Good morning all, and a happy Friday to you. Let’s get into the tech news.
1. New biotech incubator names 16 residents
From Innovation Aus, the new biotech incubator from Cicada Innovations, which snatched up $65 million in funding from a group of partners including the University of Melbourne and the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, has named 16 startups that will take up residence in the new wet lab space. The aim is to improve the progress these startups make by connecting them with the facilities that they need. Residents include Tessara Therapeutics, Symex Labs, Denteric, and Titan.
2. Google merges Android and hardware teams
Google’s Android and hardware teams will now answer to SVP of devices and services, Rick Osterloth, in an attempt to unify the AI developments that the company is working on, per The Verge. The new team is called ‘Platforms and Devices’, and oversees Android, Chrome, ChromeOS, Pixel, and Photos, among other services.
3. Speaking of Google
Google has fired 28 workers who protested the company’s ‘Project Nimbus’ cloud contract with the Israeli Government, per Engadget. “If you’re one of the few who are tempted to think we’re going to overlook conduct that violates our policies, think again,” Google head of global security Chris Rackow said in an internal letter. “The company takes this extremely seriously, and we will continue to apply our longstanding policies to take action against disruptive behaviour — up to and including termination.” Fired employees in the group ‘No Tech for Apartheid’ group called the firings “a flagrant act of retaliation”.
4. Netflix beats subscriber estimates
Netflix has added 9.33 million subscribers to its service in the first quarter of 2024, beating subscription estimates following its crackdown on password sharing, per Bloomberg. Analysts originally expected that number to be more around 4.84, but the company actually did exceptionally well internationally. However, going forward, Netflix says it will no longer disclose subscriber numbers and revenue per subscriber. Rather, Netflix will move to traditional performance indicators like sales and profit.
5. Meta goes Llama 3
Facebook and Instagram owner Meta has announced its latest AI model, Llama 3, the company’s latest LLM, along with Meta AI. Meta says Meta AI, which is based on Llama 3, the chatbot accessible to consumers through Meta’s apps, can be used all without needing to leave the app you’re currently in, to see real-time information, and the model’s image generator has been given a speed boost. The chatbot is live across Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. It’s the company’s latest attempt to catch up to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
BONUS ITEM: Someone on the Bluey team must be a Vinesauce fan.
“not every green mushroom is a vinesauce reference”
— clay 🪴 (@_claypot) April 17, 2024
the first time i heard of bluey back in the day was back in 2020 when they posted official art of background characters that were clearly based on vinny and joel lol https://t.co/C0uxOT2Zwb pic.twitter.com/Uf6xTjxlOB
Have a lovely weekend!
Image: iStock