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KOR Protocol nabs artists Disclosure, Dixon and Imogen Heap as creator advisers

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KOR Protocol nabs artists Disclosure, Dixon and Imogen Heap as creator advisers

KOR Protocol, a Web3 infrastructure for creators featuring a range of AI-powered tools and interactive applications, has added artists Disclosure, Dixon and Imogen Heap join Deadmau5 and Richie Hawtin as advisers.

The KOR Protocol, whose initial developer is owned by Web3 gaming firm Animoca Brands, aims to improve how how intellectual property from music to other interactive art is managed, distributed, and monetized within artist communities.

British recording artist and Grammy award-winner Imogen Heap, electronic music icons deadmau5,
Richie Hawtin, and Disclosure, and masters of multimedia experiences Dixon, whose Transmoderna art collective is known for its immersive live-shows, will help oversee the direction of the protocol and advise on supporting artists, musicians, filmmakers, and developers in protecting their creations and engaging directly with their audiences.

Global recorded music revenues rose 10.2% in 2023 to $28.6 billion led by online streaming services, marking the ninth year of consecutive growth for the music industry. Yet despite the undeniable profits
made by global megastars like Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran, the majority of artists struggle to make a
living from their music alone.

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According to a survey by Xposure Music, just 11% of independent artists earn income solely through their music. A major issue is the low payout rates, which can be as little as $0.004 to $0.008 per stream. Additionally, streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music keep a significant portion of the revenue, with record labels also taking hefty cuts, leaving artists with a small portion of the pie.

KOR Protocol addresses this imbalance, changing how intellectual property is managed, distributed, and monetized, enabling artists and creators to receive fair pay for their work and engage directly with their fans and communities. Offering a unique infrastructure for creators with a range of AI-powered tools and applications, artists can easily create interactive experiences and release into new products that resonate with global fan communities. Adding such highly regarded world-renowned artists as advisors underscores KOR Protocol’s commitment to empowering creators with next-generation technology—and the best possible direction from leaders in their respective fields.

Heap is passionate about creating a decentralized database where songs act as services, giving direct access to all their details. Through her various initiatives, including Creative Passport and Auracles and collaborations with platforms such as KOR, she aims to open new opportunities and revenue streams for music makers, driving innovation in the industry. Electronic music icons deadmau5 and Richie Hawtin, known for their forward-thinking approaches to music and tech, have also previously explored the intersection of music, digital IP, and blockchain, cementing their advisory roles to help drive innovative content creation and fan engagement strategies.

Disclosure’s connection to remix culture will further help develop KOR’s vision of an ecosystem where artists can co-create and remix content without traditional limitations, reinforcing the platform’s mission to make the creation and management of music IP transparent, collaborative, and fair, and Dixon and his collective Transmoderna will be a leading guide on pushing the boundaries of immersive multimedia experiences, exploring the possibilities that arise from merging electronic music with transmedia art.

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Inder Phull, creator of KOR Protocol, said in a statement, “This visionary team of artists are not only leaders in their fields but are passionate about creating new immersive experiences and fair compensation for artists. Under their expert guidance, KOR Protocol can provide the next generation of entertainment ecosystems for creators and fans alike.”

In addition to these artists, Ben Turner, co-founder of the International Music Summit and Association for Electronic Music, and Dean Wilson, CEO of Seven20 and manager of Deadmau5, will join the protocol as partners and advisors. Their extensive experience in the music and entertainment industries will help guide KOR Protocol’s development as a comprehensive platform for managing, distributing, and monetizing intellectual property.

Pixelynx, the first developer behind KOR Protocol was acquired by Animoca Brands, leaders in the Web3 and entertainment space. From IP registration, licensing, and royalty tracking to decentralized interactive content creation, KOR Protocol enables artists, developers, and fans to collaborate seamlessly shifting the paradigm of traditional IP management.


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Wyze added a big color screen to its latest budget-friendly smart scale

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Wyze added a big color screen to its latest budget-friendly smart scale

The addition of a 4.3-inch color TFT screen makes the new Wyze Scale Ultra one of the brand’s most expensive smart scales to date, but at $43.99, it’s still considerably cheaper than offerings from companies like Withings. It’s available from Wyze directly or from Amazon in white or black.

The Wyze Scale Ultra says it can track 13 different health metrics, including your heart rate, your metabolic age (a comparison of how your body burns calories at rest to others your age), and measurements of fat, muscle, and water.

Previous versions of Wyze’s smart scales featured simple segmented LED displays to display basic information like weight, BMI, and muscle mass, leaving more detailed breakdowns of your health metrics for an accompanying mobile app. The Wyze Scale Ultra can display more data, including how measurements like weight or body fat have fluctuated over time, and it’s customizable, so it only displays what you want it to.

