Brain-dead bodies are highly sought after for cross-species organ research as scientists work toward new ways of combating disease.

As reported by MIT Technology Review, surgeons at the University of Pennsylvania conducted an experiment that lasted for three days with a pig liver connected to a brain-dead person.

The purpose of the study was to assess whether the organ, which was part of a special pumping device, could still function to clean up toxins from the body, which could possibly lead to a breakthrough in treating patients with acute liver failure.

Organ donation is a common practice in the event of a death, but the report indicates how brain-dead bodies are becoming increasingly important to biotech research, not just the medical field.

The use of a full body in this way – as an experimental “decadent model” – is still quite rare, but it has been used before and now requests have increased as more companies are exploring animal-to-human organ transplants with the use of tissues from gene-edited pigs.

Previous research precedent

MIT spoke to Richard Hasz, CEO of the Gift of Life Donor Program, a non-profit organization that oversees organ donation across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. They were also the source for the University of Pennsylvania liver experiment.

Hasz commented on using bodies as experimental models, “It’s definitely a new model. But sometimes we repeat things that have happened before. We have been around 50 years, and this is the second time it’s been requested,” says Hasz.

The previous occasion was during the 1980s when Temple University researchers wanted brain-dead bodies as a “no-risk” way to test an early artificial heart made of plastic and metal.

Their purpose was to find how it would fit inside a chest and how it would react to surgical techniques, ahead of trying the invention inside a living person.

Now, the demand from surgeons for brain-dead patients, sometimes known as “beating-heart cadavers” is on the rise as part of a wide-ranging undertaking for scientific research and progression.

Image: Anna Shvets/Pexels.

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X is rolling out audio and video call capability to Android users, after it was introduced for iOS users in October 2023.

The news was let slip by an X engineer working on the project who relayed that the release would be available on Android after an app update.

Any user of Elon Musk’s social media platform can receive a call but only paid users can make a call. The new function on the app is one of a growing list only subscribers can utilize, although earlier this month X removed support for NFT profile images.

audio and video calls on X slowly rolling out for android users today! update your app and call your mother

— Enrique (@enriquebrgn) January 18, 2024

How to access the call function on X

Users should head to the settings selection to take control of the new call features.

Settings > Privacy and safety > Direct Messages > Enable audio and video calling.

The same menu options give you the option to manage who can call you, from different categories of people in your address book, people you follow, and verified users.

You can choose multiple options, or none, from these selections.

This development appears to signal another move toward X becoming a universal app, a one-stop shop similar to China’s WeChat. It has already set out its intentions for the coming year with AI, unsurprisingly, set to play a prominent role. It will be used to aid search and advertising capabilities whilst there are plans to launch peer-to-peer payments.

Musk also has Twitch in his sights, aiming to take on the Amazon-owned platform with monetized live streams on X.

It remains to be seen how successful this update will be for the social media entity formerly known as Twitter. It is playing catch-up with the likes of Whatsapp, Facebook, and Facetime in offering video and audio call functionality, but the new function will give users one more reason to stay on the X with more new features to follow.

Image: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels.

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Gambling giant, Flutter Entertainment reported strong revenue growth for the fourth quarter of 2023, sending its share price soaring high on Thursday.

As reported by the Racing Post, the trading update was a very positive one for the Irish company, with the news propelling an increase of almost 15% in its share price, up to 15,160p.

The parent company is a major gambling operator that owns heavyweight brands including Paddy Power, Betfair, Sky Bet, Poker Stars, and Fan Duel.

Flutter has a significant presence within the betting industry in the United Kingdom and Ireland, with its strength reflected in its listing on the London Stock Exchange. The company also operates in other markets such as the United States and Australia.

The revenue growth was said to be helped in part by a bad run for favorite backers in horse racing.

Its fourth-quarter results increased revenue to £2.67 billion, representing an 11% increase and for the full year, an increase of 24% up to £9.5b.

Specifically, UK and Ireland revenues were boosted by 19%, up to £647m in the fourth quarter.

Customer impacts, company gains

Flutter’s chief executive Peter Jackson spoke to the Racing Post on the context of the gains.

