Tuesday, December 24, 2024

US Secretary of Commerce Says America Should Focus on Investments, Not Banning China’s Chipmaking Potential

American Secretary of Commerce has plenty to say about the country’s decision to ban and sanction China for its chip manufacturing progress. Gina Raimondo explained in her recent interview that the decision was unwise and could limit the nation from progressing.

Referring to the act as a fool’s errand, she further explained how the Biden Administration's behavior on this was startling. Biden’s CHIPS and Science Act promotes bans against a host of Chinese firms. If that was not enough, he urged war on the nation’s semiconductor industry by encouraging allies like Japan and the Netherlands to avoid buying advanced tech from that country.

But China did not sit back in silence. It chose to tell the world that it would come out stronger than before and if that meant spending more funds to strengthen its chip-making industry, then so be it.

This is why Sec Raimondo says the act was foolish as China is winning the tech race and is now even more powerful without US support. She feels this is what a true winner does. Despite the long list of export controls in America, most companies can still procure banned chips via the black market.

Innovation from China is not coming to a slow. So many firms and organizations are left with no choice but to pursue a long list of goals despite massive roadblocks coming through via American sanctions.

These were the statements made on the occasion of Trump's returning back into the White House for a second time next year. Some states certainly have the majority of Republican strongholds and they keep on benefitting.

Now, Trump feels the Chip Deal wasn’t too bad. Instead of providing direct funding, the new administration would prefer reducing taxes, enabling tariffs, and reducing regulations while unleashing American energy.

Due to this major uncertainty related to the CHIPS Act, so many subsidy applicants continue to rush and get the right funding in place. Trump always makes plans to strengthen permits for any firm that hopes to invest a billion dollars in America. This would come at the cost of getting some reviews and regulations waived.

It’s also the major reason why SoftBank wants to make $100B investments in the world of AI and other tech. Now even if the Secretary does agree about some rules holding the country back, Raimondo does admit that some firms cannot work with impunity.

What do you think about the Secretary’s comments on America adding sanctions on China and its semiconductor technology for chips?

Image: DIW-Aigen

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• How Can AI Help You Create Stunning Digital Designs?

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• BMJ Study Finds Cognitive Weaknesses in AI Models, Challenging Human Replacement Claims
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Monday, December 23, 2024

How Can AI Help You Create Stunning Digital Designs?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the way we create digital designs, providing tools and capabilities that enhance creativity, streamline workflows, and open up new possibilities for design innovation. From automating repetitive tasks to generating unique visual elements, AI empowers designers to focus on what truly matters: crafting stunning, impactful designs. Here’s a closer look at how AI is transforming the digital design landscape.

Automating Routine Tasks

One of AI’s most valuable contributions to digital design is its ability to handle repetitive and time-consuming tasks. Tools like Adobe Photoshop’s Content-Aware Fill, Canva, and Figma’s auto-layout feature allow designers to automate processes such as resizing images, aligning elements, and generating layout variations.

For instance, AI algorithms can analyze an existing design and suggest optimal arrangements for components, such as text and imagery, across different devices and screen sizes. This automation not only saves time but also ensures consistency, enabling designers to maintain focus on more creative aspects of their work.

Offering Design Suggestions and Inspiration

AI tools are excellent collaborators during the ideation phase of design projects. Applications like Runway ML, Adobe Sensei, and even ChatGPT can suggest design elements, color palettes, and typography combinations based on project goals or industry trends. By leveraging these insights, designers can jumpstart their creative process and develop innovative concepts faster.

Additionally, AI can analyze vast amounts of data to predict design trends and user preferences. This ensures that your designs remain contemporary and relevant, increasing their impact in competitive markets.

The Role of AI-Driven Art Generators

AI-driven art generators, such as DALL·E, MidJourney, and Stable Diffusion, have taken the design world by storm, enabling the creation of unique and stunning visuals with minimal effort. These tools generate artwork based on text prompts, producing results that range from photorealistic to highly abstract. Platforms like cgdream.ai go beyond simple generation, offering features like consistent character rendering, style transfer, and 3D-to-image integration, making it a powerful tool for designers looking to innovate and save time.

For example, a designer working on a sci-fi-themed app might use an AI generator to create a surreal space landscape as part of the interface or promotional material. Similarly, a marketing team could use AI tools to create striking social media visuals tailored to specific campaigns.

These tools democratize access to high-quality visuals, making it easier for non-designers to create professional-grade content. However, they also serve as valuable aids for experienced designers, offering inspiration and saving time during the conceptualization and production stages.

Enhancing Personalization

AI excels at personalization, allowing designers to craft tailored experiences for diverse audiences. By analyzing user data, AI tools can suggest design elements that resonate with specific demographics. For example, AI-driven platforms like Adobe XD can generate interface designs optimized for different user profiles, ensuring an engaging and relevant experience.

Personalization is particularly valuable in e-commerce and marketing. AI can help designers create dynamic content that adjusts based on user behavior, such as personalized product recommendations or targeted promotional visuals.

Improving Collaboration

AI tools are also fostering better collaboration among design teams. Platforms like Figma and Sketch integrate AI features that streamline version control, suggest improvements, and ensure design consistency across projects. These capabilities are especially useful for remote teams, as they allow for real-time collaboration and seamless communication.

By automating project management tasks, such as tracking changes and managing assets, AI enables teams to focus on delivering high-quality designs without getting bogged down by administrative details.

Overcoming Creative Blocks

Creative blocks are a common challenge for designers, and AI can be a helpful ally in overcoming them. Tools like AI art generators, mood board creators, and even text-based assistants can spark ideas and provide fresh perspectives. By experimenting with AI-generated suggestions, designers can break out of creative ruts and explore new directions.

For example, an AI tool might suggest alternative color schemes or design layouts, prompting the designer to think outside the box and refine their vision. Tools like an AI skybox generator can also inspire immersive background designs, offering innovative solutions for creating dynamic environments in games or virtual spaces.

Image: DIW-Aigen
by Asim BN via Digital Information World

BMJ Study Finds Cognitive Weaknesses in AI Models, Challenging Human Replacement Claims

A new study published in The BMJ finds that AI chatbots are showing signs of cognitive impairment just like humans and this pattern is mostly seen in older models. The study is a great challenge to different studies and researches saying that AI is going to replace humans in medicine and teaching because now AI is showing signs of dementia and other cognitive problems like the ones seen in older humans. There are many studies that state that artificial intelligence will be able to do accurate medical diagnosis soon but this study says that it doesn't seem possible now that AI is showing cognitive decline.

Many AI models and LLMs like Google Gemini 1.0 and 1.5, OpenAI's ChatGPT-4 and 4o and Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 were assessed for the studies so the researchers could know which ones are showing cognitive decline. It was found that these AI models, especially the older ones, showed signs of cognitive impairment and performed the worst on tests which were done on them. Researchers used Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) on the models which are used to test early signs of dementia in older people. The maximum score of the test is 30 and includes questions related to language, attention, executive functions, memory and visuospatial skills, and a score above 26 is considered normal.

