Key TakeawaysParagon Solutions targeted around 90 WhatsApp users, mainly journalists and civil society members across 20+ countries.WhatsApp successfully disrupted the attack and sent a cease-and-desist letter to Paragon.Meta referred affected users to Citizen Lab Paragon Solutions and the FBI has not commented on the issue.On Jan 31, WhatsApp said that around 90 users were targeted in a spyware campaign by Paragon Solutions, an Israeli spyware company. These users mainly included journalists and civil society members in more than 20 countries, adding to the concerns about spyware misuse on the platform.WhatsApp was able to successfully disrupt this exploitation vector and took prompt action to salvage the situation as quickly as possible. It officially announced on Friday that it has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Paragon following this hack.Additionally, the meta-owned company sent an immediate comment request to Paragon regarding this case but nothing has yet been heard from the company. Even the FBI has maintained silence on the matter till now.A spokesperson from WhatsApp said that a vector method was used to illegally access the data of a network or target users. In this campaign, the affected users received malicious PDFs in WhatsApp groups through their spyware Graphite.Whats scary about this spyware is that it works on a zero-click mechanism, meaning the users dont even have to interact with the malicious file or link. Just the entrance of the file into the device makes encrypted messages, calls, and other sensitive data available to be exploited at the hands of the hacker company.WhatsApp took Countermeasures by Informing Citizen LabWhile the location or people involved in this case have not been revealed as of now, Meta has referred affected users to the cyber security lab, Citizen Lab. A senior researcher from the lab said that the hack was so dangerous that it could turn a telephone into a spy in your pocket.A similar case to this one showed up in 2019 when WhatsApp sued the Israeli surveillance firm NSO group under an allegation of hacking thousands of accounts, including those of journalists, diplomats, politicians, and senior government officials.The chat service worked alongside Citizen Lab to sort out the situation the judgment was in favor of WhatsApp for that case. An intriguing string that follows into this case is that one of the competitors of that NSO group acquired Paragon Solutions in the same month that the US judgment was passed. So, theres enough reason to believe that the two incidents are liked.Natalia Krapiva, senior tech-legal counsel at the internet access nonprofit Access Now, said that the industry needs more proactive laws and reign in tech as there are not enough self-policing measures around.Last time WhatsApp notified NSO victims in 2019, we have seen a flood of lawsuits, sanctions, and other consequences for this industry. Natalia KrapivaItll be interesting to see what legal actions are taken against Paragon for interrupting the security of one of the most secure online chatting platforms.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Vlad is Tech Report's Executive Editor. With over a decade of experience in tech content, he's passionate about computer hardware, an advocate of online privacy, and strongly believes in the open-source, scarce-money nature of cryptocurrency.When hes not working, hes traveling with his partner and their cat, learning Python, or reading good books. He never owned a PC he did not build. View all articles by Vlad Melnic Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

Key TakeawaysOpenAI launched ChatGPT Gov, a version tailored for the U.S. government, focusing on security, compliance, and aligning with national interests and democratic values.ChatGPT Gov can be deployed via Azure OpenAI services, offering both commercial and government cloud options.Theres also a self-hosting option for enhanced privacy and compliance management.OpenAI announced a new variant of ChatGPT on Tuesday, that is exclusively designed for use by the US government.Termed ChatGPT Gov, CEO Sam Altman said this version is created to serve the national interest and democratic values aligned with President Trumps executive order on AI leadership. This alliance might tie Open AI (and Sam Altman) more intimately with the Presidents administration.By making our products available to the US government, we aim to ensure AI serves the national interest and the public good, aligned with democratic values while empowering policymakers to responsibly integrate these capabilities to deliver better services to the American people OpenAIThe primary focus of the GOV version is security and compliance rather than newer features, ensuring it conforms to US government standards.As of now, Azure OpenAI and GPT 4o have been granted FedRAMP authorization, but it hasnt yet received approval to handle sensitive non-public data. However, the AI giant claims that this enhanced infrastructure will help speed up the process of receiving authorization to handle that soon.According to OpenAI, the Gov variant can be deployed on Microsofts Azure OpenAI services, including both commercial and government clouds. It also offers a self-hosting option, allowing agencies to better manage their privacy, security, and compliance requirements.This news follows recent reports suggesting that Chinese AI firm DeepSeeks R1 model could potentially undermine the advancements made by US-developed AI.DeepSeek shook the AI giants when it became the most downloaded free app in the US Apple store and was developed at a fraction of the cost of AI pioneers like ChatGPT. The cost of ChatGPT Gov isnt disclosed yet. However, this model could be Trumps way of removing barriers to American AI leadership.With that in mind, the timing of this announcement by OpenAI is very, very interesting. It comes right around the corner from the launch of its newest and fiercest rival, DeepSeek. Perhaps Altman knows that the only way he gets to remain the AI king is by having Trump on his side? However, there hasnt been an official response, let alone a word of praise, from the new POTUS.Interesting.Prior Government Projects of OpenAIChatGPT Gov isnt OpenAIs first venture with the US government. Before this, the company helped develop AI-powered cybersecurity for the Pentagon, which is the central hub for military operations. This collaboration aimed to enhance national security by leveraging AI to detect and counter cyber threats more efficiently.Besides this, OpenAIs technology has been used at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory for defense simulations, strategic planning, and automated threat detection.A pilot program in Pennsylvania demonstrated the efficiency of ChatGPT Enterprise by reducing time spent on routine tasks by 105 minutes per day. This was achieved by automating repetitive processes, thereby enhancing efficiency while maintaining accuracy in administrative functions.Since 2024, ChatGPT has seen widespread adoption across U.S. government agencies, with over 90,000 users from more than 3,500 agencies actively utilizing the AI tool. In total, over 18 million messages have been exchanged, reflecting its growing role in public administration.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Alpa is a tech writer and editor with a wealth of experience in alternative finance, fintech, cryptocurrency, app security software, and the medical industry. Shes passionate about breaking down complex topics and sharing informative content that provides value. View all articles by Alpa Somaiya Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

Key TakeawaysDeepSeek, a Chinese AI app, temporarily halted new user sign-ups due to large-scale cyberattacks. Existing users remained unaffected during this period.It recently surpassed ChatGPT to become the most downloaded free app on the U.S. Apple App Store.The success of DeepSeek has led to significant disruptions in the global tech industry, raising questions about the necessity of large investments in AI infrastructure.On Monday, 27th January 2025, the newest strong rival of AI models, DeepSeek, temporarily stopped taking new user registrations due to large-scale cyber attacks. While existing users could still log in and use the app, new users were left waiting for the next update on these malicious activities to use the newly popular AI assistant.On Monday, the status page said that an investigation is being conducted to identify the issue. After about two hours of monitoring, the company concluded that it was a victim of large-scale malicious attacks and limited registrations.The app is now allowing registrations again, indicating that the issue mustve been resolved. However, theres a note on the page that says, Registration may be busy. Please wait and try again. so its possible that logins might be slow.The Chinese AI app recently dethroned ChatGPT to become the most downloaded free app in the US Apple App Store.The company has been in the spotlight since then, leaving tech analysts, investors, and developers in shock with its generative AI systems and the advanced technology that it has been using.The fact that DeepSeek is developed at a fraction of the cost of its rivals makes it a shocking and extraordinary development in AI. Jefferies analysts estimate the R1 models training cost at only $5.6 million, which is far less than competitors models like ChatGPT 4, which cost more than $100 million to develop.The success of this company puts a question mark on whether the gigantic funding rounds and exceptionally high valuations for AI are really justified.The Rapid Rise of DeepSeekFounded in 2023 by a Chinese hedge fund high flyer Liang Wennfeng, DeepSeek is a free AI tool like Gemini or ChatGPT that provides structured explanations and step-by-step problem-solving methods.The R1 model sent shockwaves through the AI industry quickly after its release, becoming a hot favorite among the masses for its impressive performance and reasoning capabilities. This R1 is a so-called reasoning model, which is a tweaked version of the V3 with a technique called reinforcement learning.Several reviews highlight that while ChatGPT is great for creative content, DeepSeek is better at problem-solving and mathematical reasoning than most AI tools in the market today.DeepSeek R1 is AIs Sputnik moment, the investor Marc Andreessen wrote on XTrump said the emergence of DeepSeek should be a wake-up call for US companies, as he announced a new $500B AI infrastructure project called Stargate last week. The venture will be taken forward in collaboration with OpenAI, Softbank, and Oracle, and Trump apparently has a lot of expectations from this.Itll be interesting to see how the biggest investment ever in the field of AI competes with this Chinese AI app, Deepsake.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Vlad is Tech Report's Executive Editor. With over a decade of experience in tech content, he's passionate about computer hardware, an advocate of online privacy, and strongly believes in the open-source, scarce-money nature of cryptocurrency.When hes not working, hes traveling with his partner and their cat, learning Python, or reading good books. He never owned a PC he did not build. View all articles by Vlad Melnic Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

Key TakeawaysChinese AI Startup DeepSeek has released its latest AI assistant DeepSeek V3.The tool is more efficient than OpenAI and Metas AI models while costing a fraction of their cost.It has sent Metas AGI team into a panic mode while Trump warns its a wakeup call for US AI firms.A new Chinese AI model has taken the world by storm. Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has just released the latest version of its open-source AI model DeepSeek V3, and its better than the latest ChatGPT 4.0, Llama3, and Claude AI models. In fact, in some areas, it even surpasses its rivals.To add a cherry to the top, its training and development cost is just a fraction of that of its rivals. Where giants like OpenAI and Meta have pumped billions of dollars into data centers and AI training, DeepSeek has built a model from scratch for just $5.5M.The US stock market bore the brunt of this new breakthrough, wiping off $1 trillion for investors in a single day. Nvidia was the most affected stock it fell almost 17% in a day. Nvidia investors saw $593B vaporize into thin air the single biggest market cap loss for a company on Wall Street.Nvidias whole business is centered around selling massively expensive GPUs at 80-90% margins. In contrast, DeepSeek built the whole model on around 2,000 Nvidia H800 GPUs.DeepSeek has rocked the belief that the AI industry is a capital-intensive one and only big corporation giants can participate in it.As per reports, DeepSeek uses efficient computing techniques such as a mixture of experts approach to lower the cost. Now that the industry knows similar results can be achieved with a fraction of resources, the whole AI chip industry business may falter.The only downside might be that the model is trained on data up to October 2023. But this is only for the web version. The app seems to have access to the latest information.What Does This Mean For US AI Giants?DeepSeek stepping foot into the industry has sent the rest of the players into a frenzy. As per an inside source, the generative artificial intelligence division of Meta is in panic mode.Engineers are moving frantically to dissect DeepSeek and copy anything and everything we can from it. Im not even exaggerating. Meta employeeThe biggest worry of the management right now is how they will justify the massive cost of their tools and the massive salary that their leaders are drawing when China has managed to create an equally competent tool at such a low price.Even President Donald Trump praised DeepSeek in a speech at a Republican retreat, applauding its technological breakthrough and saying it should be a wake-up call for American companies.OpenAIs CEO Sam Altman seemed to be a little more calm in his response. He took to X and said that it was quite invigorating to have new competitors in the market. He also applauded the company for delivering that kind of service for such a low cost and in the end,promised to speed up some of OpenAIs own releases.It might seem that DeepSeek is the next big thing. And it might be so, considering that it has already become the No.1 downloaded free app on Apples app store. Its open-source model makes its codes and technical details open to all. This might also speed up progress through collaboration.But there are some hurdles in the way. For instance, so far the tool censors all topics that are not favored by the Chinese government. However, the question is how viable this approach will be if it tries to make it big in the global market.Plus, China is not on good terms with many of its neighbors. We have all seen how it went down for TikTok. So in this environment, will DeepSeek manage to survive or will it sink after this banging launch?Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Vlad is Tech Report's Executive Editor. With over a decade of experience in tech content, he's passionate about computer hardware, an advocate of online privacy, and strongly believes in the open-source, scarce-money nature of cryptocurrency.When hes not working, hes traveling with his partner and their cat, learning Python, or reading good books. He never owned a PC he did not build. View all articles by Vlad Melnic Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

Key TakeawaysPerplexity AI has submitted a revised proposal for acquiring TikToks US business after feedback from the Trump administration.The new arrangement will allow the US government to own 50% of the new entity,A $300 million IPO can be expected following the formation of the new entity.Perplexity AI, the billion-dollar AI company thats competing with OpenAI and Google for a piece of TikTok, has revised its merger proposal with ByteDance. It now proposes to create a new US holding company called NewCo that will combine the two entities, TikTok US and Perplexity AI. The US government could own up to 50% of the said entity following an IPO.In this merger, ByteDance would offer TikTok US (without its recommendation algorithm, though) for a stake in the new company. On the other hand, Perplexity AI would offer its own equity, meaning its investors would receive shares in the new US holdingcompany.Tiktoks current owner, Chinese company ByteDance will retain ownership under this arrangement and the US government will receive its stake after making an initial public offering of at least $300 million.In the first bid, Perplexity AI wanted to form a new entity containing partners from TikTok US, Perplexity, and other equity partners. However, following feedback from the Trump administration, this arrangement was changed.A Viable Attempt to Let TikTok Stay in the U.S.Last weekend, TikTok was taken down as a law was passed requiring ByteDance to either sell the app or have it banned in the US. The app was temporarily restored when Trump suggested that an American stakeholder purchase TikTok, with plans to sell a 50% stake to the U.S. government.The Ban on TikTok shook the American youth to its core as it was not just a social media app but the primary platform for several content creators in the country, and losing it felt like losing both a community they had worked hard to build, and their primary source of income at once.While ByteDance isnt ready to sell the platform entirely, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew expressed gratitude for Trumps commitment to finding a solution for TikToks future in the U.S.The proposal allows most of ByteDances existing investors to retain their equity in the new entity. It also brings more video content to Perplexity AI, if the AI company becomes a partner in the merger, making it a win-win situation for both parties.There were reports that the White House wanted to get Oracle into the deal since it already provides infra to TikTok in the US. However, Trump denied such claims.He has announced that the future of TikTok in the US will be known for certain within the next 30 days.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Krishi is an eager Tech Journalist and content writer for both B2B and B2C, with a focus on making the process of purchasing software easier for businesses and enhancing their online presence and SEO. Krishi has a special skill set in writing about technology news, creating educational content on customer relationship management (CRM) software, and recommending project management tools that can help small businesses increase their revenue. Alongside his writing and blogging work, Krishi's other hobbies include studying the financial markets and cricket. View all articles by Krishi Chowdhary Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

