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☆ Exclusive: Russia-linked smear campaign against Hunter Biden began earlier than previously thought
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The man pushing the thumb drive was a citizen of an Eastern European country and a guest of Claremont. That evening, Rollie passed a thumb drive containing disinformation about Hunter Biden and Burisma to a Pompeo aide. Smirnov was indicted last week for lying to the FBI about Hunter Biden. The revelation about Rollie's thumb drive comes shortly after the indictment of Smirnov, for allegedly making false statements about Hunter Biden in June 2020. Like Smirnov, Rollie's materials accuse Hunter Biden of involving his father in Burisma's business and committing a vast off-the-books fraud.

Persons: Mike Pompeo, Hunter Biden, Rollie, Pompeo, Burisma, BI Rollie, I'm, Rollie's, Biden's, Josef, Johnathan Buma, Donald Trump, Joe Biden's, Peter Schweizer, Rudy Giuliani, John Solomon, Hunter, Giuliani, Alexander Smirnov, Smirnov, Biden, David Weiss, Smirnov's, Joe Biden, GOP Sen, Charles Grassley, MAGA, Jack Posobiec, Buma, Anastasiia Carrier Organizations: Claremont Institute's, Claremont, Business, BI, KGB, Department, Claremont Institute, FBI, New York Times, Prosecutors, GOP, State Department, Justice Department, Anastasiia Locations: Russia, Ukrainian, Beverly Hills, Eastern, Soviet, Los Angeles, Russian, Delaware, Ukraine, The Hill, East, West, Eastern Europe

☆ South Korea digital nomad visa: what to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

According to a report in the Korea Herald, South Korea’s Justice Ministry says the digital nomad visa will make remote work and vacations smoother for visitors. The site ranks South Korea highly for nightlife and youth culture, but gives lower marks for LGBT acceptance and English-language accessibility. Meanwhile, South Korea places 49 out of 113 countries on the English Proficiency Index, which puts it in the “moderate” category. Still, Humphries is undeterred in his quest for the South Korea “workation” visa and plans to base himself in Seoul if approved. “The South Korean digital nomad visa is a great step forward for allowing foreigners to reside in the country,” he says.

Persons: Ashley Humphries, he’s, Humphries, Jungho Suh, ”, Suh, ” Jeong Hyun Cho, Jeong, Ed Jones, Gawon Bae, Veronica Lin Organizations: CNN, South Korean, Korea Herald, Korea’s, Ministry, Korean Management Institute, George Washington University, Korea –, Statistics Korea, Human Rights Commission, South Korean Society, Digital Nomads Korea WhatsApp, Getty, Foreigners, South Locations: South Korea, Asia, Dubai, Cayman Islands, Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesian, Bali, South, Seoul, AFP, Korean, expats, Turkey, Norway, Kuwait, North America, Singapore, Japan

Maybe it’s AT&T, which went down for many users on Thursday. The short answer: You need a Wi-Fi connection. Call on Wi-FiFirst, be sure that Wi-Fi calling is turned on in your phone’s settings. iPhone users can turn on Wi-Fi calling by going to Settings, and then activating Wi-Fi calling under the Cellular settings page. Android users can turn on Wi-Fi calling within the Phone app.

Persons: you’re

☆ 35-year-old's design side hustle brought in $414,000 last year—and she only works on it 5 to 10 hours a week
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Last year, Chisom Okwulehie's architectural design business, Juntero, brought in $414,000 in revenue. While Juntero's first sales were mostly one-off graphic design gigs, the company soon attracted bigger projects, like floor plans for small businesses. By the end of 2021, Juntero had garnered $55,000 in revenue. Getting started: 'I've always been a hustler'In early 2021, Okwulehie had just given birth to her daughter and was looking to secure more income for her family. With Juntero, however, she's able to do more design work for residential projects.

Persons: Okwulehie, Juntero, I've, Chisom Okwulehie, Zach Green, John F Organizations: Port Authority of New, CNBC, Port Authority, Kennedy International Locations: Port Authority of New York, New Jersey, Cliffside Park , New Jersey, Upper Nyack , New York, New York, Harrison , New Jersey, China, Texas, Juntero

☆ US agents fooled a yakuza boss into giving them weapons-grade plutonium he thought would be sold to Iran: court docs
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | Haven Orecchio-Egresitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US officials say they arrested a Japanese crime boss trying to sell nuclear fuel. The documents said Takeshi Ebisawa thought the fuel would go to an Iranian nuclear-weapons program. AdvertisementUS agents say they tricked a Japanese crime lord into handing over nuclear fuel to them in an audacious sting operation. They said the DEA fooled Ebisawa into believing he was selling them a shipment of plutonium and uranium to help Iran to build nuclear weapons. AdvertisementThey say Ebisawa was invited onto a video call with somebody posing as an Iranian general as part of the ruse.

