Month: July 2024
Bitcoin approaches $70,000 in six-week high amid Trump support
CoinMarketCap data shows that Bitcoin’s (BTC) price approached $70,000 on Monday, reaching a six-week high following former U.S. President Donald… Continue reading Bitcoin approaches $70,000 in six-week high amid Trump support
The post Bitcoin approaches $70,000 in six-week high amid Trump support appeared first on ReadWrite.
CoinMarketCap data shows that Bitcoin’s (BTC) price approached $70,000 on Monday, reaching a six-week high following former U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed support for cryptocurrency over the weekend.
At the time of reporting, the leading cryptocurrency was trading around $69,800, showing a 3.32% increase in 24 hours. Ethereum (ETH) also saw gains, up 4.28% at $3,350, while Solana (SOL) rose 5.9% to approximately $193 over the same period.
Justin d’Anethan from Keyrock attributed the positive market sentiment to recent supportive statements from politicians and economic figures. He told The Block:
The current positive statement regarding crypto from many politicians and economic stakeholders is bolstering investor sentiment. […] In Nashville, the Bitcoin conference has been a long stream of respected speakers talking about the importance of crypto and the potential for further allocations to BTC — which of course many traders want to believe in and front run.
Is the U.S. building a ‘strategic Bitcoin reserve’?
At the conference, Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, promised to establish a “strategic Bitcoin reserve” if elected in November and to halt U.S. sales of existing holdings. Rumors about this announcement started spreading just shy of a week ago. He also stated his intention to remove SEC Chair Gary Gensler from office.
Senator Cynthia Lummis recently revealed plans to introduce legislation directing the U.S. Treasury to acquire 1 million BTC (worth approximately $68 billion) over five years. The proposed bill would have the Treasury self-custody these assets across various locations for at least two decades.
D’Anethan also suggested that expectations of a Republican victory in the upcoming elections are fueling beliefs in a more accommodative monetary policy and business-friendly administration. Peter Chung of Presto told The Block the increasing importance of following U.S. election developments until November. He added:
Short-term speculators’ position leading up to the Trump speech was liquidated when the market briefly tanked on ‘sell-the-news’ move during the speech, as evidenced in the large liquidation at futures markets. As a result, the short-term speculative positions are now swapped to long-term investors who understand the significance of the changes taking place in U.S. politics with regard to Bitcoin.
The post Bitcoin approaches $70,000 in six-week high amid Trump support appeared first on ReadWrite.
Governments want to up cyber protection as threats around the world mount
Governments around the world are preparing for cyberattacks, and the worst may be yet to come.
Governments around the world are looking to upgrade their cyber defences against a range of threats.
In the Indo-Pacific region, Japan, Australia, India and the US met in Tokyo to discuss the threats posed by China to both cybersecurity and maritime safety in the region.
The UK on the other hand is “desperately exposed” to cyber threats, according to the government’s Science Secretary Peter Kyle (via The Guardian).
Threats and risks on the rise
Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said at the summit held in Tokyo that, “In order to have the prosperity in the region, we must ensure stability of the foundation in maritime, cyber and space domains. We Quad nations aim to protect the foundations of prosperity in the Indo-Pacific as we seek to achieve an international community of co-existence and co-prosperity.”
Without specifically mentioning China, she also stated that “a certain country” was launching cyber attacks and escalating tensions in “a certain region,” further stating that “We Quad nations aim to protect the foundations of prosperity in the Indo-Pacific as we seek to achieve an international community of co-existence and co-prosperity” (via Independent).
The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, reconfirmed his commitment to combating China’s activities in the region, including its accelerating rhetoric regarding forcibly reuniting Taiwan with mainland China, stating, “We have not lost sight, indeed we are resolutely focused on this region that we share.”
On the other side of the globe, Peter Kyle has blamed the former Conservative government for eroding UK resilience to both cyber attacks and future pandemics. “National resilience suffered terribly, catastrophically,” he said. “The open warfare of the previous government prevented any kind of progress in these areas and left our country desperately exposed not just to a future pandemic but also to cybersecurity issues.”
His comments followed a warning by the National Cyber Security Centre stating that the UK was falling behind the capabilities of countries launching state-sponsored attacks against UK critical infrastructure.
A new cybersecurity and resilience bill is set to be introduced to the UK Parliament, alongside it’s AI Bill announced during the King’s speech.
