Technology News Era

While I’m convinced 2011 will ultimately go down in history as the year the groundbreaking motion picture “Cowboys & Aliens” was released, it bears mentioning that it was also the year in which the first commercial quantum computer officially went online. You can dispute whether Daniel Craig’s turn as an alien-fighting gold thief with amnesia is worthy of such high praise, but there’s no debating that D-Wave’s a bonafide pioneer in the world of quantum computing. Dubbed the “D-Wave One” (two years before the Xbox One gaming system came out), the company’s first production model was a quantum annealing system… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/MGi4XPE

The financial sector has not been seen as synonymous with any sort of institutional change — in fact, it’s largely been the opposite. Hidden behind heavy bank vaults, the opaque world of finance has remained relatively unchanged for the past couple hundred years, gate kept by a select few at the very top, and largely immune to an increasingly demanding and tech-savvy customer base. But that’s all changing now thanks to a swarm of new fintechs who are armed with the latest in disruptive technology and questioning everything from data privacy to credit systems. So who are these pioneers leading… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Mz6S0on

WhatsApp voice notes are useful when you want to send some explanation or rant about a bad date to a friend, and you’re too tired to type all of that. But creating and listening to these notes has been a sucky experience — until now, at least Last night, WhatsApp said that it’s going to roll out a bunch of features over the next few weeks that can turn voice notes into a pleasant experience. There are two things I’m most excited about: out-of-chat playback and remember playback. Here’s how it works. Currently, WhatsApp pauses a voice note if you… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: WhatsApp from The Next Web https://ift.tt/ZYeg1B4

If you’re looking for technology with a fast time to market, you can exclude most vehicles and mobility tech. And if you’re waiting for a ride in a hyperloop? Don’t hold your breath.  I’ve been writing about hyperloop tech for nearly ten years. Much of the innovation is happening behind the scenes. It’s partnerships and pathways, rules and regulations, and in the case of tech — it’s most often R&D in stealth mode.  Every so often, a company will send over illustrations or videos made in CGI of what the hyperloop will look like in practice, but there’s not usually… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/QXaMcqC

I was recently reading comments on a post related to COVID-19, and saw a reply I would classify as misinformation, bordering on conspiracy. I couldn’t help but ask the commenter for evidence. Their response came with some web links and “do your own research”. I then asked about their research methodology, which turned out to be searching for specific terms on Google. As an academic, I was intrigued. Academic research aims to establish the truth of a phenomenon based on evidence, analysis , and peer review. On the other hand, a search on Google provides links with content written by… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/5NCv8bE

Apple‘s AirTags are really good at finding misplaced items, but that same ability makes them an alarmingly effective stalking tool in the wrong hands. And while the company has implemented numerous ways of alerting iOS users about nefarious AirTags use, Android users remain at risk unless they download and pro-actively check Apple’s Tracker Detect app (or third-party alternatives). Google might now be working on a native solution to protect against stalking by AirTags and similar tracking devices. As spotted by 9to5Google, version 22.12.13 of Google Play Services includes code referencing ‘Unfamiliar device alerts’ and ‘Unfamiliar Tag Detected Notification.’ There are… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Android from The Next Web https://ift.tt/TEOlU7j

Not to be melodramatic, today might be one of the most important days in PC gaming history. Intel is launching its first batch of Arc GPUs today, adding a third major competitor to a market that’s been dominated by Nvidia and AMD (or ATI, back in the day) for as long as many gamers and creators can remember. Now the question is just whether Intel’s discrete GPUs are any good.  I’ll go ahead and warn you right away that Intel didn’t provide any hard comparisons with its competitors; we’ll have to wait for real-world benchmarks for those. Still, there’s a… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Intel from The Next Web https://ift.tt/HLCxcqP

In an effort to reduce its reliance on Russian oil, the Berlin government is slashing the cost of public transport for residents.  In summer 2022, people living in Berlin can get a monthly public transport ticket for only €9 euros per month — a tenth of its usual price. The ticket will be offered for three months and will be called “9 for 90”. Heavily subsidized tickets are planned to get Berliners using public transport. The move is in response to rising energy and fuel prices caused by the Ukraine war. The German government wants to halve its Russian oil… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/kxXoIH2