He stated, “From a racing perspective the big deal was the poor number of favorites winning in the fourth quarter, which is something that really impacted our customers.”

“In December I think it was one of the lowest ever recorded months for winning favorites, 32% When the €850 horse Hewick won the King George at Kempton we were very relieved,” added Jackson.

This upturn for Flutter was announced as it prepares to launch a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange.  In the US, the company enjoys a 43% market share with FanDuel, the number one sportsbook.

Flutter’s overall US revenue increased by 19% over the fourth quarter of 2023, up to £1.14bn and that was despite a £270 million hit from customer-friendly sports results, particularly impacted by NFL outcomes in November.

Image: Absolute Charm/Pexels

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YouTube and Spotify will not be launching a dedicated app for the new Apple Vision Pro mixed-reality headset, joining Netflix after the streaming giant had already ruled it out.

As reported by Bloomberg, a YouTube statement detailed how they would not provide fresh app support for the upcoming Apple launch nor allow its existing iPad app to work on the device. It means YouTube and Netflix will recommend users use a web browser if they want to view content on the mixed-reality headset. Spotify is also not providing, or planning, a dedicated app for VisionOS, the operating system for Vision Pro.

The Apple device is due for launch over the coming weeks. It is the latest product by the trillion-dollar company seeking to break down barriers of what’s possible with technology while also adding convenience to its users. Users can interact with the product’s OS by using their eyes, hands, and voice, and even if YouTube, Netflix and Spotify are out there are still more than 1 million compatible apps already existing in current iOS and iPadOS app stores.

Extensive demo required for Vision Pro

Within the headset, Vision Pro will include access to Apple’s own apps for music and podcasts, but the absence of giants like Spotify, YouTube and Netflix is a blow. This is significant as the Apple product is being presented as an entertainment platform, for video, games, music, and other interactive experiences.

The situation could change later but there is no sign of it at present. The existing YouTube and Spotify apps for iPad and iPhone should provide an easy route toward supporting the Vision Pro if desired.

Pre-orders for the Apple Vision Pro are underway, with a hefty price point of $3,499.

But don’t expect to plug-in and play. Apple is training its retail store workforce to demonstrate the Vision Pro to customers with sessions that could last 25 minutes.

Image: Apple

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Reddit is set to launch its initial public offering (IPO) in March, following up on plans more than three years in the making according to an exclusive report from Reuters.

It would represent the first IPO of a significant social media platform since Pinterest was floated on the market in 2019, and at a time when there is significant competition for advertising revenue with the likes of Facebook and TikTok.

Reddit is a San Francisco-based mega-website combining elements of social media, messageboards and news aggregation. It was founded in June 2005 by Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian who sold the platform to Condé Nast the following year. Huffman left the company in 2009 before returning as CEO, in 2015.

Last month, he spoke on speculation of an IPO to follow as well as the admission that Reddit was not profitable despite enjoying a user base of approximately 400 million accounts.

An IPO offering has previously been suggested but plans have been delayed until the company is closer to returning a profit and it looks like the time is now to test the water.

Floodgates to open

Reuters has indicated the company is “seeking to sell about 10% of its shares in the IPO”, whilst it “will decide on what IPO valuation it will pursue closer to the time of the listing,” according to their sources.

The information came with the caveat detailing the plans could be pushed back again but after Reddit quietly filed for its IPO back in December 2021, it will eventually need to strike out if the aspired returns are to be delivered.

It will be interesting to gauge to what extent Reddit users back the proposed listing, whilst Nasdaq reported “Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are the two investment banks working with Reddit” with a sense of optimism and aiming for a breakthrough IPO launch that could open the floodgates for others to go public in 2024.

The IPO market has been muted since the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates to stave off the pressures of inflation but that could be about to change with candidates like Reddit, as well as Shein, inching toward a public launch.

Image: Brett Jordan/Pexels

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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has confirmed a setback with its second plant in Arizona delayed by up to two years, while the company is still waiting on certainty over US government grants.