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Surprise – Apple Intelligence makes first appearance in iOS 18.1 developers beta, teasing a generative AI future
iOS 18.1 iOS dev betas, iPadOS 18.1 dev beta, and macOS 15.1 Sequoia dev beta are here with glimpses of the future of Apple Intelligence
Rumors of Apple Intelligence’s delays may have been greatly exaggerated. Apple’s own brand of generative AI, which is set to spread across iPhones, iPads, and Macs later this year, is arriving today – at least bits of it – in an early form developer betas for iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 18.1.
It’s the first early access to Apple’s promised generative features and a hopeful sign that some parts of Apple Intelligence will arrive with the eagerly-anticipated iPhone 16. Apple is rolling out iOS 18.1 dev beta, iPadOS 18.1 dev betas, and macOS 15.1 dev betas to developers and supporting devices now to help developers understand Apple’s artificial intelligence intentions and prepare for Apple intelligence. The news comes just a day after Bloomberg reported delays that might have meant Apple Intelligence wouldn’t have arrived in time for iPhone 16. Now, it seems like the next iPhone is almost guaranteed to have at least a little bit of Apple Intelligence.
Apple Intelligence promises to bring things like writing help, natural language search, context persistence in Siri, creating memory movies based on prompts, transcription summaries, and much more. Not all of it will be available with this early preview. What’s more, especially at this early stage before we have a possible complete lineup of iPhone 16 handsets all running A17 Pro or better Apple Silicon, only iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPads and Macs running at least M1 chips can access the Apple Intelligence features inside the new dev betas. It also will only work for English-language (US) systems.
(Image credit: Future)
For those who can run it, here’s some of what they’ll find.
The first blush of the most significant Siri update in a generation will be there with a look at the new design, a double tap at the bottom of the screen to access text to Siri, and the ability to maintain context across multiple queries.
Developers can try out the generative writing tools in existing Apple apps like email for rewriting and summarization of text.
Email summaries and smart replies will be there, along with some natural language search capabilities in the Photos app, as will the ability to create movie memories based on canned and custom prompts.
Quite a few things will not arrive with these new dev betas like Genmoji creation, image creation, Photo Clean Up, and ChatGPT integration.
Unlike iOS public betas, developer betas are not intended for public consumption or to be installed on your primary device. That said, you will soon see screens from this early look at Apple intelligence that will give you your first tantalizing glimpse at what the new Writing Tools Box looks like, how the Type to Siri keyboard will appear, and how Siri will answer your query in text. These responses will include information based on Siri’s knowledge of apps and your system.
Apple Intelligence will not be on by default in iOS 18.1. Developers will need to go to the settings app where they’ll find a new option “Apple Intelligence & Siri”. From there, they can select to Join the Waitlist. After that, they’ll get a notification when it’s enabled. The waitlist appears to be a way for Apple to manage the load that might hit that new Private Compute Cloud, which will handle generative queries too intense for on-device computing, and all those Apple Silicon Servers. Apple Intelligence access is expected to arrive a few hours after developers sign up.
This piecemeal arrival of Apple Intelligence is a critical moment for Apple, especially if it wants to stay (heck, enter) the generative AI game. Google and Samsung already have a significant lead. We’ve been using gen AI features in Pixel phones of months and have enjoyed Samsung’s Galaxy AI since its launch at Unpacked in January and even more so on the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 we picked up in Paris at the second Unpacked of the year.
As for when Apple Intelligence will arrive in iOS 18 Public Betas, Apple has offered no guidance. As far as we know, Apple Intelligence is still arriving sometime this fall, which means anytime from September to late December. Let’s hope the wait isn’t that long and that it all arrives in time for the anticipated September launch of the iPhone 16.
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iOS 18.1 developer beta brings Apple Intelligence into the wild for the first time
Some features will be included, and others won’t.
Enlarge / Apple Intelligence was unveiled at WWDC 2024. (credit: Apple)
As was just rumored, the iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 developer betas are rolling out today, and they include the first opportunity to try out Apple Intelligence, the company’s suite of generative AI features.
Initially announced for iOS 18, Apple Intelligence is expected to launch for the public this fall. Typically, Apple also releases a public beta (the developer one requires a developer account) for new OS updates, but it hasn’t announced any specifics about that just yet.
Not all the Apple Intelligence features will be part of this beta. It will include writing tools, like the ability to rewrite, proofread, or summarize text throughout the OS in first-party and most third-party apps. It will also include new Siri improvements, such as moving seamlessly between voice and typing, the ability to follow when you stumble over your words, and maintaining context from one request to the next. (It will not, however, include ChatGPT integration; Apple says that’s coming later.)
