This week since I didn’t release an article last week, I’m going to start off with a few stores I missed last week (including a section on the events related to the Microsoft/Activision merger). Now for the news, an AI Pioneer has left Google, Apple and Google are working on a cross-platform way to detect Bluetooth Trackers and, from official teases to leaks there is lots of new info on the devices Google will probably talk about at I/O. Also, the interesting things of the week and more in the other news section.
What I Missed Last Week
Here are a few stories I missed last week:
- Xerox donated their historic PARC research center to the Stanford Research Institute
- Alphabet and Microsoft announced that their earnings were up.
- Bill C-11 gets royal assent to pass into Canadian Law (I plan to write about this soon)
Microsoft/Activision Merger
A week ago Wednesday, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority announced they’d block Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision, citing concerns about the “cloud gaming” market. This is an odd request because Microsoft has signed deals with competitors saying that they will put their games on competing platforms. As Sean Hollister notes in his editorial in The Verge, this decision basically hedges on the fact that “cloud gaming sucks”.
AI Pioneer Leaves Google
Geoffrey Hinton, a prominent figure in the field of AI, expressed his concerns about the rapid progress of AI in an interview published by The New York Times on Monday. The interview was conducted after Hinton’s decision to leave Google so that he could share his thoughts on the matter. However, Hinton later clarified via Twitter that the writer of the article had exaggerated some of his statements, and that he believes Google has been acting responsibly in the field of AI.
Apple & Google team up to combat unwanted bluetooth tracking
On Tuesday, Apple and Google announced that they are working on a cross-platform standard to detect unwanted Bluetooth tracking devices. In their press release, Apple said that Samsung, Tile, Chipolo, Eufy, and Pebblebee have all “expressed support”.
Pixel Teases
On Friday, Google teased the lineup of Pixel devices they plan to announce at I/O next week. A listing appeared on the Google store for the product. As for the Pixel tablet, there’s been nothing official but a listing for it was found on amazon japan costing 80,000 yen (about US$590 with a release date of June 20.
In The Week Ahead
Google I/O is scheduled for Wednesday. Google preannounced the Pixel 7a and the Pixel fold, they are also expected to talk about the next generation Pixel devices (including the Pixel Tablet). They’ll also like always announce new features for their platforms.
Interesting Things of the Week
Other News
In other news, Google now allows passwordless login with FIDO Passkeys and Discord announced that they are moving to a username system that uses unique usernames without numbers at the end. Also, Airbnb announced that they now offer single room rentals, and Microsoft announced that the Xbox game showcase will be on June 11.
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