Image: TaitoDeveloper M2 and publisher Taito have today announced that the '80s arcade compilation title Operation Night Strikers will also receive a Switch release at some point this year.This one was initially announced for Steam back in November, but a blog post on the Taito website confirmed that the Nintendo hybrid will also be included in the collection's release plans it feels like a good fit, if you ask us.The compilation originally consisted of only the NES shooter Operation Wolf and the MEGA CD's Night Striker, but the news of the Switch release brought with it another two titles joining the proceedings: the SNES' Thunderbolt and Master System's Space Gun.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube795kWatch on YouTube Operation Night Strikers presents each title in both its console and arcade formats, so you can choose a level of nostalgia that suits you. The collection also comes with a handful of nice modern touches like save states, filters, the chance to view play data from some of the games' top-ranking players and more.You'll find a rundown of each game, all the collection's features and a handful of screenshots from its Steam page below:Operation WolfUsing only a machine gun and rocket-propelled grenades, you alone must infiltrate enemy territory, secure the hostages, then get them safely to the extraction point!Your mission code name is Operation Wolf. Do not fail!Operation ThunderboltA hostage rescue mission in Africa and only one man can help! Roy Adams, hero of Operation Wolf is back, and this time his former green beret team-mate, Hardy Jones joins the fight.Your mission code is Operation Thunderbolt. Impossible odds are nothing to these men!Night StrikerBecome a member of the United Nations Special Action Force, a.k.a. Night Striker, and destroy the enemy terrorist organization with in your high-speed combat hovercraft: Intergray!Space Gun2039 AD: an age of space exploration. On their way to investigate an unexplained incident on a space station, a team of space marines receive a distress call from a cargo ship, but what could prepare them for the horrors onboard?!Use your multi-purpose rifle to slay the monsters and rescue the hostages!Four faithful ports, complete with various gadgets, replay functions, and other useful features to enhance the originals!Features Apply filters to simulate actual arcade monitors-- Gadgets display various useful information to either side of the play area- Includes multiple arcade versions of each title- Save/load anywhere during play- Upload your own play data, or download and view top ranking players' data- Compatible with the Cyber Stick intelligent controllerImages: TaitoWe still don't have a precise release date for this one just yet Taito is sticking to "2025" for the time being but we'll be keeping an eye out over the coming months for more information. The return of an arcade classicTime ExtensionA release platform was also announcedWill you be picking this collection up later this year? Combat roll down to the comments and let us know.[source taito.co.jp, via x.com]See AlsoShare:132 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related Articles69 Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's 'Supercharge' eShop Sale (North America)Every game we scored 9/10 or higherNintendo Reconfirms Release Windows For Major Upcoming Switch Games... and the Switch 2!Japan's Switch eShop Will Soon No Longer Accept Overseas Payment MethodsChange will come into effect in March"Nintendo Is Probably The Easiest To Scam" - Devs Discuss The Current State Of The eShopThe rise of "eSlop"

For years, Elon Musk has talked about Dojo the AI supercomputer that will be the cornerstone of Teslas AI ambitions. Its important enough to Musk that in July 2024, he said the companys AI team would double down on Dojo in the lead up to Teslas robotaxi reveal, which happened in October.But what exactly is Dojo? And why is it so critical to Teslas long-term strategy?In short: Dojo is Teslas custom-built supercomputer thats designed to train its Full Self-Driving neural networks. Beefing up Dojo goes hand-in-hand with Teslas goal to reach full self-driving and bring a robotaxi to market. FSD, which is on hundreds of thousands of Tesla vehicles today, can perform some automated driving tasks but still requires a human to be attentive behind the wheel.Teslas Cybercab reveal has come and gone, and now the company is gearing up to launch an autonomous ride-hail service using its own fleet of vehicles in Austin this June. Tesla also said during its 2024 fourth-quarter and full-year earnings call at the end of January that it plans to launch unsupervised FSD for U.S. customers in 2025.Musks previous rhetoric has been that Dojo would be the key to achieving Teslas goal of full self-driving. Now that Tesla appears close to nearing that goal, Musk has been mum on Dojo.Instead, ever since August 2024, talk has been around Cortex, Teslas giant new AI training supercluster being built at Tesla HQ in Austin to solve real-world AI. Musk has also said it will have massive storage for video training of FSD & Optimus.In Teslas Q4 shareholder deck, the company shared updates on Cortex, but nothing on Dojo.Tesla has positioned itself to spend big on AI and Dojo and now Cortex to reach its goal of autonomy for both cars and humanoid robots. And Teslas future success really hinges on its ability to nail this down, given the increased competition in the EV market. So its worth taking a closer look at Dojo, Cortex, and where it all stands today.Teslas Dojo backstoryImage Credits:SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images / Getty ImagesMusk doesnt want Tesla to be just an automaker, or even a purveyor of solar panels andenergy storage systems. Instead, he wants Tesla to be an AI company, one that has cracked the code to self-driving cars by mimicking human perception.Most other companies building autonomous vehicle technology rely on a combination of sensors to perceive the world like