'avengers' Smashes Record: $200.3 Million Debut

The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear from TikTok’s ByteDance once more to hear their case on January 10. This comes after President Joe Biden signed into law a ban on the platform on April 24, 2024. It is owned by ByteDance which is based in China. The bill requires the app to either be sold or banned by January 19, but the company may now have a last-ditch attempt to change its fate. On December 16, TikTok requested an injunction from the Supreme Court which aims to block the ban until the conservative majority court rules on its legality or dismisses the case. Two days later, on December 18, the Supreme Court announced it will review TikTok’s challenge against the federal law and oral arguments have been scheduled for January 10.

The photo app Snapchat is overhauling how people earn money on its platform, at a time when TikTok influencers will be looking for alternatives ahead of the looming ban. The company announced a ‘new, unified monetization program for creators’ this week which aims to empower “creators with expanded monetization and evolving rewards.” The program will place ads within a creator’s Stories and now in longer Spotlight videos as well.

The undisputed boxing heavyweight world title rematch between Oleksandr Usky vs Tyson Fury is set to take place on Saturday, with the odds in favor of Usyk. The first match happened on May 18, when both boxers stepped into the ring in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. The result was a split decision, with the Ukrainian professional beating the ‘Gypsy King.’ The result led to Usyk becoming the first boxer to hold all four major heavyweight belts at the same time and the first undisputed champion in 24 years.

If you’re limiting your location exploration only to Google Maps—or Apple Maps, for that matter—you’re missing out on some incredible options. Look, Google Maps is fine. It’s arguably even great—probably one of the most-opened apps on lots of our phones and absolutely one of the most indispensable.

Major cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com withdrew its lawsuit against the United States Securities and  Exchange Commission (SEC) following a meeting between its CEO and President-elect Donald Trump. An insider cited by Bloomberg revealed that Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek and Trump discussed government appointments related to the crypto industry and Trump’s plans for a Bitcoin (BTC) reserve.

Perplexity AI was criticized by Forbes and Wired in recent weeks. Getty/NurPhotoPerplexity AI reportedly secured $500 million in its latest funding round this month. That puts the startup's valuation at $9 billion, tripling its worth within six months. A handful of AI startups have seen its valuation skyrocket amid rapid funding rounds this year.