It is another blow for the $40 billion site after news broke in July that the first factory will not be up and running until 2025, as reported by Bloomberg.

TSMC, the world’s largest semiconductor chip foundry, is aiming to start second phase operations in 2027 or 2028, which is also a disappointment to the Biden administration in the White House in its aspirations to boost the manufacturing of key components on US soil.

The first site will only commence the production of 4-nanometer chips next year with labor and cost factors cited by the company in the announcement last year.

“Our overseas decisions are based on customer needs and the necessary level of government subsidy, or support,” stated chairman Mark Liu.

At TSMC’s earnings conference in Taipei on Thursday, its chief financial officer Wendell Huang added the decision on the second factory comes as a consequence of delays to the first plant.

Delays to US government funding

Taiwan’s flagship company is locked in talks with the US government on incentives and tax credits, whilst still facing challenges in hiring its workforce. Decisions on grants are set to influence the scale of advances at the second location which is also up against the clock.

TSMC has intimated a delay of two years could result in a one-generation evolution of semiconductor tech.

Incumbent US President Joe Biden passed the Chips and Science Act into law more than one year ago but the legislation aimed to inject billions of dollars toward the likes of TSMC and Intel for further US expansion has yet to yield any subsidies.

The situation is likely to be a source of frustration for the iconic chipmaker given that TSMC has already received funds from the Japanese government for a lesser project in Kumamoto, which was unveiled after the Arizona plan.

Production at the site in Japan is anticipated to get underway later this year.

Image credit, pixabay, pexels.com

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Spotify has fired a scathing response at Apple after the tech giant set out new commission fees of up to 27% in the United States.

Apple confirmed it would allow app developers to sell products outside its store, as long as a significant transaction fee was paid.

The streaming heavyweight claims the decision is “outrageous”, in what is the latest saga in an ongoing tussle over fees between the two firms. Spotify, based in Stockholm, Sweden, has urged authorities in the European Union and the United Kingdom to prevent a similar fee imposition.

The iPhone maker’s decision comes following another long-running dispute with Fortnite developer Epic Games which led to a court finding Apple had acted in contravention of US competition laws by not allowing developers to inform users of other ways of paying. This included links that bypass the Apple Store payment system and the 30% fee that is charged to use it.

The outcome is the multi-trillion dollar company installed a commission of up to 27% as part of its new rules for app developers to allow users to sign up and pay for services without using its system in the US.

Apple accused of negating competition and choice

Spotify has reacted with fury in a statement in an interview with the Financial Times.

“Once again, Apple has demonstrated that they will stop at nothing to protect the profits they exact on the backs of developers and consumers under their app store monopoly. Their latest move in the U.S. — imposing a 27% fee for transactions made outside of an app on a developer’s website — is outrageous and flies in the face of the court’s efforts to enable greater competition and user choice.”

Last year, Spotify accused Apple of having an “insane” level of control over the internet in a previous fee wrangle and now it wants the British government to oversee a different approach in the UK, as outlined in the BBC report.

Image credit, PhotoMix Company, pexels.com

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Australian betting platform SportChamps has been hit with a fine of AUS $17,500 (USD $11,481) for repeated gambling advertising violations.

As reported by Gambling Insider, the Sydney-based operator has fallen foul of regulations for the sixth time, all for similar offenses.

The sanction was issued after an investigation by Liquor & Gaming NSW, the New South Wales state authority, found the company was guilty of inducing people to gamble and open betting accounts through its website and social media accounts.

With adverts such as “Punt for free. Learn the game!” and “Receive a free bet each day,” under the spotlight, SportChamps pleaded guilty in court to two offenses under the Betting and Racing Act, in violation of NSW law.

Their strategy to attract new customers has been a flawed one, with new accounts able to access the SportChamps Tournament Betting Lobby webpage once signed up, with free and paid gaming tournaments up for grabs. This initial process involved soliciting credit card details and deposits to play, increasing the likelihood of a user engaging in gambling on the site.

Extremely concerning

Jane Lin, a representative of the state regulator, provided a stern response to the findings from the investigation.