The LLMs were tested and were asked questions according to the test Gemini 1.0 scored the lowest with 16 out of 30. The highest score was achieved by GPT-4o (26 out of 30), followed by Claude and GPT-4 (25 out of 30). A practicing neurologist did all the tests and evaluated the results. The test showed that all AI models did the worst in visuospatial skills and executive tasks as well as a clock drawing test. Gemini models also didn't do well in delayed recall tasks where a sequence of five-word sentences is memorized and then recalled.

Most of the AI models which were assessed did well in language, naming, abstraction and attention. The researchers say that results of this test shows that AI models cannot perform perfectly in a clinical setting because they are showing some signs of weaknesses. So, this means that AI models aren't going to replace humans anytime soon because they are experiencing cognitive impairment and as long as this issue isn't solved, humans are going to take the lead. Researchers also suggested treating AI models with cognitive impairment the same way we treat human patients with similar issues.


Read next: Survey Predicts Global Warming, Economic Struggles, and AI Job Shifts in 2025

by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Is Instagram the Future of Meta's Advertising Revenue? Reels and TikTok Ban May Hold the Answer

According to a report by research firm Emarketer, Instagram will account for over half of Meta Platforms' ad revenue in the US next year. It is because the engagement on Instagram is increasing with more users joining the platform every month, and this is affecting the revenue of the platform positively too. Instagram reels, which are competing with TikTok and YouTube shots, also get a high number of engagements and marketers are quite interested to place more ads on Instagram because of this very reason. As marketers will invest more on the platform, it will boost the overall revenue of Instagram.

There is also a chance that TikTok may get banned in the US so Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts will become strong competitors for advertising and Instagram will see some rise in its growth. Principal analyst at Emarketer, Jasmine Enberg, says that users are spending two-thirds of their time by watching reels on Instagram so it is quite right to say that Instagram is now a video platform. If TikTok gets banned in the US, one fifth of TikTok ad dollars in the US will come to Instagram, helping in the growth of its revenue. 53.7% of Instagram revenue in 2024 came from its feed while 24.6% of the revenue came from Stories on Instagram. There will be a 9.6% rise in Instagram’s revenue in 2025 after combining revenue from Instagram feed, reels and Threads. So, it seems that better days are coming for Meta, especially Instagram, in the US in 2025.


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• Positive Reviews Face Deletion as Google Tightens Moderation Against Fake Ratings

Survey Predicts Global Warming, Economic Struggles, and AI Job Shifts in 2025
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Sunday, December 22, 2024

Survey Predicts Global Warming, Economic Struggles, and AI Job Shifts in 2025

Approaching new year makes us wonder what will happen in the next year and what events can happen. As the time is passing by rapidly, a lot of things in the world are changing in seconds too. To know what people in different countries predict about the things happening in the new year, Ipsos conducted a survey of 23,700 people from 33 countries. This survey just talks about what general population think will happen in the next year and not the thoughts of analysts and experts. The results of the survey showed that people predict environmental, economical and technological change in the next year.

The most predictions respondents made were about climate change. 80% of the respondents said that they think average global temperatures will increase in 2025, with eight in ten respondents saying that the world will get warmer in the next year. Most of the respondents who had this belief were from Indonesia (91%), Philippines (89%) and Malaysia (88%). 72% of the respondents also think that the temperature of the region where they live will change in the next year. 52% of the respondents said that they think that their country’s government would introduce some measures to combat climate change. On the other hand, 84% respondents from China also said that they think their government will take measures to reduce carbon emissions to control climate change.

79% of the respondents predicted that they think prices of the products will increase more in 2025 but their incomes will remain the same or will only see a slight increase. Two thirds of the respondents also think that AI is going to take over jobs in 2025, but 43% think that AI will increase more opportunities for people in their countries. 59% said that they think many people will start living in virtual worlds in the next year, which is a 3% increase from 2022.

Respondents also predicted a new global pandemic by a new virus (47%) in 2025, while many people are hopeful that people in their countries will become tolerant of each other (33%) in the next year. There were also some predictions about the Ukraine war ending in 2025 (27%), which is about 3 in 10 respondents. The predictions about Middle East conflicts (Israel-Gaza war) ending in 2025 is a little less, with 2 in 10 or 22% respondents predicting it.

What’s Next for 2025? Climate Crisis, AI Disruption, and a Possible Pandemic Top Public Predictions

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Positive Reviews Face Deletion as Google Tightens Moderation Against Fake Ratings

There has been a trend going on where the reviews of Google are declining and their local visibility has also started to decrease. Google reviews are important to bring trust among customers so this trend is worrisome for search engine optimizers (SEOs) and small businesses. Negative reviews aren't the only ones which are getting deleted, because positive reviews are also suddenly getting less visible. To uncover why this is happening and how to get through this, GMBapi analyzed 5 million reviews from customers in 70 countries and the results are surprising. Most of us must be thinking that negative reviews are the ones which are being targeted for deletion on Google, but the results of the analysis show that 73.1% of the reviews which were deleted on Google are actually five star rated.


This shows that Google is actually trying to make its platform free from fake reviews as there are many businesses which buy reviews so that they can attract more customers. One star reviews (12.8%) were the ones which were the second most deleted reviews on Google, probably because of the use of abusive and inappropriate language used in them. As the reviews with two to four stars (8% to 2%) are more balanced and mostly show honest reviews, they were very less likely to be deleted by Google.

Now the question arises whether review deletions can cause algorithm updates on Google, and the answer is that it is very unlikely. The rapid review deletions by Google also suggests that there were few changes made in review moderation by Google, but the SEO world hasn't studied how this can impact businesses and local ranking algorithms. There could be some algorithm changes as Google moderates more reviews but saying anything about it is too early.

One thing that the analysis of reviews found was that reviews which had no replies were more likely to get deleted (66.1%). This suggests that businesses need to get engaged with their customers and reply to their reviews as this will help maintain a positive reputation of the business. Only 33.9% of the reviews with replies got deleted by Google. The type of reviews that got deleted the most were “Service and Staff” which talks about staff friendliness, customer service quality and expertise of the business. The second most deleted reviews were about “product of Service Quality”, followed by “Environment and Accessibility”.

GMBapi also developed a machine learning model called Random Forest Algorithm to find out what factors in a review resulted in its deletion. Factors like review leng, sentiment and rating were the most important ones when it came to Google review moderation. This analysis highlights that it is important for businesses to embrace local SEO tools, engage with their reviewers, report fake reviews and avoid incentivized reviews.

