- Snap's revenue increased by 10% year-over-year to $1.7 billion, with a boost from the growing Snap+ subscription service (24 million subscribers).
- Daily active users slightly decreased in North America and Europe, despite growth in other regions.
- Snap is expanding beyond advertising with new offerings like paid Memories storage and plans to launch augmented reality glasses ("Specs") through a dedicated subsidiary.

A: Did you hear about Snap’s latest news?
B: No, what happened? Tell me!

A: Okay, so they’re trying to make money in new ways! Not just from ads.
B: Really? Like what?

A: Subscriptions! They have something called Snap+. It’s a paid service.
B: Oh, like a premium version?

A: Exactly! And it’s growing! They have 24 million subscribers now.
B: Wow, that’s a lot!

A: But… they're also having a bit of trouble. Their daily users went down a little bit.
B: Oh no! Where did they go?

A: Mostly in America and Europe. But growing in other places!
B: Interesting. So, it’s mixed news?

A: Totally! And they’re expecting less money next quarter because of Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
B: Those guys are always a challenge!

A: But get this! They’re making AR glasses! Like, real glasses!
B: Seriously? Cool! When are they coming out?

A: Later this year! They even created a special company just for the glasses - Specs Inc.
B: That’s a big deal!

A: The boss, Evan Spiegel, says they want computing to be more natural and mixed with the real world.
B: Sounds very futuristic!

A: He also said they aren’t completely sure how they will make money from the glasses yet.
B: So, still figuring it out?

A: Yep! They just want to launch a really good product first.
B: Makes sense! Well, that’s a lot of news about Snap!

Snap is on a mission to diversify its revenue sources — moving from a business model in which it largely chases ad revenue to one where it can also make money through subscriptions and, eventually, hardware. The company’s latest quarterly earnings report shows that, so far, the firm is having moderate success with that strategy.
In Q4, Snap’s revenue was $1.7 billion, which is up 10% year-over-year. Its average revenue per user was also up, slightly (to $3.62 from $3.44). The company’s net income was $45 million, up from $9 million the previous year, its earnings report shows.
The company has also continued to generate a significant amount of revenue from Snap+, the paid subscription service that the platform launched back in 2022. The service’s subscribers grew 71% year-over-year, reaching 24 million.
While those numbers might seem to suggest a company whose trajectory is headed in the right direction, the earnings report also shows the platform had slightly fewer daily active users last quarter — dropping from 477 million to 474 million. Those users fell away in North America and Europe, the report shows, while growing slightly throughout the rest of the world.
Reuters also reports that the company expects its revenue during the first quarter of this year to be below analysts’ previous estimates, as competition from Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok cuts into its advertising earnings.
During Wednesday’s earnings call, CEO Evan Spiegel focused on the company’s newer offerings, including its recent effort to charge users for Memories storage — a feature that lets users save and store their Snaps — and its plans to launch Specs later this year. The company has not launched a public-facing version of the augmented-reality glasses since 2019. In anticipation of that event, Snap recently announced the creation of a new subsidiary, Specs Inc., that is focused solely on further developing the glasses.
“Our long-term vision for augmented reality extends beyond the smartphone to a future when computing is more natural, contextual and seamlessly integrated into the real world,” said Spiegel. The CEO added that it was important to develop a “strong standalone brand” for Specs, as he said the hardware product could appeal “to a different audience segment” than the “core Snapchat audience.”
That said, it sounds like the strategy behind Specs may not be entirely ironed out yet. Later in the conversation, Spiegel continued: “We’re so close to launch that the key here is really just, you know, nailing the launch and making sure that we deliver an extraordinary product. And then, you know, I think we have a lot of flexibility to think about how we want to capitalize [on] it moving forward.”
Topics
© 2025 TechCrunch Media LLC.

