Tech Roundup: DeepMind AlphaGeometry, Samsung Galaxy S24 & More

[A recurring feature on the latest in Science & Technology.]

• OpenAI says it will take proactive steps to prevent abuse of its tools and offer better transparency around image provenance ahead of the elections cycle across the world; forbids users from using its technology to impersonate candidates and build applications for political campaigning and lobbying.
• Google readies to comply with the E.U. Digital Markets Act (which goes into effect in March 2023) by updating search to "include a group of links to comparison sites from across the web, and query shortcuts at the top of the search page to help people refine their search, including by focusing results just on comparison sites."
• Uber announces plans to shut down alcohol delivery service Drizly, which had operated "independently within the Uber family" since its US $1.1 billion acquisition in February 2021.
• Microsoft debuts Copilot Pro for US$ 20/month/user, offering access to the latest models and features, like custom Copilot GPTs and integration into Office products.
• Google's DeepMind creates an AI system called AlphaGeometry that can solve complex geometry problems; formally discontinues its efforts to bring the full Chrome browser experience to its Fuchsia operating system.
• Social media platform Bluesky adds support for RSS feeds, thereby making it possible to follow individual accounts via RSS reader apps.
• Google introduces support for Bluetooth tunnel beacons in Maps for Android for improved navigation accuracy in tunnels; partners with NPCI, which runs India's Unified Payments Interface, to expand beyond India.
• Apple overtakes Samsung to become the leading global smartphone manufacturer in 2023, taking the top spot from Samsung for the first time since 2010, according to Canalys and IDC; comes as global smartphone shipments decline 3.2% year-over-year to 1.17 billion units in 2023.
• A new study released by Anthropic has revealed that large language models (LLMs) could be trained to deceive such that it could return different results based on certain trigger phrases; says "such backdoor behavior can be made persistent, so that it is not removed by standard safety training techniques, including supervised fine-tuning, reinforcement learning, and adversarial training."
• Vodafone and Microsoft agree to a 10-year, US$ 1.5 billion strategic partnership to develop AI, digital payments, IoT and other businesses; to expand M-Pesa to improve financial inclusion across Africa.
• Apple revises its U.S. App Store rules to let developers link to outside payment methods, but will charge a commission of 27%, or 12% for developers who are part of the App Store Small Business Program, for each purchase made outside the App Store. (It's worth noting that apps participating in its existing Video Partner and News Partner program are not eligible to use the Link Entitlement.)
• OpenAI forms a Collective Alignment team to design a process for collecting and using input from the public "to train and shape the behavior of our models"; says the company is developing tools with the U.S. Department of Defence on open-source software.
• Chip design software maker Synopsys announces plans to acquire 3D design simulation software maker Ansys in a US$ 35 billion cash-and-stock deal.
• Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 once again gets prohibited from being soled in the U.S. two weeks after an interim stay on the ban, as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit denies the company's request to upload the ban for the duration of its appeal of the U.S. International Trade Commission's ruling that the devices infringe on two pulse oximetry patents held by medical device company Masimo.
• Google introduces Circle to Search, a set of new gestures for searching from anywhere on Android without having to switch apps; launches a new multimodal search feature that allows users to upload an image and ask related questions.
• Samsung debuts Galaxy S24 and S24 Ultra with Google-powered Gemini AI model for improved summarisation, photo editing and craft messages in different styles; pledges seven years of OS and security updates for the Galaxy S24 series, matching Google Pixel.
• Notion unveils Notion Calendar, a free app on Mac, Windows, iOS and the web with an optional Notion integration, following its purchase of the calendar app Cron in June 2022.
• Amazon now lets U.S. users create AI-generated backgrounds using Alexa prompts on the second-gen Fire TV Stick 4K Max and the Fire TV Omni QLED Series; reportedly plans a paid version of its Alexa voice assistant.
• Alphabet's drone-powered delivery company Wing unveils a new drone that can carry up to five pounds, fly a 12 mile round trip and cruise at 65 mph.
• Meta's WhatsApp upgrades Channels with new abilities such as voice updates, polls and add up to 16 admins per channel, as the broadcasting feature hits 500 million monthly active users; Instagram adds nighttime nudges for teens, encouraging them to close the app and go to sleep after they spend more than 10 minutes in Reels or DMs late at night.
• Microsoft makes Reading Coach, its AI-powered tool that provides learners with personalised reading practice, available at no cost to anyone with a Microsoft account.
• Adult entertainment site Pornhub changes its performer verification policy, requiring performers to upload proof of consent from scene partners, in addition to IDs, starting January 23, 2024.
• Microsoft Bing end 2023 with 3.4% global search market share, up less than 1% since launching Bing Chat; Google leads with 91.6%, followed by Yandex 1.6% and Yahoo 1.1%.
• ByteDance-owned TikTok says it will continue to ban political ads on the platform, require creators to disclose when using "realistic" AI-generated content, and that it will work with fact-checking organisations to tackle misinformation ahead of the U.S. elections later this year.
• Google enables WebGPU by default in Chrome 121 on devices running Android 12 and greater powered by Qualcomm and ARM GPUs, offering "significant benefits such as greatly reduced JavaScript workload for the same graphics and more than three times improvements in machine learning model inferences."
• Apple opens pre-orders for the Vision Pro, which has an M2 chip with an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, 16GB of memory, and 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options, and releases accessories for the "spatial computer."
• X rolls out audio and video calling to Android, after launching on iOS in October 2023.
• Apple offers to give third-party mobile wallet providers access to its contactless NFC payment and mobile wallet technology in an effort to appease antitrust regulators in the E.U.
• Indian smartphone shipments in Q4 2023 grows 20% YoY to 38.9 million units, after five quarters of declines; total shipments for 2023 decline 2% YoY to 148.6 million units, according to Canalys.