Read next: AI Overviews Dominate Search, Taking 48% of Mobile Screen Space
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Saturday, December 21, 2024

TikTok Faces Year-Long Ban in This Country After Shocking Incident Involving Youth Violence

Albania has decided to ban TikTok for a full year. This happened after nationwide outrage over the tragic killing of a 14-year-old boy by his classmate. The killer even posted shocking pictures on Snapchat after the incident. Prime Minister Edi Rama said TikTok is making young people more violent and announced it will be banned for a year.

The government also plans to start programs to guide kids and support parents about social media. Over the last month, Rama met with teachers, parents, and psychologists to discuss these issues. But for now, there are no clear details about these plans.

TikTok stated it was requesting 'urgent clarification' from the Albanian government

Other countries are also making stricter laws to protect kids on social media. In the U.S., a rule to force TikTok to sell its American operations is expected in January. It’s being challenged in court, though. Another proposal there wants to ban kids under 13 from using social media. Australia has already passed a rule banning kids under 16 from using platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Social media companies now have to make sure kids follow this law. The U.K. is also thinking of something similar.

Experts are divided on these bans. A report from the National Academies says there’s not enough proof linking social media to mental health problems. They suggest tougher rules for companies instead of banning platforms altogether.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: Is OpenAI on the Verge of a Major AI Setback with GPT-5’s Delays

by Asim BN via Digital Information World

Is OpenAI on the Verge of a Major AI Setback with GPT-5’s Delays?

OpenAI faces significant challenges in the development of GPT-5, with progress falling short of expectations and deadlines being pushed further than anticipated. According to The Wall Street Journal, the 18-month effort behind the model, code-named Orion, hasn’t yet delivered results that justify its monumental costs.

The initial training sessions, crucial for fine-tuning AI models, have taken longer and cost more than expected. While GPT-5 demonstrates incremental improvements over earlier iterations, the advancements haven’t reached the transformative leap expected to sustain the model’s steep operational costs.

To tackle these challenges, OpenAI has adopted unconventional approaches. Beyond relying on publicly available datasets, the company is creating custom data by hiring experts to write code and solve complex problems. It’s also generating synthetic data using its existing models, such as o1. This multi-pronged approach underscores the immense effort required to push AI boundaries.

The stakes have never been higher, with everything on the line and no room for failure. With competitors like Google DeepMind, Anthropic, and Microsoft racing to establish dominance in AI innovation, OpenAI is under pressure to maintain its leadership. Orion’s slower-than-expected progress could open opportunities for rivals to gain ground or even reshape market dynamics.

Meanwhile, OpenAI’s financial demands are escalating. The company reportedly spends hundreds of millions annually on hardware and research, with GPT-5’s development adding to that burden. Critics question whether AI development at this scale remains sustainable, especially as scrutiny grows over its environmental and ethical costs.

The delay also has implications for OpenAI’s broader strategy. Its recent move into enterprise tools, such as ChatGPT for businesses, signals a pivot towards monetizing existing technologies. If GPT-5 fails to deliver a game-changing edge, OpenAI may face tougher decisions about balancing innovation with profitability.

With no official release date for Orion this year, the industry will be closely watching OpenAI’s next steps. This moment serves as a reminder that innovation at the frontier of AI isn’t just about progress—it’s about navigating the trade-offs between ambition, cost, and real-world impact.

Image: DIW-Aigen

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by Asim BN via Digital Information World

Google Uses AI To Power New Chrome Browser Scam Protection

Search engine giant Google is making use of AI to power the latest Chrome scam protection. The innovative feature not only comprehensively analyzes brands but also the intention of those pages.

As shared by one user on X, the new feature is flagged as a part of Chrome Canary. It’s called Client Side Detection Brand which uses LLM to analyze web pages across different devices. Once enabled, it can inquire about the brand and page’s intention.

The goal appears to be helping scam detection services find brands and their purpose for the webpage. At the end of the day, it just makes it so much simpler to identify any real scams lurking out there. The fact that it works on Windows, Linux, and Mac is a big deal.


For now, it’s not quite clear how this feature works but it might roll out warnings when users visit a scam online page. For instance, visiting false Microsoft tech support or those speaking about infected devices when that’s not the case. Some go as far as to urge users to dial a specific number.

Chrome AI might analyze the promoted brands or the language used for this page. When it detects scams like incorrect domains, it displays alerts so users are aware. They can immediately avoid interactions with this page or share personal details. Such a tool is currently in an experimental phase and might be linked to the new Enhanced Protection feature for Chrome that also makes use of AI.

As per the Android maker, the new Enhanced Protection feature makes use of AI to give real-time protection against anything dangerous like websites, extensions, or downloads. Before the start of October, Enhanced Protection did not use AI. it was more described as being proactive protection.

Since then, it’s been updated to become AI-based protection. For now, Google is more likely to use its pre-trained data to understand web material and alert users about dangerous incidents including thefts and scams.

While the feature sounds great, it’s still in the initial testing phase. Google has made it very clear that its goal is a more secure and private Chrome and using AI technology can help it achieve goals. When and how it plans on doing this, only time can tell.

Read next: Google Search Will Include A New ‘AI Mode’ That’s Similar In Design to its Gemini AI Chabot
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Despite Fewer App Downloads, Consumer Spending on App Store and Google Play Increased Compared to Last Year

According to the recent analysis by Appfigures, Apple users are downloading less apps on iPhone than last year but the spending on those apps have increased when compared with 2023 data. There was a 2.3% decline in app downloads as compared to last year on the App Store, but the spending increased up to 15.7%. A report by TechCrunch says that there was a total of $127 billion spending in Google Play Store and Apple Apple Store in mobile apps and games overall in 2024, which is a 15.7 increase from last year. Most of these spendings were by Apple App Store because there was also a decline seen in total consumer spending on Google Play Store.

The reason why App Store spending has increased is because many users are paying more for paid apps and subscriptions. On App Store and Play Store, 5% apps in total offer subscriptions. These subscriptions were 48% of the total app revenue on App Store and Play Store combined.

The most downloaded apps on both platforms were social platforms apps like Instagram, WhatsApp and TikTok. But on the other hand, Temu was the most downloaded app in the US in 2024 on Apple. Even though there are many users spending on subscription apps, there are also some users who think that it is not worth spending on subscription apps. One of the reasons why consumers are not afraid to spend on apps on Apple is because Apple makes the steps of cancelling subscriptions as compared to Play Store.



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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Friday, December 20, 2024

A Complete Beginner Guide to World of Warcraft

Want to dive into World of Warcraft but not sure where to start? We've got you covered! In this guide, we'll go over the key aspects of the game in a short and easy-to-follow way, so you'll know exactly what to do when you kick off your adventure — whether on your own, with friends, or with the help of WoW services.

Ready to make your first steps in Azeroth? Let's go then!

