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☆ Elon Musk just gave a shoutout to this new Apple feature
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-29 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

AdvertisementElon Musk praised Apple's new hearing aid feature for AirPods. The FDA approved the feature as the first over-the-counter hearing aid software. Elon Musk, who has previously criticized Apple, appears to have been won over by one new feature. It shows a hard-of-hearing father using the feature on the Apple AirPods Pro 2 to hear his daughter opening Christmas presents. "Don't want it," Musk wrote in a June response to a Tim Cook post promoting Apple Intelligence on X.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, Apple, Tim Cook, Tesla's, Apple's Organizations: FDA, Apple, ChatGPT, Apple AirPods, OpenAI, Apple Intelligence, AirPods

☆ TikTok's obsession with matcha has created a reported shortage of the tea in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-27 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

TikTok's obsession with matcha has appeared to create a shortage of the tea in Japan. TikTok's most popular tea brands appear to be hit hard. Kanaike's shop announced limits on online matcha purchases because of the shortage, she told the outlet earlier this month. Marukyu Koyamaen and TikTok did not immediately return requests for comment from Business Insider about the reported matcha shortage. One TikTok video shows a sign at a Japanese matcha shop that says the shop sold too much in the summer months and "ran out of raw materials."

Persons: matcha, Megumi Kanaike, Kanaike's, Marukyu, Zach Mangan, TikTok, Kithumini Organizations: Matcha, Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald, Business Locations: Japan, Sydney, Kyoto, Brooklyn, Tokyo

☆ A Florida man pretending to be Elon Musk scammed an elderly woman out of over $250,000
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-23 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

AdvertisementA Florida man scammed a woman out of $250,000 by posing as Elon Musk, police say. The scam involved a fake Facebook account promising high returns on investments. A Florida man pretending to be billionaire Elon Musk on Facebook scammed an older woman out of over $250,000, police say. The 74-year-old victim befriended someone named "Elon Musk" on Facebook in 2023, police said. AdvertisementThe fake Musk account promised the woman a $55 million investment return.

Persons: Elon Musk, Jeffrey Moynihan, Jr, Dave Chappelle's, Moynihan, Elon, Musk Organizations: Facebook, Bradenton Police Department, Bradenton, SpaceX Locations: Florida, Texas, Hong Kong, Korea

☆ Triller is hiring TikTok's former head of product to run its video app, as its other CEO hire falls through
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementTriller hired former TikTok product head Sean Kim to run its video app and a few other subsidiaries. Former T-Mobile marketing exec Kevin McGurn will no longer join as CEO of all of Triller Group. Triller, a media and marketing company that once positioned itself as a competitor to TikTok, announced it's hiring former TikTok product head Sean Kim to serve as CEO of its video app. Starting on December 2, he will oversee the Triller app, a short-video platform that functions similarly to TikTok, Instagram reels, and YouTube shorts. The Triller Group CEO title was meant to go to former T-Mobile marketing executive Kevin McGurn, as announced by the company in October.

Persons: Triller, Sean Kim, Kevin McGurn, TikTok, Kim, Julius, McGurn, it's, Donald Trump Organizations: Mobile, Triller, Holding, Triller Group, AGBA, Sony Music, Universal Music Group, SEC, Congress, YouTube Locations: Hong Kong, Triller

☆ Defense tech companies like Anduril hope Trump can streamline military contracts
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-16 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Others in the defense industry are less optimistic. Tech billionaire Palmer Luckey's bet on the defense industry is paying off at Anduril, the drone-making company he founded. AdvertisementSacknoff said that procurement reform in the defense industry is not a new concept and that the Defense Department is always restructuring its contracting process. Richard Aboulafia, managing director at AeroDynamic Advisory, a consulting firm, said that reforming the defense industry will take time. AdvertisementSacknoff said the military defense business is always looking for a "counter" to the newest technology and that the growth of autonomous drones would likely bring more innovations to stop them.

