A new report from the team at iVerify warns that a “previously unknown” vulnerability in iOS maybe enabled a highly targeted attack on iPhones in the U.S. as well as Europe. This flaw was not in the core messaging architecture itself, but in its nickname feature. “Any increase in the size of a codebase is going to introduce attack opportunities,” iVerify told. And that’s the case here. When a user updates their profile, “nickname, photo, or wallpaper,” this triggers “a ‘Nickname Update’ on a recipient’s device.” Trivial though it might seem, that nickname update process is a data transmission from one device to another, it’s implicitly trusted data and it’s within the secure enclave. “This vulnerability was present in iOS versions up to 18.1.1 and fixed in iOS 18.3.1.” While there’s no doubting the flaw and the fix, there is no concrete proof it was exploited in the wild. “We analyzed crash data from nearly 50,000 devices,” iVerify says, “and found that the imagent crashes related to Nickname Updates are exceedingly rare, comprising less than 0.001% of all crash logs collected.” But those rare instances appeared only on “devices belonging to individuals likely to be targeted by sophisticated threat actors.” iVerify reports that forensic examination of one affected device “provided evidence suggesting exploitation: several directories related to SMS attachments and message metadata were modified and then emptied just 20 seconds after the imagent crash occurred. This pattern of deleting potential evidence mirrors techniques observed in confirmed spyware attacks where attackers ‘clean up’ after themselves.”
Dots.eco platform enables earning real-world environmental rewards by letting games and apps integrate an API that exposes to over 250 vetted global projects
Dots.eco, a platform for real-world environmental rewards, has emerged as a for-profit company that can help game companies grow their audiences through a common interest in saving the environment. Through the real world rewards program, players can plant trees, protect wildlife, clean oceans, and more, just by reaching milestones, purchasing game items, making website purchases, or completing game missions. The game becomes the conduit for doing good, said Nadav Grosz, CEO of Dots.eco. Dots.eco is a partner in The Playing for the Planet Alliance, an initiative facilitated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The Dots.eco platform exposes an API to over 250 vetted global environmental projects that are constantly monitored, including by satellite imagery analysis, images from the grounds, and reports, analysed by inhouse AI technology. Dots.eco can integrate naturally with many game themes, as it supports a wide range of animal species, habitats and subjects that are present in almost every game. Games integrate the API, or the Dots.eco Unity SDK, and incentivise in-game milestones, or In-App-Purchases. For example, you will save a sea-turtle, or buy 10ft2 of land for wildlife, protect your game hero animal, for downloading the game, reaching a certain level, buying a skin or removing ads. By integrating into games and other apps, the company is building the world’s largest community of impact makers and collectors and are dedicated to converting daily actions into transformative impact for a sustainable future. Players will be able to contribute to real-world restoration projects by progressing through storylines, completing missions, or making purchases, all seamlessly integrated into each game’s theme and mechanics. Past campaigns using Dots.eco’s platform have boosted revenues by over 10%, increased first-time payers by 20%, and increased session time by 25%, all while earning the highest sentiment scores some studios have seen
Starbucks is leveraging location-based marketing technology from Radar to send promotions of specific drink discounts or other deals via push-based text notifications to customers when they are near one of its stores.
Starbucks Coffee Company is personalizing mobile promotions to customers as they approach stores. The coffee giant is leveraging location-based marketing technology from Radar to send promotions of specific drink discounts or other deals via push-based text notifications to customers when they are near one of its stores. Typically, the discount is personalized to match the customer’s favorite drink based on their purchase history. Location-based marketing is core to the Starbucks mobile marketing strategy, and has helped the company maintain one of the most engaged customer bases in the quick-service restaurant vertical and second place in the 2025 Brand Finance annual report of the world’s 25 most valuable restaurant brands. The Starbucks app is the industry leader in active usage, with 48% of US restaurant app users surveyed by The Manifest saying the Starbucks’ app is the one they most regularly use. In addition, 34.3 million of the retailer’s U.S. reward members made up nearly 60% of their U.S. sales as of the first quarter of 2024. Other app features include the ability to place orders for DoorDash delivery from local Starbucks stores within the Starbucks app in the U.S. and most of Canada.
