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Top stories today:
- Microsoft CEO calls test-time compute “emergence of new scaling law”
- SpaceX tests Starship rocket for 6th time, in presence of Trump
- Google releases Android 16 developer preview 2 months early
- Bitcoin hits $94K amid hopes for crypto-friendly Trump regime
0. Data and calendar
All values as of 6 AM ET / 3 AM PT, other than S&P500 and NASDAQ close (4 PM ET / 1 PM PT).
All times are ET.
Listen to our AI-generated podcast summarizing today’s newsletter (beware the few hallucinations):
1. Microsoft CEO calls test-time compute “emergence of new scaling law”
Test-time compute gives AI models more time to “think” before answering.
AI training compute (FLOP) is 4.2x/year, “doubling every six months or so”, Satya Nadella stated.
Scaling laws are yielding diminishing returns, some industry stakeholders argue.
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Microsoft unveiled the $349 Windows 365 Link mini PC to stream Windows 11 from the cloud
The fanless, compact device can connect with 3rd-party monitors and peripherals.
Specifications include 8GB RAM, 64GB storage, and an undisclosed Intel processor.
April 2025 availability.
Microsoft also unveiled Azure AI Foundry to help developers build AI apps and switch between multiple LLMs
In line with the company’s strategy of moving away from relying on OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
An AI interpreter in Teams will allow you to simulate voices in 9 different languages
Near-real-time voice interpretation.
Available in early 2025 in a limited preview.
2. SpaceX tests Starship rocket for 6th time, in presence of Trump, but aborts booster catch
Launched from SpaceX’s Texas site at 5 PM ET on Tue.
The rocket's Super Heavy booster splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico instead of completing its planned landing.
Oct. 14: Starship’s booster demoed a novel catch-landing method.
A “faster/harder” catch-landing was supposed to be seen during Tue. launch.