Key TakeawaysOn January 23, 2025, OpenAIs ChatGPT experienced a major outage, affecting thousands of users in the UK and beyond.The downtime followed the rollout of a new user interface for better customization.The outage highlighted users reliance on ChatGPT, with over 300 million weekly users and a billion daily messages.On Thursday, 23rd January, OpenAIs AI chatbot faced an error that left the users unable to interact with the chatbot. The usual interface of the platform was replaced by an error window that said, The web server reported a bad gateway error, as reported by around several users at noon time in the UK.This sudden outage led to a surge of complaints on Down Detector a well-known website tracking website. With over 10,000 complaints, this outage shows how ChatGPT is central to work and study today, with over 300 million people using it every single week.According to an announcement made last year by CEO Sam Altman, more than a billion messages are sent to ChatGPT every single day. Its humbling to imagine our dependence on AI within just 2 years of its launch.Many users took to X to express their disappointment and frustration about the unavailability of the platform. It was interesting to watch how users added humor to the situation when they were stuck in the middle of a coding session or were taking GPTs help to write an essay but then had to do all the work by themselves.While the company has not publicly commented on the cause of the outage, OpenAI implemented a fix at 15:09 GMT for the issue and said that it is monitoring the results on its status page.OpenAI Introduces a New User Interface to Make Customization EasierIt is noteworthy that just a few days prior to this outage, OpenAI rolled out a new UI (user interface) on the web to allow better customization of the chatbot. It is, however, still unclear whether that had anything to do with the outage.Launched in 2022, ChatGPT quickly grew to become the fastest-growing launch ever and has since added many new features and systems to make it more accessible and beneficial to the audience.Several third-party integrations have been added to the platform as well, which was also taken down during the downtime.ChatGPT charges up to $200 per month for its various membership tiers, and OpenAI says that more than 1.3 million developers have built on the systems in the US. Sam Altman has already hinted that ChatGPT 5 is in the works and may soon be launched.It will be interesting to see how OpenAI plans to handle the growing traffic on the platform to avoid such outages in the future.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Vlad is Tech Report's Executive Editor. With over a decade of experience in tech content, he's passionate about computer hardware, an advocate of online privacy, and strongly believes in the open-source, scarce-money nature of cryptocurrency.When hes not working, hes traveling with his partner and their cat, learning Python, or reading good books. He never owned a PC he did not build. View all articles by Vlad Melnic Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

Home Elon Musk and Sam Altman Battle on X over Trumps Data Center Project Stargate News Elon Musk and Sam Altman Battle on X over Trumps Data Center Project Stargate4 min read Published: January 24, 2025 Key TakeawaysElon Musk questioned the financial capacity of Stargate backers, including SoftBank, sparking a public spat with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.The $500 billion AI infrastructure project Stargate is aimed at advancing physical and virtual AI capabilities, with $100 billion already invested.Musks xAI competes with OpenAI and Stargate, with ongoing legal disputes over OpenAIs shift from its non-profit roots.Just hours after Trump announced Stargate in tandem with the top members of OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle, Elon Musk took to Twitter to question the legitimacy of the value of the investment that the investors had pledged.Stargate is a $500 billion AI infrastructure project thats expected to take the physical and virtual AI infrastructure to the next level. Companies have already invested $100 billion to get the project started.Musk Claims the Backers Dont Have the Money RequiredSoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority, said Elon Musk on X shortly after the largest-ever investment in AI was announced. This led to a thread of sarcastic Xeets (we cant call them tweets anymore, can we?) between Elon Musk and the CEO of Open AI, Sam Altman.In response to Musks comments, the CEO of OpenAI, who was present at the White House alongside Donald Trump on the day of the Stargate launch, said, Wrong, as you surely know. Want to come visit the first site already underway?The said site is a data center under construction in Abilene, Texas. [Stargate] is great for the country. I realize what is great for the country isnt always whats optimal for your companies, but in your new role I hope youll mostly put [America] first, Altman wrote, after dismissing Musks tweet.Altman later added a sweet note saying that he genuinely admires Musks accomplishments and is of the opinion that hes the most inspiring entrepreneur. I dont think [Musk is] a nice person or treating us fairly, but you have to respect the guy, and he pushes all of us to be more ambitious. Sam AltmanTrump stepped in and shrugged off the comments of his prominent ally, Elon by saying the criticism was not an indictment of the deals viability but a clear case of bad blood with one of the members of this deal ( which evidently, is Altman).He further clarified to the reporters, I dont know if they do [have the funds], but you know, theyre putting up the money the governments not putting up anything, theyre putting up money. Theyre very rich people, so I hope they do.The Actual Context Behind This FiascoThis controversy starts to make a little more sense when we take into account that Musks company, xAI, is not just a competitor of Stargate but also in a lawsuit with OpenAI alleging that the latter had betrayed its founding aim as a non-profit research lab.Elons xAI is currently building its own big data center in Memphis, Tennessee, and he continues to escalate the dispute by adding claims and asking for a court order to prevent OpenAI from converting into a for-profit business.In the past, Musk has openly said that he feels his company faces unfair competition from OpenAI, seeing as the latter has access to a larger pool of computing resources. Consequently, xAI is also looking for infrastructure to develop its AI systems.The Ground RealityAs for the actual truth, a source familiar with Stargate said that the assertion isnt true, as Softbank has $24.3 billion of cash on its balance sheets per its latest earnings and is comfortable taking debt to fund the project.Additionally, Oracle has $11 billion in cash on its balance sheet, MGX has $100 billion in capital commitments, and OpenAI recently announced it has more than $10 billion from its recent round of venture capital funding.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Vlad is Tech Report's Executive Editor. With over a decade of experience in tech content, he's passionate about computer hardware, an advocate of online privacy, and strongly believes in the open-source, scarce-money nature of cryptocurrency.When hes not working, hes traveling with his partner and their cat, learning Python, or reading good books. He never owned a PC he did not build. View all articles by Vlad Melnic Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.More from News View all News TikTok Makes a Comeback After Trump Assumes Office Alpa SomaiyaJanuary 22, 2025 View all

Key TakeawaysTikTok, which was scheduled to get banned as per the divest-or-ban bill, became unavailable for many users.However, after Trump assumed office, he promised to sign an order that would delay the ban, which allowed TikTok to restore services for the time being.The final fate of the company is yet to be decided.After being unavailable for just 12 hours, TikTok is back online for many users with the message Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trumps efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!TikToks struggle with the US government has been going on for a year now. Last year former president Joe Biden signed a bill that forced TikTok to either part ways with its parent company ByteDance or risk getting banned in the US.TikTok obviously opposed this decision and engaged in a legal battle that went on till the end of 2024. In the end, TikTok lost and was scheduled to get banned.On Saturday night, the app became unusable for many. It was also unavailable on Apple and Google Play Store.However, things took a turn when Trump assumed office on January 20. As per his promise to keep TikTok around for a while, he promised to issue an executive order on the same day as his term began to delay the execution of the law.He urged TikToks partners to allow the app to keep operating and also promised that neither of them will be held accountable regardless of what happens with TikTok in the end.This assurance allowed TikTok to restore services even before the order was signed.Its unclear why Trump is so invested in saving TikTok. During his first term, it was he who suggested the idea of banning this platform. But this time, he has been rallying for it, openly speaking against the ban and promising to save it.It might have something to do with the fact that TikTok is very popular among the youth, and this time, they were his chief target for his vote bank. He did win the youth vote by a significant margin and confessed that TikTok might have something to do with it.What Happens Now?The fate of the company is yet to be decided. But TikTok is hoping for at least a 90-day extension to get enough time to handle this issue.During this time, it would try to sell the company to a non-Chinese owner. There have been rumors that this owner might be Elon Musk. However, nothing official has been confirmed just yet. Also, instead of a complete sell-off, might look to establish a 50-50 joint venture between ByteDance and the new American owner. This would be a win for all parties involved.ByteDance will be happy that it wont completely lose its precious app and access to the American market and the US authorities will be assured that the company is no longer engaging in any activity that could harm the country or its citizens.TikTok and CEO Shou Chew are very happy with Trumps quick response. He has expressed his gratitude to him multiple times. He even posted a video thanking him for his support and promising to keep cooperating with him to create a long-term solution that works for both parties.He also promised to attend Trumps Make America Great Again Victory Rally in Washington, DC before the official inauguration.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Alpa is a tech writer and editor with a wealth of experience in alternative finance, fintech, cryptocurrency, app security software, and the medical industry. Shes passionate about breaking down complex topics and sharing informative content that provides value. View all articles by Alpa Somaiya Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

Key TakeawaysThe European Commission demands internal documentation and access to Xs commercial APIs related to content moderation and account virality.The investigation accused Musk of meddling in German politics by expressing support for AfD in a livestream ahead of Germanys February 23 elections.Initial findings of the commission suggest that Elon Musks DSA-defined VLOP has not fulfilled its obligations, pointing to issues like paid-for verification.The European Commission has intensified its investigation against Elon Musk-owned X for potential violations of the EUs Digital Services Act (DSA). It has now demanded access to Xs recommendation algorithms, along with data about any recent changes made to it, by February 15, 2025.The commission has demanded Xs commercial APIs and Internal documentation related to content moderation and account virality. The requested APIs include certain technical interfaces that allow direct fact-finding. This is intended to help the Commission service in the complex assessment under the DSA of systemic risks and their mitigation.In addition to that, a retention order has been passed requiring these documents to be preserved for the period between 17 January 2025 and 31 December 2025 except if the commissions ongoing investigation is concluded before that.We are committed to ensuring that every platform operating in the EU respects our legislation, which aims to make the online environment fair, safe, and democratic for all European citizens. Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and DemocracyAs for the DSAs initial investigation, it was found that X, formerly Twitter, is the platform with the largest ratio of mis/disinformation posts, alleging that the platform failed to meet its responsibilities as a VLOP (very large online platform), as defined by DSA.VLOPs are search engines or platforms that have more than 45 million users per month.The Underlying Political ContextThis investigation was initiated after EC claimed that X had been used to disseminate disinformation about the Hamas/Israel conflict through fake/ manipulated images, leading to the circulation of false news among the masses and violence.Recently, Musk hosted a livestream with AfDs Chancellor candidate, Alice Weidel, and publicly expressed his support for the party. This involvement in German local politics was frowned upon by politicians like Chancellor Olad Scholz who described this meddling as completely unacceptable.This controversy raised suspicions about whether X has been favoring pro-AfDs posts on the platform. However, when asked about the timing correlation between the investigation and elections, Thomas Regnier, EUs spokesperson, denied the claims. He said that these steps are independent of political considerations or any specific recent events.He further clarified that Musks interference has nothing to do with this decision. This investigation is only to gain additional information to understand Xs recommender systems better.Germanys election is to be held on February 23. Itll be interesting to see if DSA is able to find something fishy in this whole investigation in the limited time it has from 15-23 February and take action to stop it.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Vlad is Tech Report's Executive Editor. With over a decade of experience in tech content, he's passionate about computer hardware, an advocate of online privacy, and strongly believes in the open-source, scarce-money nature of cryptocurrency.When hes not working, hes traveling with his partner and their cat, learning Python, or reading good books. He never owned a PC he did not build. View all articles by Vlad Melnic Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

Home News Roundup: Top 5 News of the Week From TikToks Ban to New AI Tools from Google and OpenAI News News Roundup: Top 5 News of the Week From TikToks Ban to New AI Tools from Google and OpenAI8 min read Published: January 20, 2025 Key TakeawaysTikTok has been effectively banned in the US. Users are no longer able to access the app.Google has become the first company to be investigated under the UKs DMCC Act for abuse of its dominant position.Google Gemini will now be available to all users for free.Microsoft has launched Copilot Chat for businesses to automate all mundane, repetitive tasks.OpenAI adds a Task reminder feature on ChatGPT.Missed out on the important headlines of the week? Dont worry we got you covered. Heres a quick roundup of the 5 most important headlines from this week.TikTok Goes Offline for US UsersTikTok goes offline for US users at around 10:45 p.m. ET on Saturday. Users trying to access the app are shown this message:A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you cant use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned.Trump is yet to take office hence it is currently not in his power to halt the ban. Trump, who previously supported the ban as a president, has openly said that he wants to save the app. In June, he even posted a TikTok video of his own, confirming his stance.So, it is very likely that once he takes office, TikTok might see some relief, a 90-day extension perhaps.Several lawmakers had urged Biden to delay the ban. But in that case, he needs to prove to Congress that the parties involved in purchasing the company have made significant progress towards that deal. And as we know, Bytedance has been adamantly against the sale up until now so procuring such documents will be impossible.Now, the reason we say ByteDance has been against sale up until now brings us to the second possibility. China and ByteDance, after being against selling TikTok for the entire year, might be contemplating selling at least a part of the US version to Elon Musk.There hasnt been any official confirmation of the news so far but there are obvious reasons to believe it. Its a win-win deal for both.TikTok will be able to keep its valuable US market by handing over the reins to someone who is closely connected to Trump, a TikTok supporter. While Elon Musk who identifies himself as a defender of free speech will get to strengthen his position by saving a company whose ban has sparked massive protests for allegedly violating the First Amendment rights.Google Becomes the First Company to Be Investigated Under UKs New Antitrust LawGoogle is being investigated by the UKs Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) under their newly launched Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC). This law aims to prevent any company from gaining an unfair competitive advantage in digital industries. The law officially went into effect on January 1, 2025.The current investigation against Google is focused on its search services. It will seek to determine whether Google has strategic market status (SMS). In case it does, several changes will be imposed on how the company runs business in the country.Note: SMS refers to those companies that have a turnover of more than 1 billion in the UK or more than 25 billion annually globally.Googles dominant position in the country has become a matter of concern for the authorities. More than 90% of all general queries in the UK are directed through Google. Similarly, its advertising tool is used by more than 200,000 advertisers in the country.Sarah Cardell, the CMAs chief executive, feels that there should be a level playing field for everyone in the industry to foster economic growth. Hence, big companies like Google need to be under check.Google has addressed the news and said it has no issue with the investigation. Its more than happy to comply with the authorities and see what changes are to be made.We look forward to engaging constructively and laying out how our services benefit UK consumers and businesses, as well as the trade-offs inherent in any new regulation the statement read.Read More: Google Has Illegal Monopoly over Internet Search, US Judge RulesGoogle Gemini Is Now Available for Free on Google Workspace SuiteYou can now access Google Gemini from all the Workspace Suite apps such as Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and Meet for free.Up until now, access to Gemini through these apps was restricted to subscribers of Google One AI Premium, which is priced at $19.99/month. But now, anyone can reap the benefits of AI for free.While this is great news, you should also note that Google simultaneously increased the price of all Workspace suite plans by around $2. For instance, the starter plan went from $12 to $14.Now the question is whether Gemini is worth the extra $2. The answer is a loud YES!Microsofts Copilot Chat for Businesses Is HereOn Wednesday, Microsoft rolled out an interesting new feature called Copilot Chat that lets you create AI agents to take over daily mundane tasks. This feature is integrated with Microsoft 365, allowing businesses to automate multiple types of tasks.Heres how these agents can automate all mundane, repetitive tasks.The service is free for now and can easily be created through natural languages like English and Mandarin. However, some features like creating PowerPoint slides and transcribing Teams calls require an additional $30 Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription.Why Is Microsoft Launching a Free Copilot Chat?The company has invested a lot in its AI venture but there have been concerns about the rate of adoption. Hence, Microsoft is trying to push its uptake by offering it for free. Whether the service will remain free in the future or not remains a question.OpenAIs New Task Feature Lets You Schedule WorkOpenAI has rolled out an interesting new feature called Tasks for ChatGPT that will allow users to schedule tasks like reminders, updates, and alerts. Scheduling the task is pretty easy just use simple natural language and enter a command like youll enter a search query.For example, you can say Please remind me to cancel my Netflix subscription this Sunday. Thats it, your job is done. ChatGPT will remind you to cancel your subscription on time.Not just one-off reminders you can also schedule repeated reminders to be sent every day. Once done, ChatGPT will automatically keep doing it unless you ask it to stop.This comes after OpenAI launched a Search feature to compete with Google. Another interesting feature is that based on the interaction you are having with the bot, it might suggest some task automation. Its up to you whether you want to accept these suggestions or not.The Tasks feature is currently in beta mode and is slowly being rolled out to paid subscribers which includes users on the Plus, Team, and Pro plans. By the end of the year, it might also be extended to free users.For those who are eligible to use this feature, you need to select GPT-4o with scheduled tasks when you are picking the model. You can set up tasks through any platform, but they can only be managed and modified through the web version.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Alpa is a tech writer and editor with a wealth of experience in alternative finance, fintech, cryptocurrency, app security software, and the medical industry. Shes passionate about breaking down complex topics and sharing informative content that provides value. View all articles by Alpa Somaiya Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.More from News View all News Zoho Launches Ulaa a Highly Privacy-Centered Browser Vlad MelnicJanuary 8, 2025News YouTube Rolls Out New Upgrades For Premium Subscribers Vlad MelnicJanuary 8, 2025News YouTube Rolls Out Multi-Language Audio Dubbing Feature Vlad MelnicJanuary 8, 2025 View all

