Technology News Era

If you read a lot of tech news, you’d think we’re merely months away from being able to hail a robotaxi in Europe. Unfortunately, this will be wrong: because those articles are most likely talking about projects in North America. The EU approach to autonomous ridesharing and ride-hailing is vastly different to the US. So, we had a simple question: when will we be able to catch a robotaxi and Europe? And why can’t we yet? Currently, there are robotaxis (and a small number of roboshuttles) in the US, but only roboshuttles in Europe, terms we’ll define later. This difference… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/QjMD1rG

Amidst rising climate concerns and the current energy crisis, European oil companies are trying to pivot from fossil fuels to renewable power — and spending a huge amount while doing so. Most recently, British/Shell agreed to buy Europe’s biggest biogas producer, Denmark-based Nature Energy, for €1.9 billion. As part of the deal, the oil giant will acquire Nature Energy’s 14 industrial plants and an international development pipeline of about 30 plants across Europe and North America. This comes one month after rival BP announced its $4.1-billion plan to buy Archaea Energy, a US-listed biogas producer. What is biogas? Biogas —… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/wZkQyqE

When it comes to B2B products, it’s all about building relationships, something that can be challenging for startups entering traditional industries like rail. But over the last few years, the rail industry has reached out to startups to provide a way to gain their insights and draw them into its ecosystem. Examples of these initiatives include the UK’s Rail Innovation Group — an incubator for rail startups — and Deutsche Bahn’s DB Mindbox. Since 2015, the latter in particular, has organised hackathons and supported more than 150 startups with their proof of concept, 60% of which continue their business cooperation… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2tLKrnk

Suddenly finding yourself unemployed is a precarious position to be in, and not even severance pay can take the sting out of the confidence knock a lay-off brings. The unprecedented tech layoffs that have occurred in recent weeks at the likes of Meta and Stripe have sent shockwaves through the industry, as thousands of workers brace themselves for the task of finding a new role in a less buoyant job market. However, the industry as a whole remains stable. In fact, according to a report by Gartner, IT expenditure is expected to increase by 5.1% and hit $4.5 trillion by… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/qWr5OHP

When British director Scott Mann’s latest film, Fall, was on the precipice of receiving an “R” rating from the MPAA over the number of “F” bombs dropped over its one hour and 47-minute run time, he did what any reasonable person would: he used artificial intelligence to digitally alter the actor’s performances in order to change the swear words into more palatable terms. A stroke of fricking genius, if you ask us. For those who are curious: about 35 “F” words stood between a PG-13 rating and an R rating. Mann’s dilemma, then, became trying to figure out how to… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Gyvg0uz

When learning a different language, the easiest way to get started is with fill in the blank exercises. “It’s raining cats and …” By making mistakes and correcting them, your brain (which linguists agree is hardwired for language learning) starts discovering patterns in grammar, vocabulary, and word sequence — which can not only be applied to filling in blanks, but also to convey meaning to other humans (or computers, dogs, etc.). That last bit is important when talking about so-called ‘foundation models,’ one of the hottest (but underreported) topics in artificial intelligence right now. According to a review paper from… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/E7P9Gns

All around the world, governments are investing in public transport to reduce car use and create a greener world. And, now, Eastern Europe is going all in with the rail infrastructure project Rail Baltica. Rail Baltica aims to integrate the Baltic States within the European rail network. It’s one of Europe’s most substantial investments to improve mobility and travel options, and it’s the largest Baltic-region infrastructure project in the last 100 years. The project includes five European Union countries — Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and, indirectly, Finland. It will connect Helsinki, Tallinn, Pärnu, Riga, Panevežys, Kaunas, Vilnius, and Warsaw. But… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/IoLCrKy

This article was originally published on .cult by Mikaella C. .cult is a Berlin-based community platform for developers. We write about all things career-related, make original documentaries, and share heaps of other untold developer stories from around the world. Your professional experience is great. You’ve nailed the test problems. But halfway through the interview, they ask you, “What’s your motivation to work here?” and you find yourself rambling, or stammering, or staring blank-faced at them. Motivation is such a complex and nuanced feeling for each person that it can be difficult to sum up neatly in a job interview. Or… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Bc75zeE

