Month: October 2024
Restoring rechargeable batteries’
Rechargeable batteries are now used everywhere, from smartphones to electric vehicles. They’re convenient and more environmentally friendly, and they’ve come a long way in capacity and performance. But there’s always been a big problem with all rechargeable batteries: the fact that they lose capacity over time. Even so, rechargeables still lose capacity despite best practices,
Venezuelan opposition secures a seat in EU
Venezuelan opposition leaders Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia have won the European Union’s top human rights honor.Machado was set to run as the democratic opposition candidate against the incumbent president, Nicolás Maduro, in Venezuela’s contested 2024 election, but she was disqualified by the government, so González took her place. Machado’s group maintains that
Interference with Moldovan elections
Pro-European incumbent Maia Sandu won Sunday’s presidential election but failed to secure 50% of votes and so now faces a Nov. 3 runoff against former prosecutor-general Alexandr Stoianoglo, who is backed by a traditionally pro-Russian party. In the referendum, a surprisingly slim majority – 50.46% of voters – supported EU accession. Moldovan police said pro-Russian
The rise in Gold and palladium Metals
Gold, used as a safe store of value during times of uncertainty, has hit multiple record highs and surged over 33% so far this year. Expectations of further monetary policy easing by major central banks have also boosted the non-yielding bullion’s appeal. Gold prices firmed on Thursday as the bullion remained in demand in the
Rusia and North Korea mutual defence treaty
Russian lawmakers ratified a treaty of mutual defence with North Korea on Thursday, just a day after the US claimed Pyongyang had deployed 3,000 soldiers to aid Moscow’s war effort. The treaty obliges Russia and North Korea to immediately provide military assistance using “all means” if either is attacked. This marks the strongest military cooperation
SMIC chip productions for Huawei
Huawei has a new AI accelerator in its range, the Ascend 910B. The Chinese chip contract manufacturer SMIC apparently produces it using 7-nanometer technology. However, Huawei itself has not officially unveiled it. TSMC manufactured the previous Ascend 910 for Huawei, but the chip contract manufacturer is no longer allowed to produce for Huawei due to
Modernizing Journalism via Microsoft and OpenAI
In a groundbreaking initiative, Microsoft and OpenAI, in collaboration with the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, have launched the AI Collaborative and Fellowship programme to help newsrooms adopt artificial intelligence (AI).This two-year programme is designed to support local and independent journalism by empowering news outlets to explore and implement AI technologies. The programme’s goal is to
Frankfurt AI strategy
Today, AI is experiencing a new hype, driven by the proliferation of programs like ChatGPT that seem to generate convincing text, images, or code out of thin air. Around the world, breakthroughs in the field are transforming entire industries. Yet none of the leading AI technologies have been developed in Germany. Instead, applications from a
TSMC products on Huawei
The Taiwanese chipset company TSMC found that some of its chips made their way to Huawei. The information comes days after a report revealed the Bureau of Industry and Security at the US Commerce Department started investigating alleging potential violations of US export controls. TSMC issued a statement, saying it is a “law-abiding company” that
Apple CEO visit to China
Apple CEO Tim Cook was in Beijing on Tuesday, marking his second trip to China this year, underscoring the growing importance of the Chinese market for the tech giant. Cook’s multiple visits to China indicate the increasing importance of the Chinese market for Apple, Liu Dingding, a veteran industry observer. During his trip to Shanghai