Home News Roundup of the Week: Metas Content Shake-Up, Nvidias Gaming Revolution, and More News News Roundup of the Week: Metas Content Shake-Up, Nvidias Gaming Revolution, and More9 min read Published: January 9, 2025 Key TakeawaysMeta Overhauls Content Moderation Policies, Axes Fact-Checkers.U.S. Adds Tencent and CATL to Military-Linked Firms List.Getty Images and Shutterstock Merge to Form $3.7 Billion Giant.Dana White Joins Metas Board amidst the transition of the Trump Administration.Nvidias New Gaming Chips Bring AI Power to PCs.Missed out on the key developments this week? Check out the top five news headlines you should know, as we get you covered!Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, is making sweeping changes to its content moderation policies, which has already sparked widespread debate.Recently, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta would be removing fact-checkers from Instagram and Facebook in an effort to prioritize free speech. While these measures will initially kick in the US, they will gradually be expanded globally.Instead of having fact-checkers, Meta will rely on a Community Notes system, which was previously used by X (formerly Twitter). With this approach, users will be able to add context and flag fake posts. However, critics are worried about the spread of misinformation due to the absence of fact-checkers.Zuckerberg, too, acknowledged the challenges involved with this approach, admitting that the platform would probably catch less bad stuff like severe violations of policies or illegal content.However, they are designing a new approach to reduce erroneous censorship and make room for more political content on Meta platforms. This way, the platform is preparing itself to support discussions on sensitive issues like gender and immigration.The content moderation teams of Meta will relocate to Texas from California. This move will address concerns about perceived political bias. The company also plans to stop proactively flagging policy violations in certain areas. Meta will be relying on reports from its users to manage infractions that are less severe.The ongoing changes of Meta coincide with a broader strategy to reintroduce political content to users feeds after the platform opposed it for years. Meta believes this move will lead to more engagement while respecting the preferences of users regarding what they see.Zuckerberg came up with this shift as a response to mounting global regulations on online content, particularly in Europe and Latin America, which he considers restrictive.On the other hand, critics suggest that this measure would make Meta platforms more susceptible to abuse and harmful content.Tencent and CATL Added to Pentagons Military-Linked Companies List Amidst US-China Tech TensionsThe U.S. Department of Defense has placed Chinese tech giants Tencent and CATL on its list of companies that it believes to have links with the PLA. While Tencent is a gaming giant and a social media platform, CATL happens to be the largest battery manufacturer in the world. These two companies have been added to the updated Section 1260H list, which is revised annually.This approach is a part of the Pentagons effort to counter the Military-Civil Fusion strategy of China. Its goal is to identify companies that have been helping the Chinese military to modernize by collaborating with civilian industries.Interestingly, Tencent is the parent company of WeChat and a stakeholder in global gaming hits like PUBG and Fortnite. The gaming giant denied the claims, calling that its inclusion in the 1260H list was a mistake. The company plans to work with the Pentagon to resolve the misunderstanding. Tencent may also proceed to take legal action if needed.As the worlds largest EV battery maker, CATL supplies its products to top companies like Ford and Tesla. It also refuted any involvement in military-related activities in China and stated that it would contest the designation.No immediate sanctions on these companies will be made after the Pentagon updated its list, but the move significantly impacted the reputation of these companies. The decision might discourage American businesses from engaging with them. Shares of Tencent fell 6.5% in Hong Kong, wiping $35.4 billion off its market value, while CATL saw a 4% drop in Shenzhen trading.This move from the Pentagon intensifies the ongoing rivalry between the US and China. Recently, Beijing banned exports of key EV mineral-extraction technologies and sanctioned seven American firms in retaliation for U.S. military aid to Taiwan.The US, on the other hand, has started controlling its semiconductor exports to China to slow its advancements in next-generation weaponry and AI development.Getty Images and Shutterstock Announce $3.7 Billion Merger to Counter AI DisruptionTwo of the largest stock photo and video providers, Getty Images and Shutterstock, have joined hands to counter disruption caused by AI in a transformative deal valued at $3.7 billion.Traditionally rivals, the two platforms have agreed to merge in a cash-and-stock transaction, announced last Tuesday. Following the deal, a new entity named Getty Images Holdings, Inc. will be created, and the business will continue operating under the ticker symbol GETY.The combined company will be led by Craig Peters, the CEO of Getty Images. As per the terms of the deal, shareholders of Getty Images will control 54.7% of the new entity.This merger comes amidst the global disruption caused by AI, which has been reshaping the stock image industry. Popular generative AI tools like MidJourney, Canva, and Dall-E are extensively being used to create custom images, which lands traditional stock image providers in mounting competition.The newly merged company aims to address these challenges and invest more in technology. The company now plans to integrate AI into its platform while expanding its library of visual content, comprehensively enhancing its offerings to users.Craig Peters stated that the merger was exciting and transformational. He pointed to its potential to deliver value to partners, contributors, and shareholders. Within the next three years, the merged company aims to achieve $150200 million in terms of cost synergies.Dana White, the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and a vocal supporter of President-elect Donald Trump, has been appointed to the board of Meta.This appointment has been announced two weeks before the inauguration of the Trump administration. It comes at a time when Silicon Valley looks to mend its strained relations with the incoming administration.The selection of White demonstrates Metas consistent efforts to align with diverse leadership and strengthen its ties with influential figures. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, heaped praises on White as an entrepreneur who transformed UFC into one of the fastest-growing sports enterprises globally.White, on the other hand, seemed enthusiastic about his new role. He expressed his belief in the potential of social media and AI to revolutionize industries, including UFC rankings.This appointment invited controversy from various fronts. In the past, White had faced public criticism, including a backlash over his altercation with his wife during New Years Eve in 2021.However, his long-standing friendship with Trump, along with his significant influence in media and sports, positions him as a strategic addition to the board of Meta.The appointment of White comes at a time when Meta is undergoing a significant transformation. Zuckerberg explained the role of his board in creating fresh opportunities in AI, social media, and wearables.Some of the other board members include John Elkann, CEO of investment firm Exor and chairman of Ferrari, and Charlie Songhurst, a former Microsoft executive and AI strategist.With this expansion, Metas board now includes 13 members. It points to the ambitious approach of the company to diversify its expertise as it braces up for future opportunities and challenges.Nvidia Introduces New Gaming Chips Powered by AI Innovations at CES 2025Nvidia has released its new GeForce RTX 50-series gaming chips for desktops and laptops at CES 2025 in Las Vegas. It marks a significant leap in gaming technology, as the company integrates AI features from its data center GPUs.These chips are based on the advanced Blackwell architecture of Nvidia and have been designed to deliver unprecedented gaming performance. With realistic graphics and superior frame rates, gamers are set to enjoy a whole new experience with this launch.The chips are available in different configurations, which range from $549 to $1,999. They will be rolled out for desktops in January and for laptops in March. The flagship RTX 5090, retailing for $1,999, is twice as fast as its predecessor, boasting 92 billion transistors.It also supports features like DLSS 4, which is backed by AI. Thus, the chips ensure smoother gameplay and deliver better-resolution graphics. Developers can use these chips to integrate generative AI into games, thereby creating realistic faces for characters.Interestingly, the gaming division of Nvidia accounts for less than 10% of its overall revenue. This sector is largely overshadowed by its booming data center business.However, in the latest quarter, gaming sales of the tech giant soared by 15%. The RTX 50-series demonstrates how advancements in AI for data centers and enterprises trickle down to consumer products.Nvidia is also expanding its AI capabilities beyond gaming into sectors like robotics and automotive industries. The companys CEO, Jensen Huang introduced Cosmos, a foundation model for generating synthetic training data for robots and self-driving cars. Cosmos simulates real scenarios to reduce costs associated with traditional methods of gathering data.The company is also developing its first AI-focused desktop computer for developers, priced at $3,000. It integrates the same powerful chips used in data centers to ensure rapid testing and development of AI.With the companys stock hitting record highs, Nvidia continues to solidify its position as a leader in innovative technologies, driven by AI.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Krishi is an eager Tech Journalist and content writer for both B2B and B2C, with a focus on making the process of purchasing software easier for businesses and enhancing their online presence and SEO. Krishi has a special skill set in writing about technology news, creating educational content on customer relationship management (CRM) software, and recommending project management tools that can help small businesses increase their revenue. Alongside his writing and blogging work, Krishi's other hobbies include studying the financial markets and cricket. View all articles by Krishi Chowdhary Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.More from News View all News Zoho Launches Ulaa a Highly Privacy-Centered Browser Vlad MelnicJanuary 8, 2025News YouTube Rolls Out New Upgrades For Premium Subscribers Vlad MelnicJanuary 8, 2025News YouTube Rolls Out Multi-Language Audio Dubbing Feature Vlad MelnicJanuary 8, 2025 View all

Home Weekly News Update: Top 5 News Headlines from the Week News Weekly News Update: Top 5 News Headlines from the Week7 min read Published: January 1, 2025 Key TakeawaysThe US is contemplating a ban on China-made TP-Link routers over security concerns.Joe Biden proposed new rules that might reduce the impact of data leaks on the healthcare industry.Big tech giants such as Amazon, Meta, and Google are focusing on nuclear power.25+ Chrome extensions were hacked, leaving the data of over 2.5 million users exposed.MAGA rivals of Musk accuse him of taking away their X verification badges over the H-1B visa conflict.Want to catch up on the latest news from the week? Weve got you covered! Here are the top 5 biggest news updates from the week.US Might Ban China-Made TP-Link Routers over Security ConcernsUS authorities are planning to ban TP-Link routers over security concerns. TP-Link is a Chinese company, best known for its WiFi networking devices. Its routers dominate the market in the US, in both commercial and domestic spaces.However, the authorities now feel that these routers may pose a threat to the countrys national security. The decision follows the incident where TP-link routers were reportedly used in a network of hacked small office/home office (SOHO) routers that were used in a malware attack. The matter is currently under investigation by the Departments of Justice, Commerce, and Defense.Another reason why TP-Link is under investigation is its rapid growth. In 2019, its market share was 20% but apparently, in 2024, its share grew to 65%. The company has disputed these numbers but suspicion from authorities continues to linger.If TP-Link is truly a threat, banning its products is the best way out of this mess, especially given how bitter the relationship between the US and China is right now. But it wont be so easy.Banning a major router company would mean the US market will have fewer options which in turn will increase prices and hamper competition. In simple terms, people might be forced to pay more for less sophisticated routers.Biden Administration Announces New Rules to Protect the Healthcare Industry from Data Leaks2024 was a dark year for the healthcare industry, marred by numerous cyber incidents that brought day-to-day operations to a standstill. Many hospitals were forced to operate manually, adding to the suffering of the patients.For instance, a ransomware attack on Change Healthcare exposed the private data of more than 100 million individuals in February 2024. In 2023 too, more than 167 million people had their medical information exposed.Hence on Friday, a government official announced that Joe Bidens administration has proposed changes to some existing cybersecurity rules to protect healthcare data from leaks.Most of the changes were suggested for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) a law that guarantees data privacy and safeguarding to patients.The new update will keep all the existing provisions adding a few more requirements such as strengthening cybersecurity provisions to prevent attacks and encrypting patient data so that even if theres an attack, the confidential details of a patient are still safe.The proposal will now go through a 60-day comment period before the next step is finalized. If in the end it is approved, itll take at least 5 years to implement the new requirements completely. The first year of execution is expected to cost $9 billion while the subsequent years will cost around $6 billion.Amazon, Google, Meta, and Many Other Tech Giants Have Turned Their Attention to Nuclear PowerMany major tech companies such as Meta, Amazon, and Google are investing in nuclear power projects as the energy demand surges amidst technological advancement, as per a CNBC report.For example, this October Google said that it will buy energy from Kairos Power, a company that creates small modular reactors.Similarly, Microsoft also made a deal with Constellation Energy to relaunch a reactor at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, the same place that was infamous for the most number of nuclear meltdowns in the late 70s.In the last couple of years, both AI and cloud computing have gone through tremendous advancement. Such powerful technology requires equally powerful data centers to run which in turn require a lot of energy.A single data center might have the same energy requirements as an entire city like Chicago. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, global energy usage will increase by 75% by 2050.But where will all this energy come from? Nuclear power is the answer.This is an interesting turn because, for years, nuclear power has been labeled as dangerous and hard to control. The focus has mainly been on renewable energy. But now, nuclear energy is making a comeback.The report also said that there had been a lot of energy surrounding nuclear power which led to the dramatization of its impact. But in reality, its a reliable, carbon-free source of energy that always runs on time. Not to mention, its also economical.25+ Chrome Extensions Hacked: Over 2.5 Million Users ExposedMore than 25 Chrome extensions have been hacked, leaving data from over 2.5 million users exposed.Hackers often use browser extensions to target users. But usually, they create fake extensions to get the job done. But this time the perpetrators have infected legit Chrome extensions with malicious codes. The end goal remains the same stealing user data. In some cases, the hackers also use session cookies to bypass 2FA sessions.The incident was first discovered by Cyberhaven, a California-based data protection company. At first, only 16 extensions were found to be affected. By December 30, the number rose to 25 and in the coming weeks the number is expected to rise further.The attacks started with the perpetrators sending phishing emails to developers of browser extension companies.The hackers impersonated Google Chrome Web Store Developer Support and tricked the developers into believing that their extension was at risk of removal for violating the Developer Program Policies.The attackers behind this campaign are yet to be identified. Researchers are also trying to understand exactly how the malicious code works which is proving to be a little challenging at the moment because of how well it has been obfuscated.Elon Musks MAGA Rivals Accused Him of Taking Away Their X Verification BadgesA few prominent critics of Elon Musk have accused him of taking away their X verification badges after they publicly challenged his views on the latest H-1B visas.The H-1B visas allow US-based companies to hire top talent from foreign countries and bring them to America. However, many supporters of MAGA (Make America Great Again) feel that this is unfair to US citizens who are missing out on opportunities in their own country. We all know Trumps stance on immigration, so naturally, when he comes back to the White House, he might take aim at the H-1B visas.However, Musk feels that you cannot compete in an industry if you cannot hire the best talent from around the world, regardless of their native country. This difference in opinion led to a huge online clash between opponents of the visa and Musk himself which ended in the latter taking away X verification badges from prominent activists including Laura Loomer.Loomer has more than 1.4 million subscribers on X but since her badge has been taken away, she will no longer get paying subscribers. Is a free speech fraud. she posted on X in retaliation.Loomer isnt the only one. Preston Parra, the chairman of Conservative PAC said that at least 53 accounts associated with them have also lost their badges. Musk is yet to address these allegations.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Krishi is an eager Tech Journalist and content writer for both B2B and B2C, with a focus on making the process of purchasing software easier for businesses and enhancing their online presence and SEO.Krishi has a special skill set in writing about technology news, creating educational content on customer relationship management (CRM) software, and recommending project management tools that can help small businesses increase their revenue.Alongside his writing and blogging work, Krishi's other hobbies include studying the financial markets and cricket. View all articles by Krishi Chowdhary Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.More from News View all News EU Orders Apple to Stop Geo-Blocking Its Apps Vlad MelnicDecember 26, 2024 View all