Persons: Takeshi Ebisawa, —, Ebisawa, Damian Williams, Somphop Singhasiri Organizations: Service, Business, Department of Justice Locations: Iranian, Iran, Brooklyn, Myanmar, Thailand, Burma

☆ I ditched my smartphone for 12 months but it was a bad decision
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( William Haigen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

When my iPhone suddenly stopped working 12 months ago, my immediate reaction surprised me. Like, according to PC Mag 67% of millennials, I’ve tried and failed to spend less time on my phone. I’ve downloaded all of the productivity apps, tried making rules and systems, and read books about breaking bad habits — to no avail. WhatsApp only works if you have a smartphone, so friends and family who don’t use Facebook Messenger are nearly uncontactable. I’ve become quite accustomed to not even having my phone on or taking it with me everywhere I go.

Persons: I’ve, Steve Jobs ’, overstimulation, I’m, —, Hyperconnectivity Organizations: Service, Business, Nokia

☆ Cramer ranks each of the Magnificent Seven's latest quarters
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

As the first earnings season of 2024 draws to a close, CNBC's Jim Cramer gave his take on the most recent reports from the Magnificent Seven mega caps, awarding particular kudos to Nvidia and Amazon . He first lauded Nvidia, which reported record revenue up 265% thanks to continued high demand for its artificial intelligence products. He then called Amazon "the most definitive summa of all," with a hot advertising business and growing web services sector. Cramer also awarded Meta a "summa," praising its advertising capabilities and WhatsApp business. And Tesla earned a "gentleman's C," Cramer said, uncertain about how this year will shape up for the company.

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, Cramer, Apple, Tesla Organizations: Nvidia, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft

☆ Two years after Apple quit Russia over Ukraine, Vision Pros are for sale in Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Eamon Javers | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

On the ground in Moscow, Apple products including MacBooks, iPhones and iPads are available in stores, although prices may be higher than they were pre-invasion. Asked about Vision Pro sales in Russia, an Apple spokesperson told CNBC: "As you are aware, Apple Vision Pro is only available at Apple Retail stores in the US." Still, at a retail outlet "re:Store," (pronounced Ree-store) a former official Apple reseller offers Apple products for sale at shops in Moscow. The chain's website features a large photo of a user strapped into an Apple Vision Pro, and the iconic bitten Apple logo with text reading, "Vision Pro: The era of spatial computers has come. Apple Vision Pro is already on sale."

Persons: Kremlin . WASHINGTON —, Tim Cook, Romance768, Sergey Romantsev, Romantsev, Alexei Navalny, We're, CNBC's Steve Kovach Organizations: Apple, CNBC, Vision Pro, Apple Vision, Apple Retail, Vision, Kremlin, Russia, Pro, Meta, Russian Ministry of Industry, Trade, Sputnik, White Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Moscow, London, Ukraine, Russia, United States, Kremlin . WASHINGTON, St . Petersburg, New York, Russian, Patriarshiye, York, Istanbul, American, Washington

Spain’s Interior Ministry identified the woman as Ana Maria Knezevich Henao, saying she “disappeared” on February 2 and requires medication. An image posted on Spain’s National Center for Missing Persons website shows a photo of Knezevich Henao with long brown hair and brown eyes. Around the time she went missing, Rameau said received a WhatsApp message from Knezevich Henao that read: “I met someone wonderful!! The website of a computer services company in South Florida, EOX Technology Solutions, lists David Knezevich as the CEO and managing director. It says David Knezevich is Serbian and Knezevich Henao is a native of Colombia and a project manager.

