Microsoft users report a massive outage impacting Bing.com, Copilot for the web and mobile, Copilot in Windows, ChatGPT's internet search, DuckDuckGo, and more  —  A massive Microsoft outage affects Bing.com, Copilot for web and mobile, Copilot in Windows, ChatGPT internet search and DuckDuckGo.

Docs and sources: OpenAI didn't use Scarlett Johansson's voice for ChatGPT's Sky and hired another actress in June, months before Sam Altman contacted Johansson  —  A different actress was hired to provide the voice for ChatGPT's ‘Sky,’ according to documents and recordings shared with the Washington Post.

Nvidia reports Q1 revenue up 262% YoY to $26.04B, vs. $24.65B est., forecasts Q2 revenue above est., and plans a 10:1 stock split on June 7; NVDA jumps 5%+  —  Nvidia shares topped $1,000 for the first time in extended trading on Wednesday after the chipmaker reported fiscal first-quarter results that topped analyst estimates.

Kuo: Apple targets a 2026 launch for the full-screen foldable MacBook and is considering 20.25" and 18.8" panels, with an M5 chip and Vision Pro-like price  —  Apple is working on all-screen foldable devices.  Unlike its competitors, however, its focus seems less on foldable smartphones and tablets …

X Director of Engineering Haofei Wang says “we are making likes private” in an update happening “soon”, as “public likes are incentivizing the wrong behavior”  —  Musk could soon make likes on X private, changing a feature that historically placed several celebrities, including him, into scandals.

Truecaller partners with Microsoft's Azure AI Speech to let its AI Assistant users create an AI version of their voice based on a recorded clip to answer calls  —  Caller ID company Truecaller will let users create an AI version of their voice to answer calls.

Google Pay now lets users see their card benefits and perks before selecting a card, use BNPL on more sites, and fill in card details using biometrics or a PIN  —  Google Pay is rolling out a number of updates that capitalize on its integrations with other Google products, like Android and the Chrome browser.

US DOJ and state AGs sue to break up Ticketmaster parent Live Nation over alleged antitrust violations, following a DOJ probe and Taylor Swift fan complaints  —  The U.S. Department of Justice is suing to break up Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, over alleged antitrust violations.

Linus Tech Tips, accused in August 2023 of theft, ethical lapses, and sexual harassment, says an outside investigation found the claims were “largely unfounded”  —  Linus Tech Tips has released the findings from an investigation of the allegations levied upon them in 2023 …

News Corp and OpenAI announce a multiyear agreement to bring News Corp's news content to OpenAI; sources say the deal could be worth $250M+ over five years  —  Agreement could generate over $250 million over five years for News Corp in cash and credits  —  Wall Street Journal owner News Corp struck …

The US House passes the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act, or FIT21, which would create a regulatory framework for digital assets  —  Dubbed the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act, or FIT21, the measure was approved by the House of Representatives with a 279-136 vote.

A look at China-aligned hacking group Unfading Sea Haze, which has targeted government and military organizations in South China Sea countries since 2018  —  In a recent investigation by Bitdefender Labs, a series of cyberattacks targeting high-level organizations in South China Sea countries revealed a previously unknown threat actor.

Google details Umoja, the first fiber optic cable to directly connect Africa with Australia, starting in Kenya and running via the DRC, Zambia, and South Africa  —  Google is preparing to build what will be the first subsea fibre optic cable connecting the continents of Africa and Australia.

Lumos, which helps companies manage employees' identities and access to apps and systems, raised a $35M Series B led by Scale, taking its total funding to $65M+  —  Andrej Safundzic, Alan Flores Lopez and Leo Mehr met in a class at Stanford focusing on ethics, public policy and technological change.

Embracer reports FY2022-23 net sales up 12% YoY to ~$3.9B, PC/console games up 7% YoY to ~$1.3B, and mobile up 2% YoY to $551M; its CFO and deputy CEO step down  —  CEO Lars Wingefors says past fiscal year was “transformative” as group presses on towards three-way split  —  News by James Batchelor Editor-in-chief

Q&A with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and CTO Kevin Scott on Copilot+ PCs, delivering a consistent experience, OpenAI, integration vs. modularization, and more  —  This week we have two Stratechery Interviews: the first is with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and the second is with Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott.

iFixit and Samsung end their partnership; iFixit blames Samsung, saying, “Samsung does not seem interested in enabling repair at scale”  —  iFixit and Samsung are parting ways. … “Samsung does not seem interested in enabling repair at scale,” Wiens tells me …

South Korea announces a ~$19B support package for its domestic chip industry and asks the Industry Ministry to strengthen the country's non-memory chip sector  —  South Korea announced on Thursday revised plans for a support package for the country's vital semiconductor industry worth 26 trillion won …

Amazon investors vote to reject all 14 resolutions that asked to disclose more on its carbon emissions and directors' donations, form an AI committee, and more  —  Amazon.com (AMZN.O) investors voted against all 14 resolutions that asked the retailer to disclose more about its carbon emissions …

UK tech tycoon Mike Lynch is set to take the stand in his own defense against charges of duping HP, a rare and bold decision; Lynch also took the stand in 2019  —  - Lynch set to take stand Wednesday as key defense witness  — Entrepreneur is charged with misleading HP about his startup

TikTok adds new measures to limit the spread of videos from state-affiliated media accounts, and disrupted 15 influence operations in January to April 2024  —  The platform will keep state-affiliated media accounts out of users' feeds if they “attempt to reach communities outside their home country …