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Music industry moves: Sabrina Carpenter signs with Universal Music Publishing

Breakthrough pop artist Sabrina Carpenter has inked an exclusive, worldwide publishing agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group.

 

Carpenter just wrapped 80 sold-out shows internationally in support of her 2022 record “Emails I Can’t Send,” which debuted at No. 23 on the Billboard 200. She also recently joined as an opener on the international dates for Taylor Swift’s massive “Eras Tour.”

 

“Sabrina is a next-generation artist,” said Jody Gerson, UMPG Chairman and CEO, in a statement. “She has the unique ability to translate a spectrum of emotions and experiences into culturally impactful songs. Along with our UMPG family around the world, I am so pleased to be able work closely with Sabrina and her team for years to come. She’s that special!”

 

“I am so thrilled to have joined the UMPG family and to be a part of an organization that has such a diverse and iconic catalog. I look forward to bringing my music into a company that houses so many inspirational songwriters and artists,” said Carpenter.

 

David Gray, executive vice president and co-head of A&R at UMPG, said: “I have known Sabrina for years now and am thrilled to be able to work with her on this next important phase of her career. Sabrina’s songwriting collaborators spoke so highly of her as a writer that it did not escape notice from Jody and I.”

 

+ Interscope has partnered with corrdio tumbados pioneer Natanael Cano’s label Los CT, home to such acts as Gabito Ballesteros, Alejandro Buelna, Tyan G, Amilkar Galaviz, Luis Castillo, Nueva Era, Cocho, Herencia LP and Delilah.

 

In 2019, Cano broke out into the scene with his reimagined Mexican corridos, incorporating trap-infused sounds within traditional regional Mexican music. Cano and his longtime manager and business partner, Ramon Emilio Hernandez, launched Los CT in 2022.

 

“For the last several years, Natanael Cano has shaped the future of corridos tumbados music with his own work and with the artists he’s signed and nurtured on his label,” said Nir Seroussi, executive VP of Interscope. “We are so grateful that he and Emilio have brought these incredible artists to Interscope. We want to empower them by giving them all the tools they need to expand their audience and build long-term careers.”

 

“Nir, Manny and the entire team at Interscope are the perfect partners for us to collaborate with to create the best possible opportunities for our artists,” said Cano. “I’m excited to work alongside the team at Interscope to continue to grow the Los CT movement.”

 

Read more here:

https://variety.com/2023/music/news/warner-music-acquires-e-positive-india-based-company-1235750676/

 

 

— Variety

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The US FTC says it remains focused on its appeal opposing Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision and will ‘assess’ the company’s cloud gaming deal with Ubisoft

Diane Bartz / Reuters:

 

 

—  The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Friday it remained focused on its appeal opposing Xbox maker Microsoft’s (MSFT.O) now-closed $69 billion deal to buy Activision (ATVI.O) but would “assess” the company’s agreement with Ubisoft (UBIP.PA).

 

The companies closed their transaction on Friday after winning approval from Britain on condition that they sell the streaming rights to Activision’s games to Ubisoft Entertainment (UBIP.PA) to address the UK regulator’s competition concerns.

 

In the United States, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has also fought the deal, and has an argument scheduled before an appeals court on Dec. 6. The agency said on Friday that it remained focused on that appeal.

“Microsoft and Activision’s new agreement with Ubisoft presents a whole new facet to the merger that will affect American consumers, which the FTC will assess as part of its ongoing administrative proceeding,” added spokeswoman Victoria Graham. “The FTC continues to believe this deal is a threat to competition.”

 

 

Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Susan Fenton

— Techmeme

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A look at TSMC’s Open Innovation Platform, which debuted in 2008 and now involves tens of companies that help TSMC’s clients build better chips more efficiently

Anton Shilov / AnandTech:

 

 

—  This year TSMC is commemorating 15 years of its Open Innovation Platform, a multi-faceted program that brings together the foundry’s suppliers, partners, and customers to help TSMC’s customers better build innovative chips in an efficient and timely manner.