Persons: Ana Maria Knezevich Henao, “, ”, Juan Felipe Henao, Knezevich, Sanna Rameau, Rameau, Henao, David Knezevich Organizations: CNN, Spanish, Ministry, National, for, Police, EOX Technology Locations: Madrid, Barcelona, Spanish, Madrid’s, Salamanca, Serbia, South Florida, Colombia

☆ Apple reportedly faces its first EU antitrust fine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple blocked rivals from telling users about cheaper options, the EU is expected to say next month. Apple is expected to be fined by the European Union for the first time, according to reports by the Financial Times and Bloomberg. The EU is set to impose a penalty of about 500 million euros ($539 million) in early March, the FT reported. AdvertisementThe EU is expected to find that Apple placed “unfair trading conditions” on rivals to its Apple Music service, per the reports. The streaming company claimed Apple’s App Store rules “purposely limit choice and stifle innovation” by imposing a 30% commission on app developers.

Persons: Daniel Ek, Apple didn’t Organizations: Apple, European Union, Financial Times, Bloomberg, EU, Apple Music, Spotify, Digital Markets, Business Locations: EU

“Losing the love was worse than losing the money,” said Kleinart, 70, who lost tens of thousands to a romance scam over several months. Last year, the Federal Trade Commission received over 64,000 romance scams reports that translated into $1.14 billion in reported losses. Romance scams often target lonely and isolated individuals, according to Will Maxson, assistant director of the Division of Marketing Practices at the FTC. Specifically for older people, romance scams are among the most common scams, said Kathy Stokes, director of fraud prevention at AARP. However, she noted people from all ages can fall for a romance scam.

Persons: Kate Kleinart, ”, Kleinart, Will Maxson, “, —, Kathy Stokes, Genevieve Waterman, Waterman, ” Waterman, scammers, it’s, Stokes, Hey, ” Stokes, Charles Schwab Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, FTC, AARP, National Council, Aging, Associated Press, Charles, Charles Schwab Foundation, Inc, AP Locations: Spain

☆ Hundreds Flee Southern Gaza Hospital After Israel Orders Evacuation
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Raja Abdulrahim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Hundreds of displaced Palestinians were fleeing a major hospital in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, according to doctors and videos from the scene, after Israeli forces ordered them to leave and threatened military action to stop what it said was Hamas activity at the hospital. Hospitals have become places of refuge during the war, even as they have often become a focus of Israel’s military offensive. Inside Nasser, which is one of the last functioning hospitals in Gaza, there was terror that Israeli forces would bombard or storm the complex, said Mohammed Abu Lehya, a doctor there. Previous Israeli warnings to evacuate hospitals, including Al-Shifa, the largest in Gaza, have often preceded military raids on the facilities. “The situation is very difficult, difficult, difficult, difficult,” Dr. Abu Lehya said in a WhatsApp message Wednesday morning.

Persons: Khan Younis, Nasser, Mohammed Abu Lehya, Dr, Abu Lehya, ” Organizations: Nasser, Al Locations: Gaza, Khan

☆ AI is shaking up online dating with chatbots that are 'flirty but not too flirty'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

YourMove.AI, an AI dating tool that offers a range of services such as drafting messages, analyzing conversations and evaluating users' dating app profiles, has about 250,000 users, founder Dmitri Mirakyan estimates. Rizz, an AI dating assistant, debuted in 2022 after ChatGPT took off. Like in other areas, relying too much on AI in dating can cross the line into unethical behavior. Although the use of AI for dating purposes isn't necessarily all bad, he added, dating apps will still need to "tread with caution." WATCH: How I built my $400 million-a-year dating app

Persons: Stan Marsh, Clyde Donovan, Clyde, Stan, OpenAI, it's, Dmitri Mirakyan, YourMove, Mirakyan, ChatGPT, he'd, Roman Khaves, Josh Miller, Khaves, It's, Jonathan Raa, Alex Weitzman, Weitzman, They've, Gary Kremen, Kremen, Lisa Marie Bobby, Bobby, Renate Nyborg, Nyborg, Meeno Organizations: Nvidia, CNBC, Nurphoto, OpenAI's Locations: U.S, New York, chihuahua, Finland, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands

☆ Apple and Microsoft clinch key win as iMessage, Bing exempted from tough EU competition rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The decision is a win for Apple, whose iMessage service has long faced complaints from Android users due to incompatibilities. The EU's competition restrictions also won't apply to Microsoft's Bing and Edge browsers, as well as the Redmond tech giant's online advertising service, Microsoft Advertising. The Tuesday pronouncement does not mean that Apple and Microsoft themselves won't still be treated as gatekeepers under the EU rules. Late last year, the EU unveiled six designated gatekeeper that would be subject to its rules: Google, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and TikTok owner ByteDance. Apple recently opened up its App Store for third-party developers in Europe, which could threaten the iPhone giant's lucrative fees.

