• Aug 12, 2024

New Pixel 9 and Gemini Live Show Google Is All In on AI

Google is adding even more AI features to its suite of products, including the new Pixel 9 mobile phone, the company said during the annual Made by Google conference on Tuesday. Attendees at the event in Mountain View, Calif., were shown several updates to Android OS, the new Pixel 9 phones, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Pixel Watch 3, and Pixel Buds Pro 2. But artificial intelligence and Google’s Gemini held center stage throughout the event. “A few months ago, at Google I/O, we shared a broad range of bre...

  • Aug 12, 2024

Bitcoin and Ethereum Rally Could Set Off a 'Sexy Shitcoin Soiree' Ahead of Election: Arthur Hayes

If Bitcoin and Ethereum break above $70,000 and $4,000, respectively, it could set off a "sexy shitcoin soiree" in alts, writes Bitcoin billionaire Arthur Hayes in his new essay. But first, markets will have to navigate the contentious U.S. election. The BitMEX co-founder called Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, a "first-class political muppet." But he added that she has an advantage over Donald Trump simply because she "is not an octogenarian vegetable." Accordin...

  • Aug 12, 2024

U.S. Senate Passes Anti-Deepfake Law Targeting Non-Consensual Pornography

The U.S. Senate has voted on an “anti-deepfake” law designed to protect individuals from the non-consensual use of their likeness in pornographic content.  The DEFIANCE (Disrupt Explicit Forged Images And Non-Consensual Edits) Act, introduced by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) and passed through the Senate on Monday, seeks to “improve rights to relief for individuals affected by non-consensual activities,” a copy of the bill's text reads. It has now passed to the House of Representatives, where it aw...

  • Aug 12, 2024

What Did Donald Trump Say About Crypto in His Interview With Elon Musk? Not a Word

More than a million people tuned in to listen to former President Donald Trump speak to Tesla's Elon Musk during a Spaces interview on Twitter on Monday, with many from the crypto community expecting fresh words directed toward the industry. While the pair discussed a range of well-worn narratives, including securing the U.S.'s Southern border, Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, immigration, and Vice President Kamala Harris, not a single word was uttered by the former president on the asset clas...

  • Aug 12, 2024

Patent at Crux of MakerDAO Lawsuit Purchased, Ending Crypto Tech Dispute

The DeFi Education Fund (DEF) on Monday reached an agreement with True Return Systems (TRS) to purchase a patent for oracle-like technology. The disputed patent was at the heart of two legal complaints against MakerDAO and Compound, a pair of decentralized finance protocols. An oracle is an entity that connects a blockchain to an external system, such as a digital-asset price feed, and is a critical tool in DeFi. The purchase ends the fight against the firm, which the DEF once characterized as a...

  • Aug 12, 2024

OPEC cuts oil demand growth forecast, highlighting dilemma over Oct hike

LONDON (Reuters) -OPEC on Monday cut its forecast for global oil demand growth in 2024 citing softer expectations for China, a reduction that highlights the dilemma faced by the wider OPEC+ group in raising production from October. This is the first cut in OPEC's 2024 forecast since it was made in July 2023, and comes after mounting signs that demand in China has lagged expectations due to slumping diesel consumption and as a crisis in the property sector hampers the economy. In a monthly report on Monday, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said world oil demand will rise by 2.11 million barrels per day in 2024, down from growth of 2.25 million bpd expected last month.