Top tech news stories today: July 16, 2024

Top tech news stories today: July 16, 2024 is profiled by BTW Media because public-source evidence links it to internet infrastructure, governance, operational dependencies, or market visibility.

Fintech

1. Exclusive: North Korean hackers sent stolen crypto to wallet used by Asian payment firm

A major Cambodian payments firm received crypto worth over $150,000 from a digital wallet used by North Korean hacking outfit Lazarus, blockchain data shows, a glimpse of how the criminal collective has laundered funds in Southeast Asia. (Reuters)

2. Spot ether ETFs likely to begin trading July 23, industry sources say

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has given preliminary approval to at least three of the eight asset managers hoping to launch exchange-traded funds tied to the spot price of ether to begin trading next Tuesday, three industry sources said. (Investing)

3. Bitcoin soars to two-week high after Trump attack

Bitcoin surged to a two-week high on Monday after the attempted assassination of U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump raised the odds of the former president, who has presented himself as a champion of cryptocurrency, winning the upcoming election. (TBS News)

4. InvestiFi and HiFin Technology join forces to enhance digital banking implementations

InvestiFi is uniquely designed to enable trading to and from deposit accounts at retail banks and Credit Unions. HiFin Technology is recognised for its extensive expertise and deep knowledge of the Alkami digital banking ecosystem, which offers robust solutions for marketing, data insights, and digital account security. (Fintech Global)

Internet governance

5. Upcoming revocation of API keys for LIR portal accounts

We are contacting a number of members to inform them about the upcoming removal of API keys associated with their LIR Portal accounts. API keys are unique identifiers that can be used to provide external applications with access to LIR data. Users of LIR accounts may use API keys in scripts or tools to connect external applications. (RIPE)

6. Deadline extended! Call for nominations: IETF liaison to ICANN board of directors

The IAB desires to have a diverse pool of candidates for the appointments it makes. Since there was only a very small pool of accepted nominations for this appointment, the IAB has decided to extend the nominations deadline until 23:59 UTC on 26 July 2024. (IAB)

Tech trends

7. British regulators to examine Big Tech’s digital wallets

British regulators said on Monday they were looking into the soaring use of digital wallets offered by Big Tech firms, including whether there are any competition, consumer protection or market integrity concerns. (The Star)

8. Tesla’s UK lawsuit for 5G patents licence thrown out by court

US technology company InterDigital and a patent licensing platform on Monday won their bid to throw out a London lawsuit by Tesla. The automaker, founded by Elon Musk, was seeking a patent licence ahead of its launch of 5G vehicles in Britain. (Business Times)

9. Star Entertainment faces system issues, electronic gaming machines shut down

Australia’s Star Entertainment Group said on Monday its systems have been disrupted by performance issues, resulting in the shutdown of all electronic gaming machines and electronic table games at three properties on 13 July. (Microsoft Start)

AI

10. TSMC second-quarter profit seen jumping 30% on surging AI chip demand

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, the main producer of advanced chips used in artificial intelligence applications, is expected to report a 30% rise in second-quarter profit on Thursday thanks to soaring demand. (Economic Times)

11. EXCLUSIVE-OpenAI working on new reasoning technology under code name ‘Strawberry’

ChatGPT maker OpenAI is working on a novel approach to its artificial intelligence models in a project code-named “Strawberry,” according to a person familiar with the matter and internal documentation reviewed by Reuters. (Hindustantimes)

AR/VR

12. Bigscreen says Beyond’s Audio Strap will finally start shipping in August

Bigscreen Beyond is an ultra-compact and ultra-light SteamVR headset designed to enable truly comfortable long duration PC-based VR sessions. The headset comes with a simple cloth strap and no built-in audio. It doesn’t even have a headphone jack, though it does have a USB-C port which can be used for audio devices. (UpLoadVR)