The Finance Ministry has issued an advisory instructing its employees not to use ChatGpt.
Finance Ministry has issued an advisory instructing its employees not to use AI tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek for official work due to concerns over the security of government data and documents, Reuters reported. Although the notification is reportedly dated January 29, news of it surfaced only recently, coinciding with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s India visit.
Similar restrictions have been enforced in other countries, including Australia and Italy, where authorities have raised data security concerns over Chinese AI-powered tools like DeepSeek.
“It has been determined that AI tools and AI apps (such as ChatGPT, DeepSeek etc.) in the office computers and devices pose risks for confidentiality of (government) data and documents,” the Reuters report quoted the advisory as saying. Three finance ministry officials told Reuters that the note was genuine and the note was issued internally this week.
The ChatGPT maker is under pressure in India due to a major copyright dispute with leading media houses. In court filings, the company argued that since it has no servers in India, local courts should not handle the case.
Meanwhile, OpenAI CEO is in India for important meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. His visit comes almost a year after he sparked controversy by calling India’s AI ambitions “hopeless.” However, his views now seem to be changing.
China announced a wide range of measures on Tuesday targeting U.S. businesses including Google (GOOGL.O), farm equipment makers and the owner of fashion brand Calvin Klein, minutes after new U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods took effect.
Beijing also slapped tariffs on U.S. products such as coal, oil and some autos in a rapid response to the new duties on Chinese goods imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, escalating trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies.
China’s State Administration for Market Regulation said Google was suspected of violating the country’s anti-monopoly law and an investigation was initiated in accordance with the law. It did not provide further details on the investigation or on what it alleged Google had done to breach the law.
Google products such as its search engine are blocked in China and its revenue from there is about 1% of global sales. It still works with Chinese partners such as advertisers.
In 2017, Google announced the launch of a small artificial intelligence centre in China. But the project was disbanded two years later and the firm does not conduct AI research in China, according to a blog posting.
Separately, China’s Commerce Ministry said it had put PVH Corp (PVH.N), the holding company for brands including Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, and U.S. biotechnology firm Illumina (ILMN.O), on its “unreliable entity” list.
It said the two companies took what it called “discriminatory measures against Chinese enterprises” and “damaged” the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.
Companies added to the blacklist can be subject to fines and a broad range of other sanctions, including a freeze on trade and revocation of work permits for foreign staff.
While Google declined to comment, PVH said it was “surprised and deeply disappointed” by the ministry’s decision, saying that the company maintains “strict compliance with all relevant laws and regulations and operates in line with established industry standards and practices.”
PVH added it would continue engagement with relevant authorities and look forward to a positive resolution.
Illumina did not respond to a request for comment.
Shares of both PVH and Illumina were down nearly 4% each in premarket U.S. trading, while Google-parent Alphabet rose 1%.
The logo of Google LLC is shown at an entrance to one of their buildings in San Diego, California, U.S., October 9, 2024. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
PVH had already been under scrutiny from Chinese regulators over “improper” conduct related to the Xinjiang region.
“These moves are warnings that China intends to harm U.S. interests if need be, but still give China the option to back down,” Capital Economics said in a note.
“The tariffs could be postponed or cancelled before they come into effect… The probe against Google could conclude without any penalties.”
TESLA AND FARM EQUIPMENT FIRMS
China also announced 10% tariffs on imports of U.S. farm equipment that could impact firms such as Caterpillar (CAT.N), Deere & Co (DE.N), opens new tab and AGCO (AGCO.N), as well as a small number of trucks and big-engine sedans shipped to China from the United States.
That could apply to Elon Musk’s Cybertruck, a niche offering Tesla (TSLA.O),has been promoting in China, as it awaits regulatory clearance to begin sales.
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information technology designated the Cybertruck as a “passenger car” in a posting in December that was quickly deleted.
If the Cybertruck was designated as an electric truck, Tesla would face a 10% tariff on any future imports from its factory in Texas.
Tesla had no immediate comment.
The new tariffs on U.S. products will start on Feb. 10, the ministry said.
The announcements made on Tuesday ramped up trade restrictions between Beijing and Washington that had been largely limited to the tech sector under the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden, which sought to restrict China’s access to high-end semiconductors.
OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken May 20, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Microsoft (MSFT.O) backed OpenAI said on Tuesday it will roll out an education-specific version of its chatbot to about 500,000 students and faculty at California State University as it looks to expand its user base in the academic sector and counter competition from rivals like Alphabet (GOOGL.O).
The rollout will cover 23 campuses of the largest public university system in the United States, enabling students to access personalized tutoring and study guides through the chatbot, while the faculty will be able to use it for administrative tasks.
