List of All Articles with Tag 'tech'

By Helen Coster and Zaheer Kachwala News Corp is engaged in "various negotiations" with artificial intelligence companies over

Microsoft will pay legal damages on behalf of customers using its artificial intelligence (AI) products if they are

By Huw Jones LONDON Global financial regulators and the International Monetary Fund on Thursday set out a roadmap

A resurfaced clip of the makers of the first GTA game creating the fight scenes is going viral as it shows just how far the franchise has come since 1997. DMA Design Ltd, a Scottish company who created the first game were interviewed by the BBC, and the clip shows one of their employees punching the air while wearing pads to map it out for the animators. When describing how the game would look, they told cameras: "It's a mission-based driving game, where basically you're driving around the city, stealing cars, running over pedestrians... " Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

The first photo of Elon Musk and Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis with their baby twins has emerged. Author Walter Isaacson posted the picture on X, formerly known as Twitter, which showed Mr Musk and Ms Zilis with their twins — who were 16 months old at the time — sitting on their laps. Mr Musk fathered a set of twins with Ms Zilis, his director of operations and special projects at Neuralink, in 2021, Insider reported. The mother of two was also previously a board member at OpenAI, also owned by Mr Musk. The children were born weeks before the billionaire welcomed his second child via surrogate with his on-again, off-again partner, the musician Grimes. Ms Zilis reportedly told her colleagues at Neuralink that they had conceived the children via in vitro fertilization (IVF) and did not have a romantic relationship, according to Reuters. Mr Isaacson, who is writing a biography on the Tesla CEO, said the photo was taken during a visit to Ms Zilis’ house in Austin, Texas where Mr Musk walked him and Ms Zilis through his concerns about AI. “This past March, Musk texted me, ‘There are a few important things I would like to talk to you about. Can only be done in person,’” Mr Isaacson wrote in an excerpt from his biography posted in TIME Magazine. “He said we should leave our phones in the house while we sat outside, because, he said, someone could use them to monitor our conversation. But he later agreed that I could use what he said about AI in my book.” Mr Isaacson said Mr Musk told him of his concerns that AI’s rapid development was on a collision course with a “leveling off” in human intelligence that Mr Musk attributed to lower human birth rates. “For a moment I was struck by the oddness of the scene,” Mr Isaacson wrote. “We were sitting on a suburban patio by a tranquil backyard swimming pool on a sunny spring day, with two bright-eyed twins learning to toddle, as Musk somberly speculated about the window of opportunity for building a sustainable human colony on Mars before an AI apocalypse destroyed earthly civilization.” Mr Isaacson said the conversation was the beginning of Mr Musk’s latest company x.AI. The billionaire has said the goal of the company is to find “the true nature of the universe.” Mr Musk is a father to nine children with three different women. Read More Elon Musk and Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis reportedly conceived twins via IVF Why is Elon Musk obsessed with the letter X? Elon Musk ‘borrowed $1bn from SpaceX’ at same time as Twitter acquisition SpaceX launch of Starship rocket on hold amid ‘mishap investigation’ Famed tech journalist deletes X account with epic rant at Elon Musk Why is Elon Musk obsessed with the letter X?

