Apple Mac turns 40, Microsoft becomes $3 trillion company
Apple’s first Macintosh – a device that revolutionised personal computers – turns 40 today. The “game-changing” computer first went on sale on 24 January 1984, two days after being introduced to the world in a big-budget Super Bowl advert, by renowned British director Sir Ridley Scott. The advert, referencing George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, was itself considered a watershed moment in advertising – later being described as “more successful than the Mac itself” by Apple’s then-marketing guru Regis McKenna…The advert ended with the tagline: “On 24 January, Apple will introduce Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like ‘1984’.” Sky News
Netflix sign-ups boomed at the end of last year as customers prodded by the firm’s crackdown on password-sharing created their own accounts. The streaming giant added more than 13.1 million subscriptions in the three months ended in December. That was the most for any quarter since 2020, extending a streak of growth that started last year. Netflix said it was confident in its growth path and was planning to raise prices. “We largely put price increases on hold as we rolled out paid sharing. Now that we’re through that, we’re able to resume our standard approach,” co-chief executive Greg Peters said. BBC
eBay is the latest tech firm to announce mass layoffs as it said it was cutting 1,000 jobs to “better position” the business for long-term growth. The decision will see the online marketplace axe 9% of its full-time global workforce, according to a memo written to employees by eBay chief executive Jamie Iannone. He said: “While we are making progress against our strategy, our overall headcount and expenses have outpaced the growth of our business. Retail Gazette
Microsoft became the second-ever company to exceed a $3 trillion (£2.4 trillion) valuation on Wednesday, after its focus on artificial intelligence (AI) drove an investor rally. The valuation follows Apple hitting the milestone in June last year. Microsoft’s shares rose by more than 1.45pc during trading on Wednesday in New York, on a day when America’s benchmark S&P 500 index also hit a record high. Microsoft, known as one of the “magnificent seven” technology companies that have fueled the growth in US stock indexes over the past year, has concentrated heavily on adding artificial intelligence features to its services. Telegraph
Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta has not done enough to safeguard children after Molly Russell’s death, according to a whistleblower who said the social media company already has the infrastructure in place to shield teenagers from harmful content. Arturo Béjar, a former senior engineer and consultant at the Instagram and Facebook owner, said if the company had learned its lessons from Molly’s death and subsequent inquest it would have created a safer experience for young users. According to research conducted by Béjar on Instagram users, 8.4% of 13- to 15-year-olds had seen someone harm themselves or threaten to harm themselves in the past week. The Guardian
Ladies and gentlemen, please be upstanding for the return of one of the worst nameplates in Vauxhall’s long, storied history. The Frontera has returned! Of course, the New Frontera returns at a time when Vauxhalls are Good, and as such, this 2024 iteration won’t ride/bounce around on an old Isuzu platform but a Stellantis-shaped one. They’ve got a few, and they’re all very well sorted. It’ll be an electric platform, because the new Vauxhall Frontera will launch exclusively as a full battery-electric SUV. Top Gear
