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In an effort to retain its claim on the 'Twitter' trademark, Elon Musk's X has updated its Terms of Service. This move comes after a Virginia-based startup, Operation Bluebird, filed an application to cancel the trademark. The startup claims that X had abandoned the brand by renaming its social networking service 'X'. Since filing its petition, Operation Bluebird has been collecting potential user sign-ups for its own social network at a website named Twitter.new.
A recent study by Consumer Reports and Groundwork Collaborative found that Instacart has been conducting AI-led dynamic pricing experiments, which in some cases, result in drastically higher prices for certain products. The experiment was conducted at retail partner locations, such as Kroger, Albertsons, Costco, and Safeway. Let's dive deeper…
In today's ContentBuffer update:
Slate Auto's Electric Truck Success
Improved Hearing, Spotify Integration
ChatGPT Images Get a Boost
Tech Giant's Downfall
5 new AI tools & 5 new AI jobs
More tech news
Latest Development
Social_media
Summary: Elon Musk's X updates Terms of Service to retain claim on Twitter trademark. Startup Operation Bluebird seeks to cancel the trademark, claiming X abandoned it by renaming its service. X owner Musk previously proclaimed the end of the Twitter brand.
Key Points:
X's revised Terms of Service state that nothing gives users a right to use the X or Twitter name without express written consent.
The terms also include updates related to EU laws and generated content, as well as an updated Privacy Policy with references to age assurance technology.
Why it matters: This dispute highlights the importance of trademark claims in the tech industry, where brand recognition is crucial for business success.
Ecommerce
Summary: Instacart's AI-powered pricing experiment inflates grocery bills by up to 23%. The experiment is conducted at retail partner locations and may not be transparent to consumers. Consumer Reports and Groundwork Collaborative found that the experiment results in higher prices for some customers.
Key Points:
Instacart's Eversight technology uses AI to test prices online
Some customers may see higher prices than others due to the experiment
The experiment is conducted at retail partner locations, such as Kroger and Safeway
Why it matters: This experiment highlights concerns about transparency in pricing practices and potential unfair treatment of consumers.
Electric Vehicles News
Summary: Slate Auto collects 150,000 refunds, but success is uncertain; electric truck market faces challenges with Ford ending F-150 Lightning production
Key Points:
Slate Auto has collected over 150,000 refundable reservations for its low-cost EV.
The company will need to continue attracting buyers and making progress on production to ensure success.
The electric truck market faces challenges with Ford ending F-150 Lightning production.
Why it matters: This news matters because it highlights the ongoing struggles of the electric truck market and Slate Auto's efforts to succeed in this space.
Artificial Intelligence Technology
Summary: Meta's AI glasses are getting two new features: improved hearing and Spotify integration. The improved hearing feature will allow users to better hear people talking in noisy environments, while the Spotify integration will let users play songs from their current view.
Key Points:
The improved hearing feature uses open-ear speakers to amplify the voice of the person you're talking to.
Users can adjust the amplification level based on their environment using the right temple of their glasses or device settings.
The Spotify integration allows users to play songs from their current view, such as album covers or gift piles.
Why it matters: These updates demonstrate Meta's focus on connecting what people see with actions they can take in their apps, and could have practical applications for those who struggle with hearing in noisy environments.
Artificial Intelligence
Summary: OpenAI has released a new version of ChatGPT Images that promises better instruction-following, more precise editing, and up to 4x faster image generation speeds. The update is part of the company's efforts to regain its position as the AI leader after Google began taking market share.
Key Points:
The new model, GPT Image 1.5, is available starting Tuesday to all ChatGPT users and via the API.
ChatGPT Images will also now be accessible via a dedicated entry point in the ChatGPT sidebar that works 'more like a creative studio'.
The update includes new ways to improve the ChatGPT experience with more visual elements, including displaying search queries with clear sources.
Why it matters: This update is significant because it shows OpenAI's commitment to improving its AI models and staying competitive in the market.
Technology And Innovation
Summary: Luminar files for bankruptcy after Volvo deal fails; company had made substantial investments to meet demand, but delays and reduced volumes led to financial struggles
Key Points:
Luminar had made substantial up-front investments in equipment, facilities, and workforce to meet the demand from Volvo.
Volvo delayed the EX90 SUV and reduced its expected volume for Iris sensors by 75%, leading to Luminar's inability to enter into production with new customers.
Luminar had started selling lidar sensors meant for Volvo to adjacent markets in an effort to recover its sunk costs.
