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Global Electricity Demand Surges: Solar Set to Meet Half of Growth, Says IEA

Global electricity demand is forecast to grow by around 4% in 2024, up from 2.5% in 2023, according to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) newly released “Electricity Mid-Year Update” report. This would represent the highest annual growth rate since 2007, except for rebounds after the global financial crisis and the pandemic. The increase in global electricity consumption is set to…

Threads Hits 175 Million Users on First Anniversary

Threads, Meta's alternative to X (formerly Twitter), has hit 175 million monthly users a year after its out-of-the-blue launch. "What a year," Meta CEO and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said Wednesday on Threads in announcing the platform had reached the threshold. Threads, which hit app stores on July 5 last year, is a spin-off of Instagram and is intended to…

TSMC: The Trillion-Dollar Chip Giant Leading the AI Revolution

Trillion-Dollar MilestoneTaiwanese semiconductor titan TSMC briefly joined a rarefied club of companies valued at more than $1 trillion on Monday. With most of its factories based in Taiwan, TSMC is well-placed to also reap the rewards of the AI frenzy. The Godfather of TSMCMIT and Stanford graduate Morris Chang founded TSMC in 1987 after an extensive tech industry career in…

Seattle Firm Introduces Subdermal Crypto Wallets for Secure Transactions

Seattle-based VivoKey Technologies offers subdermal crypto wallets for safe cryptocurrency transactions using NFC and RFID technology. The thought of losing a crypto wallet full of Bitcoin, Ethereum, or the latest meme coin can give any investor nightmares. Seattle-based Dangerous Things and VivoKey Technologies have a novel way to keep your coins on you at all times: by putting them in…

LG Energy Solution Faces Profit Decline Amid Global EV Slowdown

The Seoul-based company revealed a stark 58% decline in operating profit for the quarter ending June 30, amounting to 195.3 billion won ($141 million). This figure fell short of analyst expectations, which had projected earnings of 282 billion won, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Exacerbating the situation, LG Energy Solution posted an operating loss of 252.5 billion won when…

Samsung Stock Hits Three-Year High on 15-Fold Profit Surge

Samsung Electronics Co. has reported its fastest pace of sales and profit growth in years, driven by a rebound in memory chip demand amid accelerating global AI development. The world's largest maker of memory chips and smartphones posted a remarkable 15-fold increase in operating profit to 10.4 trillion won ($7.5 billion) for the June quarter, surpassing analysts’ projections. Sales surged…

Microsoft’s Massive Investment in Spain’s Aragon Region Nears €6.7 Billion

Microsoft is set to invest €2.2 billion ($2.4 billion) in a substantial data center project in northeastern Spain, according to regional authorities. This move marks a significant step for Aragon as it strives to become a prominent cloud storage hub. The announcement, which follows previous plans unveiled by the US software giant, brings Microsoft's total planned investment in Aragon to…

AI Drives 48% Increase in Google Emissions

Google's greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 were 48% higher than in 2019, according to its latest environmental report. The tech giant attributes this surge to the escalating energy needs of its data centers, driven by the explosive growth of artificial intelligence (AI). AI-powered services require significantly more computer power—and consequently, electricity—than standard online activities. This has prompted numerous warnings about…

Amazon Hits $2 Trillion in Value as AI Frenzy Fuels Rally

Amazon.com Inc. has reached a $2 trillion market valuation for the first time ever, propelled by an artificial intelligence-fueled rally that has pushed the tech giant into record territory. Shares rose 3.9% on Wednesday to close at $193.61, elevating the market value to over $2 trillion. Amazon now joins an elite club of peers that have surpassed this key market…

BYD Founder Wang Chuanfu Brings Affordable EVs to the Masses

At the headquarters of BYD Co. in Shenzhen, a wall crammed floor to ceiling with about a thousand framed patents stands as a testament to the company's innovation. These patents, representing more than 30,000 breakthroughs, highlight the ingenuity of the electric vehicle (EV) maker's billionaire founder, Wang Chuanfu, and his team of engineers. Among these innovations is the low-cost lithium-iron-phosphate…

Micron’s Selloff Highlights Risk of Sky-High AI Expectations

Micron Technology Inc.’s post-results selloff served as a stark reminder to global investors about the inherent risks in betting on artificial intelligence chipmakers. The memory chip maker’s shares plummeted by about 8% in extended trading after issuing a forecast that fell short of the most optimistic estimates, underscoring the volatility in the AI sector. Days after leading AI chipmaker Nvidia…

Google Rolls Out Gemini Side Panel Across Workspace Apps

Google has officially launched the Gemini side panel across several Workspace applications, following its debut at I/O 2024 last month. This integration brings enhanced AI capabilities directly into paid versions of Gmail, Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides, as well as Google One AI Premium. Gemini Side Panel Capabilities Formerly known as Duet AI, the Gemini side panel powered by…

Apple Reclaims Throne as World’s Most Valuable Company, Surging Past Microsoft

Apple Inc. (AAPL) surged ahead of Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) to become the world's most valuable company once again, thanks to its strides in artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Apple’s shares skyrocketed nearly 4%, reaching an all-time high of $215.04, and propelling its market valuation to an impressive $3.29 trillion. This leap placed Apple ahead of Microsoft’s $3.24 trillion market cap for…