TNB Tech Minute: Tesla Updates Driver-Assistance Tech in China - WSJ Tech News Briefing

Summary

WSJ Tech News Briefing Summary

Episode: TNB Tech Minute: Tesla Updates Driver-Assistance Tech in China
Host: Julie Cheng
Release Date: February 25, 2025

Tesla Enhances Driver-Assistance Software in China

In today's tech minute, Julie Cheng highlights Tesla's latest advancements in driver-assistance technology within the Chinese market. On February 25th, Tesla notified its drivers about a new software update rolled out specifically for select users in China. This update introduces Autopilot driving assistance tailored for city roads, marking a significant step towards more comprehensive autonomous driving capabilities.

While Tesla's Full Self Driving Supervised (FSD) system is already operational in the United States, it awaits final approval from Chinese regulatory authorities. This update signifies Tesla's strategic move to solidify its presence in China's vast electric vehicle market, the largest globally. Analysts are optimistic, anticipating that approval for Tesla's FSD in China will be granted within the year.

"The update brings Tesla a step closer to introducing a fuller set of advanced autonomous driving features in China," Cheng noted at 00:31.

Quantum Machines Secures $170 Million in Series C Funding

Transitioning to the realm of quantum computing, Quantum Machines, an Israeli startup, has successfully raised $170 million in its Series C funding round, bringing its total funding to $280 million. This infusion of capital positions Quantum Machines as one of the largest fundraisers in the quantum computing sector to date, according to Pitchbook data.

The latest funding surge comes on the heels of significant quantum hardware advancements announced by tech giants Microsoft and Google. Quantum Machines emphasizes that its products are engineered to seamlessly integrate with various quantum processors currently in the market. The company collaborates with numerous entities in the quantum hardware space, including industry leader Nvidia. Despite the substantial funding, Quantum Machines has declined to disclose details regarding its revenue and valuation.

Apple Addresses iPhone Dictation Glitch

In other news, Apple is actively working to resolve a peculiar glitch affecting some iPhone users. The issue involves the dictation tool erroneously replacing certain words—such as "racist"—with "Trump." Additionally, words like "rampant" and "rampage" have been reported to be substituted with "Trump" as well.

An Apple spokeswoman explained that:

"Occasionally, the speech recognition models may begin showing words that have phonetic overlap," at 00:31.

However, the spokesperson did not provide further insights into the root cause of the error or the specific measures being taken to rectify it.

Looking Ahead

Julie Cheng concluded the tech minute by inviting listeners to tune into the next episode for a more in-depth exploration of ongoing developments in the tech world.

This summary encapsulates the key discussions from the episode, providing insights into Tesla's strategic updates in China, significant funding milestones in the quantum computing industry, and Apple's efforts to fix emerging software glitches. Whether you're a tech enthusiast or a professional in the industry, these updates offer valuable perspectives on the current technological landscape.

Transcript

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Julie Cheng (0:31)

Here's your TNB Tech minute for Tuesday, February 25th. I'm Julie Cheng for the Wall Street Journal. Tesla has released an update to its driving assistance software in China. The US EV maker said in a notification to drivers today that it pushed out a software update for some users that includes features such as autopilot driving assistance for city roads. Tesla's most advanced driver assistance software, which it calls Full Self Driving Supervised, is available in the US but hasn't received final approval from Chinese authorities. The update brings Tesla a step closer to introducing a fuller set of advanced autonomous driving features in China as the tech becomes widespread in the world's largest electric vehicle market. Analysts expect approval for Tesla's FSD offering in China this year. Israeli quantum computing startup Quantum Machines has raised $170 million in a series C round that brings its total funding to date to $280 million. The latest round marks one of the largest fundraisings to date for a quantum computing company, according to Pitchbook data. It comes in the wake of quantum hardware advancements announced by Microsoft and Google. Quantum Machines said its products are designed to integrate with the varying types of quantum processors in use. It said it works with dozens of companies building quantum hard, including Nvidia. The company declined to comment on its revenue and valuation, and Apple says it's working to fix a glitch occurring on some iPhones that's replacing words like racist with Trump. Users have documented that the phone's dictation tool sometimes replaces certain words with an R consonant with the word Trump. The words rampant and rampage also at times appear to be replaced with Trump. An Apple spokeswoman said. Occasionally, the speech recognition models may begin showing words that have phonetic overlap. The spokeswoman didn't respond to questions about what is causing the error. For a deeper dive into what's happening in tech, check out tomorrow's Tech News Briefing podcast.