 

The OIP program has grown over the years and now involves tens of companies and over 70,000 IP solutions for a variety of applications. It continues to grow, and its importance will get higher than ever when next generation technologies, such as 2 nm, and advanced packaging methods become mainstream in the coming years.

 

“This is not a marketing program, it is actually an engineering program to enable the industry,” said Dan Kochpatcharin, Head of Design Infrastructure Management at TSMC, at the OIP 2023 conference in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. “We have a huge engineering team behind to work with the EDA partners, IP partners, and design partners.”

 

Read more here:

A look at TSMC’s Open Innovation Platform, which debuted in 2008 and now involves tens of companies that help TSMC’s clients build better chips more efficiently

 

 

— Techmeme

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Best noise-cancelling earbuds: Here’s where to get Bose, Sony, Apple, Samsung and more online

While noise-cancelling headphones are great, noise-cancelling wireless earbuds may have the upper hand when it comes to being more compact and lightweight. If you consider yourself an active person, then a good pair of noise-cancelling earbuds might be better for you, so you don’t have a clunky pair of headphones getting in your way.

 

If you’re looking for some peace and quiet when working from home, during your daily commute or just working out at the gym, then you’ll want to take a look our roundup of the best noise-cancelling earbuds for all sorts of different users from top brands, like Sony, Apple, Bose, Samsung and much more.

 

We considered audio quality, battery life, design and use cases to find what works best at a wide range of prices.

 

Best for most people

Sony WF-1000XM5 Wireless Earbuds

— Amazon

 

 

The Sony WF-1000XM5 Wireless Earbuds are the best for most people, thanks to their excellent audio, premium noise-cancellation settings and overall comfortable and secure in-ear fit. These earbuds connect to just about any mobile device or laptop via Bluetooth, while their long battery life of up to 24 hours of use with their included wireless charging case makes listening to your favorite music and podcasts a joy.

 

$278$299.997% Off

BUY NOW ON AMAZON

Best budget

Jabra Elite

— Amazon

 

 

If you’re on a budget, then the Jabra Elite 3 are for you. Not only do these earbuds feature fantastic audio, a sleek design and smart noise-cancellation, but their also very affordable at just $50 for the standard dark gray model. These earbuds also have an impressive battery life of up to 28 hours with their charging case.

 

$49.99

BUY NOW ON AMAZON

Best for noise-cancelling

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Earbuds

— Amazon

 

 

Want complete peace and quiet? The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Earbuds feature the audio company’s “CustomTune” technology that analyzes your ears and adapts sound on-the-fly, while these buds offer you active noise-cancellation with premium audio — in which Bose is known. This means your listening experience is custom made just for you.

 

The Beats Fit Pro are sweat and water resistant, so they’re ideal for working out at the gym or going for a long run in the park. The earbuds feature a flexible and secure wingtip design that’s comfortable, while they keep the buds stable in your ears. And since they’re from Beats by Dre, the Fit Pro buds have high quality audio that’s clear and rich with deep and thumping bass.

 

 

Read more here:

https://variety.com/2023/shopping/news/best-noise-cancelling-earbuds-buy-online-1235755332/

 

 

— Variety

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Art & Life Business Culture Lifestyle

Writer references 8 ways leaders undermine their own influence

Influence is one of those underrated business skills that often separates successful leaders from non-successful leaders, but it’s not a skill you can learn in school. Influence is the ability to transform or change the opinion of others. So, what does it look like to build influence and become an influential leader?

There are eight lessons you must learn as, not doing them, will undermine your full leadership potential and result in opportunity loss:

1. Not taking radical responsibility 
When you’re a leader in a business, it’s crucial that you hold yourself accountable for the success of that business and strive to take responsibility for as much as you can. Your employees are doing a job that has been outlined by you and your leadership team, and if they aren’t succeeding in that role, responsibility from leadership is the only way performance can improve.  Now, I’m not saying you should own every single thing that may go wrong in your business — it’s more about recognizing the unique role you play in the organization and how your reception of problems affects your team. Never place blame on others if the responsibility is truly yours to fix an issue or respond to a challenge. Instead, acknowledge responsibility and lean on your team to execute the response.

