Disney Invests in Epic, OpenAI's Sora, & More
Hello! We're back again this week with the latest news in gaming, AI, crypto, and cloud computing.
Gaming
Disney Takes $1.5 Billion Stake in Fortnite Maker Epic Games
The Walt Disney Company announced a $1.5 billion equity investment in Epic Games, the maker of the popular game Fortnite. The funding will help advance Epic's metaverse plans and continues Disney's push into digital entertainment.
Xbox Reportedly Exploring Indiana Jones Game for PlayStation 5
Microsoft is said to be in talks with Disney to develop a new Indiana Jones video game, tentatively titled "Indiana Jones and the Great Circle." The action-adventure game may launch first on PlayStation 5 before coming to Xbox Series X/S.
Star Trek: Picard Spinoff Series Starring Q Has Been Canceled
John de Lancie, who played the popular Star Trek character Q, has revealed that the proposed Picard spinoff show centered around Q will not move forward. De Lancie cited shifting priorities at Paramount+ as the reason for the cancellation.
AI
OpenAI Launches Generative Text to Video App “Sora"
OpenAI has unveiled Sora, a new AI system that generates videos from text descriptions or still images. The generative AI model can create 1080p video scenes with multiple characters, motion, and detailed backgrounds based on written prompts. This represents OpenAI's latest foray into AI content creation following viral systems like DALL-E for images and ChatGPT for text.
Microsoft Partners with Semafor for AI-Powered News
Microsoft has partnered with the news startup Semafor to utilize AI tools for delivering personalized news experiences. Semafor will use Microsoft Azure's machine learning capabilities to optimize its news aggregation service.
Cisco Takes Measured Approach to AI in Networking Products
Cisco's latest networking gear shows a careful, deliberate strategy around integrating AI capabilities. Features like predictive monitoring demonstrate useful applications of AI while avoiding overpromising advanced functionality.
Crypto
Ether Tops $1,700 as Major ETH ETF Amends Filing
The price of Ethereum's native token, ether, rose above $1,700 after SEC filings showed a planned spot ETF from Cathie Wood's Ark Invest will focus solely on ether. The amended proposal boosted enthusiasm for the long-awaited crypto ETF.
Miner Bitcoin Outflows Fuel Theories of Growing ETF Role
Bitcoin miners have been transferring large amounts of bitcoin to exchanges in recent weeks, sparking speculation that miner selling is helping supply the first U.S. bitcoin ETFs. The flow of miner bitcoin to exchanges hit its highest since last May.
Prometheum Picks Ether as First Product
Crypto trading platform Prometheum has chosen ether options as its first product pending SEC approval. As the only SEC-registered ATS for digital asset securities, the move signals growing institutional appetite for ether exposure.
Cloud Computing
Affordable, Intuitive Cloud Storage with Backblaze
Cloud storage provider Backblaze offers businesses an affordable, easy-to-use platform for managing storage infrastructure. Backblaze's B2 cloud object storage service aims to make cloud storage accessible for organizations of all sizes.
Oracle Plans New Cloud Region in Kenya
Oracle has announced plans to open a new cloud region in Kenya to support growing demand across Africa. The Nairobi cloud region will offer Oracle's full suite of cloud applications and provide lower latency for Kenyan customers.
Hitachi and Cisco Offer Next-Gen Hybrid Cloud Services
Hitachi Vantara and Cisco have collaborated to launch new managed services for hybrid cloud environments. The offerings combine Hitachi infrastructure with Cisco compute, network, and security to simplify hybrid cloud for enterprises.
And that wraps up this week’s DCI news. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to keep our finger on the pulse of all things gaming, cloud, AI and Web3!
Until next week!
Team Aethir.
