M&A News: OpenAI Acqui-Hires Crossing Minds amid Meta Poaching Spree
Microsoft-backed OpenAI (MSFT) has hired the entire team from Crossing Minds, which is a startup that has raised $13.5 million in funding (according to TechCrunch) to build AI recommendation tools for online shopping platforms. Crossing Minds announced the news on its website by stating that it was excited to join OpenAI and support its mission to make artificial general intelligence helpful for everyone. The team said it's eager to learn, contribute, and help shape the future of AI together with OpenAI.
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It is worth noting that this move is considered an 'acqui-hire.' This means that OpenAI mainly acquired the startup in order to bring in its talented team. The timing is notable, as OpenAI has recently seen some of its researchers leave for rival companies, especially Meta Platforms (META), which is aggressively pushing to become the leader in the AI market.
Indeed, Meta has hired several researchers from OpenAI to work on its 'superintelligence' projects. According to The Wall Street Journal, Meta brought in Lucas Beyer, Alexander Kolesnikov, and Xiaohua Zhai, who helped start OpenAI's Zurich office last year. In a separate report, TechCrunch also revealed that Meta hired OpenAI researcher Trapit Bansal to focus on building better reasoning models. These moves highlight the increasing competition among tech giants to secure top AI talent.
Is MSFT Stock a Buy?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on MSFT stock based on 30 Buys and five Holds assigned in the last three months. Furthermore, the average MSFT price target of $521.41 per share implies 5.3% upside potential.
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Digital Trends
10 minutes ago
- Digital Trends
Windows has a major AI problem, and it's pushing me closer to Apple
Just over a year ago, Apple Intelligence was announced. It continues to be somewhat of a 'meh' affair compared to other rival products like Microsoft's Copilot and Google's Gemini. What was not 'meh' was the support for Apple's generative AI bundle, which extended all the way back to the M1 silicon introduced in 2020. Even the fresh batch of AI features — such as live translations and intelligent Shortcuts — are fully supported on the machines that will soon be five generations old. I can't say the same about Windows and its AI-powered rebirth with the Copilot package. Before confusion ensues, let me clear things up. Recommended Videos Copilot is a suite of AI features, just like Gemini or Apple Intelligence. Then we have Copilot+ machines, which is a branding for PCs that meet certain hardware-level requirements to enable AI-powered features on Windows laptops and PCs. Here's the weird part. A healthy bunch of Intel silicon launched in 2025 — even those in the powerful 'H' class — don't meet those AI processing requirements. All of it has created a weird kind of divide in the Windows ecosystem where certain advanced AI features are locked to a handful of cheaper machines, even if you paid a much higher price to get a laptop with a far more powerful processor. Oddly, it's not just the hardware, but the software experience that now feels different. Copilot+ is not merely AI hype Before we get into the hardware limitations, let's break down the features. Copilot+ machines require a powerful hardware chip for AI acceleration to enable certain features, down to the OS level. For example, in the Settings app, Microsoft is pushing its own Mu small language model (SML) that runs entirely on the NPU. The NPU on a chip, however, must meet a certain performance baseline, something not even Intel and AMD silicon launched in 2025 fulfill universally. Let's start with the AI-powered Settings app interactions. It can now understand natural language queries and make suggestions so that users can directly take action with a click. If you type something like 'My screen doesn't feel smooth,' the Settings app will show a dialog box underneath the search bar, where you get an actionable button to increase the refresh rate and make the interactions smoother. Apple is chasing something similar and has implemented it within the Spotlight system in macOS Tahoe. Next, we have Recall. It's like a time machine system that takes snapshots of your PC activity in the background and analyzes them contextually. In the future, if you seek to revisit or find something, you can simply type a natural language query and find a record of the activity, complete with a link to the webpage or app you were working with. It almost feels magical, and you can read more about my experience here. The crucial benefit is that a healthy bunch of Copilot+ AI features will run on-device, which means they won't require an internet connection. That's convenient, but in hindsight, it's a huge sigh of relief that all user activity remains locked to your device and nothing is sent to