 

2. Not learning all communication styles
Every person communicates in different ways, and every person on your team may not communicate in the same way that you do, which can lead to butting heads and unclear expectations. This is why it’s crucial to not only learn how to engage with various communication styles but speak those communication styles, too. When you can effectively communicate with every member of your team, you’ll be able to influence team-wide actions that will have a lasting impact on your business.

 

3. Not practicing positive reinforcement
The carrot-vs-stick mentality is, in my opinion, not effective for a growing business. Instead, all business leaders should lean into positive reinforcement to support their team and organization. By positively enforcing behavior or actions you want to see from your team, you’re presenting yourself as a positive leader who appreciates your team and recognizes hard work. This perception will ultimately lead to employees seeking out that positive reinforcement and repeating it down the line, increasing your influence.

 

4. Not being very intentional about every meeting
Death by meeting is alive, even as many businesses have moved to a remote or hybrid workforce. In fact, the remote and hybrid structure of teams may be increasing the number of meetings managers and leaders are holding in order to make up for lost in-person engagement. But, excessive meetings are preventing employees from doing their jobs effectively, and taking away valuable work time can contribute to feelings of frustration.  If you’re a meeting enthusiast, make sure you’re being incredibly intentional about meetings — who really needs to attend that meeting, what’s the shortest amount of time needed to complete your agenda items, and will this meeting take away from other important projects in progress at that time? Your employees will be thankful for the intentionality and will be more engaged in those shorter, less frequent meetings.

 

5. Not employing a variety of perspective
Putting yourself in the shoes of others is a lesson you probably learned in childhood, but many adults lose sight of this important lesson as they develop opinions throughout their lives.  Having strong opinions is probably one of the most important qualities of a successful leader, but forcing those opinions on others or not understanding all angles before forming opinions is a potentially large pitfall. By taking the time to understand different perspectives on an issue or topic before taking a stance is an easy way to gain respect from your employees and build your influence. This shows them that your strong opinion is well-informed and that you’re open to different opinions. Even if your employees don’t agree, they will respect you nonetheless.

 

6. Not reframing your beliefs
Your beliefs should be one of the guiding principles of your business, but not everyone will automatically buy into your beliefs and direction right away. It takes time — and significant influence — to build that engagement with your employees. One way you can get your employees to adopt your beliefs as it relates to the business is to reframe them and meet your employees where they are. Now, this doesn’t mean completely changing  your beliefs for your employees — it means adjusting the delivery of beliefs. Reframing without losing sight of the core belief can be tricky, though, so as you’re looking for new ways to present your ideas, keep those central beliefs at the center and simply adjust the contextual information or how that information is presented.  A successful and influential leader will be able to adjust the communication of their beliefs to guide their colleagues or team and gain their support.

 

7. Not understanding that everything you say matters

When you’re in a leadership role, your employees, colleagues, and peers are constantly listening to and observing you, so everything you say really matters. Even a small comment can be perceived in several different ways by your employees, so it’s important to truly think before you speak and consider how a comment may be received by others. If people are listening and interpreting everything you say, it should be pretty obvious that you have influence, but if you abuse that power, respect and influence will decline, and employees won’t take you seriously.

8. Not avoiding perfectionism

A common misconception among new business leaders and owners is that they must strive for perfection. Perfect business plan, perfect teams, perfect products, and more. But, constantly looking toward perfection can make it harder to pivot or adjust when needed, and there will always — and I mean always — be something to improve.  I often tell business owners to not only not strive for perfection but to avoid it actively. This doesn’t mean completely neglecting your business, team, or product, but if there is growth and improvement, perfection doesn’t really matter. If you prioritize perfection yourself, that will trickle down to employees and create some potentially negative emotions about their jobs and their experience working for you. Leading by example is key, and aiming to be imperfect is a great way to show your employees that it’s okay to test, try, make mistakes, and learn.