Quiz 1:
What is Snap’s primary goal regarding its revenue sources?
A. To solely focus on ad revenue and maximize its earnings.
B. To diversify its revenue sources beyond just ad revenue, including subscriptions and hardware.
C. To decrease its revenue and attract a wider audience.
D. To eliminate subscription services and rely solely on user engagement.

Quiz 2:
How many subscribers did Snap+ reach by the end of Q4?
A. 10 million
B. 15 million
C. 24 million
D. 36 million

Quiz 3:
What is the purpose of the newly created subsidiary, Specs Inc.?
A. To focus solely on developing augmented-reality glasses.
B. To handle all of Snap's advertising revenue.
C. To manage Snap+'s subscription services.
D. To oversee the company's earnings reports and financial planning.

[Answer block]
Answers:
Quiz 1: B
Quiz 2: C
Quiz 3: A

- Japanese sake brewers released limited-edition sake on Risshun, the lunar new year's start of spring.
- These special brews are believed to bring good fortune and are certified as being bottled on Risshun morning.
- A purification ritual by a shrine priest and the brewery president's endorsement highlight the sake's unique appeal.

A: Hey Sakura! Did you hear about something cool happening with sake?

B: No, what’s up, Kenji? Tell me!

A: Apparently, some sake breweries are releasing special, limited-edition sake!

B: Really? What makes it so special?

A: It’s made really early on Risshun! You know, the first day of spring in the lunar calendar?

B: Oh wow, that’s… a thing! Is it lucky or something?

A: Exactly! People think it brings good fortune. One brewery in Okayama started preparing ages ago.

B: So, when did they actually *make* it?

A: They started bottling it around 3 am on Wednesday! They put a special label on, too.

B: Three AM?! That’s dedication!

A: Totally! And get this – a priest even purified the boxes with a special ritual!

B: Wow, that's seriously traditional.

A: The president of the brewery said this year’s edition smells really good. He wants everyone to try it, even people who don't usually drink sake!

B: That's nice! Maybe I’ll give it a try!

Japanese sake brewers have shipped out limited editions produced in the early hours of Risshun, the day that marks the start of spring in the lunar calendar.
The special brews are valued for their supposed power to bring good fortune.
One brewer in Asakuchi City in Okayama Prefecture, western Japan, started preparing its early spring edition at the end of last year.
At around 3 a.m. on Wednesday, workers started bottling the freshly made sake. They attached labels certifying it was bottled on the morning of Risshun.
Before they were shipped out, the boxes of sake were purified in a ritual by a priest from a nearby shrine.
The brewery's president, Fujii Nobuhiko, says this year's special edition has a pleasant aroma. He hopes it will be enjoyed by Japanese sake fans as well as young people who have never tried it before.

Okay, here are three four-choice quizzes based on the provided article, strictly adhering to your specified format.

Quiz 1:
What is Risshun, according to the article?
A. A festival celebrating the sake brewing process.
B. The day that marks the start of spring in the lunar calendar.
C. A type of Japanese rice used in sake production.
D. A ritual performed by brewery presidents.

Quiz 2:
Where is Asakuchi City, the location of the brewery mentioned in the article?
A. In the Kansai region of Japan.
B. In the Kanto region of Japan.
C. In western Japan, specifically Okayama Prefecture.
D. In northern Japan, known for its rice cultivation.

Quiz 3:
What was done to the boxes of sake before they were shipped out?
A. They were purified in a ritual by a priest.
B. They were inspected by the brewery’s president.
C. They were marketed with special advertisements.
D. They were sealed with official stamps.

