The era of Microsoft’s Surface Hub, a series of large-format touchscreen displays designed to revolutionize office collaboration, has come to an abrupt end. According to Windows Central, the company is reportedly ending production of its Surface Hub 3 and canceling plans for a future Surface Hub 4. This news marks the culmination of a decade-long journey that began with great fanfare in 2015, when Microsoft first unveiled its vision for the office of the future.

As the world continues to grapple with the existential threats posed by climate change, pandemics, and nuclear war, it’s only fitting that the king of monsters, Godzilla, returns to wreak havoc on our collective psyche. The latest installment in the franchise, Godzilla Minus Zero, promises to deliver a fresh take on the classic kaiju formula, shifting the setting from Tokyo to New York and introducing an all-new calamity for the Shikishima family to face.

In a move that sent shockwaves through the tech industry, Amazon announced its plans to merge with Globalstar, a leading provider of satellite-based communication services. The deal, valued at $11.6 billion, marks a significant milestone for Amazon as it looks to expand its presence in the rapidly growing satellite market. But what does this mean for consumers and the broader technology landscape?

A New Era in Direct-to-Device Connectivity

The acquisition of Globalstar brings Amazon one step closer to achieving its ambitious goal of establishing a Direct-to-Device (D2D) network, which enables satellites to provide connectivity directly to mobile phones. This game-changing technology has the potential to revolutionize how we stay connected on-the-go, especially in areas where traditional cellular networks are unavailable or unreliable. With Globalstar’s expertise and Amazon’s financial muscle, this partnership is poised to disrupt the status quo and create new opportunities for users worldwide.

YouTube has made a significant move in its livestream ad strategy, announcing that it will now hold back ads during peak engagement moments on the platform. This change is designed to “protect that collective vibe” and maintain the momentum of viewers without interruptions from advertisements.

The decision comes as YouTube continues to evolve its approach to livestreaming, prioritizing immersive experiences for both creators and viewers. The company’s system will automatically detect high levels of chat engagement and pause ad playback until the energy dies down or the creator chooses to resume ads. This move is expected to have a positive impact on creators, allowing them to maintain their audience’s attention without interruptions.

As the autonomous vehicle industry continues to gain momentum, Waymo has taken a significant step forward with the commencement of testing its robotaxi service on public roads in London. This marks a crucial milestone in the company’s efforts to bring its self-driving technology to the European market, and potentially, to other international markets.

Waymo’s decision to begin autonomous testing in London is not surprising, given the city’s status as a global hub for innovation and technology. The Alphabet-owned company has been working tirelessly to map the city and refine its autonomous driving AI before launching its commercial robotaxi service. This phased approach is typical of Waymo’s strategy, which involves conducting driverless testing and employee-only trials before inviting the public to hail its robotaxis.

As the world hurtles toward a future dominated by artificial intelligence (AI), recent attacks on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home serve as a stark reminder that not everyone is convinced about the technology’s benefits. The incidents, fueled by concerns over job displacement, climate impact, and unchecked development, highlight the risks of ignoring these worries.

The majority of resistance to AI has been nonviolent, manifesting in local protests against data centers and calls for a slowdown in the technology’s advancement. However, these recent attacks demonstrate an escalation of the backlash, with a growing sense of urgency among critics. While most advocates for responsible AI development have denounced violence, it is crucial to acknowledge the severity of the issue.

The streaming wars have never been more intense, with a plethora of services vying for consumers’ attention. In this cutthroat landscape, Amazon Prime Video has thrown down the gauntlet by introducing a limited-time bundle that combines its own offerings with those of Apple TV+ and Peacock Premium Plus. For just $19.99 per month, subscribers can access a vast library of content from all three services, making it an unparalleled value proposition.

Google’s recent announcement to bring its Gemini Personal Intelligence feature to Indian users marks a significant milestone in the company’s efforts to revolutionize AI-driven services. This innovative feature allows users to connect their Google accounts, including Gmail and Google Photos, enabling them to ask personalized questions and receive answers that draw insights from multiple data sources.

The capabilities of this feature are truly remarkable. Users can pose queries like “What are my travel plans for Jaipur?” and receive information gleaned from their emails or photos. The feature can also tap into recent YouTube videos watched by the user, providing a more comprehensive understanding of their interests and preferences. What’s more, Gemini will identify the sources of its answers, allowing users to verify details as needed.

As the tech world continues to grapple with the complexities of artificial intelligence (AI), venture capitalists, founders, and innovators are converging on San Francisco for the first StrictlyVC event of the year. Scheduled for April 30th at the Sentro Filipino Cultural Center, this highly anticipated gathering promises to deliver insights into obtaining funding, AI innovations, and the latest trends in startup investing.

Corporate VCs: The Unlikely Leaders

One of the most intriguing aspects of this event is the appearance of Nicolas Sauvage, President of TDK Ventures. With a $500 million investment fund dedicated to early-stage startups, Sauvage will share his expertise on what drives corporate venture capital (VC) decisions and offer valuable advice for founders looking to secure funding from these investors. As the leader of TDK’s investment efforts, Sauvage has steered the company into backing 52 startups and three unicorns, making him an ideal speaker for startup enthusiasts.

The concept of artificial intelligence (AI) watermarking has gained significant attention in recent times, with major tech companies like Google investing heavily in developing robust solutions to protect their generated content. One such initiative is Google DeepMind’s SynthID system, designed to embed a near-invisible watermark into AI-generated images at the point of creation. The system’s purpose is to make it difficult to remove or manipulate the watermarks without degrading the image quality.