US flights resume after nationwide disruption due to ‘damaged database file’; ChatGPT paid version coming

One Thing Today in Tech

Normal air traffic operations are slowly resuming in the US after flights were halted across the country on Wednesday, due to a software glitch in the Federal Aviation Administration’s computer systems, BBC reports. Also in this brief, Jio crosses 100 cities with its 5G services; and Maruti Suzuki India expects to launch the eVX, an electric SUV, by 2025 with a range of 550km per charge, the Japanese carmaker said at India’s auto show, according to Reuters.

Notes:

Reliance Jio Infocomm said yesterday it had crossed the 100-city mark, in rolling out its 5G services. Reliance Jio added six cities in Tamil Nadu, bringing its nationwide total to 101, the company said in a press release. By the end of this year, Reliance expects to be offering its 5G services across the country.

Normal air traffic operations are slowly resuming in the US after flights were halted across the country on Wednesday, due to a software glitch in the Federal Aviation Administration’s computer systems, BBC reports.

Preliminary investigations traced the disruption to a “damaged database file,” the FAA said, adding that “at this time, there is no evidence of a cyberattack,” in a statement on its website.

Moderna is considering raising the price of its COVID-19 vaccine by over 400 percent in the US — from $26 per dose to between $110 and $130 per dose — Ars Technica reports, citing a The Wall Street Journal report that is behind a paywall.

This is similar to the price hike announced by Pfizer for its vaccine developed with BioNTech.

Apple supplier, BOE Technology Group, a display maker, plans to invest a substantial sum to build two factories in Vietnam, Reuters reports, citing two people familiar with the matter.

The investment may total up to $400 million, according to Reuters.

OpenAI will soon begin charging for ChatGPT, its viral AI-powered chatbot, TechCrunch reports.

OpenAI said on its official Discord server that it’s “starting to think about how to monetize ChatGPT” as one of the ways to “ensure long-term viability.”

The monetized version of ChatGPT will likely be called ChatGPT Professional according to a waitlist link OpenAI posted in the Discord server, TechCrunch reports.

Some of the benefits of the paid version of ChatGPT include no “blackout” windows, no throttling and an unlimited number of messages with ChatGPT — “at least 2x the regular daily limit.” OpenAI says that those who fill out the waitlist form may be selected to pilot ChatGPT Professional, but that the program is in the experimental stages and won’t be made widely available “at this time,” according to TechCrunch.

And finally, at India’s biennial auto show, Suzuki Motor Corp's Indian unit showcased a concept electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) on Wednesday, with the Japanese car maker's president saying the car would be launched in 2025, Reuters reports.

"I'm delighted to unveil the eVX, a concept SUV of our first global strategic EV (electric vehicle). We plan to bring it to market by 2025," said Suzuki Motor President Toshihiro Suzuki, speaking at an auto show event near New Delhi.

The eVX, an amid-sized vehicle, will be powered by a 60 kWh battery pack offering up to 550 kilometres of driving range, Maruti Suzuki India says, according to Reuters.