Why it matters: The bankruptcy of Luminar highlights the challenges facing companies that rely on single large customers, as well as the risks associated with delayed or reduced orders.
New Tools & Job
AuraWrite AI - Humanize AI text from ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and more with AuraWrite's AI Humanizer. Make your content more natural, engaging, & human in seconds. Try now!
Genaraera - Create professional infographics with AI in seconds. Infographics AI offers the best infographics generator for digital marketing, data visualization, and content creation. Try our AI-powered infographics tool free today.
Nano Banana Pro Studio - Create professional 4K images in 3-10 seconds with Gemini 3 Pro Image. Advanced multimodal AI delivers studio-grade visuals and precise text control.
UX Magic - Create stunning AI-generated mockups and figma ready wireframes in seconds with UXMagic. Simplify UX design workflows and boost creativity—no design skills needed.
Rizzy Agent - Rizzy is your 24/7 AI Lead Generator on X (Twitter). It finds people talking about what you sell and sends them straight to you.
Optery (YC W22) Hiring CISO, Release Manager, Tech Lead (Node), Full Stack Eng - Page not loading? Optery’s Career page uses Cookies to display the full page content. If you’re not seeing anything, try opening the cookie banner (cookie icon in the bottom left corner) and Accept Personalization cookies.
Rollstack (YC W23) is hiring multiple software engineers (TypeScript) US/Canada - Automate data-driven slide decks and documents with AI. Build core features, integrations, and optimize performance. Ideal for engineers who thrive on impact, autonomy, and fast-paced product development.
Cekura (YC F24) Is Hiring - As Product Engineer, you'll build playbooks, processes, and relationships that define how Cekura partners with technical customers for long-term success. You'll be a trusted technical advisor, drive product feedback, and proactively manage accounts.
Artie (YC S23) Is Hiring Senior Enterprise AES - Run full-cycle enterprise sales for a fully-managed change data capture (CDC) streaming platform that replicates production databases into data warehouses and lakes in real time. Must have 6+ years of experience in enterprise or upper/mid-market sales and be comfortable navigating complex procurement.
Intermediate Software Developer in Test - As an Intermediate Software Developer in Test, you will design testing solutions for web applications and API services of a large-scale system.
QUICK HITS
Leona Health, a startup founded by Caroline Merin, aims to simplify doctor-patient communication in Latin America. The company has raised $14 million in seed funding and is now available to doctors in 14 countries across 22 medical specialties.
Google has launched CC, a new AI-powered email assistant that aims to save users time by providing them with daily briefs and allowing them to interact with it via email. The assistant can connect with users' Google accounts, such as Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Calendar, and provide them with important updates and tasks for the day.
Mill, a food waste startup, has partnered with Amazon's Climate Pledge Fund to deploy its redesigned food waste bins in Whole Foods produce departments across the country. The bins use sensors to gather data and help reduce food waste. The waste will be turned into chicken feed for Whole Foods' private label egg suppliers.
Instagram is expanding its Reels-viewing beyond mobile with the launch of IG for TV. The new experience will allow users to watch Reels on their TVs, starting with Amazon Fire TV. This move aims to help Instagram compete with YouTube and provide a new way for users to engage with content.
Apple is making it easier for Android users to watch Apple TV content on the big screen by adopting Google Cast functionality. This feature allows users to stream videos and audio directly to their TV, making Apple TV a more competitive streaming service.
A hacking group called Scattered Lapsus Hunters, which includes members of the ShinyHunters gang, claims to have stolen personal information from Pornhub's premium members. The hackers allegedly obtained the data through a breach at analytics provider Mixpanel. The stolen data includes registered email addresses and location, activity type, keywords associated with videos, and date/time recorded.
Indian space surveillance startup Digantara has raised $50 million in a new funding round as it moves beyond space situational awareness into missile tracking. The all-equity Series B round included new investors such as 360 ONE Asset and SBI Investments of Japan, as well as serial entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala, with existing backers Peak XV Partners and Kalaari Capital also participating.
Databricks has raised over $4 billion in a Series L funding round at a valuation of $134 billion. The company will use this new capital to help customers build AI apps and agents, leveraging its Lakebase database for AI agents.
Adobe is updating its AI video-generation app, Firefly, with a new video editor that supports precise prompt-based edits, as well as adding new third-party models for image and video generation. The new editor allows users to use text prompts to edit video elements, colors, and camera angles, and also includes a new timeline view.
The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) is driving the need for more powerful and efficient data centers. The increased demand for processing power and storage necessitates the construction of new, heavier data centers that can accommodate the growing needs of AI.
THAT'S A WRAP
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