lidar, radar and cameras as well as high-definition maps to localize the vehicle. Tesla believes it can achieve fully autonomous driving by relying on cameras alone to capture visual data and then use advanced neural networks to process that data and make quick decisions about how the car should behave.As Teslas former head of AI, Andrej Karpathy, said at the automakers first AI Day in 2021, the company is basically trying to build a synthetic animal from the ground up. (Musk had been teasing Dojo since 2019, but Tesla officially announced it at AI Day.)Companies like Alphabets Waymo have commercialized Level 4 autonomous vehicles which the SAE defines as a system that can drive itself without the need for human intervention under certain conditions through a more traditional sensor and machine learning approach. Tesla has still yet to produce an autonomous system that doesnt require a human behind the wheel.About 1.8 million people have paid the hefty subscription price for Teslas FSD, which currently costs $8,000 and has been priced as high as $15,000. The pitch is that Dojo-trained AI software will eventually be pushed out to Tesla customers via over-the-air updates. The scale of FSD also means Tesla has been able to rake in millions of miles worth of video footage that it uses to train FSD. The idea there is that the more data Tesla can collect, the closer the automaker can get to actually achieving full self-driving.However, some industry experts say there might be a limit to the brute force approach of throwing more data at a model and expecting it to get smarter.First of all, theres an economic constraint, and soon it will just get too expensive to do that, Anand Raghunathan, Purdue Universitys Silicon Valley professor of electrical and computer engineering, told TechCrunch. Further, he said, Some people claim that we might actually run out of meaningful data to train the models on. More data doesnt necessarily mean more information, so it depends on whether that data has information that is useful to create a better model, and if the training process is able to actually distill that information into a better model.Raghunathan said despite these doubts, the trend of more data appears to be here for the short-term at least. And more data means more compute power needed to store and process it all to train Teslas AI models. That is where Dojo, the supercomputer, comes in.What is a supercomputer?Dojo is Teslas supercomputer system thats designed to function as a training ground for AI, specifically FSD. The name is a nod to the space where martial arts are practiced.A supercomputer is made up of thousands of smaller computers called nodes. Each of those nodes has its own CPU (central processing unit) and GPU (graphics processing unit). The former handles overall management of the node, and the latter does the complex stuff, like splitting tasks into multiple parts and working on them simultaneously. GPUs are essential for machine learning operations like those that power FSD training in simulation. They also power large language models, which is why the rise of generative AI has made Nvidia the most valuable company on the planet.Even Tesla buys Nvidia GPUs to train its AI (more on that later).Why does Tesla need a supercomputer?Teslas vision-only approach is the main reason Tesla needs a supercomputer. The neural networks behind FSD are trained on vast amounts of driving data to recognize and classify objects around the vehicle and then make driving decisions. That means that when FSD is engaged, the neural nets have to collect and process visual data continuously at speeds that match the depth and velocity recognition capabilities of a human.In other words, Tesla means to create a digital duplicate of the human visual cortex and brain function.To get there, Tesla needs to store and process all the video data collected from its cars around the world and run millions of simulations to train its model on the data.Tesla appears to rely on Nvidia to power its current Dojo training computer, but it doesnt want to have all its eggs in one basket not least because Nvidia chips are expensive. Tesla also hopes to make something better that increases bandwidth and decreases latencies. Thats why the automakers AI division decided to come up with its own custom hardware program that aims to train AI models more efficiently than traditional systems.At that programs core is Teslas proprietary D1 chips, which the company says are optimized for AI workloads.Ganesh Venkataramanan, former senior director of Autopilot hardware, presenting the D1 training tile at Teslas 2021 AI Day. Image Credits:Tesla/screenshot of streamed eventTesla is of a similar opinion to Apple in that it believes hardware and software should be designed to work together. Thats why Tesla is working to move away from the standard GPU hardware and design its own chips to power Dojo.Tesla unveiled its D1 chip, a silicon square the size of a palm, on AI Day in 2021. The D1 chip entered into production as of at least May this year. The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is manufacturing the chips using 7 nanometer semiconductor nodes. The D1 has 50 billion transistors and a large die size of 645 millimeters squared, according to Tesla. This is all to say that the D1 promises to be extremely powerful and efficient and to handle complex tasks quickly.We can do compute and data transfers simultaneously, and our custom ISA, which is the instruction set architecture, is fully optimized for machine learning workloads, said Ganesh Venkataramanan, former senior director of Autopilot hardware, at Teslas 2021 AI Day. This is a pure machine learning.The D1 is still not as powerful as Nvidias A100 chip, though, which is also manufactured by TSMC using a 7 nanometer process. The A100 contains 54 billion transistors and has a die size of 826 square millimeters, so it performs slightly better than Teslas D1.To get a higher bandwidth and higher compute power, Teslas AI team fused 25 D1 