Sunday☕️

Time Is Money

May 19, 2024 • 7 min read

Trending:

CENTCOM Activity
SpaceX Launch

Week Recap:

OpenAI introduced GPT-4o ("o" for "omni"), a new AI model designed for improved human-computer interaction. This model accepts inputs and outputs across text, audio, and image formats. GPT-4o responds to audio inputs in as little as 232 milliseconds, comparable to human response times in conversations, and matches GPT-4 Turbo in performance on English text and coding. It also shows improvement in processing non-English text and excels in audio and visual understanding, all while being 50% cheaper in API usage.
On May 14, at 11:39 a.m. pst, a Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carrying 20 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit. Notably, six of these satellites are equipped with Direct to Cell capabilities, enhancing the network's communication reach. This launch marked the 18th mission for the Falcon 9’s first stage booster.
IBM has released its Granite code models to the open-source community, aiming to simplify coding tasks across various programming languages. These models, introduced by IBM Research, build on the CodeNet dataset launched in 2021, which includes over 500 million lines of code in more than 50 languages. The Granite models range from 3 to 34 billion parameters and are designed for a variety of coding tasks such as code generation, bug fixing, and code explanation. They are available on platforms like GitHub, Hugging Face, and IBM’s watsonx.ai, in both base and instruction-following variants to cater to different developer needs.
President Biden has escalated tariffs on a range of Chinese imports, marking a significant tightening of trade policies. The U.S. will now impose a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), a dramatic increase from the existing 25%. This measure is largely symbolic given the ongoing exclusion of Chinese EVs from the U.S. market due to restrictions put in place during the Trump administration. Additionally, the administration is raising tariffs on several other Chinese products. Tariffs on lithium batteries will jump from 0% to 25%, while tariffs on solar cells and semiconductors will double from 25% to 50%. Tariffs on steel and aluminum will also see a substantial increase, moving from a range of 0-7.5% up to 25%.
Inflation in the United States showed a modest decline last month, influenced by decreases in food and auto prices. According to the Labor Department, consumer prices increased by 0.3% from March to April, a slight reduction from the 0.4% rise seen the previous month. On an annual basis, the inflation rate dipped from 3.5% to 3.4%. Furthermore, core inflation, which strips out the more volatile food and energy sectors, reached its lowest point in three years.
Google has announced updates to its Gemini family of AI models, aimed at improving software development efficiency and accessibility. The updates include the introduction of Gemini 1.5 Flash, a model designed for speed and efficiency, and the development of Project Astra, which focuses on the future of AI assistants. The Gemini 1.5 Flash model is optimized for high-volume, high-frequency tasks, providing cost-effective service at scale. It is suited for tasks such as summarization, chat applications, and data extraction from long documents. This model is a lighter version of the Gemini 1.5 Pro, designed to process and respond quickly.
OpenAI has formed a partnership with Reddit to utilize the social media platform's extensive content for training its AI models. OpenAI's recent agreement with Reddit marks a strategic move to access a rich repository of user-generated content, which will be used to refine and enhance its AI chatbot capabilities. This partnership is part of OpenAI's broader strategy to collaborate with major media platforms, securing high-quality data essential for training sophisticated AI models.
Singing River Health System (SRHS), a Mississippi-based healthcare provider, has begun notifying around 900,000 individuals that their personal data was compromised during a ransomware attack in August 2023. The breach, first detected on August 16, with ransomware deployed on August 19, involved unauthorized access to sensitive information including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and medical details. Despite no current evidence of misuse of the stolen data, SRHS has updated its initial report to the Maine Attorney General's Office from 252,890 affected individuals to 895,204, and has commenced sending notification letters since May 13, 2024.
Google recently announced a critical error in its cloud services that led to the complete deletion of UniSuper's account, an Australian pension fund with $135 billion in managed assets. On May 2, 2023, a configuration error during the provisioning of private cloud services at Google Cloud resulted in the loss of both the primary account and its backups, affecting nearly 647,000 members of UniSuper. The deletion impacted all data stored on Google Cloud, although UniSuper was able to restore its data using backups from another cloud provider by May 15.

CENTCOM Activity:

In a recent CENTCOM announcement, it was reported that on May 18 at approximately 1 a.m. (Sanaa time), the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels launched an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) into the Red Sea, targeting the M/T Wind, a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker operated by a Greek company. The tanker, which was en route from Russia to China, sustained damage from the missile strike leading to temporary loss of propulsion and steering capabilities.
Despite the initial distress, the crew managed to restore the vessel's systems, and the tanker resumed its voyage without the need for external assistance. Fortunately, there were no casualties reported. This incident underscores the ongoing threat posed by the Houthis to regional stability and maritime safety in key global shipping routes. In a separate but related CENTCOM operation, U.S. Central Command has partnered with USAID to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Utilizing a unique logistics operation involving a temporary pier, aid began to transfer to Gaza on the morning of May 17 at around 9 a.m. (Gaza time).
This humanitarian effort is supported by a coalition including the Republic of Cyprus, the United Nations, and countries such as the UAE, the United Kingdom, Romania, and members of the European Union. This initiative aims to deliver relief to Palestinian civilians through a multinational maritime corridor, highlighting an ongoing commitment to humanitarian assistance in the region without involving U.S. military personnel on the ground in Gaza.

SpaceX Launch:

On Friday, May 17 at 8:32 p.m. est, a Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX launched 23 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This launch marked the 21st flight for the first stage booster that supported this mission, which had previously been used for various high-profile missions, including GPS III Space Vehicle launches, Inspiration4, Ax-1, Nilesat 301, OneWeb Launch 17, ARABSAT BADR-8, and 14 other Starlink missions.
Starlink, developed by SpaceX, is the largest satellite constellation in the world, with over 6,000 satellites orbiting Earth. It aims to provide high-speed, low-latency internet globally, especially targeting rural and remote areas where traditional internet infrastructure is limited or unavailable. By using a vast network of small satellites in low-Earth orbit, Starlink offers a significant advancement in internet access capabilities, surpassing the coverage and capacity of other satellite systems operated by governments or companies. This service is pivotal for improving connectivity in underserved locations and for users who require reliable and rapid internet service.

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