Welcome to the future. It’s 2022 and the near billion-dollar quantum computing sector has gone from a passion project for forward-thinking physicists to a thriving B2B industry. Experts predict the market for quantum technologies will quadruple in value by 2029.  Simply put there’s never been a better time than right now for potential jobseekers to get in on what, arguably, could be the greatest technological revolution since the advent of the internet. But what if you don’t have a PhD in physics or a background in quantum research?  Fret not. The world of quantum technologies will require a lot more… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/LrxCN9H

On Tuesday, the European Council approved the EU’s general budget for 2023. This was agreed in negotiations with the European Parliament a week earlier. The two institutions have committed to a total budget of €186.6 billion next year — an increase of 1.1% compared to 2022. According to the Commission, 2023’s budget aims “to boost the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, to put Europe on the path towards a sustainable future, to protect and create jobs, and to strengthen the Union’s strategic autonomy.” Notably, a significant amount of funding is being allocated to sectors that can benefit startups and SMEs… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/RSb1r6Y

Transitioning to clean energy is imperative — and Europe is committed to achieving net zero emissions by the year 2050. But relying on existing renewable energy sources alone won’t do the trick. Intermittency of supply, pressures on land use, scalability, and toxic waste limit how quickly and effectively those solutions can be rolled out. But there’s hope. The European Space Agency (ESA) has been exploring a new technological solution that could overcome all these challenges: solar power delivered wirelessly from space to Earth — also known as space-based solar power (SBSP). Although this might seem like science-fiction, the concept is… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/XybsaVE

It’s official. France, Germany and Italy, the three biggest contributors to the European Space Agency, have joined forces to compete with SpaceX. At a meeting this week, the ESA agreed to guarantee the future of the next-generation Ariane 6 and Vega-C rocket launcher systems.  According to Stars and Stripes, the deal follows months of bickering between Paris and Berlin over issues “including intellectual property rights, export licenses, and the budget”. The ESA is asking its member states to contribute €18.5 billion to fund the next three years of space programmes — a significant increase of more than 25% from the previous… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/ItUOunj

When most people apply for jobs, they expect the job description on postings to match the job that will be filled. However, our recently published study examining startup hiring shows that this isn’t always the case. Sometimes the job someone applies for might not end up being the same job they’re hired for. Jobs can evolve between the time a decision is made to hire someone, and the actual hiring process itself. Hiring managers might change job duties, hire someone for a different job than the one they are applying for, or abandon the job search altogether. While this might… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/g83SNTi

It’s safe to say that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine hasn’t gone to plan. Russian forces are suffering mounting setbacks, after underestimating the resistance of his adversaries  — and that’s just in cyberspace. The Kremlin’s hacker army – like its conventional military – hasn’t lived up to its fearsome reputation. At least, not yet.  Analysts have offered an array of explanations for Russia’s cyber limitations. They range from upgrades to Ukraine’s defenses to changes in the Kremlin’s tactics.  “Be afraid and expect the worst.” The early signs were ominous. Ever since armed conflict in the Donbas erupted in 2014, Russia-linked hackers… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/OiZUYa3

Telecommunications specialist Ericsson will invest tens of millions of pounds into 6G research in the UK, working with universities and industry partners on network security, AI, and cognitive networks. The Swedish company, which has already been supplying 5G networks across the globe, said that this 10-year partnership would help drive development of next-gen 6G networks, expected to be commercially available in the 2030s. The investment isn’t just a vote of confidence in the UK, which has been trying to protect its scientific research funding post-Brexit. It also expands Ericsson’s collaboration with other European countries working towards the development of 6G.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/If9c2uh

When it comes to advancements for people with neurological impairments and paralysis, brain-computer interface (BCI) projects by Neuralink and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA’s) Brain Initiative show huge promise, especially when it comes to mobility. There are some huge problems though. Progress on this front is often slow, expensive, and — by and large — fails to transfer from a lab setting into the real world. But that’s not to say that there aren’t other organizations making huge strides in BCI tech for people with paralysis. This week saw a paper published by a German, Italian, Swiss, and… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/yu0sb7I

What’s got two thumbs, can perform over 240 PFLOPS, and just gave Europe a 50/50 share of the world’s top four most powerful supercomputers? This supercomputer right here: “This supercomputer right here!” Dubbed the “Leonardo HPC System,” what you see above is the world’s fourth most powerful supercomputer and a potential quantum leap towards the creation of Europe’s first exascale computer. Leonardo is built on architecture designed and developed by French high performance computing company Atos. It’ll officially go online and start solving problems on the 24th of November. While folks in the US are enjoying their Thanksgiving turkeys, Leo… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/4v6mRsy

