Tech Digest daily roundup: Twitter threatens legal action over Meta’s Threads
Twitter is threatening legal action against Meta over its new text-based “Twitter killer” platform, accusing the social media giant of poaching former employees to create a “copycat” application. On Wednesday, Instagram parent company Meta introduced Threads, a text-based companion to Instagram that resembles Twitter and other text-based social platforms. Just hours later, a lawyer for Twitter, Alex Spiro, sent a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg accusing the company of engaging in “systematic, willful, and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property.” Semaphor
Martin Lewis said he was left feeling “sick” by an online scam video featuring a realistic computer-generated likeness of him. The widely-circulated ad, which attempts to solicit money for a supposed investment scheme, appears to use AI-powered deepfake technology. Consumer finance expert Lewis said it was “weird and pretty frightening” to have his face and voice imitated. He warned people would be tricked out of money without industry regulation. In the advert – which appeared on Facebook – a fake likeness of Lewis encourages people to sign up for what is claimed to be an Elon Musk-backed project, calling it “legit” and a “great investment”. BBC
Apple’s drastic cuts to production forecasts for its Vision Pro headset have focused attention on the device’s most expensive component: the tiny micro OLED displays required to produce genuinely immersive experiences. The Financial Times reported this week that the US technology giant believes it will make fewer than 400,000 units in 2024, having previously made an internal sales target of 1mn in the first 12 months. One problem is the design complexities for Apple’s new “mixed reality” headset. FT.com
The CEO of the Volkswagen Group’s Chinese operations, Ralf Brandstätter, has warned of recent developments within the electric vehicle market, suggesting high capital investment and discounting “will ultimately harm the interests of consumers”. In an address at the 2023 China Automobile Forum hosted by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers in Shanghai, Brandstätter said the electric vehicle market is “overheating”. “Currently, there are more than 120 car makers within the [electric vehicle] market, and about 150 new models will be launched in 2023.” Autocar
Wikipedia could be forced to shut down in the UK due to the regulatory burdens placed on it by a new Bill cracking down on illegal and harmful content online, the Government has been warned. There are concerns that the Online Safety Bill, which imposes new legal requirements on tech companies, could prove too difficult to meet for certain public interest organisations. There are also fears that it could lead to “age-gating” – requiring age verification and blocking children’s access – although Wikipedia has said it will not do this. Independent
Samsung Electronics issued a warning Friday that its Q2 profit would likely drop 96 percent, year over year – probably due to a lingering oversupply of memory plus overall economic malaise. The chaebol predicted consolidated operating profit for the quarter would fall approximately $459 million. A year prior, the quarterly operating profit stood at around $10.8 billion. And in Q1 2023, $490 million. The estimate represents Samsung’s lowest quarterly profit since the reported $451 million in Q1 2009. The Register
The Tesla Model Y continues to break records, this time becoming the UK’s top selling car for the first time. The June numbers reported by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show 5,539 Tesla Model Y’s were sold in the UK in June followed by ICE vehicles Ford Puma with 5,453 and the Vauxhall Corsa with 4,146. Overall, EV sales also grew significantly in the UK with 31,700 fully electric vehicles sold in June 2023, up 39.4% year-on-year from 22,737 in June 2022. The Driven