The most important lessons in business can’t be learned in school
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: you don’t need to be the most highly-educated person in a room to be successful, and most of the lessons you’ll learn in business simply can’t and won’t be taught in a classroom. When it comes to influence, the development of this essential trait comes in all shapes and sizes, and variables like your team, your company, and your personality come into play significantly.  It takes time to build influence, but with some small adjustments to how you lead and interact with your colleagues, you can steer the ship with ease. 

 

About Brandon Dawson

Amid a $151 million exit from a business he founded with just $500K (and no outside capital or debt) and with over 130 acquisitions—and billions in value creation—to his name, Brandon Dawson is no ordinary Business Strategist. Today this esteemed business icon, sought-after lecturer, expert scaler and CEO advisor on entrepreneurship, leadership and business-building tactics is hell-bent on creating value for small to medium-sized companies operating in tumultuous industries or weathering storms … and achieve their loftiest goals despite.

 

With the release of his new book, “Nine-Figure Mindset: How to Go from Zero to Over $100 Million in Net Worth ” and with approximately 1 million ambition-minded followers across social platforms, Brandon is now helping executives worldwide achieve their personal, professional and financial goals beyond their wildest dreams. Drawing from his own unlikely and awe-inspiring journey, Nine-Figure Mindset combines his personal experiences with a wealth of wisdom and actionable strategies while also serving as a guidebook to next level achievements you’ve never imagined were possible. The book is a masterclass on success, aspiration and the transformative power of mindset.

 

Brandon sold his last business, Audigy Group, in 2016, which he bootstrapped and exited for $151 million—77x EBITA. Brandon worked with the public company who acquired Audigy Group and helped them grow from $18 a share to $94 a share within thirty-six months, adding $3.5 billion in market value.

 

Prior to Audigy, he was the chairman, founder, and CEO of Sonus which was a Warburg Pincus backed consolidation company. Dawson listed Sonus on the American Stock Exchange at just twenty-nine years old, making him one of the youngest to ring the opening bell.

 

Today, combining Dawson’s IP with Grant Cardone’s 10X mindset and his massive loyal community, they teamed up to co-found Cardone Ventures where Dawson serves as CEO and managing partner. This new venture has gone from zero employees to over 250 in forty-eight months, with the business being valued in excess of five hundred million dollars.

 

Dawson, a true visionary, has taken his public company experience, with over 130 acquisitions, and $500 million raised in various transactions and billions in value creation to now helping small to medium sized business owners across the world achieve their personal, professional, and financial goals through the growth of their businesses.

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D&R Greenway Land Trust announces return to the ‘Speakeasy’ at the upcoming Masquerade Ball

D&R Greenway Land Trust’s Masquerade Ball, featuring musicians and visual artists, will be held at Hillside Farm on the evening of Oct. 28, from 5:30 – 9:30 p.m.

 

The Masquerade Ball will celebrate the vision and legacy of the late Betty Wold Johnson, in whose honor her family donated the 800-acre Hillside Farm to D&R Greenway in 2021.

 

A fierce champion of conservation and decades-long partner with D&R Greenway for land preservation, Betty Wold Johnson spent forty years assembling the estate, which encompasses extraordinary expanses of farm fields, meadows and forests, as well as historic structures and a Revolutionary War encampment site. She lived at Hillside Farm, where she built a distinctive home that uniquely interprets the past using modern materials and amenities.

 

“The addition of Hillside Farm to the long list of properties preserved by

D&R Greenway is just one more example of why I am proud to support their work.  This incredible property will be a tremendous asset for everyone in our community and I am thrilled it will be there, preserved and cared for, for future generations to enjoy.” 

                                                                             Daniel Motto, Trustee, D&R Greenway Land Trust

 

The theme of the Masquerade Ball is a return to the “speakeasy” culture of the 20s, 30s and 40s. A “secret” password will open the door to the private estate residence for registered guests. Libations and hors d’oeuvres will be served in the house and can be enjoyed in hidden nooks and crannies guests may discover. Scrumptious cheesecake desserts from Maddalena’s will top off the evening.