servers. Copilot+ hardware also enables a bunch of creative features such as Cocreator and Generative Fill in Paint, Super Resolution, Image Creator, and Restyle in the native Photos app. But there are a few that are meaningful for day-to-day PC usage. With Click to Do in the Snipping Tool, the AI analyzes the text and image on the screen, somewhat like Google Lens and Apple Intelligence. You can select text, look it up on the web with a single click, send email, open a website, summarize, rewrite, and take a wide range of image actions such as copy, share, visual search in Bing, erase objects, remove background, and do more — without ever opening another app. On the more practical side of things, we have translated Live Captions that cover over 40 languages. The translation and captioning happen in real-time and work during video calls and video watching, too. Finally, we have Windows Studio Effects, which can perform chores such as automatic frame adjustment, portrait lighting tweaks, switch background effects, minimize noise, and even make gaze adjustment. The Copilot+ hardware wall Even if you splurge $4,899 on a Razer Blade 18 with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor and Nvidia's top-of-the-line GeForce RTX 5090 graphics, your beastly gaming laptop still won't be able to run the Copilot+ features in Windows 11. That's because the NPU on this processor can only manage 13 TOPS, but a pint-sized $800 Microsoft tablet with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X processor can handle all the exclusive Copilot+ features just fine. It's disheartening, because the Copilot+ experiences in Windows 11 are meaningful OS advancements. Most of them, at least. I have used a few of them extensively, and they feel like a practical evolution. Yet, depriving machines that merely miss out on a powerful NPU, despite packing plenty of compute and graphics processing power, is simply unfortunate. Microsoft has laid out tight hardware requirements for machines that can bear the Copilot+ badge — 256GB of storage, 16GB DDR5 RAM, and a processor with a dedicated AI accelerator chip that can output a minimum of 40 TOPS performance. That's a bottleneck from both ends. First, there are still a healthy bunch of machines that ship with 8GB of RAM, and that too, the DDR4 type memory. Take, for example, the Asus Vivobook 17, which costs $700 and ships with 8GB of DDR4 memory on the entry-point configuration, even with the variant that packs a 13th-generation Intel processor. Let's say you pay up to reach 16GB of RAM. Despite that added stress on your wallet, you are still limited by the RAM type and won't be able to run Copilot+ tools on the machine. It's worth mentioning that there are a LOT of Windows machines that still pack 8GB of RAM, and even when they go up to 16GB capacity, they still rely on the DDR4-type memory. Now, it's time to address the elephant in the room. The silicon situation. The latest from Intel is the Ultra 200 series processor family, which is bifurcated across Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake lines. These Ultra 200 series processors are available in four formats: V-series, U-series, H-series, HX-series, and H-series. Out of the four brackets, only the V-series processors support Copilot+ experiences on Windows 11. Even the enthusiast-class H and HX series processors don't meet the NPU requirements, and as such, they are devoid of the Copilot+ AI features. As perplexing as the situation remains with Intel Core 200 series silicon, the situation with AMD and its Copilot+ readiness isn't too different. At the moment, only AMD's Ryzen AI 300 series processors fall under the Copilot+ bracket. That means if you invested in a top-shelf AMD silicon in the past few years, or even aim to build an AMD gaming rig this year, you either lose out on Copilot+ perks or must pick from the Ryzen AI 300 series line-up. Even older Macs do better The situation with Copilot+ is weird because it has created fault lines in the Windows 11 experience that don't make sense, neither from a price perspective, nor from a firepower angle. It even makes one feel bad about spending a fortune on a top-tier Intel processor, only to find it locked beyond next-gen AI features in Windows 11 because the NPU isn't up to the task. The only other option is to pick a Qualcomm Snapdragon X-series processor. But in doing so, you run into the compatibility hurdles that come with Windows on Arm. Plus, the GPU limitations rule out gaming or other demanding tasks where you need a powerful GPU. Right now, it seems like Copilot+ is a bag of serious caveats. And as Microsoft's team comes with more AI-first experiences, the gulf within Windows 11 is only going to widen. An $800 Copilot+ machine will run native AI experiences that even a powerful desktop won't be able to handle in the near future. The situation within the Apple ecosystem is just the opposite. Even if you have a nearly five-year-old