A decentralized, distributed ledger that tracks and stores every transaction in a verifiable way, the blockchain records transactions across multiple nodes (or computers) in such a way that the registered transaction cannot be altered retroactively. That’s a big difference between a traditional database where information is held centrally and it makes it impossible for any single person or entity to control all the nodes. For a technology that is so relatively new — it was only invented in 2008 by an unknown person or persons using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto (The word “Satoshi” means “clear thinking, quick witted” in Japanese),… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/htegabd

Usually, the winners of a pitching competition are bathed with accolades, media attention, and applause. After it’s done and dusted, all they have to think about is what to spend that sweet, sweet prize money on. But, this year, for one startup, things haven’t gone to plan. Immigram — the winner of the Slush 100 startup competition — is mired in controversy due to its links with the Russian tech scene. Not only are the founders Russian passport holders, but it’s also recruiting tech workers to move to Moscow. This left many wondering why the judging panel decided to invest… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/gwWL6o1

The EU has reached a deal to build a €6 billion satellite internet system, driven by the bloc’s push to boost its space and communications sectors, while ensuring internet security by curbing reliance on foreign suppliers. This initiative was first proposed in February 2022, but the European Parliament and Commission only reached a provisional agreement on Thursday. This new scheme comes amidst rising concerns about Russian and Chinese military advances in outer space and a surge in satellite launches. In response, the 27-nation bloc wants to reclaim its internet strategic autonomy and competitive position in space. “The secure connectivity program… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Security from The Next Web https://ift.tt/GWIdzl5

If there’s one thing I’ve learnt in this life, it’s that the more stuff you have, the better. If you have a higher number of things, basic math tells you that you have more money. And we all know that more money is better than less money. That’s why I live life by this simple mantra: you can never have too many things. This doesn’t just apply to day-to-day life, as the same is true of your Mac. Yeah, losers might tell you that clogging up your Apple computer with data will lead to “problems” and make it “go slower,”… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/WMUJ2dm

This article was originally published on .cult by Luis Minvielle. .cult is a Berlin-based community platform for developers. We write about all things career-related, make original documentaries, and share heaps of other untold developer stories from around the world. When you first stumbled across the celebrated Java the Hut coffeehouse joke in The Simpsons, did you ever figure you’d be compiling Java code in a café (in a hut by the beach) yourself? Although the hut part might be a stretch, that’s the way things role in Barcelona. The vivacious Catalonian city — home to beaches galore — is loaded with coworking… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/heNsLi0

When I got Meta’s new scientific AI system to generate well-written research papers on the benefits of committing suicide, practicing antisemitism, and eating crushed glass, I thought to myself: “this seems dangerous.” In fact, it seems like the kind of thing that the European Union’s AI Act was designed to prevent (we’ll get to that later). After playing around with the system and being completely shocked by its outputs, I went on social media and engaged with a few other like-minded futurists and AI experts. I literally got Galactica to spit out: – instructions on how to (incorrectly) make napalm… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Twitter from The Next Web https://ift.tt/MXPQ73D

Pharmaceutical manufacturing is closely linked to mass production. In order for medicines to be sold cheaply, they often have to be made in huge amounts. But what happens if you need a drug in a different dose than what’s being sold? Or a different ingredient in the mix than what’s on offer? While personalised medicine currently exists, its strictly small batch stuff, as compounding (the manual preparation of individualised drug treatments) is difficult, time-consuming, and lacks quality control. But now Helsinki startup CurifyLabs is automating the process by bringing 3D drug printing to hospitals and veterinary facilities. 3D printing creates the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/gipjKEQ

The Schengen area, the largest border control-free travel zone in the world, may soon expand to include three new members. Currently, it comprises of 22 EU member states and four countries outside the Union: Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Now, Croatia, Romania, and Bulgaria — the youngest EU members — are on the right track to becoming part of Schengen. And this is a good thing for startups and businesses in the bloc. Last week, MPEs of the European Parliament approved the introduction of Croatia, urging the Council to move forward with the process and a final decision, having itself… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/tXSGOPL

