Reading List
The most recent articles from a list of feeds I subscribe to.
A look at the rights AI companies have in US government contracts, such as the "any lawful use" standard, amid the Anthropic-DOD dispute and the OpenAI-DOD deal (Jessica Tillipman)
Jessica Tillipman:
A look at the rights AI companies have in US government contracts, such as the “any lawful use” standard, amid the Anthropic-DOD dispute and the OpenAI-DOD deal — The Anthropic-Pentagon dispute has drawn significant public attention and an equally large amount of misinformation.
Apple Introduces the iPhone 17e
Apple Newsroom:
Apple today announced iPhone 17e, a powerful and more affordable addition to the iPhone 17 lineup. At the heart of iPhone 17e is the latest-generation A19, which delivers exceptional performance for everything users do. iPhone 17e also features C1X, the latest-generation cellular modem designed by Apple, which is up to 2× faster than C1 in iPhone 16e. The 48MP Fusion camera captures stunning photos, including next-generation portraits, and 4K Dolby Vision video. It also enables an optical-quality 2× Telephoto — like having two cameras in one. The 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display features Ceramic Shield 2, offering 3× better scratch resistance than the previous generation and reduced glare. With MagSafe, users can enjoy fast wireless charging and access to a vast ecosystem of accessories like chargers and cases. And when iPhone 17e users are outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage, Apple’s groundbreaking satellite features — including Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, Messages, and Find My via satellite — help them stay connected when it matters most.
Available in three elegant colors with a premium matte finish — black, white, and a beautiful new soft pink — iPhone 17e will be available for pre-order beginning Wednesday, March 4, with availability starting Wednesday, March 11. iPhone 17e will start at 256GB of storage for $599 — 2× the entry storage from the previous generation at the same starting price, and 4× more than iPhone 12 — giving users more space for high-resolution photos, 4K videos, apps, games, and more.
The main year-over-year changes from the 16e:
- MagSafe, the absence of which felt like the one bit of marketing spite in the 16e.
- An additional color other than black or white.
- SoC goes from A18 to A19, the same chip in the iPhone 17, except the iPhone 17 has 5 GPU cores and the 17e only 4 (same as the 16e). No big whoop.
- Improved camera with next-gen portraits. I found the 16e camera to be surprisingly good.
- Ceramic Shield 2 on the front glass.
- Base storage goes from 128 to 256 GB, while the price remains $600.
- The 512 GB version drops from $900 to $800.
That’s about it. Here’s a preset version of Apple’s iPhone Compare page with the iPhone 17, 17e, and 16e.