Writer debuts Palmyra X 004, an LLM for enterprise applications, saying it cost just $700K to train, using synthetic data; source: Writer is raising up to $200M (Hayden Field/CNBC)

Early Black Friday VPN deals have already started, with discounts from top providers like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark. ExpressVPN offers a 24-month plan for $4.99/month with 6 extra months, while Surfshark is priced at $2.49/month for 24 months with 4 extra months. NordVPN is available for $3.89/month for 24 months with 3 extra months. These deals offer substantial discounts and additional months for new subscribers, making it a great time to invest in a VPN...

OpenAI engineers accidentally erased critical evidence gathered by The New York Times and other major newspapers in their lawsuit over AI training data, leading to incomplete and unreliable data recovery. The New York Times Company is seeking billions in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft for allegedly using its articles to build AI tools. OpenAI has declined to comment on the situation, while major publishers like Axel Springer and Vox Media have chosen to partner with...

Amazon is offering Black Friday discounts on its in-house streaming devices, with the Fire TV Stick 4K Max now priced at $33, a 45 percent reduction from its original $60 price. This powerful dongle supports 4K content, features an enhanced Alexa Voice Remote, and Wi-Fi 6E support. Additionally, the Fire TV Cube is on sale for $100, down from $140, offering ethernet connectivity and hands-free use with Alexa. Be sure to explore all the latest...

Alibaba has appointed Jiang Fan as its new e-commerce chief as part of a reorganization effort to revive the struggling business, with Jiang now overseeing the entire commerce unit following his demotion in 2020 due to allegations of improper conduct. As the international chief, Jiang will become one of the company's most powerful executives, taking on a significant role in leading Alibaba's e-commerce operations. The move signals Alibaba's commitment to strengthening its e-commerce division under...

Meta's Threads has introduced custom feeds, a feature previously seen in Bluesky, allowing users to compile a list of accounts devoted to a specific theme for quick access. Users can create custom feeds by searching for accounts and adding them to a feed, with the option to create multiple feeds for different themes. Threads has seen a surge in new users recently, with Bluesky surpassing 20 million members and Threads boasting over 200 million users,...

Security researchers from Lumen's Black Lotus have disrupted the ngioweb botnet after more than a year of investigation. By identifying the infrastructure and blocking data flow, the botnet and the NSOCKS proxy service it powered have been severely disrupted. The botnet, with over 35,000 compromised endpoints in 180 countries, was primarily used for malicious activities and as a proxy service for threat actors, including state-sponsored actors like APT28. Full Article