Smartphone makers are dreaming of a ‘supercycle’ driven by AI. Analysts disagree   

Smartphone makers are talking a big game about artificial intelligence this year. So much they think it’ll drive a new “supercycle” for the industry.

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EToro wants to bring its trading app to Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest headsets

Retail trading platform eToro is looking at ways of launching its app on the Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest line of mixed-reality devices.

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Samsung unveils new memory chip with ‘highest-capacity to date’ for AI

The South Korean chip giant claimed the HBM3E 12H “raises both performance and capacity by more than 50%.”

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COTU Ventures launches $54M fund for pre-seed and seed startups in MENA

Dubai-based early-stage venture capital firm COTU Ventures is announcing that it has raised $54 million for its inaugural fund to support startups in the Middle East from pre-seed to seed stages. With a final close achieved last year, COTU Ventures, which identifies and backs founders from the inception to post-product launch, invests between $500,000 to […]
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Nvidia’s AI sector contributes to significant earnings boost

Nvidia, the leading force in artificial intelligence (AI), witnesses continued revenue growth in its AI sector, contributing to a 400% increase in data center earnings. The high quality of their graphics processing units (GPUs) and cutting-edge deep learning applications have been instrumental in this advancement. The technology is bringing significant transformations, especially in automotive, healthcare, and other sectors.
The latest in their line of innovations, Nvidia Drive PX Pegasus, an AI computer developed for autonomous robotaxis, identifies with the company’s revolutionary approach. Furthermore, strategic partnerships with industry giants like Google, Alibaba, and Microsoft have accelerated Nvidia’s exponential growth in the AI space.
Beyond fundamental AI chips, Nvidia’s data center enterprise offers many products and services.
Its recent achievement of a $1 billion annual revenue within a quarter demonstrates the growing industry demand for AI technology. The company continues to deliver innovative solutions that cater to the intricate needs of its clients.
CEO Jensen Huang highlights the software’s potential to become a significant business segment for Nvidia. He envisions it as a potential drive for their AI division, allowing Nvidia to persist with innovation and dominate advanced technology. However, the future stability of Nvidia’s high-performing shares remains uncertain.
Nvidia’s software strategy adopts the integration of multiple open-source software components to construct a strong AI software platform. It overcomes potential security and stability threats through Nvidia AI Enterprise – a comprehensive software stack management system. This system provides consistent performance, enhanced security, and outstanding scalability, fostering a conducive environment for developers to work on AI applications without concerns about underlying infrastructure.
Nvidia’s ambitious growth strategy implies its substantial influence over AI
Huang foresees a global adoption of Nvidia AI Enterprise, stating that its expansion into software supports growth trajectory and significantly impacts AI technology. The company’s ambitious growth strategy implies its substantial influence over the landscape of AI technology, paving the way for enhanced AI implementation across various sectors.
Lastly, Nvidia’s commitment to outperforming competitors is made evident by an increase of 18% in its R&D investments the previous year. The adoption of a leading-edge software strategy across all major cloud providers indicates a pathway to growth. Despite occasional challenges, Nvidia possesses the necessary resources to sustain its growth trajectory in the long run.
Featured Image Credit: Photo by Stas Knop; Pexels
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AI growth spurs demand for sustainable electricity

The rise of artificial intelligence is causing a surge in demand for sustainable electricity. Data centers around the globe are straining to keep up, causing tech companies to turn to renewable energy sources.
New AI technology requires high-performance computing power, raising the energy efficiency bar. In addition, responsible management of these resources is becoming a priority for reasons related to cost efficiency and environmental protection.
Leaders in the tech industry are examining ways to minimize potential environmental harm. Some initiatives involve using advanced tech to pinpoint areas rich in solar and wind energy.
These leaders are focused on developing hardware and equipment that conserve resources and promote energy efficiency. Their goal is to reduce carbon emissions and the overall environmental impact.
There are also strategies in place for managing waste and recycling, ensuring obsolete technology is disposed of responsibly. A global collaborative effort is underway to ensure that tech growth does not harm our planet.
It is impossible to predict how your request for homework assistance from AI may impact freshwater stocks or carbon emissions.
Cirrus Nexus CEO, Chris Noble, emphasizes the need for data centers to exploit renewable energy sources. The anticipated widespread adoption of AI-powered computation is believed to have strong implications for climate change.
Currently, data centers and transmission networks, including major tech companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, are responsible for roughly 1.5% of global energy use. These companies have sworn to meet climate goals; however, the quick progression of AI applications poses challenges to these targets.
Load shifting, a solution promoted by Google and Cirrus Nexus, might be the answer. It matches data center operations with the availability of renewable energy. However, potential obstacles exist, such as data sovereignty policies hindering data flow across borders.
Despite these obstacles, Google and Cirrus Nexus have field-tested load shifting and found it promising in reducing emissions. In fact, Cirrus Nexus recorded lower expenses and reduced carbon intensity thanks to increased access to solar power in The Netherlands.
These advancements show that significant strides are being made in developing sustainable practices in our technological world.
Featured Image Credit: Photo by Pok Rie; Pexels
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EU initiates investigation into Apple’s restriction on progressive web apps