M1 MacBook Air, you can run all the Apple Intelligence features just fine. Now, one can argue that AI is not the deciding factor for picking up a laptop. But as companies like Microsoft, Apple, and Google deeply integrate AI packages such as Copilot, Siri, and Gemini across their OS at the native level, these AI features will essentially serve as a key computing evolution. Google has already given us a glimpse of how tightly interweaving Gemini across its Workspace tools can flesh out, and somewhat similar is the progress of Apple Intelligence within maCOS. But when it comes to the OS-level AI progress, it's Microsoft that finds itself in an odd place where a huge chunk of Windows 11 users are going to feel left out, while macOS users will move forward just fine even on aging hardware.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
3 Reasons to Buy QLD and 3 Reasons Not To
QLD is an ETF that aims to double the gains of the Nasdaq-100. But it also doubles your losses if the index declines. Its wild swings, dependence on swap contracts, and high expense ratio make it a very risky investment. 10 stocks we like better than ProShares Trust - ProShares Ultra Qqq › ProShares Ultra QQQ (NYSEMKT: QLD) is an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that tracks the Nasdaq-100 index. But unlike other Nasdaq-100 ETFs, which directly track the index, Ultra QQQ aims to double the performance of the Nasdaq-100. If the Nasdaq-100 rises 1% in a day, the Ultra QQQ should advance 2%. But it also doubles its losses: If the Nasdaq-100 declines 1%, the Ultra QQQ should drop 2%. It tries to consistently double those gains and losses with a mix of swap agreements, options, and other derivatives. Over the past five years, the Nasdaq-100 has rallied 114% as Ultra QQQ's price surged 191%. While it hasn't exactly doubled the Nasdaq-100's return -- since it needs to be constantly rebalanced -- it still outperformed the index by a significant margin. Is Ultra QQQ a good growth play for investors who can stomach the volatility? Let's review the three reasons to buy this ETF -- and the three reasons to avoid it -- to decide. Ultra QQQ might be worth buying for three reasons: The tech sector is booming, its derivatives strategy allows its investors to pursue riskier strategies with less capital, and it could be a useful tool for short-term traders who can stomach a lot of volatility. The Nasdaq-100's biggest companies include Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, Apple, and Broadcom. These companies have plenty of exposure to the secular expansion of the cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) markets, and their stocks could continue to beat the market. If that happens, it might be smart to park your cash in an ETF that aims to double those returns. If an investor wants to replicate Ultra QQQ's aggressive strategies on their own, they may need to deploy a lot more cash or take on margin loans to fund their own derivative trades. Simply buying the ETF puts those decisions in the hands of its fund managers -- and frees up investors' cash for other investments. For short-term traders, Ultra QQQ could be a great way to amplify gains from temporary tailwinds, such as economic data, earnings reports, and other news-driven events. Ultra QQQ is a tough ETF to recommend for three reasons: Its dependence on swap contracts is risky, it magnifies losses, and it charges high fees. Ultra QQQ tethers most of its assets to swap contracts. This means that it strikes agreements with banks and other parties to receive double the gain of the Nasdaq-100 on a regular basis. In return, it continues to pay fees and interest to those banks. But if a bank struggles or goes bankrupt, that swap contract could collapse and leave Ultra QQQ empty-handed. It mitigates that counterparty swap risk by diversifying its contracts, but it could face major losses in the event of another credit crunch or financial crisis. The way it doubles the Nasdaq-100's losses also makes it a much riskier investment than other ETFs, such as the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ: QQQ), which simply tracks the Nasdaq-100. While it may be an attractive ETF for short-term traders seeking to magnify their gains, it could easily backfire and burn investors during a market downturn. Lastly, the Ultra QQQ charges a gross expense ratio of 0.97% and a net expense ratio of 0.95%. In comparison, the Invesco QQQ Trust charges a total expense ratio (comparable to the gross expense ratio) of just 0.20%. Therefore, you're paying nearly five times the fees to try to double the Nasdaq-100's gains, but you're exposing yourself to double its downside potential. Warren Buffett famously told investors to be "fearful when others are greedy," and the Ultra QQQ ETF is a pretty greedy play. If you expect the Nasdaq-100 to keep rising and can stomach a lot of near-term volatility, this ETF might be worth nibbling on as a short-term trade. But if you're looking for a diversified, low-cost ETF to hold while sleeping soundly at night, the Ultra QQQ ETF isn't for you. Instead, you should either stick with a straightforward ETF, such as the Invesco QQQ Trust, or a less volatile one that tracks the S&P 500. Before you buy stock in ProShares Trust - ProShares Ultra Qqq, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and ProShares Trust - ProShares Ultra Qqq wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $713,547!