Here is the top trending news from the world of technology. News that every tech enthusiast should keep a tab on.
1)
Apple acquires AR Hardware Startup Mira
Apple has acquired Mira, a Los Angeles-based augmented reality (AR) hardware startup. The acquisition has been confirmed by Apple. This news comes barely 24 hours after Apple announced its own AR headset the ‘Vision Pro.’ Mira has provided AR hardware accessories to many high-profile companies including Nintendo and Universal Studios. At one point, the startup even reportedly supplied AR hardware to the U.S. military. It is still not known how much money Apple has paid to acquire Mira. Mira is a V.C backed startup, having raised $17 Mn till date from well-known investors like Sequoia and Happiness Ventures.
2)
Elon Musk’s Single Dot Tweet has gone Viral
Twitter’s owner Elon Musk left everyone scratching their head on Tuesday after he posted nothing but a ‘single dot’ in his tweet. The tweet has since gone viral, with over 34 million views and 150,000 likes. But there is no clear explanation for what the dot really means. While people have come with several interpretations and answers, it is clear that Musk’s latest tweet has captured the attention of Twitterati. Musk has been notorious for making controversial and unconventional tweets and his latest tweet is probably the part of the never-ending series.
3)
Reddit to layoff 5% of its workforce
Reddit announced on Tuesday that it is laying off nearly 5% of its workforce or 90 employees. The layoffs were sort of expected as the company has been struggling to maintain its revenue growth in recent years. Apart from slowing growth, Reddit is also facing increasing competition from other social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube. The news of layoff comes barely days after Reddit’s investor Fidelity slashed the value of its equity stake by almost 40%. In an email to employees, CEO Steve Huffman said that the layoffs were necessary to ensure long-term success and growth of the company.
4)
Instagram may soon launch its own AI Chatbot
Popular photo sharing platform Instagram may soon launch its own AI chatbot. According to app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, the Meta owned platform is testing a new feature that would allow users to chat with an AI chatbot in their direct messages. The chatbot would be able to answer replies, offer advice, and help users with several mundane tasks like scheduling posts and finding new people to follow. The chatbot would be powered by Meta’s very own AI technology. However, these are merely rumors and Instagram has so far not commented on this report. But there is no doubt that launch of an AI bot would mark a significant move for Instagram.
5)
After Binance, SEC has now sued Coinbase
A day after U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed the lawsuit against Binance and its founder, it has now turned the heat on Binance’s rival Coinbase. In a lawsuit, the cryptocurrency exchange has accused of violating the federal securities laws by offering and selling unregistered investment contracts. This, according to SEC, posed significant risk to investors’ wealth. Meanwhile, Coinbase has denied the allegations in the SEC’s complaint and has said that it intends to vigorously defend itself. The SEC’s lawsuit against Coinbase is the latest in the series of punitive actions against crypto exchanges in the U.S and also across the world.