[Answer block]
Answers:
Quiz 1: B
Quiz 2: C
Quiz 3: A

A source says Tokyo Electric Power Company is planning to once again restart the No.6 reactor at its nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture as early as Monday, February 9.
TEPCO reactivated the reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant on January 21, but shut it down about 29 hours later after an alarm sounded while control rods were being extracted.
It was the first TEPCO reactor to restart since the 2011 accident at the company's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
The source says TEPCO identified a fault in the alarm settings for a device that controls the movement and speed of the control rods.
It adds that TEPCO believes it can resolve the problem by changing the settings. It is making final arrangements to extract control rods and restart the reactor again as early as next Monday.
The company had initially planned to resume commercial operations at the plant on February 26. In the wake of the problem, TEPCO has indicated it will likely review that schedule.
The source says TEPCO will submit a revised schedule for resuming commercial operation to the Nuclear Regulation Authority.
It also says TEPCO plans to announce the results of its investigation on Friday.

Quiz 1:
When is Tokyo Electric Power Company planning to restart the No.6 reactor?
A. January 21
B. February 9
C. February 26
D. Friday

Quiz 2:
What prompted TEPCO to shut down the reactor on January 21?
A. A fault in the control rods
B. A schedule review
C. An alarm sounding during control rod extraction
D. A revised schedule submission

Quiz 3:
What was significant about the January 21 reactivation?
A. It was the first TEPCO reactor to restart since Fukushima Daiichi
B. It resulted in immediate commercial operations
C. It was planned for February 26
D. It involved submitting a revised schedule



[Answer block]
Answers:
Quiz 1: B
Quiz 2: C
Quiz 3: A

- Arakurayama Sengen Park's annual cherry blossom festival has been cancelled due to severe overtourism and disruptive tourist behaviour.
- Residents of Fujiyoshida have complained about issues ranging from traffic congestion to trespassing and inappropriate public behaviour.
- While the festival is cancelled, the park will remain open and authorities will manage increased visitor numbers with security and parking solutions.

A: Did you hear about the news? Something about Fujiyoshida?

B: No, what happened? I love that view with Mt. Fuji and the cherry blossoms!

A: Yeah, it's that super famous spot, Arakurayama Sengen Park. They’re cancelling the cherry blossom festival this year.

B: Seriously? Why? Is it too cold?

A: Nope! It’s because of too many tourists. It's gotten really crazy.

B: Oh no! What were they doing?

A: It’s pretty bad, apparently. Traffic jams everywhere. People walking in the street. Some tourists were even going onto private property!

B: Wow, that’s terrible! I can’t imagine!

A: And get this… some were even urinating in people's gardens and going into their houses!

B: No way! That's so rude! They’re disrespecting the local people.

A: Exactly! The mayor said it’s a crisis. He wants to protect the residents' lives and dignity.

B: That makes sense. Even though Mt. Fuji is beautiful, the people who live there need peace.

A: They’ll still have cherry blossoms, and the park will be open. But they're putting extra staff there to manage things.

B: So, no festival, but people will still come? It’s kind of ironic they used that famous photo in the announcement!

A: Totally! It shows how they’re proud of their place, but they need people to be respectful. Otherwise, more places might do the same thing.

B: I hope people learn to be better tourists. Let's try to be good examples next time we go!

In-home trespassing, public urination, and other bad manners bring an end to a local tradition.

If you’ve got even a little bit of interest in traveling in Japan, odds are that on multiple times over the past few years you’ve seen a photo taken from the exact same vantage point as the one above, with a five-story pagoda in the foreground, a grove of cherry blossom trees at its base, and off in the distance, Mt. Fuji, with its peak shrouded in snow.
It’s such a concise concentration of traditional Japanese beauty that it almost doesn’t seem real, like it’s a collage put together for anyone who needs a splash image that says “JAPAN!” for a report or presentation, but the spot where those photos are taken actually exists. Arakurayama Sengen Park is located in the town of Fujiyoshida in Yamanashi Prefecture, where a walking path leads up from the suburbs to a shrine with a viewing deck offering sweeping views that stretch, unobstructed, all the way to Japan’s tallest mountains.
Arakurayama Sengen wasn’t always a poster-park for the whole country, however. As a matter of fact, 10 years ago Fujiyoshida held the first Arakurayama Sengen Park Sakura Festival, in an attempt to drum up publicity and attract leisure-travel visitors to the area. 10 years and countless social media photos later, though, the situation has changed dramatically, and with less than two months left before the start of sakura season, the municipal government has announced that they’re cancelling this year’s cherry blossom festival.