Veteran tech journalist Walt Mossberg announced on Tuesday he was deactivating his X (formerly known as Twitter) account, saying Elon Musk’s takeover of the site turned it into a “cesspool.” Mr Mossberg is a well-respected name and expert in the US tech writing industry, who also co-founded media sites such as Recode and AllThingsD. He announced his boycotting of X on Meta’s new platform Threads, saying his reasons revolve around business tycoon Mr Musk’s threats to sue the Anti-Defemation League (ADL). Mr Musk is threatening to sue the ADL for around $22bn, claiming that the Jewish civil rights group is “destroying” his platform’s value by accusing him of antisemitism. Mr Mossberg cut back his usage of X after Mr Musk bought back controversial figures accounts when he took over ownership of Twitter. Among others, Mr Musk restored the accounts of media personality Andrew Tate, who has been charged over rape and human trafficking claims, as well as Rep Majorie Taylor Greene, who is known for spreading conspiracy theories. “Under Elon Musk, Twitter has not only decided to stop blocking bigots and liars and pro- insurrectionists, it has actively welcomed them, with apparent support from Mr. Musk. I had already cut my participation there by 90%. But Musk’s latest move, to threaten to ban and sue the ADL – to the delight of antisemites and other haters – is the last straw for me,” Mr Mossberg wrote on Threads. He continued on to say he will only be found on Threads, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. “They have their own drawbacks. (I even boycotted Meta for awhile pre-pandemic over privacy issues). But none comes close to the cesspool of Twitter under Musk, which, IMO, is steadily approaching the level of Truth Social,” he wrote. Mr Mossberg famously quit Facebook back in 2018 “because my own values and the policies and actions of Facebook have diverged to the point where I’m no longer comfortable here”. This time, Mr Mossberg has quit X over fears that “antisemites and other haters” will revel in Mr Musk’s decision to ban and sue the ADL. “It is profoundly disturbing that Elon Musk spent the weekend engaging with a highly toxic, anti-Semitic campaign on his platform,” ADL CEO Johnathan Greenblatt said in a statement. “But to be clear, the real issue is neither ADL nor the threat of a frivolous lawsuit. This urgent matter is the safety of the Jewish people in the face of increasing, intensifying antisemitism.” While there has yet to be a lawsuit filed, Mr Musk took to X to promote the hashtag #BantheADL, which inevitably became popular amongst the far-right X community. Before retiring from journalism back in 2017, Mr Mossberg wrote for The Wall Street Journal for over twenty years. His admired status makes his leave from X ten times louder in the media industry. Read More Elon Musk vows to sue ADL for calling him antisemitic after he promoted antisemitic campaign on X Why is Elon Musk obsessed with the letter X? Elon Musk calls Burning Man ‘best art on Earth’ amid chaos that saw thousands stranded and one dead SpaceX launch of Starship rocket on hold amid ‘mishap investigation’ Why is Elon Musk obsessed with the letter X? Elon Musk ‘borrowed $1bn from SpaceX’ at same time as Twitter acquisition

By Huw Jones LONDON Global securities regulators set out on Thursday their first blueprint to make participants in