Ahh, the pain of digital content. You want to buy one audiobook, or listen to a single premium podcast, but a damn paywall means you have to pay for a subscription to a whole platform. Sure, it might open you to new content, but more likely results in a subscription you never use. Or, even worse, accidentally auto-renew. But a Swedish startup is here to take away your pain: Sesamy. It’s the brainchild of the people behind Acast, the world’s largest podcasting platform. Simply put, Sesamy enables you to purchase single audiobooks, ebooks, and podcasts without needing a subscription. So… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/mnOUtGv

Programming’s big dirty secret is that everyone has, at some point in their career, broken something big. Big like, wiping the full production database on their first day of work, killing the live application while multiple sales people are showing it to clients, or bringing down half the internet by passing on the wrong piece of data. Oops. There are a million reasons why things go wrong, and not all are completely avoidable. But having a good setup for testing new code can at least mitigate some of the worst errors. Traditionally, deploying new code to a website or application… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/gAMTdIW

You’d think the Dutch had already covered their entire country with bike paths, but no, there’s more to be done. That’s why, this week, the Netherland’s national government announced a €780 million investment in cycling infrastructure. Combined with existing municipal and provincial commitments, it brings the total investment to €1.1 billion by 2030. This country has cycling in its veins. On a mission to reduce car journeys, the government is finding transport alternatives to get people to leave their cars at home — or not buy one in the first place. Meaningful last-mile solutions Bike infrastructure at railway stations is… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/jKSMc5r

Italy has introduced a new facial recognition ban, but it features a glaring exemption that is set to echo across the EU. The new ruling outlaws the use of facial recognition technology (FRT) — unless the tech is used for crime fighting or judicial investigation. Italy’s Data Protection Agency pledged to maintain the ban until new legislation is adopted, or at least until the end of 2023.   “The moratorium stems from the need to regulate eligibility requirements, conditions, and guarantees relating to facial recognition, in compliance with the principle of proportionality,’ the watchdog said on Monday in a statement. Civil… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/I03tkGv

A team of researchers at the University of Sofia in Bulgaria may have figured out a novel method for detecting wormholes — assuming, of course, they exist at all. Wormholes are theoretical shortcuts through space and time. Supposedly, if you were to fly a spaceship into one, you could travel massive distances in a relatively short amount of time. This is quite different from a typical black hole — an object from which not even light can escape. The problem with trying to detect wormholes is that they look a lot like black holes. Currently, we don’t have the technology… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/w475zKE

All over Europe, companies are looking to reduce energy costs and their carbon footprint. And it’s more than just talk — the weekend saw the world’s largest floating (offshore) wind farm, Hywind Tampen, begin energy production. Developed by Equinor and located about 140 kilometres off the coast of Norway, the floating wind farm is the first in the world to power offshore oil and gas platforms. The wind farm is estimated to meet about 35% of the annual electricity power demand of five of the Gullfaks and Snorre partners’ rigs. Of course, this percentage will increase when wind speed is… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/zyNaPIr

The idea of using waves as an energy source is far from new; in fact, attempts have been documented as early as 1799. But since then, harnessing wave power for commercial applications has proven to be a challenging pursuit: devices are vulnerable to harsh weather conditions, they have a high capital cost, or simply don’t produce enough power to make for a viable business project. But Scotland-based AWS Ocean Energy aims to change that. The startup has reported results 20% better than expected for its Archimedes Waveswing, a prototype wave energy generator that, for the past six months, has been… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Rb3IULV

Graphene’s spec sheet reads like a superhero’s profile. Two hundred times stronger than steel, a million times thinner than a human hair, and a thousand times more conductive than copper, it’s no surprise the substance is called a “wonder material.”  When the sheet of carbon was first isolated in 2004 at Manchester University, the breakthrough rocked the scientific world. Countless applications for the “miracle substance” were envisioned, from storing solar power to stitching batteries into bodies. At the EU, plans to capitalize on the material’s promise were drawn up. In 2013, the bloc launched the Graphene Flagship, an initiative to… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/ZzqNtCU

The EU’s Renewed Social Agenda, a comprehensive program began in 2008 to improve Europe’s economy, fight climate crisis, and generally provide greater overall quality of life for all Europeans, was a landmark initiative. At its core lies the idea of “social innovation,” a modality involving the creation of new social services and models that are applicable in a multinational paradigm. Examples of “social innovation” include public libraries, open universities, and worker’s rights movements. But there’s more to it than just bringing people together to solve problems or attempting to create an atmosphere of equality. A social service that’s successful in… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Qjw2GNo

