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Apple CarPlay Ultra ADAS
Gaming Gear

Don’t have a pile of cash? Don’t worry: you may soon be able to get an affordable car with Apple CarPlay Ultra

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  • Hyundai’s new Ioniq 3 will reportedly come with Apple CarPlay Ultra
  • It would be the next car after the Aston Martin DBX to get access to the software
  • This could mean more affordable access to Apple’s powered-up phone-to-infotainment interface

You may not need a $200,000 car from the likes of Aston Martin to access Apple’s CarPlay Ultra in the near future, as Hyundai looks set to bring the interface to its electric cars.

That’s according to Top Gear, which reported that the Ioniq 3, due to be revealed at the Munich Motor Show this month, will support CarPlay Ultra, allowing for deeper integration between a car’s infotainment system and a connected iPhone than the standard erosion of CarPlay offers.

Set to be positioned between Hyundai’s Inster and Kona EVs, the Ioniq 3 is poised to be a compact electric car that comes stuffed with connected tech. Top Gear notes that, like other carmakers, this is all part of Hyundai’s push to equip its cars with software designed to be upgraded throughout their lifetime and can be customized by both car brands and end users with apps, even those buying pre-owned cars.


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In many ways, this approach to infotainment software is similar to how smartphones, tablets, and computers operate, with upgrades being rolled out across their lifetime and allowing users a degree of choice and customization with the services and the apps they want.

Ultra infotainment

In the past, infotainment systems would often be outdated by the time a car rolled off the production line and would be hard to upgrade unless the brand offered firmware updates via dealers. Or the car owners opted for third-party aftermarket units.

CarPlay Ultra is notable in this case as it’s been designed to more tightly integrate with the underlying infotainment platform, letting car brands create custom themes in collaboration with Apple that are tailored to each vehicle rather than offering a one-size-fits-all interface.

Currently, CarPlay Ultra can be found in the new Aston Martin DBX, a performance luxury SUV with a hefty price tag. But more car brands, notably those with cheaper vehicles, are set to adopt CarPlay Ultra. And it looks like Hyundai could be one of the front-runners.

As for the Ioniq 3 itself, Top Gear reports it’ll be a front-wheel drive car with a WLTP range of 260 miles and 365 miles from a predicted choice of batteries coming in 58.3kWh or 81.4kWh capacities respectively. A 400-volt charging system is expected. And the car could do the 0-62mph sprint in less than eight seconds.

There’s no word on pricing, but the Kona starts at $24,550, so I’d expect the Ioniq 3 to be more expensive but coming in well below $40,000, given that the Ioniq 5 starts at $42,600; market prices vary a lot, so to keep things simple, I’ve focused on US prices here. Production for the Ioniq 3 is tipped for early next year.

Time will tell if other car makers adopt CarPlay Ultra this year, but don’t expect any big announcements from Apple’s side as it’s surely concentrating on the iPhone 17 launch, which we expect to see on September 9 at the next Apple event.

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77 suitors pile into Hong Kong’s stablecoin waiting game
NFT Gaming

77 suitors pile into Hong Kong’s stablecoin waiting game

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The Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s call for stablecoin issuers has triggered a modern-day gold rush, with 77 diverse firms staking a claim. However, the regulator has embarked on a deliberate winnowing process designed to separate truly viable projects from mere aspirants in a bid to ensure market stability.

Summary

  • Hong Kong Monetary Authority received 77 expressions of interest for stablecoin licenses by August 31.
  • Applicants include banks, fintech firms, asset managers, Web3 startups, and state-owned enterprises.
  • No licenses will be issued until 2025 as regulators carefully vet submissions.

According to a September 1 local report by The Standard, the HKMA confirmed it received 77 expressions of interest for its upcoming stablecoin issuer licensing regime by the August 31 deadline.

The applicant pool is not just the usual crypto suspects; it is a broad consortium of traditional banks, major payment processors, asset managers, and even Web3 startups, all vying for a seat at the table.

In a move that underscores the sensitivity of the process, the regulator immediately clamped down on speculation, refusing to name any applicants and bluntly stating that an expression of interest is merely a first step, far from a guarantee of approval.

Big names circle the stablecoin gate

While the HKMA maintains a tight lid on the official list of applicants, previous reporting points to a roster of heavy hitters. The interest ranges from global banking institutions like Standard Chartered to fintech behemoths such as Ant Group.

Perhaps most telling is the involvement of state-owned enterprises like the energy giant PetroChina, which has publicly disclosed feasibility studies on using stablecoins for cross-border settlements. This diverse field underscores a critical point: the race is not just about crypto-native firms; it is about who will control the next evolution of digital payment infrastructure for international trade.

Despite this rush of interest, Hong Kong’s licensing pipeline has been effectively frozen. The Stablecoin Ordinance took effect on Aug. 1, yet the HKMA has already cautioned that approvals are unlikely until sometime in 2025.

Deputy CEO Darryl Chan Wai-man has publicly attributed this timeline to the “heavy workload” of vetting the complex applications, a task he described as requiring immense due diligence.

