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Earth Intelligence

03 Sep 2023 — 6 min read

Trending:

Disney & Spectrum Dispute
SpaceX
Google & GM Partnership

Week Recap:

T-Mobile recently announced it will lay off 5,000 employees, or 7% of its workforce, primarily in corporate, back-office, and technology roles, to improve efficiency and reduce costs. This decision comes shortly after the merger with Sprint, which had promised to create more jobs.
WordPress has introduced a 100-year plan for domain registration and hosting, a solution designed for companies and families wanting to preserve their digital content for generations.
OpenAI announced the launch of ChatGPT Enterprise, a business version of its AI chatbot. Developed in less than a year with input from over 20 companies, it offers unlimited access to GPT-4, double speed performance, and API credits.
Tesla has received approval to build its own diner and drive-in theater in Los Angeles. This development follows a post by Elon Musk in 2021 announcing a new Supercharger station in Santa Monica with a 50's diner and movie clips.
Grayscale, a crypto asset management firm, has won a lawsuit against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as announced by the US Court of Appeals. The court ordered the SEC to withdraw its rejection of Grayscale's request to convert its Bitcoin Trust into an exchange-traded fund (ETF), a move that could pave the way for the first Spot Bitcoin ETF in the United States.
The acquisition of over $800 million worth of undeveloped land adjacent to Travis Air Force Base in Solano County, California, has been confirmed to be orchestrated by tech billionaires, dispelling earlier concerns that Chinese investors were purchasing the land for espionage purposes.
Hurricane Idalia, a Category 3 storm, struck Florida's coastline on Wednesday morning. The hurricane, carried winds at a sustained speed of 125 mph and caused a storm surge that reached heights of 16 feet in some locations.
The Vanguard Group revealed that it only approved 2% of the environmental and social resolutions proposed by shareholders in 2023, a significant decrease from 12% the previous year. This move mirrors BlackRock's decision to reject many climate and social matters, indicating a broader resistance against the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) movement, which both investment giants had previously supported.
The CDC has addressed rumors about reinstating mask mandates and lockdowns due to COVID-19. Despite some hospitals and offices reimposing mask mandates, and speculation about federal officials reintroducing mandates or lockdowns, a CDC spokesperson stated that there have been no agency discussions about bringing back mask mandates, and that current recommendations are tied to hospital admission levels.
Amazon and Shopify have announced an integration that will allow Shopify merchants to offer the "Buy with Prime" option in their stores. This move is surprising because, in the past, Shopify warned merchants against using Amazon's Buy with Prime feature as it violated Shopify's terms of service.
Ukrainian authorities reported that their forces successfully breached one of Russia's defense lines and regained control of a village in the southeastern region of the country.
OpenAI has created a "Teaching with AI" guide to help teachers use ChatGPT in classrooms. The guide includes FAQs, learning prompts, and suggested ways to use the AI chatbot, like creating lesson plans and helping English language learners.

Disney & Spectrum Dispute:

Disney and Spectrum are in a dispute over fees, which has resulted in a blackout of Disney channels for Spectrum customers. This includes popular channels like ESPN, Disney Channel, ABC Owned Television Stations, Freeform, FX networks, and National Geographic channels.
Charter Communications, Spectrum's parent company, claims that Disney's proposed deal is too costly and restricts customer choice, while Disney argues they are seeking fair, market-driven rates. This dispute has caused a surge in new subscribers for alternative providers as customers search for ways to access their favorite channels.

SpaceX:

Yesterday, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the SES-22 payload into orbit. The SES-22 payload is a communications satellite that will provide enhanced connectivity and broadcasting services across Asia, the Middle East, and the Pacific region.
Today, SpaceX plans to launch 21 Starlink satellites into orbit. This addition will bolster SpaceX's nearly 5,000 satellite constellation, the largest in the world. The SpaceX satellite network provides high-speed internet access to commercial customers worldwide as part of the Starlink program, and enhances capabilities of the U.S. Department of Defense as part of the Starshield program, playing a crucial role in military operations.

Google & GM Partnership:

General Motors (GM) and Google are deepening their collaboration by exploring the future applications of advanced generative artificial intelligence (AI). GM has already integrated Google's technology into its vehicles, allowing access to Google Assistant, Google Maps, and Google Play.
Additionally, GM uses Google Cloud's Dialogflow technology to power its OnStar Interactive Virtual Assistant (IVA) in vehicles, improving its ability to understand and respond to customers naturally. Now, GM is ready to explore other uses of Google's generative AI capabilities.
GM aims to use Dialogflow for handling customers' questions about vehicles and product features, and has deployed chatbots using this technology on its corporate and vehicle brand websites. GM and Google believe that generative AI can revolutionize customer experiences both inside and outside the vehicle, and are looking forward to deepening their relationship and collaboration.

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