BusinessSoftwareTechnology

Meta to Shutter Messenger Desktop Apps, Shifts Users to Web

Meta Platforms is sunsetting its dedicated Messenger applications for desktop operating systems, according to recent reports. Users will lose access to the standalone apps after a 60-day transition period, with all desktop traffic being redirected to web-based alternatives starting December 15.

Meta is pulling the plug on its dedicated Messenger applications for Windows and Mac computers, sources familiar with the company’s plans indicate. The move signals a significant shift in how users will access the messaging platform on desktop devices, with the tech giant apparently consolidating its development efforts around mobile and web-based experiences.

The Countdown Begins

AIBusinessTechnology

After-Hours Trading Highlights: Intel Leads Tech Surge, Ford Adjusts Outlook

Intel shares jumped approximately 7% after the chipmaker reported better-than-expected third-quarter results. Ford Motor exceeded earnings expectations but lowered full-year guidance due to supply chain impacts. Deckers Outdoor shares slid about 12% following a disappointing revenue forecast.

Tech and Auto Stocks Drive After-Hours Activity

Significant stock movements occurred in after-hours trading Thursday, with several major companies reporting quarterly results and strategic announcements. According to reports, technology and automotive sectors saw particularly notable activity as investors digested earnings reports and corporate updates.

InnovationScienceTechnology

Google’s Quantum Breakthrough: Willow Chip Shows 13,000-Fold Speed Leap in Practical Applications

Google Quantum AI has reportedly achieved a verifiable quantum advantage with its Willow processor, executing an algorithm 13,000 times faster than classical supercomputers. This breakthrough marks the first practical application of quantum computing for real-world enterprise challenges in chemistry and materials science.

Quantum Milestone Reached with Real-World Applications

Google Quantum AI has demonstrated what sources indicate is a verifiable quantum advantage, with its Willow processor running algorithms that reportedly outperform classical supercomputers by a factor of 13,000. According to reports, this represents the first time a quantum computer has executed a verifiable algorithm with practical applications, potentially accelerating enterprise workloads in computational chemistry, molecular modeling, and materials engineering that are currently constrained by classical computing limitations.

AIBusinessSoftware

Reddit Escalates Legal Battle With Perplexity AI Over Alleged Data Theft Scheme

Reddit has launched a major legal offensive against Perplexity AI, alleging the company engaged in systematic data theft through scraping intermediaries. The lawsuit employs dramatic analogies comparing data providers to “would-be bank robbers” and could set crucial precedents for AI data rights.

Reddit Alleges Systematic Data Theft

Reddit has escalated the ongoing battle over AI training data with a federal lawsuit against Perplexity AI, accusing the company of orchestrating what sources describe as an industrial-scale scheme to illegally scrape and profit from its content. According to court documents filed in New York federal court, the social media platform alleges Perplexity turned to data-scraping service providers after being explicitly told to stop accessing Reddit’s content directly.

AIInnovationTechnology

Google’s Willow Quantum Processor Achieves Verifiable Computational Milestone in Molecular Analysis

Google has announced a breakthrough with its Willow quantum processor, demonstrating a new algorithm that sources indicate runs 13,000 times faster than classical supercomputers. The Quantum Echoes algorithm has been used for molecular analysis, revealing structural details not typically accessible through conventional methods. This development is seen as a step toward practical, verifiable quantum computing in chemistry and materials science.

Quantum Leap in Computational Speed

In what is being hailed as a significant advancement in quantum computing, Google’s Willow quantum processor has reportedly demonstrated a new algorithm that runs approximately 13,000 times faster than the world’s leading classical supercomputers. According to reports, this marks the first instance of verifiable quantum advantage, where results are reproducible and can be cross-verified on other quantum systems of similar quality. Analysts suggest this could accelerate research in fields such as chemistry, biology, and materials science by providing unprecedented computational precision.

AICybersecuritySoftware

Reddit Files Lawsuit Against Perplexity AI Over Alleged Mass Data Scraping Operation

Reddit has launched legal action against AI company Perplexity and three data scraping firms, accusing them of an industrial-scale scheme to illegally harvest platform content. The lawsuit claims the companies worked together to circumvent Reddit’s anti-scraping measures to fuel AI products. This marks the latest in Reddit’s legal battles to control how its data is used by artificial intelligence companies.

Legal Action Over Alleged Data Theft

Reddit has filed a lawsuit against artificial intelligence laboratory Perplexity and three data scraping companies, accusing them of what sources describe as an “industrial-scale” scheme to illegally harvest the social media platform’s content. According to court documents filed in the Southern District of New York, the defendants allegedly collaborated to bypass Reddit’s data protections to steal copyrighted user conversations for training and fueling AI products.

BusinessSoftwareTechnology

UK Regulator Grants Apple and Google Strategic Market Status for Mobile Ecosystems

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has officially designated both Apple and Google with strategic market status for their mobile platforms. This landmark decision gives regulators extensive powers to oversee how the tech giants operate their app stores and mobile ecosystems.

Regulatory Designation and Oversight Powers

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has officially designated both Apple and Google with “strategic market status” (SMS) for their mobile platforms, according to reports from the regulatory body. This new legal classification under the UK’s Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 grants the watchdog far-reaching authority to regulate how the technology companies operate their mobile ecosystems and app stores.