A new generation of technology is emerging, shaking up the industry in more ways than one. There's much to unpack, from the Intel 4004 generative AI platform to Samsung's Galaxy S23's "huge" system partition. Does Spotify's AI DJ have a soul? Hector Martin, a tech expert, asks the question on everyone's mind: "For those wondering why the hell we need all this..." He's not the only one asking questions—what happened to Alexa? Is it really easy to hack your smart home? What can Android developers learn from Stripe's Tap to Pay SDK? And what does China's vanishing tech rainmaker mean for business confidence? We explore all of these questions and more in this article.
Intel 4004 First Microprocessor
The Intel 4004 is a 4-bit central processing unit released by Intel Corporation in 1971 that was the first commercially produced microprocessor. It was the first example of large-scale integration, showcasing the superiority of the MOS silicon gate technology, which integrated twice the number of transistors with five times the operating speed compared to the incumbent technology. This step-function increase in performance made possible a single-chip CPU, replacing the existing multi-chip CPUs. It was designed by Federico Faggin based on an idea from Marcian Hoff, who proposed a more conventional CPU architecture based on data stored on RAM. This architecture was simpler, more general-purpose, and could be integrated into a single chip, thus reducing cost and improving speed. The project began in 1969 when Busicom Corp. approached Intel to design a family of seven chips for an electronic calculator.T
Added to Tech Innovations lists by @jbrown
Intel 4004 First Microprocessor
Intel 4004
The Intel 4004 is a 4-bit central processing unit (CPU) released by Intel Corporation in 1971. Sold for US$60, it was the first commercially produced microprocessor, and the first in a long line of Intel CPUs.
Generative AI Impact
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is in its early stages, and hundreds of new startups are joining the market. Technology trends often get over-hyped, but in this case, companies have gained real traction. AI models have been found to outperform humans by multiple orders of magnitude in some tasks. Models like Stable Diffusion and ChatGPT have seen high user growth, and some applications have reached $100 million of annualized revenue in less than a year. This suggests that there will be a massive transformation in the market. However, it is still being determined where the value will accrue in the market. The majority of dollars have been captured by infrastructure vendors, while application companies have grown topline revenue quickly but have needed help with retention, product differentiation, and gross margins. Model providers have yet to reach a large commercial scale, meaning those creating the most value have not captured most of it. To understand the market's future, it is important to determine which parts of the stack are differentiated and defensible, as this will affect market structure and the drivers of long-term value.D
Added to Digital Security Guide lists by @bbaxter
Generative AI Impact
Who Owns the Generative AI Platform? | Andreessen Horowitz
Generative AI will have a massive impact in the software industry and beyond. The goal of this post is to map out the market dynamics and business models.
Innovation Insufficient
Ranjan has four Echo devices in his household, and they have been used to control the lights, create timers, ask for the weather, and play Baby Shark. Despite his tech-savvy background, he has found the follow-up questions from Alexa needing to be more engaging. The other day, his whole family yelled, "Alexa, NO!!!" in unison. Ranjan purchased an Amazon Echo device in March 2016 during his "tech-can-do-no-wrong" phase. He became a full convert to the magic of Alexa after having his first kid in December 2016. Amazon debuted the Echo device on November 6th, 2014. Alexa is different from its cousin Siri due to its innovation potential.D
Added to Digital Security Guide lists by @rwilliams
Innovation Insufficient
Alexa, what happened?
Sometimes innovation just ain't enough...
Why Galaxy S23 Storage Low?
The Galaxy S23 series has been receiving positive feedback since it was announced. Still, recently it was reported that the 512GB S23 Ultra used a whopping 60GB of storage space for its system partition. This caused people to accuse Samsung of filling the S23 Ultra with unnecessary bloat. However, the system partition on the S23 is smaller than originally thought. The units of measurement used, gigabytes (GB) and gibibytes (GiB), are based on different powers of 10 and 1, respectively. 1GB equals 1, 000 000, 000 bytes, while 1GiB is 1, 073 741, 824 bytes, which is 7. 3% more. GiB is more commonly used with data on devices like phones and laptops. A 512GB S23 Ultra reports a system partition between 54GB and 58GB, which is 36GB when using the 58GB figure. This means the S23 Ultra does not need a diet after all.O
Added to Open Source Development lists by @joconnor
Why Galaxy S23 Storage Low?
