Category Archives: SCI-TECH

Apple has formed a new data-processing venture in Shanghai , according to business registry information, as the US tech giant’s bid to bring artificial intelligence (AI) services to iPhones in mainland China remains in limbo. Established on Friday with a registered capital of US$35 million, Apple Technology Development (Shanghai) will focus on software development, big data services, storage services and data processing, according to Chinese business registry platform Tianyancha. Tejas Kirit Gala, who heads Apple’s multiple entities in the country, serves as the legal representative of the new firm, which is wholly owned by Apple South Asia, according to Tianyancha. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. The Cupertino, California-based company’s latest move comes amid growing challenges in China, the world’s biggest smartphone market, where

Meta co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies on Capitol Hill in 2018. Photo: CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFPSource: AFP The clean cut hair has grown, his college kid’s hoodie is now a gold chain, and his politics have swerved hard right. Mark Zuckerberg, the boss of Facebook and Instagram, on Tuesday accused governments and so-called legacy media of pushing censorship, and vowed to take his world-dominating platforms back to their “roots.” “We’re restoring free expression on our platforms,” he asserted in a video posted on his social networks on Tuesday, in which he announces the end of fact-checking in the US. The out-of-the blue pivot to Trumpian talking points has perplexed many of Zuckerberg’s closest watchers, but the tech pioneer’s sudden alignment with the

Alibaba Cloud on Tuesday announced a partnership with Transsion that will see Tongyi Qianwen power the GenAI features of the Phantom V Fold2, the latest flagship Android 5G smartphone from the Shenzhen -based handset maker’s Tecno brand. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. The two firms’ on-device GenAI service makes use of a so-called AI button, which enables a user to conduct multiple rounds of AI conversations and quickly make summaries of documents and phone call messages. LLM is the technology underpinning GenAI services like ChatGPT . GenAI refers to the algorithms that can be used to create new content, including audio, code, images, text, simulations and videos. Tongyi Qianwen has shown “excellent performance” in terms of AI inferencing, according to Shi Tuanwei, general manager of Transsion’s TEX AI

This NASA photo released on February 24, 2021, shows images from NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover in Jezero Crater on February 21, 2021. Photo: Handout / NASA/JPL-CALTECH/AFP/FileSource: AFP NASA announced Tuesday it may turn to Elon Musk’s SpaceX or Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin to help reduce the soaring costs of returning Martian rocks collected by the Perseverance rover to Earth. Originally planned to deliver 30 sample tubes to Earth by the 2030s, the Mars Sample Return mission has faced rising expenses and delays, prompting the US space agency to explore more streamlined solutions. The pivot comes as China progresses towards a simpler “grab-and-go” sample return mission to the Red Planet “around 2028,” according to state media, potentially making it the first nation to achieve the feat. Outgoing NASA Administrator Bill

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to be a transformative force, reshaping industries, economies and societies while acting as a harbinger of revolutionary change. However, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres cautioned the UN Security Council in a recent address that this technological revolution carries a double-edged promise: while it has the potential to drive progress, it also risks deepening existing inequality . His urgent call that “we must never allow AI to stand for advancing inequality” is not just valid, it demands immediate global action. The critical question is how the international community can harness AI’s potential responsibly while safeguarding against its pitfalls. AI advocates emphasise its potential to solve global challenges , from addressing food insecurity to predicting climate change-induced displacements. However, this optimism is tempered by the rapid

AI to better train robots and cars and new gaming chips dominated Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote speech at the CES 2025 conference on Monday as the world’s second most valuable firm expounded on its potential to expand its business. Nvidia introduced what it calls Cosmos “foundation” models that generate photo-realistic videos which can be used to train robots and self-driving cars at a much lower cost than using conventional data. By creating what is known in the tech industry as “synthetic” training data, the models can help robots and cars understand the physical world similar to the way large language models helped chatbots generate responses in natural language. Users will be able to give Cosmos a text description that can be used to generate video of a world that

