
An unredacted lawsuit from Utah’s AG claims TikTok has long known that TikTok Live promoted sexual content streams to minors and facilitated money laundering (Alexandra S. Levine/Bloomberg)
Alexandra S. Levine / Bloomberg:
An unredacted lawsuit from Utah’s AG claims TikTok has long known that TikTok Live promoted sexual content streams to minors and facilitated money laundering — – Unredacted lawsuit claims TikTok knew about teen safety issues — Lawsuit also alleges company facilitated money laundering
The US sanctions Beijing-based cybersecurity company Integrity Technology over its alleged links to China-backed hacking group Flax Typhoon (Carly Page/TechCrunch)
Carly Page / TechCrunch:
The US sanctions Beijing-based cybersecurity company Integrity Technology over its alleged links to China-backed hacking group Flax Typhoon — The U.S. government has sanctioned a Beijing-based cybersecurity company over its alleged links to a China government-backed hacking group, tracked as Flax Typhoon.
Elon Musk fanboy Adrian Dittmann’s alleged 4Chan posts and Dittmann’s X Spaces appearances suggest he might be a fake online persona used by Musk himself (Jess Weatherbed/The Verge)
Jess Weatherbed / The Verge:
Elon Musk fanboy Adrian Dittmann’s alleged 4Chan posts and Dittmann’s X Spaces appearances suggest he might be a fake online persona used by Musk himself — Rumors that viral Elon Musk fanboy Adrian Dittmann is actually a fake online persona used by Musk himself have been reignited following fresh evidence linking the pair.
Meta required a public statesman like Nick Clegg after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, and now turns to the in-house Republican Joel Kaplan to appease Trump (Dave Lee/Bloomberg)
Dave Lee / Bloomberg:
Meta required a public statesman like Nick Clegg after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, and now turns to the in-house Republican Joel Kaplan to appease Trump — The former UK politician was a public statesman when Meta required one. A different approach will be called for under Trump.
Apple and Strava partner to feature Strava athletes in Fitness+ programming, add more detailed Fitness+ workout summaries in the Strava app, and more (Victoria Song/The Verge)
Victoria Song / The Verge:
Apple and Strava partner to feature Strava athletes in Fitness+ programming, add more detailed Fitness+ workout summaries in the Strava app, and more — Apple Fitness Plus is getting a fresh makeover in the Strava app. The two companies just announced they’re collaborating to revamp …
Influencer marketing company Later acquires Mavely, which pays commissions to social-media creators for the sales they generate, for $250M in cash and stock (Katie Deighton/Wall Street Journal)
Katie Deighton / Wall Street Journal:
Influencer marketing company Later acquires Mavely, which pays commissions to social-media creators for the sales they generate, for $250M in cash and stock — Later, an influencer and social-media marketing company, acquired social commerce app Mavely for $250 million
Foreign smartphone shipments, including iPhones, to China fell 47.4% YoY in November, following a 44.25% YoY drop in October, marking four months of decline (Reuters)
Reuters:
Foreign smartphone shipments, including iPhones, to China fell 47.4% YoY in November, following a 44.25% YoY drop in October, marking four months of decline — Shipments to China of foreign-branded smartphones, including Apple Inc’s (AAPL.O) iPhone, fell by 47.4% in November from a year earlier …