Persons: Microsoft's Bing, Meta's WhatsApp, ByteDance Organizations: European Commission, Apple, Facebook, Users, Redmond, Microsoft, CNBC, EU, EU Digital Markets, Meta Locations: Europe

☆ AI ‘resurrects’ long dead dictator in murky new era of deepfake electioneering
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“As a member of Golkar, I am very proud of Suharto because he successfully developed Indonesia,” Aksa wrote on X. The Golkar-produced Suharto video was just one of dozens featured in official party campaigns, they said. AI photos made by supporters, have also been used by Ganjar’s party in his campaign. Indonesia’s Communications Ministry issued advisories following several viral AI videos, warning tech companies and voters to be cautious of deepfakes. TAPP (Tim Advokasi Peduli Pemilu), a Jakarta-based nonprofit, said that videos like the Suharto deepfake showed AI’s potential for voter manipulation.

Persons: Suharto, ”, Erwin Aksa, Golkar –, Prabowo Subianto, –, ” Aksa, Golda Benjamin, Ganjar, Darryl Ramadhan, Muhammad Zulfan Dalimunthe, ” Budisatrio, Prabowo’s, Ganjar Pranowo, Anies Baswedan, Anies, ” Anies, TAPP, Tim Advokasi Peduli, Suharto deepfake, Gugum Ridho, Rahmat Pribadi, Suharto Suharto’s, Soe Tjen, Anton Pratama, “, ” Anton Organizations: CNN, Facebook, YouTube, Golkar, Asia Pacific, ”, Gerindra Party, Central Java Gov, Ganjar’s Democratic Party of, Jakarta Gov, Indonesia’s Communications Ministry, Getty, SOAS University of London Locations: Indonesia, Indonesian, Asia, Jakarta, Lubuk Pakam, North Sumatra, AFP, Gugum Ridho Putra, East Timor, Aceh, West Papua, Maluku, Yogyakarta

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Meta has removed Instagram and Facebook accounts run on behalf of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after criticism over his support for Hamas after its Oct. 7 attack on Israel that sparked the monthslong war still raging in the Gaza Strip, the company confirmed Friday. Khamenei and accounts associated with the supreme leader had been praising the Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw some 250 others taken hostage. Immediately after the attack, Khamenei backed Hamas in a speech, saying: “We kiss the hands of those who planned the attack on the Zionist regime." Iran has provided arms and support to Hamas, though Tehran isn't believed to have directed the Oct. 7 attack. “He’s used these platforms for years to incite violent antisemitism, to legitimize militant anti-zionism and to make genocidal threats,” Greenblatt wrote online.

Persons: — Meta, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Khamenei, Donald Trump, Mahsa Amini, Tehran isn't, Yemen's, Jonathan Greenblatt, Meta's, “ He’s, ” Greenblatt Organizations: United Arab Emirates, —, Iran's, Organizations, U.S ., United Nations, U.S, Trump, Facebook, Green Movement, Twitter, Zionist, Defamation League Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, Israel, Gaza, Menlo Park , California, Iran, America, Tehran, East

The consulting firm offers a variety of services for mostly residential projects, including architectural and interior design. In 2023, Juntero worked with about 60 clients and brought in $414,000 in revenue — all while Okwulehie maintained her full-time job at Port Authority. Last year, Okwulehie earned a roughly $126,000 salary from Port Authority and paid herself $37,500 from Juntero. Zach Green | CNBC Make ItIn 2017, she took on the role of architect at Port Authority, working her way up to senior architect in 2022. "I still see myself working at Port Authority full-time," she says.