OpenAI has been looking to integrate ChatGPT into classrooms since 2023, even as initial concerns about its potential use for cheating and plagiarism had prompted some schools to consider bans.
Universities like the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Texas at Austin in the U.S., and the University of Oxford in the UK have already been using ChatGPT Enterprise, prompting OpenAI to launch ChatGPT Edu in May last year.
Rival Alphabet has already been expanding into the education sector, where it has announced a $120 million investment fund for AI education programs and plans to introduce its GenAI chatbot Gemini to teen students’ school-issued Google accounts.
In November, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer opened London’s first Google-funded AI university, which will provide older teens with access to resources in artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as mentorship and expertise from Google’s AI company, DeepMind.
In recent years, social media has turned ice baths from an athlete’s recovery tool into a mainstream wellness trend, with influencers and celebrities touting their supposed benefits for everything from mood enhancement to immune system boosting. Now, a new systematic review and meta-analysis cuts through the hype and reveals how cold-water immersion (CWI) actually affects the human body.
Analyzing data from 11 studies with 3,177 participants, researchers from the University of South Australia found that while cold-water immersion may offer some health benefits, these effects are highly time-dependent and context-specific. Their results are published in the journal PLOS ONE.
“Cold-water immersion has been extensively researched and used in sporting contexts to help athletes recover, but despite its growing popularity among health and wellbeing circles, little is known about its effects on the general population,” explains lead researcher Tara Cain, a research assistant with the university’s Allied Health & Human Performance program, in a statement.
The timing of cold water’s effects turned out to be crucial. While many people seek out ice baths for immediate stress relief, the research showed that significant stress reduction only occurred 12 hours after exposure. This delayed benefit suggests that the body’s response to cold exposure isn’t as straightforward as previously believed.
The research also revealed surprising findings about inflammation.
“At first glance this seems contradictory, as we know that ice baths are regularly used by elite athletes to reduce inflammation and muscle soreness after exercise,” explains co-researcher Dr. Ben Singh. “The immediate spike in inflammation is the body’s reaction to the cold as a stressor. It helps the body adapt and recover and is similar to how exercise causes muscle damage before making muscles stronger, which is why athletes use it despite the short-term increase.”
To understand these effects, the research team examined studies where participants were immersed in water ranging from 7°C to 15°C (44.6°F to 59°F). The exposure times varied dramatically, from just 30 seconds to two hours. While most studies looked at traditional ice baths, one large trial focused on cold showers, making the findings relevant to people who might not have access to specialized equipment.
The immune system findings proved particularly interesting. Although blood markers showed no immediate boost to immunity, one large study of over 3,000 participants found that people who took regular cold showers were 29% less likely to call in sick to work. However, when they did get sick, their illnesses lasted just as long as everyone else’s. This suggests that cold exposure might help people cope better with illness rather than preventing it entirely.
Sleep quality improvements emerged as another potential benefit, though primarily in male participants. The research showed better sleep scores among those who practiced cold-water immersion compared to control groups. However, the lack of female participants in these studies means we don’t yet know if women would experience the same benefits.
Quality of life measurements revealed short-term gains that faded over time. “We also noted that participants who took 20, 60, or 90 second cold showers reported slightly higher quality of life scores. But again, after three months these effects had faded,” Cain notes. This finding raises important questions about how long people need to continue cold exposure to maintain any benefits.
The research also highlighted important safety considerations, especially for certain groups. “Knowing this, people with pre-existing health conditions should take extra care if participating in cold-water immersion experiences as the initial inflammation could have detrimental health impacts,” warns Dr. Singh. This caution is particularly relevant given the growing popularity of cold exposure practices.
The current cold plunge trend shows no signs of slowing down. However, this research suggests that people might need to adjust their expectations about what cold exposure can and cannot do for their health.
Safety Considerations
The research emphasizes several important safety aspects of cold-water immersion. The initial inflammatory response could pose risks for people with pre-existing health conditions. Additionally, the wide range of protocols used in different studies, from very brief cold showers to extended ice baths, suggests that people should start gradually and pay attention to how their body responds.
While cold-water immersion shows promise for specific health outcomes, more research is needed to establish optimal protocols and understand who might benefit most. As Cain notes, “Right now, there isn’t enough high-quality research to say exactly who benefits most or what the ideal approach is to cold-water immersion. More long-term studies, among more diverse populations, are needed to understand its lasting effects and practical applications.”
ISRO’s landmark 100th mission has hit a setback as its navigation satellite, NVS-02, faces a technical glitch, raising concerns over its deployment.