Home Weekly Round Up: Flying Taxis, TikTok Ban, Pegasus Scandal, and More News Weekly Round Up: Flying Taxis, TikTok Ban, Pegasus Scandal, and More8 min read Published: December 26, 2024 Key TakeawaysAbu Dhabi might become the first city in the world to launch flying taxis in 2025ChatGPT will now be available to users via call and Whatsapp chatTrump says that he might consider keeping TikTok around for a little while longerUS Judge rules in favor of Whatsapp in the pegasus spyware lawsuitBiden launches a new probe into Chinese chips trade, will hand it off to TrumpDid you miss out on the important updates of the week? We have covered the top 5 news headlines from the week. Check it out.Abu Dhabi Plans to Launch the First Flying Taxi Service by 2025Abu Dhabi might become the first city to launch a flying taxi service by 2025. This project will be a collaboration between Abu Dhabi and Archer Aviation a US-based company specializing in designing and developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.The flying taxi service will link various vertiports across the city. The starter model is called Midnight, which is a vertical takeoff and landing model. This means it will lift off the ground directly like a helicopter (unlike an airplane that requires a long runway). Each model will be able to carry up to 4 passengers.Speaking of the benefits, the biggest perk is that flying taxis will cut down travel time by up to 80%. Even the starter models can go up to a speed of 240 km/hr which means a route that usually takes up to 1hr by car can be completed within 10-20 mins by these flying taxis.Not to mention, these taxis will be much more eco-friendly and significantly reduce traffic congestion on the streets.The project is expected to go into a trial phase soon with commercial services fully launching by the end of 2025.Why Abu Dhabi?The reason why Abu Dhabi was chosen to be the first city to lay down the path for flying taxis is its unique geography. The city consists of over 200 islands, making air travel the perfect alternative to traditional road travel for citizens.The city authorities have also been very helpful. A project of this level and scale requires a lot of support for developing the right infrastructure such as the vertiports and the traffic management system, which the Abu Dhabi authorities have provided throughout.You Can Now Reach ChatGPT on WhatsAppOpenAI has rolled out a new feature that will allow users to reach out to ChatGPT over call or Whatsapp text.In a livestream hosted by the OpenAI team, it revealed that the new features were created by the team within weeks. The chat option is available worldwide for all of the 2.7 billion Whatsapp users but the calling feature is only limited to US users for now.They can reach out to the tool at 1-800-ChatGPT (1-800-242-8478). Making calls doesnt require an Open AI account and the first 15 minutes of calling every month is completely free!There are some limitations as of now. For example, you cannot add OpenAI to any group chats. Similarly, its knowledge base for Whatsapp users is limited to information dating back to September 2021. It cannot help you with anything that happened beyond that.Hence, the company has warned that users seeking a more personalized experience and advanced assistance should stick to using ChatGPT directly through their accounts.Increasing accessibility to the tool has been a primary goal of the company since day one. And what better way to do that than leveraging the most popular messaging app in the world?We care a lot about continuing to reduce barriers so that more people can try out AI and see what it can do for them. Antonia Woodford, product managerTheres also the obvious motive of enticing new users to try out the paid versions of ChatGPT. But the good news is the company has promised not to use the call conversations to train the chatbot.Trump Is Rethinking TikToks Impending BanThe popular social media platform has a few weeks left until its banned in the US forever. This ban stems from a bill passed earlier this year that forced the company to cut ties with its parent company (a Chinese company called ByteDance) or risk getting banned in the US.This is because US regulators are worried about China using its influence on TikTok to spy on US citizens. And given how sour the relationship between the two countries has turned right now, its natural for the US to keep its guard up around China. Hence, the bill.TikTok naturally opposed the bill, even challenging it legally but to no avail. The ban was final and was expected to come into force in January.But like a beacon of hope, Trump won the presidential elections and announced that he might keep TikTok around for a little while longer.Trump said that during his election campaign, he went on TikTok and the results were beyond imagination. He got billions of views which in turn delivered him a massive young user base.Maybe we have to keep this sucker around for a little while, he added.He also argued that banning TikTok will primarily benefit Meta and its social media platforms Facebook and Instagram. Both of these apps already have a lot of influence on the public, banning TikTok which is the only strong rival at the moment will further strengthen their monopoly.However, preventing the ban wont be as easy as it sounds. The ban enjoyed rare bipartisan support, so even with all the influence Trump has, repealing it through congressional vote seems difficult.The best way forward for both TikTok and Trump would be to approach the Supreme Court and convince it to rule in their favor.A US Judge ruled in favor of WhatsApp, stating that the Israeli commercial spyware vendor NSO Group indeed breached laws (both federal laws and WhatsApps terms of services) by using WhatsApp to inflect devices with the Pegasus spyware.The group infected a total of 1,400 users. Out of these 1,400, there were at least 100 human rights defenders, politicians, diplomats, journalists, and government officials.The historic ruling was announced by a Northern California federal judge Phyllis Hamiltonon Friday, five years after the lawsuit was originally filed.Whatsapp claimed that the group exploited a vulnerability in its audio-calling feature. The group readily agreed to this claim, that it might have reverse-engineered/decompiled the Whatsapp software. However, its main argument in the case was whether it did so beforeagreeing to the terms of services of the app.The judge responded that it is common sense for the group to accept the terms of services before accessing the app. Theres no other way around.The group also argued that Pegasus is actually a helpful software and has previously helped law enforcement authorities fight crime. But this time around, it failed to produce the documents the court asked for.This includes internal communication and its source code. In short, the group couldnt prove that its actions were lawful. Hence it will be treated as an attack on the privacy of the affected users.The group didnt make any further comments but Meta is rejoiced to hear this verdict. A spokesperson said that this ruling should act as a warning to other spyware makers that their illegal activities wont be spared.Biden Launched a New Probe Into Chinese Chips Trade, Will Hand It Off to TrumpOn Monday, the Biden administration announced that it was launching a last-minute investigation into legacy Chinese semiconductors that might be breaking competition laws.The investigation will be carried out under Section 301 of the US Trade Act and initially focus on the so-called foundational semiconductors which power everything starting from household appliances to telecom equipment and defense systems.If the investigation finds China guilty of breaking competition laws, there will be severe consequences including stricter restrictions and higher tariffs on all kinds of chips imported from China.Speaking about the same, the US Trade Representatives office said that China has a habit of using non-market practices to target the chip industry and establish its dominance in it. Such behavior is extremely harmful to the competition and creates dangerous dependencies in the global supply chain.This is the USs latest blow to Chinas technical industry. Up until now, most of its attention was on the supply of advanced chips from the US to China that might help the latter build powerful AI systems.The government also imposed higher tariffs on electrical vehicles imported from China and theres also the impending ban on Chinas biggest social media platform TikTok.Overall, the Biden administration hasnt been very kind to China. But now that Trump will take over the White House, the responsibility of this probe will go into his hands so we are yet to see how he handles the US ties with China.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Vlad is Tech Report's Executive Editor. With over a decade of experience in tech content, he's passionate about computer hardware, an advocate of online privacy, and strongly believes in the open-source, scarce-money nature of cryptocurrency.When hes not working, hes traveling with his partner and their cat, learning Python, or reading good books. He never owned a PC he did not build. View all articles by Vlad Melnic Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.More from News View all News EU Orders Apple to Stop Geo-Blocking Its Apps Vlad MelnicDecember 26, 2024 View all

Home News Roundup: Top 5 News of the Week News News Roundup: Top 5 News of the Week7 min read Published: December 18, 2024 Key TakeawaysGoogles new AI tool Project Mariner can forever change the way you use the internet. It is an AI tool that can use the web in the same way as humans doOpenAI was hit by a technical outage alongside Metas social networking platforms.Apple is reportedly planning to launch two new foldable devices in 2026.26-year-old OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco Apartment.The USs New NASA head says that space soldiers are inevitable.Didnt have the time to keep up with the news this week? Dont worry we got you covered. Here are the top 5 must-know headlines from the week.Googles New Project Mariner Will Forever Change the Way We Use InternetGoogle has finally unveiled Project Mariner (internally known as Project Jarvis), an AI tool that can take control of a persons browser and use the web in the same way as humans do.The project is still at an early stage and is only available to a limited number of people right now. But we did manage to find out how it works. Basically, it takes the help of Gemini AI to understand whats on the users screen by analyzing the pixels and the texts.So for instance, if you need help with filling out a form, Mariner can do it by identifying the blanks and typing in the necessary information.Google also added that its neither reliable nor as fast as a human at the moment. However, its important to note that the tool is still in its infancy and will gradually improve over time.If Project Mariner actually manages to achieve its goals, itll have worldwide implications. On the one hand, it will encourage the large-scale adoption of AI agents who would complete all the minor day-to-day digital tasks such as making a booking or planning an itinerary on behalf of the user.On the other hand, many industries will be disrupted and thousands of jobs will become redundant. The advertising industry will be hit the worst as people will no longer go online for every small task, which means they wont be seeing as many ads.ChatGPT Hit by an Outage After Facebook & InstagramOpenAI was recently hit by a technical outage. The problem started around 7 PM ET on Thursday and left millions of users unable to use ChatGPT. When users tried to log in, they got an error message saying that the service was unavailable. The issue also affected OpenAIs API a critical tool for developers.Were experiencing an outage right now. We have identified the issue and are working to roll out a fix. OpenAIThen around 5 hours later, it confirmed that the issue had been fixed andservices had been restored.OpenAIs outage happened around the same time Meta was also hit by a major outage. Both Instagram and Facebook were down for millions of users. In some cities, WhatsApp was also out of service.As per a report from DownDetector, there were at least 23,455 outage reports for Facebook, 11,466 reports for Instagram, and 18,646 reports for WhatsApp in Britain alone.The outage also affected users from Asia, Europe, South America and Australia. The total count of affected users from all over the world is yet to be known.Apple Is Reportedly Working On Foldable iPads and iPhonesApple might be planning to launch two foldable devices over the next few years. The first one is a foldable iPhone that will have a screen larger than the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the second one will be a foldable iPad, which when open will have an 18.8-inch screen, making it bigger than all the MacBooks to this date.Although Apple has not made any official announcements yet, the news has been confirmed by multiple publications. As per the report by The Journal, this project has been underway for many years in secret and the team has made significant progress.While foldable screens are common, most of them have a pretty visible crease (along the lines where they fold) when they are open. This is what Apple is trying to do away with.As for the software, the iPad will have the features of both macOS and iPadOS. It might even be able to run native macOS apps. If that happens, the future of MacBooks willbe plunged into uncertainty.It is expected to launch the first of the two products sometime in 2026 but it might be delayed to 2027. As we mentioned above, Apple didnt make any official announcement yet so its hard to confirm the launch timeline.26-year-old Suchir Balaji, who was a former OpenAI employee turned whistleblower was found dead in his apartment in San Francisco.As per the San Francisco Police Department and the Medical Examiner, he was found in his apartment at around 1 PM during a welfare check. Although the investigation is still ongoing, the authorities havent found any sign of foul play so far. It looks like suicide.Balaji recently hit the headlines for his open criticism of OpenAI, especially regarding its alleged copyright violations in training its AI models. So naturally, his untimely death has raised a lot of questions and conspiracy theories.Many AI ethics activists have demanded a more transparent investigation into his death and have called for better security for other activists who speak out against the dangers of AI.The connection between the timing of his death and his criticism of the company can be purely coincidental. Its not enough to link OpenAI with Balajis sudden demise (as some netizens are insinuating.)We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news today and our hearts go out to Suchirs loved ones during this difficult time. OpenAIBalaji wasnt the only one concerned with the way OpenAI does business. Many of its employees have raised similar concerns, especially now that the company has decided to turn for-profit.Many top executives such as Mira Murati, Bob McGrew, and Barret Zoph, who have been with the company for a long time, decided to part ways all of a sudden and around the same time.Jared Isaacmanhas, the tech billionaire who has been recently nominated by Donald Trump to lead the US Space Agency, said that US troops will sooner or later be sent to space in order to protect the economic interests of the country.Isaacmanhas has been to space twice in the last three years on self-funded missions and believes that it has a lot of economic potential.The space can offer life-changing breakthroughs in mining, manufacturing, and biotechnology and might even help create new sources of energy. If the potential is properly channelled, it would eventually turn into a thriving economy with lots of job opportunities for people to live and work in space.But the problem is that space is for all and not the US alone. So therell be a lot of sharing and compromise which will obviously require the presence of a troop because lets be honest, the superpowers of the world are not very good at sharing.However, these are all talks of the future. He didnt even mention a timeline for sending the first batch of troops up there but itll probably be after the Artemis program takes off and NASA establishes a permanent presence on the moon.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Vlad is Tech Report's Executive Editor. With over a decade of experience in tech content, he's passionate about computer hardware, an advocate of online privacy, and strongly believes in the open-source, scarce-money nature of cryptocurrency.When hes not working, hes traveling with his partner and their cat, learning Python, or reading good books. He never owned a PC he did not build. View all articles by Vlad Melnic Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.More from News View all News News Roundup: Top 5 News of the Week Vlad MelnicDecember 18, 2024News Weekly Roundup: Top 5 News From the Week Krishi ChowdharyDecember 4, 2024News Samsungs Gauss 2 Model Pioneers AI Integration Aaron WalkerNovember 22, 2024 View all