Rising temperatures across Europe, in combination with an ever-aging population and rapid urbanization are not only making the population more vulnerable to heat, but have also increased the demand for cooling systems in buildings. In fact, between 1980 and 2020, heat waves have caused 77,000 to 129,000 deaths in the 32 member states of the European Economic Area, the European Environmental Agency (EEA) estimates. This represents 86%-91% of the total fatalities caused by climate-related extreme events. And with heat waves expected to be more intense and frequent than ever before, the agency warns that the EU is facing a crucial… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/lxPA9Gs

Putting fungi on your skin may sound like something right out of 1960s San Francisco, but it’s actually the latest innovation to make wearable tech more sustainable. Researchers from Johannes Kepler University in Linz, Austria, have created a new kind of biodegradable electronics they call MycelioTronics. And it has great potential to reduce the e-waste that plagues hardware of all types. The sustainability challenge in wearable tech In 2019 alone, 53.6 million metric tonnes (Mt) of e-waste was generated — a figure that continues to rise. Tackling this is of the utmost importance in protecting the environment. Electronic circuits inside computer… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/x9K7TV2

Content provided by IBM and TNW The dangers of robots evolving beyond our control are well-documented in sci-fi movies and TV — Her, Black Mirror, Surrogates, I, Robot, need we go on? While this may seem like a far-off fantasy, FICO’s 2021 State of Responsible AI report found that 65% of companies actually can’t explain how specific AI model decisions or predictions are made. While AI is undeniably helping to propel our businesses and society forward at lightning speed, we’ve also seen the negative impacts a lack of oversight can bring. Study after study has shown that AI-driven decision-making can potentially… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/vTa3Owd

The UK launched a formal appeal against its exclusion from the EU’s science programs in August — and, on Monday, called on the bloc to regrant it access again. The British government says that participation in Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship program — which funds research, nuclear regulator Euratom, and the Copernicus satellite monitoring group — was outlined in the post-Brexit trade deal. Since then, the UK claims it has been blocked out. The UK’s exit agreement with the EU allows it to take part in Horizon Europe, as long as it also contributes to the program’s funding. But according… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/NbnWSwk

A team of researchers from the Italian Institute of Technology recently published a ground-breaking study wherein they identified the brain neurons associated with prosocial and selfish behavior in mice. And then they figured out how to turn those neurons on and off. Inspired by the lonely isolation they felt during the COVID-19 quarantine, lead author Diego Scheggia says they originally set out to “understand the social factors and neurobiological determinants of altruism and self-interest.” According to a report from Ingrid Fadelli on Medical Xpress, however, Scheggia felt as though society had shifted away from altruism and toward “self-centered concern and… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/4bTaSDE

Germany’s federal government has blocked Chinese investment into two chip factories in the country, citing national security concerns for the move. Firstly, the government vetoed the takeover of Elmos, a Dortmund-based semiconductor company that’s producing chips for the automotive industry. This bid came from Silex, a Swedish subsidiary of China’s Sai Microelectronics. The announcement came from the Federal Minister of Economics, Robert Habeck, after a meeting of the Federal Cabinet, Reuters reports. During this, the politician said that a Chinese private equity firm has also been banned from investing in a second company. Although Habeck didn’t disclose its name, it’s… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/zuK0iwG

Money is tight. Different circumstances ranging from the ongoing war in Ukraine to post-Covid inflation levels to UK interest rates rising to 3% (the highest since 2008) have employers and workers alike asking: what can be done to ease the pressure? Ideally, a one-off bonus payment is most impactful for employers and most cost efficient for employees, which is probably why 15% of UK companies are planning, or have already paid, such a bonus. But how can smaller companies and those facing cash flow issues support workers? Thinking outside the box and tailoring a non-financial package to each staff member… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/plOBZcd

A string of cyber attacks in Europe have amplified concerns about the threats to public sector targets. Over the last week alone, reports have emerged of hackers disrupting Denmark’s train network, cybercriminals targeting various European ministers, and commercial spyware surveilling Greek politicians. While the variety of methods, targets, and motivations suggest the attacks are isolated events, they’ve further exposed the vulnerabilities of government targets. The attacks form part of a growing trend. Between 2018 and 2021, the number of serious cybersecurity on EU institutions reportedly increased more than tenfold. Oliver Pinson-Roxburgh, CEO of cybersecurity platform Defense.com, views the recent incidents as… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/M18arKe

