Posts

Showing posts from December, 2021

BCIs had a big year in the lab. In 2022, they’re coming to the market

Image
Brain-computer interfaces are slowly edging into the mainstream. After a string of scientific breakthroughs, neurotech companies are starting to commercialize their research. Among them is Blackrock Neurotech, which is restoring functions that have been impaired by disabilities or accidents. The company is best-known for developing a neural implant that enabled a paralyzed man to control a robotic arm with his mind. In 2022, the Utah-based firm plans to launch its first commercial device. “From an engineering point of view, all the components are there,” Florian Solzbacher, Blackrock’s co-founder and chairman, tells TNW. “What we’re going to be launching initially is… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3zdolIV

Scientists want to call Pluto a planet again — along with 150 other nearby space rocks

Image
A team of scientists in the US is calling for the return of Pluto‘s planetary status. For everyone who’s been clamoring for the little underdog to get its big label back, we have only this to say: be careful what you wish for. The former head of NASA, Jim Bridenstine, called for the reinstatement of Pluto‘s planetary status back in 2019, citing that “it’s the way I learned it, and I’m committed to it.” My favorite soundbyte of the day that probably won't make it to TV. It came from NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. As a Pluto Supporter, I really… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3eFi8Mq

Could electric velomobiles change micromobility? Meet the Kinner Car

Image
If you’re a fan of velomobiles and love the retro style, then I think you’ll find the Kinner Car intriguing — and not just because of its hybrid car-bike nature. While the Kinner is described as a primarily human-powered vehicle, you’ll still get electrical assistance. Meet the Kinner. Credit: Kinner Car Still a work under progress, the current prototype is 285cm long, 100cm wide, and has a 220cm wheelbase, allowing it to be legally classified as an electrically assisted bicycle — in Europe, at least.  It fits two riders and has room for luggage under the hood. The Kinner has… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3EEYmet

Job hunting season is just around the corner – here’s 6 tips to get ready

Image
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And no, we don’t mean because it’s the holiday season. While festive lights and unexpected presents are great, there’s something else to get excited about this December, hiring season is just around the corner. With hiring budgets topped up and ready to go, January and February tend to be the best time of year to land a new job. So, if you’re fed up in your current role, looking to make a career change, or just open to opportunities, now is the time to start getting ready. So, here are a few… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3JvYbFT

A year of escooters fighting fuckwit riders and government crackdowns

Image
When I think of mobility failure in 2021, unfortunately, one mode of transport comes first to mind — escooters. And both micromobility providers and manufacturers are feeling the pain. To many, escooters seem like the vital cog in last-mile mobility solutions in urban areas. They’re highly accessible, environmentally friendly, affordable, and there’s plenty of variety to choose from. Just this morning, I counted four different brands blocking the sidewalk in my street.  I feel like in 2021 we were just starting (at least in Europe) to see escooters transition from something that drunk people and teenage boys ride short distances… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3qzA2pv

Scientists created a biological quantum circuit in grisly experiment with tardigrades

Image
An international team of researchers are claiming to have performed the first ever experiment successfully ‘quantum entangling’ a multi-celled organism. The team, whose research was recently published in a pre-print paper, says it’s managed to place a tardigrade – a tiny critter affectionately known as a “water bear” – in a state of quantum entanglement between a pair of superconducting qubits. In other words: the researchers managed to put a tardigrade in a state where it was directly connected to the qubits in such a way that anything that happens to the water bear or the qubits would simultaneously affect… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3pE1FOH

How electric trucks became all the rage this year

Image
It’s been a massive year for trucks, especially electric trucks from SUVs and pickups to mid-range and long-haul vehicles. Let’s look at some of the news of 2021 and what it means for the year ahead: Notable truck investments in 2021 You couldn’t move in 2021 for news of truck investments. Well, they’re so many that we’re gonna focus on the most notable: March Trucking app company Fluid Truck raised $63 million in Series A. June Fleet management developers KeepTruckin raised $200 million in Series E. August Autonomous trucking company Gatik raised $85 million in Series B. November Rivian raised… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3ezUiBx

5 key traits of a bootcamp that’s worth your time

Image
Bootcamps, bootcamps, bootcamps… They’re everywhere, and everyone has an opinion. On one end of the spectrum are the hard-skeptics. The hard-skeptics believe that bootcamps are selling snake oil–it’s impossible to teach what they claim in three months. If you went to a bootcamp you were a victim. On the other end of the spectrum are the evangelists. In their view, the fact that software engineering bootcamps work proves one of their priors: traditional education is broken, bloated, and corrupt. School has a lot to learn from bootcamps. If you’re only exposed to strong opinions, it can be disorienting. It’s challenging… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/31bQEe9

What’s in store for ebikes in 2022?