Alphabet’s consumer team will give TV sets running its Google TV operating system an AI upgrade by adding Gemini to its Google Assistant voice-control system. At the CES technology conference on Monday, the company previewed upgraded Google TV software that adds more natural voice commands, improved content search and deeper YouTube integration. The Gemini upgrade, due to roll out later this year, will allow users to hold back-and-forth conversations with third-party TVs without the need to use the “Hey Google” trigger phrase for each command, Google showed in a demo for reporters. The company also showcased the ability to more naturally call up content, such as asking for videos from a recent trip that were saved to a user’s Google Photos account. The Google logo is displayed on a smartphone

FILE PHOTO Featured GraphicOnline Education Jan – 02 – 2025 , 22:01 2 minutes read The Ghana Education Service (GES) has reaffirmed the reopening date for Senior High Schools (SHSs) as January 3, 2025, despite calls from the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) for a postponement over unresolved financial concerns.   In a press release issued on January 2, 2025, the Head of the Public Relations Unit at GES, Cassandra Twum Ampofo, reiterated that the 2024/25 academic calendar remains unchanged. She stated, “As previously announced, SHS students are expected to report back to school on January 3, 2025, while primary and Junior High Schools will reopen on January 8, 2025.” Ms Twum Ampofo added that the GES is actively engaging the Ministry of Education to address the

SenseTime Group is reducing its office footprint in Singapore, scaling back once-lofty ambitions at a time it is struggling to compete in the post-ChatGPT era . The Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) pioneer is moving from a prime downtown location to a smaller office in a less expensive neighbourhood, people familiar with the matter said. The company is giving up a roughly 11,000 square foot (1,022 square metre) space in Frasers Tower for a less central building, the people said, asking to remain unidentified discussing private decisions. SenseTime is downsizing at a time fellow tech firms including ByteDance are expanding abroad , seeking to escape an economic downturn back home. The retreat underscores how SenseTime, which in 2023 lost Alibaba Group Holding as a financial backer, is grappling with new rivals

In today’s hyper-connected business world, cyber threats loom larger than ever. A single breach can cost millions of dollars, tarnish reputations, and disrupt operations. Yet, technology alone cannot shield organizations from these risks. The most critical defense lies in cultivating a security-first culture—one where employees at all levels prioritize cybersecurity in their daily routines. But how can companies embed security into their DNA? Let’s break it down. 1. Why a Security-First Culture Matters No organization is immune to cyber threats. A 2023 IBM report revealed that the global average cost of a data breach reached $4.88 million , with human error cited as a contributing factor in 74% of cases. Despite this, many employees view cybersecurity as an IT problem, not a shared responsibility. This mindset is dangerous, especially for

Huawei Technologies ’ latest series of flagship smartphones contains memory chips made by South Korean semiconductor supplier SK Hynix , according to research firm TechInsights, as Chinese-made options remain limited amid a US-led export ban on advanced chipmaking equipment to the mainland. In a teardown report published last week, analysts at the Canadian firm said they found SK Hynix’s 12-gigabyte low-power mobile DRAM and 512GB NAND inside a Huawei Mate 70 Pro handset. The higher-end Mate 70 Pro Plus featured the same NAND and a 16GB DRAM from SK Hynix. SK Hynix manufactured these mobile DRAM devices using 14-nanometre technology and advanced extreme ultraviolet lithography, according to TechInsights senior analyst Jeongdong Choe. NAND is a type of memory used for flash storage, while DRAM, short for dynamic random-access memories, is

Layo George – Wolomi Layo George is the Founder and CEO of Wolomi, a maternal health startup dedicated to improving outcomes for women of color during their perinatal periods. Layo leads a team of culturally competent multidisciplinary experts addressing the maternal health crisis with a focus on population health, equity, and social determinants of health. Wolomi, through its companion app, provides resources and guidance to support aspiring moms, moms-to-be, and new moms, creating a unique community and platform for women of color. Under Layo’s leadership, Wolomi has made significant strides in improving maternal health outcomes. The platform provides access to maternal health experts of color, culturally relevant resources, and educational tools, ensuring that mothers of color receive the support they need. Wolomi’s impact is evident, with 98% of its moms