Databricks just snagged a jaw-dropping $10 billion in its Series J round, skyrocketing its valuation to $62 billion as of December 2024. Led by Thrive Capital and featuring heavyweights like Andreessen Horowitz, this funding catapults Databricks into elite AI territory, aiming for a $3 billion revenue run rate by year-end. CEO Ali Ghodsi’s gamble on Databricks SQL is paying off, giving Snowflake a serious run for its data warehousing crown. AI enthusiasts, buckle up!

The EU launched a formal probe on Dec 18, 2024, into TikTok’s role in Romania’s 2024 presidential election fiasco. Allegations point to Russian-backed 25,000 fake accounts boosting far-right candidate Calin Georgescu, leading to the election’s annulment on Dec 6. TikTok defends itself, citing global safeguards and removal of suspicious activity. Potential penalties loom large—up to 6% of TikTok’s revenue or a European ban. As democracy dances with algorithms, the world watches closely.

On November 25, 2024, Towana Looney of Alabama became the fifth American to receive a gene-edited pig kidney at NYU Langone Health, ending her eight-year dialysis marathon. After four previous recipients faced severe complications, Looney's successful recovery is a beacon of hope for xenotransplantation. With over 100,000 Americans on transplant lists, this breakthrough could alleviate the organ shortage crisis. Researchers are cautiously optimistic, navigating challenges like immune rejection and virus transmission—all in the name of saving lives with a bit of swine ingenuity!

NASA’s Perseverance rover reached the summit of Jezero Crater after a three-and-a-half-month, 500-meter climb—proof that even rovers need a good hike! Kicking off its "Northern Rim" campaign, Perseverance will trek four miles across Mars, exploring ancient billion-year-old rocks at Witch Hazel Hill. Overcoming 20% slopes with some robotic gymnastics, it gathers samples for NASA and ESA’s Mars Sample Return mission, inching us closer to finding Martian fossils. Cheers to Perseverance’s perseverance!

The colossal iceberg A23a, larger than Rhode Island and weighing nearly a trillion tons, remains entrapped in the Taylor column near the South Orkney Islands as of December 2024. Since breaking off the Filchner-Ronne ice shelf in 1986, A23a has defied time, rotating counterclockwise 15 degrees daily within the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Researchers are intrigued by its longevity and potential environmental impacts from mineral dust release. Stay tuned as A23a continues its frosty dance!

Nvidia just turbocharged the AI scene with the Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit, now slashed to $249 from $499. Boasting 67 TOPS—70% faster than its predecessor—and 8GB RAM, this compact powerhouse is perfect for hobbyists and small businesses eager to dive into AI and robotics without emptying their wallets.

Available since early December 2024, the Orin Nano Super offers impressive energy efficiency and versatile connectivity, making advanced AI applications more accessible and affordable. Time to upgrade your projects with Nvidia’s latest gem!

In galaxy 2MASX J21240027+3409114, a billion light-years away in Cygnus, scientists spotted two supermassive black holes gobbling a massive gas cloud. Detected by the Zwicky Transient Facility, their quirky brightness cycles every 60-90 days across X-rays to optical light. With a combined mass of 40 million suns and set to merge in 70,000 years, this celestial duo offers fresh insights into galaxy evolution. Astronomers eagerly await further observations to confirm this cosmic choreography.

In December 2024, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured a nostalgic image of the retired InSight lander, now elegantly dust-covered. Landing in November 2018, InSight surpassed expectations by detecting marsquakes and unveiling Mars’ geological secrets until dust dimmed its solar panels in December 2022. Though silent, these orbiter snapshots offer invaluable insights into Martian dust dynamics, paving the way for future missions. InSight may have retired, but its dusty legacy continues to inspire.

Nvidia tops the Dow Jones in 2024 with a jaw-dropping 2,300% rise over five years and a forecasted 170% gain this year. Commanding 80% of the AI chip market, their upcoming Blackwell architecture—featuring 208 billion transistors and 20 petaflops—is set to turbocharge profits. Q1 2025 revenues soared to $26B, powered by partnerships with Microsoft and Oracle. Wall Street envisions a $20T Nvidia by 2030, but savvy investors watch for volatility and tough competition.

As of December 18, 2024, Lockheed Martin has birthed Astris AI, its new subsidiary aiming to infuse secure artificial intelligence into U.S. defense and beyond. Spearheaded by Donna O’Donnell, Astris AI offers cutting-edge MLOps and generative AI tools, tackling the AI talent shortage with Lockheed’s expert team. Part of the Evolve portfolio, this venture promises robust, compliant AI solutions—because even in high-tech defense, a little smart humor and sensible strategy go a long way.

Dexcom isn't just counting glucose anymore—it’s now chatting with you! As the first CGM maker to integrate generative AI, Dexcom's new platform, built with Google Cloud’s Vertex AI and Gemini models, empowers the FDA-cleared Stelo biosensor with personalized weekly tips on diet, exercise, and sleep. Users can expect improved A1C control and smarter health decisions. Looking ahead to 2025, Dexcom plans real-time feedback and predictive features, sweetening the journey to better metabolic health.