Image
2021 has been a year of spinning wheels and electrified hill climbs as sales and investment in ebikes have soared. We talked to Cowboy co-founder/CEO Adrien Roose about the industry’s potential in the coming year. Ebikes are going high tech  The Bosch eBike Flow app in action. This year we saw ebike software evolve, with Bosch releasing the white label ​​Bosch eBike Systems and their eBike Flow app. We also saw Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems  (ADAS) monitoring used in safety applications to help riders understand what’s behind them and in their blind spots as they ride.  According to Roose: Specifically, “smart”… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/32JTuHK

Too Much Future Makes the Present Miserable

Trend forecasters want to sell you your own uncertainty—and the more uncertain you are, the more lucrative a crystal ball gets. from Ideas Latest https://ift.tt/3Jr6Rxj

Wild theory says the Big Bang wasn’t the beginning

Image
The prevailing theory on the origin of our universe goes like this: about 13.7 billion years ago a single particle exploded. The resultant blast created an ever-expanding universe that, eventually, became home to the planet we call Earth. The Big Bang theory first appeared in a scientific paper in 1931. Physicist Georges Lemaitre is credited with its creation. And the bulk of our assumptions about the universe and its rate of expansion are based on his ideas. In 2019 that rate of expansion, called the Hubble Constant, was put into question by various teams that determined either the rate of… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3x9KjKX

Step-by-step: How to grow a company culture

Image
Your employees’ relationships with their work environment are just as meaningful as their home environment when it comes to mental health. Improving the work environment means improving productivity, retention, and growth — it’s as simple as that. So, let’s optimize the corporate mission statement and revitalize the communal ethos. Let’s open communication channels of transparent optimism and patience. Just kidding. If you try searching for “improving company culture,” you are going to get plenty of buzz words and empty sentences. Most advice columnists in the corporate sphere offer the appropriate advice, but because it lacks context, it also lacks focus… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3Hm3eXF

Delusional Elon Musk claims Tesla Robot will be ‘like C3PO or R2D2’

Image
Elon Musk made some wildly bold claims on the Lex Fridman podcast yesterday. While he’s certainly no stranger to sensationalism, it’s clear now that the line between trolling humanity and getting-high-off-his-own supply is blurrier than ever for the world’s richest man. He’s now claiming that the Tesla Robot could be an “incredible buddy like C3PO or R2D2” and that it will be able to “develop a personality over time that is unique” because, according to Musk, “it’s not like all robots are the same.” Musk told Fridman that Tesla would likely have a “decent prototype” by the end of next… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Tesla from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3qy42SH

How supply chain delays stalled new advancements in mobility through 2021

Image
Have you experienced a shortage of particular foods in the grocery store or been waiting ages for that car you ordered at Christmas last year? Well, it’s been a year of spectacular woes in all things supply chain, impacting consumers, manufacturers, and transporters. Let’s look at the highlights:  Suez Canal blockage  In March, a 400-meter cargo ship called Ever Given wedged itself in the Suez Canal for nearly a week due to high winds and poor visibility.  The Suez canal blockage resulted in significant supply chain challenges. It was responsible for memes like: Folks, I’m not feeling optimistic about the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3FG0PGK

African Voices Must Lead the Global Climate Conversation

The world is finally waking up to the impact the climate crisis is having on the continent. from Ideas Latest https://ift.tt/3JpY2no

The AI stories that made us smile in 2021 — and 5 that made us cry

Image
AI had a memorable 2021, although not always for the best reasons. The field unleashed an arousing blend of breakthroughs, applications, and ideas — but also discharged a steady stream of bigotry, BS, and big tech barbarity. At Neural, we aspire to be like Fox News in its prime: fair and balanced. In this equitable spirit, we’ve compiled an even mix of AI’s best and worst of 2021. Without further ado, here are five stories that made us cherish our robot overlords — and five that had us reaching for the off switch. 10. Bad: Slaughterbots coming to your neighborhood… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3FESrr4