As for why, you can probably guess from the above photo, taken during a previous Arakurayama Sengen Park Sakura Festival: overcrowding and overtourism. With around 45,000 residents, Fujiyoshida isn’t some tiny hamlet, but it’s not a big city by any means either, and the population density is pretty low. The surge in visitors, both Japanese and foreign, is funneling so many people into the neighborhood that it’s negatively affecting the people who live there. Complaints from residents regarding tourist behavior have included:
● Chronic traffic congestion
● Tourists not giving way on sidewalks, forcing children walking to/from school to walk in the street
● Trespassing on private property
● Littered cigarette butts
● Urinating or defecating in residents’ gardens
● Opening residents’ doors and entering their homes without permission to use the bathroom
▼ We’re going to need the help of a team of specialists to determine which of those last two is worse, but their preliminary stance is that they’re both appallingly asinine.

“In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in the number of domestic and foreign visitors [to the park], and harmful overtourism has gone beyond tolerable levels, deeply impacting the living environment of local residents,” says the Fujiyoshida municipal government in its statement cancelling this year’s event, with mayor Shigeru Horiuchi personally adding:
“For the city of Fujiyoshida, Mt. Fuji is not just a mere tourism resource, but a part of our lifestyle. However, the flipside of that beautiful scenery is that our residents’ peaceful lifestyles are being threatened, and I strongly feel that this has become a crisis situation. My first priority is to protect the living conditions and dignity of all of our city’s residents. For that purpose, we have made the decision, after 10 years, to bring the Sakura Festival to an end.”
It’s worth noting that the Arakurayama Sengen Park Sakura Festival wasn’t a single-day event, but rather a blanket term applied for a period of about two weeks when the sakura were in bloom. These kinds of quasi-festivals usually consist of things like an extra advertising/promotional push by the local administration and vendors selling snacks and souvenirs at the venue, resulting in an overall increase in visitors over the course of several days (Fujiyoshida has experienced an increase of around 200,000 extra visitors during its Sakura Festivals in recent years).
Also, while the canceling of the Sakura Festival means no use of the event name or associated promotion by the city government, the cherry blossoms themselves will still bloom, and the park will still be open. Even with no festival taking place, the local authorities recognize that there will still be an increase in incoming tourists once the flowers start to blossom, and so security and traffic direction staff will be deployed around the neighborhood during the first half of April, and temporary parking areas and public restrooms will be set up as well.
Finally, yes, it is ironic that in the very same press release in which Fujiyoshida is announcing “We’re cancelling the Sakura Festival because too many people have been coming,” they also included the absolutely stunning photo seen at the top of this article, showcasing the very view that’s been drawing tourists to the town. It highlights a complicated aspect of Japan’s current tourism situation, which is that locals are proud of what makes their communities special, and are, in principle, very happy to share that with visitors…as long as those visitors are considerate to the people who live there. That last part clearly hasn’t been happening in Fujiyoshida, though, as aside from traffic congestion, their complaints aren’t so much about the number of visitors as they are about the number of visitors who are acting like jerks.
The cancellation announcement of this year’s Arakurayama Sengen Park Sakura Festival doesn’t make any mention about the city council reconvening next year to discuss brining it back, so even if it’s not necessarily gone for good, it looks like it’s going into extended hiatus at the very least. As Japan’s popular sightseeing spots grow increasingly touristed, it’s going to be more and more important for visitors to remain courteous towards the surrounding community, or else we’re likely to see a rush of places coming to the same decision as Fujiyoshida did for their own local traditions.
Source: Fujiyoshida City via Norimono News via Livedoor News via Jin
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times, Pakutaso
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- Anthropic released Super Bowl commercials mocking OpenAI’s plan to introduce ads into ChatGPT's free tier, depicting chatbots inserting bizarre advertisements into user conversations.
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded with a lengthy, critical post on X, accusing Anthropic of dishonesty and authoritarianism, and defending the ad-supported model for ChatGPT.
- The commercial dispute highlights the ongoing rivalry between Anthropic and OpenAI, revealing differing philosophies regarding AI accessibility, usage restrictions, and advertising practices.

