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AAPL

Beeper's services, which enable iMessage on Android and other platforms, have faced another significant outage affecting over 60% of its users. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has been blocking the method used by Beeper to provide these services, leading to repeated disruptions. The latest outage began on Dec. 17, and there is no clear timeline for a resolution. This continues the ongoing conflict between Apple and Beeper over the latter's iMessage for Android solution.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Neuro

December 18, 2023 | 7:47 am

MBGAF

TSLA

A Mercedes-Benz dealership in Texas distributed printed copies of a CNN article about a Tesla Autopilot recall to its customers. The recall, announced by the NHTSA, led to Tesla issuing a software update to address the issues. Mercedes-Benz's action highlights the competition with Tesla and its active pursuit of EV market share. Tesla's OTA update solution for the recall has been criticized by some as misleading. Despite this, Tesla remains a strong investment in the EV industry, according to Gary Black of Future Fund.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Neuro

December 18, 2023 | 6:25 am

GOOG

GOOGL

Epic Games won an antitrust lawsuit against Alphabet Inc.'s Google, challenging the 30% commission fee on digital purchases in the Android app market. Despite the victory, Epic's CEO Tim Sweeney fears Google may continue imposing high fees, offering 'fake' competition solutions. Sweeney advocates for lower app store fees, citing lower operating costs seen at Epic's own store. The ruling is a significant antitrust decision against a tech giant since the 1990s.

Portfolio Pulse from Ananya Gairola

December 18, 2023 | 6:06 am

BABA

Tang Xiao’ou, the billionaire founder of China's AI giant SenseTime, has passed away due to undisclosed health issues. SenseTime, known for its facial recognition technology, has faced accusations from US-based short-seller Grizzly Research of inflating revenue, which the company denied. Despite this, SenseTime's stock fell nearly 10%, with cumulative losses of over 40% this year and over 80% since its IPO. The company's future is uncertain, especially after Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:BABA) exited SenseTime in July 2023.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Neuro

December 18, 2023 | 1:40 am

AAPL

GOOG

Apple Inc. (AAPL) had a notable week with several developments. The company settled a class-action lawsuit related to Family Sharing for $25 million and delayed two iOS 17 features to 2024. Apple introduced a new anti-theft feature, 'Stolen Device Protection,' for iPhones and tightened user data privacy, requiring a court order for push notification data. Additionally, Apple launched a standalone USB-C charging case for the second-generation AirPods Pro. Alphabet Inc. (GOOG, GOOGL) was also mentioned in the context of providing notification data to governments.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Neuro

December 17, 2023 | 2:00 pm

TSLA

Senator Tommy Tuberville's bet against Tesla with put options backfired as the stock rallied past $250. Tuberville bought three lots of Tesla put options with a strike price of $190 expiring on Dec. 15, 2023. Tesla's stock fell after Q3 earnings but has since recovered, rendering the senator's options likely worthless. Elon Musk commented on the trade, calling those betting against Tesla 'Gluttons for punishment.'

Portfolio Pulse from Shanthi Rexaline

December 17, 2023 | 1:26 pm

MSFT

NVDA

This week in AI, Grimes and Curio launched an AI toy named Grok, US regulators tagged AI as a financial risk, Sam Altman debunked GPT 4.5 leak speculations, Nvidia's stock is considered a bargain by Bernstein Research, and OpenAI suspended ByteDance for violating a license agreement. Nvidia's stock has surged over 241% in 2023, and ByteDance used OpenAI's GPT to train a competing AI model.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Neuro

December 17, 2023 | 12:02 pm

MRK

MRNA

The FDA found quality control issues at Moderna's Massachusetts facility, including lapses in cleaning and use of expired materials. These issues were identified during a September inspection and involved the production of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine and an experimental mRNA cancer vaccine. Moderna has taken immediate actions to address the FDA's findings. No recalls have been issued, and there's no evidence of harm to vaccine recipients. Moderna's shares saw a slight increase on Friday but dipped slightly after hours.

Portfolio Pulse from Nabaparna Bhattacharya

December 16, 2023 | 7:58 pm

USDCUSD

Circle, the issuer of USDC, is facing renewed accusations from the Campaign for Accountability (CFA) regarding its Cross Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) being used for illicit finance through the Tron blockchain. CFA has raised concerns to Senators Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown, citing law enforcement actions involving Tron. Circle's Dante Disparte responded in November, denying the claims and stating that Circle monitors blockchain activity and has cut ties with Justin Sun and related entities. Despite this, CFA criticizes Circle for lack of transparency and regulatory approval for offering USDC on Tron and other offshore blockchains.

Portfolio Pulse from Khyathi Dalal

December 16, 2023 | 5:47 pm

GOLD

Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:GOLD) has restarted operations at the Porgera mine in Papua New Guinea, sharing 49% of the project with Zijin Mining Group. The mine, under care since 2020 due to a dispute, is expected to produce 21 tonnes of gold annually over 20 years. Barrick's stock underperformed gold prices, with only 2.2% gains compared to gold's 11% rise. The company also faces challenges in Tanzania with allegations of forced evictions at the North Mara mine, which Barrick denies.

Portfolio Pulse from Stjepan Kalinic

December 16, 2023 | 4:23 pm