Good morning everybody, and a happy Friday the 13th of October to all of you. Make sure you watch a scary flick tonight. For now, though, let’s get you caught up on the tech news.
1. Atlassian buys Loom for $1.5 billion
Kicking things off, Australian startup success story Atlassian has acquired video-messaging platform Loom for $1.5 billion, with the platform to join Atlassian’s portfolio of products alongside Jira, Confluence, and Trello. “This acquisition highlights Atlassian’s belief that the future of work will be highly distributed, and its customers will require new tools to communicate and connect asynchronously, especially when collaborating across geographies, offices, and remote workplaces,” Atlassian said in a statement. Loom currently serves over 200,000 customers internationally, including Atlassian as a business customer, and the transaction is expected to close in Q3 2024.
2. Kia offers a glimpse of its Tesla Model 3 rival
Kia has revealed three new electric vehicles, with the Kia EV5 being the next production EV to be released, and the Concept EV3 and Concept EV4 teasing out what’s yet to come from the Korean automaker. As reported by Jalopnik, the Kia EV5 is a slightly boxier-looking version of the EV6 SUV, which was released locally in 2022, with similar styling to the Kia Niro EV. The truly interesting models to see were the smaller Kia EV3 and the EV4, which are expected to be priced closer to the Tesla Model 3, with the Kia EV4 offering a more sedan-like shape than the rest of the range. No doubt the EV3 and EV4 will look much different as they enter production.
The Kia EV5, the Kia Concept EV3 and the Kia Concept EV4.
— Kia Worldwide (@Kia_Worldwide) October 12, 2023
Bold, innovative and unexpected, each of these new additions to our EV lineup are created to accelerate the EV movement.
Check out Kia EV Day to learn more: https://t.co/gBeWruKz3F pic.twitter.com/Fq043SdNVO
3. Netflix to open retail stores (why?)
Bloomberg is reporting that Netflix is set to open branded retail stores, packed with dining, activities, and live events. The streaming service, which was so successful particularly for not relying on physical retail opportunities, is reportedly planning to open ‘Netflix House’ storefronts in the U.S. in 2025, and then expand the concept internationally (locations are apparently still being scouted out). It sounds very Planet Hollywood.
4. Apple’s M3 MacBooks probably won’t arrive until 2024
Recent rumours have suggested that Apple will release its first M3 MacBooks this year. However, a new five-year global notebook shipments forecast published by DigiTimes has suggested we won’t be seeing them until 2024. Said MacBooks will likely be based on TSMC’s 3nm fabrication process and are expected to see healthy sales driven by not just an improved chip but also the easing of inflation. The report forecasts a 4.7 per cent growth following a two-year decline in the notebook market.
5. The actors strike goes on
As reported by The Guardian, talks between striking hollywood actors and the studios that they’re lobbying for better conditions have broken down. Negotiations were suspended between the SAG-AFTRA union and studios this week, even though the end of the writer’s strike recently reportedly brought hope that actors would soon return to work. “After meaningful conversations, it is clear that the gap between the AMPTP and Sag-Aftra is too great, and conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction,” the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (representing Disney, Netflix, and other studios), said. SAG-AFTRA said that an offer was presented that was worth less than one from before the strikes began. “It is with profound disappointment that we report the industry CEOs have walked away from the bargaining table after refusing to counter our latest offer,” SAG-AFTRA said.
BONUS ITEM: It’s already been debunked (it’s probably the owner of a Bigfoot trailer company), but it’s nice to pretend the sasquatch is real. We need more Yowie sightings, if you ask me.
Couple in Colorado share footage they captured on the train of what they believe to be Bigfoot. pic.twitter.com/awb1wIvIHj
— Pop Base (@PopBase) October 11, 2023
Have a wonderful (and spooky) day.
Image: Kia