Senate Will Ok "clunker" Extension This Week: Reid

Colorado’s projected budget hole may not be quite as deep as originally projected, but economic forecasters warned Thursday that the state was still in for a difficult year. New state economic forecasts predict legislators will have about $250 million more in revenue they can use to put together the budget compared to earlier September projections.

Apple is said to have commenced discussions with Tencent Holdings and ByteDance to deliver its Apple Intelligence service to mainland China.  As initially reported by Reuters, the approach to the Chinese heavyweights is necessary as Apple is required to work with a local AI model provider to make the expansion happen. With the talks said to be at an early stage, a conclusion is not yet in sight, but there is likely to be plenty of interest in the lucrative contract.  The Chinese market is very busy, populated with several AI providers, including Baidu.  It has partnered with Apple but obstacles have appeared in the way of progress, with Baidu’s LLMs experiencing issues with prompts and accuracy in response to ordinary queries.

MicroStrategy may have to stop buying ever more Bitcoin (BTC) as rumors suggest that the firm is amid a blackout period, which is preventing it from issuing shares or convertible debt. Publicly traded companies often self-impose these kinds of blackout periods and restrict some financial activities to comply with regulations or avoid attracting regulatory attention.

Sony Group has confirmed it is now the largest single shareholder in Kadokawa, in an investment deal worth around 50 billion yen ($320 million).  The agreement will increase Sony’s holding in the Japanese media conglomerate to 10%, with both entities signing a “strategic capital and business alliance” to pursue further collaboration for mutual benefit. The deal with the parent company of FromSoftware puts a full takeover on hold, which it was reportedly open to.

The Nintendo Switch boasts a plethora of titles you can play on the go and on the couch for free. From whimsical platformers to expansive open world adventures, there’s an abundance of quality titles available without spending a dime. These top-rated Nintendo Switch games warrant owning the multi-functional console, and can be played at no extra cost.