ISRO’s 100th mission faces technical glitch
The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) milestone 100th rocket mission has encountered a setback, as its navigation satellite, launched on Wednesday, developed a technical glitch on Sunday. Providing an update, ISRO stated that “orbit raising operations towards positioning the satellite to the designated orbital slot could not be carried out as the valves for admitting the oxidizer to fire the thrusters for orbit raising did not open.”
The NVS-02 satellite, developed by the U R Rao Satellite Centre, was meant to be positioned in a geostationary circular orbit over India. However, with its liquid engine failing to function optimally, the effort to place it in its designated orbit remains uncertain.
“The satellite systems are healthy and the satellite is currently in elliptical orbit. Alternate mission strategies for utilising the satellite for navigation in an elliptical orbit is being worked out,” ISRO said.
Launched at 6:23 am on Wednesday aboard the GSLV-F15 from Sriharikota, the mission was not only ISRO’s 100th but also the first under Chairman V Narayanan, who recently took office. It also marked ISRO’s maiden launch for the year.
AI Artificial intelligence words, miniature of robot and British flag are seen in this illustration taken December 21, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Britain will make it illegal to use artificial intelligence tools that create child sexual abuse images, it said on Saturday, becoming the first country in the world to introduce the new AI sexual abuse offences.
Possessing, taking, making, showing or distributing explicit images of children is a crime in England and Wales. The new offences target the use of AI tools to “nudeify” real-life images of children.
The move comes as online criminals increasingly use AI to create child abuse material, with reports of such explicit images rising nearly five-fold in 2024, according to the Internet Watch Foundation.
“We know that sick predators’ activities online often lead to them carrying out the most horrific abuse in person,” Britain’s interior minister Yvette Cooper said. “It is vital that we tackle child sexual abuse online as well as offline so we can better protect the public from new and emerging crimes.”
Predators also use AI tools to disguise their identity and blackmail children with fake images to force them into further abuse, such as by streaming live images, the government said.
The new criminal offences include the possession, creation or distribution of AI tools designed to create child sexual abuse material and the possession of so-called AI “paedophile manuals,” which provide instructions on the usage of the technology.
Another specific offence will target those who run websites on which child sexual abuse content is distributed. The government will also enable authorities to unlock digital devices for inspection.
The measures will be included in the Crime and Policing Bill when it comes to parliament.
In the harsh Arctic environment, where polar bears regularly plunge into freezing waters to hunt seals, a remarkable thing happens: unlike your car windshield on a winter morning, their fur resists turning into a frozen mass. Scientists have long wondered how these marine mammals keep ice from forming on their iconic white fur, and now an international study reveals their remarkable secret lies in their greasy hair.
The study, published in Science Advances, dives into this furry phenomenon. An international research team, led by PhD candidate Julian Carolan from Trinity College Dublin’s School of Chemistry, has discovered that these white fluffballs possess natural ice-repellant reactions in their fur similar to advanced synthetic materials, thanks to a protective oil called sebum. This finding helps explain how polar bears stay ice-free while hunting in temperatures that can plummet below -40°C.
“We measured ice adhesion strength, which is a useful measure of how well ice sticks to fur; hydrophobicity, which dictates whether water can be shed before it freezes; and freezing delay time, which simply shows how long it takes for a drop of water to freeze at certain temperatures on a given surface,” explains Carolan, in a statement. “We then compared the performance of the polar bear hair with that of human hair and two types of specialist human-made ‘ski skins.’”
In Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, a cluster of Arctic islands roughly halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole, researchers studied fur samples from six wild polar bears. The research team found that polar bear fur has remarkably low “ice adhesion strength.” That means ice simply doesn’t stick well to it. The key to this ice-resistant superpower lies in the bears’ sebum, produced by specialized glands near each hair root.
“The sebum quickly jumped out as being the key component giving this anti-icing effect as we discovered the adhesion strength was greatly impacted when the hair was washed,” says Carolan. “Unwashed, greasy hair made it much harder for ice to stick. In contrast, when the polar bear hair was washed and the grease largely removed, it performed similarly to human hair, to which ice sticks easily whether it is washed or greasy.”
The research team’s chemical analysis revealed something unexpected: Polar bear sebum lacks squalene, an oily compound commonly found in human hair and in other aquatic mammals like sea otters. Instead, it contains a unique mixture of cholesterol, diacylglycerols, and fatty acids that appear to have been specifically evolved to prevent ice buildup. This is especially important for polar bears when hunting.