Persons: Chisom Okwulehie, Ikenna, Okwulehie, Zach Green, John F, Juntero, Perkins Eastman, Harrison, Slack, it's Organizations: CNBC, Port Authority of New, Port Authority, Kennedy International, Nigerian, Columbia University, San Francisco Bay Area, San Francisco High School of, Arts, University of Southern, New, San Francisco Airport, Amazon Prime, federal Public Service Locations: Port Authority of New York, New Jersey, Cliffside Park , New Jersey, Port, New York, Harrison , New Jersey, Juntero, New York City, San Francisco Bay, Harrison, University of Southern California, China, Texas, Upper Nyack , New York, United States

☆ I bought a $65 screen-free camera to take more photos of my kids. It's helping us make memories.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Conz Preti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

To break the cycle, I impulsively purchased a screen-less digital camera called Camp Snap that I saw in an Instagram ad. The camera has a small photo counter, which, so far, I've gotten up to 125 photos. When I purchased the Camp Snap back in November 2023 there was only a yellow option available. Because it's not a fancy camera and it wasn't super expensive, I wasn't stressed about them breaking it or messing up the settings. The Camp Snap has given them hours of entertainment.

Persons: —, I've, they've, it's, that's Organizations: Service, Business Locations: WhatsApp

☆ U.S. Mends Fences With El Salvador's Bukele as China Lurks
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Now, more than ever, the U.S. needs Central American nations like El Salvador to curb migration to the southern border. In October, the State Department's top Latin America diplomat, Brian Nichols, visited El Salvador and posed for photos with Bukele. WAITING IN THE WINGSAt the same time, there are growing ties between China and El Salvador. Although of limited commercial importance in itself, El Salvador offers China a foothold in Central America, and in 2017 broke relations with Taiwan in favor of China. "El Salvador wants to do trade with everyone," Bukele said during his victory speech on Sunday night.

Persons: Diego Oré, Sarah Kinosian, Nelson, Nayib Bukele, Jean Manes, Bukele's, Brian Nichols, Antony Blinken, Bukele, Manes, Ana Maria Mendez, Salvadorans, El Salvador, El, Margaret Myers, Diego Ore, Nelson Renteria, Christian Plumb, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: SALVADOR, Reuters, El Salvador, Central American, U.S, U.S ., Central, State Department's, El, U.S . State Department, Washington Office, U.S . Customs, USAID, The U.S, Inter, Huawei, Washington, Diego Locations: United States, U.S, El Salvador, Latin America, America, China, Honduras, Washington, China's, San Salvador, Central America, Taiwan, Mexico City

“As it stands, the policy makes little sense,” Oversight Board co-chair Michael McConnell said of Meta’s policy in a statement on Monday. Spokesperson Corey Chambliss said while audio deepfakes aren't mentioned in the company's manipulated media policy, they are eligible to be fact-checked and will be labeled or down-ranked if fact-checkers rate them as false or altered. Meta created its oversight board in 2020 to serve as a referee for content on its platforms. The board also noted that some forms of manipulated media are made for humor, parody or satire and should be protected. Meta said on its website that it welcomes the Oversight Board’s ruling on the Biden post and will update the post after reviewing the board’s recommendations.

Persons: Joe Biden, Michael McConnell, Meta, Corey Chambliss, Meta’s, Biden, Jen Golbeck, “, ”, Barbara Ortutay Organizations: Facebook, Meta, Pew, YouTube, Biden, University of Maryland's College of Information Studies, Associated Press, AP Locations: U.S, San Francisco

☆ Algorithms, bias and hallucinations: 20 important AI terms investors should know
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | In Kevinstankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +25 min

Generative AI Neural networks are the heart of the increasingly popular type of AI known as generative artificial intelligence , or gen AI for short. Both traditional AI and gen AI systems rely on data and can be used to automate decision-making tasks. Microsoft's AI virtual assistant Copilot — which went live in November — is perhaps the most prominent generative AI feature among our portfolio companies. Bias Bias is another downside to AI systems — and LLMs in particular — that users need to consider. While GPUs have the upper hand in AI training, CPUs are understood to perform AI inference well.

Persons: OpenAI's, —, We've, that's, Chirag Shah, Shah, Mark Riedl, Bruce Springsteen, Einstein, Copilot —, Springsteen, OpenAI, it's, Riedl, Harry Potter, I've, ChatGPT, University of Washington's Shah, there's, he'd, Georgia Tech's Riedl, LLMs that's, Georgia Tech's, Meta, Grace Hopper Superchip, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim Organizations: Broadcom, Microsoft, Meta, Nvidia, Apple, Chirag, University of Washington, Google, Georgia Tech's School of Interactive Computing, YouTube, Netflix, Amazon, Facebook, Reuters, U.S, University of Washington's, OpenAI, New York Times, Club, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC Locations: Silicon Valley, Barcelona, U.S, WhatsApp, Istanbul, Georgia

