Amazon CEO Unveils Ambitious Plans for Drone Delivery ✉️ OpenAI Enhances ChatGPT with More Direct 🤖

Good morning. It's Friday, Mar. 12, and we're covering, Amazon CEO Unveils Ambitious Plans for Drone Delivery, OpenAI Enhances ChatGPT with More Direct, Conversational Responses, Vietnamese Billionaire Sentenced To Death For Bank Fraud Trial, and much more. First time reading? Sign up to get this newsletter: Sign up here.

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MARKETS

Cryptocurrency Prices by Market Cap

• The global cryptocurrency market cap today is $2.63 Trillion, a 0.08% increase in the last 24 hours.

• The total crypto market volume over the last 24 hours is $78.58B, which makes a 16.30% decrease.

• The total volume in Defi is currently $7.57B, 9.64% of the total crypto market 24-hours.

• The volume of all stablecoins is now $72.1B, which is 91.74% of the total market 24-hour volume.

• Bitcoin’s dominance is currently 52.99%, a decrease of 0.18% over the day.

Understanding the Unique Dynamics of the Upcoming Bitcoin Halving

As the cryptocurrency world eagerly anticipates the upcoming bitcoin halving, investors are keen to grasp the nuances of this highly anticipated event and its potential implications for the market. Scheduled to occur roughly every four years, the bitcoin halving involves a reduction in the supply of the cryptocurrency by half, creating a scarcity effect akin to "digital gold." Historically, the halving has catalyzed new market cycles and bull runs, driving bitcoin's price to new heights. ( Read Deeper )

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Amazon CEO Unveils Ambitious Plans for Drone Delivery

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has revealed the company's bold vision for the future of delivery through its Prime Air drone service. The revelation, made in Jassy's annual shareholder letter, marks a step forward in Amazon's quest to revolutionize the way packages are delivered to customers. "Drones will eventually allow us to deliver packages to customers in less than an hour," Jassy stated in the letter. While acknowledging that drone delivery may not be immediately available everywhere or for every package.  

Takeaway: The proposed drone delivery process involves dispatching Prime Air drones from delivery facilities to safely land, drop off packages, and return to base. This streamlined approach promises to offer faster delivery times compared to traditional methods, making it particularly appealing for time-sensitive items such as groceries and medications. ( Read Deeper )

U.S. Chipmakers Navigate Complexities in China Amid Rising Tensions

Despite escalating tensions between the United States and China, American chip giants continue to view China as a critical market. Companies like Intel, Broadcom, Qualcomm, and Marvell Technology generate more revenue from China than from their domestic market, highlighting the importance of the Chinese market for these semiconductor manufacturers. Semiconductors play a vital role in a wide range of products, from smartphones to electric vehicles, making them a top priority for governments worldwide.

Why it matters: The U.S. has implemented a series of export controls aimed at restricting China's access to advanced chip technology, particularly in areas like artificial intelligence (AI). However, these restrictions have been carefully crafted to allow most U.S. firms to continue selling various types of chips to Chinese customers. ( Read Deeper )

TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE

OpenAI Enhances ChatGPT with More Direct, Conversational Responses

OpenAI has unveiled an updated version of its ChatGPT platform, featuring improvements in writing, math, logical reasoning, and coding. Premium users of ChatGPT Plus, Team, or Enterprise tiers can now access the enhanced GPT-4 Turbo model, which promises to deliver more direct and less verbose responses, as well as employ a conversational tone. This announcement comes on the heels of OpenAI's recent launch of new models in its API, including GPT-4 Turbo with Vision, which incorporates image understanding capabilities into the text-based GPT-4 Turbo.

Takeaway: The new model, known as "gpt-4-turbo-2024-04-09," promises more direct and conversational responses, tailored to be concise and engaging for users. Despite recent controversies surrounding OpenAI, including allegations of information leaks and its technology's potential military applications, the organization remains focused on advancing AI technologies and providing innovative solutions to its users. ( Read Deeper )

Meta Introduces New Safety Measures on Instagram to Protect Teen Users

Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has unveiled a series of new safety features designed to safeguard teenage users and address concerns over harmful content and potential online threats. Meta announced plans to implement innovative measures within Instagram's direct messaging service. One of the key features introduced is the automatic blurring of messages containing nudity, utilizing on-device machine-learning technology to analyze images sent through the platform.

