January 2024 Tech-Biz Quiz: Why Did Apple Pause Sales of its Smartwatches Before Christmas?

In a twist that’s more legal drama than tech thriller, Apple announced it would pause sales of its Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches in the United States starting Dec. 21, 2023, online and Dec. 24 in stores. This decision came after the International Trade Commission ruled in October 2023 that these models infringed on patents held by Masimo, a medical technology company, specifically the blood oxygen feature used to detect people’s pulse rate. On Dec. 25, an appeals court temporarily paused enforcement of that ruling while the legal fight ensues.

The Boeing 737 MAX 9, which has seen more ups and downs than a roller coaster at Six Flags, was first grounded in March 2019. This was after two tragic crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, killing 346 people. Playing the role of cautious parent, the FAA grounded the aircraft to prevent further incidents. After extensive reviews and modifications, the Boeing 737 MAX was cleared for takeoff again in November 2020, much to Boeing’s relief. However, the aircraft found itself in hot water again in January 2024. An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9, fresh out of the assembly line and barely used (only 145 flights, practically a baby in airplane years), had to make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon, after a cabin panel decided it had had enough and blew out. This led to the FAA again grounding certain Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes on January 6, 2024, for safety checks.

In January 2024, McDonald’s found itself in a pickle due to the aftermath of a controversial decision by McDonald’s Israel to donate meals to Israeli Defence Forces troops involved in the Gaza conflict after the Oct. 7 massacre. This action stirred up a storm of criticism and led to boycott calls from pro-Palestinian groups, including the BDS movement. In response, McDonald’s Malaysia sued the Malaysia BDS group for $1.3 million (£1m), alleging that their social media posts calling for a boycott contained “false and defamatory statements” that negatively impacted its business.

Astrobotic Technology, based in Pittsburgh, stepped into the limelight with its ambitious Peregrine lunar lander. This robotic spacecraft, launched on January 8, 2024, aboard the Vulcan rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, was part of a groundbreaking mission. It was the first moon mission by a private company. The launch was picture-perfect, but not everything was mooncakes and roses. Peregrine encountered a hiccup – a critical propellant loss. This glitch turned its moon landing dreams sour, as it couldn’t maintain the correct orientation to keep its solar panels sunbathing.

In January 2024, Tesla’s German factory in Berlin hit a speed bump. From Jan. 29 to Feb. 11, Tesla had to stop most of its production. Why, you ask? The Red Sea turmoil. This international waterway, usually buzzing with ships, found itself in a maritime muddle due to Houthi rebel attacks. The result? A disruption of the global shipping corridor, which is as crucial to Tesla as a fully charged battery is to its cars. Tesla’s Berlin factory relies heavily on parts shipped from Asia. With cargo ships detouring around the Cape of Good Hope, the supply chain gap got wide enough to drive a Tesla Semi through. Just a reminder that in the world of global manufacturing, it’s all connected – from a conflict in the Red Sea to electric cars in Berlin.

During a particularly icy period in January 2024, with temperatures nosediving to -9°F (-23°C) in places like Chicago, Tesla drivers faced a frosty challenge. The issue at hand was the car’s battery range taking a nosedive, reducing by as much as 36% in some cases. Charging the vehicles also turned into a glacially slow process, with some Teslas even refusing to juice up at all. This chilly predicament is due to lithium ions in EV batteries moving more slowly in freezing conditions. This impacts both driving range and charging efficiency. While seasoned EV drivers knew to precondition their batteries for better performance in the cold, many new owners were caught off-guard.

On Jan. 22, 2024, Elon Musk, the headline-hitting CEO known for his ventures in space and social media, swapped his usual high-tech surroundings for the historical and solemn grounds of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the infamous Nazi German death camp located in Oswiecim, Poland. Musk’s visit included a short memorial ceremony, where he laid a wreath at the wall of death. His visit was ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It was part of his scheduled appearance at a conference on antisemitism organized by the European Jewish Association in Krakow, Poland.

The EU’s AI Act is a groundbreaking legislative framework. It’s all about setting comprehensive rules to regulate artificial intelligence within the European Union. This historic agreement, reached after what must have felt like an eternity of 37-hour negotiations, marks the EU’s leap into uncharted territory as the first major world power to enact such laws. The Act focuses on high-risk AI applications, particularly in areas like law enforcement and essential public services, ensuring that our future robot overlords are kept in check. The deal, which was clinched in late 2023, takes effect in 2025.

This futuristic vehicle, which looks like it rolled straight out of a sci-fi movie set, is Tesla’s bold foray into the electric pickup truck market. Announced in 2019 with a promised price tag of around $40,000, the Cybertruck’s production and delivery faced a two-year delay. Finally, in 2023, Tesla began delivering this shiny, stainless steel beast with a starting price of $60,990. The design was partly inspired by a car-turned-submarine from the 1977 James Bond movie “The Spy Who Loved Me.” Despite its delayed start and higher-than-expected price, the Cybertruck has garnered significant interest, with over a million reservation holders putting down $100 deposits.

Google’s Gemini, unveiled on Dec. 6, 2023, is a multimodal AI model. It can understand and process various information forms, including text, audio, and visuals. This AI model comes in three versions – Nano, Pro, and Ultra – each designed for different levels of complexity and tasks. The Pro version has already been integrated into Google’s AI assistant Bard, while the Nano version is set for mobile devices. The most powerful, Ultra, is expected to debut in 2024. Gemini’s development was part of Google’s response to OpenAI’s ChatGPT success.