Blancpain X Swatch: could this be the “innovative” collaboration they say it is? The Swatch collaborations are back after a viral launch of the Omega MoonSwatch back in March last year. Marking the 70th anniversary of the “Fifty Fathoms” collection, luxury watchmaker Blancpain says collaborating with Swatch will create a “playful” and “unexpected” version of its so-called “iconic” scuba diving watch. The watch was built for French combat divers who required reliable watches that function underwater. Now, the two well-known watch brands are teaming up for a “non-limited collection” which will feature five models full of “joie de vivre,” – which loosely translates to “enjoyment of life”. A press release by Blancpain noted the brands are “diving into the five oceans of the blue planet, combining the best of both brands with innovative, bioceramic, water-resistant timepieces and a mechanical movement with a 90-hour power reserve”. But does this collaboration really meet the hype? With the brands finely crafted advertisements in newspapers across the United States, including the New York Times, Washington Post, and LA Times – teasing consumers for what is to come, could this be what watch lovers hoped for? Here is everything you need to know about the Blancpain X Swatch collection collaboration When will the Blancpain X Swatch collection launch? Watch lovers, have no fear as the Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms drops worldwide on 9 September, according to an Instagram post by Swatch on 4 September. Since its announcement, Swatch and Blancpain have released several teasers – getting fans excited for what is yet to come. “The collection faithfully reproduces all the Fifty Fathoms hallmarks, such as superior water resistance, outstanding legibility, mechanical movement secured rotating bezel, and anti-magnetic protection,” Swatch said in one of its Instagram posts and people loved it. One user commented under the post “Shut up and take my money,” while another said: “Much better than Swatch-Omega collab!!!”. What will the collection look like? Blancpain X Swatch will be launching five models with a “unique and patented blend of two-thirds ceramic and one-third biomaterials derived from castor oil.” Each model is named after the world’s five oceans while featuring different bright colours with the words “Blancpain Fifty Fathoms X Swatch inscribed inside.” The colours are the Atlantic Ocean in blue, the Arctic Ocean in red, the Pacific Ocean in yellow, the Indian Ocean in green, and the Antarctic Ocean in white. For Blancpain President and CEO Marc A. Hayek, this collaboration is highly symbolic: "Without Swatch, the Swiss watch industry would simply not have survived and enjoyed such a wonderful destiny. “This collection is a source of pride for me. We owed it to ourselves to work with this brand that is as much a pioneer as we are – a reality vividly proven with this collection. Swatch has brilliantly reinterpreted our iconic model, in its own way, with its own vision,” Hayek adds. “As a keen diver myself, I really appreciate the attention to detail in this collection and the many references to the Fifty Fathoms. The fact that it is water-resistant to a depth of 91 metres – corresponding to exactly 50 fathoms, a nautical unit of depth – is a fantastic nod." I want to know more about the models and price points Watch fanatics, we’ve got you covered with all you need to know about each model, style and price point, according to the Swatch website. First up we have the Arctic Ocean: Price: £340 Case Material: Beige Bioceramic case including crown Case diameter: 42.4mm Case thickness: 14.4m Lug to lug distance: 48.0 mm Movement: SISTEM51 mechanical movement Water resistance: 50 fathoms (91/300ft/9 bar) Glass: Biosourced material with anti-scratch coating Hand, hour markers, 60 minutes diving scale: Grade A Super-LumiNova Bezel: One-direction rotating bezel in beige Bioceramic material with anti-scratch coating insert in orange Strap: NATO strap made from recycled fishing nets removed from the sea Pacific Ocean Price: £340 Case Material: Yellow-orange Bioceramic case including crown Case diameter: 42.3 mm Case thickness: 14.4 mm Lug-to-lug distance: 48.0 mm Movement: SISTEM51 mechanical movement Water resistance: 50 fathoms (91 m / 300 ft / 9 bar) Glass: Biosourced material treated with an anti-scratch coating Hands, hour markers, 60 minutes diving scale: Grade A Super-LumiNova Bezel: one-direction rotating bezel in warm yellow Bioceramic material with anti-scratch coating insert in black Strap: NATO strap made from recycled fishing nets removed from the sea Atlantic Ocean Price: £340 Case Material: blue Bioceramic case including crown Case diameter: 42.3 mm Case thickness: 14.4 mm Lug-to-lug distance: 48.0 mm Movement: SISTEM51 mechanical movement Water resistance: 50 fathoms (91 m / 300 ft / 9 bar) Glass: Biosourced material treated with an anti-scratch coating Hands, hour markers, 60 minutes diving scale: Grade A Super-LumiNova Bezel: one-direction rotating bezel in ocean blue Bioceramic material with anti-scratch coating insert in black Strap: NATO strap made from recycled fishing nets removed from the sea Indian Ocean Price: £340 Case Material: green Bioceramic case including crown Case diameter: 42.3 mm Case thickness: 14.4 mm Lug-to-lug distance: 48.0 mm Movement: SISTEM51 mechanical movement Water resistance: 50 fathoms (91 m / 300 ft / 9 bar) Glass: Biosourced material treated with an anti-scratch coating Hands, hour markers, 60 minutes diving scale: Grade A Super-LumiNova Bezel: one-direction rotating bezel in green Bioceramic material with anti-scratch coating insert in black Strap: NATO strap made from recycled fishing nets removed from the sea Antarctic Ocean Price: £340 Case Material: ice white Bioceramic case including crown Case diameter: 42.3 mm Case thickness: 14.4 mm Lug-to-lug distance: 48.0 mm Movement: SISTEM51 mechanical movement Water resistance: 50 fathoms (91 m / 300 ft /9 bar) Glass: Biosourced material treated with an anti-scratch coating Hands, hour markers, 60 minutes diving scale: Grade A Super-LumiNova Bezel: one-direction rotating bezel in ice-white Bioceramic material with anti-scratch coating insert in dark grey Strap: NATO strap made from recycled fishing nets removed from the sea Where can I buy the Blancpain X Swatch collection? The non-limited collections mean the collaboration is set for continuous rollout, so the good news is – you won’t have to rush to the nearest Swatch store to grab yours as soon as possible. With the worldwide launch taking off on 9 September, you can purchase your selected watch in the nearest Swatch store. What is bioceramic made of? Swatch first began converting its collections to use a new bio-sourced plastic derived from castor oil in 2020. This new plastic is also combined with ceramic to create “bioceramic”. Noted by Swatch as a “recipe for innovation,” now, similar to the MoonSwatch, this year’s collab is housed in Swatch’s hybrid plastic-ceramic material. But what makes this watch slightly more pricy is the inside, built-in with an automatic movement in place of quartz. Despite the fancy upgrade, the Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms gives buyers the chance to wear the branded name on their wrists for hundreds of pounds. Read More Period and fertility tracking apps scrutinised over data security concerns World’s largest wind turbine breaks record for power generated in a single day AI can help generate synthetic viruses and spark pandemics, warns ex-Google executive Inside the world of luxury watch robberies as owners warned ‘Rolex Rippers’ could be watching them Best smartwatches for kids 2023 – GPS, cameras, games and more