The Executive Director of Regulatory Operations at Liquor & Gaming NSW stated “SportChamps has five previous convictions for gambling advertising offenses from 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021. It’s extremely concerning that this operator has amassed multiple convictions for breaching laws which are in place to protect people from gambling harm.”

Lin went on to point out the key guideline that operators should not specifically promote offers or bonuses to entice new customers, as much as they are free to advertise their products.

The NSW government is leading several gambling reforms, including reducing cash limits on electronic gaming machines, introducing responsible gaming officers, and a pilot of cashless gaming in partnership with a panel of industry experts.

It is also targeting gaming room advertising with non-compliant venues facing fines of up to AUS $11, 000 for each offense.

Image credit: Pexels

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Indian IT giants HCL, Infosys, TCS and Wipro reported strong financial results in their latest quarterly earnings, fueled largely by rising demand for artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

Though hiring remained slow, revenue and margins grew substantially across India’s ‘big four’- HCL’s revenue rose 5.3% to $3.41 billion; Infosys increased margins by 0.1% to $4.66 billion; TCS grew revenues by 2.9% to $7.28 billion.

Despite a 6.9% decline to $2.66 billion for Wipro, its CEO Thierry Delaporte struck an upbeat tone, stating “It’s been a strong performance this quarter and it gives us good optimism for the quarters to come.”

“Viral” AI for business strategy

On the upward curve, AI is a dominant feature contributing to the outlook on the future.

“Almost every discussion with clients involves some element of Generative AI,” said Infosys CEO Salil Parekh, while his HCL counterpart C Vijakumar revealed his firm had 30 wins on their books in Gen-AI projects.

That sentiment was further endorsed by Wipro’s Delaporte who commented,  “AI is now moving from the curiosity and experimentation stage to becoming vital, I was going to say viral as well, to business strategy. In fact, we can confidently say that every long-term large deal now has an AI component.”

TCS also declared “AI.Cloud led the demand among Service Lines with strong momentum sustaining for Cloud migrations and increasing interest among customers for AI and Generative AI,” in a powerful indicator of the importance of AI for India’s leading businesses.

On staffing levels, HCL stood apart as the only one of the four firms to increase its numbers. Over the quarter, they recorded an added 3617 to their headcount, up 1.6% whilst the rest saw a decline, contributing to a total loss of 12,637 employees for the ‘big four’, collectively.

The automotive and aerospace industries were highlighted as key markets targeted for growth, with AI remaining a dominant trend leading to investment and returns.

Featured image: Pexels

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Samsung’s new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S24 will benefit from Google’s Gemini, its latest and most advanced AI model, following a joint announcement from the tech giants.

A Google press release detailed how the S24 range would specifically benefit from Gemini Pro, the median offering of the AI feature in addition to Gemini Ultra and Gemini Nano. The three models are designed for different uses, depending on the type of task required.

Gemini Pro will be the power behind Samsung’s Notes, Voice Recorder, and Keyboard apps, set to bring “better summarization features”, including the ability to record a lecture on Voice Recorder and later receive a summary of the key details.

Gemini Nano will also be deployed on the S24, in Google Messages, with the introduction of Magic Compose which will influence messages in styles such as “excited,” “formal”, and “lyrical” without the need to be connected to the internet.

Samsung and Google’s AI collaboration is only beginning

Samsung has been confirmed as one of the first partners to test Gemini Ultra before it is generally available to wider developers later this year, in what could be a further upgrade to follow for the new smartphone series.

AI advances have been credited for delivering other new features such as Circle to Search, which will enable searching for anything on your Android handset without having to toggle between apps. The innovative technology will let users select images, videos or text on their phone with a simple gesture to search for almost anything – a product, a phrase, or an item, – that is visible on the device.

Android Auto will be able to summarize long messages and suggest relevant replies to make it easier, and hopefully, less time-consuming, to communicate whilst you are on the road.

Google said it was “excited” about the possibilities of collaboration with Samsung for Android and the Galaxy S4 series with a pledge of more to follow.

Image credit, Google press release

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Chinese military bodies and state-affiliated groups have acquired Nvidia chips despite a US ban on the export of the commodity to China.