Persons: Palmer Luckey, Anduril, Palmer Luckey's, Donald Trump's, Brian Schrimf, Schrimpf, Scott Sacknoff, Sacknoff, Richard Aboulafia, Abaulafia, DefenseScoop, Tesla, Eric Schmidt, Schmidt Organizations: Tech, Yahoo, Spade, Defense Department, Teledyne, Defense, Google Locations: Anduril, United States, Saudi Arabia

☆ YouTube has added a 'gifting' feature to its vertical streams, ramping up the competition for livestream e-commerce
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

YouTube is adding a "gifting" feature for vertical livestreams that allows users to purchase digital gifts for streamers, similar to a feature that fuels livestream sales on TikTok. Related Video TikTok could be banned in US after House voteTikTok's LIVE Gifts feature operates similarly. Livestream e-commerce in the United States is expected to grow to $68 billion by 2026, according to Statista, a data research firm. AdvertisementGoogle is also looking to expand its own shopping feature. YouTube Shopping allows creators to make "collections" of products that viewers can purchase.

Persons: TikTok, ByteDance Organizations: YouTube, Google, Forbes Locations: China, TikTok, United States, livestreams, Culver City , California, Indonesia

☆ Palmer Luckey and other defense tech leaders see Trump's victory as a win for the industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-10 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Defense tech startups are anticipating growth under Trump's second term. AdvertisementSome leaders in the defense tech industry, including Anduril cofounder Palmer Luckey, think that defense tech startups are poised for success during president-elect Donald Trump's second term. Over the last decade, Silicon Valley has made waves in the defense tech industry. Some of the defense tech industry's optimism for Trump's victory lies in SpaceX founder Elon Musk's proximity to the president-elect and his vice president, JD Vance, Forbes reported. Luckey told Bloomberg that Musk has "outperformed every reasonable expectation."

Persons: Palmer Luckey's Anduril, Elon Musk's, Vance, —, Palmer Luckey, Donald Trump's, Luckey, Anduril, Biden, Elon, JD Vance, Forbes, Nathan Mintz, Musk, it's, Donald Trump, Brian Schimf Organizations: Defense, Trump, Service, Meta, Teledyne, Defense Department, Bloomberg, SpaceX, Elon, Forbes, Republican, United Locations: United States

☆ Mark Zuckerberg isn't personally liable for any harm caused to children by Facebook and Instagram, judge says
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-09 | by ( Lauren Edmonds | Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A federal judge said Mark Zuckerberg is not personally liable in over two dozen lawsuits. AdvertisementA federal judge said Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is not personally liable in over two dozen lawsuits accusing his company of causing social media addiction in children. Plaintiffs said that Meta knew Instagram and Facebook posed health risks to its users, especially children. The court's ruling comes as world leaders crack down on some social media companies over claims that they are addictive to children and teens. AdvertisementIn Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese this week announced plans to introduce a law banning children under 16 from having social media accounts.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Instagram, —, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, Plaintiffs, Zuckerberg, TikTok, Anthony Albanese, Antigone Davis, Previn Warren Organizations: Facebook, Service, Associated Press, Meta, Business, Motley Rice LLC, Big Tech, Google Locations: California

☆ A man who paid $200.57 for a night at a famous NYC hotel and then lived there rent-free for years is unfit to stand trial, court says
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-09 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Mickey Barreto lived in the New Yorker Hotel for free for years before his recent arrest. AdvertisementDoctors say a man who had lived inside the iconic New Yorker Hotel for free for more than half a decade is unfit to stand trial. Mickey Barreto lived in the New Yorker Hotel for years without paying a single cent in rent. In June 2018, Barreto and his partner, Matthew Hannan, stayed in room 2565 at the New Yorker Hotel for one night and paid $200.57. Although a judge ordered him to stop representing himself as the owner of the hotel, Barreto continued to live there for free.

Persons: Mickey Barreto, Barreto, Doctors, —, Cori Weston, Weston, Brian Hutchinson, Hutchinson, Alvin Bragg's, Matthew Hannan Organizations: New Yorker, Service, Manhattan District, New York Times, Times, Addiction, Mount, Business, Associated Press, Holy Spirit Association, Department of Environmental, Unification Locations: , New York, Mount Sinai, Hutchinson, Barreto's

☆ Australia wants to ban kids under 16 from social media as world governments seek to crack down on the 'addictive' apps
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-09 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Australia plans to ban social media for users under 16, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. AdvertisementWith young people using social media more than ever, and those social media companies perfecting the algorithms that keep them engaged, concerns about social media addiction are taking root all over the world. Now, Australia wants to ban social media for everyone under 16. Australia's social media ban will be introduced into Parliament during its final session this year, which begins on November 18. If passed, social media companies will have 12 months to figure out how to keep minors off their apps before the law is enforced, he said.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, —, " Albanese, Albanese, Jackie Hallan, Hallan, they're, Antigone Davis, Davis Organizations: Service, Australian, TikTok, Guardian, Reuters, Associated Press Locations: Australia, United States, Kentucky