A huge bubble of galaxies that is one billion lightyears across could be a remnant of the ripples caused by the Big Bang, according to astronomers who have mapped the structure. The structure, named Hoʻoleilana by University of Hawaii scientists, is thought to have been caused by so-called Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAOs). These were ripples in the particles of the early Universe in the period following the Big Bang, when planets, solar systems and galaxies were not yet fully formed. As the ripples went outward, they created areas of density in the particles, causing bubble-like structures in which galaxies eventually coalesced. Until now, the BAOs were just a prediction – part of the wider Big Bang theory. No specific structures in the Universe had been found which mimicked their patterns. But Hoʻoleilana fits the description of these huge cosmic bubbles perfectly, according to Brent Tully, who led the study at the University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy. “We were not looking for it. It is so huge that it spills to the edges of the sector of the sky that we were analyzing,” he said. “As an enhancement in the density of galaxies it is a much stronger feature than expected. The very large diameter of 1bn light years is beyond theoretical expectations. “If its formation and evolution are in accordance with theory, this BAO is closer than anticipated, implying a high value for the expansion rate of the universe.” The bubble is absolutely huge. It is made up of several superclusters, structures which themselves are thought to be among the Universe’s largest arrangements of matter. This includes the Hercules Supercluster, the Corona Borealis Supercluster and the Sloan Great Wall. All of these structures contain thousands of galaxies. In the middle of Hoʻoleilana sits the Bootes Supercluster and the Bootes Void, an immense space of nothingness which is an incredible 330m lightyears across. Daniel Pomarede, from the CEA Paris-Saclay University, who contributed to the research, said: “It was an amazing process to construct this map and see how the giant shell structure of Ho’oleilana is composed of elements that were identified in the past as being themselves some of the largest structures of the universe.” The research was published on 5 September in The Astrophysical Journal. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A wind turbine in China has set a new world record for the most amount of electricity generated in a single day, after operating during typhoon conditions. The Goldwind GWH252-16MW turbine, which was installed at an offshore wind farm in Fujian Province in June, produced 384.1 megawatt hours in a single day – enough to power roughly 170,000 homes. The record was achieved on 1 September, according to state-owned power company China Three Gorges (CTG), surpassing the previous record set by Danish company Vestas in August. The turbine’s rotor has a diameter of 252 metres – more than double the diameter of the London Eye – and at full speed each blade can reach up to 70 per cent of the speed of sound. The record-breaking wind turbine features an innovative design that allows it to adjust its blades in real time when winds reach high speeds. This allowed it to continue operating during Typhoon Haikui last week, during which conventional turbines were forced to shut down. “We are closely monitoring critical components like the main control programme, pitch system and generators to gradually lift power restrictions while ensuring operational safety,” a spokesperson for Goldwind told the South China Morning Post. Figures from the Chinese Wind Energy Association show that China installed more than 11,000 wind turbines last year, 90 per cent of which were at onshore wind farms. Separate figures from the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggest that China added nearly three times as much wind capacity in 2022 compared to the European Union, and accounts for more than a third of all of the world’s installed wind capacity. Projections from the agency indicate that electricity from wind and solar will double over the next five years, providing almost 20 per cent of global power generation by 2027. “China is forecast to install almost half of new global renewable power capacity over 2022-27, as growth accelerates in the next fice years,” a recent IEA report noted. “Very ambitious new renewable energy targets, market reforms and strong provincial government support provide long-term revenue certainty for renewables. In most Chinese provinces, utility-scale renewables are cheaper than regulated coal electricity prices, driving rapid adoption. In the main forecast, China is expected to reach its 2030 target of [renewable] capacity five years in advance.” Read More How tech could turn our homes into renewable energy power stations World’s first solar powered hybrid truck tested on public roads Period and fertility tracking apps scrutinised over data security concerns AI can help generate synthetic viruses and spark pandemics, warns ex-Google executive Google boss says he wants to make people ‘shrug’