As reported by Reuters, small batches of the semiconductors have slipped through the net, believed to have been passed on in sales by lesser-known Chinese suppliers.

The findings show the difficulty facing US authorities in completely preventing such powerful, high-end American products from falling into Chinese hands and potentially aiding their AI projects and military advances in computing.

It is not illegal to buy or sell US chips like Nvidia in China. Their procurement shows how sought after they are, with various Chinese companies found by the Reuters investigation to have gathered the semiconductors since Washington-led restrictions were put in place.

Nvidia’s product is considered a superior chip on the market due to its capability, especially for artificial intelligence purposes, and its efficiency in processing large volumes of data for machine learning.

The A100 and the higher-quality H100 are among the consignments to have landed in China, as well as the lesser-grade A800 and H800, which were initially produced for the Chinese market and then later made unavailable in October 2023. That came after exports of the H100 to China and Hong Kong were forbidden in October 2022.

Immediate, appropriate action

Amongst the trade wars and geopolitical tensions, the US knows it can’t stop Chinese technological advances. Still, efforts to stop Nvidia’s best products from being sent to China in any significant quantity slow down and disrupt potential gains.

The report underlined that before the bans mentioned above, Nvidia stock accounted for a 90% share of China’s AI semiconductor market.

Nvidia stressed full compliance with all applicable export laws and controls, with its customers expected to adhere to the same rules.

A company spokesperson commented, “If we learn that a customer has made an unlawful resale to third parties, we’ll take immediate and appropriate action.”

It is unknown how the Nvidia chips have ended up in China or who may have sold them on — but some Chinese vendors have previously been able to snap up excess stock on the market from the likes of India, Singapore, and Taiwan after initial local, legitimate purchases.

Featured Image Credit: Pexels

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SuperSportBet has confirmed official partnerships with the leading South African soccer clubs, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.

The new betting platform, launched on 5 January, is a joint venture between the prominent African sports broadcaster SuperSport, its parent company MultiChoice, and online developer KingMakers.

In a signal of intent to the sportsbook industry in South Africa, SuperSportsBet has immediately established its presence by agreeing to terms with both DStv Premiership clubs, on a partnership which aims to “elevate the sports betting experience for fans across South Africa,” as reported by Gambling Insider.

The sentiment was echoed by Kaizer Chiefs chairman Dr. Kaizer Motaung who stated, “We are elated that this strong partnership gives us an opportunity to elevate the experiences we intend to bring to our supporters,” whilst his Orlando Pirates counterpart Dr Irvin Khoza said, “As a football club anchored in a rich heritage with a loyal and passionate following, the partnership is an opportunity to further build on our fans’ footballing experiences.”

Joint offering

In terms of how that objective will be met, one of the key projects will be a flagship online magazine show which is expected to include in-depth game analysis, behind-the-scenes content, and other features on the South African soccer heavyweights, as well as the league in general.

The Chiefs, formed in 1970, play at the 94, 797-capacity FNB Stadium in Johannesburg whilst the Pirates have their base at the Orlando Stadium which holds just over 37,000. Both clubs contest the Soweto derby, one of the biggest soccer rivalries on the continent.

Rendani Ramovha, CEO of SuperSport, commented on the club agreement, “SuperSportBet is a pivotal part of our platform-based business strategy. The partnership with Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs solidifies our commitment to delivering top-notch sports entertainment to our viewers.”

“The magazine show is an exciting addition to our platform, offering fans a deeper connection to the sports they love. It’s a celebration of sports and betting, and we can’t wait to share it with our audiences.”

Image credit: pixabay, pexels.com

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The UN has warned that Tether is one of the payment methods increasingly favored by money launderers.

Tether is an established cryptocurrency with a token, also known as Tether, which is attracting significant concern due to activity around Southeast Asia in particular. The token, at its most basic level,
is a type of digital money that tries to maintain the same value as the US dollar.

The UN’s Office for Drugs and Crime has detailed how criminals are duping victims with romance scams, leading to ‘pig butchering’ – a term used to describe how people are misled and enticed under false pretenses with the promise of lucrative returns before the funds are taken away reports The Financial Times.