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $966,931!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,062% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 177% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 23, 2025 John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Leo Sun has positions in Amazon and Apple. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 3 Reasons to Buy QLD and 3 Reasons Not To was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Gizmodo
29 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
Meta's Xbox-Branded Quest 3S Just Sold Out for All the Wrong Reasons
Everyone loves limited-edition stuff. There's Sony's 30th anniversary PS5, or Analogue's many limited edition Pocket handhelds, or— I don't know—the Shamrock f***ing Shake. But there's one type of person who loves limited-edition stuff more than your average consumer, and it's a scalper. For proof of that, see Meta's recently released Xbox-branded Quest 3S. See Meta Quest Xbox Edition at Best Buy In case you missed it, Meta's new limited-edition Quest 3S bundle just recently sold out, which on the surface sounds like a great thing for VR and XR. You may be tempted to say, 'Oh, wow! People really like XR headsets, huh?' But before you do that, it may also be worth taking a short gander at eBay, because the resale market over there paints a slightly more cynical picture. It's full of Xbox-branded Quest 3S bundles, folks—and they ain't just giving them away. This bundle, for reference, retails at $399, and the average price I'm seeing on eBay is about $600, though sometimes a little more or a little less. Here is the sad state of affairs on eBay as of the time of typing these words: The list goes on and on, unfortunately, which tells me one thing: the scalpers had a field day with this thing. And that's just kind of sad. It's not sad that someone would want to make money from reselling a limited-edition gadget—as annoying as scalpers are, I can't blame anyone for having a side hustle in this economy. But it is sad that Meta seemingly didn't do much to preserve its limited-edition Quest 3S for XR nerds who unequivocally deserve first dibs. It's also maybe a little sad—as someone who borders on said XR nerd identity—that the race to being out of stock may not actually be driven by real demand. XR headsets, while not the most crucial gadget in the world, are pretty cool and deserve more shine than they get, in my humble opinion. It would have been nice to see them really break through with a little help from an Xbox marketing gimmick. But as always, the almighty aftermarket prevails. To be fair, I'm sure not all of the sales were scalpers trying to make a buck off the XR headset's rarity. Some people, I presume, bought it because it's a pretty good deal for getting into XR—you get a sleek black headset with Xbox green details, Meta's Elite Strap for your head, and a limited-edition Xbox controller to top it off. Based on the retail price of all of that, this bundle saves you somewhere in the ballpark of $95. Some people bought this bundle because of Xbox, too. Here's one instance in which someone seems to have pulled the trigger on this bundle just for the controller. Honestly… respect. That's much more pure than trying to spin the whole thing around for $200. The idea that someone buys the new Quest colorway just to nab the limited edition Xbox Controller and sell the rest is really comical.. — SadlyItsDadley (@SadlyItsBradley) June 27, 2025Listen, scalpers are an inevitable fact of life nowadays when you're buying any gadget that's even slightly in demand. Like it or not, that's just the world we live in—one colored by bots and dropshipping. But I'd be lying if I said that it wouldn't have been nice to see a little effort on Meta's part to prevent that. It can be done! Just look at the Switch 2 launch. People have been resorting to cartoonish levels of robbery to get their hands on it—that's how in-demand this thing is—but Nintendo, with a little bit of forethought, has kept the scourge of scalpers to a dull roar. I guess Meta probably doesn't care that much either way, though. A sale is a sale, whether it ends up on eBay or on your dorky XR- and Xbox-loving head. Sadly, if you're in the latter camp, it looks like the aftermarket is your only option right now. Thanks, Zuckerberg. Just because you look like a dropshipper doesn't mean you have to act like one. See Meta Quest Xbox Edition at Best Buy