Is Einstein’s theory of gravity still relevant — we put it to its toughest test yet

Image
For more than 100 years, Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity has been our best description of how the force of gravity acts throughout the Universe. General relativity is not only very accurate but ask any astrophysicist about the theory and they’ll probably also describe it as “beautiful”. But it has a dark side too: a fundamental conflict with our other great physical theory, quantum mechanics. General relativity works extremely well at large scales in the Universe, but quantum mechanics rules the microscopic realm of atoms and fundamental particles. To resolve this conflict, we need to see general relativity pushed… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3etjjhZ

3 signs analytics engineering is the job for you

Image
This article was originally published here.  I’ve been seeing more and more job postings for analytics engineers in recent months. Every company wants someone that has both data analytics and software engineering skills. It’s the best bang for their buck in hiring one person. I first became an analytics engineer 6 months ago, after working for 2 years as a data engineer. And I’ve never looked back. I’m glad I decided to apply for a position I had never heard of. It ended up being the perfect position for me. Here are some signs it may also be the ideal… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3JntSRI

We ranked 3 types of EV batteries to find the most efficient and sustainable one

Image
Amidst the booming influx of electric vehicles worldwide, automakers and tech companies have been focusing on optimizing the most vital and expensive part of EVs: the batteries. They aren’t all alike, and manufacturers use a range of different kinds of batteries. So we’ve decided to select and rank the three most prominent (or promising) battery types: lithium, solid-state, and sodium-ion batteries. We’ll compare the batteries using four criteria: safety, energy density and charging time, sustainability, and price. But before we begin, let’s brush up the basics we need to know. How do the battery types differ? Lithium-ion and solid-state batteries… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3puH0g6

Predicting Death Could Change the Value of a Life

New technology promises to forecast the length of your life. But for disabled people, measuring mortality can prove fatal. from Ideas Latest https://ift.tt/32LIHNq

Physicists working with Microsoft think the universe is a self-learning computer

Image
A team of theoretical physicists working with Microsoft today published an amazing pre-print research paper describing the universe as a self-learning system of evolutionary laws. In other words: We live inside a computer that learns. The big idea: Bostrom’s Simulation Argument has been a hot topic in science circles lately. We published “What if you’re living in a simulation, but there’s no computer” recently to posit a different theory, but Microsoft’s pulled a cosmic “hold my beer” with this paper. Dubbed “The Autodidactic Universe,” and published to arXiv today, the paper spans 80 pages and lays out a pretty good… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Microsoft from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3saOrqR

2021 was a big year for physics: We finally peeked beyond the Standard Model

Image
If you ask a physicist like me to explain how the world works, my lazy answer might be: “It follows the Standard Model.” The Standard Model explains the fundamental physics of how the universe works. It has endured over 50 trips around the Sun despite experimental physicists constantly probing for cracks in the model’s foundations. With few exceptions, it has stood up to this scrutiny, passing experimental test after experimental test with flying colors. But this wildly successful model has conceptual gaps that suggest there is a bit more to be learned about how the universe works. I am a… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3etrV82

How the laws of physics could prevent AI from gaining sentience

Image
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/3npxNol

These will be the 5 most in-demand tech jobs in 2022

Image
It might be hard to believe but 2022 is just around the corner. While many of us are still stuck in March 2020 (at least in our minds). The world of tech has gone through a mammoth amount of change since the pandemic. From remote work to the Zoom boom, the way we work, communicate with our colleagues and even search for new jobs has completely changed. Of course, Covid-19 has also spurred on ‘The Great Resignation.’ Over the last two years, many people have reevaluated their priorities, examined their careers and contemplated making a change. As a result, we’re… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/32zhAVA

If AI Is Predicting Your Future, Are You Still Free?