In December, security authorities in the United States seized digital currency worth around $500,000 from an account linked to a Chinese businessman.

What is the UN saying about Tether?

UN spokesman Jeremy Douglas stated, “Organised crime has effectively created a parallel banking system using new technologies, and the proliferation of loosely or entirely unregulated online casinos together with crypto has supercharged the region’s criminal ecosystem.”

Tether has been highlighted because of its instant, irreversible form of transactions.

This was backed by Erin West, a California-based criminal prosecutor and cybercrime expert who stated, “Tether is the mechanism of choice, it’s fast and transactions cannot be retracted. Once the money is moved, it’s moved. You can’t pull it back.”

West continued, “You’re creating a situation where victims are blinded by love, coupled with the opportunity to get rich quickly. They’re being asked to buy something that they’re not familiar with, and prior to cryptocurrency there weren’t many opportunities to do that.”

Tether’s digital token of the same name is a stablecoin, a crypto asset that usually tracks a hard currency to maintain the price. The platform allows traders to move in and out of trades as, unlike others such as Bitcoin, it is pegged to the US dollar.

Although US law enforcement has embraced a crackdown on digital assets in its jurisdiction and overseas, criminals are still utilizing Tether as a successful means of moving money.

Image credit, RDNE Stock Project, pexels.com

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British telecommunications giant BT is in talks with Elon Musk’s Starlink to bring broadband and mobile services to remote areas in the United Kingdom, according to a Telegraph report.

Successfully tested last week, SpaceX’s satellite-based network sent its first text messages between two mobile phones in a breakthrough moment for the space transport services company.

It was delivered using the T-Mobile network in the United States but up to now, no UK carrier has been in place to enable a rollout of services on the other side of the Atlantic. That could now change with news of work being carried out in England as BT is said to be testing Starlink equipment at its Adastral Park research centre, near Ipswich.

The British firm wants to be able to deliver connections to hard-to-reach locations, which is something that Startlink wants to replicate across the globe. At this stage, BT is exploring what the satellite system can do for broadband services whilst also considering the capability to improve mobile connectivity.

Business priority for the partnership

The BT Group operates EE, the second-largest mobile network operator in the UK but approval would be required from the regulator Ofcom if a direct-to-mobile deal was to be agreed with Starlink.

Whilst there is obvious potential for both consumer and business markets, initial talks between both parties are said to be concentrating on the latter.

BT wants to be able to deliver effective broadband and mobile services to sites such as oil rigs, mines, and secluded remote workplaces. It is expected that a consumer offering would follow, given the crossover in providing services that were previously out of reach.

The British government has worked with mobile operators in a £1 billion scheme to target rural “not spots” but Vodafone, Three, and Virgin Media O2 have tempered expectations with a warning that the first phase of the project will be delayed by around two years.

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A research team from the University of Chichester in England is to collate studies on stress levels in leading esports players.

Led by Dr Benjamin T Sharpe, academics will delve into the experiences that professional players face, focusing on how stress can lead to potential mental and physical health issues.

As featured in the study brief from the university, the esports industry has blossomed in recent years, with elite players capable of earning between $5-7 million throughout their careers. Last month, Readwrite featured the nearly $4 billion revenue posted by China’s esports industry in 2023.

The financial rewards are vast, but so is the toll on body and mind.

Computer games can be a compulsive activity. In addition, competitive esports brings with it a level of intensity in terms of vying with other players, the demands of large crowds watching on, and the impact of leaderboards and team expectations.

This field has only recently come under the spotlight of empirical study.

Expert insight

In leading the research for the Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports, Dr Sharpe stated:

“Ongoing research endeavors employing a combination of methodologies persist in examining this subject, underscoring its pivotal role in safeguarding the enduring viability of esports and gaming, the players involved, and the sustainability of their professional careers.”

Lending further support to this investigation on psychology in esports, Dr Phil Birch, Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology, will provide editorial support for this journal issue.