Subscription & Expansions

WoW is a subscription-based game, meaning you need to pay a monthly fee to enjoy the full experience. You also need to buy expansions to access additional content.

You can try the game for free, though! The modern version of WoW lets you play up to level 20 without any payment. You can create multiple characters, but they'll all be capped at level 20 unless you subscribe. This option is only available for Retail WoW; Classic doesn't offer free play.

There's also an item called WoW Token that grants 30 days of game time and can be purchased either with real money or in-game gold via the Auction House.

Realms

First off, you'll need to pick a realm, or a server, to play on. Realms are more important in the endgame and have little effect on your early journey, but there still are a few things to keep in mind:

  • Server Population: Low-pop servers offer a more solo experience, while high-pop ones are great for group play but come with long queues, crowded areas, and busy public chats.
  • Server Type: Normal or RP (Role-Playing). RP servers have specific rules for social interactions and are designed for players who enjoy immersion and character-driven stories.
  • You can only group with others on the same realm.
  • Some servers may be dominated by one of the game's two factions. Check Raider.io or WoWProgress websites for detailed info on server status, population, and faction balance.

To change your realm after entering the game world, you'll either need to create a new character or pay for a Character Transfer.

Character Creation

Factions & Races

In WoW, there are two main factions: Horde and Alliance, each with its own set of aligned races. There also are neutral races, such as Dracthyr, Pandaren, and Earthern, which can join either faction.

Factions have different quests, cinematics, gear aesthetics, and capital cities, but it won't significantly affect your overall gameplay, so just settle on a race that you like and go with their faction. You can always change it later for a fee or simply create a new character.

Classes

Classes define your character's playstyle, abilities, skills, and specializations. There are 13 classes, each with 2-4 specs.

We recommend picking the class you find most fun to play. Pay attention to its role, though: you can either be a tank that soaks damage and taunts the enemy, a healer that restores HP for the group, or a DPS that's all about nuking the enemy.

Here are a couple of classes that are generally easier to learn:

  • Beast Mastery Hunter
  • Fury Warrior
  • Destruction Warlock
  • Havoc Demon Hunter
  • Devastation Evoker
  • Frost Mage
  • Retribution Paladin

For a more in-depth class breakdown, check out guides on WowHead or IcyVeins.

Starting Up

Questing & Leveling

Questing and killing mobs are your primary XP sources as you level up.

NPCs with a quest ready have an exclamation mark above their heads, which is also shown on your map. When you're done with the quest, the exclamation mark turns into a question mark, signaling that you can hand it in and receive your reward, which typically includes XP, currency, and gear.

At level 10, you'll choose a spec for your class, and from that moment on, start earning Talent Points you can insert in your Talent Tree to gain new abilities and bonuses. If your build goes wrong, don't worry — you can reset the points and start over anytime.

Gear

Gear makes your character's primary source of power, with each piece having its item level. The higher the ilvl, the better equipped you are to handle more difficult content.

Some items also increase your primary stats, like Intellect, Agility, and Strength, or secondary ones — Haste, Crit, Mastery, and Versatility. Early in the game, you don't need to worry about min-maxing your build, but if you find a stat-boosting item, don't hesitate to equip it.

Dungeons

Available in Normal, Heroic, and Mythic tiers, dungeons are group-based PvE content where you team up with other players to fight enemies and earn loot and XP.

To access dungeons, use the Dungeon Finder by clicking the eye icon in the bottom right of your UI. You can queue for all dungeons except Mythic ones, which require you to join a Pre-made Group. If you're new, we recommend queuing as a tank or healer only if you're confident in those roles, as teammates may get toxic if you don't perform well. The safest option for beginners is to go as a DPS since dealing damage is a much easier task to handle.

Battlegrounds

Unlocked at level 10, Battlegrounds are team-based PvP matches where you fight against other players for objectives and earn Honor, gear, and other items. You can use Honor to buy PvP equipment.

Professions

Professions offer a unique set of skills your character can master to create, gather, or modify items. You can only take up two Primary professions and as many Secondary ones as you want. While purely optional, professions add a new layer of progression to your character, which is both fun and profitable, as you can craft or gather valuable items for personal use or selling them at the Auction House.

Leveling professions can be costly — you'll need to spend gold — but it's very important because higher levels allow you to unlock new recipes and improve the quality of your crafts. To start a profession, talk to any City Guard, and they'll mark the profession trainer on your map.

Endgame Content

Endgame refers to the activities available once you've reached the maximum level. For new players, this isn't something to worry about just yet, but we'll quickly go over the main activities anyway, just to give you a glimpse of what to expect.

Mythic+ Dungeons

Mythic+ are a more difficult version of standard dungeons, with added affixes that introduce new mechanics and increase the challenge. You start with Mythic +0 and, on completion, earn an upgradable key to progress to higher difficulties (Mythic +2, +3, etc.). At the end of the dungeon, you'll receive a loot chest with rewards based on the difficulty.

Raids

Similar to dungeons but more mechanically complex, raids are PvE instances where you have to beat mobs and bosses for loot. LFR (Looking For Raid) is the easiest tier you can queue up for. It's a bit different from regular runs but still gives you a good sense of the raid's mechanics and encounters. There also are Normal, Heroic, and Mythic difficulties, each with ilvl requirements to enter.

Arenas & Rated Battlegrounds

Arenas offer 2v2, 3v3, and Solo Shuffle PvP battles. Rated Battlegrounds are similar to regular Battlegrounds, but here you earn rating points based on match results. You also earn rating points for Arena matches. Additionally, in both activities, you earn Honor/Conquest Points, which you can spend on PvP gear from vendors.

Final Word

Our WoW beginner's guide comes to an end here. We hope it was helpful and gave you a solid understanding of the game's basics, as well as a great starting point for your journey into the incredible world of Azeroth. The beauty of the game is that you can play however you want and engage in whatever you enjoy, so don't be afraid to explore and try new things. And most importantly, have fun!


by Web Desk via Digital Information World

Study Finds AI Models Unprepared to Tackle Financial Problems, Far from Replacing Professionals

A new study by researchers from Clemson University and Washington State University finds that ChatGPT isn't completely reliable to give financial advice yet. The researchers analyzed 10,000 responses from AI after asking it different questions about finance and the results revealed that AI still has a long way to go until it can take over finance jobs. ChatGPT and other AI models are good enough to specify broader concepts of finance and summarize the issues and their solutions but it still cannot work on it thoroughly and in detail.

Many people like Goldman Sachh predicted that 15% to 35% finance jobs will be soon assisted by AI and it may take over the jobs of asset and wealth managers. But this study highlights that there is no need to panic because AI still doesn't have adequate knowledge of finance that is needed to handle the large systems. Even though AI can pass finance certification exams, it still isn't enough and we need to find what these AI models can actually do.