Do you love solving puzzles, enjoy learning new things and hate doing the same thing day-in day-out? If you answered yes to the questions above, you really should consider a career in cybersecurity. However, cybersecurity is a very broad term. We often hear it thrown about in conversation or subtly mentioned in online blog posts, but what exactly does it mean? In a nutshell, it means defending computers, servers, data, systems, and networks from various types of cyber attacks. It’s an exciting and growing industry. Each year, organizations around the globe spend billions to protect their systems from cybercriminals. In… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/xFlD970

In one of the biggest breaches in DeFi history, hackers stole more than $600 million of tokens — Ethereum and USDC — from the Ronin blockchain associated with the popular game, Axie Infinity. Both entities are part of the burgeoning Web3 ecosystem, which is defined by elements of decentralization and digital currency. And the fact that they could be broken into highlights the need for focus on security in the glitzy world of Web3. We’ll take a look at details of the hack, and how the company’s mitigating it. But first, a brief introduction about the game and the Ronin… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Security from The Next Web https://ift.tt/1vfIB0q

Devialet tends to do things a little differently than most audio companies. The French firm first made waves in the audio scene with its futuristic-looking Phantom speakers, which packed an absurd amount of bass into a small amount of space. Then it packed an absurd amount of bass into an even smaller space with the Phantom Reactor.  After dabbling with high-end earbuds, now Devialet wants to deliver an absurd amount of bass under your TV with the launch of the Devialet Dione. The company promises the Dione, its first Dolby Atmos soundbar, can reach so low that it obviates the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/rmbSAC3

A team of researchers led by the RIKEN center in Japan have discovered an experimental way to control the weather itself using a chaos theory concept related to the flapping of a butterfly’s wings. That might sound like something out of a science fiction B-movie, but it’s legit peer-reviewed research. Up front: Previous attempts at controlling the weather have paid off with minimum success. Currently, if we find some big fat rain clouds ready to burst, we can preempt them by seeding them to cause precipitation. But the RIKEN team is talking about an entirely different level of control. Per the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/LvEzQCw

It’s never easy saying goodbye. But it’s obvious that the time has come. We need to ditch big tech’s virtual assistants and calmly demand a little more autonomy in our AI. Up front: The dream has always been to make personal assistants accessible to everyone. Since most of us can’t afford our own human assistant, big tech decided to combine chatbots and natural language processing (NLP) to create a virtual version of the real thing. Billions of people use these AI-powered tools everyday. Whether it’s Siri on iPhone, Google Assistant on Android, or Alexa on Amazon products, there’s a good… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/BRVFudZ

Otter is one of the most useful tools for journalists. It helps me transcribe my interviews easily without having to manually listen to them and take notes. Generally, I used Otter to record my interviews, and then go back to the app to listen to them while writing my stories. The company wants to change that. It’s trying to make Otter a meeting hub for individuals and teams. To achieve this, it’s bringing new features like a revamped home feed, calendar integration, collaborative meeting notes, and AI-powered meeting summaries. The biggest change to the home screen is that now you… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/P7jCGep

I did. I finally did it. I bit the bullet and downloaded TikTok. And, within minutes, I was hooked. There was an issue I bumped into quite quickly though — it’s tough as hell to find something you watched earlier. There have been plenty of times where I scrolled past a video that somehow lodged in my brain, but, when I tried to find it again, I was lost. It was gone. Thankfully, it appears the solution to this problem may be close at hand: NEW! TikTok Watch History https://t.co/vxXy9L0VJb — Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) March 26, 2022 Shared by social… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/KNgxPhu

I am DYING to tell you about how I repurposed my old tablet into a handy ebook reader. And if you’ve got an old or broken device lying around, you could try this too, if you can find an inexpensive repair shop in your area. Let me tell you, it’s worth the trouble. I bought my Apple iPad mini 2 way back in 2014 for around ₹22,000($289), to listen to songs, watch videos, try and uncheck long articles off my reading list, and play a game occasionally. I was working in the software industry back then, and entertainment was my… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: iPad from The Next Web https://ift.tt/NBKuqY0

Some of the spiciest news to leave the Apple rumor mill this month tells us the company plans to release a 15-inch MacBook Air. Actually, it might not even be called a MacBook ‘Air,’ but it would at least offer a lighter and cheaper alternative to the 16-inch MacBook Pro for those who would like a big screen on their laptop. It’s not the first time we’ve heard this rumor, but it seems increasingly likely to be true thanks to recent reports by Display Supply Chain Consultants and Apple tipster Ming-Chi Kuo. Unfortunately, such a device might not arrive until… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Apple from The Next Web https://ift.tt/IdvoAmT