Part of being human is being able to defy the odds. Algorithmic prophecies undermine that. from Ideas Latest https://ift.tt/3qvy7Sy

Would Keynes have bought Bitcoin? — classic economics vs. crypto

Image
John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) was the greatest economist of the twentieth century. Less well known is that he had a parallel career as a successful investor: fairly successful early in his career, and spectacularly successful later on when he changed his strategy. After the first world war, his income depended more on his investments than his academic work. In addition to his personal investments, he managed the investments of King’s College, Cambridge, of which he was a member. Under his stewardship, the value of the King’s College fund increased twelve-fold over a period in which broader markets failed to even… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Bitcoin from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3mAUkh5

The History of Predicting the Future

Humans have long tried to determine the shape of what’s to come. But even the most advanced technology can’t solve the fundamental issues with predictions. from Ideas Latest https://ift.tt/3pueZ8g

Elon Musk’s 13 most WTF tweets in 2021

Image
I love Twitter. While some people type out carefully curated tweets, most of us write what we want as if no one’s reading. But you know we’re really hoping that someone will read it. Bonus points if it makes us laugh, think or feel. Here’s a couple of my favorites overnight: pic.twitter.com/FOaayPuqDW — Unexplained Occurrences 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ (@TalesOfBeyond) December 14, 2021 Good morning to everyone except that old guy on Willy Wonka who lazed around letting his daughter-in-law wait on him hand and foot for 20 plus years then leapt out of bed the instant he got an invite to visit… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3JnBZ0T

Google’s ‘time crystals’ could be the greatest scientific achievement of our lifetimes

Image
Eureka! A research team featuring dozens of scientists working in partnership with Google‘s quantum computing labs may have created the world’s first time crystal inside a quantum computer. This is the kind of news that makes me want to jump up and do a happy dance. These scientists may have produced an entirely new phase of matter. I’m going to do my best to explain what that means and why I personally believe this is the most important scientific breakthrough in our lifetimes. However, for the sake of clarity, there’s two points I need to make first: Time crystals are a… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Google from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3fdRQlg

How to recognize a diamond of a marketing idea

Image
Let’s say you’re a startup founder, who comes up with the next new idea in marketing, scaling, or strategic business development. If you are 100% sure that your randomly picked idea will work (maybe you’ve asked a fortune-teller or made a tarot spread), I won’t waste your time. But if you really need to sift diamonds from fakes and create a marketing campaign that will definitely work, here are my three favorite approaches to testing ideas that my team at Refocus.me uses. 1. Go to the shelf of ideas and divide them up by priority Start by evaluating ideas according… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3mCO1K1

Our top 10 mobility stories of 2021

Image
As you can imagine, mobility is a massive sector – it’s everything from cars to ebikes to trains and buses.  Here at Shift, we’re keen to cover the lot, as well as topics like battery innovation, renewable energy (particularly solar and hydrogen), and EV charging. Emerging mobility solutions like hyperloops, eVTOLs, autocycles, and hovercrafts make us look forward to the future. Technology moves fast, and we strive to create explainers into the use of AI, blockchain, and metaverse in the mobility space. We also like to make space for fun and entertainment, ridicule Elon Musk every now and then, and cover… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3HehJwM

Before you pay for high-fidelity streaming music, try to pass this lossless audio test

Image
Earlier this year, Spotify announced a ‘HiFi’ upgrade tier for its streaming service that provides lossless audio, promising music free of compression artifacts. Although it’s still not available as 2021 comes to a close, Spotify HiFi promises “CD-quality” audio and aims to steer audiophiles away from other lossless streaming competition like Tidal and Deezer — and more recently, Apple Music and Amazon Music too. But even if you consider yourself an audiophile, you probably don’t need to pay extra for lossless music. At least, not in order to make your music sound better. It’s true that most music streaming services compress audio… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Spotify from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3mzbMSZ

Google punches itself in the face by discontinuing the Pixel Slate

Image
Imagine, if you will, a runner five miles into a marathon. At this stage they would have barely started, covering just 20% of the overall distance. Now picture that person stopping mid-stride and punching themselves in the face over and over again until they cascade into unconsciousness. That runner, friends, is Google. To sprinkle some context on the tale of self-pugilation: Google has discontinued its flagship tablet, the Pixel Slate. 9to5 Google noticed the tablet — which was launched in 2018 — was no longer listed on the company’s website. The Pixel Slate is dead. Google discontinuing a product or service isn’t much of a… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Google from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3He2kww

Will we still worry about the damn chip shortage in 2022?