The researchers of the study assembled 1083 MCQs from different finance licensing exams and tested AI models like ChatGPT, Bard and LLaMA. These exams are required to be passed by human financial professionals in order for them to get a license. The researchers evaluated the responses of AI models based on how well they could explain the reasoning behind choosing a certain answer and how much sophisticated language they used while giving explanations.

ChatGPT-4 showed the best results, with 18% to 28% more accurate answers than other AI models. When researchers gave ChatGPT-3.5 some examples of responses, it nearly matched the responses of ChatGPT-4 showing that it can also give accurate answers which can resemble human professionals. There was a 73.4% accuracy on answers about customer accounts, trading and prohibited activities by both these models, but both of them showed less accuracy(56.6%) on answers about investment objectives and client financial profiles. There were also inaccurate answers by both models on specified problems related to tax status and insurance coverage.

The team of researchers also asked ChatGPT to evaluate potential merger deals and are now exploring how well this AI model can do if they test it on the deals that came after September 2021. Overall, the limitations of AI when it comes to finance are still there are AI models are not ready at all to do high-profile financial tasks as they can have serious legal and financial consequences.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: iPhone 16 Named Best Small Phone, Samsung S24 Ultra Wins Best Smartphone of 2024
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Crypto Thefts On The Rise As More Than $2.2 Billion Stolen From Various Platforms in 2024

A new report by Chainalysis is shedding light on the growing rise of crypto theft incidents. In 2024 alone, more than $2.2 billion worth of crypto was stolen from these apps.

This is not the first time that such alarming reports made the air. It’s in fact the fifth time in the past decade that we’re hearing about more than $1B getting stolen. In other years, the number of theft reportings rose in 2018, 2021, 2022, and even 2023.

Another very interesting point in this report has to do with Chainalysis seeing the trend where crypto was stolen from in terms of exact location. It was commonly observed that DeFi platforms were a prime target for stealing including in the first quarter of this year. Meanwhile, during the second and third quarters, the focus tends to shift to centralized apps. Some noteworthy mentions include DMM Bitcoin and the WazirX where nearly $305M and $234M were stolen.

The growing rise in attacks on these apps has brought to attention another very interesting point related to private security features. Most of these hacking incidents arose due to compromised private keys that gave hackers the greatest access to such funds. So to prevent such thefts, apps must take this into consideration and better security.

There is another notable mention of countries like North Korea which is to blame for a huge number of crypto theft incidents. The country might be closed but it ended up stealing close to $1.3B worth of valuable crypto assets this year from a whopping 47 different incidents.

This is a massive 61% growth in crypto theft in 2024 alone and the matter made up more than 20% of all such incidents. It’s quite sophisticated in terms of its tactics and it uses them to produce nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

Remember, Bitcoin’s price continues to hit new highs in the past couple of weeks and hacks keep rising as it’s a simple way for many to make revenue. This is why platforms should invest in building up users’ trust through better security measures or it can be uneventful for all involved.

This is why the report highlights crypto regulatory networks and the need to keep getting better. With the right law enforcement in place and resources, the industry can become more trustworthy.


Read next: AI Competition Heats Up As Google Shares First Reasoning-Focused LLM Called Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

AI Competition Heats Up As Google Shares First Reasoning-Focused LLM Called Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking

The AI battle continues to heat up as Android maker Google just shared its latest reasoning-focused large language model dubbed Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking. The model is equipped to give OpenAI a run for its money as Google promises better performances in the world of science, coding, and even math.

The models are designed to solve the most complex tasks involving reasoning and while it’s still an experimental design, the anticipation is growing among tech experts. As per the Android maker, the latest model is for developers to benefit from inside the company’s AI Studio.

Back in September, the tech giant did share how it was trying to better its models so they gave out more intelligence and suitable responses. It seems like that time is here. Google shared how the results were certainly promising with enhanced inference timing for computation.

However, the company didn’t share the inference timing computation which it reportedly increased. No other benchmarks were available publicly to make the claims. But as per Chatbot Arena, this Flash Thinking model currently ranks at the number one position for all domains. Google also shared many use cases in the developer portal for users to test Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking models.

The model shows support for text lengths greater than 128k and even comes with cutting-edge stats for knowledge. Furthermore, developers attain access to the latest Gemini reasoning models through a Gemini API inside Google’s AI Studio and the Vertex AI.

During the week’s start, OpenAI shared how its new o1 reasoning models are launching to developers on usage tier 5 inside the API. This latest update for the o1 model gives rise to the best results on different AI benchmarks.

Meanwhile, developers also get the chance to make use of it to create apps for better client support and optimize the entire supply chain decision. It’s also wonderful for matters such as making financial trend predictions.

The latest unveiling of the LLMs provides developers with more power systems to create the most innovative AI apps throughout different industries. We can see how this launch can really safeguard Google’s mark as a strong contender in the world of AI as it takes on OpenAI.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: Instagram Shares A Glimpse of Exciting Video AI Elements Coming Soon To The App
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Instagram Shares A Glimpse of Exciting Video AI Elements Coming Soon To The App

It’s clear that Meta wants to make a mark with AI and that’s why its recent target is introducing new AI video elements on the Instagram platform.

Instagram’s chief just shared a glimpse of some new and exciting AI video features that are coming soon. Amongst those include the Movie Gen Engine where users get the chance to rollout wholesale edits of videos in-stream.

Similarly, it is launching the option to switch backgrounds, representations, outfits, and even Muppet variants of themselves. It’s all very interesting and might give rise to some more exciting and creative trends. However, it’s also one step away from the social aspect of the platform where users share connections and experiences with their followers.

AI only comprises pictures and videos that have very little to do with one’s life or even creativity. The video edits feel more aligned where it still involves captured content and only that can give rise to the most compelling clips. Remember, elements of visual storytelling come with enhancements that assist in building up a post.

The same cannot be said for image generation through AI. It’s all quite interesting and novel but we don’t see this as being something complimentary within the social media realm. You can produce images of aliens but it cannot symbolize things that are real, right? Users can roll out images of the beach but what happens when they’re not going in the first place?
Meta’s latest AI video tools do give the right enhancements and also lead to exciting creative forms inside the app. We feel that some would find it so valuable. Still, the main point worth considering is storytelling and that is quintessential right now. If social isn’t a part of it, how do you interact? It’s just plain images and videos flashing on your screen and brains, giving you utter confusion.

That might be the end result for Generative AI in the end with surreal creations designed to play with the brain. So the take-home message is that narratives are crucial in the world of social media and you’ve got to understand that.

This would happen as more and more people start to experiment with different options. How valuable they end up being, only time can tell. For now, it’s a great point to better communicate through human feelings or emotions.