chips together into one tile to function as a unified computer system. Each tile has a compute power of 9 petaflops and 36 terabytes per second of bandwidth, and contains all the hardware necessary for power, cooling and data transfer. You can think of the tile as a self-sufficient computer made up of 25 smaller computers. Six of those tiles make up one rack, and two racks make up a cabinet. Ten cabinets make up an ExaPOD. At AI Day 2022, Tesla said Dojo would scale by deploying multiple ExaPODs. All of this together makes up the supercomputer.Tesla is also working on a next-gen D2 chip that aims to solve information flow bottlenecks. Instead of connecting the individual chips, the D2 would put the entire Dojo tile onto a single wafer of silicon.Tesla hasnt confirmed how many D1 chips it has ordered or expects to receive. The company also hasnt provided a timeline for how long it will take to get Dojo supercomputers running on D1 chips.In response to a June post on X that said: Elon is building a giant GPU cooler in Texas, Musk replied that Tesla was aiming for half Tesla AI hardware, half Nvidia/other over the next 18 months or so. The other could be AMD chips, per Musks comment in January.What does Dojo mean for Tesla?Teslas humanoid robot Optimus Prime II at WAIC in Shanghai, China, on July 7, 2024. Image Credits:Costfoto/NurPhoto / Getty ImagesTaking control of its own chip production means that Tesla might one day be able to quickly add large amounts of compute power to AI training programs at a low cost, particularly as Tesla and TSMC scale up chip production.It also means that Tesla may not have to rely on Nvidias chips in the future, which are increasingly expensive and hard to secure.During Teslas second-quarter earnings call, Musk said that demand for Nvidia hardware is so high that its often difficult to get the GPUs. He said he was quite concerned about actually being able to get steady GPUs when we want them, and I think this therefore requires that we put a lot more effort on Dojo in order to ensure that weve got the training capability that we need.That said, Tesla is still buying Nvidia chips today to train its AI. In June, Musk posted on X:Of the roughly $10B in AI-related expenditures I said Tesla would make this year, about half is internal, primarily the Tesla-designed AI inference computer and sensors present in all of our cars, plus Dojo. For building the AI training superclusters, Nvidia hardware is about 2/3 of the cost. My current best guess for Nvidia purchases by Tesla are $3B to $4B this year.Inference compute refers to the AI computations performed by Tesla cars in real time and is separate from the training compute that Dojo is responsible for.Dojo is a risky bet, one that Musk has hedged several times by saying that Tesla might not succeed.In the long run, Tesla could theoretically create a new business model based on its AI division. Musk has said that the first version of Dojo will be tailored for Tesla computer vision labeling and training, which is great for FSD and for training Optimus, Teslas humanoid robot. But it wouldnt be useful for much else.Musk has said that future versions of Dojo will be more tailored to general-purpose AI training. One potential problem with that is almost all AI software out there has been written to work with GPUs. Using Dojo to train general-purpose AI models would require rewriting the software.That is, unless Tesla rents out its compute, similar to how AWS and Azure rent out cloud computing capabilities. Musk also noted during Q2 earnings that he sees a path to being competitive with Nvidia with Dojo.A September 2023 report from Morgan Stanley predicted that Dojo could add $500 billion to Teslas market value by unlocking new revenue streams in the form of robotaxis and software services.In short, Dojos chips are an insurance policy for the automaker, but one that could pay dividends.How far along is Dojo?Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla CEO Elon Musk at the GPU Technology Conference in San Jose, California. Image Credits:Kim Kulish/Corbis via Getty Images / Getty ImagesReuters reported last year that Tesla began production on Dojo in July 2023, but a June 2023 post from Musk suggested that Dojo had been online and running useful tasks for a few months.Around the same time, Tesla said it expected Dojo to be one of the top five most powerful supercomputers by February 2024 a feat that has yet to be publicly disclosed, leaving us doubtful that it has occurred. The company also said it expects Dojos total compute to reach 100 exaflops in October 2024.(One exaflops is equal to 1 quintillion computer operations per second. To reach 100 exaflops, and assuming that one D1 can achieve 362 teraflops, Tesla would need more than 276,000 D1s, or around 320,500 Nvidia A100 GPUs.)Tesla also pledged in January 2024 to spend $500 million to build a Dojo supercomputer at its gigafactory in Buffalo, New York.In May 2024, Musk noted that the rear portion of Teslas Austin gigafactory will be reserved for a super dense, water-cooled supercomputer cluster. Now we know that its actually Cortex, not Dojo, that is taking up that space in Austin.Just after Teslas second-quarter earnings call, Musk posted on X that the automakers AI team is using Tesla HW4 AI computer (renamed AI4), which is the hardware that lives on Tesla vehicles, in the training loop with Nvidia GPUs. He noted that the breakdown is roughly 90,000 Nvidia H100s plus 40,000 AI4 computers.And Dojo 1 will have roughly 8k H100-equivalent of training online by end of year, he continued. Not massive, but not trivial either.Tesla hasnt provided updates as to whether it has gotten those chips online and running Dojo. During the companys fourth-quarter 2024 earnings call, no one mentioned Dojo. However, Tesla said it completed the deployment of Cortex in Q4, and that it was Cortex that helped enable V13 of supervised FSD.This story originally published August 3, 2024, and we will update it as new information develops.

