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Today — 23 January 2025Tech News

Madrona just announced its biggest fund ever, closing on $770M as other venture funds grow smaller

23 January 2025 at 22:13

Seattle-based Madrona Capital is celebrating its 30 years in business by raising $770 million in fresh capital. This is the firm’s largest fundraise to date, exceeding $690 million across two funds Madrona closed in 2022.  While an 11% capital pool upsize may not seem significant, any increase at a time when many venture outfits are […]

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Tesla's new Model Y arrives in the US

23 January 2025 at 21:57

Tesla has officially launched the redesigned Model Y in North America and Europe, a couple of weeks after the vehicle was announced for the Asia Pacific region. The new version isn't replacing the original Model Y, though — at least not yet — and Tesla is selling both of them on its website. At the moment, you can only get the long-range all wheel drive launch series variant for the new Model Y in the US with prices starting at $46,490. The launch series is a limited edition release with exclusive badging on the rear liftgate, puddle light, doorsill plate and other parts of the car. 

While the new Model Y retains the older version's proportions, it has rounder edges, with its smaller headlights and taillights bookending a redesigned lightbar. Inside, it has ambient lighting wrapping around most of the car, ventilated seats and a 15.4-inch touchscreen in the front. The second row seats have power recline and can fold flat. Passengers sitting in the back row will also have access to a Bluetooth-enabled 8-inch rearscreen display with a touch panel. 

The new long-range all wheel drive Model Y has an estimated range of 325 miles, has a top speed of 125 mph and can go from zero to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. To compare, the old Model Y long-range AWD can reach 311 miles on one charge, has a top speed of 135 mph and can go from zero to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. Deliveries for the new Model Y begin in March. If you'd still rather get the old version, its prices start at $31,490, though take note that it's getting a $4,000 price hike in Canada

Comparison chart of the old and the new Model Y.
Tesla

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/teslas-new-model-y-arrives-in-the-us-055746103.html?src=rss

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© Tesla

A silver sedan.

WTF are AI agents?

23 January 2025 at 21:01

Chatter about AI agents is suddenly everywhere — from Silicon Valley to the ski slopes of Davos – but just how will they impact Madison Avenue?

Just yesterday, OpenAI previewed its new “Operator” AI agent tool to help users with web-based tasks like booking travel, making restaurant reservations and buying groceries. Early brand partners across e-commerce and travel include eBay, Etsy, Uber, Instacart, Reuters, AP, Priceline, Target and StubHub.

Despite so much use of the A-word, it’s still early for AI agent adoption, meaning marketers should ask what agents are for, how they’re made, what they do, what they might do — and what they can’t do — including potential reputational risks.  

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Creators are split on whether to keep using TikTok’s editing app CapCut post-shutdown

23 January 2025 at 21:01

When TikTok went down over the weekend, so did its sister app CapCut — revealing how content creators across platforms have become reliant on ByteDance’s software to edit their videos. Following CapCut’s return, creators are divided on whether to continue using the app or explore alternatives before it potentially goes away for good.

Pro wrestling YouTuber and Twitch streamer MinniePortable believes CapCut is one of the best available video editing options for content creators, paying $9.99 per month to use the premium version of the app to edit videos for YouTube and Instagram. When it went down over the weekend, she experimented with alternatives, but found that none of them worked as well for her.

“I was looking for something similar, and people on Twitter were recommending several other ones. One was Filmora, which was a good piece of editing software,” said MinniePortable, who asked to keep her real name private. “But then, when I tried to export it, it said ‘export with watermark or pay the annual $50 a year to export it.’ I’m not doing the $50 a year with no watermark, so I just stopped trying to edit, and was hoping for CapCut to come back.”

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Digiday+ Research: Marketers expect bigger budgets in 2025, with an eye on investing more in influencers

23 January 2025 at 21:01

Interested in sharing your perspectives on the media and marketing industries? Join the Digiday research panel.

Marketers are coming off of what they felt like was a pretty successful year last year, which is a good feeling. An even better feeling? Heading into 2025 expecting bigger revenues and bigger marketing budgets — a lot of which marketers will put toward influencer marketing.

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Marketers cautiously resume TikTok spending after shutdown, while some continue enacting ban measures

23 January 2025 at 21:01

The cloud of TikTok’s uncertain future is still lingering.

Some marketers are forging ahead on TikTok creator campaigns after its brief shutdown this month, albeit warily, given the app’s unclear future. Others are maintaining their strategies as if a ban is still in effect and limiting their long-term campaigns as they consider the various twists and turns happening around the ByteDance-owned platform.

“We are still seeing deals come through as usual, but some brands are focusing on other platforms outside of TikTok at the moment because of the long-term uncertainty,” said Ali Grant, co-CEO of influencer agency The Digital Department. “Once TikTok was inoperable in the U.S., we received emails about moving campaigns to alternate platforms. But as we know, that was short-lived.”