The authority appears to be methodically sifting through the 77 expressions of interest, a process designed to be a stringent filter, with the goal being to ensure that the first entities to receive a license are not only technically proficient but also possess bulletproof reserve backing, impeccable anti-money laundering protocols, and operational resilience. 



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A dark haired character from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 stands in the sunlight looking upward with her allies standing behind her
Product Reviews

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 director adds another DLC teaser to the pile: ‘We may be cooking’

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I don’t blame any of the developers behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for not immediately thinking about DLC plans just as their game exploded in popularity and hit sales numbers in the millions earlier this year. But in the last few months they’ve acknowledged the hunger for DLC in every way but a direct confirmation and at this point I’d just like to know if those plans are real.

In May, writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen told a fan on Instagram that while there was “nothing concrete” in the works, the “chances are good” that we’d see DLC. But then a few days later she told the Washington Post that those comments were taken out of context and that the studio is focused on improving the base game.

A month later, the official Bluesky account reiterated those plans with a slight wink at possible “new content” coming down the line.


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That brings us to a comment from director Guillaume Broche this week in an interview with YouTuber MrMattyPlays. When asked about plans to release DLC, Broche said, “There may be,” and that it’s “a bit too early to say.”

“We may be cooking,” he added with a smile that is the closest thing to a “yes” I’ve heard yet.

Earlier in the interview, Broche, seemingly talking about a proper sequel, said Expedition 33 is just “one of the stories we want to tell in this franchise,” and that it’s too soon to announce what that will be.

While he did not confirm DLC is coming, it sure sounds like the studio is already thinking about what comes next for Clair Obscur, whether that’s just a sequel or some kind of expansion in the future. For a game that is being compared to Final Fantasy for its extremely satisfying turn-based combat and eccentric world, it would be a bummer for the journey to end here.

Broche recently said that he doesn’t plan on expanding the team at Sandfall Interactive, preferring to keep it small, so if DLC truly is in the works, it might be a while.



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Bitcoin Traders Pile Into Futures, Is A Rebound Incoming?
Crypto Trends

Bitcoin Traders Pile Into Futures, Is A Rebound Incoming?

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Key takeaways:

  • Bitcoin futures demand continues rising despite the recent price weakness, indicating sustained trader engagement.

  • The put options maintained a premium over calls, reflecting persistent bearish sentiment among investors.

Bitcoin (BTC) traded down to $109,400 on Monday, its lowest level in more than six weeks. The correction followed an $11 billion sale by a 5-year dormant whale that had been dormant for 5 years, with proceeds rotating into Ether (ETH) spot and futures on decentralized exchange Hyperliquid.

Despite the price decline, demand for Bitcoin futures surged to an all-time high, prompting traders to ask whether $120,000 is the next logical step.

Bitcoin futures open interest, BTC. Source: CoinGlass

Bitcoin futures open interest climbed to an all-time high of BTC 762,700 on Monday, up 13% from two weeks earlier. The stronger demand for leveraged positions shows traders are not abandoning the market despite a 10% price drop since Bitcoin’s all-time high on Aug. 14.

While this is a positive indicator, the $85 billion in futures open interest does not necessarily reflect optimism, since longs (buyers) and shorts (sellers) are always matched. If bulls lean too heavily on leverage, a dip below $110,000 could trigger cascading liquidations.

Bitcoin 2-month futures annualized premium. Source: Laevitas.ch

The Bitcoin futures premium is currently at a neutral 8%, up from 6% the previous week. Notably, the metric has not remained above the 10% neutral threshold for more than six months, meaning even the $124,176 all-time high failed to instill broad bullishness.

Leverage shakeout highlights liquidity but sparks suspicion

The recent decline blindsided overleveraged traders, leading to $284 million in liquidations of long positions, according to CoinGlass data. The event showed that Bitcoin maintains deep liquidity even on weekends, but the speed of execution raised suspicions, given that the seller had held the position for years.

Bitcoin perpetual futures annualized funding rate. Source: Laevitas.ch

The Bitcoin perpetual futures funding rate dropped back to 11% after a short-lived uptick. In neutral markets, the rate usually ranges between 8% and 12%. Some of the muted sentiment can be explained by $1.2 billion in net outflows from US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs between Aug. 15 and Aug. 22.

To assess whether this level of caution is worrying, traders should examine the BTC options market.

Bitcoin options 30-day delta skew (put-call). Source: Laevitas.ch

Put (sell) options are currently trading at a 10% premium over call (buy) instruments, a clear sign of bearish sentiment. While excessive fear is evident, it is not unusual following a $6,050 Bitcoin price drop in just two days. Market psychology has likely been influenced by whales shifting exposure from Bitcoin to Ether, though such flows tend to stabilize over time.

Related: Strategy buys $357M in Bitcoin as price drops to $112K

Although recent weakness has weighed on sentiment, the prospect of a Bitcoin rally toward $120,000 has not vanished. Still, any sustained upside likely hinges on renewed spot ETF inflows, especially as global growth remains uncertain. For now, the $13.8 billion monthly options expiry on Friday could serve as the catalyst that determines whether investors re-enter the market.

This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.



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