The Russian government has banned crypto mining in ten regions for a period of six years, according to reporting by the state-owned news agency Tass. Russia has cited the industry’s high power consumption rates as the primary reason behind the ban. Crypto is particularly power-hungry, as mining operations already account for nearly 2.5 percent of US energy use.

This ban takes effect on January 1 and lasts until March 15, 2031. The country’s Council of Ministers has also stated that additional bans may be required in other regions during periods of peak energy demand. It could also go the other way. The ban could be temporarily lifted or altered in certain regions if a government commission examines changes in energy demand and deems it necessary.

Cryptocurrency mining has only been fully legal in Russia since November 1, as the country has had a rocky relationship with the practice. Miners must register with the Ministry of Digital Development and energy consumption limits are continually monitored.

The country banned the use of cryptocurrencies as legal tender back in 2022, but does allow cross-border payments. The latter is largely seen as an attempt by Russia to avoid sanctions in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.

Russia isn’t the only country to put the kibosh on crypto mining due to the industry’s obscene energy demands. Kosovo outlawed the practice back in 2022 to conserve electricity during an energy crisis. Angola did the same in April of 2024. That country’s law goes a step further and criminalizes crypto mining. Several European countries, like Iceland and Norway, have started to strictly regulate the industry due to energy shortages.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/russia-bans-crypto-mining-in-multiple-regions-citing-energy-concerns-163102174.html?src=rss

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The Trump transition team is looking for “big changes” at NASA—including some cuts.

Everyone has their favorite film that serves as alternative Christmas movie fare, with Die Hard (1988) and Lethal Weapon (1987) typically topping the list—at least when all you want for Christmas is buddy-cop banter, car chases, shootouts, and glorious explosions. (Massive gratuitous property damage is a given.) I love me some Lethal Weapon but it's high time to give some holiday love to another great action flick set during the Christmas season: The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996), starring Geena Davis as an amnesiac school teacher who turns out to have been a government assassin in her former life.

(Spoilers below for this nearly 30-year-old film.)

At the time, Davis was married to director Renny Harlin, coming off a disastrous showing for their previous collaboration, Cutthroat Island (1995), which remains one of the biggest box office bombs of all time. (It is indeed a pretty bad movie.) But Shane Black's smart, savvy script for The Long Kiss Goodnight seemed like the perfect next project for them; it was promising enough that New Line Cinema bought it for what was then a record $4 million.

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Contractors working on Google Gemini are comparing its responses to Claude's, according to internal correspondence seen by TechCrunch.

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In an era where it has become tougher to raise venture capital, many companies have turned to non-dilutive, revenue-based financing (RBF) as an alternative. As a result, plenty of startups have risen to meet that challenge, none more so than in the MENA region, which has taken to the model like a duck to water. […]

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Russia, China, and the U.S. are all investing in nuclear weapons and an old fear from a bygone age is back in a big way.

Lilium, a company working on flying taxis that can take off and land vertically, has ceased operations. As TechCrunch notes, German media Gründerszene was the first publication to report that it laid off 1,000 workers a few days ago after it failed to secure more financing to continue its technology's development. Patrick Nathen, the company's co-founder, has announced that the company has stopped all operations on LinkedIn. Tagging his co-founders, he said that they can no longer continue working on their "shared belief in greener aviation," at least under Lilium.

The German company has been testing its VTOL electric air taxis for a while now. Its vehicle took off for the first time for its maiden flight back in 2017, and it completed its first phase of flight tests in 2019. Lilium was able to prove that its VTOL air taxis are capable of flying at speeds of over 100 kilometers per hour, though the Lilium Jet prototype it unveiled in 2019 was supposed to be able go as fast as 300 kmh and to have a range of 300 kilometers. 

Lilium has been struggling financially over the past year, but its CEO reportedly remained optimistic about being able to secure enough funding as recently as last month. Gründerszene said that a small number of people will remain employed to help with liquidation. The company has yet to announce what will happen to its technology and the rest of its assets, but its patent attorney, Fabien Müller, wrote in a post that he's managing the transition of Lilium's intellectual property.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/flying-taxi-maker-lillium-lays-off-1000-workers-and-ceases-operations-160025593.html?src=rss

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© Lilium

We got a healthy dose of Star Wars and Marvel shows on Disney Plus this year, but the more mature series from Hulu helped balance things out.

Read the full story at The Verge.

A little early holiday surprise from Boston Dynamics this week, as Santa suit-wearing electric Atlas performs a backflip. The feat occurs about 13 minutes into a new video, showcasing yet another trick in the humanoid robot’s arsenal. It’s worth noting that — unlike with humans — a robot performing a backflip isn’t necessarily more complicated […]

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The prolific ransomware gang says it hacked at least 66 companies by exploiting a bug in tools made by Cleo Software.