☆ Ayo Edebiri said J.Lo's entire career is a 'scam' and the internet is on the young actor's side
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThe troops are rallying behind their favorite "Irish" actor, "The Bear" star Ayo Edebiri, after a clip of her talking about Jennifer Lopez's decadeslong singing career resurfaced. Edebiri said that Lopez "thinks" she's singing in on many of her songs, but "it's not her" — echoing claims that Lopez uses ghost singers on her tracks. In a recently released "SNL" promo clip , the pair seemed friendly, with Edebiri telling Lopez , "I love your everything." AdvertisementRepresentatives for Edebiri and Lopez did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Persons: —, Edebiri, Jennifer Lopez's decadeslong, Lopez, TMZ, it's, she's, cohost Laci Mosely, Ayo, J.Lo, Christina Milian, JLo, Gal, Jenny Organizations: Service, Business, Edebiri Locations: Republic of Ireland

☆ Facebook is still thriving 20 years later. Here’s how
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Twenty years after its launch, social media giant Facebook continues to show unprecedented staying power after burying early competitors like MySpace and Friendster and establishing a distinct foothold in the burgeoning social media landscape. Daniel Acker/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesStrong social connection was the linchpin of Facebook, differentiating it from other primordial social media sites. MySpace’s monthly active users had trickled down to an estimated 35 million in mid-2011, according to a Comscore report at the time. In contrast, by September of that year, Facebook was seeing almost 800 million monthly active users. In April 2012, the company acquired photo-centric social media platform Instagram for about $1 billion.

Persons: Harvard University undergrad, Mark Zuckerberg, “, ”, Pablo Boczkowski, alums, ” Zuckerberg, Daniel Acker, Justin Timberlake, Friendster’s, Friendster, Boczkowski, Meta’s, ” Boczkowski, WhatsApp, Meta Organizations: New, New York CNN, Harvard University, Facebook, Communication Studies, Northwestern University, Harvard, New York Times, Bloomberg, Getty, MySpace, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Google, Meta, Inc, “, TikTok, Twitter Locations: New York, Zurich, India, Brazil, Argentina, Italy

☆ Mark Zuckerberg's Meta wants to burst Apple's blue bubbles: WhatsApp is coming for iMessage in the US
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Getty ImagesThe Meta CEO reigns over an empire of social media apps that will be familiar to many Americans. Facebook bought the instant messaging app for $19 billion back in 2014, and has been able to turn it into a mega-hit across the world ever since. Such features seem to be of interest to businesses: WhatsApp's daily business users jumped 80% in the US last year, per data from Apptopia first reported by the Big Technology newsletter. 'Channels'WhatsApp is trying to offer the perks of social media without the publicity of it all. In late 2022, the Meta chief acknowledged that while there is still some time before bets on the metaverse can prove successful, "business messaging is probably going to be the next major pillar."

Persons: WhatsApp, iMessage, Mark Zuckerberg, —, Zuckerberg Organizations: Meta, Service, Apple, Bloomberg Intelligence, Facebook, Chevrolet, Samsung, Big Technology Locations: America

☆ Big Tech's AI spending plans mean big business for 3 portfolio stocks, including Nvidia
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | In Kevinstankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Some of Amazon's spending is likely to go toward its custom AI chips, known as Trainium and Inferentia. But the Seattle-based tech giant also buys Nvidia chips. On Thursday's post-earnings call, CEO Andy Jassy said AWS offers the "most expansive collection of compute instances with Nvidia chips." Alphabet's spending on AI chips has typically been split between its custom chips designed in partnership with Broadcom, known as Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), and Nvidia's offerings. Including networking products that stitch together parts of the data center, about 15% of Broadcom's semiconductor revenue was tied to generative AI spending in fiscal 2023.

Persons: Eaton, Brian Olsavsky, FactSet, Amazon's capex, Andy Jassy, Meta's capex, Susan Li, Li, Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Meta, it's, —, Amy Hood, It's, chatbot ChatGPT, AMD's, Ruth Porat, Porat, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Florian Gaertner Organizations: Big Tech, Nvidia, Broadcom, Eaton, Microsoft, Meta, Google, Web Services, Facebook, Devices, OpenAI, supercomputing, TPUs, CNBC, YouTube, Photothek, Getty Locations: Eaton, Seattle

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