☆ Capitol riot defendants are asking judges to halt their cases, saying Trump promised them pardons
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-06 | by ( Katie Balevic | Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Donald Trump said he'd pardon January 6 rioters if he won the presidential election. Carnell is one of those arrested in the aftermath of the Capitol riot who is now hoping Trump will follow through on a promise of a pardon. Advertisement"President-elect Trump made multiple clemency promises to the January 6 defendants, particularly to those who were nonviolent participants," the filing said. Related storiesThroughout his campaign, Trump described imprisoned January 6 defendants as "political prisoners" who were "ushered in" to the federal building by Capitol Police. "In the beginning, if he does something like that to a couple of defendants, yeah, you'll see a trend," Shapiro said.

Persons: Donald Trump, he's, —, Christopher Carnell, Carnell, Trump, Jaimee Avery, Avery, Mike Pence, Nadia Shihata, Kelly, Shihata, David Shapiro, John Jay, Shapiro Organizations: Service, Capitol, Justice Department, Capitol Police, National Association of Black Journalists, John, John Jay College of Criminal Locations: New York

☆ Banks and the federal government point fingers as Americans lose billions to online scams
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-03 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The American Bankers Association is urging federal action on online financial fraud. Banks and the federal government are in a similar situation, pointing to each other to solve the problem of online financial scams. For its part, the government wants banks to take on more responsibility, and more consistently refund their customers who fall victim to online scams. According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers reported more than $10 billion in losses last year from online scams. He also said that the government should create "financial crimes intelligence centers."

Persons: Banks, ABA's, —, It's, Rob Nichols, Nichols, Forbes, JP Organizations: American Bankers Association, Service, Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, JP Morgan, Bank of America, FTC Locations: Wells Fargo, Texas

☆ The US says it will send more warships and bombers to the Middle East as tensions persist between Iran and Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-02 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US is deploying warships and B-52 bombers to the Middle East amid rising tensions. Israel and Iran are stuck in a cycle of retaliatory strikes. The US earlier said it would also send a missile defense system and 100 more troops to Israel. AdvertisementThe United States is sending bombers and warships to the Middle East as Iran and Israel trade threats of retaliatory strikes. The United States said it would send about 100 troops to operate the air defense system.

Persons: —, Lloyd Austin, Pat Ryder, Austin, Ryder, Hassan Nasrallah, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Organizations: Service, Pentagon, US Air Force, Defense, United Locations: Israel, Iran, States, East, United States

☆ Reddit's CEO sees an opening against Google on search
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-27 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Google is ranking the site higher in search results as more people look to it for answers. "People are going to Google with the intention of ending up on Reddit," Huffman said at the conference. It now presents Google search results in natural language at the top of the page. While Reddit could be seen as a potential competitor to Google Search, Google itself has prioritized Reddit in its results after recent changes to its algorithm. Google and Reddit also announced a deal in February that allows Google to train its AI models using Reddit comments.

Persons: Steve Huffman, —, Huffman, Reddit, Alpha, we've, there's Organizations: Google, Service, Wall Street

☆ Reddit is becoming the new Google
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-27 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementWhile speaking at a conference this week hosted by The Wall Street Journal, a reporter said she now uses Google Search mostly to get to Reddit for information. "People are going to Google with the intention of ending up on Reddit," Huffman said at the conference. While Reddit could be seen as a potential competitor to Google Search, Google itself has prioritized Reddit in its results after recent changes to its algorithm. Google and Reddit also announced a deal in February that allows Google to train its AI models using Reddit comments. Huffman said at the conference that it still feels like Reddit is "married to Google" but that "more and more people learn that Reddit has just pretty much everything that you're looking for."

Persons: Steve Huffman, —, Huffman, Reddit, Alpha, we've, there's Organizations: Google, Service, Wall Street

☆ Here are the most common election scams and how to keep yourself safe
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-27 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Verify voter registration info with official state sources to avoid falling for them. The three most common scams around elections are voter registration scams, fake surveys and polls, and political donation scams, experts say. Fake surveys and polls that prey on people's heightened emotions during election seasons are also common, NASS says. Another common sign that a voter registration message could be a scam is if the messenger says you must pay to complete your voter registration. To register to vote, or to find out if your Social Security Number is required for voter registration in your state, the FTC says to contact your local election office or check the US Election Assistance Commission's National Voter Registration Form.

