Tech

Linda Yaccarino resigns as CEO of Elon Musk’s X

Linda Yaccarino resigns as CEO of X following merger with xAI and internal financial conflicts.

Published

5 months ago

July 10, 2025

Ahron Young

Linda Yaccarino resigns as CEO of X following merger with xAI and internal financial conflicts.

In Short:
Linda Yaccarino has resigned as CEO of X after the merger with xAI, facing challenges in shifting focus to AI and tensions with the new CFO. Despite some revenue recovery and improved advertiser relationships, ongoing content moderation issues and Musk’s heavy involvement in decisions complicate the platform’s operations.

Linda Yaccarino has announced her resignation as CEO of X, following the merger with xAI. Her tenure has faced challenges, particularly after the integration of the chatbot company into X, which shifted focus towards artificial intelligence over traditional social media growth.

Investor interest has increasingly gravitated towards AI potential. Tensions arose between Yaccarino and new CFO Reza Banki, who was hired to address financial issues and originally replaced Yaccarino’s finance head.

Banki reportedly pressured her regarding spending on celebrity content. Yaccarino viewed the return of some advertisers and the revenue changes resulting from the merger as an appropriate time to step down.

Broader platform

In her post about her departure, she expressed gratitude to Elon Musk for the opportunity to lead and transform X into a broader service platform. Musk acknowledged her contributions through a social media post.

Yaccarino, who took over in 2023, dealt with initial advertiser concerns related to content moderation and Musk’s management style. Despite challenges, including threatening brands to encourage them back to the platform, she made strides in rebuilding ad relationships and fostering new advertising opportunities.

Financial improvements have been noted, with X reporting adjusted earnings growth and revenue recovery efforts reflecting progress. However, the platform continues to deal with content moderation issues, especially after recent controversial comments from the chatbot, highlighting ongoing operational challenges.

Tech

Airbus A320 fleet faces software upgrade due to risk

Airbus alerts A320 operators to urgent software fix after JetBlue incident raises safety concerns

Published

1 week ago

November 29, 2025

Ahron Young

Airbus alerts A320 operators to urgent software fix after JetBlue incident raises safety concerns

In Short:
– Airbus warns over half of A320 fleet needs software fixes due to potential data corruption risks.
– Affected airlines must complete upgrades before next flights, with operational disruptions anticipated during a busy travel season.

Airbus has issued a warning regarding its A320 fleet, indicating that over half of the active jets will require a software fix.

It follows a recent incident involving a JetBlue Airways aircraft, where “intense solar radiation” was found to potentially corrupt data crucial for flight control system operation.

The European plane manufacturer stated that around 6,500 jets may be affected. A regulation mandates that the software upgrade must occur before the next scheduled flight.

Operational disruptions for both passengers and airlines are anticipated. The issue arose from an incident on October 30, where a JetBlue flight experienced a computer malfunction that resulted in an uncommanded descent. Fortunately, no injuries occurred, but the malfunction of an automated computer system was identified as a contributing factor.

Airlines, including American Airlines Group, have begun to implement the required upgrades.

The majority of affected jets can receive an uncomplicated software update, although around 1,000 older models will necessitate an actual hardware upgrade, requiring grounding during maintenance.

Hungarian airline Wizz Air has also initiated necessary maintenance for compliance, potentially affecting flights. This announcement has surfaced during a busy travel season in the US, with many facing delays due to other factors as well.

Regulatory Response

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has mandated that A320 operators replace or modify specific elevator-aileron computers. The directive follows the JetBlue incident, where a malfunction led to a temporary loss of altitude.

Airbus’s fix applies to both the A320 and A320neo models, representing a vital response in ensuring aircraft safety.

Tech

China blocks ByteDance from using Nvidia chips in new data centres

China blocks ByteDance from using Nvidia chips, tightening tech control and pushing for domestic AI innovation amid U.S. restrictions.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 27, 2025

Harvey Vargas

China blocks ByteDance from using Nvidia chips, tightening tech control and pushing for domestic AI innovation amid U.S. restrictions.

Chinese regulators have moved to block ByteDance from deploying Nvidia chips in newly built data centres, tightening control over foreign technology used by major Chinese tech giants. The decision comes after ByteDance made substantial purchases of Nvidia hardware amid fears of shrinking supply from the United States.

Washington has already restricted the sale of advanced chips to China, allowing only weakened versions into the market. Beijing’s latest move reflects its push to reduce dependence on U.S. technology and accelerate home-grown AI innovation.

The ban places operational and financial pressure on ByteDance, which must now work around a growing pile of Nvidia chips it is no longer allowed to use. Domestic suppliers like Huawei are expected to step in as China intensifies its pursuit of tech self-reliance.
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Tech

OpenAI launches shopping research tool for ChatGPT users

OpenAI launches shopping research tool to enhance e-commerce experience ahead of holiday season spending boost

Published

2 weeks ago

November 25, 2025

Ahron Young

OpenAI launches shopping research tool to enhance e-commerce experience ahead of holiday season spending boost

In Short:
– OpenAI’s “shopping research” tool helps users find detailed shopping guides tailored to their preferences.
– Users can access Instant Checkout for purchases while ensuring user chats are not shared with retailers.

OpenAI has launched a new tool called “shopping research,” coinciding with an increase in consumer spending ahead of the holiday season.This tool is aimed at ChatGPT users seeking comprehensive shopping guides that detail top products, key differences, and the latest retailer information.

Users can customise their guides based on budget, features, and recipients. OpenAI notes that while the tool takes a few minutes to generate responses, users can still use ChatGPT for quicker queries like price checks.

When users ask specific prompts, such as finding a quiet cordless stick vacuum or a gift for a niece who loves art, the shopping research tool will appear automatically. It can also be accessed via the menu.

Shopping Research

OpenAI has been expanding its e-commerce capabilities, with the introduction of the Instant Checkout feature in September, enabling purchases directly through ChatGPT.

Soon, users of the shopping research tool will also be able to use Instant Checkout for making purchases.

OpenAI assures that shopping research results are derived from publicly available retail websites and will not disclose user chats to retailers, although it does warn that inaccuracies may occur in product availability and pricing.

Shopping research is now available to OpenAI’s Free, Go, Plus, and Pro users logged into ChatGPT.