Apple is readying a new HomePod speaker, according to Bloomberg. The company discontinued the HomePod in 2021 without announcing a direct replacement. The new model will feature Apple’s forthcoming S8 chip and an updated display on the top of the speaker. Apple is also working on at least four new Mac models and an AirPods Pro refresh.
According to a report from Mark Gurman, Apple is poised to release a slew of new devices between this fall and the beginning of 2023, including four iPhone 14 devices, a set of new iPads, three Apple Watches, several M2 / M3-upgraded Macs, and a pair of refreshed AirPods Pro buds.
BMW has officially opened its new 15 billion yuan ($2.2 billion) factory in Shenyang, China with a strong focus on electric vehicles. BMW has some catching up to do in China, the world’s largest electric vehicle market, where U.S. rival Tesla and domestic players such as Warren Buffett-backed BYD, dominate sales. BMW is aiming for more than a quarter of its sales in China to be all electric by 2025.
Hackers have stolen $100 million in cryptocurrency from Horizon, a so-called blockchain bridge developed by crypto start-up Harmony. Bridges allow users to transfer tokens from one blockchain to another. They’ve become a prime target for hackers due to vulnerabilities in their underlying code. It follows a series of similar attacks on blockchain bridges, including the $600 million Ronin Network heist and the $320 million stolen from Wormhole.
Jerome Powell said the Fed will recommend to Congress how to advance a potential central bank digital currency. The Fed issued a report on the question of a digital dollar earlier this year. The central bank is still combing through responses from the crypto industry, traditional financial firms and investors.
XPeng has delivered 200,000 vehicles in two and a half years. The company is the #1 EV startup in China. XPeng jumped onto the scene just as the EV market was getting hot, before legacy automakers were serious contenders. The startup is expected to produce 120,000+ vehicles a year in the next two years, and 100,000 in 2021.
Toyota issued a recall on 2,700 bZ4X electric cars, roughly all the ones produced to date (though most undelivered), over the potential of wheels falling off. The bZ4X is Toyota’s first global electric car. Toyota launched the electric SUV in the US earlier this year at a starting price of $42,000. It is a very important vehicle for the Japanese automaker since it is going to open the doors to the global EV market for the first time for the Toyota brand.
IKEA has released an app that lets you place 3D furniture in your home using your phone's camera view. The app, called IKEa Kreativ, uses machine learning and artificial intelligence (ML) technology. It can scan a room and remove existing furniture items or clutter by replacing them with IkeA products. The feature is reminiscent of Google's Magic Eraser and iOS 16's upcoming "lift subject from background" features for photos.
Netflix is laying off around 300 employees across the company, CNBC confirmed Thursday. The cuts come about a month after the streaming company eliminated about 150 positions in the wake of its first subscriber loss in a decade. Netflix had warned investors in April that it would be pulling back on some of its spending growth over the next two years.
Netflix Co-Chief Executive Ted Sarandos confirmed that the streaming company is speaking to multiple potential partners to help it enter the advertising business, telling an industry conference that it may build its own ad business in the future. Netflix said in April that it is exploring an ad-supported version of its platform and in recent weeks has explored a range of partnerships that could help it bring those plans to fruition. Comcast NBCUniversal and Alphabet Google have emerged as top contenders to work with Netflix, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.