 

Live music from the era will keep the mood swinging and toes tapping throughout the evening. Bassist Justin Lee will lead a talented jazz trio with guitarist Raúl Abbad and singer Monika Ryan, a New York style classic jazz singer who recently released her fourteenth album, “Playfully.”  The local trio is a D&R Greenway community favorite; most recently they wowed the crowd at September’s Harvest Moon Ball at Point Breeze.

 

Adding to the beauty of the evening, four artist members of the Garden State Watercolor Society will collaborate throughout the evening to paint watercolor landscapes depicting Hillside Farm. Guests may bid on a painting to take home, a memorable piece of artwork created before their eyes during an unforgettable evening.

 

As the sun sets over the Hopewell hills, specially designed Art Deco-style lanterns will add a soft glow to the ambience of the evening, “lighting the way to preservation.” The lanterns will also be available as keepsakes to the highest bidders.

 

Guests are welcome to attend attired in fashions of the era, or to come as they are, all in the spirit of fun and romance. This is a perfect opportunity to gather friends to experience another era with a cool vibe, all the while supporting land preservation.

 

“This event will be as exciting and vibrant as the significant property where it is being hosted. Layered with history and preserved in perpetuity, Hillside Farm is the perfect place to relive the best parts of the past as we celebrate its important future.”                  

                                                                             Diana Moore, Trustee, D&R Greenway Land Trust  

 

 

Tickets to the event are available starting from $250 and can be purchased at www.drgreenway.org or by calling D&R Greenway at 609-924-4646. Proceeds support D&R Greenway’s work to preserve and care for land and provide public trails where people can benefit from being outdoors in nature. Guests at the Masquerade Ball will enjoy first time access to the private estate home, formerly owned by philanthropist Betty Wold Johnson and donated to D&R Greenway by her sons, owners of the Jets football team.

 

Proceeds from sponsorships and auction items will support D&R Greenway’s work to open Hillside Farm as a public preserve in the future. The property, most of which lies in Hopewell Township, is larger than Hopewell Borough. It is contiguous with two other D&R Greenway preserves (Cedar Ridge and Sourlands Ecosystem) and has sweeping views of D&R Greenway’s St. Michaels Farm Preserve across town.  It provides critical habitat for birds and other wildlife.  Altogether, D&R Greenway has protected over 3,000 acres of land in the immediate area. The Masquerade Ball is a sneak peek at the beginning of a preserve and an opportunity to support its creation, while celebrating the legacy of Betty Wold Johnson to preserve land and forge community.

 

Admission to the Masquerade Ball on October 28 is by advance ticket purchase by October 23 at www.drgreenway.org or by calling (609) 924-4646.

####

 

About D&R Greenway Land Trust: D&R Greenway Land Trust is an accredited nonprofit that has reached a new milestone of over 22,000 acres of land preserved throughout central New Jersey since 1989. By protecting land in perpetuity and creating public trails, it gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors. The land trust’s preserved farms and community gardens provide local organic food for residents of the region—including those most in need. Through strategic land conservation and stewardship, D&R Greenway combats climate change, protects birds and wildlife, and ensures clean drinking water for future generations.

 

D&R Greenway’s mission is centered on connecting land with people from all walks of life.

 

 www.drgreenway.org; info@drgreenway.org. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Breaking down ‘The Fall Of The House Of Usher’s’ Edgar Allen Poe references, from ‘The Raven’ to ‘The Black Cat’

SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for all eight episodes of “The Fall of the House of Usher,” now streaming on Netflix, and several works of Edgar Allan Poe that have been available to read for more than 150 years.

 

Mike Flanagan never met a haunted house he didn’t want to peel back the wallpaper on and see what horrors lurk beneath.

 

At Netflix, the writer/director has become a Halloween staple by exploring the hallowed halls of novelists Shirley Jackson “(The Haunting of Hill House)” and Henry James “(The Haunting of Bly Manor).” On the big screen, he even helmed a Stephen King-endorsed return trip to Overlook Hotel for “The Shining” sequel “Doctor Sleep.”

