Ryan Browne / CNBC:
PIP Labs, which is developing the blockchain Story Protocol to track IP usage, raised an $80M Series B led by a16z Crypto, sources say at a $2.25B valuation — San-Francisco-based startup Story said Wednesday that it raised $80 million of funding for a blockchain designed …
Sources and docs: sales reps say Google’s targeting of teen minors goes beyond Meta; Google lets advertisers target an “unknown” group that skews toward teens (Catherine Perloff/Adweek)
Catherine Perloff / Adweek:
Sources and docs: sales reps say Google’s targeting of teen minors goes beyond Meta; Google lets advertisers target an “unknown” group that skews toward teens — This activity is broader than the agreement between Google and Meta that the FT reported this month
WISPAP says Pakistan’s internet speeds have dropped 30%-40% over the past few weeks; many in tech believe the government is testing an internet firewall (Zofeen T Ebrahim/The Guardian)
Zofeen T Ebrahim / The Guardian:
WISPAP says Pakistan’s internet speeds have dropped 30%-40% over the past few weeks; many in tech believe the government is testing an internet firewall — Government denies new cybersecurity measures responsible for up to 40% drop in internet speeds across the country
The UK CMA closes its Google Play Store and Apple App Store investigation and expects to reconsider the case under a new digital rules regime, set for fall 2024 (Katharine Gemmell/Bloomberg)
Katharine Gemmell / Bloomberg:
The UK CMA closes its Google Play Store and Apple App Store investigation and expects to reconsider the case under a new digital rules regime, set for fall 2024 — – CMA’s digital market powers set to come into force this fall — Regulator expects early work of rules to focus on app stores
Didi reports Q2 revenue up 4.1% YoY to ~$7.1B and ~196M net profit, after ride-hailing transactions hit a record, as Didi recovers from a $1.2B US fine in 2022 (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg:
Didi reports Q2 revenue up 4.1% YoY to ~$7.1B and ~196M net profit, after ride-hailing transactions hit a record, as Didi recovers from a $1.2B US fine in 2022 — – The business is recovering after years of instability — Didi is said to be preparing for an eventual Hong Kong listing
Samsung unveils a new Odyssey gaming monitor lineup that uses eye-tracking tech to convert 2D visuals into glasses-free 3D, set for release “within this year” (Jess Weatherbed/The Verge)
Jess Weatherbed / The Verge:
Samsung unveils a new Odyssey gaming monitor lineup that uses eye-tracking tech to convert 2D visuals into glasses-free 3D, set for release “within this year” — Samsung has announced a new Odyssey gaming monitor lineup at gamescom that uses eye-tracking technology to convert 2D visuals into glasses-free 3D.
Chinese government data: China is unleashing billions in lending to tech startups using intellectual property as collateral, up 57% YoY to ~$58.8B in H1 2024 (Financial Times)
Financial Times:
Chinese government data: China is unleashing billions in lending to tech startups using intellectual property as collateral, up 57% YoY to ~$58.8B in H1 2024 — Beijing ramps up use of intellectual property as collateral to try to revive credit growth — China is unleashing billions …
Since 2023, Chinese investors, including Alibaba and Tencent, have valued 6+ China-based startups developing LLMs, dubbed “Little AI Dragons”, at $1B+ each (Wall Street Journal)
Wall Street Journal:
Since 2023, Chinese investors, including Alibaba and Tencent, have valued 6+ China-based startups developing LLMs, dubbed “Little AI Dragons”, at $1B+ each — Since 2023, 40% of Alibaba’s deals in China and 30% of Tencent’s have targeted AI startups
Linux users say Microsoft’s recent Windows patch leaves dual-boot devices unable to boot into Linux when Secure Boot is enforced; Microsoft hasn’t commented (Dan Goodin/Ars Technica)
Dan Goodin / Ars Technica:
Linux users say Microsoft’s recent Windows patch leaves dual-boot devices unable to boot into Linux when Secure Boot is enforced; Microsoft hasn’t commented — Microsoft said its update wouldn’t install on Linux devices. It did anyway. — Last Tuesday, loads of Linux users …
Google updates Gemini in Gmail to add a Polish feature to edit existing drafts, on top of Formalize and Elaborate, for Google One AI Premium and Workspace (Wes Davis/The Verge)
Wes Davis / The Verge:
Google updates Gemini in Gmail to add a Polish feature to edit existing drafts, on top of Formalize and Elaborate, for Google One AI Premium and Workspace — Google is upgrading its Gemini writing tools in Gmail to help you polish drafts that you’ve already written.