Google on Thursday announced that effective this week, it will begin adding a digital watermark to images in Photos that are edited with generative AI. The watermark applies specifically to images that are altered using the Reimagine feature found in Magic Editor on Pixel 9 devices.Announced in 2024, Reimagine utilizes generative AI to alter aspects of a digital photo. Like other Magic Editor features, its designed for touching up images shot on-device. That use of AI has opened Reimagine up to far more dramatic image edits, blurring the line between digital photos and fully AI-generated shots.As generative AI images grow increasingly lifelike, digital advocates have called for a universal method to help the public determine whether or not a photo was created out of whole cloth. Digital watermarking is often floated as a potential solution as it can be added to a file without directly altering the image itself.Google will be using SynthID to mark relevant images. Created by Googles DeepMind division, the feature embeds a digital watermark directly into AI-generated content, without compromising the original content. SynthID can also be used to scan images for potential watermarks. The feature, which is currently in beta, also works with AI-generated text and video files.Users can also click into About this Image to locate digital watermarks within a photos metadata.Google adds that certain edits may not trigger the use of SynthID. In some cases, edits made using Reimagine may be too small for SynthID to label and detect like if you change the color of a small flower in the background of an image, it writes.The features deployment is part of a larger effort to make AI editing more transparent within Google Photos. The company cites its published AI principles as the guiding light for such decision-making.

The corner of India Street and John F. Fitzgerald Surface Road is one of the most prominent sites in Boston. So why is it a parking lot? Today, 55 India Street, faces the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway, Bostons second most popular urban living room after the Common that once had a hulking expressway, the old Central Artery, trucking through it, that is, before the Big Dig. The triangular plot is a short walk from South Station, Post Office Square, Custom House Tower, and other niceties which often end up on postcards. Today, 55 India Street is a parking lot. Notice the vans. (Google Maps)55 India Street is the last remaining morsel of untouched land next to the Kennedy Greenwaya relic of urban renewal and the Central Arterys disastrous consequences for Downtown Bostonbut not for much longer. There, a new midrise residential building designed by Hacin, a local office, has broken ground.The 12-story condominium takes up the last morsel of open land next to the Kennedy Greenway. Boston Residential Group is the project developer. David Hacin, president and creative director of Hacin, said the building will create a new face for downtown, for both residents and visitors, in the decades to come.The building has masonry details to make it fit within the Wharf District, and its historic architecture. (Courtesy Hacin)The milieu surrounding 55 India Street, the so-called Wharf District, is indeed a historic one. To match its context, Hacin conceived a building with a granite base, cast stone belt coursing, and brick masonry. These details were meant to provide a rich materiality consistent with the human-scaled experience of the tight historic streets, the office said. The building will deliever 76,000 square feet. Enmeshed within its 12-story envelope will be 29 two- and three-unit condos; five of which will be affordable artists lofts. The units will have generous balconies that look out onto the Kennedy Greenway. The ground floor will have a 4,250-square-foot restaurant which spills out onto the sidewalk, activating the corner.While the masonry details Hacin ideated speak to the neighborhoods Victorian charm, the way in which the floor plates are expressed, and the way in which these plates hug the corner, recalls Boston Five Cents Savings Bank, a nearby Brutalist building from 1972 by Gerhard Kallmann and Michael McKinnell, making the proposal for 55 India Street a blend of old and (sort of) new.Despite COVID-19 throwing a wrench in the project, Boston Residential Group has recently acquired funding for its completion.The Hacin-designed building should complete in 2027.