 

But for his final act at Netflix before his production company Intrepid Pictures begins an overall deal at Amazon, Flanagan gets lost in a different type of literary labyrinth –– the mind of Edgar Allan Poe. In “The Fall of the House of Usher,” Flanagan uses Poe’s 1839 short story to dismantle the dynasty of morally bankrupt Fortunato Pharmaceuticals CEO Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood), who built a legacy on his consumer’s dependence on his highly addictive opioid named Ligodone. But Flanagan doesn’t stop there: The series mines Poe’s archives for inspiration on how to gruesomely dispatch Roderick’s six children –– Frederick (Henry Thomas), Tamerlane (Samanatha Sloyvan), Victorine (T’Nia Miller), Leo (Rahul Kohli), Camille (Kate Siegel) and Perry (Sauriyan Sapkota). The line of succession is severed by fate in the form of a mysterious shapeshifting harbinger named Verna (Carla Gugino), with whom a young Roderick and his sister Madeline (Mary McDonnell) made a deal for boundless success in exchange for the lives of his eventual offspring.

 

Each episode is named for the Poe story that serves as its narrative spine, but none are to-the-letter adaptations. Instead, Flanagan filters this modern take on the toxicity of power and the persistence of karma through Poe’s creations, offering a sort of Sackler-esque family slaughterfest dressed up as a greatest hits homage to the master of the macabre.

 

Whether you know Poe or not, here’s how “The Fall of the House of Usher” faithfully adapts –– and sinisterly subverts –– his classics.

 

 

— Variety

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Resort Aquatica transports readers to tropical paradise full of deadly secrets

NORFOLK, Va. — Calvin Banks had a privileged life laid out neatly in front of him: one that would feature incredible wealth, just like his billionaire father’s. Yet those plans are dashed when he drunkenly totals his Lamborghini and cuts his girlfriend’s life short in one fell swoop.

 

In Resort Aquatica, Frederic Lee brings glamorous characters and an even more immaculate underwater oasis to life. This enthralling debut explores themes of power, corruption, secrets and survival.

 

In a scheme to outrun justice, Calvin breaks court orders and sets off for an island resort pocketed within the mystical angles of the Bermuda Triangle. The magnificent Resort Aquatica is an ideal tropical destination built of white marble that rises up in tubular stacks amid the neon seascape.

 

Upon arrival, Calvin encounters Resort Aquatica’s rich and savvy owner, Eve Rampant, who clearly exploits her bigwig guests and poor workers for the sole purpose of profit. Eve lords over the palatial estate heavy-handedly, yet with a beautiful smiling face and the assistance of her five obedient daughters.
To Calvin’s awe, he discovers that the Rampant women are devious mermaids who naturally spring up from the seas on temporary legs each summer. Then, out of nowhere, Calvin finds himself entangled in a binding contract cooked up by Eve that forces him to serve the whims of the Rampant women for decades to come — and keep his mouth shut about their scaly secret. Can Calvin find a way to free himself from this contract and escape Resort Aquatica?

 

“My book offers a fresh take on mermaids, presented in a tropical fantasy adventure full of deadly secrets, romance and deceit,” Lee said. “It’s the perfect literary escape!”

 

About the Author

Frederic Lee is an author and journalist for the Financial Times. Previously, he was a policy reporter in Washington D.C., where he interviewed many notable members of Congress, including Senators Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz. Lee graduated from the University of Virginia, where he was trained by writers who hold high accolades, including Emmy Award winners. Resort Aquatica is his first book. He is currently working on his next book, The Last Mermaid Queen, a prequel to Resort Aquatica.

 

Connect with Lee on Instagram (@fredericlee360) and TikTok (@freddielikesbooks), or visit his website at https://fredericlee.wordpress.com/.

 

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Resort-Aquatica-Frederic-Lee/dp/B0BTSKVJ6N/

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As China-linked Bitcoin mines open across the US, officials raise national security concerns, like about a Wyoming mine that is close to a nuclear missile base

—  Microsoft reported one site in Wyoming because of its proximity to a data center and nuclear missile base. Records show other cryptocurrency facilities have ties to the Chinese state.

