Science and Technology

More news - Breaking news Seventeen years ago, Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone, a revolutionary device that combined an iPod, a telephone, and an Internet browser in one. At $500, it was expensive, but its innovation justified the cost, despite some initial flaws. Fast forward to today, and my experience with Apple’s new $3,500 Vision Pro headset has been less than stellar. This ski-goggle-style virtual reality headset aims to merge the physical and digital worlds. Apple bills it as a “space computer” designed for work, entertainment, and play. Without an advance review unit from Apple, I purchased the Vision Pro…

Related media - Recent news In May, CoreWeave, a provider of cloud computing services for AI companies, raised $1.1 billion, followed by $7.5 billion in debt, reaching a valuation of $19 billion. Scale AI, a data provider for AI companies, secured $1 billion, at a valuation of $13.8 billion. Additionally, xAI, founded by Elon Musk, raised $6 billion, reaching a valuation of $24 billion. According to Kyle Stanford, research analyst at PitchBook, these funding rounds have increased overall deal volume in the industry, both in terms of dollar amounts and number of deals. "It's not declining anymore," he said. "The…

More news - News 24 hours In Japan, engineers are working to create robots that can mimic human expressions, particularly smiles. They developed a face mask using human skin cells, which they attached to robots using a new technique that hides the bond and is flexible enough to form expressions such as a grimace or a slight smile. The look is a mix between the disturbing Hannibal Lecter mask and the claymation character Gumby. However, scientists believe that these prototypes could lead to more advanced robots. These robots would have a durable, elastic outer layer that protects the machine while…

Related media - News 24 hours Like the allure of vinyl records, classic video games, and even the Internet in its infancy, the fascination with old photographic standards like point-and-shoot cameras or 35-millimeter film persists, even in people too young to remember when that equipment was state of the art. The appeal of "vintage" photography goes beyond nostalgia and Instagram filters, judging by the number of apps designed to emulate the film, lenses, and visual quirks of pre-digital photos and films. Despite the irony of using a high-end smartphone camera to produce imperfect images that appear oversaturated, jittery, low-contrast, unfiltered,…

Related media - Breaking news The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Biden administration in a case involving social media, achieving a significant practical victory. The ruling rejected a Republican challenge to block the government from communicating with social media platforms to combat misinformation. In a 6-3 decision, the Court found that the plaintiffs, including states and individuals, had not suffered direct harm that would have entitled them to sue. The decision leaves unanswered broader questions about the First Amendment’s limits on government influence over tech companies, which control much of the flow of information online. The case stems…

Related media - Breaking news Tech giants such as Apple, Google and Microsoft are racing to develop smartphones and computers powered by artificial intelligence (AI). These devices promise to make our lives easier by automating tasks like editing photos or scheduling meetings. But there's a problem: they require a lot of data from us. More data, more convenience, less privacy? These new AI capabilities come at the cost of increased data collection. The companies envision Windows PCs taking screenshots every few seconds, iPhones merging data from various apps, and Android phones analyzing calls in real time to detect scams. This…

Related media - Breaking news Ted Sarandos, 59, co-CEO of Netflix, worked his way up in the now-defunct DVD industry before moving straight to Netflix when the company was still renting DVDs by mail. Mike Hopkins, 55, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, was immersed in digital as CEO of Hulu, the pioneering streaming service owned by Disney, Fox and NBCU, before joining Sony as head of its unit television in 2017. to Amazon in 2020 and reports to the company's CEO, Andy Jassy, ​​​​56, who has no professional experience in the entertainment field. Over the past five…

Related media - News 24 hours Because we forget to unsubscribe In May, Caroline Sinders, a designer and artist, published the results of an independent study on how companies like Netflix, Hulu, Vimeo and The New York Times make it difficult to unsubscribe from their services. The study, conducted in 2022, found that some media companies like The Times created friction in the process, requiring, in some cases, a phone call to cancel a subscription. The Times now allows subscribers to unsubscribe online without calling. Even though the study found that streaming services like Netflix and Hulu were easier to…

Related media - News 24 hours In a survey that asked just over 2,500 Americans about digital payments, about 80% of Gen Z respondents said they use mobile wallets, and among them, half were eager to use their phone much more than pay, according to recent data. from Pymnts Intelligence, a research firm that studies trade. Younger people are increasingly using their phones for purposes that older adults would use a traditional wallet for, such as carrying around documents like driver's licenses, boarding passes and event tickets. Some of these digital items can be added to Apple and Google's Wallet…