The information displayed on the Wyze Scale Ultra’s full color screen can be customized by each user.
Image: Wyze

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Like the Wyze Scale X introduced in 2022, the Scale Ultra offers modes for easily weighing pets, babies, or luggage and a pregnancy mode that turns off the weak electrical current used for bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) as an added safety precaution.

The Wyze Scale Ultra can also be used to weigh pets, children, and luggage.
Image: Wyze

Connectivity includes both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and the Wyze Scale Ultra can automatically recognize and sync measured health metrics for up to eight different users — either to its mobile app or to the Apple Health, Google Fit, and Fitbit platforms. It’s not rechargeable, however. It runs on four AA batteries, which Wyze says will keep the scale powered for up to nine months.

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Exxon CEO says U.S. election won’t affect oil production

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Exxon CEO says U.S. election won't affect oil production


Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods on Q3 results: Company transformation is beginning to manifest itself

The outcome of the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5 won’t affect oil production levels in the short- to medium term, Exxon CEO Darren Woods told CNBC on Friday.

Former President Donald Trump has called for unconstrained oil and gas production to lower energy prices and fight inflation, boiling his energy policy down to three words on the campaign trail: “Drill, baby, drill.”

“I’m not sure how drill, baby, drill translates into policy,” Woods told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” Friday after the largest U.S. oil and gas company reported third-quarter results.

Woods said U.S. shale production does not face constraints from “external restrictions.” The U.S. has produced record amounts of oil and gas during the Biden administration.

Over the past six years, the U.S. has produced more crude oil than any other nation in history, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, according to the Energy Information Administration.

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Output in the U.S. is driven by the oil and gas industry deploying technology and investment to generate shareholder returns based on the break-even cost of production, the CEO said.

“Certainly we wouldn’t see a change based on a political change but more on an economic environment,” Woods said. “I don’t think there’s anybody out there that’s developing a business strategy to respond to a political agenda,” he said.

While shale production has not faced constraints on developing new acreage, there are resources in areas like the Gulf of Mexico that have not opened up due to federal permitting, the CEO said.

“That could, for the longer term, open up potential sources of supply,” Wood said. In the short- to medium term, however, unconventional shale resources are available and it’s just a matter of developing them based on market dynamics, he said.

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Exxon Mobil shares in 2024.

The vast majority of shale resources in the U.S. are on private land and regulated at the state level, according to an August note from Morgan Stanley. About 25% of oil and 10% of natural gas is produced on federal land and waters subject to permitting, according to Morgan Stanley.

Vice President Kamala Harris opposed fracking during her bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. She has since reversed that position in an effort to shore up support in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania, where the natural gas industry is important for the state’s economy.

Don’t miss these energy insights from CNBC PRO:



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Worrying WordPress plugin security flaw could let hackers hijack your site

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Security

LiteSpeed Cache, an immensely popular WordPress plugin for site performance optimization, suffered from a vulnerability which allowed threat actors to gain admin status.

With such elevated privileges, they would be able to perform all sorts of malicious activities on the compromised websites.

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One in 20 new Wikipedia pages seem to be written with the help of AI

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One in 20 new Wikipedia pages seem to be written with the help of AI

Just under 5 per cent of the Wikipedia pages in English that have been published since ChatGPT’s release seem to include AI-written content

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iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro camera comparison: close call

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iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro camera comparison: close call

Apple’s iPhone 16 lineup is here. Though the base model iPhone 16 has taken a lot of the spotlight this year with the redesigned camera layout and amazing colors, the iPhone 16 Pro is a bit more iterative in terms of upgrades.

I personally bought an iPhone 16 Pro to upgrade from my iPhone 15 Pro. To be honest, though, if the iPhone 16 had a 1TB storage option, I would have gone that route. Since it doesn’t, I had to go with the iPhone 16 Pro, as much as I wanted a pink phone. But storage wasn’t the only reason — I also wanted the improved telephoto camera that I missed out on last year.

So, was going to the iPhone 16 Pro from the iPhone 15 Pro worth it? Let’s find out.

iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: camera specs

iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 15 Pro
Primary camera 48MP Fusion

f/1.78

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48MP Main

f/1.78

Ultrawide camera 48MP

f/2.2

12MP

f/2.2

Telephoto camera 12MP

f/2.8

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5x optical zoom

12MP

f/2.8

3x optical zoom

Selfie camera 12MP

f/1.9

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12MP

f/1.9

As you can see above, the cameras between the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro are similar but with a few key differences.

For one, the iPhone 16 Pro now has the 5x optical zoom that was previously only on the iPhone 15 Pro Max model last year, as Apple made the camera systems on both models equal this time.

Apple also improved the ultrawide camera on the iPhone 16 Pro, going to 48MP from the previous 12MP. This should mean better detail and resolution in your ultrawide shots, and macros can now be in full 48MP, too.

