Today's Cache

Today’s Cache | Apple acquires French AI startup; Musk accuses Australia of censorship; Google Wallet comes to India 

Apple acquired Datakalab, a Paris-based startup that specialises in artificial intelligence compression and computer vision technology. | Photo Credit: Reuters

Apple acquires French AI startup

Apple acquired Datakalab, a Paris-based startup that specialises in artificial intelligence compression and computer vision technology. While the exact details of the deal are not known, the acquisition represents a significant investment for Apple which acquired 100% stakes in the seven-year-old startup.

Datakalab is reported to have multiple patents related to AI compression and vision technology. The acquisition is expected to aid Apple in loading its devices with on-device AI features which are expected to be launched later this year. The acquisition is also expected to play a role in the development of Apple’s Vision Pro, photos and Face ID tech.

Musk accuses Australia of censorship

X owner Elon Musk lashed out against the Australian government after his platform was ordered by a Federal court to take down videos and media that showed the stabbing of Orthodox Christian leader Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in Sydney on April 15.

Musk said he is concerned that if any country is allowed to censor content for all countries it would amount to the country controlling the internet. Musk claimed that X has already censored the content in question for Australia, and it is stored only on servers in the U.S.A. The social media platform also said that the Australian government wanted it to censor some posts commenting on the attack, claiming that the comments in question did not break the platform’s hate speech rules.

Google Wallet comes to India

Google launched its Wallet, which is specifically designed for contactless payments using credit/debit cards and requires smartphones with NFC, in India. The app is currently limited to some Android users and can be downloaded via the Play Store.

Users with compatible WearOS-powered smartwatches can also download the Wallet app to make contactless payments directly from their wrist. The announcement from Google comes even as the National Payments Corporation of India, the governing body overseeing the country’s Unified Payments Systems, is looking to engage with fintech startups to develop a strategy to address the growing dominance of companies like Google and PhonePe in the UPI ecosystem.