Home Weekly Roundup 5 Headlines from the Week You Just Cant Miss News Weekly Roundup 5 Headlines from the Week You Just Cant Miss7 min read Published: December 12, 2024 Key TakeawaysTikTok has appealed to the Supreme Court to put its impending US ban on hold.Apple is facing a $1.2 billion lawsuit for abandoning its plans to prevent the distribution of child-abusive sexual material on iCloud.X adds a new image generator called Aurora to GrokAI.OpenAI launches a $200 super plan for users.Grok AI is finally available for free for all users.Didnt have the chance to catch up on the news this week? No worries, weve got you covered! Heres a quick summary of the top 5 important news from the week:1. TikTok Is Trying to Stall Its Us Ban Slated for 2025TikTok is doing its best to delay the impending ban on its app. It had submitted an appeal to a federal court, requesting an emergency injunction to prevent the app from getting banned from January 2025. But the court turned down the request, forcing the company to submit a similar plea to the Supreme Court.It also argued that the law was passed when Joe Biden was in term but now he has been replaced by Donald Trump who had previously hinted that it would overturn this law. Hence, the least it should be given right now is an extension instead of an immediate ban in 2025.The Department of Justice has called for the request to be dismissed but the Supreme Court is yet to respond.A Little Background of the CaseEarlier this year, US regulators passed a bill that would ban TikTok if it didnt cut ties with its parent company ByteDance. The reason behind this decision was simple.The US is not on good terms with China right now and the officials are worried that China might use TikTok to spy on US citizens. Although TikTok has denied these accusations time and again, it has not appeased the US regulators.On the other hand, both ByteDance and China made it clear that they wont sell TikTok. The company was confident that it would win the legal battle against this bill but so far, that doesnt seem to be the case.2. Apple Slapped with a $1.2 Billion Lawsuit for Failing to Prevent the Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material on iCloudA $1.2 billion lawsuit has been filed against Apple in the US District Court in North California for failing to implement the features it announced for preventing the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on iCloud.The lawsuit was filed by a 27-year-old woman who claimed that Apples failure resulted in the widespread distribution of pictures of her abuse.She got to know about this after receiving several notifications from law enforcement authorities every time they arrested someone possessing her images. She couldnt believe that there were so many people out there with a copy of those horrific photos.Hence, with this lawsuit, she is holding the company accountable for its actions and seeking compensation for as many as 2,680 victims.In 2021, Apple talked about a set of features that will use digital signatures from groups like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to detect the presence of CSAM in iCloud libraries.However, this announcement was followed by widespread criticism from users who were worried about their privacy. They felt that Apple would be able to see every single picture they stored on their iCloud, which was a no-no for many.But instead of coming up with a plan that protects victims of assault while maintaining privacy, the company decided to abandon the project altogether.Apple has been contacted for a comment but the spokesperson only responded with We are urgently and actively innovating to combat these crimes without compromising the security and privacy of all our users. No comments on the case.3. X Launches Aurora A New Image GeneratorElon Musk-owned social media platform X launched a new image generator called Aurora that will be integrated with the Grok AI assistant.The feature was officially launched on Saturday and can be accessed through Xs mobile app as well as the web. Its important to note that while the feature is available for all Grok users, for some reason it disappeared for some users right after the launch. So if you cant find it right away, be patient, itll show up.Just like the first image generator (Flux) that was added to Grok in October, Aurora also runs with minimal guardrails. It can create images of any character or public figure without caring for any copyright law. During a test, it was also seen creating graphic images freely. Thankfully, it doesnt create sexually explicit images.Although the images produced are quite realistic, its not free of mistakes. Some users complained that the tool sometimes distorts objects or gets the human anatomy wrong when generating images with human characters.Nevertheless, the generator is still in the beta phase so theres a lot of room for development.4. OpenAI Claims That Users Will Be Willing to Pay $200 for ChatGPTOpenAI announced a new plan for ChatGPT and it costs $200. This is the most expensive plan in the market now 10x the cost of ChatGPT Plus.Owing to the cost, some believe that it might be hard to sell. But, OpenAI feels that the plus users who are already pushing the limits of the tool are the ideal target audience for this tool.The ChatGPT Pro plan gives users access to all models of OpenAI, including the new o1 reasoning model.Note: o1 and other similar reasoning models check their own response and they craft the reply. This prevents them from making mistakes in the final answer. The only downside is that it takes a lot of time to process the queries.Every paid user already gets to use the o1 tool. However, those who opt for the $200 Pro plan will get a better version of the tool called o1 Pro mode.Under this, the user will get a progress bar to check how long itll be before their answer is ready (as we mentioned before these queries take time) and theyll also get a notification once the answer is ready.5. Grok Is Now Available for Free for All UsersGrok AI will now be available for free for all users. Free users can send up to 10 queries to the chatbot every 2 hours thats a total of 120 queries per day. generate up to 10 images every 2 hours. This is more than enough for most regular users.analyze 3 images every 2 hours. If a user wants to do more analysis within the same 2-hour time frame, theyll have to upgrade to the Premium plan.This change was noticed by a user on X. Last month, the company announced its plans to create a free version of GrokAI which was previously only reserved for paid users. It even started running a free trial in countries like New Zealand.However, we didnt have any official launch date for the free plan before this. Looks like X planned to do a surprise drop right before Christmas a gift for all its loyal users.This freemium approach will allow the tool to reach out to a wider range of users and encourage them to switch to a paid plan.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Krishi is an eager Tech Journalist and content writer for both B2B and B2C, with a focus on making the process of purchasing software easier for businesses and enhancing their online presence and SEO.Krishi has a special skill set in writing about technology news, creating educational content on customer relationship management (CRM) software, and recommending project management tools that can help small businesses increase their revenue.Alongside his writing and blogging work, Krishi's other hobbies include studying the financial markets and cricket. View all articles by Krishi Chowdhary Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.More from News View all News Weekly Roundup: Top 5 News From the Week Krishi ChowdharyDecember 4, 2024News Samsungs Gauss 2 Model Pioneers AI Integration Aaron WalkerNovember 22, 2024 View all

Key TakeawaysAmar Bhakta, who worked as a digital advertiser in Apple has filed a lawsuit against the company for illegally surveilling employees and suppressing free speech.In the lawsuit, he claimed that Apple monitors the personal devices of the employees, even when they are off-duty.Apple has denied these allegations. A spokesperson even said that the company actually encourages its employees to speak up about their wages, hours, and working conditions.Apple has been sued by an ex-employee for allegedly spying on employee devices. The plaintiff is Amar Bhakta, who worked as a digital advertiser at Apple since 2020.In the lawsuit filed in a California state court, Bhakta claims that Apples work environment is a prison yard. Employees are constantly subjected to physical, video, and electronic surveillance.He further explained that the company monitors everything an employee does on their personal devices. They are required to link their personal iCloud accounts to their work systems and allow the company to install monitoring software on their personal iPhones.This way the company constantly checks the employees emails, location, photos, and videos, even when the employee is off the clock. This surveillance also extends to the devices in the employees home office.In addition to that, Bhakta also accused the company of suppressing free speech. For example, he was barred from talking about his work on a podcast and was also asked to remove his job position at Apple from his LinkedIn profile which is now making it difficult for him to find another job.These accusations, if true, violate the labor code in California. So Bhakta is seeking compensation for his own troubles as well as changes in the company so that no other employee has to go through the same ordeal.In addition to paying the damages owed to Bhakta, Apple might also have to pay a separate penalty to the state.Apple has denied all these accusations. A spokesperson named Josh Rosenstock actually spoke out against the suppression of free speech allegation and said that the company actually trains its employees on their rights to freely talk about their wages, hours, and working conditions.However, this isnt the first time that the company has been accused of poorly treating its employees. Outten & Golden, the law firm thats representing Bhakta is also representing two other women who accused the company of discriminating against its female employees.According to the lawsuit filed in June, the company paid lower wages to its female employees compared to their male counterparts. Approximately 12,000 female employees across various departments (in its California branch) such as engineering, marketing, and customer support are said to be affected by this discrimination.Apple had denied these allegations as well.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Krishi is an eager Tech Journalist and content writer for both B2B and B2C, with a focus on making the process of purchasing software easier for businesses and enhancing their online presence and SEO.Krishi has a special skill set in writing about technology news, creating educational content on customer relationship management (CRM) software, and recommending project management tools that can help small businesses increase their revenue.Alongside his writing and blogging work, Krishi's other hobbies include studying the financial markets and cricket. View all articles by Krishi Chowdhary Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

Home Weekly Roundup: Top 5 News From the Week News Weekly Roundup: Top 5 News From the Week8 min read Published: December 4, 2024 Key TakeawaysThe Indonesian government rejects Apples $100 million investment proposal to lift the ban on iPhone 16.Elon Musk is trying to prevent OpenAI from turning for-profit once again.ChatGPT is still struggling to generate accurate news citations, a recent study shows.Meta is planning to build a $10 billion subsea cable network spanning over 40,000 km.Australia is considering a new law that might penalize industry leaders for squashing competition.So much happened this week that you might not have been able to keep a tab on everything. So we have brought to you the top 5 most important news from the tech industry that you just cant miss.Apples $100 Million Investment Not Enough to Lift Ban from iPhone 16s Sale: Indonesian Government SaysIn October, Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita imposed a ban on the sale of iPhone 16 in Indonesia, making it illegal to import, sell or use the device.Note: People can still carry an iPhone 16 into the country if they have purchased it elsewhere and do not plan to use it for commercial purposes. 9,000 units have entered the country this way.The ban was imposed because the company failed to meet the 40% local content rule under which all smartphones need to have at least 40% of their content locally sourced. This is done to boost domestic industries and prevent them from being trampled by big international players.If a company doesnt want to use local content, it can compensate by investing in manufacturing and innovation projects. Thats what Apple promised to do.However, at the time when the iPhone 16 was launched, the company was yet to keep its promise. It had only invested 1.5 trillion Indonesian rupiah while it had promised to invest at least 1.7 trillion Indonesian rupiah.So now, to make up for this, Apple has offered to invest another $100 million. Unfortunately, this investment proposal was dismissed by the Indonesian government.According to Kartasasmita, Apple needs to invest in a new production facility in the country to keep its promise. This way it will not have to file a new investment proposal every three years and it will also be more fair and at par with Apples investment in other countries.Apple is yet to respond to this demand.Elon Musk Attempts to Ban OpenAI from Turning For-ProfitIn a brand new court filing, Elon Musk is once again trying to prevent OpenAI from turning for-profit.Ever since OpenAI announced its plans to turn for-profit, Musk has opposed it. First, he filed a lawsuit against the company, accusing it of breaching its initial agreement with him (Elon Musk was one of the co-founders and investors of OpenAI).However, OpenAI denied having any such agreement with Musk. And for some reason, without any explanation, Musk dropped the lawsuit a few weeks later.But he hasnt given up. Once again, he has approached a federal court to sabotage OpenAIs plans. This time too, he repeated the same claims that OpenAI had made some promises to him which itll be breaching by turning for-profit.Plus, the company set out to be a non-profit, dedicated to research but now its accepting investment in billions from Microsoft. This, according to Musk, goes against its founding principles.He also added new concerns over OpenAIs unchecked growth, which can possibly kill all competition including his own company xAI.One of the points he raised is that OpenAI requires its investors not to invest in any other rival AI startup which is clearly against antitrust laws. Hence, it needs to be stopped before its too late.OpenAI has addressed this filing and said that this is the fourth time that Musk has recycled the same baseless complaints which continue to be utterly without merit.ChatGPT Continues to Make Fake New CitationsA recent study conducted by the Tow Center found that ChatGPT is still struggling with creating accurate citations for its news sources.The study was conducted with 20 publishers which includes the ones that OpenAI has affiliations with as well as those which are unaffiliated. From each publisher, they took 10 quotes to see whether the tool could accurately pinpoint their source.However, in many instances, the tool failed. The responses were mixed. Sometimes it got the source completely wrong, sometimes it got it partially correct, and only a handful of times, it got the citation completely correct.Whether the publisher was affiliated with the company or not did not make a difference. Each of the 20 publishers was equally subjected to the mistakes.In the end, it was found that out of the 200 queries, 153 were incorrect. The worst part is, in only 7 cases the tool acknowledged its inability to furnish accurate responses. So a regular user under normal circumstances wouldnt even know that they were getting the wrong citations.This is also highly disadvantageous for the publishers who might miss out on a bulk of traffic because those faulty links couldnt point the user to their site.OpenAI has responded to these findings and said that the Tow Centre conducts an atypical test of our product.It then went on to explain how its already helping more than 250 million users every week with summaries, quotes, and citations. The company has already partnered up with experts to improve in-line citation accuracy and will continue to enhance its results.Meta is planning to build a network of subsea cables thatll run across more than 40,000 km and will cost the company about $10 billion.As per reports, the company will initially start by investing $2 billion and as the project later progresses, the total investment might add up to $10 billion.Most of the other details are still under wraps. Sometime in early 2025, it is expected to reveal its entire plan such as the cable route, capacity of the network, and reason for this project.Note: The route might start from the east coast of the USA to India via South Africa and then back to the west coast of the USA through Australia.However, it will be a few years before this project comes to fruition. According to Ranulf Scarborough, a submarine cable industry analyst, the cable ships that carry out such types of construction are quite expensive and booked out years in advance. Metas number might not come anytime soon unless it manages to find another way.This also isnt the first time that the company has ventured into underwater cable networks. Its already a co-owner in 16 such networks, including the new 2Africa cable.This New Competition Law Can Fine Big Tech Giants for Suppressing CompetitionOn Monday, Australia proposed a new law that could impose a fine of up to A$50 million ($33 million) on big tech companies if they try to suppress competition by preventing users from switching to other services.Speaking about the same, Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones said sometimes companies use certain tricks to lock in customers to their products. Doing so hampers innovation outside of the top players of the industry.Its also unfair to the users who cannot make a free choice and might end up paying more because they cant switch to cheaper alternatives.Hence, a regulation to maintain fairness in the industry is much needed.The proposal is still under consultation which is expected to end on Feb 14. If everything goes well, the parliament will hold more sessions to discuss the drafting of the legislation. If this law is finally imposed, Australian competition watchdogs will get the responsibility of investigating big tech companies to ensure their compliance with the competition laws.The ad-tech industry and app marketplaces will be the first ones to come under their supervision. The law would prevent them from favoring one product/listing over another.Therell be no preferential ranking, even for the companys own products or services.Once the law is passed, the government will also consult with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to discuss which platforms pose the greatest risk and need to be investigated first.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Krishi is an eager Tech Journalist and content writer for both B2B and B2C, with a focus on making the process of purchasing software easier for businesses and enhancing their online presence and SEO.Krishi has a special skill set in writing about technology news, creating educational content on customer relationship management (CRM) software, and recommending project management tools that can help small businesses increase their revenue.Alongside his writing and blogging work, Krishi's other hobbies include studying the financial markets and cricket. View all articles by Krishi Chowdhary Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.More from News View all News Samsungs Gauss 2 Model Pioneers AI Integration Aaron WalkerNovember 22, 2024News Google Gemini Gets a Memory Krishi ChowdharyNovember 21, 2024 View all

Key TakeawaysIntel has received $7.86 billion through the CHIPS and Science Act as confirmed by the US Department of Commerce.This funding will directly fuel the semiconductor manufacturing projects that Intel has planned to launch in Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio, and Oregon.In addition to this funding, it also managed to secure a $3 billion award from the Department of Defense and a 25% investment tax credit from the U.S. Treasury Department.This will also add more than 20,000 construction jobs, 10,000 company jobs, and 50,000 indirect jobs.Intel has finally managed to secure direct funding of up to $7.86 billion through the CHIPS and Science Act from the US Department of Commerce. This money will directly go to the companys upcoming commercial semiconductor manufacturing projects in New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, and Arizona.Out of this, $65 million will be invested in workforce development. This will include a $56 million investment for education and training programs and a separate $5 million investment to increase the availability of childcare near Intel facilities.In addition to this investment, the company has also managed to secure a 25% investment tax credit from the U.S. Treasury Department and a $3 billion deal from the Department of Defense.All these investments will have significance for both the company and the country.Whats In It For The Company?Its no secret that Intel has been struggling for a while. Increasing competition from AMD and Nvidia has been slowly eating away at its market value. In 2021, its market value was approximately $209.45 billion but in 2024 (as of November), its market value is only $102 billion.In addition to that, the company recently revealed its third-quarter earnings where it faced a massive $16.6 billion loss. As a result, more than 2,000 jobs were cut which in turn affected share prices and made investors lose their faith in the company. It was a vicious cycle.However, this new investment can completely change the picture for the company. In 2024, Intel promised to invest more than $100 billion in semiconductor manufacturing but it couldnt have kept its promise without getting this funding.Sure, Intel had already been making some significant progress in the semiconductor industry. But all of these achievements together wouldnt have been able to help Intel reach the position in the semiconductor industry that this massive funding can.Thankfully, with this investment more than 10,000 company jobs, 20,000 construction jobs, and 50,000 indirect jobs.Read More: Everything Intel Announced at Computex 2024: Xeon 6 Processors and Lunar Lake AI ChipsWhats In It For The US?The US was gradually losing its hold over the global chipmaking market. Although Nvidia is one of its biggest players, in 2022, its contribution to the global chip manufacturing industry was only 10% and that too was expected to decrease.On the other hand, China, one of the biggest rivals of the US, was making significant improvements in the industry.Naturally, the US had to do something. So it introduced the CHIPS Act in 2024 as its first step to remedy the situation. It also helped by adding more jobs and opportunities. Also, the USs global contribution to the chip market is now expected to grow (instead of decreasing) to 14% by 2032.The CHIPS for America program will supercharge American technology and innovation and make our country more secure and Intel is expected to play an important role in the revitalization of the U.S. semiconductor industry Gina Raimondo, U.S. Secretary of CommerceRight now, what the US needs more than anything is a face to drive its ambition. And its putting its bet on Intel to be that face.The US firmly believes that Intel can help build a strong domestic manufacturing space for chips and position the country at the top of the global supply chain.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Krishi is an eager Tech Journalist and content writer for both B2B and B2C, with a focus on making the process of purchasing software easier for businesses and enhancing their online presence and SEO.Krishi has a special skill set in writing about technology news, creating educational content on customer relationship management (CRM) software, and recommending project management tools that can help small businesses increase their revenue.Alongside his writing and blogging work, Krishi's other hobbies include studying the financial markets and cricket. View all articles by Krishi Chowdhary Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