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Though the main camera on both phones remains at 48MP, Apple rebranded the main camera on the iPhone 16 Pro to a “Fusion” camera rather than just “main” like it did before. Does this actually mean anything? We’ll see.

Since Apple made no improvements to the TrueDepth front camera (still 12MP and f/1.9 aperture on both), we’ll just be looking at the triple-lens camera system in this comparison. Ready? Let’s get started.

iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: main camera

Again, the main camera on both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro is 48MP. But it’s now called the Fusion camera on the iPhone 16 Pro, rather than just the “main” camera like on the iPhone 15 Pro.

Let’s look at this image of a cute pumpkin carriage display at the Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel. The most obvious difference between the two is the blue lights on the pumpkin carriage. With the iPhone 15 Pro image, the blue light bleeds into the orange of the pumpkin, making it look more blue than it actually is. The iPhone 16 Pro handles the light better, as the blue light doesn’t bleed out to the orange, and there’s more contrast.

The leaves at the bottom of the carriage and the green stem on top are also more vibrant in the iPhone 16 Pro, but the glittery leaf is more textured with the iPhone 15 Pro.

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Here’s a cute little Halloween tree display at the hotel. Honestly, there isn’t a big difference between these two images. The iPhone 16 Pro may have captured a bit more of the tree detail in the shadows at the bottom of the tree (the silver specks) and have less bleeding for the lights, but the iPhone 15 Pro did a better job of making the colors at the top of the tree a tad more vibrant. Otherwise, they’re both pretty equal.

This is a fancy chef’s omakase plate I got for my wedding anniversary dinner at Hanagi Japanese Restaurant (highly recommend!) in Anaheim. Both images are very similar, but when you look closer, the iPhone 16 Pro is better. More of the nigiri sushi pieces are sharper and in focus, making it easier to see the texture. The color is also better with the iPhone 16 Pro, as evident with the tuna and salmon roe. But again, the differences are minimal unless you really scrutinize them.

This is a low-light shot featuring a serene little koi pond in the garden area of the Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel. I took the photo around 8 p.m., and there were only a few of those lamps outside. Both images look good, but the iPhone 16 Pro is a bit more vivid with the color, especially the greenery in the background. Overall, they’re pretty equal.

Winner: iPhone 16 Pro (barely)

iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: ultrawide camera

This year, Apple made big improvements to the ultrawide camera, bumping it up to 48MP, which is what many flagship Android phones have nowadays. Apple also improved the sensors, which means it should be able to capture better ultrawide shots in low light. But does it really?

I used the ultrawide camera to capture the full spooky armor and dress display. Both photos look the same on the surface, aside from the slight difference in overall tone. The details are similar even when you zoom in to examine it closer. I was expecting more from the iPhone 16 Pro here, but that didn’t turn out to be the case.

This is a better case for the improvements to the ultrawide camera on the iPhone 16 Pro. I snapped this ultrawide shot of the koi pond at the hotel at night, and the iPhone 16 Pro version captured more light. The iPhone 16 Pro also handles the light better, as it doesn’t appear blown out like the iPhone 15 Pro image.

Here’s an ultrawide shot of Monstro on the Storybook Canals ride at Disneyland. Both iPhones handled the scene similarly, but the colors are a bit more vibrant in the iPhone 15 Pro image than the iPhone 16 Pro. It’s evident in the trees, the water, and Monstro himself. In terms of detail, both are about equal.

Now, let’s try some macro photos. Here’s a closeup of a flower’s pistil. The iPhone 16 Pro image is much clearer and brighter with the color. However, the iPhone 15 Pro version handled the contrast better, which I prefer a bit more. But as far as how everything is in focus, the iPhone 16 Pro takes the cake.

Let’s try another macro shot of a different flower. The difference between these two images is much more apparent. Once again, the iPhone 16 Pro version is crystal clear and in focus, while the iPhone 15 Pro image has a lot of distortion and blurriness. You can even see a bug on the bottom petal much more easily with the iPhone 16 Pro.

Winner: iPhone 16 Pro

iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: telephoto camera

Last year, only the iPhone 15 Pro Max got the 5x optical zoom telephoto camera, as the iPhone 15 Pro had just up to 3x. But this year, Apple made the two Pro models equal in terms of camera features, so does that 5x optical zoom really make that much of a difference?

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Here’s a 5x zoomed-in shot of some buildings I can see across the street from the park. Since the iPhone 15 Pro uses a digital crop for its 5x zoom, the loss of detail is pretty clear when you look closely at it. For example, the texture in the wall of the beige townhomes is barely visible, whereas you can clearly see it with the iPhone 16 Pro’s 5x zoom. Other details, like the tree, also appear soft in the iPhone 15 Pro, while they’re clear with the iPhone 16 Pro.

