VOLUME 42

Happy Friday! Today, we have an exciting round up of stories from 4 of the biggest tech companies in the world, starting with the massive news of NVIDIA surpassing Apple in market value.

Stay tuned! And hope you enjoy.

— Jacob Pace

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NVIDIA Becomes a $3 Trillion Dollar Company

This week, NVIDIA, the leading chipmaker known for powering the AI revolution, became the third US company to reach a $3 trillion market cap, surpassing Apple in current market value. 

Along with this news, the company also announced another significant milestone: a 10-for-1 stock split.

Context: NVIDIA was founded in 1993 and has established itself as the go-to supplier for AI chips and integrated software. The company’s GPUs are integral to AI models used by tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Meta.

Due to the boom of the recent AI revolution, the company's stock price has surged over 3,224% in the past five years. In fact, in the first quarter of this year, NVIDIA reported $26 billion in sales, more than tripling its revenue from the same period last year.

The 10-for-1 stock split will be effective for shareholders of record as of June 6, 2024. Post-split, NVIDIA’s stock, which closed at $1,224.40 before the split, will be divided, making each share worth approximately $122.44. 

Despite NVIDIA’s massive and unprecedented success, some believe that this growth is really more of a short-term bubble that does have a chance of correcting itself as soon as this year. But only time will tell!

I’ve heard many people say it’s too late to jump on the NVIDIA bandwagon, only to be proven wrong yet again the stock leaps another 10x.

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Instagram Tests Unskippable Ads

Instagram confirmed it is testing unskippable ads after screenshots of the feature began circulating across social media. The new “ad break” feature was spotted initially by Instagram user Dan Levy, who posted a screenshot of the test to his account on X. The app stopped Levy from scrolling past the ad when it appeared, he said — something he thought was a “bonkers move.”

This ad style does mimic that of YouTube, which requires non-paying users to view ads before and in the middle of watching videos. It makes sense that Instagram would consider going this route, too, given that it has also shifted over the years to become more of a video-sharing network, due to features like Stories and Reels, rather than a place to only share still photos.

I would only hope that the future of this product is to share more ad revenue with creators, since Instagram hasn’t typically been talked about as a platform where you can make a whole bunch of money for getting views on your content.

For now, the feature is just a test, but it demonstrates to what extent Meta is willing to experiment with the app’s core user experience in favor of increased revenues​​​​​​, during a time when ad dollars for most social media platforms is quite erratic.

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X Tweaks Rules to Formally Allow Adult Content

X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has updated its terms of service to officially permit the sharing of consensually produced and distributed adult content. 

Context: X has long been a platform with many active NSFW (not safe for work) communities, though the rules have neither explicitly banned nor permitted such content until now. 

X's new guidelines state that users can now post consensually produced adult content, including AI-generated media, as long as it is clearly marked, and doesn’t appear on profile photos or banners. The platform has also mentioned that it will continue to ban content that promotes exploitation, non-consent, or harm to minors.

The backstory: Previously, X had an unofficial stance on adult content, which allowed it to thrive, especially after the launch of Twitter Blue (now X Premium). Creators could encourage followers to pay for content, similar to OnlyFans.

Spectators of this official update see the move as a potential step to more formally monetize adult content amid declining ad revenues since Musk's takeover.

The move reflects a growing trend of social media platforms grappling with how to handle adult content. Similar challenges have been faced by platforms like Tumblr, which banned adult content in 2018, and payment processors like Mastercard and Visa, which have enforced strict rules on platforms like Pornhub.

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Google Confirms Leaked Search Documents

Google has officially confirmed that the 2,500 leaked internal documents detailing data collection and search algorithm processes are genuine. The leak, which had been widely speculated upon, was verified by the company, ending its previous silence on the matter.

What it means: The leaked documents provide a rare glimpse into the data Google collects and potentially uses in its search ranking algorithms. While Google has not disclosed the specific use of all the data, the documents suggest that Google tracks a variety of information, some of which it had previously claimed not to use for ranking purposes. This includes data from clicks and Chrome users. 

The revelation has significant implications for the SEO, marketing, and publishing industries, which rely heavily on understanding and optimizing for Google's search algorithms. SEO experts Rand Fishkin and Mike King were among the first to analyze the documents, noting that Google may be using data it previously denied contributing to search rankings.