There’s two things you should know about Jupiter. First, it would be one helluva planet to live on if you were a werewolf. That’s because it has 79 moons. Second, one of those moons probably has life on it. We say probably because, based on all the evidence, it would be weird if it didn’t. Scientists have long thought Europa, a small icy moon about a quarter the size of Earth, might contain life. After all, it’s supposedly got everything you need to sustain biology as we know it: oxygen, water, and nutrients. But there’s always been one hitch: Europa’s… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/lpwznPR

What if there was a magical robot that could cure any disease? Don’t answer that. It’s a stupid question. Everyone knows there’s no one machine that could do that. But maybe a swarm made up of tens of thousands of tiny autonomous micro-bots could? That’s the premise laid out by proponents of nanobot medical technology. In science fiction, the big idea usually involves creating tiny metal robots via some sort of magic-adjacent miniaturization technology. Luckily for us, the reality of nanobot tech is infinitely cooler. A team of researchers from Australia have developed a mind-blowing prototype that could work as… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/de5clj4

The great resignation is a buzzphrase that first appeared in May 2021, and has struck fear into the hearts of employers ever since. Coined in the US, the term refers to the unprecedented rise in the number of workers resigning from their jobs following the pandemic. There has since been a huge amount of research trying to work out why this has happened. Are workers quitting work entirely, as the pandemic makes us reevaluate our priorities? Or are they quitting to pursue their dreams in a different career? We’ve been looking at to what extent this great resignation narrative holds… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/e05wCcb

How different would we think about artificial intelligence if AI pioneers Allen Newell and Herbert Simon had won support for the seemingly less hype-prone term of “complex information processing,” rather than “artificial intelligence,” which was ultimately adopted by the field? On the surface, this thought experiment is interesting because it asks if artificial intelligence is intrinsically hyped. That is, is the word alone enough to get us in trouble? This was the focus of a recent Wall Street Journal article where columnist Christopher Mims asks experts in artificial intelligence whether the name alone produces confusion and hype? Mims quotes Melanie… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/uqAGecx

Last year, sales of electric-chargeable vehicles (EVs and plug-in hybrids) in the EU saw an impressive tenfold increase, reaching 1.7 million units — or 18% of the total car market. However, the number of public chargers grew by only 2.5 times over the same period. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), the EU’s current pace in charging infrastructure won’t allow the Union to reach its 2030 green targets, which aim for a 55% CO2 reduction from passenger cars. Citing the latest research by consulting company McKinsey, the ACEA proposes the installation of 6.8 million public charging points across… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Terf5y6

A SpaceX Dragon rocket is due to take off this week with some unusual cargo on board: an EEG headset. The device will fly to the International Space Station (ISS) for a first-of-its-kind experiment. The mission? Analyzing the neurological activity of astronauts to understand how microgravity affects the brain.  The headset was designed by brain.space, an Israeli company that’s come out of stealth mode for the project. Image: brain.space There is still little known about the effects of space travel on the brain. While astronauts are typically measured for various physiological changes, from heart rate to muscle mass, there is… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/aspJEhU

Despite their undeniable popularity, Tesla vehicles have been experiencing a wave of troubles: a string of crashes, Autopilot and Full-Self Driving Beta malfunctions, and even battery explosions. As a result, the automaker has consistently drawn the attention of the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). But has it made it easy for the agency to investigate the company’s reported safety issues? No, it hasn’t. In an intriguing piece, The Washington Post’s Faiz Siddiqui details how US auto regulators have had to employ unconventional strategies to circumvent a big part of the problem: Musk’s ego and stubbornness. In general, if… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Tesla from The Next Web https://ift.tt/g017OAz

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started last month, and as a response, various tech companies started to discontinue or limit their services in the country. Some of those were voluntary, and some of those were driven by international sanctions. Here’s a running list of all the companies and digital services paused or discontinued in Russia: Apple Pay: Last month, after Russian banks were hit with sanctions, Apple decided to shut down its payment services to follow those regulations. Apple Store: Earlier this month, the iPhone maker said that it’s suspending all sales of physical products in Russia following the invasion. It… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/M69hA8e

