Good morning friends, TGIF.
1. Tesla faces lawsuit over EV range
Tesla is facing another lawsuit, this time the class action is filed by customers who say they were misled by the company’s exaggerated range claims. As reported by, well, everyone, really, but brought to our attention initially by Engadget, the three owners in California have launched a proposed class action lawsuit accusing Tesla of false advertising. The trio claims their cars fell well short of their estimated ranges, and that they’ve had no success lodging complaints. The customers either wouldn’t have bought their cars or would have paid considerably less for them, according to the suit.
2. Meta isn’t giving up on smart glasses
Meanwhile, Meta really wants to keep going with its smart glasses product line. Meta documents cited in a recent Wall Street Journal story show that just 10 per cent of customers who purchased Ray Ban Stories still actively use them. The company has reportedly sold 300,000 pairs of the shades as of this February but only recorded around 27,000 monthly active users. Around 13 per cent of those customers reportedly returned their devices, too. Battery life, connectivity issues, media importing, poor sound quality, and buggy voice commands are among the complaints users have with the specs. The documents suggest Meta is moving forward with an updated model in spite of the pathetic usage stats and intends to release a second version in 2024.
3. iPhone sales drop, subscription sales jump
As reported by Ars Technica, Apple’s Q3 earnings report for 2023 notes that iPhone sales have dropped, whereas subscriptions services across Apple’s range, including products like Apple Music, Apple TV+, AppleCare, and Fitness+, have been on the rise. Sale of services increased by 8 per cent over the year, whereas hardware sales across iPhone, iPad, and Mac divisions all dropped.
4. Amazon may be jumping on the AI train next
As reported by The Verge, all of Amazon is working on generative AI, in an attempt to catch up with Google and Microsoft in the space. “Inside Amazon, every one of our teams is working on building generative AI applications that reinvent and enhance their customers’ experiences,” Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in the company’s Q3 2023 earnings call. I wonder what Amazon has in store for us.
5. Tinder, too!
The Guardian is reporting that Tinder is testing an AI tool for selecting the best photos of users. The tool works by going through a user’s camera roll and finding the five ‘best’ photos, as selected by an AI. A number of AI-powered tools are expected to come to Tinder in the future as well, with the goal of making dating, as The Guardian wrote, ‘more rewarding’ and as chief executive of Match Group Bernard Kim said, to “eliminate awkwardness”. Also, the article included an absolutely incredible line that I must share: “Beauty is now in the AI of the beholder. Or at least if you’re on Tinder.” Good one.
BONUS ITEM: We’re as excited as you are, even if the date isn’t bang-on.
Have a lovely weekend.