Book cheap flights with Google Flights’ insights features. Know how to snag the best deals. (Unsplash) News 

Find the Best Deals on Airfare with Google Flights

Booking flight tickets at the last minute can be costly, especially during impromptu travel plans. The price usually depends on the airline, destination, and cabin class, and can often be quite expensive. Unless you have miles or discount coupons, you will have to pay a premium. However, flight booking platforms like Skyscanner and Hopper offer estimated prices for advance bookings. With its recent update, Google Flights now provides even better insights, including information on the cheapest rates for flight tickets. This is how you can book the cheapest plane tickets…

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A boom in deepfake porn is outpacing US and European efforts to regulate the technology. (AFP) AI 

Google and Microsoft Take Steps to Enhance AI-Generated Fake Porn

Fans of Kaitlyn Siragusa, a well-known internet personality called Amouranth, can choose to subscribe to her channel on Amazon.com Inc.’s Twitch for $5 per month to watch her play video games. Alternatively, if they wish to view her adult content, they can subscribe to her explicit OnlyFans page for $15 per month. And when they want to watch him do things he doesn’t and has never done for free, they search Google for so-called “deepfakes” — videos made with artificial intelligence that create a realistic simulation of a sexual act.…

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Technicians attach specialized lifting lugs to the top ring of the Solid Rocket Aft Skirts, the bottom segments of the boosters of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, (AP) Space 

Alert Issued to Space Companies Regarding Foreign Surveillance

On Friday, counterintelligence agencies in the United States issued a cautionary message to the American space industry, urging them to protect their research and trade secrets from foreign intelligence entities attempting to enhance their own nations’ space programs. “We expect growing threats to this growing sector of the US economy,” a US counterintelligence official told Reuters, adding that “China and Russia are the leading foreign intelligence threats to the US space industry”. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) and the Air Force Office…

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Apple can keep app store rules for now. (REUTERS) News 

Supreme Court Refuses to Intervene in Apple’s App Store Policies

Apple Inc. has been allowed by the US Supreme Court to maintain its App Store payment regulations, denying a request from Epic Games Inc. This decision prevents developers from redirecting iPhone users to alternative purchasing methods, at least for now. Justice Elena Kagan said she would not allow the federal appeals court’s decision to take effect immediately, as Epic had wanted. The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said earlier this year that Apple violated California’s unfair competition law by limiting developers’ ability to communicate about alternative payment systems, including…

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Chief Accounting Officer Vaibhav Taneja took on the CFO role in addition to his current duties, Tesla said. News 

Tesla Appoints Vaibhav Taneja as New Chief Financial Officer

After a 13-year tenure at Tesla Inc., Zachary Kirkhorn, the Chief Financial Officer, has unexpectedly resigned. This unexpected change has sparked concerns about the future leadership of Elon Musk’s company. Kirkhorn, one of only four named directors and the company’s prominent voice among shareholders, resigned on Aug. 4, the company said in a regulatory filing Monday. He will continue to serve in an unspecified capacity until the end of the year “to support a seamless transition.” CFO Vaibhav Taneja took on the role of CFO in addition to his current…

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BetMGM, an online sports betting app, turned a profit in the latest quarter, hitting that milestone sooner than expected. (AFP) Gaming 

BetMGM App Achieves Profitability as Sales Increase

BetMGM, an app for online sports betting, achieved profitability in the most recent quarter, surpassing expectations by reaching this milestone earlier than anticipated. The company, a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Entain Plc, said on Wednesday that it had achieved a positive result for the second quarter. The company previously estimated that it would achieve the goal in the second half of the year. Shares in Entain rose 4% in London, while MGM Resorts gained 1.1% in New York. BetMGM said optimization of player bonuses contributed to its…

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McKinsey Global Institute said that at least 12 million workers in the US will need to change occupations by the end of 2030. (Pixabay) AI 

McKinsey Report Warns of Disproportionate Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Female Workers

A significant concern for women arises as automation and artificial intelligence advancements are predicted to replace nearly one-third of working hours in the US economy, posing a greater threat to them compared to men. This is one of the excerpts from a new report by the research department of consultants McKinsey & Co., which examines the development of the US labor market until the end of 2030. It was calculated that women are 1.5 times more likely to move to a new profession than men during this period. The reason:…

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U.S. Air Force (Ret.) Maj. David Grusch, stands to leave after testifying before a House Oversight and Accountability subcommittee hearing on UFOs, Wednesday, (AP) News 

Whistleblower Alleges US is Hiding ‘Multi-Decade’ UFO Capturing Program

During a congressional hearing on Wednesday, a former Air Force intelligence officer alleged that the United States is keeping a secret program under wraps, which involves the retrieval and reverse engineering of unidentified flying objects (UFOs). However, the Pentagon has refuted these allegations. Retired Maj. David Grusch’s anticipated testimony to the House Oversight Subcommittee was the latest congressional inquiry into the world of UAPs, or “unidentified aerial phenomena,” the official term the US government uses for UFOs. Although the study of mysterious aircraft or objects often evokes talk of the…

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For the first time in over a month, Bitcoin dropped below $29,000. (REUTERS) News 

