US mortgage rates have hit nearly 7%, causing a shift in the housing market’s dynamics among affluent buyers. Contrary to expectations that falling interest rates would bring sidelined homebuyers back into the market, rates have risen since September, climbing 5 basis points to 6.84% per Freddie Mac. Industry experts attribute this trend to the Federal … Read more
A quiet revolution occurred in Los Angeles County, with voters approving a ballot measure to overhaul its governance structure. The change will expand the Board of Supervisors from five to nine members, making it more representative of the county’s diverse population. The reform is seen as a step towards greater accountability and representation for the … Read more
Bitcoin’s value surged to a record $98,800 on Thursday after the Securities and Exchange Commission announced Chair Gary Gensler’s departure. The token had briefly crossed the $100,000 mark before regaining stability due to investors’ confidence in pro-crypto policies from the incoming Trump administration. The price increase comes amid speculation that President-elect Donald Trump will appoint … Read more
Astronomers have made history by capturing the first close-up picture of a star outside our galaxy, located 160,000 light-years away. The star, WOH G64, is surrounded by a disk of circumstellar material, which is of great interest to scientists studying the formation and evolution of stars. The image was captured using the GRAVITY instrument on … Read more
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has announced plans to temporarily lift the federal sales tax on certain items and send checks to millions of Canadians affected by rising costs. The measures come ahead of a potential election, which could occur between this fall and next October. Under the plan, 18.7 million Canadians who worked … Read more
A significant shift is underway in the TV hardware industry, with ad companies venturing into TV operating systems (OSes) to capitalize on growing demand for smart TV content. As web-based streaming becomes increasingly popular, TV OSes have become a lucrative part of the business, providing valuable data on viewer habits that benefits OS operators and … Read more
A China-aligned advanced persistent threat (APT) actor known as Gelsemium has been spotted using two new malware tools in cyber attacks targeting East and Southeast Asia. The Linux backdoor, dubbed WolfsBane, is a variant of the company’s previously discovered Gelsevirine backdoor, which was used as far back as 2014. Gelsemium’s latest malware, FireWood, is an … Read more
US President Joe Biden’s decision to authorize the use of long-range ballistic missiles by Ukraine has reignited concerns about the possibility of World War III. The move has sparked a chain reaction of provocative statements and actions from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is known for his tendency to inflame tensions. Trump, a vocal supporter … Read more
The Trade Desk has developed a new streaming TV operating system (OS) called Ventura, which aims to solve key issues with prevailing market systems in the streaming TV industry. This innovation will enhance user experiences, optimize advertising supply chains, and enable more accurate ad pricing across platforms. Ventura represents a significant advancement in streaming TV … Read more
A group of students from the University of Southern California’s Rocket Propulsion Lab has achieved a remarkable feat, launching a homemade rocket that broke multiple records for altitude, power, and speed. The rocket, named Aftershock II, reached an altitude of over 470,000 feet, surpassing the previous record by more than 90,000 feet. The team designed … Read more