“One of the polar bears’ main hunting strategies is ‘still hunting,’ where they lay motionless beside a breathing hole on sea ice waiting for seals to surface,” says professor Bodil Holst from the University of Bergen. “Still hunting frequently develops into an ‘aquatic stalk’ with the polar bear using its hind paws to slide into the water to pursue its prey, and the lower the ice adhesion, the less noise generated and the faster and quieter the slide.”
This natural technology hasn’t gone unnoticed by Arctic indigenous peoples. The Inuit developed sophisticated hunting techniques that mimicked polar bears’ advantages. They crafted hunting stools with polar bear fur-lined feet and wore “polar bear trousers” to ensure silent movement across the ice. Notably, traditional Inuit fur preparation methods specifically protected the sebum by never washing the hair-covered side of polar bear skin, unlike fox fur, which they would clean with soapstone or dry clay.
While other Arctic animals have developed different anti-icing strategies, polar bears’ solution is unique. For example, a penguin’s feather structure prevents icing rather than oils.
“Our work shows that polar bear fur provides an alternative strategy to produce an anti-icing surface based on the characteristic blend of lipids present in their fur sebum or hair grease,” says Dr. Richard Hobbs, Assistant Professor at Trinity College Dublin.
The discovery could lead to more environmentally friendly anti-icing technologies. Current synthetic solutions often rely on problematic “forever chemicals” like PFAS. The natural lipid coating produced by polar bears might offer a sustainable alternative for applications ranging from aircraft surfaces to winter sports equipment.
Belgian Shepherd Malinois dogs. (Photo by ubaru on Shutterstock)
For centuries, police departments have favored German Shepherds, search-and-rescue teams have relied on Bloodhounds, and military units have trained Belgian Malinois. We’ve long believed these breeds were specially developed to excel at their jobs, thanks to unique skull shapes that enhanced their abilities. But new research suggests we’ve been wrong all along.
A new study published in Science Advances analyzed three-dimensional skull shapes from 117 canids, including 40 domestic dog breeds and 18 wild species like wolves and foxes. The surprising finding? Despite centuries of selective breeding that created dogs ranging from tiny Chihuahuas to massive Great Danes, there’s little evidence that these skull differences make breeds better at their traditional jobs.
“In the past 200 years, humans have created hundreds of dog breeds that look really different and are pretty specialized at some tasks like herding, protecting, and detecting odors,” explains Lindsay Waldrop, assistant professor of biological sciences at Chapman University, in a statement. “We have assumed that these dogs look different because they are structurally specialized at these tasks, but our study shows that, at least for their skulls, they are not specialized for tasks that involve the skull, such as biting tasks and scent work.”
The research team used advanced scanning technology to create detailed 3D models of dog skulls from museum collections. They mapped key points on each skull—like snout length, jaw structure, and cranial proportions—and compared these measurements across breeds. What they found challenges many common beliefs about working dogs.
“I was most surprised by the overall similarity we see in most of the dog skulls,” admits lead author Nicholas Hebron, who completed the work as a postdoctoral research associate at Chapman University. “Humans have done so much breeding work to alter the visual appearance of these animals that I honestly expected to see really marked groupings of some kind and we really didn’t see much of that.”
When researchers looked specifically at breeds used for scent detection or protection work, they found no distinct skull adaptations that would give these dogs an advantage, though scenting breeds showed some variation within a limited range. They calculated bite-force quotients for different skull types and found no significant differences between breeds historically used for bite work and other breeds of similar size.
This research directly challenges myths about certain breeds being more dangerous than others. “There are many news stories about dogs attacking people badly and often there are specific breeds that are targets of this reporting,” Waldrop notes. “Some people claim these dogs will bite harder than other dogs of the same size, or they have special features like ‘locking jaws’ that make them especially dangerous to people. Our study shows that this is simply not true.”
The only breeds that stood out as truly different were those with extremely short snouts, like Pugs and Bulldogs. These flat-faced breeds have skull shapes unlike any wild canids, suggesting these features came from human preferences rather than functional needs.
These results suggest that successful working dogs aren’t born with specialized equipment. Instead, they’re made through training, temperament, and determination. While we’ve bred dogs to look remarkably different from one another, their skull structures remain surprisingly similar. For organizations selecting working dogs, this means the perfect candidate might not come in the package they expect.
Image by Matthias Balk / picture alliance via Getty / Futurism
Google might be one of the wealthiest corporations in the world, but that doesn’t mean the multi-trillion-dollar company won’t resort to downsizing.
Over the last year or so, employees in the once-ironclad tech sector have watched in horror as waves of layoffs ravaged their offices and sent wages tumbling.