Home Tech Weekly Roundup: Top 5 News from the Week You Cant Miss News Tech Weekly Roundup: Top 5 News from the Week You Cant Miss7 min read Published: November 26, 2024 Key TakeawaysGoogle blocked 1000+ pro-Chinese sites that were spreading Chinese propaganda.Amazon decided to invest an additional $4 billion in Anthropic, bringing its total investment in the company to $8 billion.Amazon and Google mobile browsers might be under probe by UK regulators.Thousands of Amazon workers across the US, UK, Germany, and 17 other countries have decided to go on strike this Black Friday.Amid rising threats from Russia, the UK is seeking collaboration with its NATO allies to amp up its defenses against cyber threats.If you had a busy week and couldnt keep up with the latest happenings in the tech and business industry, weve got you covered. Heres a quick recap of the top 5 news from the week.Google Blocked a Number of Chinese Propaganda WebsitesGoogles Threat Intelligence Group recently revealed that it blocked over 1,000 news sites from Google Discover and Google News since 2022.These sites were backed by four small Chinese PR firms that spread pro-Chinese propaganda news at the order of an anonymous client:Times NewswireShanghai Haixun TechnologyDurinbridgeShenzhen Bowen MediaOut of these 4, Shanghai Haixun Technology dominated with more than 600 domains in its name, all of which were spreading the same propaganda content. All the 600 domains have now been removed by Google.These sites managed to stay in hiding for this long by pretending to be local news sites. They even published localized news content along with their propaganda campaign, which ranged from press releases to conspiracy theories, to appear genuine.According to Google, these PR firms pretended to be working independently. But in reality, they were all in this together. The tech giant has named this network of PR firms Glassbridge but they are yet to identify its leader (or if theres one at all).This isnt the first time that Google has caught illegitimate websites spreading pro-China content and it certainly wont be the last. For instance, another similar group known as Dragonbridge was also recently discovered, spreading similar pro-China content.Apple and Googles Mobile Browsers May Soon Be Under Probe from UK RegulatorsThe U.K.s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) might consider launching a probe into Google and Apples mobile browser market.On Friday, the regulator published a report based on the findings of an independent inquiry group which was asked by the CMA to carry out an in-depth review of the mobile browser market in the UK.Based on its findings, the group suggested that the CMA should take a closer look at Apple and Google and investigate their activities under the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC).What Exactly Did Apple & Google Do To Provoke This Decision?The DMCC is an anti-competitive law that prevents companies from gaining an unfair advantage in the market.As per the groups report, Apples stringent Apple Store rules make it difficult for app developers to deliver new features to users. Some of the app developers also complained that they would like to be able to offer their apps outside of the Apple App Store. But theres no such provision on iOS devices right now.As for Google, the group found its revenue-sharing agreement with Apple to be problematic. As per this deal, the iPhone maker would make Google the default search engine on all its devices.Apple reacted to this news and denied all the findings by the group. It even added that the intervention of DMCC might hamper user privacy and make it difficult for Apple to continue creating the type of technology that sets it apart from others.Read More: Google Has Illegal Monopoly over Internet Search, US Judge RulesAmazon Decides to Invest Another $4 Billion In AnthropicOn Friday, Amazon announced that it has decided to invest another $4 billion in the AI startup Anthropic, bringing its total investment in the company to $8 billion.The company will start by making an initial transfer of $1.3 billion and the rest will follow soon.In addition to that, Amazon also decided to make AWS the primary cloud and training partner of Anthropic. This means from now on, most Anthropic models will be trained on AWS Trainium and Inferentia chips.This is a win-win deal for both companies. For Anthropic, the benefit is pretty clear. The artificial intelligence industry is fiercely competitive with big leaders like OpenAI and Google dominating the market. At a time like this, startups like Anthropic could use all the help they get.As for Amazon, this partnership will allow AWS customers early access to an interesting Anthropic feature that will allow them to tune up their data using Claude (Anthropics AI chatbot).Its important to note that despite this $8 billion investment, Amazon is still a minority investor in the company and doesnt have a seat on the board and we dont know if this status quo will change anytime soon.Especially because it looks like Google is also interested in Anthropic. Just last year, it confirmed that it has a 10% stake in the startup and has decided to invest an additional $2 billion in it.Thousands of Amazon Workers Have Decided to Go On Strike on Black FridayBlack Friday is the busiest day of the year for every retail company. But unfortunately for Amazon, at a time when it would need extra hands to manage the rush, thousands of workers have decided to go on strike instead.This includes warehouse workers and delivery drivers from over 20+ countries such as the UK, the US, and Germany.The protest is being led by the Swiss-based UNI Global Union and Progressive International. It has three main purposes:Amazons relentless pursuit of profit comes at a cost to workers, the environment, and democracy. Christy Hoffman, the general secretary of UNI Global UnionA spokesperson from Amazon UK has addressed this news and said that they are already taking multiple green initiatives to promote sustainability. For instance, the company is now the largest buyer of renewable energy.The spokesperson also added that while they are always open to feedback and willing to adapt, the company remains proud of what they are already offering their workers i.e. competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, and a safe working environment for all.UK Seeks Collaboration with NATO Allies to Fight Against Rising Cyber Threat from RussiaUKs Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden has announced that Britain is planning to counter the rising cyber threat from Russia with a dedicated AI security lab.For that, it is seeking collaboration with its NATO allies as well as the Five Eyes countries (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K., and the U.S.). The laboratory will receive an initial funding of 8.22 million ($10.3 million) from the government itself. In the future, they are hoping that other organizations (and hopefully its allies) might contribute to it. As for its purpose, itll be responsible for developing advanced cyber defense tools and improving intelligence sharing among its NATO allies.In the official release, McFadden said that the threat of AI in international warfare is no longer a concern of the distant future. In fact, its a daily reality that needs urgent attention from NATO members.This announcement follows in the footsteps of the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill which was introduced by the UK government in July to protect public services, especially critical infrastructure, from cyber attacks.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Krishi is an eager Tech Journalist and content writer for both B2B and B2C, with a focus on making the process of purchasing software easier for businesses and enhancing their online presence and SEO.Krishi has a special skill set in writing about technology news, creating educational content on customer relationship management (CRM) software, and recommending project management tools that can help small businesses increase their revenue.Alongside his writing and blogging work, Krishi's other hobbies include studying the financial markets and cricket. View all articles by Krishi Chowdhary Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.More from News View all News Samsungs Gauss 2 Model Pioneers AI Integration Aaron WalkerNovember 22, 2024News Google Gemini Gets a Memory Krishi ChowdharyNovember 21, 2024 View all

Key TakeawaysEquinox, a health service provider, has confirmed the leak of personal data of 21,000 users.Leaked data includes names, addresses, SSNs, and personal medical records.Lockbit, the gang that was neutralized in February, is responsible for this attack.Equinox, a health service organization based in New York, has sent a notice to nearly 21,000 patients and staff informing them of a data breach incident that occurred nearly seven months ago.Equinox faced issues accessing parts of its network resources on April 29, 2024, which turned out to be a security breach. Investigations began almost immediately and the company took all measures possible to re-secure their infrastructure.A well-known cybersecurity firm was also hired (not named in the notice) to investigate the issue. The company then launched a detailed review of the files that were suspected of being affected.After some intense and long investigation, Equinox concluded on September 16, 2024, that the personal health information of some of its customers and staff had been compromised. Breached information includes the following:However, Equinox has said that this list is not exhaustive and the details breached may differ from individual to individual.Whos Responsible For the Attack?Whats more embarrassing for security and law enforcement agencies around the world is that the notorious ransomware gang Lockbit is responsible for this data leak.Now, Lockbit was neutralized in February 2024 through a joint operation of the FBI, Europols European Cybercrime Center, and the Interpol led by Britains National Crime Agency. This operation was also supported by countries like France, Japan, Australia, Germany, and others.After such a huge operation, the National Crime Agency said that the site was under their control and that the gang was disrupted successfully.So, in April, when the Equinox incident occurred, Lockbit shouldnt have been active. However, that isnt the case two months after their supposed disruption, Lockbit was successful in executing another data breach.The LockBit 3.0 ransomware group listed Equinox on its data leak site on May 18, claiming to have 49GB of crucial data. This listing was updated on August 11, which gave Equinox time till August 25 to comply with the gangs request. Post this, Lockbit went on to leak 31.8 GB worth of personal information online.However, Equinox has not yet confirmed whether it was a ransomware attack or the amount demanded by the gang, if any.What Can Equinox Customers Do Now?Well, now that personal customer data has already been leaked, theres not much users can do about it. However, Equinox has listed a few measures people can take to ensure this leaked data is not misused.You can review your credit reports and account statements and if you notice anything suspicious, you should immediately contact your financial institution.You can place a fraud alert on your credit report doing so is absolutely free and it stays on your credit file for one year at least. This will notify you of any fraudulent activity on your report. Plus, perpetrators will not be able to open any new accounts in your name, as the financial institution will contact you before doing so.You can also put a security freeze on your credit file, which prevents any new credits from being opened against your name without a PIN number. This way, no one will be able to access your credit reports without your permission.Equinox takes the security and privacy of information in its possession very seriously and is taking steps to prevent a similar event from occurring in the future. EquinoxEquinox has also set up a toll-free number for any security queries customers might have. You can contact them on (866) 531-3185, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Krishi is an eager Tech Journalist and content writer for both B2B and B2C, with a focus on making the process of purchasing software easier for businesses and enhancing their online presence and SEO.Krishi has a special skill set in writing about technology news, creating educational content on customer relationship management (CRM) software, and recommending project management tools that can help small businesses increase their revenue.Alongside his writing and blogging work, Krishi's other hobbies include studying the financial markets and cricket. View all articles by Krishi Chowdhary Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

KEY TAKEAWAYSApple reported a vulnerability that opens up users to data theft in the browser, including passwords and potentially crypto.The latest iOS updates should fix this vulnerability, so its imperative for users to update their devices, Macs, and mobile phones.JavaScriptCore and WebKit services are the root cause of the vulnerability, and Apple said theyve already been exploited by hackers.Apples M1, M2, and M3 Mac chips remain vulnerable to data theft, including crypto wallet-sensitive data, as the vulnerability is on the hardware.On Monday, Apple confirmed an iOS vulnerability that could result in massive crypto theft.An attacker could inject malicious code through JavaScript (web-based attack), which opens the way to a cross-site scripting attack.More importantly, the flaw was already discovered and misused by hackers.Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited on Intel-based MAC systems. AppleThis is further compounded by a March report that Apples last-gen chips (M1, M2, and M3 series) are vulnerable to cryptographic key theft.Lets see what this means for Apple users.Root Cause of the Vulnerability WebKit & JavaScriptApples analysis of the vulnerability narrows down the problem to two things:1. Web-based arbitrary code execution through JavaScriptCore. This was exploited on Intel-based Mac systems.2. Cross site scripting attacks through WebKit, similarly exploited on Intel-based Mac systems.Both issues have been addressed in the latest update, as Changpeng Zhao (Binance CEO) notified on X.If you havent updated your Intel-based Macbook, do it now. You need the latest version of WebKit and JavaScriptCore to patch this vulnerability.Otherwise, your crypto assets may be at risk.Apple issued a similar vulnerability report for iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1. JavaScripCore and WebKit were also the culprits.As for the solution, an OS update should solve the issue.Free Access to Browser Passwords & Crypto KeysThats right, this vulnerability allowed hackers to see any sensitive data stored in your browser. This includes crypto wallet private keys.[] attackers could access sensitive data like private keys or passwords. Jeremiah OConnor, Trugard CTO and Co-FounderThis is further aggravated by a March report from Apple saying that the M1, M2, and M3 chips are also vulnerable.A different kind of vulnerability, mind you.Hackers can steal cryptographic keys through a prefetching exploit, which accesses data stored in the processor and then builds a cryptographic key that should be private.The problem is that this is a chip-level vulnerability and, thus, not patchable through software updates.Apple Just Why?The good news is that if you use a current-gen Apple chip, youre safe. The latest software updates removed the vulnerability, so your crypto and passwords are secure.The bad (or horrible) news is that M1, M2, and M3 chip users are still open to the prefetching exploit. But only if you install malware on your device.The only solution is to move your crypto wallets to other devices, like a Windows PC. Not ideal, but apparently necessary.ReferencesClick to expand and view referencesAdd Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Alex is a junior crypto editor passionate about data privacy, cybersecurity, and crypto. Youll often find him geeking out on the latest security key, password manager, or the hottest crypto presale, looking for that one digital currency to rule them all. With over six years of freelance writing under his belt, Alex fell in love with the process.From researching data and brainstorming topics to comparing cryptocurrency whitepapers and digging deep into crypto roadmaps, its all in the keyboard. Ideally, a mechanical one with brown switches.Alex is an eternal learner who knows that continuous improvement is the best way to remain relevant. Currently, he's brushing up his E-E-A-T and SEO skills, but who knows what comes next? In his spare time, he enjoys video games, horror movies, and going to the gym, which sometimes conflicts with his gourmand nature.Oh, well, you can't have them all.Follow Alex on LinkedIn View all articles by Alex Popa Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

KEY TAKEAWAYSRick Wurster at Charles Schwab shared plans to add crypto spot trading to the platform in the foreseeable future.Unclear regulations and the hostile approach of some lawmakers are the biggest obstacles to crypto adoption for financial institutions in the US.Hester Peirce and Dan Gallagher are the most likely candidates to replace Gensler as the SEC Chair.Rick Wurster, the soon-to-become-CEO of investment firm Charles Schwab, confessed he doesnt own any crypto and now feels silly for it.Once US lawmakers develop clear digital assets regulations, Charles Schwab plans to introduce spot crypto trading to the platform.To Wursters relief, positive regulatory changes are already underway.Schwab Expands Crypto ServicesThe current regulations dont make it easy for institutions to offer crypto-related services. Vague definitions, regulation by enforcement, and lack of industry-specific tools (for example, the Howey test the SEC uses for securities is poorly suited to crypto) are the main roadblocks on the US path to innovation.Wurster admits hes never bought crypto and has no plans to do so now. However, he wants to streamline the process for Schwab clients wishing to invest in crypto directly.Charles Schwab already rolled out crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and futures contracts. Regulated financial vehicles that provide indirect exposure to crypto fall under stricter oversight and compliance standards, so they are less risky but often less profitable than owning your crypto.Spot trading is the next step toward becoming a comprehensive digital asset investment platform. Wurster expects Trumps administration to ease compliance for firms offering direct ownership of digital assets.Next SEC Chair: UnknownTrump might be the most controversial of all US presidents, so contrasting reactions to his victory were to be expected.While crypto investors are celebrating, SEC Chair Gary Gensler is quietly seething with anger and promised to resign on Trumps inauguration day.Genslers regulation-by-enforcement approach to crypto turned him into public enemy #1. This didnt spook Gensler, given that Bidens administration shared his views, but with the new president came big changes.As his final contribution, Gensler urged lawmakers to create clear rules for crypto sales and exchanges.Gensler believes regulations should promote transparency and investor protections, including proper disclosures. He drew parallels with the Great Depression to illustrate the consequences of uninformed investing.Genslers replacement is yet unknown. However, rumors have it Trump is considering Dan Gallagher, the Chief Legal Officer at Robinhood, who also served as a commissioner at the SEC from 2011 to 2015.Another candidate for Genslers chair is Hester Peirce, a sitting SEC commissioner and a vocal advocate for crypto. Besides, Pierce is a Republican, which could earn her a point in Trumps eyes.New Chapter for Crypto2025 looks like the beginning of a new era for crypto in the US. A change in leadership will likely bring favorable policies and encourage institutions like Charles Schwab to expand their crypto offerings.The question now is who will fill Genslers shoes? Well find out within the next two months.ReferencesAdd Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Lora is a writer based in Ireland. Her background in finance and interest in technology helps her present complex concepts in an intelligible and fun way, which is especially useful when it comes to the world of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. Starting as an agency writer, she soon branched out to freelance and later launched a family-run digital marketing agency. In her spare time, Lora attends dance classes or immerses in reading, preferring technology news or postmodern literature. View all articles by Lora Pance Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

