Consumer Tech News (Jan 6-10): Microsoft Pauses Ambitious Data Center Project, Blackstone Makes $300 Million Investment In AI & More

Melania Trump is set to executive produce a new documentary on Amazon.com, Inc.‘s AMZN Prime Video, offering a rare glimpse into her life and influence in Donald Trump's political sphere. 

Smartphones

Apple Inc. AAPL remains unable to sell its iPhone 16 in Indonesia. the company has not met Indonesia's domestic content requirements, which stipulate that smartphones sold in the country must include at least 35% locally-made components.

Apple has clarified its privacy policies regarding Siri, following a $95 million settlement over allegations of unauthorized recordings. The company emphasized that it has never sold or used Siri data for marketing purposes.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. SSNLF is gearing up for CES 2025 with major announcements and futuristic tech. Samsung’s theme for this year’s CES presentation is "AI for All: Everyday, Everywhere."

Early announcements from Samsung’s newsroom highlight AI-enhanced refrigerators, appliances with built-in screens, and more. Expect features like advanced personalization and smarter home integration.

Samsung has confirmed the release of its much-anticipated Ballie home robot.

Samsung announced its Unpacked event, set for Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in San Jose. The event will showcase the new Galaxy S25 series and advancements in Galaxy AI.

Samsung is set to introduce a subscription model for its Galaxy smartphones.

Media & Gaming

Alphabet Inc.‘s GOOG Google TV users are reportedly encountering issues with purchasing certain movies, including Walt Disney Co.’s DIS classics.

Walt Disney said that its streaming platforms have reached another milestone. The company’s streaming platforms, Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, have amassed approximately 157 million monthly active users globally who engage with ad-supported content.

Technology

Microsoft Corporation MSFT has decided to temporarily pause construction on parts of its ambitious data center project in Mount Pleasant.

Nvidia Corporation NVDA CEO Jensen Huang delivered the keynote at CES 2025. The keynote's highlight was the introduction of the latest GeForce RTX 5000 Graphic cards series, which include the $1,999 RTX 5090, $999 RTX 5080, $749 RTX 5070 Ti, and $549 RTX 5070.

The lead product for Google's AI Studio has voiced concerns over the U.S. government's approach to artificial intelligence.

Also, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang introduced the company’s $3,000 "personal AI supercomputer," a compact, high-performance machine designed to run advanced AI models right from your desk at CES 2025.

Amazon.com has expanded its home security portfolio with the launch of smart smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

Dell Technologies Inc. DELL announced a major rebranding of its personal computers, aiming to boost sales by adopting a simplified naming strategy similar to Apple.

Meta Platforms, Inc. META CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s accusation of censorship has been firmly denied by the European Commission.

The Commission stated that their regulations only mandate the removal of illegal content. "We absolutely refute any claims of censorship," said a Commission spokesperson.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Blackstone Inc. BX is making a significant move in the AI sector with a $300 million investment in DDN, a company known for its expertise in data storage and analysis.

Apple committed to updating its AI feature following a complaint from the BBC. The issue came to light last month after the BBC reported that an AI-generated summary falsely claimed that Luigi Mangione, accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had shot himself.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has made a bold prediction regarding the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI), suggesting it will occur during Donald Trump's presidency. 

Anthropic, the AI startup behind "Claude" backed by Jeff Bezos, is reportedly in advanced discussions to secure $2 billion in funding. This deal could elevate its valuation to $60 billion, positioning it among the top five most valuable U.S. startups.

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