Brian McCullough (0:04)

Welcome to the Techmeme write home for Friday, March 14th, 2025. I'm Brian McCullough. Today the new RCS messaging standard makes encryption universal, and even Apple is getting on the bandwagon. OpenAI calls for a US ban of deep Seek. Is Apple about to turn your AirPods into the universal translator from Star Trek? And of course, the week on Long Reads Suggestions here's what you missed today in the world of tech foreign the GSMA has announced the new RCS standard supports interoperable end to end encryption between platforms, and Apple says it will add support for this standard in a future update. Quoting the Verge, iPhone and Android users will be able to exchange end to end encrypted E2E RCS messages in the near future thanks to newly updated RCS specifications. The GSM association said it had started working to enable e2e on messages sent between Android and iPhone in September last year. E2EE is a privacy and security feature that prevents third parties such as messaging providers or cell carriers from viewing the content of your texts. The GSMA says the new RCS standard was developed in collaboration with mobile operators, device manufacturers and technology providers, including Apple. Apple introduced RCS support to iPhones as part of an iOS 18 update in September. While Apple's proprietary iMessage system already supported E2EE, this wasn't extended to RCS messaging because the previous RCS standard didn't provide cross platform support. Google Messages also enabled E2EE by default for RCS text, but only conversations between Google Messages users were E2EE and not those exchanged with iMessage users or users of other RCS clients on Android and quoting Android Authority. Note that Android Android conversations don't support E2EE by default either, unless both parties use a client that supports E2EE such as Google Messages. If the Android users use different clients, then the Messages won't be E2EE. If and when the Messaging clients adopt the new rcs Universal Profile 3.0 with MLS, they will also support interoperable E2EE. Google announced support for MLS back in 2023. We've also spotted Google Messages taking steps to incorporate MLS encryption for RCS earlier this year, so it's a matter of rolling out the feature now to enable E2EE interoperability for one to one conversations. RCS Universal Profile 3.0 also makes it easier for users to engage with businesses over RCS messaging through a richer deep link format. It also includes enhancements like improved codecs for audio messaging and easier management of subscriptions with business messaging senders, end quote. OpenAI is labeling DeepSeek as state controlled and recommending that the US Ban People's Republic of China produced equipment and models that violate user privacy and create security risks, quoting TechCrunch. The proposal, a submission for the Trump administration's AI Action Plan initiative claims that Deep Seq's models, including its R1 reasoning model, are insecure because Deep Seq faces requirements under Chinese law to comply with demands for user data. Banning the use of PRC produced models in all countries considered Tier 1 under the Biden administration's export rules would prevent privacy and security risks, OpenAI says, including the risk of IP theft. It's unclear whether OpenAI's references to models are meant to refer to Deep Seq's API, the lab's open models, or both. DeepSeek's open models don't contain mechanisms that would allow the Chinese government to siphon user data. Companies including Microsoft, Perplexity and Amazon host them on their infrastructure. OpenAI has previously accused Deepseek, which rose to prominence earlier this year, of distilling knowledge from OpenAI's models against its terms of service. But OpenAI's new allegations that Deepseek is supported by the PRC and under its command are an escalation of of the company's campaign against the Chinese lab, end quote and quoting the information as with Huawei, there is significant risk in building on top of Deep SEQ models in critical infrastructure and other high risk use cases, the proposal said. Deep Seq's AI models also more willingly generate how tos for illicit and harmful activities such as identity fraud and intellectual property theft, it said in the proposal. OpenAI also called for a ban on Chinese made AI chips and models that violate user privacy and create security risks without specifically mentioning Deep Seq, according to According to Chinese corporate records, the Chinese government doesn't own an equity stake in Deep Seq or its parent company, quantitative hedge fund High Flyer Capital Management. What we've always assumed is Mark Gurman Apple Scoop Monday is a thing, but this week we've learned Mark can drop Apple Scoops any day of the week. Mark sources say Apple is planning an AirPods feature that will enable live translation of in person conversations coming in an update due later this year tied to iOS 19. Rival earbuds such as Google Pixel Buds have had the option for years and Apple has offered its In House Translate app on the iPhone since 2020. Still, the move promises to bring a Star Trek like experience to AirPods users. The capability will work like this if an English speaker is hearing someone talk in Spanish, the iPhone will translate the speech and relay it to the user's AirPods in English. The English speaker's words, meanwhile, will be translated into Spanish and played back by the iPhone. The company has steadily added new features to AirPods via software updates, which means users don't have to buy new pairs to take advantage of enhancements. Last year, Apple introduced options related to hearing health to the second generation AirPods Pro that included a hearing aid and test feature that don't require a doctor's visit. The company is still working on new AirPods hardware, including a third generation version of the AirPods Pro. It's also developing a model with built in cameras that use artificial intelligence to analyze the surrounding environment. Last year, Apple rolled out new colors for the AirPods Max headphones and low end AirPods 4 models and quoting Mac rumors to go along with the new AirPods feature. Apple