Woman arrested with 130 poisonous frogs in her luggage

The Brazilian woman was arrested at the international airport in the Colombian capital, Bogotá.

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Apple says Apple Card now has 12M+ customers, over 1M are sharing their card via Apple Card Family, and users earned $1B+ in Daily Cash rewards in the past year (Juli Clover/MacRumors)

Juli Clover / MacRumors:
Apple says Apple Card now has 12M+ customers, over 1M are sharing their card via Apple Card Family, and users earned $1B+ in Daily Cash rewards in the past year  —  Apple Card has over 12 million users in the United States, Apple said today.  Apple Card holders earned more than $1 billion in Daily Cash rewards in 2023.

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Avantika: Playing Mean Girls' Karen helps break stereotypes

South Asian actress Avantika Vandanapu, 19, takes on the role originally played by Amanda Seyfried.

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Meta partners with the Center for Open Science to share data for researching online well-being, before Wednesday's Congressional hearing on kids' online safety (Amanda Silberling/TechCrunch)

Amanda Silberling / TechCrunch:
Meta partners with the Center for Open Science to share data for researching online well-being, before Wednesday's Congressional hearing on kids' online safety  —  Ahead of a major Congressional hearing about children's online safety, Meta has announced a collaboration with the Center for Open Science …

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Q&A with Simon Willison, Django co-creator and an influential observer of AI software, on copyright concerns over AI, open-source AI models, LLMs, and more (Thomas Claburn/The Register)

Thomas Claburn / The Register:
Q&A with Simon Willison, Django co-creator and an influential observer of AI software, on copyright concerns over AI, open-source AI models, LLMs, and more  —  Code assistance is like having a weird intern who memorized the docs  —  AI SOFTWARE WEEK Simon Willison …

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X blocks searches for Taylor Swift after explicit AI images of her go viral

Twitter says the move is to prioritise safety, after fake explicit images of the singer went viral.

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Military-led West African states leave regional bloc

The three junta-led countries were suspended from the bloc amid calls to return to democratic rule.

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Sources: Reddit is targeting a valuation "in the mid-single-digit billions" for its planned IPO in March, after raising funds at a $10B valuation in 2021 (Bloomberg)

Bloomberg:
Sources: Reddit is targeting a valuation “in the mid-single-digit billions” for its planned IPO in March, after raising funds at a $10B valuation in 2021  —  - Firm, advisers considering figure after early investor talks  — Private trades value social media company below $5 billion

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In his new book, a16z VC Chris Dixon argues blockchain is a morally neutral tech that regulators must differentiate from the crypto industry's casino culture (Joel Khalili/Wired)

Joel Khalili / Wired:
In his new book, a16z VC Chris Dixon argues blockchain is a morally neutral tech that regulators must differentiate from the crypto industry's casino culture  —  In his new book Read Write Own, investor Chris Dixon mounts a defense of blockchain, arguing it can save society from the monopoly power of tech giants.

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FTX is unloading cryptoassets as bankruptcy advisers look to repay customers; filings: its affiliates' cash pile grew from $2.3B in October to $4.4B at 2023 end (Jonathan Randles/Bloomberg)

Jonathan Randles / Bloomberg:
FTX is unloading cryptoassets as bankruptcy advisers look to repay customers; filings: its affiliates' cash pile grew from $2.3B in October to $4.4B at 2023 end  —  - Cash of key affiliates rose to about $4.4 billion at end-2023  — Increased cash coincided with rising value of customer claims

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Burkina Faso thanks Russia for 'priceless gift' of wheat

It is the latest overture from an isolated European power seeking to deepen ties with West Africa.

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Source: Chamath Palihapitiya shelved plans to raise $1B for an early-stage investment fund, in part due to fundraising challenges (Kia Kokalitcheva/Axios)

Kia Kokalitcheva / Axios:
Source: Chamath Palihapitiya shelved plans to raise $1B for an early-stage investment fund, in part due to fundraising challenges  —  - Social Capital last summer reportedly sought to sell a large number of its investment holdings. … - He continues to invest via his own balance sheet.

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ICJ says Israel must prevent genocide in Gaza

But it stops short of ordering Israel to halt the war in Gaza, in a controversial case at The Hague.

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Microsoft details the techniques that the Russian hacking group Midnight Blizzard used to breach the email accounts of its executives and other organizations (Bill Toulas/BleepingComputer)

Bill Toulas / BleepingComputer:
Microsoft details the techniques that the Russian hacking group Midnight Blizzard used to breach the email accounts of its executives and other organizations  —  Microsoft confirmed that the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service hacking group, which hacked into its executives' email accounts in November 2023 …

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The FTC launches a review of investments by Microsoft in OpenAI and by Amazon and Google in Anthropic, to assess how the deals alter the competitive landscape (David McCabe/New York Times)

David McCabe / New York Times:
The FTC launches a review of investments by Microsoft in OpenAI and by Amazon and Google in Anthropic, to assess how the deals alter the competitive landscape  —  The agency plans to scrutinize Microsoft, Amazon and Google for their investments in the A.I. start-ups OpenAI and Anthropic.