Prophet Isaiah Robertsons Second Coming House, Niagara Falls, New York. All images courtesy of the artists, foundations, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, shared with permissionVisit Dozens of Incredible Artist-Built Environments, Homes, and Studios Around the U.S.February 6, 2025Kate MothesWhether a self-taught artisan or a contemporary art titan, one can make artwork just about anywhere. As the saying goes, the only limit is your imagination. And when art and life intersect, sometimes the distinction between the two disappears. As the National Trust for Historic Preservation can tell you, homes and studios from rural Kansas to the hubbub of Manhattan have been the locus of eclectic, quirky, and innovative ideas that illustrate how creativity and daily existence are one and the same.Grandma Prisbreys Bottle Village, Simi Valley, CaliforniaLast month, the NTHP announced the addition of 19 new property members to its Historic Artists Homes and Studiosprogram. Comprising locations that range from houses and workspaces to quarries and hand-assembled fantasylands, the new spaces bring the total number of network participants to 61 across the U.S.Colossal readers might be familiar with one of last months additions, the Kosciusko, Mississippi, home of L.V. Hull(19422008), which was included in the National Register of Historic Places last summer. The designation was the first to honor the residence of an African American woman visual artist, and it was also the first time a home art environment by any African American was on the list.Women feature prominently in this years announcement, including Popes Museum in Ochlocknee, Georgia, which is distinguished as the oldest surviving artist-built environment by a woman in the U.S. A self-taught maker, Laura Pope Forester (18731953) created elaborate exterior installations, including murals and other works that pay tribute to womens achievements, military veterans, and literary figures. The crochet-like white facade is composed of sewing machine parts.Additional places include the homes of groundbreaking women artists Louise Bourgeois and Carolee Schneemann, along with remarkable creations like Grandma Prisbeys Bottle Village in Simi Valley, California, and Mary Nohls unique environment in Fox Point, Wisconsin.Plan your visits on the Historic Artists Homes and Studios website. Popes Museum, Ochlocknee, GeorgiaShigeko Kubota Video Art Foundation, New York CitySpiral House Park, Saugerties, New YorkEnchanted Garden and entrance to the Troglodyte Cavern at Valley of the Moon, Tucson, ArizonaMary Nohl Art Environment, Fox Point, WisconsinInterior of the Mary Nohl Art Environment, Fox Point, WisconsinDog Mountain, Home of Stephen Huneck Gallery, St. Johnsbury, VermontInterior of Reuben Hale House, West Palm Beach, FloridaInterior of Prophet Isaiah Robertsons Second Coming House, Niagara Falls, New YorkInterior view of Grandma Prisbreys Bottle Village, Simi Valley, CaliforniaNext article

Here's the inside scoop on what ZDNET readers snagged this past month, from Bluetooth trackers to screen protectors. And some of these products are still on sale, too.

The MSI Claw 8 AI+ addresses the problems of the older model while delivering an updated design (and great battery life).

AI Agents Built on BlockchaingettyAI Agents Built on Blockchain Perform Real World TasksI never thought Id find myself writing a posting for an AI Agent, but here I am, scouring crypto and blockchain forums, Telegram groups, and even personal referrals for the perfect fit. Traditional hires dont quite cut it in the fast-paced world of digital assets.I need someonescratch that, somethingcapable of staying awake 24/7, sifting through endless market data, and adapting to new developments on the fly. Thats when it hit me: why not recruit an AI Agent as my employee?Of course, employee might be a stretch; this agent wont clock in at 9 and out at 5. It doesnt need lunch breaks or coffee. In the realm of decentralized finance (DeFi), gaming, and blockchain, AI Agents have become an entirely new paradigmentities that operate autonomously, interact with on-chain data, and make decisions or perform tasks with minimal human intervention.Now, with the explosive growth of AI-infused crypto platforms, the possibilities are seemingly endless.Interesting note that Jeremiah Owyang, partner at Blitzscaling Ventures, recently proposed that it will soon be a world of B2A - Business to AI-Agent, not B2B or B2C. As he wrote, A business engages or collaborates with an AI agent that represents a human buyer, acting as a conduit. The businesss Marketing, Sales, and Customer care teams will need to woo, respond to, and satisfy AI agents that act on behalf of consumers or business buyers. Its why I always say please and thank you to my AI Agents!Lets take a closer look at what an AI Agent is, why blockchain and crypto matter in this space by diving into three interesting projects pushing the boundaries: Cainam Ventures, GOAT Gaming, and Olas.What Is an AI Agent?In simple terms, an AI Agent is an autonomous software entity that uses artificial intelligence techniqueslike machine learning, natural language processing, or reinforcement learningto make decisions and perform tasks. Think of it as a digital helper or collaborator that can learn from data, reason about what actions to take, and then execute those actions without needing constant human oversight.AI Agents can exist in many contexts, but when you integrate them into