Top stories today:

1. Samsung announces S24 lineup, focused on AI
2. Apple starts selling Watch 9 with oxygen feature disabled
3. Alexa Plus being worked on by Amazon as paid version of Alexa
4. AlphaGeometry, from Google Deepmind, proves geometry theorems

0. Data and calendar

1. Samsung announces S24 lineup, focused on AI

• S24 Ultra is +$100 vs. the S23 Ultra.

  • Titanium built, like Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro.

• Shipping starts Jan. 31, pre-orders already available.

It comes with Android’s new Circle to Search feature, also available on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro starting Jan. 31

• Gemini Pro will power AI features in the Samsung S24 series, including Notes, Voice Recorder, and Keyboard apps.

  • Similar to Google’s Pixel 8 Pro.

  • Samsung will be one of the 1st to test Gemini Ultra, before it is publicly launched sometime this year.

• The Galaxy Ring is Samsung’s new health tracker, with pricing and launch date TBD.

• Android Auto is also getting AI features, including summaries and more relevant replies.

2. Apple starts selling Watch Series 9, Ultra 2 with oxygen feature disabled, after Court of Appeals declines to extend pause on ban

• Apple could have to wait 1+ years to conclude its appeal of the U.S. International Trade Commission ban.

• The ITC ruled in October that Apple’s watches violated patents related to blood oxygen measurement owned by Masimo.

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4. Alexa Plus being worked on by Amazon as paid version of Alexa, but quality still unsatisfactory

Alexa is still behind Google Assistant and Siri in number of users in the U.S.:

• The “quality of the new Alexa's answers is still falling short of expectations, often sharing inaccurate information.”

• Tech is being tested with 15K external customers.

• Amazon execs are uncertain whether customers will pay for this product.

5. AlphaGeometry, from Google Deepmind, proves geometry theorems at olympiad level

• “Neuro-symbolic system,” which mixes a neural net language model (e.g. ChatGPT) with a symbolic engine (good at mathematical reasoning) custom-made for geometry.

• Open-sourced by Google.

• Google Gemini won’t immediately incorporate AlphaGeometry.

6. Notion Calendar launched for Mac, iOS

• Notion previously acquired Cron Calendar in 2022.

• Our view: it will be hard for Notion to compete with Apple and Google, which already have billions of users and full integration with other apps and hardware (iPhone/Mac and Android, respectively).

7. Tesla dominates EV market in U.S., with Hyundai, GM, Ford, VW far behind

• Tesla cut prices in Germany, after trimming them in China on Friday.

8. 2M cancer cases projected in 2024 in U.S., new record

9. Interesting videos, posts, and memes

10. Other headlines

AI

• Amazon rolling out AI image generation on Fire TV devices.

• ChatGPT to include “individual customization”: Altman.

• Google Bard likely to add AI image generation today.

• Fairly Trained certification to be given to copyright-complaint AIs.

• Meta says AI-assisted ads increase ROI by 32%.

Tech

• Vision Pro won’t have Netflix app at launch, favoring Disney.

• TSMC’s revenue -1% to $19.8B.

• Peter Thiel interview on “life in a postmodern world.”

• New California city in East Solano to have 18.6K acres, 400K residents.

• Google eliminates 100 employees at YouTube, 1.4% of staff.

  • Forecasts new layoffs in internal memo.

• Sheryl Sandberg to leave Meta’s board.

• Alphabet’s Wing unveils larger drones for up to 5-pound packages.

• Build a Rocket Boy, new gaming studio from former GTA dev, raises $110M.

• Secondary buyers raise $24B+ as LP demand heats up.

Tech & law

• Meta had 100K children/day receiving photos of genitalia: New Mexico suit.

• No AI FRAUD Act aims to ban AI deepfakes.

• Google to give comparison sites more prominence in EU.

• Apple seeks $73M from Epic to cover legal expenses.

Business

• Boeing sells 150 MAX jets to India’s Akasa Air.

• Bobby Jain’s hedge fund to start at $5-6B, rather than $8-10B goal.

• CNN’s new CEO seeks to merge news ops, explore digital subscriptions.

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Crypto

• EU provisionally agrees to tough crypto regulations.

• Coinbase compares buying crypto to collecting Beanie Babies in SEC suit.

• Trump promises to never allow CBDC.

U.S. politics

• Supreme Court signals it will cut back regulatory power of agencies.

• Trump 50%, Haley 34%, DeSantis 5% in post-Iowa NH poll.

• Graham supports border security + pathway to citizenship deal.

• Trump threatened to be removed from Carroll defamation trial after disruption.

• Rep. Elise Stefanik could be VP pick, as Trump said in Dec. “she’s a killer.”

• Haley releases video compiling moments Trump praised her.

World

• Chinese lab mapped Covid-19 2 weeks before telling world.

• Pakistan retaliates with strikes on militants in Iran, as both sides urge calm.

• U.S., Houthis trade missile strikes.

• Houthis designated as terrorists by U.S., as reported yesterday.

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