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Urban Clouds
    • 5 days ago

👉Issue #83 of QX Snapshots is out!




Welcome to QX Snapshots - a weekly recap of the key news on emerging technologies. In this newsletter, you will get a "digest" of the latest info on Enterprise Blockchain, AI, Quantum Technology. Hope it brings you value :)


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Every Friday we share key snapshot news on AI, Quantum Technologies, Metaverse, and Enterprise Blockchain/DLT.


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[Blockchain] Swift’s Vision for Digital Assets, Janus Henderson Launches Tokenized Treasury Fund, Allegiance Oil & Gas Debuts Mineral Vault, and Finstreet Builds Blockchain-Powered Financial Ecosystem in UAE. Swift has announced that it is advancing initiatives to integrate digital assets and digital currencies into its system. Building on successful experiments with blockchain interoperability and CBDC sandboxes, Swift aims to enable members to transact seamlessly with both traditional and emerging digital assets. The goal is to address the challenges of fragmented 'digital islands' in the growing digital asset market. Swift is developing solutions for multi-ledger transactions, including Delivery-versus-Payment and Payment-versus-Payment, on its secure global platform. Meanwhile, Janus Henderson, the $360bn US asset manager is partnering with Anemoy and Centrifuge to manage the Liquid Treasury Fund (LTF), a tokenized fund offering access to US Treasury bills. It will manage the fund's operations through its subsidiary, Tabula. This collaboration aims to bridge traditional and decentralized finance, leveraging blockchain technology to transform asset management. The partnership aligns with Janus Henderson's innovation strategy, focusing on blockchain readiness and tokenization. Also, Allegiance Oil & Gas with $1 billion AUM is launching Mineral Vault on Plume Network, the first tokenization platform for U.S. mineral interests. This initiative allows global investors direct access to a previously exclusive asset class. Mineral interests, a unique form of real estate in the U.S., grant rights to extract and profit from underground resources. Tokenization addresses traditional challenges in mineral interest investments, such as complex title verification and transfer processes. Mineral Vault offers tokenized titles with guarantees and streamlined administrative procedures through blockchain technology. And, Finstreet, a Rorix Holding subsidiary, has received eight licenses in Abu Dhabi to launch a comprehensive digital financial ecosystem. This includes a digital MTF, central securities depository, and private financing platform in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). Finstreet will offer the first regulated, end-to-end hybrid traditional and blockchain-powered ecosystem for investors and issuers, covering the full lifecycle of financial assets. 


[AI] OpenAI Unveils o1-Preview AI Models for Advanced Reasoning, Google Enhances Robot Dexterity with ALOHA and DemoStart, and Salesforce Launches Agentforce Autonomous AI Agents. OpenAI has introduced the o1-preview, a new series of AI models designed for enhanced reasoning capabilities. These models excel in complex tasks in science, coding, and math, outperforming previous versions in various benchmarks. The o1 series includes improved safety features and has undergone rigorous testing. OpenAI is also releasing o1-mini, a faster and cheaper version optimized for coding. Both models are available to ChatGPT Plus and Team users, with planned access for Enterprise, Edu, and API users. The company is collaborating with U.S. and U.K. AI Safety Institutes and plans to continue developing both the o1 and GPT series, with future updates to include additional features like browsing and file uploading. Meanwhile, Google researchers have introduced two new AI systems for advancing robot dexterity: ALOHA Unleashed and DemoStart. ALOHA Unleashed enables robots to perform complex two-armed tasks like tying shoelaces and hanging shirts, learning from human demonstrations. DemoStart uses simulations to improve real-world performance of multi-fingered robotic hands, requiring fewer demonstrations and achieving high success rates in various tasks. Both systems aim to bridge the gap between simulated learning and real-world application. These advancements in robot dexterity research are paving the way for more versatile and helpful robots in various settings. And, Salesforce has introduced Agentforce, a suite of autonomous AI agents designed to enhance efficiency across service, sales, marketing, and commerce. These agents can analyze data, make decisions, and complete tasks independently, surpassing traditional copilots and chatbots. Agentforce includes the Atlas Reasoning Engine, low-code tools for customization, and a partner network for pre-built agents. The system aims to augment human workforce, handling routine tasks and allowing employees to focus on strategic work. Companies like OpenTable, Saks, and Wiley are already using Agentforce, reporting significant improvements in case resolution and customer engagement. 