The EU has begun the preliminary stages of a formal investigation into Apple. This move, as reported by The Financial Times, comes in light of Apple’s recent decision to restrict access to certain applications that circumvent its App Store, thereby intensifying the scrutiny over the tech giant’s business practices.
The crux of the issue lies in Apple’s announcement that it will soon disable access to Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) within the EU. PWAs allow companies to develop applications accessible as webpages, featuring an icon on a mobile user’s home screen, thus bypassing traditional app stores. Apple’s rationale for this decision is to align with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), stating that non-Safari browsers pose unacceptable security and privacy risks under the law.
However, this move has raised concerns among developers and the European Commission, primarily because it eliminates a pathway for developers to avoid Apple’s 30% commission fees on App Store purchases. In response, the EU’s competition regulators have dispatched inquiries to developers to ascertain the impact of Apple’s decision, marking the onset of what could lead to an in-depth probe.
The European Commission has confirmed its focus on ensuring compliance with the DMA, emphasizing the examination of Apple’s actions regarding PWAs. Apple, while declining to comment directly on the investigation, has expressed regret over any inconvenience caused to developers and users, downplaying the change as a compliance measure with the DMA that would affect a minimal number of users.
This investigation is part of a broader EU initiative to regulate the dominance of Big Tech companies, with the DMA being a cornerstone of this effort. Apple, in particular, faces scrutiny over its $85 billion-a-year services business. In addition to the probe into PWAs, the EU is poised to levy a significant fine against Apple for alleged violations related to its music streaming services, highlighting the regulatory challenges facing the company.
In an attempt to comply with the DMA, Apple has announced changes to its iOS mobile software in Europe, such as permitting the download of apps from alternative sources and the use of different payment systems. However, these changes have been met with criticism from competitors like Meta and Microsoft, who argue that Apple’s inclusion of additional fees could deter the establishment of alternative app stores.
As the EU tightens its regulatory grip, the potential for significant fines looms large for companies found non-compliant with the DMA. With the March 6 deadline for compliance approaching, the outcome of this investigation could have far-reaching implications for Apple and the broader tech industry, underscoring the EU’s commitment to curbing the influence of Big Tech through stringent regulation.
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Wizards adds to a growing list of gaming IPs with Assassin’s Creed reveal

Wizards of the Coast (WoC) reveals another gaming collaboration with the iconic Ubisoft franchise, Assassin’s Creed.
MagiCon: Chicago was meant to be all about the collectible card game that is shuffled and played across the globe, but the stage was robbed in true Ezio and Altair fashion.
Ubisoft has teamed up with the fantasy gaming partner to bring to life the Rogue series’ most iconic items, characters, and locations.
Da Vinci Cards
The 16-year history of Ubisoft’s stealth-action game will be represented as part of the “Universes Beyond” crossover series that has seen other well-known video game franchises displayed in 2D.
Ezio Auditore da Firenze, Altair Ibn-La’Ahad, and Eivor all made an appearance at MagicCon, with fans of the series looking for more reveals of the card-based versions of their favorite characters.