 

 

New York Times:

 

 

When a company with Chinese origins broke ground last year on a crypto-mining operation in Cheyenne, Wyo., a team at Microsoft that assesses national security threats sounded the alarm.

 

Not only was the site next door to a Microsoft data center that supported the Pentagon — it was about a mile away from an Air Force base that controlled nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles.

 

The location could allow the Chinese to “pursue full-spectrum intelligence collection operations,” the Microsoft team wrote in an August 2022 report to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a federal body that monitors threats posed by overseas investors.

 

Microsoft’s warning did not go unheeded. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, U.S. government officials told The New York Times last week that they had been tracking the Wyoming operation for months. One official said that measures had been taken to mitigate potential intelligence collection but declined to elaborate. In addition, the mining company said it responded to queries from the federal investment committee.

 

The national security concerns about the Wyoming site, previously unreported, reflect a broader unease about a recent surge in Chinese Bitcoin mines across the country.

 

Aside from intelligence-gathering worries, the mines, which are large warehouses or containers packed with specialized computers, put immense pressure on power grids. The computers typically run around the clock while “mining” for the digital coins, the most popular among the various cryptocurrencies.

 

Brian Harrell, a former assistant secretary for infrastructure protection at the Department of Homeland Security during the Trump administration, said the operations could place “enormous stress” on the grid if the mines worked in concert to wreak havoc.

 

Possibilities include targeted blackouts and cyberattacks.

 

If Chinese “infrastructure impacts key energy systems,” Mr. Harrell said, “it should immediately draw additional investigation and scrutiny.”

 

In at least 12 states, including Arkansas, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming, The Times identified Chinese-owned or -operated Bitcoin mines that together use as much energy as 1.5 million homes. At full capacity, the Cheyenne, Wyo., mine alone would require enough electricity to power 55,000 houses.

 

Many of the mines are equipped with computers made by Bitmain, a Chinese company that has no apparent direct connection to the Chinese authorities but, according to import records, has sent some shipments to the United States through a subsidiary located at a Communist Party site in southern China.

 

Since Bitcoin mining was banned in China in May 2021 over concerns about energy usage and economic destabilization, Bitmain has shipped 15 times more equipment to the United States than it did in the previous five years combined, the records show. A recent presentation by the company claimed it controlled 90 percent of the global market for the equipment, which is specially designed for Bitcoin mining.

 

Some of the U.S. mining operations appear to be straightforward efforts by wealthy Chinese nationals to make money outside the purview of Chinese authorities. For others the ownership is opaque, while several can be traced to the Chinese government.

 

Court documents show the mine in Cheyenne is linked to five companies, all using the same office on Park Avenue in Manhattan. One of them is registered in the Cayman Islands and until last year was a Chinese pork-processing company. The Times did not find any links between the owners of the Cheyenne mine and the Chinese government or Communist Party.

 

“Microsoft has no direct indications of malicious activities by this entity,” Microsoft said in its 16-page report. “However, pending further discovery, we suggest the possibility that the computing power of an industrial-level cryptomining operation, along with the presence of an unidentified number of Chinese nationals in direct proximity to Microsoft’s Data Center and one of three strategic-missile bases in the U.S., provides significant threat vectors.”

 

The new risks come amid a steep rise in Bitcoin mining in the United States. Earlier this year, a Times investigation found that operations were consuming about 4,000 megawatts — enough to power over three million U.S. households — and that more megawatts were continuously coming online.

 

The operations’ vast energy consumption, combined with their ability to turn on or off almost instantly, is unique among large power users. The combination allows many to participate in programs that pay them to shut down when a grid is under strain.

 

That flexibility can help keep the lights on, but it can also disrupt the delicate balance grids require. In Texas, the state grid operator recently disclosed that some mines’ unpredictable behavior could result in “emergency conditions.”

 

 

Read more at this link:

As China-linked Bitcoin mines open across the US, officials raise national security concerns, like about a Wyoming mine that is close to a nuclear missile base

 

 

— Techmeme

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ChatGPT overtakes Netflix in web traffic

The digital landscape continues to evolve, mainly driven by the ceaseless march of technological innovation. Amid this ever-shifting landscape, ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence (AI) language model developed by OpenAI, has risen to prominence, outshining some of the most dominant players in the online ecosystem.