Persons: —, NASS Organizations: Service, National Association of, State, Federal Trade Commission, FTC

☆ The crypto industry has spent millions this election. Here's what it hopes to get in return.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-27 | by ( Katie Balevic | Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The crypto industry has spent tens of millions on pro-crypto candidates this election cycle. Crypto companies, executives, and super PACs have spent huge sums this election cycle, outspending even perennial big spenders like the Koch family, according to Federal Election Commission filings. The crypto industry has outspent every other industry, injecting almost $120 million into federal races as of August, according to OpenSecrets, a nonprofit that tracks campaign spending. AdvertisementTrump, who once called crypto a scam, has more recently fueled hope that he'd be good for crypto entrepreneurs. Richardson said Exodus also donated $1.3 million to Stand With Crypto, an advocacy organization that focuses on voter registration and informing people about political candidates who support crypto.

Persons: Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, —, Koch, Faireshake, OpenSecrets, Fairshake, — Sen, Katie Porter, Jamaal Bowman, Cori Bush —, Democratic Sen, Sherrod Brown, Republican Bernie Moreno, Crypto, Moreno, JP Richardson, Trump, there's, Gary Gensler, Gensler, Richardson, Harris, Barry DiRaimondo, DiRaimondo, we're, Exodus Organizations: Service, Democratic, Republican, Industry, Business, Securities and Exchange Commission, Trump, SEC, Crypto, New York Stock Exchange Locations: Ohio, America, Nashville

☆ TikTok's innovative new idea: printing books on paper
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-26 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

ByteDance's publishing company, 8th Note Press, plans to release physical books. After the monumental success of "BookTok" — a community of bibliophiles on the platform that discusses books and shares what they are reading — TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, started publishing digital books through its publishing company, 8th Note Press, last year. 8th Note Press is now teaming up with Zando, an independent publishing company, to release a line of print novels to sell in retail stores starting in 2025. "This partnership marks an exciting new chapter for 8th Note Press," Jacob Bronstein, head of editorial and marketing, told Business Insider in a statement. Debut novelist Sanibel — who writes under a mononym — sold her book "To Have and Have More" to 8th Note Press last year.

Persons: —, TikTok, Jacob Bronstein, we'll, Molly Stern, Colleen Hoover's, Taylor, Zando, Sanibel — Organizations: Press, Service, The New York Times, Times, Zando Locations: bibliophiles

☆ TikTok once planned to use content posted by its users to influence Mitch McConnell, lawsuit reveals
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-20 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Attorneys general from 14 states are suing TikTok over claims it harms children's mental health. One document shows how the company planned to influence Sen. Mitch McConnell. Now, internal TikTok documents included in the state lawsuits are shedding new light on how TikTok tried to influence Congress during its debate on a potential ban. One of those documents revealed that TikTok planned to use content from its users to sway lawmakers, including influential Sen. Mitch McConnell, who supported the TikTok ban. Advertisement"As is standard practice at other companies, we also monitor public sentiment on issues that relate to the company," TikTok said.

Persons: TikTok, Sen, Mitch McConnell, —, McConnell Organizations: TikTok, Service, Purdue Pharma, Congress, United States, Lawmakers, Kentucky Public Radio, NPR, Kentucky Public Locations: United, Kentucky

☆ New lawsuits against TikTok mirror those against Big Tobacco and Purdue Pharma
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-14 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Attorneys general in 14 different states filed lawsuits against TikTok last week. The suits mirror earlier ones against Big Tobacco and Purdue Pharma, legal experts told BI. The Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma, ultimately paid over $3 billion in settlements for misleading advertising related to their products. Purdue Pharma later filed for bankruptcy, but the Supreme Court struck down a $7 billion bankruptcy plan in June that would have given the Sackler's immunity from future civil suits. With the prospect of that federal ban looming next year, a slew of federal lawsuits helps shape public opinion and "pressure lawmakers to act," Rahmani said.

