The hints of a Treasury Department crackdown on cryptocurrency exchanges were apparently accurate. The Treasury has imposed sanctions on the SUEX crypto exchange for allegedly "facilitating" ransomware attacks. SUEX reportedly helped launder the ill-gotten gains from at least eight ransomware variants, and is so in demand that over 40 percent of its known transactions come from "illicit actors," according to the Department.

The move blocks SUEX's access to property (and interests in property) covered by US jurisdiction. The block also extends to any entity where the exchange owns a controlling stake, and prevents banks and people from making "certain transactions."

The Treasury stressed that it believed "most" cryptocurrency activity was legal, and that some exchanges merely fall victim to ransomware attackers. SUEX, however, supposedly aided these attacks for its "own illicit gains." The organization was fully aware of what was happening, in other words.

The move in line with a Wall Street Journal leak hinting at a sanctions strategy following Biden's cybersecurity order in response to a string of high-profile ransomware attacks. Rather than trying to disrupt the overall cryptocurrency landscape, the US appears focused on individual exchanges and traders. This theoretically discourages others from handling ransomware payments while reassuring those who stick to above-board deals. Of course, there's only so much the government can do — less-than-reputable exchanges may simply look for partners the US can't touch.

The iOS 15 release brings an added treat if you're a fan of immersive audio: a better soundstage for your tunes. As hinted at WWDC in June, iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 users now have dynamic head tracking for spatial audio in Apple Music. So long as you're using the AirPods Pro or AirPods Max, instruments and vocals will have a fixed-in-place virtual presence — turn your head and that guitar or vocal will pan accordingly.

Apple had promised Apple Music head tracking in the fall, but hadn't directly linked it to iOS 15 at the time. You don't need Apple's higher-end AirPods if you're content with 'regular' spatial audio, although you will need some form of AirPods or Beats earphones if you want automatic Dolby Atmos support.

Yes, it's a not-so-subtle sales pitch for higher-end AirPods. It's only useful for that subset of the Apple Music catalog with spatial audio support, for that matter. All the same, it could be appreciated if you want a more natural-sounding (or at least, less jarring) approach to 360-degree audio.

Neat Microphones has unveiled its first truly new mic since Turtle Beach bought the company in January, and... it's not what you'd expect. The normally quirky Neat has unveiled the Skyline, a USB condenser mic billed as an "elegant" design reminiscent of skyscrapers but, frankly, is rather generic. It looks a little too much like everyday office audio conference hardware, a beard trimmer or (if you're feeling generous) a pen in an inkwell. It's certainly a far cry from the whimsical Widgets and Bees you've come to know from Neat so far.

The functionality is solid, at least. The Skyline is built with videoconferencing and podcasts in mind, and the 24-bit, 96kHz audio should be a huge upgrade from your laptop's built-in mic. The large, illuminated mute button should also be very helpful when you need to step away from a Zoom chat.

The Skyline's greatest advantage might be its $70 price. It potentially offers higher quality output than the 48kHz Blue Yeti Nano in a more affordable package. With that said, appearances can matter — you may want to pay more for the Yeti (or AKG's new Ara) if you're a livestreamer or otherwise concerned as much about form as function.

Akai's MPC hardware is normally an expensive investment — you're looking at $699 for the 'entry' One production studio. That ecosystem just became much more affordable if you have a computer, however. The company has introduced an MPC Studio controller built solely to tie in with MPC 2 software on your Mac or PC. Plug it in and you can produce tunes with the signature 16 drum pads (with pressure, velocity and aftertouch control) as well as an assignable touch strip that lets you twist instruments and synths. A color LCD helps keep your focus on the controller when you're chopping samples or fine-tuning effects.

