Originally published in iHeart.
MUSK’S NEURALINK TESTS ROBOTIC ARM WITH BRAIN CHIP, via Bloomberg:
(Bloomberg) -- Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface company, Neuralink Corp., said it is starting to test a technology that could allow paralyzed people to control a robotic arm.
The early-stage study is known as a first-in-human trial, meaning that any approved device is years away. The goal is to let patients use a Neuralink device, implanted in the brain, to manipulate a robotic arm.
“This is an important first step towards restoring not only digital freedom, but also physical freedom,” the company said in a post on X, adding that the trial is called Convoy.
hello, future. it’s me, kev.
…and this is a dispatch from the digital frontier. Your one-stop shop for markets, tech, and the future. The day is 330. The year is 2024. The planet is Earth. My name is Kevin Cirilli —> LinkedIn.
Back to the future...
BALTIC SEA SABOTAGE: CHINESE SHIP UNDER SCRUTINY, via Bloomberg: Sweden and Finland have identified the Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 as "of interest" in their criminal investigations into damaged undersea data cables connecting Nordic nations to Germany and Lithuania. Authorities are monitoring the ship, anchored in Danish waters, as evidence points to potential sabotage.
The damaged cables are critical for communication infrastructure, and the incident has prompted coordinated surveillance by Swedish, Finnish, Danish, and German forces. While China denies wrongdoing, investigators, including Finland's National Bureau of Investigation, are treating the case as aggravated interference with communications.
DIGITAL CURRENCIES
CANTOR FITZGERALD’S TETHER POWERPLAY, via :
Cantor Fitzgerald, one of Wall Street's oldest and most prestigious firms, has quietly taken a 5% stake in Tether, crypto's largest stablecoin issuer. The price tag? $600 million. Valuing Tether at $12 billion.
But wait, it gets better. When Cantor's chief, Howard Lutnick met Tether CFO Giancarlo Devasini, he had one message, borrowed straight from Jerry Maguire:
"Show me the money." And show they did. Every. Single. Penny. All of Tether's massive $134 billion reserves is accounted for, mostly in US Treasury bills – which, coincidentally or not, Cantor Fitzgerald now manages.
FUTURES
DOW HITS RECORD AS STOCKS RISE: NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose Monday, with those benefiting the most from lower interest rates and a stronger economy leading the way.
The S&P 500 climbed 0.3% to pull closer to its all-time high set two weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 440 points, or 1%, to its own record set on Friday, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.3%.
LOVE FEST: WALL STREET <3 TRUMP’S TREASURY PICK, via CNBC: “Markets looked favorably on President-elect Donald Trump’s presumptive nominee for Treasury secretary, with equity futures rising and Treasury yields falling. The move to put hedge fund magnate Scott Bessent in the position now held by Janet Yellen sent a message that Trump wants someone with strong market credentials as well as a similar philosophy for the role.”
BITCOIN NEARS $100K… THEN RETREATS, via FXLeaders: “Bitcoin approached within touch of the major 100K level last week, but buyers let go just below it, and today the price has retreated 5% lower, dipping below $95,000 a while ago.”
YOU’RE FIRED: MACY’S SAYS EMPLOYEE HID $154 MILLION IN EXPENSES, via WSJ: Retailer delays quarterly results after finding accounting problem dating back to 2021.
We take it they’re not invited to this year’s Thanksgiving parade…
NINTENDO HAS A HIT: NEW POKÉMON GAME OUTSHINES ‘POKÉMON GO’ DEBUT, via Bloomberg: Nintendo’s new mobile game, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, is off to a strong start, raking in $101 million and 38 million downloads in just 25 days—70% more than Pokémon Go’s debut. Despite the impressive launch, replicating Pokémon Go’s cultural and financial legacy remains a tall order. The AR phenomenon turned gaming into a social experience, setting a high bar for sustained success.
Meanwhile…
NINTENDO’S ‘POKEMON GO’ DATA IS TRAINING GEO-SPATIAL PROGRAM, via Tech Radar: Remember the summer of 2016 when we all played Pokémon Go? Niantic, the game’s creator, is now using that player-collected data to build a Large Geospatial Model (LGM)—an AI that could revolutionize how machines understand and navigate the physical world.
—> WHY IT MATTERS: It matters because Niantic’s new AI could help machines navigate the real world better, improving things like robots, self-driving cars, and AR experiences. The data millions shared while playing Pokémon Go is now shaping the future of technology.
With gratitude,
Kev
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