Grow Smart Income - week 35 ver.2, 2024

What happened this week?

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Good day valued readers,

We hope this week's carefully curated selection of news finds you well. In this edition, we cover the latest developments across investing, finance, crypto, AI, and other topics to help you stay informed.

As always, our goal is to provide you with a professional, unbiased roundup of noteworthy news to augment your understanding of what's happening in the world. We take pride in hand-selecting articles from trustworthy sources across a diverse range of industries.

Please enjoy this week's newsletter. We're grateful for the opportunity to share these insights with you and look forward to continuing to be a valuable resource.

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Investing and Finance

In this week's news roundup, we see significant developments in international trade, personal finance, and the tech industry. Canada has joined the US in imposing a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles, potentially reshaping the global automotive market. Meanwhile, investors are reminded of the risks inherent in financial markets, with experts outlining 15 common ways to lose money and emphasizing the inevitability of debt and taxes.

Meta's Mark Zuckerberg has made headlines by criticizing the US government's efforts to censor content, while Sony surprised many by increasing PlayStation 5 prices in Japan. In real estate news, home prices have hit another record high, though the rate of increase is slowing. The tech sector continues to make waves, with Roblox's public offering showing impressive returns for early investors, and Super Micro's stock experiencing a significant drop.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has joined the exclusive $1 trillion market cap club, even as Buffett himself sells more Bank of America shares. Gold has outperformed most other investments this year, catching the attention of market watchers. On the retirement front, there's good news as the number of 401(k) and IRA millionaires reaches an all-time high, but concerns loom over the future of Social Security benefits, which are projected to shrink dramatically in the next decade.

  1. Canada Joins US With 100% Tariff on Chinese Evs - Read more

  2. 15 Ways to Lose Money in the Markets - Read more

  3. Nothing is Certain Except Debt and Taxes - Read more

  4. A Cautionary Tale of Forecasting - Read more

  5. Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg Blasts US Government for Efforts to ‘Censor’ Content - Read more

  6. Sony Surprisingly Hikes PlayStation 5 Prices in Japan - Read more

  7. Home Prices Hit Another Record High, But the Increases Are Decelerating - Read more

  8. Roblox went public 3 years ago—here’s how much a $1,000 investment would be worth now - Read more

  9. Warren Buffett Sells More BofA Shares, Reaping $982 Million - Read more

  10. Why gold is outperforming nearly everything so far this year - Read more

  11. Why Super Micro Stock Lost a Quarter of Its Value Wednesday Morning - Read more

  12. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Enters $1 Trillion Club - Read more

  13. There Are More 401(k) and IRA Millionaires Than Ever Right Now - Read more

  14. Former Billionaire John Foley Says He Lost All His Money and Had to Sell 'Almost Everything' After Losing the Peloton CEO Job - Read more

  15. Social Security Benefits Are On Track To Shrink Dramatically in 10 Years - Read more

  16. Yelp Is Suing Google—What You Need To Know - Read more

"The trouble is not in dying for a friend, but in finding a friend worth dying for."

Mark Twain

Crypto News

This week's crypto and blockchain news roundup highlights significant developments across the industry. The Paris Public Prosecutor's Office has provided details on the arrest and detention of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, sparking controversy and outrage in the tech community. Meanwhile, Russia is reportedly close to initiating trials for crypto payments and exchanges, potentially signaling a shift in the country's stance on digital assets.

The SEC continues its regulatory crackdown, charging Abra with unregistered offers and sales of crypto asset securities. On a more positive note, PayPal's stablecoin has reached a $1 billion market cap, boosted by incentives on the Solana network. Ethereum's founder, Vitalik Buterin, addressed speculation about his views on DeFi and disclosed his salary amidst growing scrutiny of the Ethereum Foundation.

In other news, the Celsius bankruptcy plan administrator has paid out over $2.5 billion, while the TON blockchain experienced a brief three-hour halt in block production. The crypto market saw significant volatility, with Bitcoin and Ethereum prices plummeting and resulting in over $170 million in liquidated long positions. A controversial study linking crypto ownership to 'dark' personality traits like psychopathy has raised eyebrows in the community.

On the institutional front, Hilbert Group and Xapo Bank have announced a strategic partnership to launch a Bitcoin hedge fund exceeding $200 million. Japan is planning tax reforms to stimulate Web3 startup growth, and Robinhood has expanded its crypto offerings by adding Solana to its Web3 wallet.

