Every day we wake up, drink a cup of coffee, and get ready for work. Following are a handful of stories from around the tech world condensed to fit into one single cup of coffee. These are the things you need to know before you step foot out of your door (or in front of a webcam) and into the real world this morning.
So sit back, grab a cup, and start your morning off right with a few “Quick Bytes” from Innovation & Tech Today.
‘Iron Beam’ Could Replace Israel’s Current Defense System by 2023
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced Wednesday a new laser-based defense system could be deployed by 2023. The Iron Beam, an upgrade on the current Iron Dome defense system that intercepts income drones and missiles, will operate at a fraction of the price of its predecessor. At only $2 per interception, the system is a significantly more effective option than the current shoot-down system that costs between tens of thousands and millions of dollars to intercept incoming missiles and drones. That $2 cost comes from the electricity used to power up the laser, meaning as long as it has power it can continue to intercept enemy rockets indefinitely.
Elon Musk Could Walk Away from Twitter Deal Over Disputed Bot Stats
Recent comments from Elon Musk signal he could be ready to walk away from his deal to buy Twitter. A letter sent by his lawyers Monday states Musk believes the Twitter board is actively blocking his attempts to discover what percentage of users are bots. Twitter has disclosed on multiple occasions that bots make up less than 5% of total users — a figure with which Musk was unsatisfied.
Musk attempted to conduct his own analysis of the issue by using random user samples. He said Twitter refused to allow him to conduct the study, staging he had violated the terms of the original agreement. Twitter said in a statement the company “has and will continue to cooperatively share information” with Musk.”
NFT Trading Just Got a Lot More Complicated
Nate Chastain, a former OpenSea executive who used his position to front-run NFT projects that were going to be listed on the home page of the marketplace, was arrested this week.
Chastain has been charged with wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a scheme to commit insider trading in Non-Fungible Tokens by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York.
Many people in the crypto space were shocked at the arrest as NFTs aren’t generally considered securities. Therefore, NFT traders can’t be charged for insider trading — or so we believed until now. The SDNY press release referred to NFTs as “digital assets,” a term that puts Chastain in the crosshairs of the SEC as well as the SDNY.
Apple Unveils New Lock Screen Experience
Apple today previewed iOS 16, delivering the biggest update ever to the lock screen, and new sharing, communication and intelligence features. The new iCloud Shared Photo Library can seamlessly share a collection of photos with family and there are updates to Messages and Mail, and enhancements to Live Text and Visual Look Up.
The new lock screen gallery features a range of options such as Apple collections, which include Pride and Unity to celebrate special cultural moments; a Weather wallpaper to see live weather conditions as they change throughout the day; and an Astronomy wallpaper for views of the Earth, moon, and solar system. Users can also create lock screens using their favorite emoji or color combinations.
Live Activities is a new feature that shows events happening in real-time, such as a sports game, workout, ride-share, or food delivery order, right from the Lock Screen.