Persons: —, Adam Wandt, John Jay, Wandt, It's, wouldn't, Rahmani, Sackler, TikTok Organizations: TikTok, Big Tobacco, Purdue Pharma, Service, John, John Jay School of Criminal, Big Tech, Meta, Google, NPR Locations: California, United States

☆ South Park creator Matt Stone asks if Sam Altman does anything other than 'go on podcasts'
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-13 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

South Park parodied OpenAI's ChatGPT last year. AdvertisementOpenAI CEO Sam Altman may join the ranks of celebrities pilloried by South Park. Stone and Trey Parker, co-creators of South Park, are also behind the AI entertainment startup Deep Voodoo. Deep Voodoo showed off a face-swapping tool on an acclaimed Kendrick Lamar video that replaced his face with those of O.J. South Park parodied OpenAI's ChatGPT in the March 2023 episode "Deep Learning."

Persons: Sam Altman, Matt Stone, Altman's, OpenAI's ChatGPT, —, Altman, Stone, Trey Parker, Kendrick Lamar, O.J, Kobe Bryant, OpenAI's, ChatGPT Organizations: Service, Bloomberg Locations: South Park, Simpson

☆ Google's share of the search ad market could drop below 50% for the first time in a decade as AI search engines boom
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-13 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Google's search ad market share in the US could fall below 50% for the first time in a decade. Perplexity AI, meanwhile, says it is attracting "top-tier" advertisers. It launched Gemini, its own large language model that now presents Google search results in natural language at the top of the page, in March 2023. Google is also leveraging AI to better present ads in its search results. AdvertisementGoogle and Perplexity AI did not immediately return requests for comment for this story.

Persons: —, Axel Springer, Alpha, Mark Shmulik, ChatGPT, Brendon Kraham, We've, Dmitry Shevelenko, Jeff Bezos, Forbes, Perplexity, Shevelenko Organizations: Google, Service, Business Insider, Bernstein Research, Wall Street, Nvidia

☆ The Harvard students who added AI facial recognition to Meta glasses share some of their other big ideas
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-13 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The two Harvard students who put facial recognition AI in Meta's Ray-Ban glasses have big ideas. The duo, AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio, are known for their innovative tech projects. AdvertisementTwo Harvard students spooked the world with their demonstration of facial recognition using Meta Ray-Bans. They also built AI into augmented reality glasses that can fact-check a user's statement during an argument in real time. Ardafiyo and Nguyen have big ideas for AI products in manufacturing, construction, and industrial tech spaces, they told BI.

Persons: Meta's, AnhPhu Nguyen, Caine Ardayfio, —, Meta Ray, Nguyen, Ardayfio, Ardafiyo, Anthropic's Claude, haven't, Ardifiyo, Adifiyo, That's Organizations: Harvard, Service, Meta Locations: Meta's Ray

☆ TikTok knew its algorithm harmed kids, accidentally revealed internal documents show
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Internal research accidentally revealed this week indicates TikTok knew its algorithm was harmful. Lawyers for children harmed by social media say the apps have long known they are hurting kids. According to NPR, TikTok's internal documents show officials at parent company ByteDance discussing internal studies that show the app can harm children. According to NPR, the unredacted internal documents show that TikTok touted its tools for limiting teens' screen time despite knowing from its own research that these features had "little impact." Matthew Bergman, a founding attorney of the Social Media Victims Law Center, which represents over 3,000 plaintiffs in cases of adolescents harmed by social media, told BI that the unsealed information is "certainly consistent with what we're seeing" across TikTok and other social media.

Persons: TikTok, —, Adam Wandt, John Jay, Wandt, Jayne Conroy, Simmons Hanly Conroy, Conroy, it's, Matthew Bergman, Bergman Organizations: Service, Kentucky Public Radio, NPR, John, John Jay College of Criminal, Social Media, Law Center

☆ Palmer Luckey's Anduril debuts autonomous attack drone in new video
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Anduril Industries debuted its AI-powered Bolt-M drone, which fits in a backpack. A new video shows the Bolt-M drone's AI abilities in action. Anduril Industries, cofounded in 2017 by Oculus founder Luckey, unveiled its Bolt and Bolt-M drones in a YouTube video on Thursday. The Bolt drone, seen in the video hovering above targets, is meant to use AI to autonomously track targets. AdvertisementAnduril did not immediately return a request for comment from Business Insider about the Bolt and Bolt-M drone reveal.

Persons: Palmer Luckey, Anduril, —, Palmer, Luckey, Chris Brose, DefenseScoop, Brose, Donald Trump, Meta Organizations: Anduril Industries, Service, Industries, Business, Marine Corps, US Air Force, Department of Defense, Teledyne, Roadrunner, Meta

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