  1. Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office Explains Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s Arrest and Detention - Read more

  2. Russia Close to Starting Trials of Crypto Payments, Exchanges - Read more

  3. SEC Charges Abra with Unregistered Offers and Sales of Crypto Asset Securities - Read more

  4. PayPal's Stablecoin Hits $1B Market Cap as Incentives Boost Activity on Solana - Read more

  5. Does Ethereum's Founder Even Like DeFi? Vitalik Buterin Clears the Air - Read more

  6. Celsius' Bankruptcy Plan Administrator Pays Out Over $2.5B - Read more

  7. TON Blockchain Resumes Operation after Three-Hour of No Block Production - Read more

  8. Bitcoin and Ethereum Prices Plummet, Over $170 Million in Longs Liquidated - Read more

  9. Ethereum Creator Vitalik Buterin Reveals Salary Amid Growing Foundation Scrutiny - Read more

  10. Crypto Ownership Linked to ‘Dark‘ Traits Like Psychopathy: Study - Read more

  11. Why the Arrest of Telegram’s Pavel Durov Is Sparking Outrage - Read more

  12. Hilbert Group and Xapo Bank Agree Strategic Investment Partnership and Launch of Bitcoin Hedge Fund in Excess of $200 Million - Read more

  13. Japan Plans Tax Reforms to Boost Web3 Startup Growth - Read more

  14. Robinhood Adds Solana To Web3 Wallet, Expands Crypto Offerings - Read more

"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men."

Frederick Douglass

Artificial Intelligence

This week's AI and technology news roundup showcases significant advancements and applications across various sectors. Arizona State University is leveraging ChatGPT to personalize learning and advance research, while Chinese and US scientists have collaborated to create an AI model for drug development. A self-improving AI method has been developed to increase 3D-printing efficiency, and Anthropic has published the 'system prompts' that drive Claude's capabilities.

In hardware news, IBM previewed its new Spyre accelerator chip for IBM Z, designed to scale enterprise AI workloads. Astrophysicists are using AI to precisely calculate the universe's 'settings', and Apple is exploring robotics as it looks beyond the iPhone. Research has shown that large language models excel at inductive reasoning but struggle with deductive tasks.

AI applications are expanding into unexpected areas, with drones now being used to detect land mines in Ukraine. Scientists are planning to use AI to analyze 1.6 million brain scans to develop a tool for predicting dementia risk. OpenAI is reportedly aiming to release a new AI model called 'Strawberry' in the fall and is in talks for a funding round that could value the company above $100 billion.

Concerns about AI's impact on society persist, with MIT experts identifying 700 potential ways AI could go wrong, including five particularly harmful to humanity. The debate over AI's effect on employment continues, with some arguing that the test of whether AI will take our jobs has already begun. Meanwhile, practical applications of AI continue to emerge, such as Google Meet's automatic AI note-taking feature and AI's ability to detect cancer and viral infections with nanoscale precision.

  1. Arizona State University personalizes learning and advances research with ChatGPT - Read more

  2. Chinese and US scientists create AI model to help develop new drugs - Read more

  3. Self-improving AI method increases 3D‑printing efficiency - Read more

  4. Anthropic publishes the ‘system prompts’ that make Claude tick - Read more

  5. IBM previewed its new Spyre accelerator chip for IBM Z, designed in collaboration with IBM Research, to scale the enterprise AI workloads of tomorrow. - Read more

  6. Astrophysicists use AI to precisely calculate universe's 'settings' - Read more

  7. Apple Explores Robotics in Search of Life Beyond the iPhone - Read more

  8. LLMs excel at inductive reasoning but struggle with deductive tasks, new research shows - Read more

  9. Not Only for Killing: Drones Are Now Detecting Land Mines in Ukraine - Read more

  10. Scientists to use AI to analyse 1.6m brain scans to develop tool predicting dementia risk - Read more

  11. OpenAI Aims to Release New AI Model, ‘Strawberry,’ in Fall - Read more

  12. Google Meet’s automatic AI note-taking is here - Read more

  13. AI could go wrong in 700 ways, according to MIT experts. These are 5 of the most harmful to humanity - Read more

  14. The Test of Whether AI Will Take Our Jobs Has Already Begun - Read more

  15. OpenAI in Talks for Funding Round Valuing It Above $100 Billion - Read more

  16. AI spots cancer and viral infections with nanoscale precision - Read more

  17. Sweden's Klarna says AI chatbots help shrink headcount - Read more

  18. CoreWeave First to Market with NVIDIA H200 Tensor Core GPUs, Ushering in a New Era of AI Infrastructure Performance - Read more

  19. What accelerates brain ageing? This AI ‘brain clock’ points to answers - Read more

  20. Police officers are starting to use AI chatbots to write crime reports. Will they hold up in court? - Read more

"You pray for the hungry. Then you feed them. That's how prayer works."

