This line-up of stories will help you discover the latest happenings around the tech world, today.
1. Musk’s X introduces top-up packs for developer API access
Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has unveiled a new feature allowing developers to purchase top-up packs for its developer API program.
These paid upgrades enable developers to access approximately 10,000 posts for $100 should they reach their current tier’s limit halfway through the month.
The development followed Elon Musk’s decision to restrict free API access and introduce paid tiers, with the basic level starting at $100 per month last year, and a Pro tier priced at $5,000 per month with expanded limits later on.
Prior to the new development, developers faced a dilemma when reaching their monthly limit as there was no option to access more tweets without upgrading to a higher-cost tier or waiting until the next month.
Under the new top-up system, developers are subject to limits on the number of upgrades they can purchase, with basic tier users capped at 10 top-ups and Pro tier users limited to 5 top-ups per month.
Trivia: Which of the following is a type of RAM?
A. DSP
B. DDR
C. DRM
D. DCA
Find answer below
2. Solaris secures €96m funding round
Berlin-based Fintech, Solaris has disclosed its €96 million Series F funding round, spearheaded by SBI Group alongside previous investors.
Established in 2015, Solaris facilitates businesses in providing financial services to their clientele through API integrations, boasting a workforce of over 750 employees across 10 locations spanning Europe and India.
Ripples Nigeria gathered that the German fintech has obtained a financial guarantee of up to €100 million in capital equivalent.
The infusion of these new funds will facilitate Solaris in integrating the ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club) credit card program and in further enhancing the resilience of its platform.
Carsten Höltkemeyer, CEO of Solaris, emphasized the fintech’s dedication to enhancing its product offerings and positioning regulatory compliance as its unique selling proposition (USP).
This latest funding milestone arrives within a year of the firm securing €38 million in the initial close of its Series F round.
3. Microsoft appoints Mustafa Suleyman to lead AI team
Microsoft has named Mustafa Suleyman as the Executive Vice President and CEO of Microsoft AI, with Karén Simonyan joining as Chief Scientist.
The CEO, Satya Nadella, disclosed the appointment as part of an organizational update, underscoring the company’s dedication to advancing artificial intelligence (AI).
Suleyman’s established leadership as a founder of DeepMind and Inflection, combined with his proficiency in product development and team management, positions him strategically within Microsoft’s senior leadership.
Speaking on the AI trend, Nadella emphasized the talent infusion from Inflection, including top AI engineers and researchers, augmenting Microsoft’s consumer AI research and product development endeavors.
He also outlined structural adjustments, with Mikhail Parakhin and team, responsible for Copilot, Bing, and Edge, now reporting to Suleyman.
British AI entrepreneur Mustafa Suleyman, a native of north London, co-founded DeepMind in 2010, which was later acquired by Google. Following his tenure at DeepMind, he co-founded Inflection AI in 2022.
Trivia Answer: DDR
DDR Stands for “Double Data Rate.” It is a version of SDRAM, a type of computer memory.
Unlike SDR (single data rate) SDRAM, which can perform a read or write action once per clock cycle, DDR can perform two—one on the rising edge of the electrical signal and again on the falling edge. DDR also operates at a lower voltage than SDR (2.6v compared to 3.3v), making it more power-efficient.
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