Why it matters: This protection mechanism will be activated by default for users under the age of 18, with Meta urging adult users to enable it as well. Meta's actions come in the wake of increased scrutiny from regulators and legal authorities. In October, attorneys general from 33 U.S. states filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging that Meta had misled the public about the dangers of its platforms. ( Read Deeper )

AROUND DE WORLD & POLITICS

Vietnamese Billionaire Sentenced To Death For Bank Fraud Trial

Truong My Lan, a prominent property developer, was sentenced to death for orchestrating one of the largest bank frauds in the country's history. The verdict, delivered at the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court, marks a rare instance of a woman being condemned to death for a white-collar crime in Vietnam. The case against Truong My Lan centered on her alleged embezzlement of a staggering $44 billion in loans from the Saigon Commercial Bank over 11 years. Despite the court ordering her to repay $27 billion, prosecutors expressed doubts about recovering the full amount.

Why it matters: The trial, which involved 2,700 witnesses and extensive evidence spanning 104 boxes, unfolded as part of Vietnam's anti-corruption campaign led by Communist Party Secretary-General Nguyen Phu Trong. The trial shed light on systemic corruption within Vietnam's banking sector, where personal connections often dictate access to resources and opportunities. ( Read Deeper )

Japanese Air Force's Unique Response to Taiwan Quake Prompts Street Traffic of Fighter Jets

In the wake of a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake near Taiwan last week, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) found itself faced with an unusual challenge: how to protect its fighter jets from potential damage caused by a tsunami threat. The JASDF's Naha Air Base on Japan's southwestern coast resorted to an unconventional solution – relocating a dozen F-15J fighter jets to a two-lane road on higher ground. While the tsunami alert prompted the extraordinary relocation of fighter jets, the threat eventually subsided, allowing operations to swiftly return to normal.

Takeaway: The decision to move the warplanes onto the street was part of a pre-planned emergency response protocol practiced by the base to ensure swift action in the event of natural disasters or security threats. ( Read Deeper )

ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

Liverpool Stunned by Atalanta in Europa League

Liverpool's hopes of a dream send-off for manager Jurgen Klopp in the Europa League final now hang in the balance after a resounding 3-0 defeat to Atalanta in the quarter-final first leg. The loss marks a setback for the Reds, who had hoped to extend their European campaign to May 22, the date of the final in Dublin. Klopp, who announced his departure from the club at the end of the season, watched in dismay as his side suffered their first home defeat since 2023, ending a 33-game unbeaten run at Anfield in major European competitions. ( Read Deeper )

Sports Icon O.J. Simpson Succumbs To Cancer, Leaving Behind A Complicated Legacy

Renowned sports figure and former NFL player O.J. Simpson has passed away after battling cancer, as confirmed by his family in a statement shared on social media. The announcement came as a shock to many, given Simpson's active presence on social media platforms, where he often engaged with fans and shared updates about his life. In his final post before his death, Simpson took to social media to reassure his followers about his health status. Filmed before the 2024 Super Bowl, the video featured Simpson discussing his health struggles and expressing optimism about returning to the golf course soon. ( Read Deeper )

PODCAST(WHAT WE ARE LISTENING TO)

• Are you curious about checkout upsells – are they just another sales trick, or can they shake things up for your business? ( Listen )

EXTRA BREVITI

• The Ai Pin is now available for purchase, with the base model priced at $699 and additional color options starting at $799. Customers can also choose from a range of accessories, priced between $29 and $49. ( Read More )

• Senator Sherrod Brown, chair of the Senate Banking Committee, has issued a compelling call to President Joe Biden, urging the administration to impose a ban on imports of Chinese-made electric cars into the United States. ( Read More )