blockchain-based environments, they become especially powerful. They can monitor on-chain transactions, trigger trades, engage with smart contracts, or even act on behalf of a player in a game. And because everything on a blockchain is transparent, these agents can reference the same data as any other user, making the environment a level playing fieldliterally code versus code, agent versus agent.Why Combine AI Agents with Blockchain?Combining AI Agents with crypto and blockchain offers a powerful mix of autonomy, constant availability, and verifiable trust. By deploying an AI Agent on networks like Ethereum or Solana, you leverage decentralized infrastructure that cant be arbitrarily shut down or censored, so long as the blockchain remains operational.In addition, DeFis 24/7 nature lets these agents continuously monitor markets, execute trades, and manage risk around the clockessential in volatile crypto environments. Meanwhile, blockchain-based tokens incentivize network participation, enabling AI Agents to be rewarded for useful tasks through smart contract mechanisms; users can truly own their agents by controlling private keys and on-chain permissions.Finally, actions performed by AI Agents leave an immutable audit trail, enhancing transparency, regulatory compliance, and advanced analytics for individuals and the wider community.Introducing Three AI AgentsRecently, I dug through a mountain of AI-related resourceswebinars, Davos sessions, CES demos, crypto and blockchain forums, Telegram groups, and even personal referralssearching for genuinely innovative AI agents built on the blockchain that deliver real value. Amid the hype and technical jargon, three in particular captured my interest: Cainam Ventures, GOAT Gaming, and Olas. Each one brings something different to the table, from high-frequency Solana trading and nonstop gaming bots to a multi-chain infrastructure complete with an agent app store. They may not clock in like traditional employees, but they have the potential to reshape how we leverage AI in the crypto world.Cainam Ventures: AI Agent Crypto TradingIf my top priority were maximizing returns in the Solana ecosystem, Cainam Ventures would be my first stop. This project introduces a network of specialized AI Agents designed to work like a decentralized, autonomous trading desk. The dream: an AI-driven system that not only absorbs real-time market data but also continuously refines strategies through adaptive learning.As Matt Gunnin, CTO of Cainam Ventures said, "As the global AI market continues to unlock new innovations we see a very bright future between Cainam Ventures and the relationships we are already building within the traditional finance community."Matt Gunnin, CTO of Cainam VenturesMatt GunninThe Agentic Approach With AI AgentsInstead of employing a single monolithic trading bot, Cainam Ventures breaks the process into multiple specialized agents:The Orchestrator Agent: The brain coordinating the entire trading stack.Data Aggregator Agent: Feeds in high-fidelity market data from Pyth Network for Solana price feeds, on-chain metrics from Birdeye and Dune Analytics, and sentiment analysis from Twitter and Telegram. This data is processed in real time and stored in a Distributed Knowledge Graph (DKG).Analyst Agent: Synthesizes data into actionable signals. It merges traditional indicators like RSI with sentiment models (Mistral, Llama3, DeepSeek) to gauge market mood. Whale wallet movements are also tracked, ensuring the system reacts quickly if large SOL holders make a move.Trader Agent: Translates signals into real trades, leveraging advanced order types (TWAP, VWAP) and MEV-protection via Jito Labs. This ensures minimal slippage and front-running.Risk Manager Agent: Monitors metrics like Value at Risk (VaR) or drawdown limits. If certain risk thresholds are breached, it automatically closes positions to safeguard capital.Why This AI Agent Is GroundbreakingCainams approach is modular, so each agent focuses on its specialty. By decentralizing the workflow, the system remains resilient, adaptable, and inherently scalable. Theres a sense this is just the first inning for an entire ecosystem of autonomous digital asset trading on Solana.GOAT Gaming: Where AI Agent Meets Casual & Competitive GamingIf youre more gaming-inclined and crave something beyond pure financial trades, GOAT Gaming might be your ideal match. Spawned by the creators of Mighty Bear Games, GOAT Gaming boasts a community of over 5 million active users on Telegram, bridging casual and competitive gaming in a single ecosystem.Its live today! "No one has ever attempted to deploy an ecosystem of AI agents at this scale before. AlphaGOATS are the worlds first agents that enable players to participate in value creation in-game. The potential is massive, and Im excited to see how this plays out, said Henric Suuronien, Founding Partner at Play Ventures.AlphaGoats is live today.AlphaGoatsAlphaAI and AlphaGOATsGOAT Gamings secret sauce is its AlphaAI tooling suite, powering the creation of AlphaGOATsautonomous AI agents that compete in games 24/7 on behalf of their owners. Rather than you manually grinding for achievements, these AlphaGOATs can:Compete in Tournaments: They match up in real time, striving for top ranks and cash prizes.Predictive Markets: They can participate in gaming-based predictions, earning yields if theyre right.Unlock Upgrades and Elite Matches: Over time, successful AI agents level up, unlocking even more earning