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WhatsApp is introducing a new feature that allows users to pin messages at the top of their group chats for up to 30 days. The feature, which is already available on Facebook Messenger, is being rolled out to WhatsApp users gradually. To use the feature, users can long-press a message and select “pin,” with the default duration set at seven days but adjustable to 24 hours or 30 days. The pin message feature is seen as a solution to the challenge of coordinating plans in busy group chats and preventing important information from being overlooked. Meta, the parent company of…

Apple’s stock reached a new record high close on Wednesday, with the surge being fueled by the US Federal Reserve’s indication of lower borrowing costs in 2024. Apple’s stock rose by 1.7% to finish the day at $197.96 per share, surpassing its previous record high close of $196.45 on July 31. Although it fell just short of its intraday record of $198.23 on July 19, the company now boasts a market capitalization of $3.08 trillion. The Federal Reserve’s decision to keep interest rates steady resulted in a surge in US stocks, with 17 out of 19 officials projecting a lower…

Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter), is expected to face a significant decline in ad sales for 2023, with projections estimating a drop to approximately $2.5 billion, according to a report by Bloomberg News. The decline in ad revenue follows a controversy last month when Musk, who took over the platform in October 2022, endorsed a post on X that claimed Jewish people were promoting hatred against white individuals. In response to the incident, several companies, including Comcast and Walt Disney, suspended their advertisements on the platform. Head of business operations at X, Joe Benarroch, responded to the Bloomberg report, stating…

In response to new EU tech regulations, Google, Meta Platforms, Qualcomm, Lynx, and others, have formed the Coalition for Open Digital Ecosystems (CODE), in an active step to potentially influence future legislation while aligning with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). CODE expressed its mission to advance open platforms and systems, highlighting the potential benefits for growth and innovation in Europe. The coalition plans to engage with academics, policymakers, and other companies to explore and implement digital openness within the framework of the DMA and future EU regulatory developments. Under the DMA, gatekeepers, which are large tech companies controlling access…

Apple has offered to allow rivals access to its tap-and-go mobile payments systems in a bid to address European Union (EU) antitrust charges and potentially avoid hefty fines, as reported by three sources familiar with the matter, according to Reuters. The EU’s competition enforcer had previously charged Apple with impeding competitors’ access to its Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology, which is crucial for tap-and-go mobile payments. The allegation suggested that Apple’s actions favoured Apple Pay, which is the tech giant’s proprietary mobile wallet solution for iPhones and iPads, making it challenging for rivals to develop alternative services on Apple devices. To…

Finnish telecom giant Nokia has revised its comparable operating margin target for 2026, decreasing it from at least 14% to at least 13%, following the company’s failure to snag a crucial deal with a major US telecom carrier. Nokia clarified that it still intends to achieve the initial 14% target, however, considering current market conditions within its mobile networks business, the company deemed it prudent to make this revision. The setback occurred after AT&T opted for Ericsson to construct a telecom network utilising a cost-cutting technology known as open radio access network (ORAN). This initiative by AT&T is anticipated to…

Technology ministers from Algeria, South Africa, Tunisia, Botswana, and Nigeria have unveiled plans for a startup visa, African Charter and the development of a Pan-African startup strategy aimed at supporting innovation and curbing the wave of brain drain across the continent. The announcement was made after a panel session at the second edition of the African Startup Conference held in Algiers from December 5 to December 7, 2023. Startup Visa to Boost Mobility and Innovation During the conference, the ministers revealed details of a proposed startup visa designed to facilitate the free movement of startups across the continent. This innovative…

Emmanuel Macron has warned that landmark EU legislation designed to tackle the development of artificial intelligence, risks hampering European tech companies compared to rivals in the US, UK and China, setting the stage for a new battle over regulation of the emerging technology. Addressing an audience in Toulouse this week, the French president attacked the new Artificial Intelligence Act agreed recently, saying: “We can decide to regulate much faster and much stronger than our major competitors. But we will regulate things that we will no longer produce or invent. This is never a good idea.” Macron said he was concerned…

Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a $10 billion partnership with leaders from the semiconductor industry such as IBM, Micron, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, and others to establish a next-generation semiconductor research and development center at NY CREATES’ Albany NanoTech Complex. The partnership will fund the construction of a cutting-edge High NA Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography Center – the first and only publicly owned High NA EUV Center in North America – that will support the research and development of the world’s most complex and powerful semiconductors. In addition to the transformative investment in New York’s Capital Region, this partnership will make…

The chief executive of Arm Holdings Plc, Rene Haas has disclosed he worries about humans losing control of AI and that overrides are needed to shut down systems in an emergency. This statement was mentioned by him when asked what keeps him up at night in an interview with Bloomberg, Rene Haas said: “The thing I worry about most is humans losing capability [over the machines]. “You need some override, some backdoor, some way that the system can be shut down.” Cambridge-based Arm is a key supplier in the booming AI market. Arm’s processor architecture designs are licensed by many…