KEY TAKEAWAYSGauss 2 processes images, text, and code simultaneously, operating 1.5 to three times faster than its predecessor.Samsung is trialing its new AI in three versions Compact, Balanced, and Supreme for diverse processing needs.Gauss 2 is already used by 60% of the Device eXperience division for tasks like coding and translation.The new AI model aligns with Samsungs goal of ubiquitous AI, emphasizing personalization and seamless daily integration.Samsung unveiled the Gauss 2 AI model, marking a significant advancement in its artificial intelligence initiatives.Building upon its predecessor, Gauss 2 offers enhanced performance and efficiency and is capable of processing images, text, and code simultaneously.Gauss 2 Already Deployed InternallyCurrently, Samsung is trialing the Gauss 2 model in three versions Compact, Balanced, and Supreme each tailored to different processing needs.That includes everything from on-device operations without the internet to leveraging extensive resources for optimal performance.Gauss 2 supports up to 14 languages and operates 1.5 to 3 times faster than the original model.This AI model is already being integrated across Samsungs product lineup, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and home appliances.Internally, over 60% of Samsungs Device eXperience division utilizes Gauss 2 already.That includes tasks such as the following:Coding assistanceTranslationEmail compositionDocument summarizationBeyond Samsungs borders, Gauss 2 aids in categorizing and summarizing customer interactions in call centers.Samsungs Vision for Integrated AIYoungJip Kim, Samsungs head of AI, envisions artificial intelligence becoming an integral part of daily life. He anticipates that AI technology will bring new ways to interact with assistants and transform user experiences with smart devices.Specifically, Samsung hopes that Gauss 2, and AI in general, will:Facilitate seamless AI integration across devicesEnhance user experiences through improved performance and efficiencySupport personalization and adaptation to user behaviorsContribute to Samsungs goal of ubiquitous AI presence in daily lifeKim emphasizes the importance of personalization, with AI adapting to individual user needs and behaviors.Gauss 2 is multi-modal, meaning it can simultaneously process natural-language requests, images, and computer code.Its similar to asking the AI now for a text summary of an article plus an illustration, except that Gauss 2 will be able to process the entire request in a single pass.Samsungs Gauss 2 models pioneer AI integration and align with the companys overall vision. Samsung is less concerned with a natural-language AI or even with a fancy AI assistant for their Galaxy phones.That sets Samsung apart from other AI proponents like Xs Grok AI.Instead, Samsung wants an AI people use all the time, everywhere.Will Gauss 2 be the breakthrough?ReferencesAdd Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Aaron covers crypto topics with an emphasis on providing accessible, informative perspectives. His background includes over a decade in higher education and 5+ years as a freelance writer in crypto & SEO.When he's not writing professionally, Aaron enjoys writing for fun, volunteering for a local charity, and boxing. View all articles by Aaron Walker Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

QUICK TAKESGary Gensler is resigning from being the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) chairman on January 20 (when Trump assumes office).Katrina Paglia, chief legal officer at Pantera (a crypto asset manager), foresees the SECs current lawsuits on blockchain companies ending quietly.Owing to Trumps pro-crypto stance and election victory, Bitcoin has been hitting ATH after ATH. Its getting closer and closer to $100K.Gary Gensler is to leave the SECTrump has threatened to fire the SEC chairman upon assuming the US presidency. Like many other crypto titans, he deems his stringent crypto rules unreasonable and innovation obstructive.Coinciding with the crypto-happy news, the worlds largest digital asset, $BTC, draws ever nearer to $100K.Genslers Taken Ripple, Coinbase & OpenSea to CourtAppointed on April 17, 2021, Gensler was employed to enhance the integrity and safety of capital markets (treasury, equity, corporate governance, and crypto).In the crypto market, hes been actively pursuing case after case against blockchain companies for various misconducts (including wash trading, fraud, and security token violations).Some recent lawsuits include those against the crypto exchanges Ripple ($XRP) and Coinbase, the NFT marketplace OpenSea, and Web3 gaming firm Immutable.However, his actions have more often than not sparked controversy.Crypto Lovers Celebrate Genslers Retirement Flicking through the comments on Genslers retirement notice on X highlights the publics true sentiment about the SEC chairman.Source: Gary Gensler (X)The vast majority of the current 17K replies on the thread celebrate Genslers retirement and give him backlash.Good riddance. You went after innocent token founders that did no harm, but you completely ignored the real crooks like FTX and Celcius who stole everyones money. You are corrupt and rotten to the core, Gary. Hex MonkeyThere are rumors that Trump will replace Gensler with pro-crypto Attorney Teresa Goody Guillen. Her SEC experience and blockchain expertise work in the industrys favor.Between 2009 and 2011, Guillen served as an attorney for the SECs Office of the General Counsel. Shes also the co-lead of the blockchain team of Baker & Hostetler (a prominent law firm).According to a Reuters report, Dan Gallagher, the present chief legal and compliance officer at Robinhood, is another consideration for SEC chairman.SEC Lawsuits Might Go Poof, Suggests PanteraPaglia (Panteras CLO) believes the SEC lawsuits will quietly go away after Gensler steps down.During a recent panel discussion, she voiced that theyll likely make some level of statement to avoid the government wasting time and energy, which could be very beneficial.According to her, the SEC might issue no-action letters that imply it wont be taking legal action against those under scrutiny a significant step toward a more favorable US crypto regulatory environment.She also believes the new US regulator might adopt a neither admit nor deny language, which would welcome more negotiable resolutions.$BTC Hit ATH After ATH Following Trump PresidencyBitcoin has been hitting ATH after ATH since Donald Trump won the 2024 US presidential election on November 6.Before his presidential win was announced on November 5, $BTC was valued at around $68K.Despite being commendable at the time, it has since jumped by 44.12% to $98K. Bitwise predicts the coin will hit $100K soon.Beyond Trumps promise to boot Gary Gensler, additional factors pumping up the crypto market include his advocacy for a strategic Bitcoin reserve (to loosen the US $34T debt) and his promise never to sell Bitcoin (starkly contrasting to the Biden administration).Genslers Likely Fearful of Getting the BootThe USs strict crypto regulations will likely loosen once Trump reclaims the presidential seat on January 20, 2025, upon Genslers SEC exit.Gensler stepping down as SEC chairman on the same day Trump moves back into the White House suggests hes fearful of being fired.Judging by his past actions and the communitys response, it was likely a wise yet tough decision for him to make.The SEC, regretting confusion over classifying crypto as securities, appears to have come too late.Itll be interesting to watch $BTCs future trajectory as the industry continues to amass significant backing.ReferencesClick to expand and view referencesAdd Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Leah is a seasoned British journalist with nine years of expertise who specializes in Web3 reporting. Her insightful contributions have graced the pages of respected publications, including Coinbound, Cointelegraph, Bitcolumnist, NFT Lately, and NFT Plazas. With a keen eye for detail, she offers distinct perspectives on the ever-evolving blockchain industry. View all articles by Leah Waters (Alger) Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

KEY TAKEAWAYSBitfinex introduces US Treasury tokenized bonds under El Salvadors regulatory framework.Investors can trade $USTBL tokens, providing exposure to short-term US Treasury Bills, with a 5.02% annual yield.$USTBL operates on the Bitcoin Layer-2 blockchain, enabling instant settlement, approved wallet withdrawals, and over-the-counter trading.On Tuesday, Bitfinex Securities, a tokenization company linked to the Bitfinex exchange, announced the launch of a new public offering for real-world assets (RWA) tokens.This new launch introduces tokenized US Treasury Bills (T-bills) under the legal framework of El Salvador.This way, Bitfinex aims to broaden access to regulated investments in tokenized assets.Tokenized Treasury BillsNexBridge Digital Financial Solutions, a digital asset issuer based in El Salvador, will handle the issuance of $USTBL tokens.$USTBL will expose investors to short-term US T-bills denominated in US dollars.Bitfinex Securities plans to raise at least $30M in the initial token offering from November 19 to 29.Bitfinex announced it would create RWA tokens on Liquid Network, a Bitcoin Layer-2 blockchain maintained by Blockstream.The $USTBL token offers an annual yield of 5.02% until maturity. Bitfinex Securities will allocate the proceeds to the iShares Treasury Bond 0-1 year UCITS exchange-traded fund (ETF), which tracks a US government bond index.Although $USTBL is issued on Liquid Network, investors can only purchase it with Tethers stablecoin $USDT. However, Bitfinex plans to introduce Bitcoin ($BTC) as a payment option in the future.After the subscription period, the token will become available for secondary market trading on Bitfinex Securities, offering instant settlement, withdrawals to approved wallets, and over-the-counter trading.Bitfinex Securities in El SalvadorIn April 2023, Bitfinex obtained the first digital asset service provider license in El Salvador, allowing tokenized stocks and financial securities to be issued and traded. Bitfinex Securities El Salvador S.A. de C.V. officially began operations in January 2024.The company anticipates strong demand for regulated digital asset investment vehicles, particularly after the approval of $BTC ETFs in the US.However, not all of Bitfinexs initiatives in El Salvador have been successful. In May 2024, the company launched a public offering to fund the construction of a Hampton by Hilton hotel near El Salvadors International Airport, aiming to raise $6.25M.The offering used the Airport Hotel SV ($HILSV) token to attract investors interested in the project. Despite Bitfinexs efforts, the offering failed to reach the required minimum of $500K, raising only $342K by the June 2024 deadline. Consequently, Bitfinex Securities issued a full refund to all investors.Merging Traditional Finance and BlockchainBitfinex Securities launch of tokenized US Treasury Bills is a significant step toward merging traditional finance with blockchain technology.Despite previous setbacks, such as the $HILSV token offering, the companys approach to RWA tokenization shows its commitment to innovation.This offering could potentially pave the way for broader acceptance of blockchain-based financial instruments globally.ReferencesAdd Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Cassio Gusson is a journalist passionate about technology, cryptocurrencies, and the nuances of human nature. With a career spanning roles as Senior Crypto Journalist at CriptoFacil and Head of News at CoinTelegraph, he offers exclusive insights on South Americas crypto landscape. A graduate in Communication from Faccamp and a post-graduate in Globalization and Culture from FESPSP, Cassio explores the intersection of governance, decentralization, and the evolution of global systems. View all articles by Cassio Gusson Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

KEY TAKEAWAYSChainlink, Microsoft, and Banco Inter aim to enhance Drexs trade finance capabilities using blockchain interoperability.The initiative demonstrates using Chainlinks CCIP to connect Drexs blockchain with global financial systems.Tokenized assets like the eBoL will drive automation, improving supply chain transparency and transaction efficiency.On Tuesday, Chainlink partnered with Microsoft and 7COMm to create a trade finance solution for the second phase of Drex, Brazils central bank digital currency (CBDC).This collaboration includes Brazilian companies like Banco Inter, one of the countrys top digital banks, which contributed to the first phase of Drex by tokenizing public debt securities.Chainlinkautomate supply chain management and improve trade financing within the Drex ecosystem.The initiative integrates Chainlinks Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) to connect Drex with a foreign central bank, ensuring efficient and compatible transaction settlements.As part of this initiative, Chainlinks CCIP will enable interoperability between the Brazilian Central Banks Drex and a foreign central bank, ensuring that transactions are compatible and settled efficiently.Drex Use Cases Whats It Good For?The consortium, featuring Banco Inter, Microsoft, and Chainlink, focuses on automatic transaction settlement for cross-border agricultural commodity trade.Chainlinks CCIP enables Drexs blockchain to interoperate seamlessly with external central bank infrastructures, ensuring frictionless settlements.Chainlink facilitates this process by tokenizing the Electronic Bill of Lading (eBoL) and utilizing supply chain data to trigger payments during the export process.This system also unlocks Delivery versus Payment (DvP) and Payment versus Payment (PvP) mechanisms while ensuring interoperability between Chainlinks blockchain and Hyperledger Besu, the platform used for Drex testing.Chainlink CCIP The Future of dApps?Chainlinks CCIP allows seamless token and data transfers between blockchain networks, offering a unified interface for decentralized applications (dApps).This feature enhances blockchain adoption and integration with existing backend systems while increasing market liquidity and access.For Drex, CCIP connects Hyperledger Besu with other EVM and non-EVM networks, driving interoperability and expanding the ecosystem.Banco Inter leads the implementation of the solution on Drexs platform, aiming to transform Brazils financial market.Bruno Grossi, Head of Emerging Technologies at Banco Inter, sees the project as a milestone that strengthens the market and expands its reach through collaboration with Microsoft and Chainlink Labs.We see collaborating in this project with technology leaders like Microsoft and Chainlink Labs as a transformative opportunity to expand market reach and improve the health of the Brazilian market. Bruno GrossiDrexs Leadership and Vision Could Evolve the IndustryMicrosoft provides cloud infrastructure to support Drexs development and expand access to intelligent financial services.Joo Arago, Microsofts Financial Services Innovation Specialist, emphasized the companys commitment to driving economic growth through Drex.7COMm contributes technical expertise to implement practical and transformative blockchain solutions. Sergio Yamani, 7COMms Director of Innovation, highlighted the transformative potential of CBDCs and blockchain interoperability.By integrating CCIP, the project establishes a new standard for global transactions while promoting transparency, security, and accessibility.This initiative positions Brazil as a global leader in blockchain innovation. This showcases how technology can transform trade finance and strengthen the economy.The advent of CBDCs, the development of blockchain interoperability protocols such as CCIP, and the use of CBDCs for cross-border payments enable a new generation of blockchain trade finance solutions. Bruno GrossiReferencesClick to expand and view referencesChainlink joins Banco Inter, Microsoft and 7Comm consortium to support trade finance use case in phase 2 of Drex pilot (PR News Wire)What is Drex and how it will change your life (Inter)Drex Pilot (Brazilian Government)Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Cassio Gusson is a journalist passionate about technology, cryptocurrencies, and the nuances of human nature. With a career spanning roles as Senior Crypto Journalist at CriptoFacil and Head of News at CoinTelegraph, he offers exclusive insights on South Americas crypto landscape. A graduate in Communication from Faccamp and a post-graduate in Globalization and Culture from FESPSP, Cassio explores the intersection of governance, decentralization, and the evolution of global systems. View all articles by Cassio Gusson Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