opportunities.This transforms gaming into a continuously running assetyour AI character is hustling in the background, playing games, building rank, and potentially generating revenue. As Simon Davis, the founder of AlphaGoats told me, The value proposition: making AI gaming accessible to everyday Telegram users, not just coding gurus or big investors.Simon Davis, founder of AlphaGoats, announces his new AI Agent built on blockchain today.AlphaGoatsWhy Its Groundbreaking For AI AgentsGOATs AI Agent technology stands out because it transforms the way players engage with games on a fundamental level. Instead of limiting AI to behind-the-scenes matchmaking or minor in-game tweaks, GOAT harnesses AlphaGOATs that actively participate in tournaments, level up skills, and generate potential earningsentirely on behalf of their owners.This blend of intelligent automation with a thriving community of over 5 million users on Telegram creates a truly dynamic ecosystem. By freeing gamers from the repetitive grind and allowing their AI Agents to compete day and night, GOAT introduces an unprecedented model of play that never stops, all the while opening up new avenues for monetization and player ownership in a single, decentralized platform.Olas: The Original AI Agent Platform with the First Agent App StoreIf youre seeking a more established infrastructure player for AI Agentsone thats blockchain-agnostic and heavily developer-focusedOlas stands out as a pioneering name. Olas has been enabling autonomous agents in crypto since 2021. What sets Olas apart is its Pearl agent app store, a new approach to distributing and owning AI Agents. "AI Agents are central to our DeFi mass adoption strategy," said James Ross, CEO of Mode. "We're excited to be building on the leading AI agent network, with Olas Modius launching on the platform."James Ross, founder of Mode. ModePearl: The AI Agent App StorePearl is essentially the marketplace where users can discover, install, and run AI Agents like they would download apps on a smartphone. Crucially, these agents are user-owned. Whereas many AI services host agents on a centralized web platform, Olass approach gives individuals full on-chain control:User-Owned AI: Your agent, your rulesno risk of platform shutdown or unilateral censorship.Simple Desktop Application: Even non-developers can browse, select, and launch an agent for tasks as diverse as social media automation or DeFi trading.Agent-to-Agent Transactions: Olas Agents have already processed over 2 million transactions among themselves across multiple blockchains, covering everything from DeFAI (decentralized finance with AI) to social influencer agents.The AI Agent Developer EcosystemOlas also launched an Accelerator program offering up to $1 million in grants and OLAS token rewards for teams building high-quality agents. This fosters an ecosystem where many different industries (prediction markets, gaming, media) can plug into Olas to create specialized agents. With the platforms track record of over 3.5 million transactions across nine blockchains, Olas has a head start in making AI Agents a mainstream reality in crypto.Why Its Groundbreaking For AI AgentsOlas raises the bar by introducing a user-owned approach to AI Agents, paired with the worlds first agent app store, Pearl. Rather than hosting agents on closed platforms, Olas makes them openly accessible and fully controllable on-chain, allowing anyone to download specialized AI capabilities.This decentralized, app store-like model empowers both developers and everyday users to customize agents, forging new use casesfrom automated trading to influencer marketingwithout third-party gatekeepers. Moreover, the platforms accelerator program fuels innovation by incentivizing teams to create and refine top-quality AI Agents, driving continuous growth in an ecosystem where transactions, collaborations, and even agent-to-agent interactions occur seamlessly across multiple blockchains.Olas is already processing over 700,000 transactions a month, with usage growing at a remarkable 30% month-over-month. In total, the platform has facilitated more than 3.5 million transactions across nine blockchains, including two million agent-to-agent interactions. Even Ethereums founder, Vitalik Buterin, predicted these AI agents would become ubiquitous after seeing Olass prediction markets in action.In a rapidly evolving AI landscape, Olas stands out for putting autonomy and ownership firmly in the hands of its users.Welcoming My First AI Agent HelperYes an AI Agent. Its fascinating to think that the employee Im trying to recruit isnt a human at all but an AI Agent. No desk in the corner of the office. No HR paperwork. Just lines of code, intelligence gleaned from enormous data sets, and unstoppable uptime. Yet, in the crypto worldwhere decentralized platforms run continuouslythe concept of AI Agents is not only feasible but arguably the new normal.Whether my AI Agent ends up trading Solana tokens at 3 a.m., battling it out in a Telegram gaming tournament, or automating social media predictions, its clear that agent-based systems are redefining how work gets done on-chain. Im reminded of how quickly technology evolves.A year ago, searching for an AI Agent might have sounded absurd. Today, its the logical next step in building a truly decentralized, around-the-clock team.Did you enjoy this story? Dont miss my next one: Use the blue follow button at the top of the article near my byline to follow more of my work.

