OpenAI’s Latest and Greatest

As we wrap up the year, OpenAI has made headlines with the grand finale of its “12 Days of OpenAI” event. CEO Sam Altman introduced successors to their o1 reasoning model – meet o3 and o3-mini. While these models aren’t widely available yet, safety researchers can get a sneak peek by signing up for a preview. This announcement caps off a series of impressive reveals, including real-time vision capabilities and a whimsical Santa voice for ChatGPT. You can catch up on everything from the event here.

Meta’s Smart Glasses Get Smarter

The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses have taken a leap forward with firmware v11, now available to early-access program members. This update introduces “live AI,” allowing wearers to engage in continuous conversations with Meta AI, even integrating real-time video. The update also features live translations between English, Spanish, French, and Italian, plus Shazam functionality.

UnitedHealth’s AI Chatbot Mishap

In a security oversight, UnitedHealth’s Optum left an AI chatbot exposed online inadvertently. Although it didn’t contain sensitive information, its accessibility raises concerns amid ongoing scrutiny over AI tools allegedly used to override medical decisions.

Oura’s Financial Boost

Smart ring maker Oura secured a whopping $200 million in Series D funding, boosting its valuation to $5.2 billion. This influx will fuel product expansion and further investment in science and AI.

ChatGPT on Your Landline

Reaching more users than ever, OpenAI now offers a 1-800 number for accessing ChatGPT from any phone, even landlines. Simply dial 1-800-CHATGPT to interact with the AI assistant via voice call.

Tesla Revives Free Supercharging

Tesla is bringing back its free Supercharging offer for select Model S cars as the year concludes. However, this comes alongside a $5,000 price increase for the Model S.

Google DeepMind Challenges Sora

Google DeepMind has unveiled Veo 2, a cutting-edge video-generating AI capable of producing clips over two minutes long in up to 4k resolution—surpassing OpenAI’s Sora in both duration and quality.

Apple’s Foldable Ambitions

The foldable device market might soon see Apple entering the fray. Reports suggest plans for two foldable products in coming years; however, Bloomberg hints at a focus on a large foldable iPad.

Bob Lee Verdict

A San Francisco jury found Nima Momeni guilty of second-degree murder in the tragic case of Bob Lee’s 2023 stabbing. The verdict ruled out premeditation in Lee’s death.

Perplexity Acquires Carbon

Perplexity has acquired Carbon to enhance its capability of connecting AI systems with external data sources. Expect new integrations with Notion, Google Docs, and Slack by early 2025.

Temu Tops App Store Charts Again

The shopping app Temu continues its reign as the most downloaded free app in the U.S., keeping its top spot on Apple’s App Store charts.

GitHub Offers Free Copilot Version

GitHub now provides a free version of its Copilot code completion tool. Previously subscription-based, it’s now accessible to developers without extra costs.

“If you can raise $10 billion privately like Databricks did, why rush into an IPO?” – Maxwell Zeff

– Technology Analyst

Databricks’ IPO Pause

After securing $10 billion in funding—the biggest round yet—Databricks is delaying its IPO plans until at least 2025. CEO Ali Ghodsi emphasized that going public this year would be “dumb,” opting instead for strategic growth using their Series J funding.