All posts tagged: ambitions

The Download: China’s brain implant ambitions

The Download: China’s brain implant ambitions

Published by skeptic

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. China has approved the world’s first invasive brain-computer chip—here’s what’s next Sitting in the courtyard of his house in China’s Henan province last October, Dong Hui decided to try holding a pen. Six years after a car accident left him paralyzed from the neck down, he slowly wrote his name, “Thank you,” and the date. The breakthrough was made possible by a brain implant called NEO. In March, it became the world’s first invasive brain-computer interface approved for use beyond clinical trials. The approval is expected to accelerate China’s push to become a global leader in brain implants. Read the full story on how China reached this milestone—and what it means for the future of brain-computer interfaces. —You Xiaoying The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Nvidia is launching its first AI chip for personal computersThe RTX Spark will power laptops from …

Russian-Led Economic Union Considers Suspending Armenia Over EU Ambitions

Russian-Led Economic Union Considers Suspending Armenia Over EU Ambitions

Published by Sam Flores

By Guy Faulconbridge and Lucy Papachristou MOSCOW, May 29 (Reuters) – A Russian-led economic ⁠union ⁠of former Soviet republics said on Friday ⁠it would consider suspending Armenia for seeking European Union membership and called on Yerevan ​to hold a referendum so its people could vote on which path to take.  Russia, distracted by the war in Ukraine, is trying to ‌keep Armenia in its orbit but Armenian ‌Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who faces an election on June 7, has tried to plot a path westwards while criticising Moscow ⁠in public. After ⁠a meeting in Astana, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) said it will consider suspending Armenia ​later this year out of concerns its pursuit of EU membership jeopardises the union’s economic security. The leaders of Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan said that Armenia’s westward integration posed “significant risks to the economic security” of the EAEU, and that its continued membership would be reviewed at the ​group’s next meeting in December. They also called on Yerevan to hold a popular referendum on joining the EU, and …

SpaceX IPO filing brings Musk’s interplanetary ambitions to Wall Street

SpaceX IPO filing brings Musk’s interplanetary ambitions to Wall Street

Published by Sam Flores

May 20 : As Elon Musk’s SpaceX races toward what could be the largest IPO in history, its filing delivers a rare mix of hard financial data and bold ambitions of exploring the frontiers of space. The filing’s references to lunar missions and Mars settlement echo the popular space-age futuristic themes of “The Martian” and “Interstellar,” while grounding those ambitions in the more familiar language of commercial space development. The company identified asteroid mining, in-orbit manufacturing and energy production on the moon and Mars as potential future opportunities, even though these ventures appear nowhere near feasibility. The language in the filing at times veered from conventional corporate disclosure to warnings of existential peril. “We do not want humans to have the same fate as dinosaurs,” the company said, as it made a case for interplanetary travel. The part-balance-sheet, part-science-fiction nature of the paperwork is just one of several signs that show how unprecedented SpaceX’s IPO truly is, in terms of size, ambition and business model. It is also consistent with Musk’s public persona. The billionaire …

Rivals boss reveals ambitions as show expands: ‘I would love to be like Marvel’

Rivals boss reveals ambitions as show expands: ‘I would love to be like Marvel’

Published by Daniella Wilson

This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Dominic Treadwell-Collins thinks about sex a lot and he thinks about it very seriously. And also – and this word comes up a lot – “rigorously”. But of course he does: he’s the lead writer and an executive producer on Rivals, the romp of a Disney+ series based on the novels of Jilly Cooper. The show, like its source material, is chockablock with how’s your father, rammed with rutting, a bonking bonanza. This is actually something of a responsibility, it transpires. “It’s a very big part of Rivals and we celebrate it in all its forms,” explains Treadwell-Collins. “So, we’re incredibly rigorous with ourselves. We have conversations with actors who are going to be in those scenes, we have amazing intimacy coordinators, and a lot of homework and prep go into even the silly sex scenes.” Once filmed, the edit provides another opportunity to ensure that the scenes meet certain criteria. “Every sex scene must move the story on, not be gratuitous, can titillate at times but …

Porsche announces it is abandoning its major e-bike ambitions

Porsche announces it is abandoning its major e-bike ambitions

Published by skeptic

Porsche is pulling the plug on a major chunk of its electric bicycle ambitions, with the German automaker announcing plans to shut down its e-bike motor division and cut hundreds of jobs as it refocuses on its core sports car business. The move will impact around 360 employees in Germany and Croatia. While Porsche didn’t specify exactly which subsidiaries are being hit hardest, it appears likely that the cuts will largely affect two of the company’s biggest e-bike acquisitions: German mid-drive motor maker Fazua and Croatian smart e-bike company Greyp. Porsche acquired a majority stake in Fazua back in 2022, seeing the lightweight drive system company as a key part of its future in premium electric bicycles. Fazua had carved out a niche with sleek, low-weight e-bike motors used by brands focused on performance-oriented urban and road e-bikes. That same year, Porsche also increased its ownership stake in Greyp, the connected e-bike company founded by Mate Rimac of Rimac Automobili fame. Greyp became known for its high-tech electric bikes packed with cameras, connectivity, and automotive-style …

