UK cloud computing in competition probe, Tesla set to lose EV crown to BYD?

The UK’s cloud computing market is to face a competition probe over concerns it is being dominated by Amazon and Microsoft. Media watchdog Ofcom said the two make up 70-80% of the sector in the UK, while closest rival Google has 5-10%. Ofcom had said in April it was worried a lack of competition made it difficult for businesses to switch providers. It has referred the sector to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to look into the issue. Amazon and Microsoft both told the BBC they would work with the CMA as it conducts its investigation. BBC 

X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has stopped showing headlines for links posted on the site, after site owner Elon Musk said it would make posts look better. Links posted on Twitter now appear as the image included in the article, as well as text in the left-hand corner of the image noting the domain of the link. If users want to visit the page, they must click the image, but it only appears slightly different to how images uploaded to the site appear. The Guardian

Meta Platforms Inc META has unveiled new realistic metaverse avatars that are nearly indistinguishable from the real life version of the person they represent. Those avatars could someday be used to speak with deceased loved ones, according to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. “If someone has lost a loved one and is grieving, there may be ways in which, you know, being able to interact or relive certain memories could be helpful, but then there is also probably an extent to which it could become unhealthy,” Zuckerberg told podcaster Lex Fridman. Benzinga 

The trial of embattled crypto executive Sam Bankman-Fried has begun – with prosecutors claiming he stole more than $10bn (£8.2bn) from unsuspecting customers. Almost a year after FTX spectacularly collapsed, leaving millions of people out of pocket, a court heard that the 31-year-old’s multibillion-dollar empire was “built on lies”. Bankman-Fried has been accused of using customer funds to make risky bets at sister trading firm Alameda Research. Sky News 

Elon Musk’s Tesla is on the verge of losing its crown as the world’s biggest electric carmaker after the Chinese giant BYD came within touching distance of its US rival. BYD, whose founder Wang Chuanfu has pledged to “demolish” established Western carmakers, sold 431,603 vehicles in the third quarter of the year, just 3,456 fewer than Tesla’s 435,059. The Chinese company has embarked on a global push outside of its home country, selling its first cars in the UK and growing sales in Europe. Telegraph 

Xiaomi has unveiled the Smart Band 8 Active smartwatch. The new Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Active is essentially a rebranded Redmi Smart Band 2. It comes on the heels of the launch of the Smart Band 8. The new Smart Band 8 Active is available globally on order. The Xiaomi Smart Band 8 was earlier unveiled in China five months ago.

The Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Active has a 1.47-inch display and offers up to 14 days of battery life. The Smart Band 8 Active is different from the Smart Band 8 Pro which was launched in China about two months ago. Gizmochina