is also planning to improve the Translate app in iOS 19, though no details are available at this time. End quote Google says Gemini can now personalize answers based on users Search history an experimental feature for Gemini and Gemini Advanced subscribers on the web. Quoting the Verge with so many AI companies launching chatbots, Google is leveraging its biggest competitive advantage to make Gemini stand out. Search with personalization enabled, Gemini can now automatically analyze your query to see if referring to your search history can enhance its response. The feature is powered by the Gemini 2.0 flash thinking experimental model, and it will only reference your search results if its AI model finds it helpful. For instance, if you ask Gemini about restaurant or travel recommendations, the chatbot will refer to your recent food related searches to provide a suggestion. This is part of the broader personalization feature Google is rolling out, which will eventually connect Gemini to other apps like YouTube and Google Photos, allowing the chatbot to provide more personalized insights drawing from a broader understanding of your activities and preferences. Google notes that you can disconnect your search history from Gemini at any time. When you receive a response, you'll see an outline of how Gemini got its answers, as well as whether it referenced your saved information, past conversations or search history. It will also display a clear banner with a link to disconnect your search history. Gemini and Gemini Advanced Subscribers on the Web can enable the feature by selecting Personalization Experimental from the model dropdown menu. It's gradually rolling out on mobile and is available in more than 40 languages in a majority of countries. Google is releasing some other updates as well, including a way for all Gemini users to create their own personal AI assistants called Gems for free. The company also announced that it's bringing its Gemini 2.0 flash thinking experimental model, model 2, its deep research feature, which the company says improves the chatbot's capabilities across all research stages. Ready to optimize your nutrition? This year, Factor has chef made gourmet meals that make eating well easy. 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That's Code Factor Podcast at Factor Meals.com Factor Podcast to get 50% off plus free shipping on your first box when you think about businesses whose sales are rocketing like Feastables by Mr. Beast or Thrive Cosmetics or Silicon Valley's weekend uniform supplier Cotopoxy, sure you think about an innovative product, a progressive brand and button down marketing. But an often overlooked secret is actually the business behind the business making, selling and for shoppers buying simple. For millions of businesses, that business is Shopify. Nobody does selling better than Shopify, home of the number one checkout on the planet and the not so secret secret shop pay that boosts conversions up to 50%, meaning way less carts going abandoned and way more sales going Upgrade business to get the same checkout that I use@resumewriters.com sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com ride all lowercase go to shopify.com ride to upgrade your selling today shopify.com ride for some reason I always love new TV tech. Sony has just unveiled new backlighting tech that the Verge says absolutely smokes RA regular mini LED TVs. Today Sony is announcing the development of a new type of TV display that uses individual RGB LEDs for its backlighting. While Sony currently sells high end mini LED TVs alongside OLED models. This new system could combine many of the best qualities of both, and I recently got to see it in action at the company's Tokyo headquarters. I'm not yet convinced that this tech, which for now Sony has given the somewhat unwieldy name of General RGB LED backlight technology, will be the best panel solution for everyone. But TVs are always going to come with trade offs, and this approach does represent a meaningfully different solution to what's currently on the market. It looks like it'll be a huge upgrade on existing mini LED sets. Mini LED TVs work by deploying an array of tiny blue LEDs behind the panel. These LEDs are larger than the actual pixels on the display, but they're small enough that the TV can brighten or darken multiple areas of the screen with a high degree of precision. OLED TVs, meanwhile, are capable of even better contrast because they light up and switch off each pixel individually, but they generally can't get as large or as bright as mini LED displays. With Sony's new RGB LED method, each mini LED backlight zone is made up of a red, green and blue led. The core advantage here is that Sony is able to achieve finer control over color without compromising on brightness, achieving a level of 4000 CDM squared on par with the company's professional reference monitors, and resulting in a higher color volume than any commercial TV it's released to date. The increased grade radiation control can also help deliver much wider viewing angles than mini LED TVs, and Sony says the panels can be built at larger sizes than existing OLED sets. So how does it look in person? Unfortunately, Sony didn't allow its prototypes to be photographed, but I'll do my best to describe them. To demonstrate actual video content, Sony set up a full screen version of the RGB backlight prototype, flanked by two of its best TVs you can buy last year's extravagant mini LED powered Bravia 9 and the QD OLED A95L that won the prestigious King of TV award at the most recent Value Electronics TV shootout, where Verge Editor in Chief Nilay Patel served on the judging panel. Conscious of the unflattering comparison, a Sony engineer conducting the demo repeatedly went out of his way to make the point that the Bravia 9 on the left was a very good TV. Despite this, the RGB LED prototype clearly smoked it A scene from Frozen, where blue crystals flew through the air looked almost monochrome in comparison with the prototype, revealing deep shades of purple that simply weren't there on the Bravia, it was clear how the backlighting worked in tandem with the color grading to deliver