The software, unsurprisingly, plays a key role. Akai has been pouring much more of its energy into its MPC 2 software, including a large update in July that added AIR plugins and on-device pitch correction. You'll have access to eight plugin instrument engines as well as sampling, MIDI sequencing, arranging and other parts of the MPC workflow. Think of the MPC Studio as Akai's answer to Ableton's Push — it's hardware that brings out the software's full potential.

The MPC Studio is available today for $269. You'll still need MPC 2 (normally $200, currently $100), but it's still a relative bargain so long as you have a production-ready computer. This could make Akai's universe considerably more accessible if you're new to this kind of music making.

White houses are often boring, but they might just save the planet. As USA Todayreports, Purdue University researchers have developed an ultra-white paint (it just earned a Guinness World Record) that reflects 98.1 percent of solar radiation while outputting infrared heat. As this leaves the surface cooler than the environment (regular paint warms the surface), it could effectively replace air conditioning in some cases — it produces a cooling power of 10kW for a 1,000sq. ft. roof, or more than a typical house AC unit.

There are existing paints made to reflect heat, but they reflect no more than 90 percent of sunlight and don't cool surfaces. The team didn't have much breathing room, either — an even whiter paint might have compromised it.

The trick was to use a high ratio of barium sulfate, a compound you often see in cosmetics and photo paper, in varying particle sizes. The wider range of sizes helps scatter more of the light spectrum and thus reflect more sunlight.

It's not clear how close this extremely white paint is to your local store, but the researchers are fully bent on commercializing their work. They've teamed with a company to mass-produce and sell the paint, and have already filed patents. If it lives up to the billing, though, it could play an important role in fighting climate change. It could reduce or eliminate the need for air conditioning in some homes, particularly in warm regions with ample sunlight. That could reduce emissions and power consumption, and might save you some money on hot summer days.

NASA is about to close an important chapter in its history. Chief Scientist Jim Green, who has worked at the agency for over 40 years, now plans to retire in early 2022. He started by developing NASA's equivalent to the internet (the Space Physics Analysis Network) shortly after he arrived in 1980, but he's best known for overseeing some of NASA's biggest space exploration projects in the past 15 years — you're likely very aware of his work.

Green directed NASA's Planetary Science Division during the Curiosity landing in 2012, and played a key role in both promoting and explaining the Mars rover to the public. He further took leading roles during the Juno probe's investigation of Jupiter, Messenger's tour of Mercury, Dawn's visit to Ceres and New Horizons' historic flyby of Pluto. The scientist also greenlit plans for the Perseverance rover currently roaming Mars.

It's not yet clear who will succeed Green, although he will assist with the search for his replacement. However, it's safe to say he'll have a healthy legacy. He both nurtured missions and made them more accessible to the public — he helped explain why Curiosity, New Horizons and other vehicles were exciting. If you're pursuing a career in space science, Green's work might well have served as an inspiration.

Binance is apparently facing more pressure from regulators over possible abuses at its cryptocurrency exchange. Bloombergsources said US officials have expanded their probe of Binance to include possible insider trading and market manipulation. The company hasn't been accused of wrongdoing, but Commodity Futures Trading Commission investigators have reportedly inquired with potential witnesses about issues like the location of Binance servers (and thus whether the US can pursue any cases).

The commission had previously launched an investigation into the sales of derivatives tied to cryptocurrencies. It's reportedly looking for internal Binance data that might show sales of those derivatives to American customers, breaking regulations that forbid those sales without registrations. The Internal Revenue Service and Justice Department are also probing possible money laundering on the exchange.

There are no guarantees of action. The CFTC and Justice Department have supposedly been investigating Binance for months, and any decisions might take a while longer.

Not surprisingly, Binance said it was above-board. A spokesperson told Bloomberg the exchange had a "zero-tolerance" approach to insider trades as well as ethical codes and security guidelines to prevent those actions. The company added that it fires offenders at a bare minimum. The CFTC has declined to comment.

