Weekly Tech Recap: Elon Musk postpones India visit, YouTube tightens its grip on ad-blockers and more | Mint

1) Elon Musk postpones India visit: 

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk was reported to be visiting India for a two-day visit from April 21-22 and the billionaire had also confirmed that he would meet PM Modi during his stay in the country. However, just days ahead of the expected arrival, Musk had to cancel the visit owing to ‘very heavy Tesla obligations’. 

Informing about the delay in a post on X (formerly Twitter), Musk said, “Unfortunately, very heavy Tesla obligations require that the visit to India be delayed, but I do very much look forward to visiting later this year.”

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2) OpenAI slams Elon Musk, makes ‘revisionist history’ remark:

OpenAI has countered Elon Musk’s claims that the ChatGPT parent company abandoned its altruistic pursuits in favour of a profit-seeking approach and called the remarks as ‘revisionist history’ in a recent court filing. 

Responding to Musk’s claims and asking for the suit against it to be dismissed, OpenAI said, “Years ago, plaintiff Elon Musk abandoned OpenAI when his bid to dominate the venture failed…Now that he has launched a competing artificial intelligence company, Musk seeks to leverage the success OpenAI has achieved and to direct OpenAI’s affairs for his own commercial benefit.”

Notably, Musk along with a few others had helped found the AI startup before eventually quitting the company in 2018. In recent times, however, Musk has continuously criticized the company over various issues including its relationship with Microsoft and ‘woke’ programming. 

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3) YouTube tightens grip on ad-blockers:

YouTube has announced a renewed crackdown on third-party applications that circumvent in-video advertisements on its platform. The streaming giant revealed its intention to take “appropriate action” against apps that enable viewers to watch videos without ads by violating its API services’ terms of service.

Encouraging users to transition to its YouTube Premium subscription plan for an ad-free experience, this move follows a global initiative announced last November.

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4) Google rolls out Android 15 public beta:

Google unveiled the inaugural public beta of Android 15 this week, offering a sneak peek into the forthcoming enhancements and features of its mobile operating system. Following two developer previews, this beta rollout showcases a variety of fresh attributes and refinements, providing users with an early glimpse into Google’s plans for the next Android iteration.

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5) Apple removes WhatsApp and Threads from App Store in China: 

Apple removed Meta’s WhatsApp and Threads from its Chinese App Store after an order by the Asian country’s internet regulator. 

Informing about the changes in a statement, Apple said, “We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree. The Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the removal of these apps from the China storefront based on their national security concerns. These apps remain available for download on all other storefronts where they appear,”.

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Published: 21 Apr 2024, 01:37 PM IST