[Quantum Technology] ABreakthrough in MOS Quantum Computing, Microsoft and Oxford Ionics Set New Records in Logical Qubits and Quantum State Fidelity. Australian researchers have achieved a significant milestone in metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) based quantum computing. Their two-qubit gates now perform with 99% accuracy, meeting the threshold for error correction in large-scale quantum computers. This CMOS-compatible approach offers advantages in scalability and integration with traditional transistors. The team identified and addressed sources of noise, including isotopic impurities and electric field variations. While device-to-device variability remains a challenge, the technology shows promise for scaling to thousands of qubits. Companies like Intel are also developing similar technologies, focusing on scaling and input/output efficiency. Diraq, in partnership with Global Foundries, plans to create chips with thousands of interconnected MOS qubits, potentially advancing the field of quantum computing. Meanwhile, Microsoft and Quantinuum have broken a record in creating 12 highly reliable logical qubits, marking a significant advance in quantum computing. This achievement, using an improved qubit virtualization system, resulted in error rates 800 times better than physical qubits. Microsoft also announced a partnership with Atom Computing to build what they claim will be the world's most powerful quantum machine, integrating Atom's neutral atom hardware with Microsoft's Azure Quantum platform. These advancements aim to address real-world challenges, as demonstrated by an end-to-end chemistry simulation combining logical quantum computation with cloud HPC and AI. Microsoft plans to commercialize this technology, focusing on scientific and commercial applications in various fields. Also, UK-based Oxford Ionics has set a new world record in quantum state preparation and measurement (SPAM) with 99.9993% fidelity, representing a 13x reduction in errors compared to previous best approaches. This achievement, validated at the University of Oxford, complements their recent record-breaking single- and two-qubit gate fidelities. Oxford Ionics uses patented 'Electronic Qubit Control' technology, which relies on electronics rather than lasers, allowing for easier scalability using existing semiconductor manufacturing processes. 


[General technology] New TrickMo Android Trojan Variant Targets Banking Credentials, Ajina.Banker Hits Central Asia, and Singapore Police Dismantle Global Cybercrime Syndicate.  Researchers have discovered a new variant of the Android banking trojan TrickMo with enhanced evasion capabilities. The malware, linked to the defunct TrickBot gang, targets users in Germany to steal banking credentials and 2FA codes. It masquerades as a Google Chrome update, abuses Android's accessibility services for extensive device control, and can record screens, log keystrokes, and harvest sensitive data. The researchers also found misconfigurations in the malware's command-and-control server, exposing 12 GB of stolen data. This security lapse puts victims at risk of identity theft and financial fraud. Google is working on improving security measures against sideloading to combat such threats. Meanwhile, a new Android malware called Ajina.Banker has been targeting bank customers in Central Asia. Discovered by Group-IB, the malware spreads through Telegram channels disguised as legitimate apps. It harvests financial data, intercepts 2FA messages. The malware distribution process is automated and bypasses Telegram's security measures. Once installed, Ajina.Banker collects SIM card information, financial app data, and SMS messages. Newer versions can serve phishing pages and abuse Android's accessibility services. Google confirmed the malware is not on the Play Store, and users are protected by Google Play Protect. Also, Singapore police have arrested individuals for their alleged involvement in a global cybercrime syndicate. The arrests followed raids conducted by 160 law enforcement officials on September 9, 2024. The suspects, aged 32-42, were found in possession of hacking tools, malware control software, and credentials for accessing servers used by known hacker groups. Authorities seized laptops, mobile phones, cash, and other things worth approximately $850,000. The individuals have been charged under the Computer Misuse Act 1993 for unauthorized access to computer material, personal information retention, and hacking software possession. Singapore police emphasized their zero tolerance for criminal cyber activities conducted from the country.








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