The UK’s data protection regulator is to review period and fertility tracking apps over concerns around the data security of such platforms. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said the review was in response to figures it had obtained from its own research, which found that more than half of women using these apps had concerns over how their data was being used. The data protection watchdog’s research showed a third of women have used apps to track their periods or fertility, and more than half of those who have used an app believed they had noticed an increase in baby or fertility-related adverts since signing up, with 17% said they had found this distressing. The ICO said its poll showed concerns around data use and how secure their data was were named as bigger fears among women than the cost of these apps or ease of use. We want to make sure women can use these services with confidence, so we’re calling for people to share their experiences Emily Keaney, ICO The regulator is now urging users to come forward and report their own experiences using tracking apps as part of a call for evidence. It said it had also contacted companies who provide period and fertility tracking apps to find out how they are processing users’ personal information. The ICO said the focus of its work would be to identify if there was the potential for harm and negative impact on users. “These statistics suggest data security is a significant concern for women when it comes to choosing an app to track their periods or plan or prevent pregnancy,” Emily Keaney, ICO deputy commissioner of regulatory policy, said. “That’s not surprising, given the incredibly sensitive and personal information involved. “We want to make sure women can use these services with confidence, so we’re calling for people to share their experiences. “This will help us understand whether there are areas that need improvement – from how easy it is to navigate privacy policies to whether people have experienced upsetting and unexpected targeted advertising. “We also know some users feel these apps bring many benefits and we’d like to hear about these too. “As with all health apps, we would expect organisations to safeguard their users’ privacy and have transparent policies in place. “This review is intended to establish both the good and bad of how the apps are working currently. “Once we have more information, we will explore next steps, but we will not hesitate to take regulatory action to protect the public if necessary.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Russian cyber-attacks ‘relentless’ as threat of WW3 grows, expert warns Warner Music sign first digital character Noonoouri and release debut single Met should thoroughly investigate cyber security practices, say experts

India’s Vikram lunar lander has recorded movement below the surface of the Moon – but it’s probably not aliens. Experts think the movement is seismic activity – the lunar equivalent of earthquakes. It is the first time humans have detected the so-called moonquakes since the 1970s. The new activity was recorded by the Vikram lander’s onboard instrument for lunar seismic activity, a piece of kit designed “to measure ground vibrations generated by natural quakes, impacts, and artificial events,” the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said. India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission saw it land the Vikram and its sister craft, the Pragyan rover, last month, becoming the first nation to land near the Moon’s little-explored South Pole. It also makes India just the fourth nation to land on the Moon, alongside the US, the former USSR and China. The seismic activity is the first recorded since the US Apollo programme, which ended in 1977. Those recordings yielded valuable data about the Moon’s makeup. Scientists have been able to theorise that the Moon has an inner core which is much less dense than the Earth’s and which is about 500km across. On Earth, seismic activity is caused by the shifting of the planet’s tectonic plates. But on the Moon, things are a bit different. The quake could be caused by thermal activity from the Sun, or by tidal stresses caused by Earth’s gravity, cracking the planet and causing the pieces to rub together. The team noted that the event is currently under investigation. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.