a more vivid picture. Viewing angles were hugely improved with near non existent color shift. Another sequence with bright red lights against a dark background exhibited the telltale bluish mini LED blooming on the Bravia, whereas the RGB LED prototype lit those areas solely in red. RGB LED backlighting isn't a wholly new idea, even from Sony. The company launched a ridiculously expensive Qualia TV with an RGB backlight in 2004 and more recently showed off a crystal LED prototype TV at CES 2012. Competitors are also on the case. Hisense showed off a Trichroma RGB backlight mini LED TV at CES this year, while TCL and Samsung had prototypes with their own spin on the idea. End quote Time for the weekend. Long range Suggestions first up, not tech, but from Deadline a look at the success of Chinese animated movie Nijatu, GROSSING More than $2 billion globally and its impact on the Chinese film industry and Hollywood's future in China. Chinese blockbuster Ni Xia 2 recently became the first non Hollywood movie to cross $2 billion worldwide and in doing so joins an exclusive group of other titles to click past the threshold globally. Since the animated sequel began playing in China on January 29, its trajectory has been nothing short of stunning. Anecdotally, more than 300 million tickets have been sold to NZ2 in China, more than the population of any country outside of India, China and the U.S. the number of admissions is about 21% of China's 1.4 billion denizens. To put that in relative terms, if 21% of people in North America bought a movie ticket for, let's say, $10, we'd be looking at a gross of 812.7 million dol than Avatar, a Hollywood studio exec recently commented. In a market of 1.4 billion people, when you tap into the zeitgeist, you really see what's possible. With China's vast population and after years of the industry building screens at a breakneck pace, something perhaps had finally to give. But those screens had been underserved for some time, with their growth outpacing product. Reasons for NZ2's success in China include being a sequel to the 2019 movie, previously the highest grossing animated film in China at nearly $700 million. Using today's rates, releasing during the Lucrat Lunar New Year period and playing broadly rather than catering to a specific demographic, a zeitgeist groundswell and a wave of national pride took root. Headlines in state and social media shouted about the movie's increasing box office as NZ2 ascended the global charts, becoming the highest grossing movie ever in China, dwarfing the previous record holder, 2021's the Battle at Lake Tianjin, the first to cross $1 billion in a single market, and then the biggest animated film of all time, overtaking Disney Pixar's Inside Out 2, all in relatively short order. It passed 2 billion DOL dollars in China during its eighth weekend. Some local companies gave staff the day off to see the film, buying tickets and busing them to screenings. The South China Morning Post reported that in mid February, Shandong based Weilong Food said on social media that it had closed its factory for a day and invited all employees to watch the film to help Ni Jia to rank first in the world. End quote. And this is not tech either, but the idea of birth rates around the world crashing to below replacement rates levels has been a topic of conversation inside Silicon Valley circles for a while now. So, from the New Yorker, a look at this trend and what it means for society writ large, the entire human race writ large. I mean, the total fertility rate is a coarse estimate of the number of children an average woman will bear. A population will be stable if it reproduces at the replacement rate, or about 2.1 babies per mother. The point one is the statistical laundering of great personal tragedy. Anything above that threshold will theoretically generate exponential expansion, and anything below it will generate exponential decay. In 1960, the tiny country of Singapore had a fertility rate of almost 6. By 1985 it had been brought down to 1.6, a rate that threatened to roughly halve its population in two generations. As the economist Nicholas Eberstadt told me for two decades, the leaders of Singapore said, oh, uncontrolled fertility has terribly dangerous consequences, so the rate has to come down. And then, after a semicolon, without even catching their breath, said, wait, I mean go up. The nation's leaders have launched a promotional campaign, have three or more if you can afford it. Singaporeans were known to be good national sports, but despite the catchiness of the slogan, they proved non compliant. From one nation to the next, the nightmare of too many descendants turned into the nightmare of too few. In 2007, when Japan's total fertility rate hit 1.3, a conservative government minister referred to women as birth giving machines. This didn't go over particularly well with anyone, including including his wife. Today, declining fertility is a near universal phenomenon. Albania, El Salvador and Nepal, none of them affluent, are now below replacement levels. Iran's fertility rate is half of what it was 30 years ago. Headlines about Europe's demographic winter are commonplace. Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy, has said that her country is destined to disappear. One Japanese economist runs a conceptual clock that counts down to the country's final child. The current readout is January 5, 2720. It will take a few years before we can be sure, but it's possible that 2023 saw the world as a whole slump beneath the replacement threshold for the first time. There are a couple of places where fertility remains higher Central Asia and sub Saharan Africa. But even there, the rates are generally diminishing. End quote. That's all for this week. No bonus episodes this weekend, but several of you did sign up to invest in the Ride Home Fund. Great news. More great companies on the horizon we're looking at. If you'd like to invest in the Ride Home Fund and put your money into some early stage startups, join us at ridehomefund.com where you can click to invest easily via AngelList. And if you have any questions, email me at brianidehomefund.com, talk to you on Monday.