Every day we wake up, drink a cup of coffee, and get ready for work. Following are a handful of stories from around the tech world condensed to fit into one single cup of coffee. These are the things you need to know before you step foot out of your door (or in front of a webcam) and into the real world this morning.
So sit back, grab a cup, and start your morning off right with a few “Quick Bytes” from Innovation & Tech Today.
Twitter Deal Hold Up is Affecting Tesla Stock
Tesla Inc. stock is becoming a casualty in the ongoing negotiation — or lack of — between Elon Musk and Twitter Inc. The electric-vehicle maker has lost roughly 30% of its value since April 1, as investors are left in the dark as to whether the $44 billion deal will go through.
Musk announced the deal to acquire Twitter was “temporarily on hold” on May 13, citing pending details to support the microblogging site’s claim that spam or fake accounts were less than 5% of its total user base.
Musk is already the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, two massive companies that require more attention than any one human can give. Adding Twitter to the portfolio would stretch Musk too thin, according to some investors.
“I wish he would walk away,” said Gary Black, managing partner of the Future Fund LLC, which owns roughly $50 million worth of Tesla, according to FactSet. Black, a Tesla booster, said he views Twitter as a distraction that is likely to demand more of Musk’s time than the billionaire expects.
Samsung Reclaims Its Title as Highest Selling Smartphone Manufacturer
Samsung just acquired its highest global smartphone market share in five years. In April, Samsung was the best-selling smartphone brand with a market share of 24% — the highest it’s been since June 17, according to Sammobile.com.
The Galaxy S22 and budget-focused Galaxy A smartphones drove the increase in market share, and a robust supply chain model and a healthy supply-demand balance during the global chip shortage helped the company regain its footing as the best-selling brand in the space.
Analysts from Counterpoint Research have predicted Samsung is likely to retain its leadership position in the next quarter.
The recent numbers are also a positive sign for the rollout of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 in August or September.
New Documents Shed Light on Elusive 4chan Owners
New information is shedding light on the owner of infamous imageboard website 4chan. Documents obtained by Wired have revealed the ownership to be Japanese toy firm the Good Smile Company. Legal documents, corporate records, and interviews with those familiar with both companies show that Good Smile played a role in 4chan’s 2015 acquisition, according to Ars Technica.
Good Smile stated last year it held a passive investment in 4chan, but recent nondisclosure documents suggest the company played an active role in the 2015 acquisition, despite concerns from Good Smile employees.
4chan is the birthplace of the Qanon movement, and its users have been linked to several domestic terrorism tragedies. “References and tributes to 4chan are littered throughout a 180-page screed believed to be written by the 18-year-old who is alleged to have shot 13 people in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York, on May 14,” wrote Justin Ling in a recent Wired article.
Apple to Release Software Updates to iPhone, iPad
While Samsung took top spot in Q1 in terms of smartphone market share, rival Apple is not taking the news lying down.
In fact, the biggest tech company in the world will reportedly be releasing new updates to iPhones and iPads with its upcoming software updates, iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, according to NBC News. The company is expected to announce during its WWDC 2022 developer keynote on June 6.
According to Bloomberg, iOS 16 includes updates to notifications, messages and the Health app. The software will also include new multitasking panels for iPads.