I snapped another quick 5x zoom shot of some palm trees in my neighborhood. Both images look similar, but if you look a little closer, you’ll be able to see the sharpness of the leaves in the iPhone 16 Pro version, whereas they appear softer in the other. It looks like the iPhone 15 Pro also made the sky appear a more vibrant blue, which you may or may not prefer.

A half-moon was still out this morning, so I decided to try to see how well the zoom on both iPhones would do with it. Of course, the 5x zoom doesn’t give you a ton of detail of the moon, but you can at least make out the moon’s surface as best you can on the iPhone 16 Pro. With the iPhone 15 Pro, it’s much more fuzzy and harder to make out the different surface shades.

This is an interesting one. I decided to try a 3x zoom image since that’s the maximum optical zoom range for the iPhone 15 Pro. Since the iPhone 16 Pro only has 2x or 5x optical zoom, but up to 25x digital zoom, it uses digital zoom for 3x. For the iPhone 15 Pro, it has 3x optical zoom but not 5x. So this time, the tables have turned — the iPhone 16 Pro’s digital 3x zoom is not great compared to the iPhone 15 Pro’s 3x optical zoom. The left side of the rose garden looks dull and lifeless on the iPhone 16 Pro but is vibrant and crisp on the iPhone 15 Pro.

Winner: iPhone 16 Pro

iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: verdict

iPhone 16 Pro Max in Desert Titanium.
Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

If you’re still using an iPhone 15 Pro, this isn’t a recommendation to replace it right now with an iPhone 16 Pro. While the cameras are an improvement over last year, it’s still a pretty iterative upgrade, and unless you really care about the tiny details, it’s probably not worth it (for most people).

However, if you really want the 5x optical zoom that was missing last year and you enjoy taking ultrawide and macro shots, then the iPhone 16 Pro is worth considering. But for the main camera, which is likely to be the one that most people use the most, there’s very little difference, and not enough to justify the money to upgrade.

So, what’s the conclusion? If the telephoto and ultrawide cameras are your top priority, there’s a case for upgrading. But if you can do without those upgrades, and the main camera is your main concern, you can safely sit this one out.






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Samsung halts operations of several chip fabs due to poor demand

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Samsung halts operations of several chip fabs due to poor demand

The past few years have been a bit of a struggle for Exynos chips. Low-yield issues with Samsung Foundry wafers have led to the loss of big customers. The demand for chip manufacturing at Samsung factories has been poor for some time now, with only Exynos SoCs and a few third-party contracts using them.

Poor demand prompts Samsung to shut down chip factories, including some Exynos makers

Many of Samsung Foundry’s semiconductor factories were still active but not actually producing products. So, according to South Korean media Chosung, the company has decided to suspend operations at 30% of its 4nm, 5nm, and 7nm chip fabs. This is not a permanent shutdown, but a temporary one. In fact, the equipment will continue to receive power, but in a low-consumption mode to save electricity-related costs.

According to the report, the percentage of “semi-off” fabs will increase to 50% by the end of this year. Among the mentioned wafers, only the 4nm one remains permanently active, manufacturing the Exynos 2400 and some Snapdragon S chips. However, third-party demand is so low that it is far from occupying the full wafer capacity.

Samsung still hopes to improve the performance of its 3nm wafers

Currently, Samsung Foundry is struggling with the low yield of its 3nm GAA wafers. The company even had to ditch the Exynos 2500 from the Galaxy S25 series. Reports claim that they are still working on trying to improve the performance of its 3nm wafers in order to implement the Exynos 2500 in the foldable Galaxy devices of 2025.

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On the bright side, the situation looks better for Samsung’s 2nm process. The South Korean giant hopes to offer competitive factories that will attract the attention of big customers. Even Qualcomm has opened the door to working with Samsung again for flagship Snapdragon chips in the near future.

Things got complicated for Samsung Foundry in 2021

Samsung Foundry’s “nightmare” began in 2021 with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Qualcomm had designed the SoC with high expectations, for which it even debuted a name change. However, Samsung Foundry 4nm wafers “ruined it,” delivering chips with high power consumption and poor thermal management. Low factory yield was also an issue back then, with the percentage of usable chips produced being far from ideal.

Qualcomm acted quickly to remedy things by moving chip production to TSMC for the second half of the year. The company used the same design but slightly increased the CPU clock speeds. The result was the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, one of the best chips in the company’s history. At the time, Samsung Foundry was widely blamed as the source of the problems with the original chip.

In fact, the Snapdragon 888, the predecessor of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, was already showing some signs that something was not quite right. While the chip did not exhibit the latter’s severe problems, it already presented worse thermal control and energy efficiency than usual. Nvidia, another big player in the tech industry, also switched from Samsung to TSMC. In this way, Samsung suddenly lost its main customers for the time.

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