Read next: AI in the Workplace: Majority of Workers Avoid Paying for Tools, Survey Shows
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Thursday, December 19, 2024

AI in the Workplace: Majority of Workers Avoid Paying for Tools, Survey Shows

According to a new survey by Tech Brew, most of the office workers do not pay for AI tools for their work. AI is getting quite common in workplaces and many office workers have started using it during their work too, but the results of the survey suggest that most of the office workers are not spending anything on AI.

Out of 878 people who were surveyed, 78% of them said that they do not pay anything for AI tools, while only 16% spend $1-$20 on AI tools every month. Only 5% of respondents said that they have allocated more than $20 every month for the AI tools that they use.

The survey also found that more than half of the respondents use AI at work, whether it's provided by their company or they use on their own. 23% of them use customized AI tools, 30% of them use third party AI tools and 38% of the respondents reported using AI tools on their own while working.

The people who are more likely to pay for AI tools are business owners(43%) and freelancers(31%) and they are the ones that pay for AI independently. Most of the other workers have their companies for any AI tools they use during their work. When the respondents were asked why they are not using paid AI tools, most of them said that cost was a problem. Sometimes, companies cannot handle the extra expense of paying for AI tools and other times, the workers do not have the capacity to pay on their own.
69% of the respondents said that they always use AI at work, followed by 32% who use them often and 26% who use AI tools only sometimes. 13% of the respondents said that they use AI rarely while 18% said that they have never used AI tools for work. There was an age factor when it came to using AI at work. Workers between the ages of 18-24 are more likely to use AI Tools than people of older ages. People with ages more than 44 are more likely to not use AI Tools at work at all. Gen-Z said that AI helps them sound professional at work and guides them and how to make emails and rewrite things to sound professional.

Respondents from marketing and advertising reported using AI persuasively, with 90% saying that they use AI tools sometimes. 78% of the respondents from technology and computer industry also reported using AI for work, with Microsoft CoPilot, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Adobe being the most used AI tools.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: Which Countries Have The Best and Worst Work-Life Balance?
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Google Warns Gmail Users of Rising Cyber Threats Ahead

Google is warning its 2.5 billion Gmail users about a looming second wave of cyber threats. Attackers, it seems, are gearing up for the final push of the year. While phishing attacks have dropped by 35% compared to last year’s holiday season, there’s been a massive increase in email traffic since mid-November, making it harder than ever to protect users’ inboxes. Google, as the world’s most popular email service, remains a top target for hackers, but the company is doing everything it can to shield users from these persistent threats.

To this end, Google has invested heavily in new technology. They’ve developed AI models specifically designed to detect phishing, malware, and spam. According to Andy Wen, Gmail’s senior director of product management, these new systems have already blocked 20% more spam than before. One of the latest models is an AI tool that acts as a supervisor, reviewing hundreds of potential threats in an instant. It’s all part of Google’s effort to stay ahead of cybercriminals, but even with these innovations, the fight is far from over.

As we head into the busiest time of year, Google is warning users about three specific scams that have resurfaced. First, the “We know where you live” extortion scam. Attackers send emails with personal information about the victim—like their home address—along with threats of physical harm or blackmail. It’s a tactic designed to frighten people into responding quickly without thinking.

Image: Google

Second, there’s the Gmail invoice scam. It’s as old as the internet, but still effective. Fraudulent invoices are sent to victims, claiming they owe money for a service or product. The scammer then urges the victim to call a phone number to dispute the charges. Once the victim is on the line, the scammer uses pressure tactics to trick them into paying fees or handing over personal information.
Lastly, we have the celebrity impersonation scam. In this case, attackers send emails pretending to be famous personalities, either claiming they’re endorsing a product or trying to sell something in their name. It’s a clever trick that preys on trust, making people more likely to click or buy something they wouldn’t otherwise.

The good news is, you don’t have to fall for these scams if you stay alert and think critically. Google’s advice is simple, slow down and think. Don’t let the sense of urgency get the best of you. If something feels off or sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Take a minute to double-check the email address of the sender. And remember, no reputable organization will demand money or personal details via email. An important tip is to search key parts or the entire suspicious email or message on Google, which might reveal clues about its authenticity. 

If you get a suspicious email, don’t hesitate to report it. By marking these messages as spam, you’re not just cleaning up your inbox; you’re also helping Google improve its AI defenses, making Gmail safer for everyone.

In the end, protecting your Gmail account is just like locking your front door. You can have all the security systems in place, but you still need to take care in how you open it. Cybercriminals are always looking for ways in. The key is to stay alert, think before you act, and use the tools available to keep your inbox safe.

Read next: Human Rights Watch Labels Israel's Gaza Tactics Genocide, Intensifying Global Calls for Justice
by Web Desk via Digital Information World

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Human Rights Watch Labels Israel's Gaza Tactics Genocide, Intensifying Global Calls for Justice


Israel's actions in Gaza have come under renewed focus as Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a scathing report, which has pointed to the denial of basic resources like clean water for Palestinians.

Illustration: HRW

The report directly labels these actions as acts of genocide, which underscores the mass killing of civilians as a violation of international law. HRW claims that these policies amount to extermination and genocide, as defined by the 1948 Genocide Convention. While proof of intent remains an important part of legal classification, statements made by Israeli officials might suggest the intent to destroy the Palestinian population, thereby strengthening the case for genocide.

This assessment follows similar accusations by Amnesty International, marking the second major rights group to use the term genocide in this context. Israel has repeatedly rejected these accusations, asserting its right to defend itself following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack, which resulted in over a thousand Israeli deaths and hundreds taken hostage. In response, Israel launched a large-scale air and ground campaign, which has reportedly killed over 45,000 Palestinians, displaced millions, and left much of Gaza in ruins.

The legal ramifications are significant. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders over alleged war crimes, including genocide. Israel denies these allegations, maintaining its stance that its actions are necessary for national security.

The blockade on Gaza has crippled essential infrastructure, with water, electricity, and fuel supplies severely restricted. This has led to catastrophic conditions for Palestinians, as the Human Rights Watch report details the extent of the crisis. With genocide now being formally attributed to Israel’s actions, international discussions on accountability and justice are more urgent than ever.

Information is everywhere, yet too often, it doesn’t lead to action. We have the tools to see the truth, but the stories we hear are shaped by the powerful, not the vulnerable. Technology should inform, but it too often distorts, clouding the human cost of conflicts.

Powerful nations and digital platforms decide what we focus on, leaving lives, dignity, and morality on the sidelines. The real question is what we choose to do next. When knowledge is within reach, inaction becomes a choice. And that choice — more than anything — defines us.

Top featured image: Dixit Dhinakaran / Unsplash

Read next: Supreme Court Steps In as TikTok Challenges U.S. Sale Order Deadline

by Asim BN via Digital Information World

Supreme Court Steps In as TikTok Challenges U.S. Sale Order Deadline

TikTok has secured a crucial opportunity in its battle against a U.S. government order demanding its sale. The Supreme Court has agreed to review the case, providing the platform one last chance to challenge the controversial sell-off mandate.