This $60 chip fixes a longstanding Super Nintendo flaw
There’s a bit of soldering involved with the mod, so Voultar will initially be only selling an installation service. | Screenshot: Macho Nacho Productions
Nintendo sold over 49 million Super Nintendo consoles, but not all of them were created equal. A later hardware revision improved the quality of the SNES’ video output, and over three decades later, one modder has come up with a way to bring those same improvements to nearly every Super Nintendo ever released.
Zach Henson, a console modder who also goes by the name Voultar, has created a DIY modification kit for older Super Nintendo consoles called the Edge Enhancer. Expected to sell for around $60, the mod kit upgrades the console’s video output, making graphics appear much sharper and colors more saturated.
Although Nintendo made many revisions to the Super Nintendo’s hardware during the console’s production run, for retro gamers, there are essentially two versions of the SNES that matter. The original, which is now referred to as the SHVC or two chip model, and an upgraded version that came later, known as the 1CHIP model based on how Nintendo labeled its motherboard.
The two chip SNES featured a video digital to analog converter in its picture processing unit (PPU) that gamers have since discovered wasn’t able to quickly transition between different colors. This resulted in video output that tended to look soft or blurred because the graphics appeared to have a halo or shadow around them.
The problem wasn’t as noticeable in the ‘90s when everyone played on CRT TVs, but with a Super Nintendo connected to a modern display, the differences are more prominent.
Screenshot: Macho Nacho Productions
A comparison between the quality of the video output on the two-chip Super Nintendo (left) and one-chip model (right).
For the later 1CHIP version of the Super Nintendo, the company merged the original’s two video chips and CPU into a single chip. It was a cost-cutting move to make it cheaper to manufacture the console, but the new components also resulted in video output that was much sharper with noticeably improved colors.
For retro gamers who prefer to play on original hardware, the 1CHIP Super Nintendo consoles are now very much sought after and can sell for well over $200. But demand could soon be waning thanks to this new upgrade kit.
Installing Voultar’s Edge Enhancer mod isn’t for beginners, as Tito Perez from YouTube’s Macho Nacho Productions recently demonstrated in a video. Not only does the SNES have to be completely dismantled, but there’s quite a bit of soldering required, and you have to remove the original transistors, capacitors, and resistors from the console’s motherboard.
Screenshot: Macho Nacho Productions
On-screen text looks incredibly crisp on a two-chip Super Nintendo with Voultar’s Edge Enhancer installed.
A lot could go wrong when installing the various components needed for the mod. So while Voultar plans to eventually sell a DIY Edge Enhancer kit once the documentation and tutorials are finalized, it will initially only be available as part of a more expensive installation service that will ensure the upgrades are done correctly.
Pricing hasn’t been revealed just yet, but given that 1CHIP Super Nintendo consoles are becoming increasingly rare, the Edge Enhancer mod could still be much cheaper, even with the cost of shipping a Super Nintendo’s motherboard off to be upgraded.
There’s a bit of soldering involved with the mod, so Voultar will initially be only selling an installation service. | Screenshot: Macho Nacho Productions
Nintendo sold over 49 million Super Nintendo consoles, but not all of them were created equal. A later hardware revision improved the quality of the SNES’ video output, and over three decades later, one modder has come up with a way to bring those same improvements to nearly every Super Nintendo ever released.
Zach Henson, a console modder who also goes by the name Voultar, has created a DIY modification kit for older Super Nintendo consoles called the Edge Enhancer. Expected to sell for around $60, the mod kit upgrades the console’s video output, making graphics appear much sharper and colors more saturated.
Although Nintendo made many revisions to the Super Nintendo’s hardware during the console’s production run, for retro gamers, there are essentially two versions of the SNES that matter. The original, which is now referred to as the SHVC or two chip model, and an upgraded version that came later, known as the 1CHIP model based on how Nintendo labeled its motherboard.
The two chip SNES featured a video digital to analog converter in its picture processing unit (PPU) that gamers have since discovered wasn’t able to quickly transition between different colors. This resulted in video output that tended to look soft or blurred because the graphics appeared to have a halo or shadow around them.
The problem wasn’t as noticeable in the ‘90s when everyone played on CRT TVs, but with a Super Nintendo connected to a modern display, the differences are more prominent.
Screenshot: Macho Nacho Productions
A comparison between the quality of the video output on the two-chip Super Nintendo (left) and one-chip model (right).
