Ex-Google CEO's secret drone initiative

Welcome, Tech enthusiasts.

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is reportedly working on a stealthy new military drone startup — hoping to provide a U.S. alternative to dominant Chinese manufacturers.

With a deep rolodex of tech connections and deep ties to the Pentagon, will Schmidt have Silicon Valley shaping the future of national defense priorities? Let’s investigate…

In today’s tech rundown:

• Ex-Google CEO’s secret military drone initiative

• Twitter bans, unbans prominent journalists

• 8 new products

• Hacked SEC Twitter account shares false Bitcoin ETF news

• Unity slashes 25% of its workforce

• Meta introduces enhanced privacy measures

Read time: 3 minutes

TODAY’S HEADLINES

DEFENSE TECH

💣 Ex-Google CEO’s secret military drone initiative

The Rundown: Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt is reportedly working on a secretive military drone project, inspired by Ukraine's use of drones in warfare — aiming to provide a U.S. alternative to Chinese drone technology.

The details:

• The project hopes to create a U.S. alternative to dominant Chinese drone makers like DJI, which reportedly controls 70% of the market.

• The venture comes after Schmidt's personal visits to Ukraine and meetings with officials on tech solutions.

• The venture specifics, including timeline, team size, and other collaborators, are still undisclosed.

Why it matters: Schmidt’s reported venture and the trends seen in Ukraine and China reflect the significant shift towards unmanned aerial tech in warfare. The initiative also highlights Silicon Valley’s potential convergence with defense — potentially reshaping national security dynamics.

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TWITTER/X

🚫 Twitter bans, unbans prominent journalists

The Rundown: Twitter suspended (and then quickly restored) several prominent accounts belonging to journalists and others who had recently posted criticism of Israel's government, as arguments surrounding free speech on the platform continue to swirl.

The details:

• Prominent accounts were banned without notice, including journalists Ken Klippenstein and Steven Monacelli and the TrueAnon podcast.

• The bans were quickly reversed, with Elon Musk attributing the removal to X's anti-spam algorithm.

• The move comes shortly after Musk's effort to repair relations with Jewish groups over past remarks, while accounts tied to Hamas remain suspended.

• X also released some political news of its own, entering the streaming game with new shows set to air exclusively on the platform.

Why it matters: It’s never a dull day on X! Moderating the content of the world’s forum is never going to be a simple task — but as we enter the heat of an election year, issues like this will only be magnified as free speech takes become even more polarizing.

NEW PRODUCTS

🤖 Mavy- AI-powered personal assistant (link)

🎨 Items Design- AI-crafted free design assets (link)

❤️ Annie- AI girlfriend experience (link)

🖥️ ATUI- A command-line interface for OpenAI's Assistant API (link)

🔒 Offline Chat- Talk to AI with privacy (link)

📈 Slack AI- Analyze unstructured Slack data with AI (link)

👩‍🎨 Looka- AI-powered platform to design a logo and build a brand in seconds (link)

🙊 ChatNode- Train ChatGPT on your data (link)

Browse the most popular tools ever featured with our tool database.

SNIPPETS

The SEC's X account was reportedly hacked, falsely claiming approval of spot bitcoin ETFs and sending crypto markets into a frenzy before the tweet was removed.

Apple advises developers to refer to their apps as "spatial computing apps" rather than using AR or VR terminology for its upcoming Vision Pro headset.

Unity is set to reduce its workforce by approximately 25%, letting go of 1,800 employees as part of a restructuring effort to focus on its core business and improve profitability.

HPE is reportedly on the verge of acquiring Juniper Networks for $13 billion to enhance its AI capabilities.

Amazon integrates Matter casting in its Prime Video app, enabling direct streaming to Echo Show 15 and, soon, Fire TVs.

Ariane 6 may face the end of its monopoly as Europe's preferred launcher with the European Space Agency's move to introduce more competition in the market.

Meta introduces enhanced privacy measures to shield teens from harmful content on Instagram and Facebook.

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THAT’S A WRAP

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