He added, “More investigation regarding pressure in esports is certainly needed from perspectives beyond performance, behavioral, and cognitive psychology, including but not limited to clinical psychology, organizational psychology, educational psychology, and neuroscience.”

“As such, we hope the special issue attracts a wide range of research in the area to advance understanding.”

Submissions for the study are invited, with authors required to submit their work by May 13, 2024, via ScholarOne.

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Twitch CEO Dan Clancy has stated the live-streaming platform is not profitable, just days after news broke on significant job cuts impacting around 500 employees.

The Amazon subsidiary is also pulling out of South Korea as financial pressures continue to mount against the embattled company. Last month, “prohibitively expensive” costs were cited as the reason for the departure from the Korean market, which is said to be ten times higher than operations in other countries.

Clancy has been frank about the situation facing Twitch, but as reported by GGRecon, he warned that things could get worse and offered a rationale on why the staff cuts were necessary.

“I’ll be blunt, we aren’t profitable at this point,” he said.

“So while [Twitch] still has enough resources, [we] won’t be able to do as much as [we] could have done before.”

Important mission ahead

Despite the size and scale of the resources enjoyed by its parent company, that is not enough to guarantee the future of Twitch. It is also not benefitting from its position as a market leader within live streaming, highlighting the challenges Clancy and his peers face to turn around its fortunes.

On losing 35% of the platform’s workforce, the CEO commented:

“In terms of making the decision, we need to ensure Twitch is the right size so we can be here for a long time.”

“We have a very important mission. It’s critical Twitch is not just here today, tomorrow, but 50 years, 100 years from now. Our job is to run Twitch in a manner to ensure its prosperity and that it can be here for the communities you’ve built.”

The stress fractures are showing, and Twitch is under pressure. That is clear, but the streaming giant should still be able to navigate these uncharted waters toward a calmer vista.

Rival platforms like Kick and Rumble will be watching on with interest, seeking to create more than a ripple in the sea.

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SpaceX has sent its first text messages between two mobile phones using the recently launched Starlink satellites.

As reported by the London Standard, the messages were sent on standard iPhones using the T-Mobile network in the US but the impressive feat was achieved on 8 January, just six days after a Falcon 9 rocket blasted the six satellites into orbit.

Starlink is SpaceX’s satellite-based network that brings internet connectivity to people around the world, particularly those in underserved locations.

Last month, Readwrite confirmed that Elon Musk’s space transport services company had been granted a limited period of 180 days by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to conduct its smartphone tests.

SpaceX had indicated that around 840 satellites equipped with direct-to-cellular payloads would be involved, with around 60 satellites actively serving handsets in the US at any given time under the experiment.

The first test appears to have been passed with flying colors, and as the company announced the texts had been sent and received, an image was released showing a series of green bubbles carrying messages and emojis.

Texts between two phones sent through our Direct to Cell satellites in space pic.twitter.com/jd8b7uiZSq

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 11, 2024

Global connectivity

This latest milestone will please SpaceX in its mission to provide a global mobile network service powered by satellites in space, and as stated above, it wants to bring its service to people in remote areas without needing a dedicated device or app.

The Starlink launch on 2 January was SpaceX‘s first mission of the year, but many more are scheduled to follow. It wants to launch 144 orbital missions during 2024, which would surpass the record of 98 it set last year.

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Malaysia is making a big push into semiconductor manufacturing with aims of meeting skyrocketing demand from the electric vehicle (EV) industry.

The country’s International Trade and Industry Minister, Zafrul Aziz, unveiled a strategy yesterday focused on boosting Malaysia’s production of chips critical for powering EVs and autonomous vehicles. Aziz stated the global pivot towards EVs represents a “tremendous opportunity” for Malaysia to excel as a major chip supplier.

Aziz has set out a plan to prosper from its burgeoning supply of semiconductors thanks to the insatiable demand for the product at present.

As reported by CNBC, he underlined how semiconductors are relied upon in modern auto manufacturing, but especially for EVs which can require up to 15,000 chips whilst a standard car would need around 5000.

Aziz detailed how they already supply the components “in the billions” and further outlined the scope for significant growth, with an ambition to lure the likes of Tesla to Malaysia for major expansion.