This decision follows a recent ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which dismissed TikTok’s claim that the order violated its First Amendment rights. The appeals court upheld concerns over foreign adversary threats, prioritizing national security over TikTok's constitutional arguments.

TikTok’s fight in the Supreme Court centers on whether the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act infringes on free speech rights. The platform argues that the law itself is flawed, rather than addressing specific claims of its misuse by foreign entities. This strategic approach, however, may face significant hurdles, as the government’s case is built on classified evidence that TikTok cannot directly challenge.

Despite the challenges, the Supreme Court's willingness to hear the case suggests there may be merit to TikTok’s argument. Yet, legal experts believe the odds remain stacked against the app, given the weight of national security concerns in such cases.

If TikTok fails to overturn the sell-off mandate, the platform faces a tight deadline. It has until January 19 to comply, which could involve selling its U.S. operations to an American company. TikTok has argued that this requirement is tantamount to a ban, as restructuring its systems within the timeline would be nearly impossible.
This isn’t TikTok’s first brush with removal threats. In 2020, a potential deal with Oracle and Walmart fell through. Revisiting that framework could offer a lifeline if a sale becomes inevitable, though such a move would require approval from both U.S. and Chinese authorities.

Meanwhile, political dynamics add another layer of uncertainty. While President-Elect Donald Trump hinted at saving TikTok during his campaign, his recent comments suggest limited confidence in reversing the situation once inaugurated.

As the January 10 Supreme Court hearing approaches, the clock is ticking for TikTok. The outcome could determine whether the app continues to serve millions of U.S. users or faces removal from the nation's app stores. While hope remains, the path forward is fraught with challenges.

Image: DIW-Aigen

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• Is SearchGPT The New Google? New Study Details More About Its Growing Usage and Impact Amongst Users

• Google Search Trends 2024: Here’s What Reigned Supreme On The World’s Popular Search Engine

by Asim BN via Digital Information World

New Report Reveals Rising Trend of Fake Captchas and Malvertising on the Internet

A new report from Guardio Labs reveals that many fake captchas are appearing on search engines, with even legitimate publishers hosting malicious websites that spread malware to users' devices. When users are browsing, fake captchas appear out of nowhere and look just like real captchas. They also have a similar verification process as real ones so users often get fooled by them. The fake captchas ask users to press three key combinations, and when users press the keys, a malicious PowerShell command gets copy pasted on the system's Run window. It was still unclear how those threat actors are delivering fake captchas to users but now it's found that it is simply the exploitation by legitimate publishers.


Threat actors infiltrate the ad networks as they distribute from publishers’ websites to advertisers’ landing pages and even websites like Google and Facebook aren't safe from them. Malvertising is also happening on big platforms through ad networks which distribute traffic on a massive scale. When researchers analyzed malvertising and fake captchas, they found that all of the fake captchas have originated from one single site called Monetag, a subsidiary of PropellerAds. PropellerAds is an ad network company from Cyprus and it has been previously caught urging users to update their software or scan computers. Advertisers can easily create a Monetag account to run ads because the company provides everything an advertiser needs. The malicious ads created by Monetage then spread to different websites related to live sports streaming, piracy of movies and links on social media. Some of these malicious ads even appear at the top of Google search results.

Guardio Labs identified about 3,000 publishers in the last 10 days that had been using Monetag ad scripts. It was also found that malicious ads didn't always lead to malicious websites, and there were other services which were abused by abusers to spread malware. Actors are also using BeMob and tainting its reputation, and were using sites like Scaleway, Oracle Cloud, EXOScale and Bunny CDN to host fake captcha pages.

The researchers say that this is just a single example of how the advertising ecosystem on the internet is exploiting the users. The only solution to keep yourselves safe from these malicious actors is to be cautious of websites which are offering free content, and make sure you don't click on anything that promises you a gift. Malvertising cannot be stopped in a day because there's a huge network behind it so we should play safe on the internet as much as we can.

Read next: WhatsApp Beta Adds AI Replies and Themes: A Game-Changer for Businesses
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Troubled Times for Meta As Company Fined $264M For 2018 Privacy Breach and $50M For Enabling Cambridge Analytica Scandal

In 2018, 29M users on Facebook were impacted by a massive security breach that put their personal data at risk.

Several years later, the company is finally being penalized by the Irish DPC with a 251M Euros fine as it feels the tech giant did not do enough to ensure users’ security on the platform.

Meta was slammed for not providing protection against cyberattacks where criminals exploited a vulnerability inside FB’s code.

This sort of exploit enabled them to use the page’s ‘View As’ so that they could get a hold of others’ data with ease. From email IDs to phone numbers and even exact locations, the list was full of shocking sensitive data including names of kids and their information.

This was a clear case of not providing the right kind of data protection measures to safeguard users and therefore putting them at a very high risk of harm. Most profiles on FB entail data related to issues like religion and politics as well as intimate life which many don’t wish to disclose to the public.

In the EU, more than 3M users were impacted by such a breach where the GDPR was violated unlawfully by the company. Now the company is not staying hush on the matter, adding that it will appeal this decision.

It’s quite similar to that seen in 2018 when Meta explained how it highlighted the matter as soon as it was put on public view. But that is not the last of Meta’s concerns. The tech giant was blasted over its involvement in the infamous Cambridge Analytica scandal in Australia. It explained how the firm is now settling the matter by fining Meta for violating the privacy and security of Australian citizens.

While the exact details of this scheme are still under cover, it’s clear that this is a strong message to the world that they need to be more careful about users’ sensitive data. For those still wondering what this scandal was all about, well it dates back to 2013. Five years after that, it became an infamous name thanks to the data put out by millions of users.

This was used to target them with messages about politics such as the 2016 US elections period. It also took on their private data through other apps owned by third parties like This is Your Digital Life which was made in 2013. It was enabled by Meta who chose to do this. The figure adds that close to 311,074 people on FB who were friends with users on the app were also likely to be impacted.

As far as how this payment scheme works, well, it’s part of legal proceedings and so payments are set up by Facebook’s parent firm but carried out by another third party. Anyone who had an account on the app between 2013 November to December 2015, was present in Australia for at least a month during that timeframe and downloaded the This Is Your Digital Life app, or was friends on Facebook with those having the app will be liable to receive payments.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: WhatsApp Beta Adds AI Replies and Themes: A Game-Changer for Businesses
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

WhatsApp Beta Adds AI Replies and Themes: A Game-Changer for Businesses

WhatsApp Beta for Android 2.24.26.16 brings exciting updates aimed at improving the WhatsApp Business app. The update introduces new features like AI-powered replies, multi-platform integration, and customizable themes, offering enhanced functionality for businesses and their customers.

