(This article is part of Today’s Cache, The Hindu’s newsletter on emerging themes at the intersection of technology, innovation and policy. To get it in your inbox, subscribe here.)
Apple Intelligence may cost users
Apple could charge its users as much as $20 for using its advanced AI features as the iPhone maker could pass down the steep cost of investing in AI to its users, CNBC reported. OpenAI and Microsoft follow a similar model where users are given free access to a limited number of basic AI features, while a subscription if required if they want the complete range.
Apple has announced an upgraded Siri, as well as a host of other features including writing assistants for emails, image generation and personalised emojis as a part of Apple Intelligence. The features are expected to be rolled out gradually region-wise with the launch itself being pushed until October. With Apple Intelligence, a huge chunk of computing will happen on-device, and if it’s a complex prompt, Apple silicon servers will do the analysis and return with answers. Apple calls this Private Cloud Compute.
WazirX to restore account balances
Indian crypto exchange WazirX announced that all user balances would be restored to what they were on July 18, 1 PM IST, prior to a cyberattack against one of the company’s multi-signature wallets that led to the loss of over $230 million in assets at the time. “After careful consideration of the situation and the feedback received from numerous users, we are constrained to restore the balances of all accounts and undo all trades carried out on the WazirX platform following the stoppage of withdrawals on 18 July 2024, 1 PM IST,” stated WazirX in a company blog post.
WazirX had previously said it was locking up a portion of users’ funds after the attack and also stopped withdrawals, leading to frustration. Adding to this, the company proposed a “socialised” loss strategy where the losses would be spread to all users, with the aim of ensuring equality.
Google antitrust case: A timeline
Google’s payments to make its search engine the default option on smartphone web browsers violate US antitrust law, a federal judge ruled on Monday (August 5, 2024), handing a key victory to the Justice Department. Judge Amit Mehta in Washington said that the Alphabet Inc. unit’s $26 billion in payments effectively blocked any other competitor from succeeding in the market. “Google’s distribution agreements foreclose a substantial portion of the general search services market and impair rivals’ opportunities to compete,” Mehta said in a 286-page ruling.
Antitrust enforcers alleged that Google has illegally maintained a monopoly over online search and related advertising. The government said that Google has paid Apple, Samsung Electronics Co. and others billions over decades for prime placement on smartphones and web browsers. This default position has allowed Google to build up the most-used search engine in the world, and fueled more than $300 billion in annual revenue largely generated by search ads.
