Category: TECH & STARTUP

Microsoft announced its biggest investment in Sweden, pledging to invest 33.7 billion kronor ($3.2 billion) over two years in cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure. The company will train 250,000 people by 2027 to boost AI knowledge, increase capacity at its three Swedish data centers, and provide over 20,000 GPUs for AI model training. Microsoft cited Sweden’s forward-looking energy policy and access to green energy as key reasons for the investment, aimed at building world-leading AI data center infrastructure. File Photo

At WWDC 2024, Apple announced a partnership with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT’s GPT-4o model into iOS 18 and other operating systems for AI-powered features like Siri assistance and writing tools – without any payment to OpenAI. Apple sees giving OpenAI exposure to its massive user base as valuable compensation. The company also aims to offer other AI models like Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude in the future. Apple.

Apple briefly surpassed Microsoft as the world’s most valuable company on Wednesday, fueled by investor excitement over its announced AI features in the upcoming iOS 18. However, Microsoft regained the top spot by the end of the trading day, with a narrow lead in market capitalization over Apple.

An 89-year-old Japanese retiree, Tomoji Suzuki, has developed 11 free iPhone apps tailored for the elderly, crediting ChatGPT as his “programming mentor.” His latest app helps seniors remember essentials before leaving home. With Japan’s rapidly aging population, Suzuki’s apps address the specific needs of the elderly, leveraging his coding skills acquired later in life.  Image: AFP

Elon Musk has threatened to ban Apple devices at his companies unless Apple integrates OpenAI at the operating system level, citing security concerns. Musk, who owns Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter), said visitors will have to store their Apple devices in a Faraday cage upon entry. This move comes amid Musk’s ongoing legal battle with OpenAI and his efforts to develop an alternative AI system through his startup xAI. X

Grameenphone’s Lumière series spotlights luminary Rezwana Choudhury Bannya, celebrated for preserving and promoting Rabindra Sangeet. The episode offers an intimate look into Bannya’s life, philosophy, artistic journey, passion for music, experiences at Shantiniketan, and profound influence on Bangladesh’s cultural landscape. Hosted by Nabila Khalid, it aims to inspire youth through candid conversations unveiling lesser-known facets of remarkable individuals shaping the nation’s fabric.

Apple has unveiled “Apple Intelligence,” its new AI suite, at WWDC 2024, aiming to catch up with rivals. The on-device AI features, including a revamped Siri, will enhance user experience across apps while ensuring privacy. Apple has introduced a “Private Cloud” and “semantic index” for cloud-based AI processing and personal data retrieval, respectively, with independent verification of privacy claims. Apple finally unveils its own AI

Apple unveiled Apple Intelligence, its first AI system, integrating generative models into iPhone, iPad, and Mac for capabilities like image generation and text summarization. It will debut on iPhone 15 Pro, iPads, and Macs with M1 chips or newer. Siri also received an AI upgrade, appearing as a pulsating light on device edges. With large language models, Siri will better understand queries, manage follow-ups, and locate specific information like emails or photos of friends. Image: Apple.

id Software and Bethesda Softworks have announced “Doom: The Dark Ages”, the latest entry in the popular Doom video game series. Directed by Hugo Martin, this medieval fantasy-themed first-person shooter will launch in 2025 for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S. A prequel to previous Doom games, it explores the origins of the Doom Slayer in a kingdom under attack by Hell’s forces. Using modern graphics, it promises new weapons, enemies, and environments inspired by the Middle Ages, along with single-player and multiplayer modes.Image: Collected

In the FY 2024-25 budget, the Finance Minister announced an immediate 5% increase in the supplementary duty on mobile phone calls and internet services, raising the total VAT to 20% from 15%. This hike will directly increase the cost of mobile recharges and internet usage for consumers across all socioeconomic classes. The cost of buying a new SIM card has also been raised from Tk 200 to Tk 300, adding to the overall burden on mobile users. Public Domain Pictures

