Author: i2wtc

Meta is facing new pressure from OpenAI, the juggernaut behind ChatGPT, which is now making waves in short-form video with its viral hit, Sora 2. The new app combines AI-powered video generation with a social feed that mimics TikTok and Instagram Reels. Less than five days after its Sept. 30 launch , Sora 2 racked up over a million iOS downloads for Apple devices, despite being invite-only. That pace outstripped downloads for the ChatGPT app when it launched in May 2023, six months after the AI chatbot debuted on web browsers, marking the start of its historic rise in popularity…

There’s just two months until Christmas Eve, and retailers are meeting a more cautious shopper with earlier offerings.Most retailers won’t report third-quarter results or updated holiday expectations until just before Thanksgiving, largely considered the sector’s most important week of the year. By then, many shoppers will have already started checking off holiday shopping lists.Amazon’s October Prime Day sales event and competitors’ ever-earlier Black Friday deals grab some portion of the holiday wallet share. The unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season comes as executives point to a bifurcation in consumer spending, with lower-income consumers feeling the strain on their budgets,…

Heavy machinery, vehicles torched; later two abductees released, 18 still missing Unidentified gunmen reportedly attacked a construction company’s camp in Khuzdar district and ‘abducted 20 labourers’. The assailants also torched several vehicles and heavy machinery, causing extensive damage to the site. Officials said the incident occurred in the remote Kaleri area of Naal, about 80 kilometres from Khuzdar. Armed men reportedly blocked the highway before storming the private company’s camp and crush plant. The company had been working on a key road project linking Khuzdar to Basima in Washuk district—part of Balochistan’s ongoing development plans. According to Levies officer Ali…

Shares of Advanced Micro Devices jumped more than 6% on a report that IBM can utilize the company’s chips to run certain quantum computing algorithms.IBM gained about 6%.Reuters reported on Friday that a paper will publish next week showing that IBM can run a quantum error-correction algorithm on AMD’s field-programmable gate array chips.Representatives from AMD and IBM didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.In August, the two companies announced an agreement to develop quantum computing capabilities and integrate technologies. IBM has also said it plans to debut a quantum computer by 2029. The technology utilizes quantum mechanics to address problems…

My top 10 things to watch Friday, Oct. 24 1. The long-awaited September consumer inflation report, delayed because of the ongoing government shutdown, came in slightly cooler than expected at an 3% annual rate. While still above the Fed’s 2% target rate, the stock market liked the number. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said he has called off trade talks with Canada . 2. Intel shares rose almost 7% this morning after a comeback quarter. Demand for PCs was strong, five years past the Covid pull-forward in demand. Now the refresh is off a larger base. Windows 11 is helping that,…

IRVINE, Calif. — Taco Bell is going all in on beverages, starting with its Live Más Café concept.The Yum Brands chain unveiled the drink-focused store format last December, with the first location in Chula Vista, California. Ten months later came the second location, near the University of California, Irvine, campus. By the end of the year, Taco Bell is projecting that it will have 30 Live Más Cafés in its portfolio, across Southern California, Dallas and Houston.Unlike McDonald’s now-defunct CosMc’s spinoff, which had its own standalone locations, the Live Más Café lives inside existing Taco Bell restaurants. Customers order at…

State Bank of Pakistan. Photo: File LAHORE: When the federal government together with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced a subsidised housing loan scheme for first-time home buyers, many breathed a sigh of relief. For the first time, families dreaming of a modest house in cities like Lahore finally had a government-backed path. But as the fine print comes to light, scepticism is creeping in. Senior Executive Committee Member of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ali Imran Asif, called it a welcome step, but one that must have clear objectives, otherwise it will plateau. He warned that…

New York Attorney General Letitia James is set to plead not guilty Friday morning in federal court in Virginia to a fraud case tied to mortgage records she signed in 2020.James is a longtime antagonist of President Donald Trump, who publicly urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to target her weeks before she was indicted.James’ arraignment in U.S. District Court in Norfolk is set to begin at 11 a.m. ET. She faces one count each of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution.James has decried the charges as “baseless,” calling her indictment “nothing more than a continuation of…

A man sits next to trucks parked at the Torkham border crossing, after Pakistan closed border crossings with Afghanistan, following exchanges of fire between the forces of the two countries, in Torkham, Pakistan, October 12, 2025 Photo: Reuters KARACHI: Pakistan on Thursday partially restored the Afghan Transit Trade after a 10-day suspension caused by intense clashes between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban. Around 300 vehicles had been stranded at various points for around two weeks. Transit trade operations would initially be resumed via the Chaman border. A detailed notification has been issued by the Directorate of Transit Trade (Customs), according…

Tesla CEO Elon Musk lashed out at the leading shareholder advisors on Wednesday, shining a spotlight into a corner of Wall Street that wields enormous influence among the largest institutional investors. Musk said proxy advisors Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis “have no freaking clue” after ISS last week recommended shareholders reject Musk’s near $1 trillion pay package, labeling them “corporate terrorists” on a call with analysts after Tesla’s latest earnings report. “They have made many terrible recommendations in the past,” the billionaire entrepreneur said, referring to advisors including ISS and Glass Lewis. Their past advice “would have been extremely…