Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick to Step Down, marking it end of an era

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Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick to Step Down, marking it end of an era

Gaming giant Activision Blizzard’s CEO Bobby Kotick is all set to resign, marking end of an era spanning across 33 years. He will be officially stepping down December 29th, 2023. Kotick’s exit comes after two major events: Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard in February 2023 and ongoing controversies surrounding workplace misconduct allegations within the company. Microsoft is yet to announce his replacement. Kotick is often credited with turning Activision into a powerhouse in the gaming industry, overseeing the growth of iconic franchises like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft. However, his legacy remains controversial and complex at best. With Kotick gone, it will be interesting to see how Microsoft will integrate Activision into Xbox.

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Aston Martin & Porsche teases Bespoke Apple CarPlay Interfaces

Apple’s all new new bespoke CarPlay system is being previewed on two of the most luxurious car brands in the world, Porsche and Aston Martin. According to Apple, the new CarPlay system goes well beyond than just using your iPhone in your car. It will be a fully integrated system, which means that drivers can control whole host of things directly from the CarPlay interface. This include things like cars performance setting, car temperature, and navigation. Another very unique feature of the new CarPlay system is that it can be customized to a specific car brand. This means that the CarPlay interface will look and feel different in a Porsche than it does in an Aston Martin. it’s expected to be released in some Porsche and Aston Martin models in 2024.

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Apple Vision pro is all set for February launch     

According to Bloomberg, Apple is working really hard to ramp up the production of its Vision Pro Headset and is gearing up to launch it in February 2024 in the U.S. market. Apple has reportedly trained select retail employees in the US on the Vision Pro, indicating an imminent launch. Additionally, it has sent notes to its developer team, telling them to be ready for the launch. Although Apple has not officially confirmed it, it is safe to say that the Vision Pro launch is drawing closer. With its basic model priced at $3499, Vision Pro is Apple’s first mixed reality headset and one of its most ambitious product launch in recent years.

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Google backed AI startup Anthropic is looking to raise $750 Mn   

Anthropic, an AI startup backed by Google, is reportedly in talks to raise a whopping $750 million in a funding round led by Menlo Ventures. This potential investment could value the company at a staggering $15 billion, even reaching up to $18 billion according to some sources. Anthropic is known for its LLM Claude AI models, which directly competes with OpenAI’s GPT series. The potential $750 million funding is a big deal for Anthropic as it will give the startup more financial muscle to compete with Microsoft backed OpenAI. Few weeks back, there were unconfirmed reports that Anthropic is involved in merger talks with OpenAI.

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Tesla already knew some of its parts had high failure rates

A recent investigative report by Reuters has revealed disturbing allegations against Tesla, claiming that the electric car giant knew about high failure rates in certain parts but shifted blame to drivers for warranty repairs. This practice, if true, could have serious safety implications and erode trust in the company. Internal documents and interviews with former service managers suggest Tesla was aware of chronic issues with suspension and steering components. These parts reportedly had high failure rates, leading to frequent breakdowns and repairs. Despite knowing this, Tesla allegedly instructed service centers to blame “driver abuse” or “vehicle misuse” for the failures.