This week saw champion sailing and blockchain tech join forces to bring fans closer to the sport. At this season’s race in San Francisco, SailGP announced a partnership with NEAR Foundation, makers of blockchain platform Astro. I’m attending the competition, so I took a look at what this means for the sport — and it’s big. What is SailGP? The fleet cross the start line on Race Day 1 of the San Francisco SailGP. Credit: Ricardo Pinto for SailGP. SailGP is a global sailing league co-founded in 2019 by tech mogul Larry Ellison, co-founder, CTO, and former CEO of Oracle.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/SzEajHP

You’re driving slowly along a street, looking for a place to park. You come across a long stretch of parallel parking. But to your frustration, the spaces left by other people’s parking efforts are not quite long enough for you to fit. The search continues. Drawn from our own frustrating experiences with parking, we decided to answer the question once and for all – what’s the best way to parallel park your car? Our research has found a simple answer. You should always park at one end of a parking space, leaving as big a space as possible at the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/DqjnoTl

For weeks, Russia’s military assault on Ukraine has been complemented by full-fledged information warfare. The Kremlin has propagandised Russian state media, and is trying to control the narrative online too. We’ve seen a bombardment of “imposter content” circulating – including fake news reports and deepfake videos – while Ukranians and the rest of the world have scrambled to find ways to tell the real story of the invasion. A deepfake of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calling on his soldiers to lay down their weapons was reportedly uploaded to a hacked Ukrainian news website today, per @Shayan86 pic.twitter.com/tXLrYECGY4 — Mikael Thalen… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Ktv7GJ1

In early 2022, nearly two years after Covid was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, experts are mulling a big question: when is a pandemic “over”? So, what’s the answer? What criteria should be used to determine the “end” of Covid’s pandemic phase? These are deceptively simple questions and there are no easy answers. I am a computer scientist who investigates the development of ontologies. In computing, ontologies are a means to formally structure knowledge of a subject domain, with its entities, relations, and constraints, so that a computer can process it in various applications and help humans… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/qgPy4rY

Want to go to space? It could cost you. This month, the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft will make the first fully-private, crewed flight to the International Space Station. The going price for a seat is US$55 million. The ticket comes with an eight-day stay on the space station, including room and board – and unrivaled views. Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin offer cheaper alternatives, which will fly you to the edge of space for a mere US$250,000-500,000. But the flights only last between ten and 15 minutes, barely enough time to enjoy an in-flight snack. But if you’re happy to… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/4sXp7gW

Starting on Jan. 25, 2023, many of the 2,500 institutions and 300,000 researchers that the U.S. National Institutes of Health supports will need to provide a formal, detailed plan for publicly sharing the data generated by their research. For many in the scientific community, this new NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy sounds like a no-brainer. The incredibly quick development of rapid tests and vaccines for COVID-19 demonstrate the success that can follow the open sharing of data within the research community. The importance and impact of that data even drove a White House Executive Order mandating that “the heads… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/q12wB8I

Charging your EV on the go comes with a big disadvantage: you’re gonna have to wait a while. But waiting wouldn’t be such a hassle if you could do so in comfort and — why not? — have a coffee and do some shopping. On Wednesday, Electrify America announced a new design vision for some of its public charging stations, aiming to make charging as comfortable and seamless as possible. Electrify America’s “charging station of the future.” Image: Electrify America The redesigned stations will feature customer lounges, electric vehicle showcase areas, and dedicated events spaces. They will also come with… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/SfjZ7bP

It’s no secret Apple continually ships boatloads of iPhones every year; it sold 239 million units in 2021, according to analysts. But the company feels it can sell even more — and it apparently has a new idea to do that. According to a report by Bloomberg, the Cupertino-based company is working on a new subscription plan to sell you iPhones and other hardware products. While finer details are yet to be finalized, the gist is Apple wants you to lease an iPhone or an iPad the same way you buy a subscription for its digital services through iCloud. As… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Apple from The Next Web https://ift.tt/PeYHgIQ

When it comes to EV adoption, a major issue people complain about is slow charging times — especially compared to pumping stinky gas. To solve the charging time conundrum, a team of scientists from the Center for Theoretical Physics of Complex Systems at IBS has turned to the realm of quantum physics. The team drew inspiration from a 2012 study, which proposed a “quantum battery concept,” meaning a quantum mechanical system that acts as an energy storage device. According to the 2021 study and numerous others that followed (for instance, here, here, and here), thanks to quantum resources, quantum batteries… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/hSPFt67