A: Did you hear about the news? It's wild!

B: No, what happened? Something about Super Bowl commercials?

A: Yeah! Remember how OpenAI said they'd be putting ads into ChatGPT?

B: Oh, right! I heard something about that.

A: Well, Anthropic, that other AI company, made some *really* funny commercials to make fun of it!

B: Seriously? What did they do?

A: They showed chatbots giving terrible advice, then suddenly popping up with ads for weird stuff! Like, one ad was for a dating site for cougars! So silly!

B: *laughs* Wow! That’s pretty cheeky! Did OpenAI get mad?

A: You bet! Their boss, Sam Altman, got *so* mad he wrote a really long post online! He called Anthropic dishonest and even… authoritarian!

B: Authoritarian?! That’s a strong word! What did he say exactly?

A: He basically said OpenAI needs to show ads to reach more people, and Anthropic's way is bad. He said they control what people do with AI!

B: Hmm, it sounds like a big business rivalry, right?

A: Totally! Both companies have free versions and subscription options. And both say they care about AI safety, but they disagree on how to do it. OpenAI lets people use it for some things Anthropic doesn’t.

B: So, these ads were just Anthropic teasing OpenAI?

A: Exactly! It definitely got under their skin. It's a bit of a silly fight, but pretty interesting to watch!



A: I bet it's fun to watch!
B: Definitely!

Anthropic’s Super Bowl commercial, one of four ads the AI lab dropped on Wednesday, begins with the word “BETRAYAL” splashed boldly across the screen. The camera pans to a man earnestly asking a chatbot (obviously intended to depict ChatGPT) for advice on how to talk to his mom.
The bot, portrayed by a blonde woman, offers some classic bits of advice. Start by listening. Try a nature walk! And then twists into an ad for a fictitious (we hope!) cougar-dating site called Golden Encounters. Anthropic finishes the spot by saying that while ads are coming to AI, they won’t be coming to its own chatbot, Claude.
Another commercial features a slight young man looking for advice on building a six pack. After offering his height, age, and weight, the bot serves him an ad for height-boosting insoles.
The Anthropic commercials are cleverly aimed at OpenAI’s users, after that company’s recent announcement that ads will be coming to ChatGPT’s free tier. And they caused an immediate stir, spawning headlines that Anthropic “mocks,” “skewers,” and “dunks on” OpenAI.
They are funny enough that even Sam Altman admitted on X that he laughed at them. But he clearly didn’t really find them funny. They inspired him to write a novella-sized rant that devolved into calling his rival “dishonest” and “authoritarian.”
In that post, Altman explains that an ad-supported tier is intended to shoulder the burden of offering free ChatGPT to many of its millions of users. ChatGPT is still the most popular chatbot by a large margin.
But the OpenAI CEO insisted the ads were “dishonest” in implying that ChatGPT will twist a conversation to insert an ad (and possibly for an off-color product, to boot).”We would obviously never run ads in the way Anthropic depicts them,” Altman wrote in the social media post. “We are not stupid and we know our users would reject that.”
Indeed, OpenAI has promised ads will be separate, labeled, and will never influence a chat. But the company has also said it is planning on making them conversation-specific — which is the central allegation of Anthropic’s ads. As OpenAI explained on its blog, “We plan to test ads at the bottom of answers in ChatGPT when there’s a relevant sponsored product or service based on your current conversation.”
Altman then went on to fling some equally questionable assertions at his rival. “Anthropic serves an expensive product to rich people,” he wrote. “We also feel strongly that we need to bring AI to billions of people who can’t pay for subscriptions.”
But Claude has a free chat tier, too, with subscriptions at $0, $17, $100, and $200. ChatGPT’s tiers are $0, $8, $20, and $200. One could argue the subscription tiers are fairly equivalent.
Altman also alleged in his post that “Anthropic wants to control what people do with AI.” He argues it blocks usage of Claude Code from “companies they don’t like,” like OpenAI, and said Anthropic tells people what they can and can’t use AI for.
True, Anthropic’s whole marketing deal since day one has been “responsible AI.” The company was founded by two former OpenAI alums, after all, who claimed they grew alarmed about AI safety when they worked there.
Still, both chatbot companies have usage policies, AI guardrails, and talk about AI safety. And while OpenAI allows ChatGPT to be used for erotica while Anthropic does not, OpenAI, like Anthropic, has determined that some content should be blocked, particularly in regards to mental health.
Yet Altman took this Anthropic-tells-you-what-to-do argument to an extreme level when he accused Anthropic of being “authoritarian.”
“One authoritarian company won’t get us there on their own, to say nothing of the other obvious risks. It is a dark path,” he wrote.
Using “authoritarian” in a rant over a cheeky Super Bowl ad is misplaced, at best. It’s particularly tactless when considering the current geopolitical environment in which protesters around the world have been killed by agents of their own government. While business rivals have been duking it out in ads since the beginning of time, clearly Anthropic hit a nerve.
Topics
© 2025 TechCrunch Media LLC.

