91% of new renewable projects now cheaper than fossil fuels alternatives
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Renewables maintain their cost leadership in global power markets, IRENA’s new report on Renewable Power Generation...
Geostrategy
AI robots pluck weeds in California fields, make up for shortage of laborers
Los Banos, United States -- Oblivious to the punishing midday heat, a wheeled robot powered by the sun and infused...
Business
Business
Microsoft laying off several thousand employees
San Francisco, United States -- Microsoft on Wednesday said it was slashing a little less than four percent of its...
- The cloud computing tech giant did not disclose the total amount of lost jobs but as of June 2024 it employed 228,000 people, bringing the latest layoffs to about 9,000 people.
- The job cuts follow a round in May that saw about 6,000 positions culled from its global workforce.
Science
‘Writing is thinking’: do students who use ChatGPT learn less?
Paris, France -- When Jocelyn Leitzinger had her university students write about times in their lives they had witnessed discrimination,...
- The ChatGPT users scored significantly worse than the brain-only group on all levels. The EEG showed that different areas of their brains connected to each other less often.
- And more than 80 percent of the ChatGPT group could not quote anything from the essay they had just written, compared to around 10 percent of the other two groups.
Business
Indonesia begins $5.9 bn EV battery project despite environment fears
Jakarta, Indonesia -- Indonesia broke ground Sunday on a $5.9 billion megaproject for EV battery production backed by Chinese giant...
- Indonesia is the world's largest nickel producer and it is trying to capitalize on its vast reserves.
- The EV battery project will include a $4.7 billion investment on the eastern island of Halmahera and a $1.2 billion investment in West Java.
Research
AI is learning to lie, scheme, and threaten its creators
In one particularly jarring example, under threat of being unplugged, Anthropic's latest creation Claude 4 lashed back by blackmailing an...
- Meanwhile, ChatGPT-creator OpenAI's o1 tried to download itself onto external servers and denied it when caught red-handed.
- For now, this deceptive behavior only emerges when researchers deliberately stress-test the models with extreme scenarios.
Science
James Webb Telescope captures first direct image of exoplanet TWA 7b
The telescope, which can see farther into the universe than anything before it, has turbocharged the search for planets beyond...
- The discovery of exoplanet TWA 7b, revealed in a study in the journal Nature, "represents a first for the telescope", France's CNRS research center said in a statement.
- Most of the nearly 6,000 exoplanets found so far have been identified from the light they blot out when they pass in front of their star, rather than from direct images of planet.
Business
Tesla expected to launch long-discussed robotaxi service, will use Model Y
New York, United States -- Tesla is expected to begin offering robotaxi service Sunday in Austin, an initial step that...
- The launch will employ the Model Y sport utility vehicle rather than Tesla's much-touted Cybercab, which is still under development.
- The long-awaited launch follows the dramatic meltdown earlier this month in relations between Musk and Trump, which saw a cascade of bitter attacks from both men.
Business
WhatsApp introduces first major advertising features
San Francisco, United States -- WhatsApp announced Monday it will introduce its boldest advertising features yet, marking a significant shift...
- The move is a sensitive one for WhatsApp, whose chief firmly denied a report in 2023 that said the Meta-owned app was exploring advertisements as it sought to boost revenue.
- Unlike Facebook, Instagram, and other social platforms, WhatsApp has maintained minimal advertising since Meta acquired it in 2014.
Business
OpenAI enlists iPhone designer to create ideal device for using AI
New York, United States -- ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has enlisted the legendary designer behind the iPhone to create an irresistible gadget...
- ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has enlisted the legendary designer behind the iPhone to create an irresistible gadget for using generative artificial intelligence (AI).
- Sharing no details, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said that a prototype Ive shared with him "is the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen."
Geostrategy
The most eye-catching products at Vivatech fair
For humans, spotting the difference between a Lacoste polo shirt and a fake sporting the brand's crocodile logo can be...
- olumn-shaped robots from Hong Kong firm Robocore can serve as mobile ad billboards -- but for now are mostly deployed for medical purposes in hospitals and retirement homes.
- French startup Aemotion's four-wheeled electric vehicle is designed to weave through traffic, saving commuters time spent in jams.
Business
Nvidia marks Paris tech fair with Europe AI push
Paris, France -- Drawing high-powered tech CEOs and a presidential visit, the Vivatech trade fair opened in Paris on Wednesday...
- Nvidia boss Jensen Huang also lso announced a multi-billion-dollar partnership with French AI champion Mistral AI.
- The US firm's tie-up with Mistral will see the companies build a cloud computing platform powered by 18,000 of Nvidia's "Blackwell" high-end chips worth billions.
91% of new renewable projects now cheaper than fossil fuels alternatives
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Renewables maintain their cost leadership in global power markets, IRENA’s new report on Renewable Power Generation...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
Indonesia begins $5.9 bn EV battery project despite environment fears
Jakarta, Indonesia -- Indonesia broke ground Sunday on a $5.9 billion megaproject for EV battery production backed by Chinese giant...
Business
AI is learning to lie, scheme, and threaten its creators
In one particularly jarring example, under threat of being unplugged, Anthropic's latest creation Claude 4 lashed back by blackmailing an...
Research
James Webb Telescope captures first direct image of exoplanet TWA 7b
The telescope, which can see farther into the universe than anything before it, has turbocharged the search for planets beyond...
Science
Most Read
Business
WhatsApp introduces first major advertising features
San Francisco, United States -- WhatsApp announced Monday it will introduce its boldest advertising features yet, marking a significant shift...
- The move is a sensitive one for WhatsApp, whose chief firmly denied a report in 2023 that said the Meta-owned app was exploring advertisements as it sought to boost revenue.
- Unlike Facebook, Instagram, and other social platforms, WhatsApp has maintained minimal advertising since Meta acquired it in 2014.
Business
OpenAI enlists iPhone designer to create ideal device for using AI
New York, United States -- ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has enlisted the legendary designer behind the iPhone to create an irresistible gadget...
- ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has enlisted the legendary designer behind the iPhone to create an irresistible gadget for using generative artificial intelligence (AI).
- Sharing no details, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said that a prototype Ive shared with him "is the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen."
Geostrategy
The most eye-catching products at Vivatech fair
For humans, spotting the difference between a Lacoste polo shirt and a fake sporting the brand's crocodile logo can be...
- olumn-shaped robots from Hong Kong firm Robocore can serve as mobile ad billboards -- but for now are mostly deployed for medical purposes in hospitals and retirement homes.
- French startup Aemotion's four-wheeled electric vehicle is designed to weave through traffic, saving commuters time spent in jams.