Aventon is one of the most popular ebike companies in the US, and its Pace cruiser bikes have long been the company’s best-selling rides. Now the company is updating its Pace 350 and 500, both of which received major redesigns this week meant to make the bikes more comfortable and easier to use. I was able to spend a few days with the latest version of the Pace 500 Step-Through, and it gets a whole lot right for not a lot of money. First, some basic specs. Here are the numbers for the Pace 350: Price: $1,399 Motor: 36V, 350W Battery:… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/lPIx85u

The most exciting name in quantum computing today is Google. Last year’s time crystals breakthrough was the culmination of decades of academic effort from the Search giant, and it proved Big G is a clear front-runner in the world of cutting-edge quantum physics research. Despite having virtually no B2B presence in the quantum computing marketplace, the Mountain View company managed to leverage itself as one of the most important players in the field. Google’s position comes as a bit of a surprise when you consider the competition. D-Wave’s been making quantum computers for about as long as Google has been… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Google from The Next Web https://ift.tt/li6PWBy

Toyota and Aurora Innovation, a US developer of self-driving systems, just started testing autonomous robotaxis in Texas. What you need to know: The test fleet consists of custom-made Toyota Sienna vehicles, retrofitted with Aurora’s self-driving system, the Aurora Driver. The hybrid electric vehicles are built on Toyota’s specially designed “Sienna Autono-MaaS” (S-AM) platform, can go up to 96km/h, and rely on Aurora’s proprietary FirstLight LiDAR for safe driving at highway speeds. Aurora’s testing the fleet on highways and suburban streets in the Dallas-Fort-Worth area, with the operation including trips en route to an airport. The rides are taking place with… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/B7SZR6j

When you think of the term hacker, what comes to mind? Criminals plotting to destroy multinational corporations, derail governments, or simply spam your inbox? The phrase doesn’t usually have positive connotations. We think of people hunkered down in basements, anonymously threatening to change our world for the worse. But the reality is in 2022, hackers aren’t always the bad guys. A new breed of hacker, ‘white hat hackers,’ are the people protecting our data, safe-guarding our favorite charities and NGOs and making the web a safer place. But how do they do it? Well, here’s everything you need to know.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/kaR17nQ

In the last few months, regulators across the world have pulled up their sleeves to force Apple and Google to allow third-party payment methods in app stores. While these regulations might take a while to implement, the Big G has preempted it by announcing a new pilot with Spotify that will allow third-party payments for the music streaming service. Here’s how that will work for users like you and me, and what it means for app developers and service providers. How will it work? The concept is pretty simple. When you want to subscribe or renew your subscription to Spotify… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Google from The Next Web https://ift.tt/IYwP4TW

There’s been a lot of excitement this week in East Germany as Elon Musk’s Gigafactory launched to a rapturous reception. Elon flew in to cut the ribbon as the first 30 vehicles produced at the facility were handed over to customers.  The event was hosted by Andre Traurig, vehicle manufacturing lead at Tesla, and included a speech by Elon Musk, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Economy Minister Robert Habeck, and Brandenburg Prime Minister, Dietmar Woidke in attendance. Big props to Tobia King who filmed and translated the opening speeches. You can watch the whole thing in the video below: This is… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Tesla from The Next Web https://ift.tt/ZqVrbeE

While drink driving fatalities and injuries have declined in recent decades, it still remains a major problem on Australian roads. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limits have helped since they were put in place over 25 years ago, but new technology may now be able to stop drink driving altogether. In the US, the massive infrastructure bill passed by Congress last year mandated car manufacturers equip vehicles with advanced drink-driving prevention technology. These systems can either monitor a driver’s performance to detect if they are impaired, or test a driver’s BAC to determine if it’s above the legal limit. The US… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/asOlzcb

Ah, 2015. Phones still had headphone jacks, Donald Trump had never been president, and Instagram still had a chronological feed. Those were the glory days. And then, in early 2016, Instagram announced it was getting rid of the chronological feed in favor of algorithmic sorting, something no one asked for. The idea was to ostensibly sort content based on what’s most interesting to you. But pretty much no one was happy about it, and it yielded real ethical and political concerns beyond general annoyance. After six years of darkness, Instagram has finally seen the light. In December, it announced it… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Instagram from The Next Web https://ift.tt/b0eUXBW