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The Dune prequel just wrapped up its first season, with a second now on the way from HBO.

Astronauts stranded on the International Space Station over Christmas have sent a festive message back to Earth.

It was another sci-fi-heavy year for Apple’s streaming service.

Read the full story at The Verge.

Apple has yet to complete its transition from LCD to OLED, but will at some point move beyond this to microLED screens. Key supplier Foxconn has announced that it expects to begin mass production of the advanced display tech late next year.

Foxconn made the announcement as it revealed a partnership with Porotech for microLED to be used in future AR headsets …

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A consortium of investors has resurrected Lilium just days after the electric air taxi startup ceased operations and laid off about 1,000 employees.

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It's no secret that 2024 saw broadcast, cable, and streaming news outlets struggle to attract a viewing audience with a significant disinterest in the news. That reality was made especially stark by presidential election that saw a 25% ratings decline from the 2020 election cycle across 18 networks. Still, despite changing consumption habits and all...

Happy winter break to all who celebrate! Whatever your holiday is, TVSpy hopes it's the best ever. Personally, we celebrate Festivus. We'll be off Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. In the spirit of the holiday, we give you a multitude of stories from around the country to keep you informed about the good: a Grand Rapids,...

The Barbie Phone, much like the doll it pays tribute to, is a thing of beauty. But like that doll whose proportions, historically, are impossible, the Barbie Phone just isn’t built for the modern world.

Even if the ultra-feminine aesthetic isn’t your thing — and it’s not really mine — you have to hand it to the Barbie flip phone. From the box it comes in, to the interchangeable back plates, rhinestone stickers, and Barbie-fied interface, it’s a delight. The charger and battery are both pink, though they’re a lighter shade than Mattel’s trademarked Barbie Pink (Pantone 219). The phone says “Hi Barbie!” when you turn it on. It’s the definition of committing to the bit.

The breezy fun of the Barbie aesthetic, Pantone 219 or otherwise, is at odds with the actual experience of using the phone. It’s based on one of HMD’s feature phones, and it runs an operating system called KaiOS. The phone is designed for basic connectivity — texting, calling, emails — and even includes a web browser.

According to HMD, in addition to being cute, the nostalgic design and limited feature set are supposed to encourage you to disconnect and spend time with your friends IRL. There are a series of...

Read the full story at The Verge.

This article is a joint reporting collaboration by Court Watch and 404 Media.

An Alaska man who tipped off law enforcement to an airman interested in child pornography was arrested when authorities searched his phone and found virtual reality images of minors. In an interview with law enforcement, the tipster said he also downloaded AI child sexual abuse material but that sometimes “real” ones were mixed in.

According to newly filed charging documents, Anthaney O’Connor, reached out to law enforcement in August to alert them to an unidentified airman who shared child sexual abuse (CSAM) material with O’Connor. While investigating the crime, and with O’Connor’s consent, federal authorities searched his phone for additional information. A review of the electronics revealed that O’Connor allegedly offered to make virtual reality CSAM for the airman, according to the criminal complaint. 

The court records say that the airman shared an image of a child at a grocery store and the two individuals discussed how to create an explicit virtual reality program of the minor. Using the code word ‘cheese pizza’ to describe the images, O’Connor allegedly noted that he could make the image for 200 dollars. He told the airman he was creating an online version of a pool where he could place an AI created image of the child from the grocery store. 

Documents say O’Connor possessed at least six AI created images, in addition to half a dozen ‘real’ CSAM images and videos. In an interview with law enforcement last Thursday, O’Connor told authorities that he “unintentionally downloaded ‘real’ images.” Court filings state he also told authorities that he would “report CSAM to Internet Service providers but still was sexually gratified from the images and videos.” A search of his house found a computer in his room and multiple hard drives hidden in a home’s vent. In a detention memo filed yesterday, the Justice Department says an initial review of O’Connor’s computer uncovered a 41 second video of a child rape.

404 Media has previously written about how the creation of AI-generated child sexual abuse material isn’t a “victimless” crime in part because real imagery of real victims can often be mixed in.

The Justice Department has stepped up its arrests of individuals possessing AI created CSAM images. In May 2024, Court Watch and 404 Media reported on the first of its kind arrest was made of a Wisconsin man who used “Stable Diffusion to create thousands of realistic images of prepubescent minors”

The U.S. Attorney’s office in Alaska, which is prosecuting the case, declined to comment outside of what was in the charging documents. A lawyer representing O’Connor did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Monday, a federal judge ordered O’Connor be detained pending a further hearing on January 6th.

Curaçao, Fergusonweg, 24th December 2024, Chainwire

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