Mistral Unveils New AI Models and Upgrades Le Chat

Mistra has released a series of updates to its product portfolio, including new AI models and chat features. The company's Le Chat chatbot platform can now search the web with citations, similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT, and has gained a "canvas" tool that allows users to modify and edit content. Additionally, Le Chat can now process large PDF documents and images for analysis and summarization and can host shareable automated workflows for tasks like scanning expense reports and invoice processing.

Mistral has also unveiled two new AI models: Pixtral Large and Mistral Large 24.11. Pixtral Large is a multimodal model that can process text and images, demonstrating frontier-level image understanding. Mistral Large 24.11 is a text-only model that brings notable improvements in long context understanding, making it well-suited for use cases like document analysis and task automation. Both models can be used outside of Le Chat under two licenses: a research license and an enterprise license.

Mistral's updates are part of its mission to create highly competitive models and services, and to make money in the process. The company has reportedly begun to generate revenue this summer and is committed to delivering frontier AI capabilities at affordable price points. Mistral's approach to AI is focused on placing advanced AI capabilities in the hands of users, rather than chasing artificial general intelligence at all costs.

Apple Reportedly Working on ‘LLM Siri’

Apple is reportedly working on a major AI overhaul of Siri, dubbed "LLM Siri," which will make the digital assistant more conversational and natural-sounding, similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini Live. Apple's AI models will power the new system and will enable users to have more advanced interactions with Siri.

The upgraded Siri will have an expanded ability to use App Intents to interact with third-party apps, as well as the ability to summarize and write text using Apple Intelligence. According to Bloomberg, Apple plans to replace Siri's underlying software with the new system in the spring of 2026, although the company may announce its plans as early as next year.

Apple's senior vice president of software, Craig Federighi, has hinted that the AI-enhanced Siri will stand out from ChatGPT by being able to perform more practical tasks, such as opening a garage or sending a text message, in addition to answering complex questions. Federighi noted that there is a tradeoff between capabilities, but the direction is towards the convergence of these worlds.

Niantic is Building a ‘Geospatial’ AI Model Based on Pokémon Go Player Data

Niantic, the company behind Pokémon Go, is building a new "Large Geospatial Model" (LGM) that uses data from millions of scans taken by players of Pokémon Go and other Niantic products. This AI model aims to allow computers and robots to understand and interact with the world in new ways, using a combination of neural networks and 3D maps built from user-generated data.

The LGM's "spatial intelligence" is based on Niantic's Visual Positioning System, which uses a single image from a phone to determine its position and orientation using a 3D map. This data is unique because it is taken from a pedestrian perspective and includes places inaccessible to cars. According to Niantic Chief Scientist Victor Prisacariu, the company has built high-fidelity 3D maps of the world using data from users playing games like Ingress and Pokémon Go.

The use of user-generated data to fuel this AI product is a surprising development, as it was not anticipated when Pokémon Go was first released in 2016. The LGM has the potential to enable new applications and interactions between computers, robots, and the physical world, and Niantic is likely to continue to develop and refine this technology in the future.

• Anthropic raises another $4B from Amazon, makes AWS its ‘primary’ training partner
• Google’s Gemini chatbot now has memory; Google Cloud launches AI Agent Space
• Microsoft’s new Copilot Actions use AI to automate repetitive tasks

• Nvidia accelerates Google quantum AI design; confirms Blackwell AI chip is ‘full steam’ ahead
• OpenAI considering making its browser
• Perplexity’s AI search engine can now buy products for you

Square Enix to Bring Final Fantasy XIV to Mobile With Lightspeed

Square Enix and Lightspeed Studios are teaming up to bring Final Fantasy XIV to mobile devices. The game, which is already available on PC and Xbox Series X|S, will be released in China first through playtests, followed by a global launch. The mobile version will allow players to take on the role of a Warrior of Light and interact with others while going through the game's core and post-launch stories.

According to director and producer Naoki Yoshida, the mobile version is designed to be "a sister to FFXIV, aiming to recreate the grandeur of the original's story and combat mechanics" for a new audience. This is not the first time Square Enix has ported a Final Fantasy game to mobile devices, having previously released several mainline and spinoff titles with varying degrees of success.

The trend of bringing big games to mobile devices is becoming increasingly popular, with other major franchises such as Call of Duty, Ubisoft's Tom Clancy series, and Warframe also making the jump. However, not all games are suited for mobile devices, and some have failed to find an audience, such as EA's Apex Legends and Capcom's Resident Evil 4 remake.

Dream Games Launches ‘Royal Kingdom’ Worldwide as ‘Royal Match’ Nears $4B

Dream Games has officially launched Royal Kingdom, a spin-off to its multi-billion hit match-3 mobile game Royal Match. The game has been in soft launch for 19 months, during which it has generated $21.2 million in gross player spending, with the UK being the most lucrative territory, contributing $15.8 million. Royal Kingdom introduces new puzzles, kingdoms, and characters to the Royal Match IP, and players are expected to solve match-3 puzzles to build kingdoms and defend the land from evil forces.

The game's soft launch has shown promising revenue growth, with player spending increasing as the game approaches full release. In October, Royal Kingdom generated $1.9 million in player spending, and in November, weekly spending continued to rise, with a peak of $511,000 between November 11th and 17th. While these numbers are significant, they are still small compared to Royal Match's current earnings, which generated $177.1 million in October and $39.4 million in the week of November 11th.

Royal Match has had over three years to establish itself as a leading puzzle game, breaking records and surpassing King's Candy Crush as the top match-3 game last year. With a US-based audience contributing 55% of its $3.9 billion lifetime revenue, Royal Kingdom's full launch in the US market is expected to be a significant milestone in its journey to potentially reach $1 billion or more in revenue.