Meta buys robotics startup to bolster its humanoid AI ambitions

Meta buys robotics startup to bolster its humanoid AI ambitions

Published by skeptic

Meta has acquired humanoid robotics startup Assured Robot Intelligence (ARI) for an undisclosed sum, the social media giant said. “We acquired Assured Robot Intelligence, a company at the frontier of robotic intelligence designed to enable robots to understand, predict, and adapt to human behaviors in complex and dynamic environments,” a Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch in an emailed statement. ARI’s team, including its co-founders, will join Meta’s AI unit, the Superintelligence Labs research division. ARI had raised an undisclosed seed round from AI seed firm AIX Ventures. The startup was building foundation models for humanoid robots to perform all types of physical labor such as household chores. Co-founder Xiaolong Wang was previously a researcher at Nvidia, and an associate professor at UC San Diego, with a list of prestigious awards to his name. Co-founder Lerrel Pinto, who previously taught at NYU and co-founded the kid-size humanoid startup Fauna Robotics before Amazon snapped it up last month, has also won a string of prestigious awards. ARI will help Meta with its humanoid ambitions. “This team, led by …

Ligue 1: Lyon finally win to reignite their European ambitions – Sports

Ligue 1: Lyon finally win to reignite their European ambitions – Sports

Published by Sam Flores

Olympique Lyonnais have returned to winning ways after a nine-game drought, climbing to fifth in the table and keeping their hopes of a Champions League spot alive. Meanwhile in England, Manchester City secured a comfortable win over Chelsea, piling pressure on Arsenal in the title race. The Gunners now lead by just six points ahead of their clash with City next week. In cycling, Wout van Aert is the new King of the Hell of the North, finally triumphing in the legendary Paris-Roubaix after years of bad luck and disappointment. In tennis, Jannik Sinner has reclaimed the world number one spot, defeating his rival Carlos Alcaraz in the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 final. Source link

Analysis-Ukraine’s Drone Masters Eye Iran War to Kickstart Export Ambitions

Analysis-Ukraine’s Drone Masters Eye Iran War to Kickstart Export Ambitions

Published by Sam Flores

By Tom Balmforth and Max Hunder LONDON/KYIV, March 30 (Reuters) – Ukraine’s war has forced the country to become a trailblazer in drone interception. The conflict ⁠in ⁠the Middle East could be its make-or-break moment to take the technology global. In ⁠an effort to export Ukrainian systems and know-how, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has criss-crossed the Gulf region this weekend to hash out deals with countries that have been targeted by waves of ​Iranian drone attacks this month. “Ukraine is sharing expertise that is not available in the Middle East,” Zelenskiy told Reuters in an interview last week. “Expertise is not a drone, but a skill, a strategy, a system where a drone is one part of the defense.” Indeed, Ukraine has signed framework cooperation ‌deals with Saudi Arabia and Qatar in recent days, and has ‌said one is in the works with the United Arab Emirates. Zelenskiy has stressed that arms sales must be decided at the government level, warning businesses against engaging with clients directly. Ukraine’s drone sector is chomping at the bit. “Everybody …

The New Museum Finally Has a Building to Match Its Ambitions

The New Museum Finally Has a Building to Match Its Ambitions

Published by José Betancourt

Almost two years ago to the day, the New Museum in New York closed its doors to the public, leaving behind a void—this is one of the country’s few major museums that is focused solely on contemporary art, after all. Now, following an expansion overseen by OMA, the museum is finally back and ready to welcome visitors once more.  Ahead of the public opening on Saturday, the museum hosted a press preview on Wednesday to show off its refreshed digs, which are occupied almost entirely by the group show “New Humans: Memories of the Future.” Organized by the New Museum’s curatorial team under the leadership of artistic director Massimiliano Gioni, the show spans more than a century’s worth of art and features more than 200 artists.  Related Articles Spread across the museum’s three main floors, and even spilling into the elevators and lobby, “New Humans” is a monumental endeavor—so monumental, in fact, that one perspective is unlikely to do the show justice. To that end, ARTnews senior editors Maximilíano Durón and Alex Greenberger opened a …

Tesla’s Terafab chip fab ambitions ignore its total lack of semiconductor experience

Tesla’s Terafab chip fab ambitions ignore its total lack of semiconductor experience

Published by skeptic

Elon Musk announced on Saturday that Tesla’s “Terafab Project”, a plan to build what he envisions as the world’s largest semiconductor fabrication plant, will launch within seven days. The problem is that Tesla has absolutely zero experience manufacturing semiconductors, and its track record in the closest comparable venture, building its own battery cells, should give anyone pause. From battery cells to chips: Tesla’s manufacturing track record Tesla’s decision to get into chip manufacturing echoes a similar strategic move from six years ago, when the company unveiled its 4680 battery cell at Battery Day in September 2020. Back then, Musk made bold promises: Tesla would build 100 GWh of in-house cell production capacity by 2022, cut battery costs by 56%, and use the savings to deliver a $25,000 electric vehicle. None of that happened on schedule. The 100 GWh target for 2022 was missed by a wide margin. By early 2025, Tesla’s actual 4680 production was estimated at roughly 20 GWh per year — five years after the announcement and still a fraction of the original …