AMD and Intel do not appear on the list of processors approved by China’s Information Security Assessment Center, The Register reports. A December 26, 2023 document lists 18 processors that Beijing has approved as suitable for use by locals. The x86 architecture is included on the list, but only in chips manufactured by Shanghai Zhaoxin Integrated Circuit Co. Ltd – which is minority owned by Taiwan’s Via Technologies and holds a license to produce x86 processors.

Zhaoxin’s processors aren’t as powerful as Intel’s Xeons or AMD’s Epycs, but they can power some desktops.

The list also includes approved desktop and server operating systems. Only Chinese code is present, namely:

• Galaxy Kirin Linux developed by China National University of Defense Technology;
• Tongxin OS, a Debian variant developed by Shanghai-based UnionTech;
• Fangde OS, another Chinese project;

In addition to chips and operating systems, the list also includes databases, but nothing from Western developers made the cut. Again, China relies on its own established projects such as Alibaba Cloud’s PolarDB, Tencent’s TDSQL and a few others.

The publication of the list is an indication of China’s growing efforts to replace Western technology with locally developed products.

The Financial Times spoke to some IT shops in China, which confirmed that they are phasing out products such as Windows PCs as “shop from home” regulations have come into force.

These provisions were first proposed in 2014. As of May 2022. They were re-introduced. A deadline of two years for their implementation was also set then. This means that China has just five weeks to switch to using indigenous hardware and software.

However, many Chinese companies have already developed applications and automations based on Western technology. According to market observers, rebuilding these tools will be neither a quick nor an easy task. Whether this is the final date after which China will not use Western-created technologies is unclear, given that past edicts to switch to Chinese-only technologies have been repeated several times.

The beloved Christmas and New Year holidays are just around the corner, and already the online stores do not stop offering us various promotions and interesting products, which of course we cannot pass by indifferently. But how do we know what we need and which is the perfect choice for us? What to order from the online store whose ad we came across on Facebook? Yes, every one of us has thought this… Clothes, makeup, home products, appliances… A bit of everything. But the truth is that during this time of the year, driven by the holiday euphoria in our home, there is always at least one or a few extra purchases we have made. And in order not to “throw our money to the wind”, but to shop rationally and according to our needs and abilities, it is good to have a helper at our side. Be it mom, friend, sister or… Chatbot.

Do Internet users trust artificial intelligence when placing orders online?
According to research by Storyblok, a specialist in content management systems (CMS), there is a serious disconnect between what brands think consumers want and what they really need when shopping online.

Despite the euphoria around ChatGPT, a global survey of 1,000 consumers reveals that 85% of them are not interested in using artificial intelligence to help them make purchasing decisions. Furthermore, if offered an AI recommendation, 60% said it would not make them buy something and 17% said it would actually make them less likely to make a purchase.

In contrast, another global survey of 500 senior marketers reveals that 64% of them report regularly turning to AI to help create digital content, while only 11% say they have never used it.

When asked which is a brand’s most important marketing channel, the majority of consumers (43%) said a brand’s website is more valuable than its mobile app (34%) or social media accounts (16%). 70% of consumers also say they primarily use a smartphone for online shopping, highlighting the need for brands to offer mobile-optimized web experiences.

“It’s easy for brands to fall into the trap of chasing the latest trends instead of giving people what they actually want. As these survey results show, consumers have authentic content and useful websites on their wish list this holiday season”, said Dominik Angerer, CEO and co-founder of Storyblok.

Interestingly, previous Storyblok research has shown that businesses continue to underestimate the importance of their website, with only 28% citing improving website design as a priority and only 36% saying they would add more features. This is despite the fact that 60% of consumers regularly abandon purchases due to poor website user experience, and businesses estimate that this costs an average of US$72,000 in lost sales per year. Significantly, 48% of businesses also admit to being ashamed of their website.

The current survey also reveals that influencers are not as influential as they used to be. 57% of consumers say that the endorsement of a celebrity or influencer would not make them purchase a product, and 24% say it would make them less likely to purchase it.

At the same time, it turns out that creating trending content is one of the most effective ways to build trust. 90% of consumers say content created by brands is important in shaping their perception of brands and their products. Only 5% say they are more likely to buy new brands instead of brands they trust.

Mohan, who was previously chief product officer of the video platform, detailed the new features and tools that will emerge in 2023 and beyond. And in the letter, he says that creators and artists will always come first. Wojcicki, in turn, will continue to serve as an advisor to Google and Alphabet.

In outlining YouTube’s priorities for 2023, the Mohan said the platform is “providing more opportunities for creators beyond ads by expanding the subscription business, investing in shopping and continually improving our paid digital offerings.” He also says that in the past year, “hundreds of thousands” of YouTube channels have made money from the platform for the first time.

Mohan says more than 6 million viewers have paid for a YouTube channel membership as of December 2022, up more than 20% from the previous year.

Another area of focus for YouTube in 2023 is podcasts. This year, the platform plans to add new features to YouTube Studio to make it easier to publish podcasts, and will begin delivering podcasts with audio and video content to YouTube Music users in the US (with more regions to follow).

Generative artificial intelligence also enters YouTube’s feature expansion plans

“Creators will be able to expand their storytelling and raise their production value, from virtually swapping outfits to creating a fantastical film setting through AI’s generative capabilities. We’re taking the time to develop these features with thoughtful guardrails.”

he said.

This year, YouTube plans to launch a new tool that allows creators to record a short clip in a side-by-side layout.

YouTube’s new investments targeting creators aim to increase overall watch time and engagement – and accordingly increase ad dollars.

The report from London’s City A.M. newspaper, citing an unnamed “insider“, sent the world’s biggest cryptocurrency up as much as 14.5% before it trimmed gains to last trade 6% higher at $37,684.04. A spokesperson from Amazon said:

“Notwithstanding our interest in the space, the speculation that has ensued around our specific plans for cryptocurrencies is not true. We remain focused on exploring what this could look like for customers shopping on Amazon.”

The company on July 22 posted a job opening for a digital currency and blockchain product lead.

A growing number of companies have started to accept virtual currencies for payment, bringing an asset class shunned by major financial institutions until a few years ago closer to the mainstream.

Last week, Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said the electric-car maker will most likely restart accepting bitcoin as payments once it conducts due diligence on the amount of renewable energy used to mine the currency.