Image
If that iPhone, PlayStation 5, or new you car you ordered was delayed in the last two years, blame the global chip shortage. The issue started last year, the COVID-19 pandemic, shut down of the factories, high demand of work from home gadgets, and a bunch of other factors like the US-China trade war, caused gadget makers and car companies to fumble to get chips needed to produce their marquee offerings. This resulted in delayed shipments and feature slashing from Apple, BMW, Sony, and Nissan. The chip shortage continued in 2021, and it hasn’t ended yet. In this story, we’ll… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3emLYVO

Whoever invented USB-C deserves a Nobel Prize

Image
We tech reporters like to complain about tech a lot. Whether it’s the invasion of our privacy, worrisome use of AI, or the death of the headphone jack, we can be a fussy bunch. But as I emptied out boxes of old tech gear to start the new year fresh, I couldn’t help but be grateful for one of the best decisions the tech industry has made in the past few years: adopting USB-C. Back in 2015, when Apple first introduced USB-C to the mainstream with the redesigned MacBook, I called it the one port to rule them all. These… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/30YQ4R1

Neural’s best quantum computing and physics stories from 2021

Image
2021 will be remembered for a lot of things, but when it’s all said and done we think it’ll eventually get called the year quantum computing finally came into focus. That’s not to say useful quantum computers have actually arrived yet. They’re still somewhere between a couple years and a couple centuries away. Sorry for being so vague, but when you’re dealing with quantum physics there aren’t yet many guarantees. This is because physics is an incredibly complex and challenging field of study. And the difficulty gets cranked up exponentially when you start adding “theoretical” and “quantum” to the research.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/32hHo97

Take 15 seconds of your time to watch a drone fly by an erupting volcano

Image
A volcano in Iceland called Fagradalsfjall had been dormant for 6,000 years. Then it erupted spectacularly in March. It just so happens that a lot has changed in 6,000 years, such as the fact we humans have drones. So, of course, drone pilots like Bjorn Steinbekk are flying theirs right into the molten lava. Just watch; it’s worth 15 seconds of your time. Somehow, the drone survived flying right past chunks of lava spewing into the sky. Good thing too, because that drone just so happens to be the pricey new DJI FPV. I said that drone looked ‘stupid fun’ in my announcement post,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3FxEPxR

Research indicates the whole universe could be a giant neural network

Image
The core idea is deceptively simple: every observable phenomenon in the entire universe can be modeled by a neural network. And that means, by extension, the universe itself may be a neural network. Vitaly Vanchurin, a professor of physics at the University of Minnesota Duluth, published an incredible paper last August entitled “The World as a Neural Network” on the arXiv pre-print server. It managed to slide past our notice until today when Futurism’s Victor Tangermann published an interview with Vanchurin discussing the paper. The big idea According to the paper: We discuss a possibility that the entire universe on… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3yZX8ZX

Why aliens should be terrified of NASA’s new space telescope

Image
NASA’s  James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is set to launch real soon — on December 25 at 07:20am EST (12:20 GMT/UTC) to be precise — and the scientific community is buzzing with anticipation. Some scientists are excited at the prospect of ‘traveling through time’ to discover the origin story of our universe, while others hope it’ll help us connect the dots between classical and quantum physics. But at least one researcher believes the JWST could be a harbinger of ill tidings. In an interview over the weekend, world-renowned physicist Michio Kaku, one of the scientists responsible for string theory, told… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: NASA from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3JhDehP

5 spectacular photos of the universe taken by telescopes

Image
The forthcoming launch of the James Webb Space Telescope offers unprecedented new opportunities for astronomers. It’s also a timely opportunity to reflect on what previous generations of telescopes have shown us. Astronomers rarely use their telescopes to simply take pictures. The pictures in astrophysics are usually generated by a process of scientific inference and imagination, sometimes visualized in the artist’s impressions of what the data suggests. Choosing just a handful of images was not easy. I limited my selection to images produced by publicly-funded telescopes and which reveal some interesting science. I tried to avoid very popular images which have… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/33VALJY

The James Webb Telescope could uncover some of the universe’s biggest mysteries

Image
If everything goes according to plan on December 25, we will enter a new era of astronomy with the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). It’s an event that has been anticipated for a decade – it will be the largest and most expensive and complex telescope ever built, tested, and launched into space. At the time of writing, the US$10 billion (£7.5 billion) telescope has been fuelled for its flight and mounted atop the Ariane 5 rocket at Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana, which will carry it into space. The launch will be both exciting and terrifying… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3HbclKE