Stalker 2 Sells Over 1M Copies on Day 1

Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl has reached a significant milestone, selling one million copies worldwide. The game's developer, GSC Game World, shared the news on X and expressed gratitude to the players, saying "This is just the start of our unforgettable adventure." The game has also seen a significant number of downloads through Xbox Game Pass.

Despite receiving mixed reviews, with some critics praising the game's potential while others criticized its performance issues and bugs, GSC Game World has acknowledged the "rough edges" and emphasized its commitment to fixing the problems. The studio has promised to roll out hotfixes and larger updates to address the issues and improve the game.

The development of Stalker 2 was a remarkable achievement, considering the challenging circumstances under which it was created. GSC Game World developed the game in a war zone, amid Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. In 2022, the studio expressed defiance and determination to defend its country's freedom and independence and called on the gaming industry to support Ukraine.

• Bandai Namco dissolving online studio after Blue Protocol's collapse
• Cloud streaming beta launches on PS Portal via PlayStation Plus
• Lego and UNICEF team on game design toolbox prioritizing child safety
• Minecraft Movie’s new live-action movie trailer gets released

• New Roblox safety features give parents more control
• Samsung launches free mobile cloud gaming platform for Galaxy devices
• Valve sets new guidelines for devs selling season passes on Steam

Bitcoin ETFs Take in $1 Billion as BTC Price Nears $100,000

Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw near-record inflows of over $1 billion as the price of Bitcoin approached $100,000. The huge inflows were largely driven by Blackrock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) and Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC), which attracted $608 million and $301 million, respectively. Bitwise's Bitwise Bitcoin ETF (BITB) fund also saw significant inflows of $68 million.

The inflows come after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the listing of options for spot Bitcoin ETFs last month. The approval has led to increased interest in Bitcoin ETFs, with Blackrock's IBIT pulling in a total of $1.12 billion on November 7, a record high.

The growth of Bitcoin ETFs has been significant, with U.S. Bitcoin ETFs hitting $100 billion in assets on November 22. This represents a larger proportion of the total Bitcoin held than Bitcoin's anonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto, and accounts for about 82% of the total value of Gold ETFs.

However, the positive sentiment towards Bitcoin ETFs has not carried over to Ethereum ETFs, which have recorded outflows every day since November 14. On November 21, Ethereum ETFs hemorrhaged $7 million, according to data from Farside Investors.

Magic Eden Unveils ME Tokenomics

Magic Eden has announced the details of its official token, $ME. The token is designed to reward users with $ME for trading all assets on all chains. $ME holders will also have the ability to receive further rewards from staking, contribute to the $ME ecosystem, and have governance rights over key protocol development directions.

Magic Eden is building a cross-chain mobile-native trading decentralized app (dApp). The company's vision is to make digital ownership universal by creating a trading platform for all assets across all chains. With a philosophy towards building simple delightful experiences, Magic Eden aims to onboard new users onchain via a user-friendly platform on both desktop and mobile to trade any digital asset.

The $ME tokenomics are designed to align the community and team to ensure the long-term growth of the $ME ecosystem. The total supply of $ME is 1 billion, with over half going to the community. The token distributions will be emitted over 4 years, with an initial $ME claim at TGE of 12.5%. The majority of the community allocation will be reserved to reward active users of ME protocols, while the remaining allocation will go towards ecosystem development.

The ME Foundation, a non-profit foundation, will serve as stewards of $ME, ensuring the $ME community is set up to drive the greatest increase in on-chain users. The foundation will be governed by its Constitution, Bylaws, Articles of Association, and Memorandum of Association.

MetaMask Launches Gas Station Feature to Include Gas Costs within Swap Quotes

MetaMask has introduced a new feature called Gas Station, which allows users to complete transactions without running out of gas. This feature, also known as gas-included swaps, is available when users enable Smart Transactions with MetaMask Swaps. With Gas Station, users will no longer be blocked by insufficient gas when swapping and will be able to seamlessly complete their transactions with network fees included in the quote.

Running out of gas has been a common problem for web3 users, who must go through a time-consuming and often costly on-ramping process to purchase ETH and transfer funds to their on-chain wallet. This process can take hours, causing users to miss out on time-sensitive on-chain opportunities. Gas Station eliminates this problem, allowing users to complete transactions quickly and efficiently.

The Gas Station feature is currently live on MetaMask Extension via Ethereum mainnet, with a mobile release planned for the future. The feature supports a range of assets, including USDT, USDC, DAI, ETH, wETH, wBTC, wstETH, and wSOL. With Gas Station, users can enjoy competitive quotes with the lowest network fees, thanks to MetaMask's Swaps feature, which combines data from decentralized exchange aggregators, market makers, and DEXs.

• AI Agent memecoin’s latest launch: $ELIZA
• Coinbase Wallet introduces APY rewards for holding USDC on-chain
• Gary Gensler, big anti-crypto SEC chair, finally steps down
• Gunzilla Games, the makers of Off the Grid, gets Coinbase Ventures as an investor

• KGeN secures $10M for Web3-powered ‘gamer controlled’ economies
• Kid rugs memecoin for $30k profit, coin moons to $50M+
• MapleStory U starts MaplestoryN’s 2nd Pioneer Beta Test
• Phantom Wallet tops the AppStore ‘Utilities’ charts in the US

• Stripe improves B2B Pay with Crypto experience with stablecoin invoices
• Viral TikTok meme Chillguy’s memecoin blows up
• YGG unveils Onchain Guilds on Base