Nvidia’s shares skyrocketed, propelling its market value past $3 trillion and surpassing Apple to become the world’s second-most valuable company. The surge is driven by soaring demand for its AI chips as tech giants like Microsoft and Google race to dominate the emerging AI technology. Nvidia’s stock has rallied 147% this year, while Apple faces weak iPhone demand and lags in AI integration. Photo: Reuters

Google has introduced a series of microlearning courses covering various aspects of Generative AI, including an introduction to Generative AI, Large Language Models, Responsible AI, Image Generation, Encoder-Decoder Architecture, Attention Mechanism, Transformer Models, BERT, and Image Captioning Models. These courses aim to provide a foundational understanding of Generative AI concepts, techniques, and applications, as well as hands-on experience with Google’s tools for developing Generative AI applications. Learners can earn skill badges by completing the courses and passing the final quizzes. Photo: Reuters

AMD unveiled its next-generation Ryzen 9000 Series desktop processors, codenamed Granite Ridge, featuring Zen5 architecture and support for PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 memory. The flagship Ryzen 9 9950X boasts 16 cores, 5.7GHz boost, and promises the fastest consumer desktop performance. AMD also introduced the Ryzen 5000XT Series with upgraded 5900XT and 5800XT models for the AM4 platform. The new X870E and X870 chipsets bring PCIe 5.0, DDR5, and USB4 support. These processors are set for a July 2024 release, targeting DIY enthusiasts and system integrators. Photo: AMD

Nvidia is set to surpass Apple as the world’s second-most valuable company, thanks to the rapid adoption of AI applications that heavily rely on Nvidia’s high-end chips. Nvidia’s stock has nearly tripled in value over the past year, reaching a $2.68 trillion market cap, while Apple has grappled with weak iPhone demand and competition, slipping to third place with a $2.92 trillion valuation. Nvidia’s ability to capitalize on growth waves like gaming, crypto, and now AI has fueled its explosive growth, positioning it as a pivotal driver of the U.S. stock market’s record highs. Image: Reuters

Google has confirmed the authenticity of leaked internal documents suggesting it collects and potentially uses data like clicks and Chrome user data for its search ranking algorithm, contrary to previous claims. The leak provides unprecedented insights into Google’s closely guarded practices, fueling debates around transparency and fairness in the tech giant’s operations. While Google cautions against drawing definitive conclusions, the revelations have significant implications for the SEO, marketing, and publishing industries heavily impacted by Google’s search decisions.  Image: Christian Wiediger/Unsplash

In a significant move, Elon Musk’s AI startup, xAI, has raised a staggering $6 billion in Series B funding, valuing the company at $24 billion post-money. Backed by prominent investors like Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital, the funds will be utilized for launching initial products, developing infrastructure, and accelerating research and development. xAI has already released Grok, a conversational AI chatbot, and PromptIDE, an IDE for prompt engineering. Illustration: Tech & Startup Desk

24 Bangladeshi youth teams pitched community solutions addressing climate change and gender equality at the GenU imaGen Ventures Youth Challenge 2023-24. Teams Storm Troopers and Noibeddo, with vertical farming and tea waste recycling projects respectively, were selected as top teams. They will represent Bangladesh at the global challenge, competing for seed funding, after last year’s winner ‘BD Highway Turbine’ made the global top 10.

Team Atlas, a Bangladeshi student robotics team, won the Gold Medal in the Technology category at the World Science Environment and Engineering Competition (WSCEEC) 2024 in Indonesia. The team comprised students from BRAC University, Nirjhor Cantonment Public School and College, Dawood Public School and College, and Dhaka College. Their water cleaning technology impressed the judges, and they plan to further improve the robot based on the feedback received at the competition. Photo: Team Atlas

A recent study by Indian and US space scientists suggests there may be 5 to 8 times more sub-surface water-ice in the first couple of meters of the moon’s polar craters than previously estimated. This ice could be crucial for future moon missions and human presence. The study was conducted by researchers from ISRO, IITs, and US institutions like USC and JPL, after India’s successful unmanned moon mission landed in the lunar south pole region last year. . Image: for illustrative purpose