For the later 1CHIP version of the Super Nintendo, the company merged the original’s two video chips and CPU into a single chip. It was a cost-cutting move to make it cheaper to manufacture the console, but the new components also resulted in video output that was much sharper with noticeably improved colors.
For retro gamers who prefer to play on original hardware, the 1CHIP Super Nintendo consoles are now very much sought after and can sell for well over $200. But demand could soon be waning thanks to this new upgrade kit.
Installing Voultar’s Edge Enhancer mod isn’t for beginners, as Tito Perez from YouTube’s Macho Nacho Productions recently demonstrated in a video. Not only does the SNES have to be completely dismantled, but there’s quite a bit of soldering required, and you have to remove the original transistors, capacitors, and resistors from the console’s motherboard.
Screenshot: Macho Nacho Productions
On-screen text looks incredibly crisp on a two-chip Super Nintendo with Voultar’s Edge Enhancer installed.
A lot could go wrong when installing the various components needed for the mod. So while Voultar plans to eventually sell a DIY Edge Enhancer kit once the documentation and tutorials are finalized, it will initially only be available as part of a more expensive installation service that will ensure the upgrades are done correctly.
Pricing hasn’t been revealed just yet, but given that 1CHIP Super Nintendo consoles are becoming increasingly rare, the Edge Enhancer mod could still be much cheaper, even with the cost of shipping a Super Nintendo’s motherboard off to be upgraded.
Apple releases iOS 18.1 developer beta with the first ‘Apple Intelligence’ iPhone features
Some of the Apple Intelligence features previewed during WWDC 2024 | Image: Apple
Apple has just released the developer betas for iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, giving users access to the company’s first set of AI features.
Some of the Apple Intelligence features arriving with the beta include Siri with an updated design and ability to maintain context across multiple requests, new Mail features like smart reply and email summaries, natural language search in Photos, and other tweaks, according to 9to5Mac.
To install these updates, you’ll need an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max or, for iPads and Macs, a system with an Apple Silicon chip. Once they’re installed, users will have to join a waitlist from the Settings menu of their device and wait for a notification that it’s ready for them to access, as seen in this screenshot from @iSWUpdates on X.
iOS 18.1 Developer Beta 1 (22B5007p) has been released. #iOS181 #iOS181Beta1 pic.twitter.com/C7sXaG36pr— iSoftware Updates (@iSWUpdates) July 29, 2024
At the same time that the first 18.1 previews came out on Monday, 9to5Mac reports Apple also released a second public beta for iOS 18, with some of the features seen in a recent developer beta, like RCS support on more carriers, a new set of CarPlay wallpapers, and the ability to use dark mode widgets while in light mode.
Bloomberg reported that Apple will likely roll out some Apple Intelligence features, like Siri’s larger AI overhaul, later, running well into 2025.
Apple first announced the AI features coming to the iPhone, iPad, and Mac during its Worldwide Developers Conference in June. It released the public iOS 18 beta on July 15th.
Apple hasn’t typically released the betas for follow-up software updates before the public launch of the initial version, which should accompany the launch of the iPhone 16 this fall. But splitting its AI updates into an 18.1 update and starting to test them with developers now could help the company quash bugs and test features before they become widely available, without any potential to impact the launch of phones and tablets as they start to ship with iOS and iPadOS 18.
Developing….
Some of the Apple Intelligence features previewed during WWDC 2024 | Image: Apple
Apple has just released the developer betas for iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, giving users access to the company’s first set of AI features.
Some of the Apple Intelligence features arriving with the beta include Siri with an updated design and ability to maintain context across multiple requests, new Mail features like smart reply and email summaries, natural language search in Photos, and other tweaks, according to 9to5Mac.
To install these updates, you’ll need an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max or, for iPads and Macs, a system with an Apple Silicon chip. Once they’re installed, users will have to join a waitlist from the Settings menu of their device and wait for a notification that it’s ready for them to access, as seen in this screenshot from @iSWUpdates on X.
iOS 18.1 Developer Beta 1 (22B5007p) has been released. #iOS181 #iOS181Beta1 pic.twitter.com/C7sXaG36pr
— iSoftware Updates (@iSWUpdates) July 29, 2024
At the same time that the first 18.1 previews came out on Monday, 9to5Mac reports Apple also released a second public beta for iOS 18, with some of the features seen in a recent developer beta, like RCS support on more carriers, a new set of CarPlay wallpapers, and the ability to use dark mode widgets while in light mode.
