Author - James Lim

Google lays off hundreds working on Assistant software, other parts of company

Alphabet's Google said on Wednesday it is laying off hundreds of people working on its voice-activated Google Assistant software and is eliminating a similar number of roles in the company's Devices and Services team. The layoffs at Google Assistant, first reported by news platform Semafor, are a part of organizational changes that have been in place...

Tesla launches restyled Model 3 in North America

Tesla on Wednesday launched the restyled version of its Model 3 sedan in North America and kept the prices unchanged, according to the company's website and a post on X. The electric car maker has removed the most expensive version of the Model 3, the "performance" variant, from its North American websites, and now only lists...

El Salvador Bitcoin gains reach $12.6m after two years of decline

El Salvador has observed a significant uptick in the value of its Bitcoin holdings. For the past two years. El Salvador’s investments remained below their initial purchase value. However, the country now sees an increase in value, with unrealized gains amounting to approximately $12.6 million, according to data provided by Nayibtracker. This positive development in El Salvador’s Bitcoin investment saga was acknowledged...

Bitcoin dips 3% on false SEC spot Bitcoin ETF approval

Unknown hackers hijacked the X account of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), posting a fake spot Bitcoin ETF approval message. On Jan. 9, the SEC chair Gary Gensler debunked an announcement claiming spot Bitcoin ETFs were approved. The SEC’s official X account published the notice. However, Gensler warned that the page had been...

XAI a top crypto topic on eve of Binance listing

XAI is today’s second most popular cryptocurrency in crypto discourse, following its listing on the world’s top crypto exchange, Binance. XAI — a blockchain gaming token — is second only to Bitcoin (BTC) regarding popularity in social media mentions. As of press time, Santiment data shows that of all those mentions, 53% show a positive sentiment, 31% a negative sentiment,...

EPF pays out RM708mil govt additional contribution incentive

KUALA LUMPUR: The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) today announced the disbursement of a RM708mil Government Additional Contribution incentive to its 1.4 million members aged between 40 and under 55. The incentive was allocated to individuals with EPF savings of RM10,000 and below in their Account 1 as of Feb 24, 2023, it said in a statement. "The...

CES 2024: Android phones will soon be able to stream TikTok videos to TVs

Alphabet Inc’s Google is working with TikTok to stream videos from Android phones to televisions, part of a broader effort to make its devices work together more seamlessly. The new feature will let Android users show clips from ByteDance Ltd’s TikTok app on TVs equipped with Google’s Chromecast system, according to a statement Jan 9. It’s...

Boy dies, uncle seriously hurt in Langkawi crash

ALOR SETAR: A boy was killed while his uncle sustained severe injuries after their motorcycle was involved in a crash with a tipper lorry on Jalan Chandek Kura in Langkawi on Tuesday (Jan 9). The lorry driver also tested positive for ganja, police said. Langkawi OCPD Asst Comm Shariman Ashari said they were alerted to the incident...

CES 2024: LG and Samsung making TVs disappear – in a way

LAS VEGAS: After years spent dominating living rooms, big flat-screen televisions could start getting out of the way of the decor. That is if new see-through TV models showed off by South Korean consumer electronics giants LG and Samsung catch on. “How about a screen that gives you back your space?” an LG executive asked on stage Monday...

At CES 2024 tech show, seeking robots neither too human nor too machine

LAS VEGAS: With big, expressive eyes, elfin ears and adorable cooing, Miroka and Miroki could be an apparition from your favourite cartoon. But behind their cute facade, these robots are all sensors and engineering, and designed to perform the drudgery of logistical support in hospitals or hotels. “Why live with ugly machines,” says Jerome Monceaux, head of Paris-based...