Where better to remain hidden than in a nondescript Haystack? #MTGxAC #AssassinsCreed pic.twitter.com/0JNPpebdrO
— Magic: The Gathering (@wizards_magic) February 23, 2024

The iconic haystack players tumble into from epic heights was featured as a playable card. The wrist-mounted hidden blade and animus also take their place as legendary artifacts.
Memory corridor treatments will be present in the Collector Boosters as well as unique serialized versions of the game’s historical characters. These limited five hundred cards will also come in the language they spoke, such as ancient Egyptian for Cleopatra and Italian for Leonardo Da Vinci.
Wizards winning all the games
This is not the only franchise that has been included in the Universes Beyond. The Walking Dead, Doctor Who, and Transformers have all seen their legendary characters recreated in MTG’s cardboard frames.
Other gaming stalwarts include Lara Croft and, as we reported last week, the irradiated wastelands of Fallout.
Split into four sets, the collection follows some of the iconic characters, factions, and settings players have encountered since Fallout 3.
MTG uniquely represents the mechanics of the treasured six main releases of Fallout to cover radiation, energy, junk, and the S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats of bobbleheads collected throughout the Wasteland.
Coming in 2025 is arguably the biggest Universes Beyond yet, Final Fantasy, but Wizards of the Coast have remained secretive about plans to bring Cloud and Co. to the card world.
Wizards have reported record profits from the blend of traditional gaming, like the success of Baldur’s Gate 3 and the collectible trading card game in physical and digital format with Arena.
Assassin’s Creed will be hoping to continue this path to profit when the set drops on July 5, but for any and all things Creed related — we will be keeping a close eye on the spires and the back alleys for any more signs of Renaissance rouges in the shadows.
Image Credit: Wizards of the Coast.
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Email fraudsters deploy sophisticated tactics to dupe users

A sophisticated ad fraud campaign, dubbed “SubdoMailing,” has been exploiting over 8,000 legitimate internet domains and 13,000 subdomains to dispatch upwards of 5 million emails daily, engaging in scams and malvertising to generate illicit revenue, according to a recent report by Bleeping Computer.
Uncovered by Guardio Labs researchers Nati Tal and Oleg Zaytsev, the SubdoMailing operation has been active since 2022, leveraging the reputations of well-known companies by hijacking their abandoned subdomains and domains. This method effectively bypasses spam filters and exploits email authentication policies like SPF and DKIM, making these malicious emails appear legitimate.
Victims of this domain hijacking include high-profile entities such as MSN, VMware, McAfee, The Economist, Cornell University, CBS, NYC.gov, PWC, Pearson, Better Business Bureau, Unicef, ACLU, Symantec, Java.net, Marvel, and eBay. The fraudulent emails, under the guise of these reputable brands, evade security measures and direct users through a series of redirects. These actions not only generate ad revenue for the perpetrators but also lead unsuspecting users to fake giveaways, security scans, surveys, or affiliate scams.
The investigation into SubdoMailing began after Guardio Labs detected unusual email metadata patterns, revealing a comprehensive subdomain hijacking scheme. The campaign utilizes sophisticated tactics to mimic legitimate emails, including the abuse of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols. These email security measures are designed to verify the sender’s legitimacy to email gateways, preventing the emails from being marked as spam.
SubdoMailing’s modus operandi involves two primary techniques: CNAME hijacking and exploitation of SPF records. In CNAME attacks, the threat actors identify subdomains with CNAME records pointing to unregistered external domains, which they then register themselves. Similarly, they exploit SPF records by taking over external domains referenced in the “include:” configuration option of target domains’ SPF records. This allows the attackers to authorize their malicious email servers under the guise of reputable domains.
Attributed to a threat actor named “ResurrecAds,” the campaign systematically scans the internet for vulnerable domains, continuously updating its network of hijacked domains, SMTP servers, and IP addresses to sustain its large-scale operations. Guardio Labs estimates that SubdoMailing uses nearly 22,000 unique IPs, including residential proxies, to spread fraudulent emails globally.
The sheer volume and complexity of this operation highlight the significant challenge it poses to internet security. Guardio Labs has responded by creating a SubdoMailing checker site, enabling domain owners to determine if their brand is being exploited and to take preventative or corrective actions.
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The Supreme Court could decide the future of content moderation — or it could punt

The Supreme Court is considering the fate of two state laws that limit how social media companies can moderate the content on their platforms. In oral arguments on Monday, the justices grappled with a thorny set of questions that could reshape the internet, from social networks like Facebook and TikTok to apps like Yelp and […]
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