 

In particular, data acquired by Finbold indicates that between June 2023 and Aug. 2023, ChatGPT recorded an estimated average of 1.51 billion monthly website visits to its official website chat.openai.com. The figure places ChatGPT in the ninth position overall among the top ten selected major websites by visits. The AI platform is ahead of the streaming giant Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), which registered 1.49 billion trips during the same period.

 

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Meanwhile, Google.com, the Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL)-owned search engine, continues to dominate the digital arena with a staggering 85.41 billion visits. Following closely behind is YouTube, with 33.56 billion visits. Facebook, a product of Meta (NASDAQ: META), secures the third position overall with 17.2 billion visits, while Instagram occupies the fourth spot at 6.68 billion. X (formerly Twitter) holds steady with 6.48 billion visits. Notable entities also include e-commerce giant Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), which garnered 2.46 billion visits, securing the eighth position in the rankings.

Behind ChatGPT’s rise

ChatGPT’s website visits place the platform among the fastest-growing entities on the internet, considering it less than a year since its launch. Indeed, OpenAI launched the tool at a point when other established traditional players held back due to the uncertainty associated with interactive AI platforms, such as the potential harm it could cause, like spreading misinformation or hate speech.

What distinguishes ChatGPT and positions it for success against established traditional players is its remarkable ability to deliver personalized and diverse content recommendations, answer inquiries, provide comprehensive explanations, and even aid in creative endeavors such as writing, coding, and idea generation.

 

Its wide-reaching availability across many websites has transformed it into an indispensable companion for internet users in pursuit of instant and pertinent information. It has seamlessly woven itself into the very fabric of the digital world, making appearances on websites, chatbots, applications, and even customer service portals.

 

ChatGPT’s user-friendly design, which allows interactions as simple as typing a message, appeals to users of all ages and technical proficiencies. This intuitive interface has significantly contributed to the surge in website traffic.

 

Behind ChatGPT’s rapid rise is also a robust, continuous learning and improvement system. OpenAI’s substantial investments in refining the model, mitigating biases, and expanding its knowledge base ensure that ChatGPT remains current, precise, and dependable.

 

The underlying design of ChatGPT has placed it to surpass a platform such as Netflix. The streaming service, known for its vast library of movies and TV shows, has long been synonymous with online entertainment. While Netflix specializes in delivering scripted entertainment, ChatGPT appeals to a broader spectrum of users, from students seeking assistance with homework to professionals in need of quick information and inspiration. It’s this ubiquity and adaptability that have allowed ChatGPT to surpass Netflix in website visits.

Dealing with competition

As ChatGPT continues to evolve and expand its capabilities, we will likely witness a profound shift in how we interact with digital technology. The competition between AI models like ChatGPT and traditional content providers like Netflix may drive innovation in both sectors, benefiting consumers by providing more choices and tailored experiences. In this line, some traditional players in the digital space, such as Google, joined the race to incorporate AI into their system by launching the Bard platform. Indeed, such products are likely to expand the dominance of Google at the top of the digital landscape.

 

However, ChatGPT is countering this rising competition with consistent improvement. The improvement is highlighted by the recent upgrades that saw the platform introduce new features, such as removing the knowledge limit cut-off and the ability to browse the web. In the meantime, the industry will watch the planned AI tool that Tesla CEO Elon Musk developed to rival ChatGPT.

What the future holds

ChatGPT has ignited the race to incorporate AI; its impact is felt across various domains. Numerous companies strive to enhance AI’s capabilities by generating video music and developing detection tools to screen artificially generated content. Most individuals will probably encounter this emerging technology in the near future. The demand has been highlighted by a previous Finbold report that indicated that demand for AI spiked about 500% in 12 months as of August.

 

Overall, ChatGPT’s meteoric rise in website visitors is a testament to its transformative potential in AI. The success highlights our insatiable appetite for smart, accessible, and versatile AI solutions in an increasingly digital world.