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Richard Lawler

Richard Lawler

Senior News Editor

Senior News Editor

    More From Richard Lawler

    Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried pleads not guilty to fraud, money laundering chargesFormer FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried pleads not guilty to fraud, money laundering charges
    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    Who is helping Sam Bankman-Fried remain free on bail and out of prison?

    We may not find out which two parties will “sign separate bonds in lesser amounts” in addition to the $250 million personal recognizance bond co-signed by Bankman-Fried’s parents. SBF’s lawyers are requesting to keep their info private.

    That arrangement has allowed the FTX co-founder to stay with his parents in California after being extradited from the Bahamas, although he is due to appear in court in New York City again today at 1:05PM ET. As Bloomberg reports, he is expected to plead not guilty to the many criminal charges he’s facing.

    Specifically, we request an order from the Court directing that the names and other identifying information of Mr. Bankman-Fried’s two remaining bail sureties (1) be redacted on the bonds they will sign, and (2) not be publicly disclosed by the Government. We have conferred with the Government on this issue and have been informed that the Government takes no position on the request. 
    Letter motion in the case of USA v. Sam Bankman-Fried
    Image: 1:22-cr-00673-LAK
    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    Green light.

    The traditional holiday slowdown is over, as it’s a new year and, of course, a new CES.

    LG and Samsung aren’t waiting for the show floor to open to kick off their announcements of new screens in all kinds of shapes and sizes, but I’m more curious about the new smart home and automotive tech that will be on display.

    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    “It wasn’t me.”

    According to out-on-bail FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried, discussing suspicious transactions on crypto wallets linked to him and FTX / Alameda Research.

    We don’t know who is moving the funds, but we do know that SBF just can’t shut up, apparently even while his former associates are copping pleas for fraud and cooperating with prosecutors.

    Andrew Tate detained in Romania by police investigating human traffickingAndrew Tate detained in Romania by police investigating human trafficking
    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    Snoop Dogg’s Death Row relaunch managed to get one thing right.

    It’s not the updated version of the label’s iconic prisoner logo (Pen & Pixel could do it so much better).

    And it’s definitely not the plan for the brand — purchased by Snoop earlier this year — to have a “multi-category cultural platform across music, fashion, entertainment, and cannabis, all united by the blockchain for a new generation.”

    But whoever made sure to have DJ Battlecat handling this Death Row Cannabis teaser music instead of going for a cringe BAYC tie-in deserves a raise — paid in real money, not crypto.

    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    An incomplete list of current crypto scandals.

    I think that’s everything for now, but follow our stream for more updates.

    Bloomberg digs into the $546 million loan Sam Bankman-Fried used to buy a piece of Robinhood.

    CNBC follows $200 million diverted by FTX to invest in crypto companies.

    NBCNews looked at North Dimension, a fake electronics retailer that somehow helped SBF redirect money wired in by FTX customers.

    Investors in the Winklevoss’ twins Gemini Trust Earn say they were wiped out when it abruptly shut down after FTX folded, and now they’re suing.

    And someone leaked API keys for thousands of crypto traders who used a service called 3Commas. CoinDesk reports dozens of users have lost millions in hacks over the last few months, with 3Commas claiming they must have been victims of phishing attacks.

    Oh, and the feds are investigating the $372 million in crypto that conveniently went missing just after FTX shut down.

    FTX Bankruptcy: US DOJ Probes How $372 Million Vanished in Hack After Filing

    [Bloomberg.com]

    Twitter’s recovering from a few hours of glitchinessTwitter’s recovering from a few hours of glitchiness
    Mitchell Clark and Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    Maybe this would look better inside an actual car.

    As usual, LG Display isn’t waiting until the show starts, or even the new year, to talk about what it’s bringing to CES 2023.

    This, uh, free-flowing P-OLED and LTPS (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon) LCD display concept (shown below) imagines a bend in the touchscreen splitting climate settings from the main UI.

    Besides the screens, LG Display is also bringing its “Thin Actuator Sound Solution,” a grill-less speaker made with “film-type exciter technology” that’s the size of a passport and 2.5mm thick. It can be installed in places like your car’s “dashboard, headliner, pillar, and headrests.”

    Your move, Sony.

    Mock-up of a car interior, with a massive LCD screen stretching lengthwise along the dashboard, plus a center-mounted tablet-like touchscreen, with the lower third bent for a more vertical orientation where touch climate controls appear.
    LG Display’s Automotive Displays at CES 2023
    Image: LG Display
    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    Avatar: The Way of Water’s billion-dollar haul is impressive, but there’s still a long way to go.

    Disney announced that Jim Cameron’s sequel pulled in $1 billion at the box office in 14 days, the fastest any movie has done that in 2022.

    It’s already surpassed Jurassic World: Dominion for number two on this year’s list, justifying the staying power of Avatar more than a decade later, despite anyone’s doubts.

    Still, Julia Alexander, director of strategy at Parrot Analytics and a former reporter at The Verge, points out that matching its $2.7 billion predecessor will be tough even with such a hot start.

    Avatar: The Way of Water is a gorgeous rehash of all the first film’s triumphs and failures

    Charles Pulliam-Moore

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