Microsoft is winning its battle with Amazon

The concept of zero as a number with its own value—not just a placeholder—first popped up in India around the 5th century. By treating zero as a real number, ancient mathematicians set the stage for huge leaps in mathematics, paving the way for things like algebra and calculus.

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TODAY:

• Microsoft has gone to war with Amazon

• Iyo One: Another AI Gadget - what is it?

• Around the web: Microsoft sees a revenue rise to $61.9 billion

• Learn why we’re all in on RAD AI!

MICROSOFT

Microsoft’s cloud battle with Amazon

With the power of AI behind them, Microsoft is quickly catching up with Amazon in cloud computing.

Amazon Web Services or AWS has been the dominant cloud computing platform for many years and is a highly profitable sector for Amazon.

This shift towards Microsoft is fueled by its use of advanced AI technologies from its partnership with OpenAI.

Microsoft has launched AI-powered tools like Copilot in its business apps, available for $30 a month, showcasing its strategic focus on AI.

This week's earnings report from Microsoft is expected to be a key indicator of AI uptake, potentially affecting tech stock trends, especially as the sector cools down due to prolonged high interest rates in the U.S.

Microsoft, now more valuable than Apple, is likely to report significant growth driven by its AI investments, which are attracting more users to its Azure cloud service.

Microsoft's Azure is projected to grow by 28.9% in early 2024, outperforming Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud.

A new king of the cloud?

This is part of a wider trend of stabilising tech spending, providing a positive environment for cloud providers despite economic uncertainties.

How they’re doing it:

• Microsoft is using its AI advancements to close the gap with Amazon in the cloud market.

• Azure's growth is surpassing its rivals, emphasising the rising adoption of AI in cloud services.

• Microsoft's broader AI features, like those in Microsoft 365 Copilot, are expected to mature and significantly boost revenues by 2025.

Microsoft's aggressive push into AI is reshaping competition in cloud computing, setting the stage for interesting developments as other tech giants like Google and Amazon enhance their AI offerings.

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On This Day

26th April 1986 - The Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurs in the Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union. It is considered the worst nuclear disaster in history, both in cost and casualties and is one of only two nuclear energy disasters rated at seven—the maximum severity—on the International Nuclear Event Scale.

Riddle Me This

"I dart and dash through silicon veins,

A messenger swift, without any reins.

In your pocket, your desk, or in the air,

Everywhere at once, I seem to be everywhere.

What am I?"

Nifty Numbers

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AI GADGETS

Meet the $600 AI earbuds

Last week at the TED conference, Iyo CEO Jason Rugolo introduced the Iyo One, a new wearable AI device looking to build on and avoid the pitfalls of similar devices like Humane's AI Pin.

The Iyo One features two metallic earbuds custom-fit to the user's ears, enhancing and augmenting real-world sounds while responding to a wide range of voice commands.

Earbud therapy?

Originating from Alphabet’s X moonshot factory, the development of Iyo One started six years ago, backed by $21 million in funding.

With a small team, the company is aiming for a winter release of the WiFi model priced at $599, and the cellular model at $699, plus a monthly cell service fee.

In an extensive interview, Rugolo highlighted the potential of the Iyo One as not just hardware but as a personal assistant, coach, and therapist, all voice-controlled - an AI assistant right in your ear.

Despite the common challenges of hardware development, Iyo aims for a niche market success based on sound quality and user experience.

What it is basically:

• Earbuds tailored for an individual fit, enhancing user interaction with their environment.

• Targeting a winter release with competitive pricing to tap into the holiday market.

• Aiming to establish a new type of computer, integrating unique AI capabilities without the constraints of existing mobile platforms.

The goal for Iyo is to create a unique position in the competitive tech market by focusing on superior audio quality and innovative features.

Another AI gadget we don’t need?

Mindstream Picks

Immutable launched 'The Main Quest', a large web3 gaming rewards program with up to $50M in token rewards.

China's Shenzhou-18 spacecraft successfully docked at the Tiangong space station, carrying a crew of three astronauts.

The EPA has finalised rules to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, but gas-fired plants remain largely untouched despite providing 43% of US electricity.

$1.3 billion in USDC was transferred from whale addresses to Coinbase, possibly signalling a major buy opportunity for Bitcoin and Ether.

Don’t Miss - In the third fiscal quarter of 2024, Microsoft reported $61.9 billion in revenue and $21.9 billion in net income, up 17% and 20% respectively. The inclusion of revenue from the Activision Blizzard acquisition influenced these figures, boosting gaming to one of the top business segments, though it ranked fourth this quarter behind Windows due to strong Windows OEM sales. Despite overall gaming revenue increasing due to Activision Blizzard, Xbox hardware and Surface device sales saw declines.

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