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Why the Sundance Film Festival is becoming more important for marketers

23 January 2025 at 21:01

As the 41st annual Sundance Film Festival kicks off in Park City, Utah this weekend, more marketers and creators are joining the ranks of the film industry attendees. The festival, which will run from Jan. 23 to Feb. 2, has typically been a host to advertisers like Adobe, Acura and Shutterstock that set up houses on Main Street with experiential marketing and programming to appeal to attendees. 

While that’s still the case — the festival has myriad returning sponsors as well as new ones like Casamigos and Free People — more marketers are looking to the festival not only as a potential experiential marketing offering but as an event that can help shape their marketing efforts for the year. Anecdotally, marketing execs, ad agency senior leaders and talent agency execs noted that there has been more interest from marketers in attending the conference than in previous years. 

There are a few reasons. The Brand Storytelling conference, which takes place in Park City from Jan. 22 to 25, has brought more marketers to the area. It’s not just a matter of right time, right place. With more creators attending the festival, it’s a place for marketers to meet with potential creators and foster working relationships, noted execs. This interest in Sundance also comes as marketers have a renewed interest in brand marketing after years of focusing on performance over brand. One example of that: The investment in brand studios continues apace as marketers look to create the entertainment that people want rather than simply advertise around it. With that being the case, the festival likely helps marketers network with potential talent, look for funding opportunities for their brands to get in the mix with new creatives as well as seek inspiration. 

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Tesla brings its redesigned Model Y to the US, but keeps selling the old one too

23 January 2025 at 19:50
A new Tesla Model Y in white with the trunk raised.
The New Tesla Model Y | Image: Tesla

Just a couple weeks after launching the refreshed “Juniper” Model Y in China and other Asia-Pacific markets, Tesla has started taking orders in the Americas (US, Canada, Mexico, and Chile) and Europe. The Launch Series is the only trim level currently available to order in the US, offering a “fully loaded” setup with special badging, the Full Self-Driving (Supervised) driver assist, and Acceleration Boost for $59,990 before discounts and estimated savings.

The refreshed version of Tesla’s top-selling vehicle brings a new design for the front and rear lights, an updated interior with an 8-inch touchscreen for the backseat, acoustic glass treatment, a new sound system with more speakers, and a retuned suspension. There’s no mention of it, but in a few of the pictures (included in our gallery below), it looks like there’s also a turn signal stalk poking out to the left of the steering wheel instead of dropping it for on-wheel buttons like other recent Teslas.

Meanwhile, there are other issues affecting Tesla’s brand reputation among buyers, and it recently reported its first year-over-year drop in sales that a new lighting setup might not be enough to address.

It also has the same new front-facing camera that Tesla says adds “Enhanced visibility for Autopilot and Actually Smart Summon capabilities.”

Just like the previously announced markets, it is scheduled to start deliveries in March. It’s all similar to last year’s Model 3 update, promising better efficiency and performance, with added power-folding rear seats and a hands-free trunk that auto unlocks on approach.

Screenshot comparing pricing for a new Model Y and current Model Y, with the new version estimated at about $4,000 more. Screenshot: Tesla.com
An estimated price listing for a New Model Y (left) and current Model Y (right) from Tesla’s website with similar specs.

One difference between this and most Tesla launches we’ve seen is that the older version is still available to order, with the website inviting buyers to take advantage of reduced pricing while it’s still available. From the configurations available online, the price difference between similarly-specced Long Range dual-motor AWD Model Ys new and old was only about $4,000.

The current edition is, of course, available right away, and with choices for additional options, like the performance package., additional colors, or a seven-seat configuration. The New Model Y advertises a 320-mile range with no EPA stamp compared to the old version’s 311 EPA estimate (until last year, the advertised range was 330 miles before Tesla suddenly lowered it) for a similar model. The advertised 0-60 mph time is also improved, at 4.1 seconds instead of 4.8, but the top speed allowed has dropped from 135 mph to 125, which probably won’t be much of an issue in a family hauler.

Reliance plans world’s biggest AI data centre in India, report says

23 January 2025 at 18:23

Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance is planning to build what could become the world’s largest data center in Jamnagar, India, with a capacity of three gigawatts to capitalize on surging AI demand. The facility would dwarf the current largest data center, Microsoft’s 600-megawatt site in Virginia, Bloomberg reported Friday. The project could cost between $20 billion to […]

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9to5Neural: ChatGPT Operator, Claude Citations, Trump AI EO

By: Zac Hall
23 January 2025 at 18:00

Welcome to 9to5Neural. AI moves fast. We help you keep up. In our inaugural edition, we’re exploring the start of the next frontier for OpenAI, Anthropic’s thoughtful solution to a common AI critique, and presidential AI executive order ping-pong. Let’s start making sense of the latest in AI news.

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