Bitcoin Price Falls Below $29,000 After More Than a Month

Bitcoin’s price has fallen below $29,000, marking the first time in more than a month, as the excitement surrounding ETFs and a positive regulatory outlook diminishes. The largest digital asset by market value fell as much as 4.2% to $28,865, the lowest since June 21. Bitcoin is up about 75% this year. Most other tokens were also lower on Monday, with recent peak XRP down around 7% and Solana down 8%. “Following a sharp rally fueled by spot ETF enthusiasm, Bitcoin has consolidated for over a month around $30,000 as…

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Apple Inc. is asking suppliers to produce about 85 million units of the iPhone 15. (Bloomberg) News 

Apple Seeks to Maintain iPhone Deliveries Despite 2023 Challenges

According to sources familiar with the matter, Apple Inc. has requested its suppliers to manufacture approximately 85 million units of the iPhone 15 this year, which is similar to the previous year’s production volume. The Cupertino, California-based company is trying to keep shipments steady despite the global economic turmoil and a predicted decline in the smartphone market. That is likely to add to overall revenue as Apple considers raising the price of Pro models, said the people, who asked not to be named because the targets are not public. As…

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President Joe Biden speaks about tightened energy efficiency standards for new residential water heaters. (AP) News 

Biden Administration Calls for Increased Energy Efficiency of Water Heaters

The Biden administration is progressing with stricter energy efficiency regulations for newly manufactured residential water heaters, targeting the second most energy-consuming appliances found in the majority of households. The Energy Department said their proposal, which would take effect in 2030, would save consumers about $11.4 billion a year in energy and water costs while reducing hundreds of millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the 30-year life of the rules. According to the agency’s proposal, the most commonly used electric water heaters would require heat pump technology instead of…

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Sam Altman, chief executive officer of OpenAI Inc., in Sun Valley, Idaho, US. (Bloomberg) AI 

Licensing Advanced AI Systems Proposed by OpenAI

OpenAI’s internal policy memo reveals its endorsement of the notion that individuals seeking to develop advanced artificial intelligence systems should obtain government licenses. Additionally, the document indicates the company’s readiness to disclose the data it employs for training image generators. The creator of ChatGPT and DALL-E outlined a series of AI policy commitments in an internal document following a May 4 meeting of White House officials and technology leaders, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. “We are committed to working with the US government and policymakers around the world to support…

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Change in Twitter's content policy has led to a dramatic spike in hateful, violent and inaccurate posts. (REUTERS) News 

Advertiser Return Hindered by Increase in Twitter’s Negative Content

Researchers have found that Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter and subsequent alterations to its content policies have resulted in a significant increase in offensive, aggressive, and misleading posts on the platform. This has become the primary obstacle for Twitter’s newly appointed CEO, Linda Yaccarino, as she must address advertisers’ worries regarding this trend in order to enhance revenue and repay the company’s debts. Musk and Yaccarino have touted updates to the site’s policies, such as allowing advertisers to block their posts from appearing next to certain types of content. Still,…

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Current subscribers can keep their Basic plan until they change their membership tier. News 

Netflix Removes $10 ‘Basic’ Plan in US and UK

Netflix has discontinued its $10 Basic tier option, which does not include ads, in the US and the UK. The company has updated its Plans and Pricing page to inform new and returning members that they can no longer sign up for the Basic tier. However, current members can continue with their membership until they decide to cancel or make changes to their subscription. The Basic tier was initially removed in Canada, where users often experience service changes first. This move coincided with Netflix’s efforts to crack down on password-sharing,…

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Asteroid 2023 NT1 was discovered after it had already passed the Earth. (AFP) Space 

Asteroid the Size of a Building Flies Unnoticed Until Two Days After Its Near Miss with Earth

Surprisingly, an asteroid that posed a potential threat to our planet went unnoticed by researchers and astronomers as it passed by at an alarmingly close distance. Had circumstances been different, it could have collided with Earth. This event brings back memories of the 2013 incident in Chelyabinsk, Russia, where a massive asteroid caused damage to windows. Reportedly, asteroid 2023 NT1 was only detected two days after it had already made its closest approach to our planet on July 13. This newly discovered asteroid is estimated to be three times larger…

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Race towards 'autonomous' AI agents grips Silicon Valley (REUTERS) AI 

Silicon Valley Accelerates Development of Autonomous AI Agents

A new generation of AI assistants, equipped with advanced technology similar to ChatGPT and its competitors, is emerging, intensifying the competition in the field. This comes approximately ten years after the introduction of virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa. These new AI helpers possess enhanced autonomy, taking the capabilities of virtual assistants to a whole new level. Experimental systems running on GPT-4 or similar models are attracting billions of dollars as Silicon Valley races to capitalize on advances in artificial intelligence. The new assistants — often called “agents” or “co-pilots”…

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Microsoft urges appeals court to reject FTC's request to pause $69 billion Activision deal, citing litigation disagreement over impact on gamers News 

Microsoft Challenges FTC’s Request to Block Activision’s USD 69B Acquisition

On Friday, Microsoft strongly urged an appeals court to dismiss the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) plea to halt its $69 billion acquisition of Activision, using harsh language at times. Late Thursday, the agency asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to require the companies to delay the deal while the court examines the FTC’s broader appeal. Microsoft said Friday that the agency had been slow to file in federal court, and therefore it was inappropriate to push for a delay so late in the game. “The court should not…

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