Latest articles by Kevin Okemwa
A concept designer's 'Windows 12.1' illustration demonstrates the minimalistic Start menu we've been begging Microsoft for on Windows 11 with less AI chaff
WINDOWS 12? Concept designer, AR 4789 recently conceptualized what Windows 12 (actually Windows 12.1) would ideally look like, including Fluent Designs and minimalistic and interactive apps.
Microsoft and BlackRock want to raise $100 billion to 'emancipate themselves from the shackles' of insufficient power and increase data centers for their ambitious AI dreams
$100B FOR AI Microsoft and BlackRock have partnered to raise $30 billion to develop data centers for their AI ventures and the energy infrastructure to power them.
My 'dated' iPhone 13 won't get Apple Intelligence, but Windows 11 can, thanks to Microsoft's only authorized third-party solution for MacBooks
APPLE INTELLIGENCE ON WINDOWS Parallels Desktop 20 just shipped and is fully optimized for macOS Sequoia. When macOS Sequoia 15.1 is released, the platform will also add Apple Intelligence to Windows 11.
Microsoft Edge will borrow "a table of contents" from Google Chrome's playbook to declutter its settings and improve navigation in October 2024
DECLUTTERED EDGE Microsoft announced that it's revamping Microsoft Edge's Settings, seemingly making them more organized with a new quick-access panel on the landing page.
Microsoft says OpenAI's ChatGPT isn't "better" than Copilot; you just aren't using it right, but Copilot Academy is here to help
COPILOT ACADEMY "Copilot Academy" will equip users with skills to leverage Microsoft's AI capabilities optimally.
Intel's financial crisis delays the development of mega fab factories in Poland and Germany despite heavy subsidies
DELAYS Intel's tough economic times have forced the chip maker to postpone the development of two mega fab factories in Poland and Germany.
Bill Gates says he'd start Microsoft again as an AI-centric firm to rival OpenAI and Google: "Today, somebody could raise billions of dollars for a new AI company [that’s just] a few sketch ideas"
AI-CENTRIC MICROSOFT In a recent interview, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates indicated that he'd start Microsoft again as an AI-centric firm if he got another crack at the corporate world.
Microsoft cut Windows 7 support on Edge, but Mozilla says "enough" Firefox users are using it to extend support to March 2025: "Backporting security fixes is already getting increasingly painful due to the divergence"
EXTENDED SUPPORT Mozilla is extending Firefox support for legacy versions of Windows and macOS until March 2025.
Microsoft leverages robotics and AI to disassemble and recycle defective hard disks to reach a 90% reuse and recycle rate by 2025
NOSHRED Microsoft leverages robots by Dobot Robotics to disassemble defective hard disk drives and recycle valuable components to reach a 90% reuse and recycle rate by 2025.
Bill Gates' AI agent dream comes to pass at Microsoft's special Copilot event with Copilot agents
COPILOT AGENTS Microsoft shipped Copilot agents in general availability "to automate and execute business processes, working with or for humans."
OpenAI o1 might be the final nail in coding's coffin — "If OpenAI's o1 can pass OpenAI's research engineer hiring interview for coding at a 90-100% rate, why would they continue to hire actual human engineers?"
CODING DEAD? As earlier predicted, coding might be dead in the water with the prevalence of AI and the launch of OpenAI o1 with advanced coding capabilities.
OpenAI's Strawberry AI models ship with advanced reasoning capabilities synonymous with humans, though they'll need "an extra moment to think" — Sam Altman says it "doesn't constitute AGI"
AGI? OpenAI recently unveiled a new series of next-gen AI models dubbed OpenAI o1 and o1-mini with advanced reasoning capabilities across math, science, and coding.
Google may have a ChatGPT problem as users are subtly adopting AI-powered tools as their go-to search engines — but it could be eons before it becomes an actual threat
CHATGPT SEARCH A new survey by Evercore indicates that 8% (up 1% from the previous month) of the study's polled participants use ChatGPT as their default search engine, while Google's market share dropped by 6%.
Microsoft wants to beef up Windows security to prevent CrowdStrike-like fiascos, but there are critical concerns: "A world where only Microsoft can provide effective endpoint security is not a more secure world"
BETTER SECURITY Microsoft wants to develop a new platform for security vendors, but it's unclear if it will block their access to Windows in kernel mode.
Has Google monopolized digital advertising? New evidence traced back to former ad guru suggests it's a 'nightmare' for publishers to switch platforms: "It takes an act of God to do it"
CRUSHED Despite Google's firm stand on fair practices in digital advertising, new evidence submitted in the ongoing antitrust trial outlines its strategy to "crush" competitors.
NVIDIA CEO says a shortage of its advanced AI chips prompts 'emotional turmoil': "We have a lot of people on our shoulders, and everybody is counting on us"
MORE TO DO Despite NVIDIA's recent biggest single-day drop in valuation, the chipmaker is still committed to the cause.
OpenAI is reportedly in talks to raise $6.5 billion from Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Apple amid bankruptcy claims — pushing its market cap to $150 billion
NEW LIFELINE OpenAI might get an extended lifeline through another round of funding from its investors, including Microsoft and Apple.
Two former Samsung bigwigs nabbed for allegedly swiping $3.2 billion worth of the company's intellectual property to build a 'brand new second-hand' chip fab in China
TRADE SECRETS Two former Samsung executives were jailed for allegedly stealing Samsung technologies worth approximately $3.2 billion to build a chip-making plant in China.
Nevada plans to use Google AI to expedite unemployment benefits appeals: "The time savings they’re looking for only happens if the review is very cursory"
GOOGLE AI A new Google AI-powered system will determine whether unemployed employees will get benefits in Nevada.
Sam Altman's "GPT-4 is the dumbest model any of you will ever have to use" promise might reportedly come to fruition with a hint of 'Strawberry' in two weeks
STRAWBERRY OpenAI might be gearing up to release its much-anticipated 'reasoning' AI model, Strawberry, in two weeks.
Google's lucrative ad business could be on the DOJ's chopping block for anti-competitive business practices
DIFFERENT STRUGGLE The US Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Google for its anti-competitive business practices in digital advertising.
$2,000 per month for next-gen AI models? OpenAI could reportedly hike subscription prices amid bankruptcy claims: "That's a price point for an employee, not a chatbot. The only way it would make any sense is if it was legit AGI"
PAY MORE OpenAI could hike its service subscription prices up to $2,000 per month.
Leaked employee discussions demonstrate Amazon Q's lack of feature parity and potential loss of clientele to Microsoft's Copilot AI:"Q is fit for demos and very tightly controlled simple use cases"
AMAZON Q Amazon Q could lose its user base to Microsoft's Copilot due to its incompatibility with other software and lack of feature parity.
Former OpenAI co-founder raises $1 billion for safety-focused firm while the ChatGPT maker prioritizes shiny products and is on the cusp of bankruptcy
$1B FOR SAFE AI Former OpenAI co-founder and Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever recently raised $1 billion through investors for his new AI firm, Safe Superintelligence Inc., to further its safety-focused advances.
Elon Musk's xAI developed Colossus in just 122 days — "The most powerful AI training system in the world" powered by 100K NVIDIA H100 GPUs could that make Grok 'the most powerful AI by every metric'
COLOSSUS Elon Musk announced the world's most powerful training system, Colossus, is up and running. xAI will expand its capacity with 50,000 NVIDIA H100 and H200 GPUs in the next few months.
