Hi Everyone. This is Take Off. We're like a hidden Easter egg in your favorite video game - surprising, delightful, and adding an extra layer of fun to your tech news consumption.

Here's what we're serving up today:

• Altman's AI Odyssey 🔮 

• Asteroids ☄️

• Trending Tools ⚒️

• Wednesday Wires 💰

Altman's AI Odyssey 🔮 

In the whirlwind world of tech, Sam Altman, the former (yes, former) CEO of OpenAI, has been making waves and sparking conversations left, right, and center!

Altman, known for his trailblazing work in AI, was abruptly shown the door by OpenAI. Talk about a plot twist!

But, in a move that feels straight out of a Silicon Valley soap opera, the OpenAI board seemingly had a change of heart, regretting their decision to let Altman go.

After his surprise exit from OpenAI on November 17, Altman didn't waste any time finding his next adventure. He's now all set to start a new venture at Microsoft, joining forces with the tech giant only days after his departure​.

It's like the tech version of "The Bachelor" – one day you're in, and the next day you're out, and then they want you back, but you've already moved on to the next big thing.

Microsoft, clearly thrilled to have Altman and his colleague Greg Brockman on board, announced their roles in leading a new advanced AI research team.

Back at OpenAI, they've appointed Emmett Shear, the ex-Twitch boss, as interim CEO, in a move that's got the tech world buzzing​.

The departure of Altman has stirred a bit of a storm, revealing a schism over the future of AI development. It seems like the world of artificial intelligence is not just about algorithms and code, but also about the drama and dynamics of those leading its charge​​.

☄️ Asteroids ☄️

Stability AI just dropped Stable Video Diffusion, an AI model turning images into videos! It's open source, but with some use terms to heed. 🤖🎥

Yup, a new app, is shaking up social networking by offering cross-posting across multiple platforms, including Twitter/X and Bluesky, but with a Threads twist! 📲🌐

YouTube's new five-second delay isn't browser bias, it's their latest move against ad blockers, causing a stir among users on Reddit and Hacker News. 🌐🕒

⚒️ Trending Tools ⚒️

🤑 Flowla - Personalized buyer journeys

📧 Folderly - Reach inboxes with every email sent

📊 Hurree - A Pinboard For Your Analytics

🤝 Pitch - Presentation software for teams

💰 Wednesday Wires 💰

Indy raises $44 million to simplify taxes and paperwork for freelancers.  Indy started as an automated accounting platform for freelancers and other self-employed people. 🤑💵 

AI21 Labs closed a $53 million extension to its previously announced Series C funding round. They’re developing generative AI products along the lines of OpenAI’s GPT-4 and ChatGPT. 🤖💸 

Nigeria's Pricepally bags $1.3M seed funding for its grocery e-commerce expansion. They're all about fresh produce and fighting food insecurity! 🍏💰

📰 Recommended Reading 📰

1/ Learn how to maximize your credit cards and travel in style. Click here to subscribe.

2/ The Bay Area Times is the visual daily newsletter on business and tech. Click here to subscribe.

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