Thrive Archives - ETCentric

OpenAI Raises $8.3B as ChatGPT Nears 700M Weekly Users

By Paula Parisi
August 6, 2025

OpenAI has reportedly secured another $8.3 billion in funding, for a valuation of $300 billion. The new investment is a major coup for the firm, coming months ahead of schedule in its plan to secure $40 billion in funding by the end of the year. The company previously secured a $30 billion commitment from SoftBank if certain goals are achieved by the start of 2026. The funding news comes as ChatGPT is close to reaching 700 million weekly active users, including a significant jump in new users over the last several months. The company has also experienced an increase in paying subscribers as more enterprises and educators turn to AI. Continue reading OpenAI Raises $8.3B as ChatGPT Nears 700M Weekly Users

Toshiba Releases its Thrive Tablet with Honeycomb

By Rob Scott
June 22, 2011

Add another new tablet to the growing list of available devices… Toshiba began taking pre-orders last week for its 10.1-inch Thrive Tablet, expected to hit retail shelves in early July.
The $430 Wi-Fi-only 8GB tablet runs on Android 3.1 Honeycomb and is powered by Nvidia’s Tegra 2 chip.
PC Magazine reports there will also be 16GB ($480) and 32GB ($580) models available.
Inputs include: USB 2.0, Mini USB, HDMI and SD Card.
Features include: Multitouch 1280×800 LED display, front and rear cameras and a replaceable battery.
According to a PC World review this week, interoperability may be what makes the Thrive stand out from the pack: “The Thrive is the first Honeycomb tablet to include a full-size SD Card slot. None of this microSD card nonsense for Toshiba; ditto for only having a micro- or mini-USB port. By including the SD Card slot and USB port, the company recognizes the need for interoperability among devices. And only with interoperability can a tablet begin to replace a laptop in your arsenal.”
In related news, Hewlett-Packard also recently announced its first media tablet, the 9.7-inch webOS-powered TouchPad. The Wi-Fi-only TouchPad is priced at $500 (16GB) and $600 (32GB).