Bloomberg reported that Apple will likely roll out some Apple Intelligence features, like Siri’s larger AI overhaul, later, running well into 2025.
Apple first announced the AI features coming to the iPhone, iPad, and Mac during its Worldwide Developers Conference in June. It released the public iOS 18 beta on July 15th.
Apple hasn’t typically released the betas for follow-up software updates before the public launch of the initial version, which should accompany the launch of the iPhone 16 this fall. But splitting its AI updates into an 18.1 update and starting to test them with developers now could help the company quash bugs and test features before they become widely available, without any potential to impact the launch of phones and tablets as they start to ship with iOS and iPadOS 18.
Developing….
Justice Dept. Says TikTok Could Allow China To Influence Elections
The Justice Department has ramped up the case to ban TikTok, saying in a court filing Friday that allowing the app to continue operating in its current state could result in voter manipulation in elections. From a report: The filing was made in response to a TikTok lawsuit attempting to block the government’s ban. The Justice Department warned that the app’s algorithm and parent company ByteDance’s alleged ties to the Chinese government could be used for a “secret manipulation” campaign.
“Among other things, it would allow a foreign government to illicitly interfere with our political system and political discourse, including our elections…if, for example, the Chinese government were to determine that the outcome of a particular American election was sufficiently important to Chinese interests,” the filing said. Under a law passed in April, TikTok has until January 2025 to find a new owner or it will be banned in the U.S. The company is suing to have that law overturned, saying it violates the company’s First Amendment rights. The Justice Department disputed those claims. “The statute is aimed at national-security concerns unique to TikTok’s connection to a hostile foreign power, not at any suppression of protected speech,” officials wrote.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The Justice Department has ramped up the case to ban TikTok, saying in a court filing Friday that allowing the app to continue operating in its current state could result in voter manipulation in elections. From a report: The filing was made in response to a TikTok lawsuit attempting to block the government’s ban. The Justice Department warned that the app’s algorithm and parent company ByteDance’s alleged ties to the Chinese government could be used for a “secret manipulation” campaign.
“Among other things, it would allow a foreign government to illicitly interfere with our political system and political discourse, including our elections…if, for example, the Chinese government were to determine that the outcome of a particular American election was sufficiently important to Chinese interests,” the filing said. Under a law passed in April, TikTok has until January 2025 to find a new owner or it will be banned in the U.S. The company is suing to have that law overturned, saying it violates the company’s First Amendment rights. The Justice Department disputed those claims. “The statute is aimed at national-security concerns unique to TikTok’s connection to a hostile foreign power, not at any suppression of protected speech,” officials wrote.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Samsung plans to mass produce 256GB RAM that supports key tech that will take AI to next level — CXL-enabled DRAM will expand computing and machine learning capabilities but at a premium
Samsung set to mass-produce 256GB CXL-enabled DRAM by the end of the year to boost AI.
Computer Express Link (CXL) improves how CPUs and GPUs interact with memory and accelerators, standardizing communication across devices, reducing delays, and making systems faster and more capable of handling large amounts of data – especially important for applications requiring rapid data processing, such as AI.
At a recent media briefing, Jangseok Choi, Vice President of Samsung’s new business planning team, revealed the company was forging ahead with its plans to begin making and shipping CXL enabled memory modules.
“We plan to mass-produce 256 GB DRAM supporting CXL 2.0 within this year. We expect the CXL market to start blooming in the second half and explosively grow from 2028,” Choi told media.
A decade in the making
Samsung predicts that the adoption of CXL technology will result in an eight to tenfold increase in memory capacity per server, translating to a substantial leap in computational capabilities. CXL, “expands the highway linking the CPU and memory chips from two to three lanes to more than eight lanes,” a Samsung official explained to The Korea Economic Daily.
Samsung’s CXL 2.0 DRAM, released in May 2023, supports memory pooling, a memory management technique that binds multiple CXL memory blocks on a server platform to form a pool and allows hosts to dynamically allocate memory from the pool as needed, leading to more efficient use of memory capacity and optimized resource allocation.
Both Micron and SK Hynix are developing CXL-based memory products, but “As the only memory maker on the CXL consortium board, Samsung is committed to further expanding the CXL ecosystem through partnerships with data centers, servers, and chipset companies across the industry,” Choi said.
“Samsung has been working to develop and mass-produce high-quality CXL for more than a decade,” he added. “We are testing our products with our partners for performance verification.”
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