Bank of England tests AI to spot real-time payment fraud and uncovered 12% more illicit accounts than they would otherwise have found
The bank of England’s Project Hertha tested the application of modern AI techniques to help spot complex and coordinated criminal activity in payment system data. The experiments were conducted using a state-of-the-art simulated synthetic transaction dataset, developed as part of the project. It includes data for 1.8 million bank accounts and 308 million transactions. The dataset was built by using an advanced AI model trained to simulate realistic transaction patterns. It found that payment system analytics could be a valuable “supplementary tool” to help banks and payment service providers (PSPs) spot suspicious activity. Banks and PSPs participating in the project uncovered 12% more illicit accounts than they would otherwise have found. The experiment also proved particularly valuable for spotting novel financial crime patterns. When trying to spot previously unseen behaviours, it helped achieve a 26% improvement. “The results demonstrate promise but also show there are limits to the application and effectiveness of system analytics,” states the BofE. “It is just one piece of the puzzle. The introduction of a similar solution would also raise complex practical, legal and regulatory issues. Analysing these was beyond the scope of Project Hertha.” The central bank says the results also highlight the importance of labelled training data, robust model feedback loop and explainable AI algorithms to maximise effectiveness.
Clear Capital’s integration lets lenders to initiate appraisal reviews from within the loan file itself and automatically upload completed documentation
Mortgage and valuation technology firm Clear Capital has integrated its automated appraisal review platform, ClearCollateral Review, with ICE Mortgage Technology’s Encompass Partner Connect. The move allows lenders to access appraisal review tools directly within their loan origination systems. Through the integration, lenders can initiate appraisal reviews within the loan file and completed documentation is automatically uploaded to the system. The platform includes several tools designed to support compliance and accuracy: ClearQC, which offers rule sets tailored to underwriting guidelines and regulatory standards’ Condition Model, powered by artificial intelligence, that compares property conditions using appraisal images against appraisers’ own ratings to identify inconsistencies; ClearPhoto, which uses AI to automate the review of photos and sketches; ClearProp, which consolidates property data, comparable sales and historical records for research and verification; Configurable Review Forms, which range from checklists to in-depth analyses, many of which are prefilled with objective data from appraisals. According to Clear Capital, the integration is intended to broaden access to automated appraisal review tools without requiring custom technical configurations, potentially allowing lenders to manage increased loan volume while reducing underwriting risk.
Thread AI’s composable AI infrastructure connects models, data, and automation into adaptable, end-to-end workflows aligned with enterprise-specific needs to rapidly prototype and deploy AI agents
Thread AI, a leader in composable AI infrastructure, has raised $20 million in Series A funding. Despite the rapid adoption of AI, many organizations struggle integrating AI into complex, evolving environments. They often must choose between rigid, pre-built AI tools that don’t fit their workflows, or costly custom solutions requiring extensive engineering. Thread AI addresses this gap with composable infrastructure that connects AI models, data, and automation into adaptable, end-to-end workflows aligned with each organization’s specific needs. Unlike traditional RPA, ETL, or workflow engines that mirror human workflows or require large infrastructure investments, Thread AI’s Lemma platform allows enterprises to rapidly prototype and deploy event-driven, distributed AI workflows and agents. Lemma supports unlimited AI models, APIs, and applications all within a single platform built with enterprise-grade security. This speeds up deployment, reduces operational burden, and simplifies infrastructure, while maintaining governance, observability, and seamless AI model upgrades. As a result, Thread AI equips enterprises with the flexibility to keep up with rapidly changing AI ecosystem, and the cross-functionality to unlock the power of AI across their entire organization. Lemma users report a 70% improvement in process response times, along with significant efficiency gains as AI-powered workflows reduce operational bottlenecks. Early customers have expanded their AI implementations by 250% to 500%, demonstrating Thread AI’s scalability and practical impact.
Atudy finds gen AI tools can enhance employees’ creativity but only if they are active thinkers who analyze their tasks, monitor their thought processes, and adjust their approaches
A study by Tulane University researchers has found that generative AI tools like ChatGPT can enhance employees’ creativity if they can think critically about their work and use the tools effectively. The study, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, is one of the first field experiments to investigate the impact of large language models (LLMs) on creativity in real-world work settings. The researchers randomly assigned 250 employees to use ChatGPT or not during a regular workweek. The study found that employees who benefited most from AI use were active thinkers who actively analyzed their tasks, monitored their thought processes, and adjusted their approaches. The researchers suggest that companies investing in AI to drive innovation need to help employees develop better thinking habits, including how to assess problems, adjust strategies, and utilize new resources. The study also suggests that short training programs can help workers become more intentional in planning, monitoring, and adapting their work, making them more effective at using AI tools creatively. The study’s implications extend beyond the workplace, urging educators and policymakers to treat metacognitive skill development as a core priority in preparing students and workers for the age of AI.
