Dear Studio Fam,
It's a mixed week for tech news with developments in politics, energy, crypto, and digital security. Your Facebook feed might soon get a lot oranger, recession fears are dampened by record Tesla sales, and we give a quick overview of the newest crypto scandals. Apple released significant security improvements to its Apple ID software, and we spotlight a creepy new innovation from Nvidia for anyone with a webcam.
President Trump Is Coming Back To Facebook
It’s been more than two years since the former president was banned from most social media, including Facebook and Instagram, and that ban is coming to an end. This week, Meta spokesman Nick Clegg announced (on Twitter of all places) that the Meta Oversight Board determined that the “serious risk to public safety” that existed in January 2021 has passed.
The reinstatement comes with “guardrails” to deter repeat offenses “related to civil unrest.” References to Qanon are explicitly banned as well as any content that “delegitimizes the outcome of an election.” Ironically, nowhere in the 1,200 word statement does Mr. Clegg mention that Facebook and Instagram users can simply block Trump if they don’t like what he’s saying.
No word yet if Trump intends to actually use Facebook or Instagram once reinstated; he may still be tied down by an exclusivity clause in his contract with Truth Social. But the Trump campaign almost certainly intends to leverage Meta’s advertising tools in the upcoming presidential primary. No word from Meta about whether those potential advertising dollars weighed on their reinstatement decision.
Studio Byte Of The Week
If you have trouble maintaining eye contact while streaming or on a video call, NVIDIA has a new tool for you that will creepily edit your eyes in real time to make it look like you’re looking at the camera.
Tesla revenue beats Wall Street estimates again
Tesla announced its Q4 2022 financial results this week in the wake of the massive price cuts we covered last week. Despite distractions from Twitter (and also having to run SpaceX), Elon managed to beat Wall Street revenue estimates by over $100 million, bringing in $24.3 billion in the last three months of 2022.
Tesla produced over 1.3 million fully-electric vehicles in 2022 across its four manufacturing facilities in California, Texas, Germany, and China. The goal for this year is another ambitious production ramp to 1.8 million vehicles, which should be supported by the impending launch of Cybertruck production later this year. Elon also recently hinted at a major new vehicle announcement coming in March. Could this be the $25,000 Tesla for everybody?
Short Bytes: Crypto Scandal Round Up
The crypto industry continues to reel in the wake of the collapse of FTX. Here’s some of the most significant developments in crypto scandals:
- Coinbase was fined $3.6 million by the Dutch government for failing to properly register its services.
- Crypto exchange Bitzlato’s co-founder was arrested in Miami for a $700 million money laundering scheme.
- Binance was implicated in Bitzlato debacle after analysis shows $346 million of illicit transactions between the exchanges.
- SBF launched a Substack to document his criminal trial which has been the subject of considerable scorn and ridicule.
Apple IDs More Secure, Especially For Famous People
The Apple ID is a powerful credential that can unlock an iPhone user’s entire digital personal life from messages to photos to financial information. But it’s lagged behind equivalent credentials from Google and Microsoft that are leveraged by businesses to securely manage their employees. Apple Business Essentials and Apple Business Manager pale in comparison to Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, in part because they do not support the gold standard for user security: two-factor authorization with physical security keys.
Until now, Apple has now released Apple ID support for physical security keys made by a number of manufacturers. In tandem with Apple’s new Advanced Data Protection program announced last year, iOS hardware is now capable of being set up in the most secure state to date. The security features are so powerful Apple expressly markets them as “designed for users who, often due to their public profile, face concerted threats to their online accounts, such as celebrities, journalists, and members of government.”