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Amazon's record drought driven by climate change

The world's largest rainforest protects us from climate change but deforestation has left it vulnerable.

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Jon Stewart returns to The Daily Show part-time for election campaign

Nine years after leaving, he will host Monday nights each week until November's US election.

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Twitch changes the Prime Gaming subscription payout model to a fixed rate, expands the Partner Plus Program, and removes the $100K cap for 70/30 revenue share (Ash Parrish/The Verge)

Ash Parrish / The Verge:
Twitch changes the Prime Gaming subscription payout model to a fixed rate, expands the Partner Plus Program, and removes the $100K cap for 70/30 revenue share  —  Twitch is making big monetization changes again in an attempt to make a more sustainable system, lowering earnings in some places and raising them in others.

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Sources: Apple pivots to a less ambitious design for its upcoming EV, from Level 4 autonomy to Level 2+, and pushes back its launch from 2026 to 2028 or later (Mark Gurman/Bloomberg)

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple pivots to a less ambitious design for its upcoming EV, from Level 4 autonomy to Level 2+, and pushes back its launch from 2026 to 2028 or later  —  - After board meetings, car downgraded to Level 2+ autonomy  — Company pushes back launch from 2026 to 2028 at the earliest

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Google announces AI features for Google Chrome on Mac and Windows: "Help Me Write" coming next month, "Organize Similar Tabs", and AI-generated custom themes (Sarah Perez/TechCrunch)

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Google announces AI features for Google Chrome on Mac and Windows: “Help Me Write” coming next month, “Organize Similar Tabs”, and AI-generated custom themes  —  Google's Chrome web browser is getting an infusion of AI technology in the latest release.

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Dying thief stole Wizard of Oz ruby slippers as 'one last score'

Terry Martin was convinced by an ex-mob associate to steal the shoes as "one last score".

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Researchers: only 18 companies of 391 analyzed seem to have followed a NYC law that went into effect six months ago and requires disclosure of hiring algorithms (Lauren Weber/Wall Street Journal)

Lauren Weber / Wall Street Journal:
Researchers: only 18 companies of 391 analyzed seem to have followed a NYC law that went into effect six months ago and requires disclosure of hiring algorithms  —  The law requires employers to disclose how algorithms screen job candidates  —  It has been six months since New York City began enforcing …

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Ayodhya: India PM Modi to open Hindu temple on razed Babri mosque site

Ayodhya is spruced up for the Ram temple launch, but opposition leaders and some Hindu seers are staying away.

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Architects are incorporating DALL-E, Midjourney, and other generative AI tools for complex design work, threatening the industry of professional illustrators (Edwin Heathcote/Financial Times)

Edwin Heathcote / Financial Times:
Architects are incorporating DALL-E, Midjourney, and other generative AI tools for complex design work, threatening the industry of professional illustrators  —  Programs such as Dall-E and Midjourney are revolutionising the designs of buildings, but threatening the industry too

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Ron DeSantis suspends campaign for president

The Florida governor dropped out of the 2024 presidential race whilst endorsing Donald Trump.

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Ron DeSantis suspends campaign for president

Republican Governor Ron DeSantis suspends his campaign for US president, saying there is no "clear path to victory"

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Ex-CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch 'vehemently denies' sex trafficking allegations

Mike Jeffries claims the allegations fall outside statute of limitations, and are "meritless".

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A look at the Mac's evolution as it turns 40, and interviews with Alan Dye and other Apple executives about Mac's future, its influence on Vision Pro, and more (Steven Levy/Wired)

Steven Levy / Wired:
A look at the Mac's evolution as it turns 40, and interviews with Alan Dye and other Apple executives about Mac's future, its influence on Vision Pro, and more  —  The pioneering PC revolutionized how people interact with computers.  As the Mac enters its fifth decade, Apple says it will continue to evolve.

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Russia: Cat thrown off train into snow found dead

Russia's state rail company apologises after its conductor dumped the feline in freezing temperatures.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/5jlefJZ

After two failed attempts, a bipartisan effort is being made to remedy the issues caused by US tax law Section 174, which forces amortization of software labor (Kia Kokalitcheva/Axios)

Kia Kokalitcheva / Axios:
After two failed attempts, a bipartisan effort is being made to remedy the issues caused by US tax law Section 174, which forces amortization of software labor  —  The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 is impacting some startups' tax bills, thanks to a provision that changes how R&D costs are deducted.

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YouTube's head of gaming Leo Olebe was among the 100 staff laid off from the company this week (Dean Takahashi/VentureBeat)

Dean Takahashi / VentureBeat:
YouTube's head of gaming Leo Olebe was among the 100 staff laid off from the company this week  —  When Google's YouTube video division confirmed 100 layoffs on Wednesday, Leo Olebe, who was head of YouTube Gaming, was among those let go.  —  Olebe was a longtime gaming executive …

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Eisenkot: Key Israeli war leader challenges Netanyahu over Gaza strategy

Gadi Eisenkot condemns the prime minister, who insists Israel's offensive will go on until "complete victory".