Pope Francis

Top Article Picks this week

This week's diverse news and lifestyle roundup covers a range of topics from technology and health to education and personal development. A study reveals that wearable fitness trackers may be less accurate than commonly believed, while ancient technology is proving effective in combating AI-assisted cheating in classrooms. Health experts highlight the surprising importance of big toes in overall fitness and well-being.

For the practical-minded, there's a guide on how to convert AAA batteries into AA-s, and tips on accessing world-class education for free online. Career advice warns against the "professional ghetto" - the risks of excessive socializing with peers at work. For those interested in personal growth, there's guidance on living more rationally and a list of 30 engaging questions to deepen conversations beyond the typical "How are you?"

The cultural impact of the film "Oppenheimer" is discussed, along with insights into atomic bomb history not covered in the movie. In an unusual real estate trend, some are shopping for properties with apocalypse survival in mind. The growing influence of AI continues to make headlines, with experts warning about its potential to engineer future pandemics, while AI developers grapple with the challenges and implications of their work.

Health-related topics include an expert analysis of the pros and cons of napping, and strategies for living with less fear. On a lighter note, a PhD student has cracked an ancient language puzzle previously thought unsolvable, demonstrating the ongoing relevance of classical studies in the modern world.

  1. How Accurate Are Wearable Fitness Trackers? Less Than You Might Think (Reading time: 5 min) - Read here

  2. How ancient tech is thwarting AI cheating in the classroom (Reading time: 8 min) - Read here

  3. Why Your Big Toes Play Such a Huge Role in Your Health and Fitness (Reading time: 10 min) - Read here

  4. How to Turn AAA Batteries Into AA-s (Reading time: 3 min) - Read here

  5. How to Get a World-Class Education for Free on the Internet (Reading time: 6 min) - Read here

  6. Beware the professional ghetto. The perils of too much socializing with your peers (Reading time: 5 min) - Read here

  7. How to begin living more rationally (Reading time: 10 min) - Read here

  8. What ‘Oppenheimer’ Doesn’t Tell You About Atomic Bombs (Reading time: 10 min) - Read here

  9. Real Estate Shopping for the Apocalypse (Reading time: 22 min) - Read here

  10. 30 Questions to Engage Someone Beyond ‘How Are You?’ (Reading time: 5 min) - Read here

  11. The AI Guys Are Driving Themselves Mad (Reading time: 8 min) - Read here

  12. AI Could One Day Engineer a Pandemic, Experts Warn (Reading time: 7 min) - Read here

  13. Are Naps Good for You? Experts Explain How They Affect Your Sleep (Reading time: 3 min) - Read here

  14. How to Live in Less Fear (Reading time: 6 min) - Read here

  15. This Ancient Language Puzzle Was Impossible to Solve—Until a PhD Student Cracked the Code (Reading time: 5 min) - Read here

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"It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but even more to stand up to your friends."

J.K. Rowling

Book of the week

"Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World" by Jack Weatherford offers a fresh, eye-opening perspective on one of history's most infamous figures. Weatherford challenges the traditional Western view of Genghis Khan as a brutal barbarian, instead presenting him as a visionary leader whose policies and conquests helped shape our modern world. The author's extensive research and engaging narrative style bring to life the remarkable story of how a man from a remote corner of Mongolia created the largest contiguous land empire in history.

Weatherford skillfully weaves together historical facts, archaeological evidence, and cultural insights to paint a nuanced portrait of Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire. He highlights the Khan's progressive policies, such as religious tolerance, meritocracy, and the abolition of torture, which were far ahead of their time. The book also explores the Mongols' role in facilitating cultural exchange, promoting trade, and spreading technologies across Eurasia.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the book is its analysis of the long-lasting impact of the Mongol conquests on global development. Weatherford argues that the Mongol Empire's policies and infrastructure laid the groundwork for many aspects of our modern world, from global commerce to cultural diversity. While some readers might find this thesis controversial, the author presents compelling evidence to support his claims.

Weatherford's writing is accessible and engaging, making complex historical events and concepts easy to understand for general readers. However, academic historians might desire more in-depth analysis of certain topics. Despite this, the book succeeds in challenging long-held assumptions and encouraging readers to reconsider their understanding of Genghis Khan's place in world history.

"You're not going to get very far in life on the basis of what you already know. You're going to advance in life by what you're going to learn."

Charlie Munger

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