Key takeawaysCryptoQuant identified five crucial metrics that signal when Bitcoin may be nearing an unsustainable price peak.The MVRV Ratio and Fear & Greed Index are already flashing warning signs, suggesting potential short-term risks.Other indicators, including new money inflows and Coin Days Destroyed, still support a bullish trend but require close monitoring.CryptoQuants Five Key Warning Signs Could Bitcoin Be Ready for a Crash?An on-chain data provider, CryptoQuant, has highlighted five critical metrics that can help investors assess if Bitcoin is approaching a local price peak.Notably, one of these indicators is already signaling caution. In a post shared on X, CryptoQuant outlined the key tools investors should monitor. This will help determine if Bitcoins price might be reaching unsustainable levels.MVRV RatioThe first indicator, the MVRV ratio, evaluates Bitcoins market value. It represents the total worth of all mined coins against the realized value. This becomes the aggregate of the most recent selling prices of all circulating Bitcoin.According to CryptoQuant, a ratio exceeding 3.7 indicates that Bitcoin may have hit a short-term valuation peak.The MVRV ratio surged to a high of 7 in February 2021, coinciding with Bitcoins historic rally to around $60,000. However, the ratio stands at 2.67, based on data from CoinGlass an alarming sign to monitor.Overheating Fear and Greed IndexAnother critical metric to monitor is the Crypto Fear & Greed Index. It evaluates the overall sentiment in the cryptocurrency market. When the index surpasses 80 out of 100, with other warning signs, it may indicate that Bitcoin is approaching a price peak.Since November 12, the index has consistently stayed above 80. It hit an impressive 90 on both November 17 and 19, the highest level seen since February 2021.New Money Inflowsinto BitcoinThe third indicator evaluates the level of new capital entering the market. When theres a lack of fresh funds, cryptocurrency prices often lose momentum and eventually decline.As per CryptoQuant, the realized cap growth chart serves as an effective tool for tracking these inflows.Current data suggests that the inflow of new money remains relatively strong, indicating that Bitcoin is still in a bullish phase.This tool tracks the activity of Bitcoin that has remained untouched for extended periods, identifying if these coins are being sold.According to CryptoQuant, a spike beyond 1520 million on this indicator could signal short-term bearish pressure.Currently, the metric sits at 15.1 million, suggesting increased selling activity but not yet at a critical level.Inter-Exchange Flow PulseThe last key indicator is the Inter-Exchange Flow Pulse (IFP), which tracks Bitcoin transfers to and from derivative exchanges.As per CryptoQuant, the IFP continues to show a positive trend, with traders moving Bitcoin to these exchanges to use as collateral.Currently, the IFP is around 730,000, trending upward. During previous bull markets, the IFP peaked at 1 million, while in the bear market of late 2023, it dropped to as low as 200,000.Analysts Weigh in on Bitcoin BTCs TrajectoryDespite these cautionary signals, some analysts remain bullish. In a recent interview with CNBC, the head of digital assets research at VanEck, Matthew Sigel, predicts Bitcoin could hit $180,000 this cycle. If Bitcoin hits $180,000, that will be a 1000% return from the bottom to the peak of this cycle.Sigel believes the Bitcoin rally is just getting started. And given there is no technical resistance, Bitcoin could hit repeated all-time highs before 2024 ends.According to Sigel, support from the government, pro-crypto administration, and massive institutional inflow is fueling this rally. He also mentioned that Google Search for Bitcoin has reached its highest in four years. This suggests increased interest in BTC.As of November 19, Bitcoin reached a new high of $94,100, reflecting its upward trajectory. Given the heightened optimism, BTC could witness a continued upward uptrend.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Rida is a dedicated crypto journalist with a passion for the latest developments in the cryptocurrency world. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to thorough research, she delivers timely and insightful news articles that keep her readers informed about the rapidly evolving digital economy. View all articles by Rida Fatima Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

Home Ripple (XRP) Price Trades Around the Upper Bolinger Band Amid Analysts Bullish Outlook Crypto News Ripple (XRP) Price Trades Around the Upper Bolinger Band Amid Analysts Bullish Outlook5 min read Published: November 20, 2024 Over the past week, the crypto market has been bullish, with several tokens playing in the green. Ripple (XRP), being among these tokens, surged significantly above $1.XRP increased from $0.640 to a high of $1.2, representing an increase of over 80% within just six days. XRP is trading at $1.14, up 3.24% in the past 24 hours.While the price has pulled back slightly, several technical indicators show that the bulls are still in control. The token is currently hovering around the upper Bollinger band indicator, hinting at a potential rally, hitting a new all-time high.Moreover, top crypto pundits are bullish on the coin, predicting it could hit $8 in the coming months. Can XRP sustain the current momentum to reach this target?This analysis will provide into XRPs trajectory and the possibility of reaching the touted level soon.Whale Activity and Long-Term Holders Fuel XRPs Upward MomentumAccording to Santiment data, XRPs strong upward trend has attracted many big players in the market. Their activity is fueling more upward movement for XRP.The data shows that whale addresses accumulate nearly 900 million tokens in just seven days. This massive influx, valued at $1 billion, has played a significant role in XRPs recent price surge.Large holders, or whales, are showing strong confidence in XRPs future, which has helped push its price higher.Additionally, long-term holders (LTHs) are not moving their XRP. This suggests they believe in the coins future growth, which adds more support to its price.With these factors combined, XRP is holding steady above the $1.00 mark, reinforcing its bullish outlook. As whales continue to accumulate and long-term holders stay confident, XRP is poised for a potential rally.This increased confidence and support could lead to XRP breaking through previous price barriers, possibly setting new all-time highs.XRP Price Analysis: Technical Indicators Show Bullish Sentiment, Key Levels to WatchXRP has been trading around the upper Bollinger Band, a key indicator for potential breakouts. If it manages to push past the upper band, we could see an acceleration in its price, driving it to new highs.Supporting this bullish outlook is the Price Volume Trend (PVT) indicator, which currently sits at 1.66 billion. This indicator shows the relationship between price movement and volume, helping to identify the strength behind a trend.A PVT value of 1.66 billion indicates that there is strong buying pressure, suggesting that XRPs price is being supported by significant market interest.Another important indicator to consider is the SuperTrend, which is currently signaling a buy. This reinforces the idea that XRP could continue to rally, particularly if other indicators align with this trend.The MACD is significantly above its signal line, with the histogram bars in the green zone. This setup indicates that the momentum is strong, and buyers are in control of the market.Together, these indicators paint a strong bullish picture for XRP. However, there are key price levels to watch.The recent high of $1.27 is a critical resistance level. A break above this level could attract more whales into the market, which would further drive up the price.On the other hand, if early buyers decide to take profits, XRP might dip below its current price.The support at $1.03 is an important level to monitor. If the price drops to this region, it could signal a short-term pullback. However, as long as the price stays above this support, the long-term bullish outlook remains intact.Analyst Armando Pantoja Predicts Big Moves Amid Rising Whale ActivityMany analysts have made ambitious predictions for XRP, some suggesting it could rally to as high as $8. In a recent X post, Market analyst Armando Pantoja believes something big is about to happen for XRP.Pantoja pointed out the growing activity of XRP whales, which suggests rising bullish sentiment. According to him, Whales have been buying a lot of XRP recently.In just one week, they added 453.3 million XRP, worth about $526 million. This has sparked expectations that XRPs price will keep rising.The most accumulation by whales in almost 3 years, he added.Pantoja also highlighted that wallets holding over 100,000 XRP have hit a new record high. These large wallets now control 85% of XRPs total supply, which is a strong sign of confidence in the coin.Analyst Pantoja predicts that XRP could reach prices as high as $3, $8, or even more in the future. He believes the coin could reach this level following Gensels exit + Elliot Wave patterns.The analyst added that the last time the price broke this pattern, it surged remarkably. This means that theres hope for the Ripple token.While theres no specific timeline for when XRP will reach this target, its recent strong performance, bullish indicators, and growing whale interest signal a bright future ahead.Breaking key resistance levels at $1.3 and $1.8 will set the stage for a rally to the $3 threshold, attracting more market interest. However, remember that the crypto market is highly volatile, and the price could change course at any time.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Rida is a dedicated crypto journalist with a passion for the latest developments in the cryptocurrency world. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to thorough research, she delivers timely and insightful news articles that keep her readers informed about the rapidly evolving digital economy. View all articles by Rida Fatima Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.More from Crypto News View all View all

KEY TAKEAWAYSAdam Back predicts that Bitcoins price could increase 11 times, surpassing $1M per coin, if the US creates a national $BTC reserve.During his campaign, Trump promised to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve, potentially setting off a global race for Bitcoin adoption.Countries like El Salvador and Bhutan already hold Bitcoin reserves, and leaders in Argentina and Poland have hinted at similar moves.Despite enthusiasm from Bitcoin advocates, uncertainties around legality and logistics leave markets skeptical about the US adopting Bitcoin as a reserve asset.Adam Back (founder of Blockstream and one of Bitcoins early adopters) believes that if the US establishes a national strategic Bitcoin reserve, FOMO will grip the world.Back argues that the initiative would accelerate governmental Bitcoin adoption as a reserve asset. The trend is already gaining traction in US states like Florida and Pennsylvania.Moreover, the governments move could trigger a race among other nations to adopt Bitcoin and even push China to reconsider its anti-cryptocurrency stance.Strategic Bitcoin ReserveDuring his campaign, Donald Trump promised to create a national strategic Bitcoin reserve. Adam Back predicts that Bitcoins price could rise at least 11 times if this promise materializes.He wrote on his X account that if the US strategic Bitcoin reserve becomes a reality, prepare for a seven-digit Bitcoin this cycle.Even before the US made its move, nations like El Salvador and Bhutan had already established strategic Bitcoin reserves. In Poland, presidential candidates have also signaled interest in adopting Bitcoin as a reserve asset.In Latin America, Trumps potential move might be mirrored by Argentinas president, Javier Milei. Hes strongly aligned with US policies and has advocated for national Bitcoin adoption multiple times.Back also explained that the market remains skeptical about the US seriously considering a strategic Bitcoin reserve.iI the US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve happens prepare for 7 figure bitcoin. this cycle. the market is skeptical on meaningful follow through for now, so that is not at all priced in. Adam BackThe Blockstream CEO also referenced Trumps promise that the US could use confiscated Bitcoins or acquire new ones specifically for the reserve.However, Bitcoins confiscated in cases like FTX or the Bitfinex hack legally belong to victims, making it unlikely for the government to secure judicial approval to retain those $BTC.Senator Cynthia Lummis aligned with this proposal and suggested that the US could sell gold to purchase 1M Bitcoins.Nonetheless, there are still many speculations and few concrete details about how this reserve would operate. Additionally, Trump would need to assume the presidency before fulfilling his promise.Enthusiastic Bitcoiners Foresee Bitcoin FOMODespite the uncertainties, Bitcoin enthusiasts like Adam Back remain optimistic. In his response to another X user, he explained that if the US implements such a reserve, FOMO would take over the global market.According to him, acquiring 1M Bitcoins efficiently would require extreme discretion, likely through OTC (over-the-counter) desks.If Backs prediction comes true, Bitcoin could increase in value by at least 11 times its current price, surpassing $1M.Could Bitcoin Reach $1M?Adam Back believes the US could ignite a global Bitcoin frenzy by establishing a strategic reserve.Such a move would accelerate Bitcoin adoption worldwide, potentially pushing its price to $1M this cycle. Back suggests this could create a domino effect, prompting countries like China to reevaluate their stance on cryptocurrencies.Despite a generalized skepticism surrounding the US $BTC reserve (due to legal challenges and the absence of concrete plans), industry leaders remain confident. Will the US become a Bitcoin leader, and will Trump bring the much-promised crypto revolution?The following weeks and months should offer an answer to that.ReferencesClick to expand and view referencesAdd Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Cassio Gusson is a journalist passionate about technology, cryptocurrencies, and the nuances of human nature. With a career spanning roles as Senior Crypto Journalist at CriptoFacil and Head of News at CoinTelegraph, he offers exclusive insights on South Americas crypto landscape. A graduate in Communication from Faccamp and a post-graduate in Globalization and Culture from FESPSP, Cassio explores the intersection of governance, decentralization, and the evolution of global systems. View all articles by Cassio Gusson Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

QUICK HITSBlackRocks Bitcoin ETF options launched with $2B in trading volume on day one, signaling strong institutional interest.Grayscale, a key competitor, announced its entry into the Bitcoin ETF options market following BlackRocks success.Bullish investor sentiment and increased liquidity are driving $BTC to new highs, with options trading reshaping market dynamics.Political and institutional support, including pro-crypto policies and corporate adoption, further boosts Bitcoins appeal.If youre looking for an explanation for cryptos astounding growth, look at these two factors:Political shift to a pro-crypto stanceEver-growing crypto adoption by leading financial institutionsThat second point was on full display over the past day, as a leading Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) provider Blackrock saw a record-breaking $2B trading volume with the launch of options trading on its ETFs.Now, other providers are hurrying to get in on the action.All that institutional support helped push $BTC to a new all-time high of $93.8K.Lets see exactly what happened and why its such a big deal.Bitcoin ETF Options: A New Era in Crypto TradingThe cryptocurrency market witnessed a transformative shift with the introduction of options trading for Bitcoin ETFs.The SEC approved options back in September for several providers. Blackrocks iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) was the first to launch options trading on Tuesday.It didnt take long for the money to start flowing in big time.On the very first day, the market saw an impressive $2B in trading volume, reflecting strong investor enthusiasm. The dominance of call options highlighted bullish sentiment, with many traders speculating on Bitcoins potential for significant price appreciation.Options on ETFs open new avenues for investors, heralding a significant moment in the evolution of Bitcoins market structure.BlackRocks Record-Breaking Debut Spurs CompetitorsHot on the heels of BlackRocks success, Grayscale announced plans to launch options for its Bitcoin ETF.Grayscales options were approved back in September, but BlackRock launched first.If Grayscale had any qualms about offering options, $1.9B and 289K call options probably went a long way toward settling them.By joining the options race, Grayscale aims to maintain competitiveness and capitalize on the burgeoning interest in Bitcoin ETF options.And as one of the largest players in the crypto investment space, Grayscales entry is set to further energize the ETF market.Market Dynamics Reinforce Investor SentimentGoing back to the top Trumps support for crypto, including a proposed new SEC chair, has set the stage for renewed investor confidence.Support for Trumps $BTC reserve appears to be growing, and major companies like Microsoft seem open to the idea of their own $BTC holdings.And all along, professional traders and financial institutions continue to embrace the new trading instruments, using IBIT options to bet on dramatic price increases and leverage new ways of earning income from $BTC.Some are even targeting valuations as high as $100 for the ETF.Beyond speculation, the introduction of Bitcoin ETF options is expected to bring more liquidity to the market, offering new tools for hedging and investment strategies.The arrival of options trading for Bitcoin ETFs signifies a pivotal development for the cryptocurrency market. It reflects growing institutional adoption and provides a platform for sophisticated investment strategies.With major players like BlackRock and Grayscale driving innovation, the market dynamics of Bitcoin are poised for profound transformation.All eyes remain on how these financial products shape the future of Bitcoin and the broader crypto ecosystem.ReferencesAdd Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Aaron covers crypto topics with an emphasis on providing accessible, informative perspectives. His background includes over a decade in higher education and 5+ years as a freelance writer in crypto & SEO.When he's not writing professionally, Aaron enjoys writing for fun, volunteering for a local charity, and boxing. View all articles by Aaron Walker Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.