4 Windows keyboard shortcuts I can’t live without

Image
Welcome to TNW Basics, a collection of tips, guides, and advice on how to easily get the most out of your gadgets, apps, and other stuff. As a Windows veteran, I’ve lived under the impression I knew enough about the OS to get as much as I cared out of it. I failed to recognize I was an idiot, and was just plain wrong about the features and flexibility it currently offers. That’s all in the past: I’d now like to share with you some wisdom that has drastically improved my computing experience — a bunch of handy keyboard shortcuts. These… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Windows from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3H9OTO1

Miss Tamagotchis? Bring this cute little robot friend into your life

Image
When I was in my teens I desperately wanted a pet, but my parents wouldn’t allow it, so they got me the next best thing: yes, a Tamagotchi. I loved it. It was my best friend for a while and I was feeling very attached to it. But then its constant demand for attention started driving me crazy, all these bleeps and bloops as it called out for food and petting made me hate it at times, but also deepened my relationship with it. Anyway. Soon enough, I outgrew it, stopped looking after it, and it died. Do I still… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3yZDiy3

The Worst Hacks of 2021

It was a year of ransomware, surveillance, data breaches, and yes, more ransomware. from Security Latest https://ift.tt/3ssUzP7

Love sharing videos of smol doggos and angy kittehs? You’re part of the ‘cute economy’

Image
Was one of the last DMs you received on Instagram a video of ducklings wearing flowers for hats, or floating in a sink full of water? An overly zealous cockapoo dancing on the couch with his human? A husky throwing a temper tantrum because he couldn’t come indoors? If sharing cute animal content is your love language, you’re not alone — you are part of a bigger cultural phenomenon called the cute economy. The cute economy is not only a network of cute content that people participate in making, sharing and circulating but also a multibillion-dollar business due to creators’… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/30U4FwS

All I want for Christmas is Opel’s electric restomod

Image
This year I’v decided I’m going to ask explicitly what I want for Christmas. And all I want is the Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD. Opel unveiled this beauty in May and since then I just can’t stop thinking about it. I mean, just look at it… Credit: Opel Yes, I’m sucker for reimagined classic vehicles, and I have to say that Opel has done an amazing job here. The traditional proportions of the new EV instantly recall the Manta A, the 1970s classic coupe, only now it’s equipped with an electric heart. And coming with a 108 kW electric motor… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3qoFdZi

Surprise! An investigation into Tesla’s gaming feature made people angry

Image
Surprise, surprise: Tesla‘s under formal investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTHSA) again. This time, the NHTSA is investigating the Passenger Play feature. This “allows the gameplay to function on the front center touchscreen while the vehicle is in motion and may present a distraction to the driver,” according to the agency’s official report. As a result, on Wednesday the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE), covering 580,000 Tesla Model 3, S, X, and Y vehicles from 2017 to 2022. How it all started In a summer over-the-air update, Tesla added three new games to… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Tesla from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3H4ljJG

Apple’s AirPods Max are a year old — and the case is still atrocious

Image
How time flies. It feels like last week when Apple announced the AirPods Max, its first proper pair of over-ear headphones. At the time, the launch SEEMED momentous. People were shocked/appalled/excited about the headphones and Apple‘s aspirations, but a year later? There’s an overwhelming sense of “meh” around the devices. Much of this, I’m sure, is down to the inherent flaws in the AirPods Max. I’ve written about this extensively in the past, but I’ll sum up the major issues with them again: No proper lossless support No 3.5mm audio cable No power button Simply acceptable battery life Minimal Android… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Apple from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3pjdBFA

Lab-Grown Embryo Research Is Poised to Transform Medicine

New advances in stem cell science could alleviate devastating early-life conditions. But this comes with a moral conundrum. from Ideas Latest https://ift.tt/3qio8A9

Your Netflix recommendations suck. These tools will help you improve them

Image
I’ve got a bad Netflix habit. Whenever I open the app, I scroll for ages before finding nothing substantial and rewatching shows I already love. Even when I search for specific keywords on Netflix, I don’t get appropriate results. All in all, disappointment galore. So, I decided that I needed to stop relying on Netflix for recommendations and build my own watchlist. Wasting my time scrolling should be a thing of the past. With this in mind, I created a guide on enhancing your Netflix experience. Before we start, I’d like to point out that this process might force you… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/32xa0KU