Such companies “want to realign to ensure the security of (their) supply chain, the resiliency of the supply chain is there, so they are coming closer to Malaysia and we are inviting many EV makers to come,” he stated.

Tesla currently enjoys a solid relationship with Malaysia, acting as one of its key charging station providers whilst it also counts on the Southeast Asian country for its supply chain.

Mayalysia’s EV market

Minister Aziz had previously spoken on his belief that EVs would act as a catalyst for manufacturing exports in Malaysia and as an active player in the market, they need to exploit the opportunity.

To deliver that objective, the government has set up a national semiconductor task force.

As part of their vision, they intend to dedicate resources to the front end of the chips industry, which involves wafer fabrication and engraving circuits, and not just the back end with its concentration on the assembly of integrated circuits and packaging.

The semiconductor business is said to account for 7% of  Malaysia’s GDP and half of its exports, on the back of a solid manufacturing background.

“The good thing about Malaysia is this industry started in the early 70s so it’s been here 50 years, and the foundation is strong for us today to move up the value chain,” added Zafrul Aziz.

Image credit, Umar Mukhtar, pexels.com

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A team of scientists have trained artificial intelligence (AI) to examine thousands of fingerprints and in response, the tool has found that our details may not be unique, as reported by BBC News.

From biometrics to unlocking our mobile devices to falling on the wrong side of the law, our prints have long been considered a true record of who a person is, but have we had it all wrong?

The US research project from Columbia Univerity specifically worked to see if the AI creation could discern what prints belonged to the same person from a set of 60,000.

Their findings claimed the technology could identify which prints came from the same person with an accuracy of 75-90% but the caveat is they are unsure how it works.

It could be that AI is taking a different approach when it comes to the analysis of the prints. Traditional methods tend to focus on minutiae – the way individual ridges end and fork – but this new approach could be paying closer attention to the ridges in the center of a finger.

Open to debate

Professor Hod Lipson, a Roboticist at Columbia commented on the intrigue: “It is clear that it isn’t using traditional markers that forensics have been using for decades. It seems like it is using something like the curvature and the angle of the swirls in the center.”

However, the development doesn’t come as a shock to an academic in England.

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Walmart has unveiled a range of innovative technology features that could transform shopping in future years.

The US multinational retail giant has embraced artificial intelligence (AI) to introduce what it believes will enhance the consumer experience. Specifically, they have utilized generative AI and augmented reality (AR) to present the new features with iOS users already able to access some of the new technology that was showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2024).

That is the case for the “GenAI-powered search experience” which was demonstrated in the form of a football watch party. This search feature would allow consumers to find relevant products that are being featured or advertised around the game.

Another new service was “Walmart InHome Replenishment”. It is designed to bring together the power of AI and Walmart’s existing replenishment capability to ensure customers’ online shopping baskets are filled up with the items they need when they need them.

The last of the trio to be presented was an Augmented Reality function named “Shop with Friends” which is designed to allow users to share and collaborate with friends online, on outfits they have created for a social form of shopping.

At Walmart's booth, you can experience everything from making logistics more efficient to improving customer experience, using technologies such as #AR and #AI

HT @ntv_rd#CES2024@Nicochan33 @EvanKirstel @JimHarris @jblefevre60 @pascal_bornet @FrRonconi… pic.twitter.com/LOnXUyNaru

— Dev Khanna #CES2024 (@CurieuxExplorer) January 11, 2024

Walmart AI will ‘serve customers better than ever’

Doug McMillon, President and CEO of Walmart Inc. was brimming with confidence regarding the opportunities presented by new technology, to further the company’s mission to serve its people.

“We build technology to serve people and not the other way around,” he stated.

McMillon continued, “Walmart’s purpose is to help people live better, and today, more than ever, advances in technology make it feel like anything is possible. People, our customers, and associates, come first and we’ll put technology to work to serve them better than ever.”

Walmart also outlined it would be extending its drone delivery service to up to 1.8 million additional homes in the Dallas, Fort Worth metro area.

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