Threads signs up over 100 million users in five days
Threads, the social media app aimed at rivalling Twitter, has signed up more than 100 million users in less than five days. The platform, launched by Instagram-owner Meta, has beaten a record set by Open AI’s ChatGPT app. Threads went live on Apple and Android app stores in 100 countries, including the UK, last Wednesday. Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg said he “couldn’t believe” the milestone had been reached so fast. It hasn’t all been plain sailing for Threads though – it is not available in mainland Europe yet because of uncertainty over whether it complies with EU data privacy legislation. BBC
Mercedes-Benz is the latest to adopt Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS), following brands such as General Motors, Ford, and Rivian. This officially makes Mercedes-Benz the first German automaker to follow the latest trend among EV brands. Starting in 2024, Mercedes-Benz EV owners will gain access to Tesla’s supercharger network in the US and charge using an adapter that enables the company’s Combined Charging System (CCS). The automaker will implement NACS ports into its new EVs the following year. Carbuzz
The US comedian and author Sarah Silverman is suing the ChatGPT developer OpenAI and Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta for copyright infringement over claims that their artificial intelligence models were trained on her work without permission. Silverman has filed the suits along with two authors, Christopher Golden and Richard Kadrey, in which they claim the AI models developed by OpenAI and Meta used their work as part of their training data. The Guardian
Consensus is growing regarding Apple’s biggest iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro upgrades, but one area of contention continues: pricing. While fears remain that Apple will increase prices for all iPhone 15 models, the latest leak is bad news for anyone interested in Apple’s flagship model. According to a leaked report seen by AppleInsider, influential Haitong International Securities tech analyst Jeff Pu reveals that the iPhone 15 Pro Max will be the most expensive iPhone Apple has ever released. Pu doesn’t name a price, but rises of up to $200 have been rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models for some time. Forbes
Twitter faces a landmark legal challenge after the social media giant failed to remove a series of hate-filled tweets reported by users in what could be a turning point in establishing new standards of scrutiny regarding online antisemitism. The California-based company, owned since last year by Elon Musk, was alerted to six antisemitic or otherwise racist tweets in January this year by researchers at HateAid and the European Union of Jewish Students EUJS but did not remove them from its platform despite the tweets apparently clearly contravening its own moderation policy. The Guardian
Google has come up with a groundbreaking invention that could revolutionize the way we use our devices on airplanes. Thanks to a recent patent filed by Google, it seems that flight attendants may no longer need to ask passengers to switch their devices to flight mode. This exciting development is brought to your attention by the collaboration of ParkiFly and David from @xleaks7. According to the patent, Google has developed an advanced technology that can automatically detect when you’re on board an aircraft and seamlessly switch your portable devices to a connected flight mode. Parkifly