This material ‘learns’ like animals, and could help further AI research

Image
The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea A unique material, nickel oxide demonstrates the ability to learn things about its environment in a way that emulates the most basic learning abilities of animals, as my colleagues and I describe in a new paper. For over half a century, neuroscientists have studied sea slugs to understand basic animal learning. Two fundamental concepts of learning are habituation and sensitization. Habituation occurs when an organism’s response to a repeated stimulus continuously decreases. When researchers first touch a sea slug, its gills retract. But the more they… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/30RakUq

This futuristic solar truck concept is like an EV Transformer

Image
Imagine you’re looking for something to do to keep yourself occupied during the COVID-19 lockdown. While some people opt for negroni making and Only Fans, others have higher ambitions. Instead of baking bread or doing puzzles, the team at Wolfgang IP decided to make a new state-of-the-art solar EV truck. The mighty Thundertruck makes the Cybertruck look positively ancient. The makers note: While this was not your typical lockdown activity, our core team had worked in and around the automotive industry for the past 25+ years, so it was something we were excited to take on. We assembled an international… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3Eh05qc

6 trends shaping the future of fintech in 2022

Image
It’s hard to say when the term ‘fintech’ was first coined, but Chris Skinner, the global FinTech pundit, heralds the beginning of FinTech with the launch of Zopa, a UK peer to peer lender in 2005. Since then, the sector has grown steadily until 2020 when we saw a dramatic 72% rise in European fintech app usage. While lockdown certainly pushed fintech services into the mainstream, there are a number of other trends that have been shaping the future of fintech startups, banks, and other players entering the industry behind the scenes. These influences will have a major impact on… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Fintech from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3qfpsnf

Can AI actually understand what we are saying? Scientists are divided

Image
This article is part of “the philosophy of artificial intelligence,” a series of posts that explore the ethical, moral, and social implications of AI today and in the future. If a computer gives you all the right answers, does it mean that it is understanding the world as you do? This is a riddle that artificial intelligence scientists have been debating for decades. And discussions of understanding, consciousness, and true intelligence are resurfacing as deep neural networks have spurred impressive advances in language-related tasks. Many scientists believe that deep learning models are just large statistical machines that map inputs to… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3ecqNG1

The Future of Reality Is Multiple Choice

As a new Matrix film arrives in theaters, our senior senior correspondent asks: What is real? from Ideas Latest https://ift.tt/3srGRvV

TNW’s favorite gadgets under $50 will make you a gifting pro

Image
Holidays are around the corner, so I am spending a lot of time on ecommerce websites to search for gifts. It’s natural that you don’t want to spend too much money on everyone. You might give your partner a $700 phone, but you might want to cap that limit for a friend you meet once in a while. So to help you out with cheap gifts, we decided to put out a list of our favorite tech purchases under $50. Don’t worry, cheap doesn’t mean bad. These are some of the best value for money choices, and your friends would… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3JcZ4TG

Antibodies Are Being Created to Fight Disease in New Ways

Targeting cancers and viruses, better knowledge of the human immune system is leading to new medicines. from Ideas Latest https://ift.tt/32jqZ3F

Many startup accelerators fail. Here’s how to find the right one

Image
The amount of new startup accelerators has gone through the roof. Since they first entered the scene in 2005 over 3,000 accelerators were advertised globally in 2021. It all started with accelerator programs backed by a venture capital fund, such as Y-Combinator. Now accelerators are run by governments, corporates, universities, ex-startup founders, or in partnership with the venture capital(VC) ecosystem. This isn’t surprising, as accelerators are proven to have a positive effect on startup success. Research shows startups that ‘graduate’ from an accelerator program have a 23% better survival rate. This is considerable seeing as an estimated 90% of startups… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3ecnUVE

Ride-share spending to hit almost US$1 trillion by 2026

Image
This article was originally published by Christopher Carey on Cities Today, the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders. For the latest updates, follow Cities Today on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, or sign up for Cities Today News. Ride-share spending by consumers globally will exceed US$937 billion by 2026 — comparable to 50 times the combined annual revenue of Transport for London, New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and Beijing Metro in 2021 — according to a new study by Juniper Research. The figures from Ride Sharing: Value Chain Analysis, Market Size & Forecasts 2012-2026 forecast a 537 percent growth… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3ehQGE9