Tesla’s stock price drops to an 11-month low, Google showcases a photorealistic image generator that uses text inputs, and a new California bill could let parents sue social media companies.
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That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now, welcome to Hashtag Trending. It’s Thursday, May 26, and I’m your host, Samira Balsara.
Tesla stock’s price drop has extended into an 11-month low on Tuesday, dropping six per cent to $631. The decline represents a 48 per cent gap from Tesla’s all-time high in November when it reached more than $1200 per share. So far, the drop in prices has wiped $30 billion from Tesla’s market capitalization. The uncertain forecast from financial analysts, combined with the news that Tesla has scaled back on its expected car shipment due to production issues, are testing shareholders’ patience–all while Musks’s Twitter drama continues. Further, other car manufacturers are becoming increasingly competitive against Tesla. Volkswagen, for example, announced that it would surpass Tesla on EV sales by 2025.
The Google Brain Team at Google Research has developed an artificial intelligent system that can produce images based on text. Google claims that the new Imagen model blends unprecedented photorealism and a deep level of language understanding. While this isn’t the first model to feature this capability, Google says that the images are much more realistic than its competitors, even when illustrating abstract ideas. To prove this, it said in a blogpost that humans prefer Imagen over [images] of other models in side-by-side comparisons. You can check out some of the fascinating results produced by the AI through the link in our transcript. Some examples include “an extremely angry bird,” an “Android Mascot made of Bamboo,” and “a cactus wearing a straw hat and neon sunglasses”
A new California bill could hold social-media companies responsible if children become addicted to their platforms. This new bill has just passed the state Assembly on Monday, and aims to let parents sue social platforms for up to $25,000 per violation. In this case, “Child Users” refer to children under 18. Business Insider reports that although there was no evidence of social media addiction in 2018, the bill is arguing otherwise. It says that the evidence is now growing, particularly among adolescent children. As a reminder, this bill has only passed the California’s Assembly and is far from becoming a law. Next, it will face a two-week hearing in the Senate.
Robot helpers have long been a dream for a busy family and Dyson is looking to bring them into reality. A video of the company’s new Perception Lab built for research showcased robot appendages picking up household objects like dishes, detergent bottles and even a teddy bear. The company also showcased a few other technologies, including new mapping sensors for household furniture. If the company’s hiring page is any indication, then it’s looking to invest massively into its robotics division. It’s currently looking for 700 engineers to bolster the company’s knowledge-base.
That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash briefings or your Google Home daily briefing. Make sure to sign up for our Daily IT Wire newsletter to get all the news that matters directly in your inbox every day. Also, catch the next episode of Hashtag Tendances, our weekly Hashtag Trending episode in French, which drops every Thursday morning. If you have a suggestion or a tip, drop us a line in the comments or via email. Thank you for listening, I’m Samira Balsara.