Imagine watching the prime minister of the UK dump 53 billion Euros’ worth of taxpayer funds into a volcano. Think of all the good that money could do. If you’re a citizen of the UK, think about how hard you work to pay those taxes. According to the World Bank, that’s about how much queerphobia could be costing the Brits. In Italy, that figure would be closer to 36 billion and in Russia and Spain it’d be a bit lower due to their smaller GDPs. The equation is simple: unless you live in a country that ranks highly on LGBTQ… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/4bvWX9s

Content provided by IBM and TNW. Business leaders are looking to ensure that their organizations are doing their part to address the impact of climate change. After another year of extreme weather events — from Hurricane Ian in the United States to heat waves in the UK and floods in Pakistan, the need to transition into a more sustainable world has become clearer than ever before, and companies are now expected to reach new levels of action. Last year, the COP26 — the United Nations Climate Change Conference — highlighted the need for collective urgent action, with more specificity and near-term targets… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/s3P0OSI

Facebook and Instagram owner Meta has bought Audio Analytic, a Cambridge-based startup building AI-driven sound recognition software. Founded in 2010 by Chris Mitchell, Audio Analytic aims to augment consumer technology with high-end sound recognition, and has trained its AI to recognize a broad range of sounds, including smoke alarms, dogs barking, windows breaking, or even babies crying. As per the company’s website, its technology can give machines the “most accurate, robust, and compact sense of hearing on the planet”. Audio Analytic, the Telegraph reports, will join Meta’s Reality Labs division that’s tasked with the development of AR and VR tech.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Hksb48M

As Europe’s transparent solar panel market swells, Swiss scientists have set a new efficiency record for the technology. This could lead the way to energy-generating windows that power up our homes and devices. Also known as Grätzel cells, dye-sensitised solar cells (DSCs) are a type of low-cost solar cell that use photosensitized dye to convert visible light into electricity. Previous versions of DSCs have been reliant on direct sunlight, but a team of researchers at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have found a way to make transparent photosensitizers that can absorb light across the entire visible light spectrum,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/ZRoyGlQ

Natural language processing (NLP) is among the most exciting subsets of machine learning. It lets us talk to computers like they’re people and vice versa. Siri, Google Translate, and the helpful chat bot on your bank’s website are all powered by this kind of AI — but not all NLP systems are created equal. In today’s AI landscape, smaller, targeted models trained on essential data are often better for business endeavors. However, there are massive NLP systems capable of incredible feats of communication. Called ‘large language models‘ (LLMs), these are capable of answering plain language queries, and generating novel text.… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Finance from The Next Web https://ift.tt/jBXN4iq

Digitals maps and navigation apps have become an integral part of not only how we move, but also how businesses and entire industries operate. Think about it. Geolocation data is necessary for delivery companies to bring goods to your doorstep, for ride-hailing apps to get you to your destination, and for automotive brands to make the most out of their driver assistance systems (ADAS) technology. The list of examples goes on and on. The requirement for location-based mapping services has increased to such an extent that the global digital map market is expected to rise by $33.18 billion in the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/l06Co5s

If you’re planning a new meeting room in your coworking space or startup office, you better buy that big-screen TV soon. From March 1st, 2023, the EU is set to ban all 8K TVs and some 4K models from the European market. That’s gotta suck if you have made booking the boardroom out to play Minecraft under the pretence of a meeting a fine art. What’s behind the ban? EU legislation on energy labelling aims to eliminate the least efficient products from the market. Since September 1st, 2021, every television and screen label has included the electricity consumption in kWh for 1,000 hours… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/jZMVlmq

Elon Musk is causing consternation among his new employees. According to Bloomberg News, Twitter’s new owner is set to cut around 3,700 jobs – about half the company’s workforce. Those who remain are also bracing for upheaval. Musk reportedly intends to scrap the platform’s work-from-anywhere policy and mandate returns to offices from Monday. The U-turn has reignited calls for legal rights to work-from-home on both sides of the Atlantic. Changing times Musk’s mooted move would scrap a groundbreaking policy. In 2020, Twitter became one of the first tech firms to allow staff to work from home indefinitely. The policy quickly proved… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Twitter from The Next Web https://ift.tt/zIbQ5lW