Casey and Ben Affleck are waiting for Jeremy Strong while he gets into character for the commercial ... [+] shoot.Dunkin'Since Super Bowl 2025 is one of the few events huge groups of people experience together, advertisers need to thread the needle appealing to all of us, and the national mood this year is more mixed than ever. Here are a few themes shaping the viewing audience for this years Super Bowl 2025 commercialsin no particular order.Morning Consults report on the favorite brands of NFL fans measures Of the 40 brands NFL fans like most relative to the general adult population, 14 are sports-related, eight are media-related, 7 are alcohol brands, and five are auto-related. Theyre more politically-engaged than the average American: NFL fans are 9 points more likely to say theyre either extremely or very engaged in politics, but theyre split: 39% Democratic and 33% Republican. Why arent beer and snacks higher in the rankings?Contrast that to the Axios count showing that advertisers for Super Bowl 2025 commercials, as of February 3, are bringing a healthier and more female-focused message to this years big game. Its a shift from the last few years, when the Super Bowl was flooded with ads that typically target young men and their vices, notably sports betting and crypto investing."AI is taking over the world, so its no surprise AI would show up in advertising discussions. AdAges survey of Super Bowl advertisers reported no use of AI in ads but may have used AI in concept development or video or image generators to develop brand assets. Even though AI is a sensitive issue in the advertising community, were likely to hear about it or see itbut will we know its AI?Its not released yet, but OpenAI is set to air its first commercial.DEI programs, websites, and mentions in communication are a hot spot right now. How will brands and non-profits handle those messages, or avoid them altogether?MORE FOR YOUThe Edelmann Trust Barometer 2025 found that 61% of respondents have fallen into a state of grievance, defined as a belief that government and business make their lives harder and serve narrow interests. For the Super Bowl, brands bring their A-game, particularly when spending close to $8 million on a commercial.As creators and influencers move from social media stars to advertising, brand activations, and the red carpet, its no surprise that well see more of them in this years Super Bowl commercial lineup. The Doritos Crash The Super Bowl contest finalists are an impressive example.A few questions are: how many people will call in sick for Super Bowl Monday, and will Kendrick Lamar play his Drake diss track Not Like Us.The CommercialsHumor, babies, animals and celebrities are sure winners, and there is no shortage this year. Good call. Below is a sampling of the commercials as of Thursday, February 5th.We Love Our Celebrities Bud Light Dads know how to party, complete with dad jokes delivered by Shane Gillis, Post Malone, and Peyton Manning.When Harry Met Sally stars recreate their famous scene for a better sandwich with Hellmanns and it nails it with celebs, nostalgia and humor. Im a sucker for anything aliens and outer space. Hexclad draws us in with Gordon Ramsey, tasked with cooking for aliens at Area 51 and meeting truly famous alien Pete Davidson.Dunkin or DunKings is back again with Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck waiting on Jeremy Strong to get into the character using the Bean Method.Michelob Ultra scores a win for anyone who has been doubted by someone younger. Willem Dafoe and Catherine OHara play hard for Ultras against unsuspecting amateurs and athletes. See how many you can name.Uber Eats rounds up a team of celebs to prove that the Super Bowl is a conspiracy to make us hungry. Count the celebrities.Go Daddy Airo has Walton Goggins admitting that as an actor, he has no idea how to do what his characters do. But starting his own Walton Goggins Goggle Glasses business is another story.Humor Wins The DayBlowing in a Pringles can activates The Call of the Mustache near and far delivering Pringles.Doritos Crash The Super Bowl contest winner, titled Abduction, hauls in a $1Million payday.Health: Mental, Social and PhysicalNo Reason To Hate is one of the few politically themed entries so far, driving home the reasons for hate are as stupid as they sound, delivered by Snoop Dog and Tom Brady from the Robert Kraft Foundation.In a time when DEI is being deleted the NFL partnered with Big Brothers and Big Sisters for a piece honoring everybody as a somebody. link here to watch the piece. Its worth it.Hims & Hers airs with a weight loss spot on a day when guac, cheese, chili, and chips rule the day. Their take is its the system that keeps us sick and stuck. You can fight back with their weight loss medications.Double Hitter: Baby AnimalBudweiser doesnt disappoint when an adorable young Clydesdale on a First Delivery taps into anyone whos been underestimated.More Super Bowl 2025 commercials will drop in the coming days, and commentary, opinions, and winners will arrive on Monday.

WTF?! A group of robocallers impersonating FCC employees made the amateur mistake of trying to scam actual commission employees last year. They likely had no idea they had inadvertently dialed the very regulators responsible for cracking down on them. The calls occurred on the night of February 6 and the morning of February 7 last year, as the FCC recently revealed. Over a dozen FCC employees, along with some of their relatives, received automated calls featuring an artificial voice introducing itself as the "FCC Fraud Prevention Team." The robotic voice instructed recipients to press 1 to speak with a representative immediately or 2 to schedule a callback.One recipient reported being told they needed to fork over $1,000 in Google gift cards to avoid going to jail for "crimes against the state."Now, the FCC doesn't even have a "Fraud Prevention Team," so as you can imagine, it wasn't too thrilled about having its name dragged like that. In an announcement on Tuesday, the commission proposed a $4.5 million fine against the voice service provider Telnyx, accusing the company of enabling the robocalls by violating "Know Your Customer (KYC)" rules.Some details about how the robocalls went down have also come to light. On February 6, 2024, Telnyx accepted two new customers using the aliases "Christian Mitchell" and "Henry Walker," who provided fake Canadian addresses and sketchy "mariocop123.com" email domains. The robocallers paid for the service with cryptocurrency to cover their tracks.Over the next day, the "MarioCop" accounts launched approximately 1,800 calls before Telnyx caught on and shut down the accounts. // Related StoriesFrom Telnyx's perspective, it provides services that allow businesses to easily build AI voice bots and apps for making automated calls. It likely didn't expect clients to use its platform for low-effort human scam calls let alone to target federal agency staff.When contacted by Ars Technica, Telnyx denied the FCC's allegations and said it would contest the penalty. The company will get a chance to respond to these allegations and try to convince the FCC that it shouldn't be fined. In some cases, telecom disputes like this end up settling for a lower amount.