A cybercrime gang called Lapsus$ is tearing through tech giants around the world. In the last few months alone, the group has claimed the scalps of Nvidia, Ubisoft, Samsung, Okta, and Microsoft. Their brazen tactics have attracted a large following — and some powerful enemies. Here’s what we know about the digital extortionists. Who are the Lapsus$ hackers? Lapsus$ first hit the headlines last December after taking credit for an attack on Brazil’s health ministry. The group posted a message on the ministry’s website: The internal data of the systems were copied and deleted. 50 Tb of data is in… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Microsoft from The Next Web https://ift.tt/s467Y2a

Ford has a weird habit of extravagant marketing strategies. I’ll never forget the petrol-scented perfume the company launched to accompany the electric Mustang Mach-E GT. I mean, who doesn’t want to smell like gasoline? But now there’s a new marketing campaign to wrap our heads around: online conference calling for… EVs. As if the Zoom fatigue of the past two years and the transformation of our homes into working spaces weren’t enough, Ford has a vision of your car becoming the “best mobile office.” To make this happen, the automaker has teamed up with Cisco, which will integrate its Webex… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/HXKpGcS

For months now, a large and very active community of digital sleuths has been closely tracking the escalating crisis in Ukraine. These people have been using open-source intelligence to investigate and document the build-up to – and now the execution of – Vladimir Putin’s war of choice. But what exactly is open-source intelligence? And how is it helping efforts to understand what’s happening on the ground in Ukraine? Broadly speaking, open-source intelligence describes the knowledge or insight emerging from focused collection, monitoring, and analysis of publicly accessible information, now mostly online, using specialized methods and tools. At first sight, open-source… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Dno5diW

Among the things my generation has been promised, I’m especially excited about the rise of robotaxis. Sadly, they aren’t yet flooding the streets, as we expected or wished for. Regulatory approvals aren’t that easy to get, and the tech is still facing some hurdles. But don’t despair just yet — there are indeed some places around the world where you can actually take a ride with an AI driver. For now, the major players are operating in the US and China. So unless you already reside in the areas listed below, the only thing you can do is book a… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/NczaQbw

A renowned theoretical computer science expert recently released an astonishing physics pre-print paper that tosses fuel on the fiery debate over… whether humans could use wormholes to traverse the universe or not. Don’t worry, I’ll explain what this has to do with self-aware robots in due course. Fun with physics First, however, let’s lay the foundation for our speculation with a quick glance at this all-new wormhole theory. The pre-print paper comes courtesy of French researcher Pascal Koiran. According to them, if you apply a different theoretical math metric to our understanding of gravity at the edge of a black… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/aUcCdMq

Microsoft Azure recently announced that its quantum computing research teams had invented “a new kind of qubit” based on elusive, never-before-demonstrated properties of physics. According to the Redmond company, this will allow it to build scalable quantum computers capable of solving the hardest problems facing humanity. So, is this a breakthrough for the field or just an attempt to lean in to the marketing zeitgeist surrounding quantum computing? To sort out the answer, we’ll need to take a look at Microsoft’s quantum computing department, its history, and what it’s actually trying to accomplish. A full stack solution Microsoft’s probably not… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Microsoft from The Next Web https://ift.tt/cmRO7ub

When Snoop Dogg announced his acquisition of Death Row Records last month, fans were thrilled that the legendary rap label was being resurrected. We were less thrilled when, weeks later, most of the Death Row catalog disappeared from streaming platforms. The sudden removals were swiftly linked to Snoop’s unusual plans for the brand. “Death Row will be an NFT label,” the Doggfather announced in February. “We will be putting out artists through the metaverse… Just like we broke the industry when we was the first independent to be major, I want to be the first major in the metaverse.” The… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/A2zNXtQ

As electric microcars are gradually becoming a thing, there are a number of companies that want to introduce us to tiny EVs with an intriguing design twist: shapeshifting. Two of these interesting shapeshifters, scheduled for launch later this year, are the Triggo EV and the City Transformer. You can’t really expect Batmobile-like transformations, but both vehicles have variable chassis that enable them to change their size when space is at a premium. To fit into a tight parking spot or pass swiftly through traffic jams — that’s your call. The Triggo EV can extend or contract its front wheels horizontally,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/40TZDXV