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Sources: Sam Altman has held talks to raise billions, including $8B to $10B from Abu Dhabi-based G42, to set up a network of factories to manufacture chips (Bloomberg)

Bloomberg:
Sources: Sam Altman has held talks to raise billions, including $8B to $10B from Abu Dhabi-based G42, to set up a network of factories to manufacture chips  —  - Push reflects concern about potential semiconductor shortage  — Project would involve working with major chipmaking companies

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Georgia: Stalin Icon removed from Tbilisi church

The icon showed the Soviet dictator being blessed by a saint, but the Church says it has to be changed.

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DefiLlama: since its November 2023 agreement with US agencies, Binance has had $4.6B net inflows, including $3.5B in January, far outpacing rivals like OKX (Sidhartha Shukla/Bloomberg)

Sidhartha Shukla / Bloomberg:
DefiLlama: since its November 2023 agreement with US agencies, Binance has had $4.6B net inflows, including $3.5B in January, far outpacing rivals like OKX  —  - New CEO Richard Teng must still contend with lawsuit from SEC  —  Crypto traders are again flocking to Binance …

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Notion debuts Notion Calendar, a free app on Mac, Windows, iOS, and the web with an optional Notion integration, after buying the calendar app Cron in June 2022 (Frederic Lardinois/TechCrunch)

Frederic Lardinois / TechCrunch:
Notion debuts Notion Calendar, a free app on Mac, Windows, iOS, and the web with an optional Notion integration, after buying the calendar app Cron in June 2022  —  Does the world need more calendar apps?  That's the first question that came to my mind when I heard that Notion …

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OpenAI VP Anna Makanju says the company is developing tools with the US DOD on open-source software and held talks on ways to assist preventing veteran suicide (Bloomberg)

Bloomberg:
OpenAI VP Anna Makanju says the company is developing tools with the US DOD on open-source software and held talks on ways to assist preventing veteran suicide  —  OpenAI is working with the Pentagon on a number of projects including cybersecurity capabilities, a departure from the startup's earlier ban …

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Two British brothers banned from Switzerland for museum heist

The Metropolitan Police issue mugshots of the Ahearne brothers following their sentencing.

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Iran sentences Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi to additional prison term

Narges Mohammadi is serving multiple sentences and has been in jail almost continuously since 2010.

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Microsoft debuts Copilot Pro for $20/mo./user, offering access to the latest models and features, like custom Copilot GPTs and integration into Office products (Barry Schwartz/Search Engine Land)

Barry Schwartz / Search Engine Land:
Microsoft debuts Copilot Pro for $20/mo./user, offering access to the latest models and features, like custom Copilot GPTs and integration into Office products  —  Copilot Pro, the most advanced and fastest version of Copilot, has been released today by Microsoft.

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Kenyan Airbnb murder: How femicide exposed toxic online misogyny

A young woman was dismembered and stuffed in a plastic bag - the internet blames her.

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Italian culture minister probed over stolen painting

Vittorio Sgarbi is accused of possessing and exhibiting a 17th Century painting.

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Rare white penguin filmed in Chilean Antarctica

A penguin with leucism from the Gentoo species has been filmed in the icy climate in early January.

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Hezbollah missile attack kills Israeli woman and son

A woman in her seventies and her son have been killed by an anti-tank missile attack on northern Israel.

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Documents show Turkey told ISPs to block access to 16 VPN services, fueling concerns of the government stifling news and information before elections in March (Adam Samson/Financial Times)

Adam Samson / Financial Times:
Documents show Turkey told ISPs to block access to 16 VPN services, fueling concerns of the government stifling news and information before elections in March  —  New controls on VPNs underline Erdoğan's moves to curb freedom of information  —  Turkey is tightening its censorship …

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Frederik X kisses wife as he becomes King of Denmark

The new monarch blinks back tears as he greets the cheering crowds outside Christiansborg Castle.

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Boris Akunin: Russia designates author ‘foreign agent’

The Kremlin labels the bestselling author, Boris Akunin, a foreign agent over his stance on Ukraine.

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Interoperability across ecosystems was one of CES 2024's main themes, with widespread support for Qi2 wireless charging perhaps being the most significant shift (Emma Roth/The Verge)

Emma Roth / The Verge:
Interoperability across ecosystems was one of CES 2024's main themes, with widespread support for Qi2 wireless charging perhaps being the most significant shift  —  Last year, you couldn't mention CES without bringing up Matter.  It was a pivotal year for the smart home standard …

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Israel strikes southern Gaza city swollen with displaced people

Ten people in a Rafah house sheltering displaced people were killed, the Hamas-run health ministry says.

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A look at CD Projekt's three-year journey to turn around Cyberpunk 2077, which has now sold over 25M units and won a major award, after a disastrous 2020 launch (Sarah E. Needleman/Wall Street Journal)

Sarah E. Needleman / Wall Street Journal:
A look at CD Projekt's three-year journey to turn around Cyberpunk 2077, which has now sold over 25M units and won a major award, after a disastrous 2020 launch  —  Roughly three years after a disastrous launch, ‘Cyberpunk 2077,’ a videogame featuring Keanu Reeves, has now sold 25 million units and won a major award

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