Quiz 1:
What was the initial word displayed in Anthropic's Super Bowl commercial?
A. Welcome
B. Betrayal
C. Innovation
D. Opportunity

Quiz 2:
According to Sam Altman, how does OpenAI plan to implement ads within ChatGPT?
A. By directly influencing the conversation flow with product placements.
B. By randomly inserting ads throughout the chatbot's responses.
C. By placing labeled ads at the bottom of answers related to the current conversation.
D. By blocking specific topics and then inserting ads.

Quiz 3:
What was a key reason Anthropic's commercials sparked such a strong reaction from Sam Altman?
A. They humorously highlighted the potential for intrusive advertising in AI chatbots.
B. They accurately depicted OpenAI's current advertising strategy.
C. They praised OpenAI's commitment to AI safety.
D. They accurately reflected the subscription prices of Anthropic's Claude chatbot.

[Answer block]
Answers:
Quiz 1: B
Quiz 2: C
Quiz 3: A

- TSMC will manufacture advanced 3-nanometer semiconductors in Japan, marking the first production of this technology in the country.
- The new facility will support Japan's AI sector and contribute to economic growth, with government support pledged.
- This expansion follows TSMC’s 2024 launch of a factory in Kumamoto producing 12- to 28-nanometer chips.

A: Hey Hana! Did you hear any interesting news today?

B: Oh, hi Ken! Not really. What’s up?

A: Apparently, TSMC – you know, that huge chipmaker from Taiwan?

B: Yeah, I’ve heard of them. They’re super important, right?

A: Exactly! They’re planning to make really advanced chips right here in Japan!

B: Seriously? Wow! What kind of chips?

A: Super tiny ones! 3-nanometer chips. They’re like, the newest, coolest technology.

B: Nanometer? That’s tiny! What are they for?

A: They're used in AI stuff and smartphones! Prime Minister Takaichi met with their CEO to announce it.

B: That’s big news for Japan’s tech industry! Will it be a long time before we see them?

A: Well, they already have a factory in Kumamoto, making older chips. This will be a new one, building those 3-nanometer chips.

B: So, it's like expanding their operations here?

A: Yep! They said it’ll really help Japan's AI businesses grow. And the government is supporting it too.

B: That's amazing! So, more jobs and more AI technology? Sounds pretty good!