One major highlight is the addition of AI-powered replies, which allows businesses to automate responses when team members are unavailable. This feature ensures faster replies to frequently asked questions, such as inquiries about purchase processes, business details, and other common queries. Businesses can also customize AI responses to match their brand’s voice and tone, ensuring a personalized experience for customers. Importantly, when AI is used to generate responses, customers will be notified, maintaining transparency between businesses and their users.

Another significant update is the multi-platform management feature, which enables businesses to access both the WhatsApp Business app and the WhatsApp Business Platform simultaneously. Previously, users had to choose between these platforms, but now, with a simple QR code scan, accounts can be managed seamlessly across both. This improvement also allows businesses to share individual chat histories with customers for up to six months between the platform and the app. However, group chat history sharing remains unavailable.
Additionally, the update enhances the visual experience by introducing theme customization options. Beta testers can now choose between dark and light modes and select accent colors for these themes. This customization helps businesses differentiate between WhatsApp Messenger and WhatsApp Business, creating a more distinct user interface. Previously, the app only supported default accent colors, but this update adds greater flexibility. While this feature was already available on iOS, it is now being rolled out for Android users as well.

These updates mark a significant step in making WhatsApp Business more interactive and user-friendly. With AI-driven automation, improved platform integration, and customizable themes, businesses can streamline their operations and improve customer engagement. The new version will soon be available on the Google Play Store, expanding access to these features for more users.

Image: WABetaInfo

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• Your Internet Browsing Search History Could Be Leaking Ads to Loved Ones on Shared IPs

• Who Are the Key Players in Corporate Bitcoin Adoption in 2024?
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Who Are the Key Players in Corporate Bitcoin Adoption in 2024?

Bitcoin continues to solidify its role as a strategic asset for major corporations worldwide. Among the leading players, MicroStrategy stands out as the dominant force, holding an astonishing 439,002 bitcoins, valued at $46.9 billion as of December 2024. This intelligence software firm, which began acquiring cryptocurrency in 2020, has reshaped the narrative of institutional bitcoin adoption with its unparalleled holdings.

Who Is Betting Big on Bitcoin? Top Corporations Make Massive Crypto Investments

Trailing far behind is Marathon Digital Holdings Inc., which ranks second with 40,435 bitcoins, valued at $4.32 billion. This highlights the significant gap, with MicroStrategy holding more than ten times the bitcoins of Marathon Digital.

Riot Platforms, Inc. takes the third spot, owning 16,728 bitcoins valued at $1.79 billion. Tesla follows in fourth place, holding 9,720 bitcoins worth $1.04 billion. Tesla made headlines in 2021 when it invested $1.5 billion in bitcoin and briefly accepted cryptocurrency as payment for its products.

Coinbase Global, Inc. comes in sixth with 9,000 bitcoins, valued at $961.6 million. Other companies in the top ten include Block, Inc. (8,211 bitcoins worth $877.3 million), Galaxy Digital Holdings (8,100 bitcoins worth $865.5 million), and Bitcoin Group SE (3,830 bitcoins valued at $409.2 million).

International companies also make their mark on the list. Canada’s Hut 8 Corp holds 9,109 bitcoins, valued at $973.3 million, while Germany’s Bitcoin Group SE rounds out the top ten with its $409.2 million bitcoin stash.

These companies collectively represent significant bitcoin investments, underlining the growing institutional adoption of cryptocurrency as a strategic asset.

Entity Bitcoins Held Value in USD (December 2024)
MicroStrategy 439,002 $46,906,893,967
Marathon Digital Holdings Inc 40,435 $4,320,436,484
Riot Platforms, Inc. 16,728 $1,787,368,901
Tesla, Inc 9,720 $1,038,571,599
CleanSpark Inc 9,297 $993,374,502
Hut 8 Corp 9,109 $973,286,903
Coinbase Global, Inc. 9,000 $961,640,369
Block, Inc. 8,211 $877,336,564
Galaxy Digital Holdings 8,100 $865,476,333
Bitcoin Group SE 3,830 $409,231,401
HIVE Digital Technologies 2,377 $253,979,906
Voyager Digital LTD 2,287 $244,363,502
Cipher Mining 2,142 $228,870,408
Semler Scientific 2,084 $222,673,170
NEXON Co. Ltd 1,717 $183,459,612
Exodus Movement Inc 1,300 $138,903,609
Brooker Group's BROOK (BKK) 1,150 $122,876,269
Metaplanet Inc. 1,142.30 $122,053,532
Bit Digital, Inc. 992.4 $106,036,878
Meitu 941 $100,544,843

Read next: Study Reveals AI's Role in Holiday Overspending and Financial Strain
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

More Competition for Google As OpenAI Makes SearchGPT Free For All

OpenAI just made its much anticipated SearchGPT free for all users having ChatGPT. This means Google needs to watch out as competition in the world of search heats up.

The feature got a lot of popularity shortly after it was first launched, several months back. Some lucky people got their hands on the offer early and they were able to confirm that ever since they started using it, they’ve never returned back to Google.

Kevin Weil who is the head of OpenAI just shared the great news including another exciting new offering called Voice Search. It entails several new changes used for streamlining data retrieval. This again was a part of the demo during the launch. The new update entails better search speed and more accuracy. It also means users could expect a quicker and more accurate search result.


As a whole, it betters the overall efficiency of accessing information. The feature also shows support for matters like embedded content such as pictures, movies, and even videos from YouTube. The new rich media combination has users watching new videos featuring ChatGPT without leaving the actual search page.

The new update also gives details about business maps such as data for cafes and more that users can make the most of in real time. They can also ensure more informed decisions regarding dining out and more services linked to searches. Thanks to refined queries related to navigation, users can make the most of getting quicker data to online pages related to the search. These are put on display above results and content summaries.

Additionally, ChatGPT makes the most of Advanced Voice which entails search. This combination enables users to carry out search through voice commands. The whole process is more accessible and intuitive. This is very true for anyone who prefers to use hands-free options. And the best bit is the features are launching around the globe today. So if you’re a ChatGPT user, you might want to make the utmost use of this feature.

Yes, it’s for free but users need to sign up and make an account if they wish to get the most of enhanced features. The new updates place ChatGPT as one of the most robust tools curated for retrieving data online. In case you’re wondering, it’s a direct challenge for search engines like Google.

The latest integration combines conversational access to get information and is well above users’ expectations. As a result, the overall experience is seamless and comprehensive. OpenAI keeps on enhancing the utility and this gives rise to more versatility so users’ needs keep getting met.

Another announcement made by ChatGPT’s team is how developers will enjoy the feature the most. They hope to roll out more changes soon so stay tuned for more exciting updates.

Read next: Study Reveals AI's Role in Holiday Overspending and Financial Strain
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World