Here's the real reason why Samsung's Galaxy S23 has a 'huge' system partition
Confused as to why your new Galaxy S23 has less storage than you expected? Thankfully, there's a reasonable explanation.
YouTube Music Adds Podcasts, Google Photos Updates
Radio DJs can be annoying with interruptions, but they are comforting due to their familiarity. Most people no longer listen to the radio, relying on streaming services like Spotify.Spotify is now introducing an AI DJ service for Premium users. The AI was created from the acquisition of Sonantic and is modeled on Xavier Jernigan, Spotify's head of cultural partnerships. The AI's generated audio sounds realistic and guides music streaming.T
Added to Tech Innovations lists by @mwhite
YouTube Music Adds Podcasts, Google Photos Updates
Spotify’s AI DJ Has No Soul
Plus: YouTube Music is finally adding podcasts, and Google Photos lets more users remove annoying friends from their pictures.
Smart Home Accessories Unwarranted Trust
This blog post is a case study of a haunted smart home. Earlier this year, a family was visited by an individual who noticed their new smart wall plugs that integrate into their Apple Home ecosystem. The individual searched the internet and found that these "Meross Smart Plugs" are the first item to pop up on Amazon when searching for a HomeKit-compatible socket outlet. Upon further investigation, it was found that the smart plug had an open port and an HTTP service on port 80, and the individual could access the device's web service with a browser. When trying the username and password combination "admin/admin," the individual could access a rudimentary administration panel. This is a security risk for anyone with a comparable "smart" outlet.T
Added to Tech Innovations lists by @asmith
Smart Home Accessories Unwarranted Trust
Why It’s So Easy to Hack Your Smart Home | Computer Science Blog
Every day, new smart home accessories go online for the first time to join the Internet of Things. Many of them enjoy the unwarranted trust of their owners.
Android Platform Updates
Android developers can build in-person commerce experiences with the Terminal Android SDK and the Tap to Pay on Android SDK. Stripe Terminal is a set of tools for accepting in-person payments. It includes developer interfaces, card readers, and logistics management.The Terminal Android SDK allows users to go to market with Stripe's pre-certified card readers. The Tap to Pay on Android SDK enables merchants to accept contactless payments on their existing compatible Android devices. This eliminates the need for additional hardware, allowing POS providers and their users to scale, increase revenue, and reach new markets quickly.Both SDKs integrate seamlessly with the Stripe platform so that businesses can manage online and in-person payments in one place. Existing Terminal users have combined Tap to Pay on Android with the Stripe Terminal SDK in just a few weeks.Stripe has used Google Play SDK Console since the product's launch in 2020 to monitor the performance of their SDKs.This includes the Terminal Android SDK and Android SDK for online payments.Google Play SDK Console is a platform for widely-used commercial SDKs to share important updates with developers and provide precise mitigation instructions. Features like usage statistics, crash reporting, and version reporting allow SDK providers like Stripe to streamline communication.Security was key to developing the Tap to Pay on Android SDK due to the need to secure sensitive card data. Stripe initially incorporated the SafetyNet Attestation API into their broader security strategy for Terminal to address the need for device attestation. Google plans to offer this to more SDKs in 2023.T
Added to Tech Innovations lists by @pjenkins
Android Platform Updates
How Stripe leveraged Google Play to build an SDK for Tap to Pay on Android
News and insights on the Android platform, developer tools, and events.
Missing Bao Fan Worries Tech
Bao Fan is the founder and chairman of China Renaissance, a notable investment bank in the tech sector. He is known as the rainmaker of China's tech industry, brokering deals, managing egos, and taking tech companies public. He is so influential that there is a saying in the industry that you have yet to make it if you don't know Bao Fan. On Valentine's Day 2021, rumors began circulating that Mr. Bao had gone missing, and his company later confirmed his disappearance in a regulatory filing. Chinese media reported he was summoned to assist in an investigation of a former senior executive. Mr. Bao's disappearance has caused concern in the tech world. His peers are worried for him and fear what his disappearance says about the government's heavy hand in business. He is symbolic of the industry's rising presence in China, and his absence has undercut Beijing's efforts to restore business confidence.O
Added to Open Source Development lists by @pjones
Missing Bao Fan Worries Tech
China’s Tech Rainmaker Vanishes, and So Does Business Confidence
Bao Fan’s firm says he’s unreachable, and others in the tech sector are worried for him and fear what his disappearance says about China’s heavy hand in business.
Written by Sam Chahineon Sun Feb 26 2023