The heightened scrutiny of Binance, if accurate, would come as part of a larger US crackdown on cryptocurrencies. Officials are concerned the lack of consumer protections (including regulation) might hurt customers who sign up for services expecting the same safeguards they have with conventional money. In this case, the focus is on accountability — insider trading could wreck valuable investments and erode trust in Binance and other crypto exchanges.

Tesla isn't about to get a sympathetic ear from US regulators as it rolls out more semi-autonomous technology. New National Transportation Safety Board head Jennifer Homendy told The Wall Street Journal in an interview that Tesla needs to tackle "basic safety issues" before it expands features like Autopilot and Full Self Driving to more parts of the road. She also wasn't thrilled with Tesla beta-testing upgrades on public streets.

Like other critics, the NTSB leader took issue with Tesla's naming schemes for its driver assists. The Full Self Driving label is "misleading and irresponsible," Homendy said, leading some to "misuse and abuse" it. Despite its name, the current FSD package only enables limited autonomy in some situations, and requires drivers to be ready to take the wheel at any moment. Tesla ultimately hopes for true autonomy to enable robotaxis and other hands-off uses, but hasn't yet demonstrated such a system.

Tesla and its chief Elon Musk have long argued that Autopilot (and by extension FSD) is overall safer than full manual control despite concerns over crashes where the technology was involved. The automaker has used FSD betas as a way to improve semi-autonomous features through real-world use, not just the ideal conditions of a closed circuit.

Homendy's remarks won't necessarily lead to policies meant to limit or ban Tesla's technology. However, it does set the tone for the NTSB's approach to Tesla during the Biden administration. The agency might not be receptive to Tesla's autonomous driving strategy, particularly if there's an increase in collisions.

Microsoft's September 22nd event might include one of the largest Surface Pro updates in years. According to The Verge, Twitter user Shadow_Leak has shared what looks like a store listing for the Surface Pro 8 tablet. The Windows 11 machine will reportedly resemble a souped-up, Intel-powered counterpart to the Surface Pro X with a 13-inch, narrow-bezel 120Hz display. It may also be more useful to creatives with dual Thunderbolt ports — you'd finally have the headroom for an external GPU, among other very high-speed peripherals.

The leaked Surface Pro 8 would also make the expected leap to an 11th-generation Core processor. Like the Surface Laptop 4, though, you could replace the SSD if the included storage breaks or proves too limiting.

The upcoming event could be one of Microsoft's most packed presentations to date, with a Surface Duo 2 also on deck alongside possible Surface Book, Surface Go and Surface Pro X upgrades. If the leak is accurate, however, the Surface Pro 8 might be the star attraction. The Pro has been one of Microsoft's most enduring Surface devices, but also one of its most conservative with relatively few changes — the 2019 revision still had a USB-A port. The 8 could revitalize the Pro series, not to mention help it compete with a newer wave of detachables and two-in-one laptops.

Cadillac didn't have any problems finding buyers for its Lyriq EV once reservations opened. As Electreklearned, GM's luxury badge sold out of reservations for the Lyriq's Debut Edition in 19 minutes. The brand didn't say how many people paid the $100 fee, but it's clear there was at least some pent-up demand for the upscale electric crossover. More Debut Edition models will be available through dealers in summer 2022.

Deposits don't always translate to final sales when the fee is refundable. Some people may reserve a car only to back out when it comes time to make the final purchase. For context, though, VW took eight hours to sell a "few thousand" units of the ID.4 First Edition. The overall number might be small, but 19 minutes is extremely quick.

The sellout wasn't completely unexpected. While the Lyriq is still an expensive EV with a nearly $60,000 starting price, it promises a healthy 300-plus miles of range, 190kW fast charging and a sprawling 33-inch infotainment display. There's also a clear pattern of strong demand for EVs from familiar names. Ford, for instance, is boosting F-150 Lightning production after demand far outstripped early manufacturing targets. There's clearly an audience for EV like these, even if they're still far from dominating their combustion engine counterparts.