Deobanks combine decentralization and blockchain to enable users to manage money without a bank account through a non-custodial service that offers full user control and access to private cryptographic keys using digital wallet app
Deobanks are a special and perhaps superior new type of financial service that has been built for flexibility, access, and user control. They aim to harness the power of decentralization and blockchain technology while overcoming the issues of other crypto apps, making financial independence more user-friendly and accessible. One deobank that stands out, and which is building this new direction for non-custodial solutions, is WeFi, which will hand over your private cryptographic keys, if you want them. You’ll be given the choice of full control and the ability to manage money without a bank account, or you can opt for the standard custodial service. With WeFi, your funds will always be accessible (no freezes), and you will control everything through a clean and intuitive digital wallet app. In the background, smart contracts will automate financial processes to reduce human error. WeFi has found that deobanks provide tangible benefits, such as: Access for the unbanked; Enhanced global financial management for digital nomads; Increased transparency and control for everyday users. WeFi will offer significant benefits for your financial future: Blockchain security, Reduced environmental impact, Simplified onboarding, Wealth-generation tools, WFI token rewards.
AI could transform video gaming by making it interactive and responsive to user choices through user co-creation, adaptive storytelling and real-time personalization for in-game purchases
Video gaming giants Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo have long dominated video gameplay, but Dizzaract Games, a UAE-born gaming studio is positioning itself at the intersection of AI and interactive entertainment. With a product roadmap designed for user co-creation, adaptive storytelling and real-time personalization, the company is betting on a seismic shift in what video games are and how they’ll be built. “Until now, narratives were scripted – you played through what was already written. But AI flips that. It can generate evolving storylines that respond to your choices, making gameplay feel more like stepping into a dream or directing your own film in real time,” says Ilman Shazhaev. Dizzaract is also using AI across its development pipeline to help the human team do everything from digital asset creation to quality assurance. That AI strategy is helping to lower production costs and compress design cycles, which Shazhaev calls critical advantages when facing off with incumbent gaming firms such as EA, Ubisoft or Tencent. But he says an even more radical shift is coming regarding in-game purchases that players can make for a better gaming experience. “Think about in-game economies where item prices or currency rates react in real time to global markets or external marketplaces. That’s where things get really interesting. The pricing system could also adapt based on the country you are playing from, taking into account factors like your country’s currency inflation and other economic indicators. Integrating those gaming economies directly into the world economy gives you different experiences altogether,” Shazhaev said.
Stablecoins are propelling cross-border money transfer by being at least 10 times cheaper, 100 times faster while users avoid capital controls, currency conversion hurdles, and heavy compliance bottlenecks
While much of the attention on stablecoins focuses on regulation and market cap, their real momentum comes from how they’re being used: Global money transfers: Compared to transferring the same amount via stablecoins, even in the worst case, fees might only be a few dollars, and the transaction typically settles within minutes. That’s at least 10 times cheaper and potentially 100 times faster. There’s also another major benefit: users avoid capital controls, currency conversion hurdles, and heavy compliance bottlenecks, particularly relevant when sending money from or to countries with restrictive financial systems. Means of payment: The second use case — using stablecoins as a means of payment — is less advanced, largely due to regulatory inertia. ccording to U.S. Treasury International Capital data, Tether’s treasury holdings alone rival those of sovereign investors like Germany or Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Circle’s portfolio is comparable to that of Thailand or Sweden. With such significant exposure to U.S. debt and growing political opposition to CBDCs—including campaign promises from Donald Trump to block their development—stablecoins may have already secured their place as the preferred digital dollar infrastructure in the United States. Decentralized finance (DeFi). The third major use case—decentralized finance —is where stablecoins are already thriving. They serve as the foundational currency for DeFi applications, enabling lending, borrowing, swapping, yield farming, and more—all without centralized intermediaries. The functionality mirrors traditional finance but with key advantages: it’s global, permissionless, and often more efficient. As crypto infrastructure intersects with artificial intelligence, stablecoins could enable AI agents to transact autonomously, unlocking programmable, real-time finance.