Bracing for cuts after annual performance reviews on Tuesday, over 1,300 Google employees signed a petition organized by the Alphabet Workers Union (AWU)— the labor union covering Google’s parent corporation, Alphabet — requesting changes to the company’s policy.
Those include guaranteed severance for every laid-off employee, an offer of voluntary layoffs backed by those severance packages, and an end to Google’s performance review system which has pulled double-duty as a mass layoff machine.
“Ongoing rounds of layoffs make us feel insecure about our jobs,” read the petition. “The company is clearly in a strong financial position, making the loss of so many valuable colleagues without explanation hurt even more.”
Google’s response was to turn around and give the petitioners what they asked for. Yesterday, the tech conglomerate announced a “voluntary exit program” for US employees in its Platforms and Devices group — the workers responsible for products like Pixel, Android, Chrome, Fitbit, and Nest. But the AWU notes a one-time offer does not change the long-term employee outlook.
“We are happy to see material progress in response to our concerns,” Google software engineer and AWU union organizing chair Alan McAvinney told Futurism, “but we continue to demand that Google commit to practices like offers of voluntary buyouts and fair terms of severance by codifying them in its actual written policies.”
A keyboard is placed in front of a displayed WhatsApp logo in this illustration taken February 21, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
An official with Meta Platforms’ (META.O), opens new tab popular WhatsApp chat service said Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions had targeted scores of its users, including journalists and members of civil society.
The official said on Friday that WhatsApp had sent Paragon a cease-and-desist letter following the hack. In a statement, WhatsApp said the company “will continue to protect people’s ability to communicate privately.”Paragon declined to comment.
The WhatsApp official told Reuters it had detected an effort to hack approximately 90 users.
The official declined to say who, specifically, was targeted. But he said those targeted were based in more than two dozen countries, including several people in Europe. He said WhatsApp users were sent malicious electronic documents that required no user interaction to compromise their targets, a so-called zero-click hack that is considered particularly stealthy.
The official said WhatsApp had since disrupted the hacking effort and was referring targets to Canadian internet watchdog group Citizen Lab. The official declined to discuss how it determined that Paragon was responsible for the hack. He said law enforcement and industry partners had been informed, but declined to give details.
The FBI did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Citizen Lab researcher John Scott-Railton said the discovery of Paragon spyware targeting WhatsApp users “is a reminder that mercenary spyware continues to proliferate and as it does, so we continue to see familiar patterns of problematic use.”
Spyware merchants such as Paragon sell high-end surveillance software to government clients and typically pitch their services as critical to fighting crime and protecting national security.
But such spy tools have repeatedly been discovered on the phones of journalists, activists, opposition politicians, and at least 50 U.S. officials, raising concerns over the unchecked proliferation of the technology.
After a phenomenal start on July 26 when bids worth Rs 1.45 lakh crore were received in a single day, the response has been tepid in the following days.
Image: Shutterstock
The Centre received bids worth Rs 1,50,130 crore after a total of 37 rounds of bidding in the ongoing 5G Spectrum auction. The auction kicked off on July 26. July 31 saw seven rounds of bidding. At the end of five days, the government had received bids worth Rs 1,49,966 from Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. The total bids received on July 30 were to the tune of Rs 111-112 crore.
After a phenomenal start on Tuesday, July 26 when bids worth Rs 1.45 lakh crore were received in a single day, the response has been tepid in the following days. However, after conducting seven fresh rounds of auction on July 30, Saturday, the auction was extended to July 31, Sunday– a departure from the past when the auctions would take place only from Monday to Saturday.
Until July 29, Friday, 71% of the total spectrum put on the block has been sold.
Intense competition in Uttar Pradesh East circle
According to the industry sources, the pitched battle for the 1800 MHz spectrum in Uttar Pradesh East circle seems to be peaking as of now, pointing towards the auction reaching its final stages. Notably, the demand for the Uttar Pradesh East circle after surpassing the supply for the first three days receded below the supply level on July 30.
Earlier, the demand was for 75 blocks against the supply of 54 blocks. However, on July 30, the demand fell to 50 blocks, four less than the available supply in the UP East circle.
A Polish scientific institute has categorized domestic cats as an “invasive alien species.”
The Polish Academy of Sciences has defined the house cat (felis catus) as “alien” as it was domesticated in the Middle East and has deemed cats as “invasive” due to the “negative influence of domestic cats on native biodiversity,” they explained in a statement.
The Academy has a long list of animals they deem an “invasive alien species,” including Japanese knotweed, raccoons, clearwing moths, and mandarin ducks.
They state that such species pose “an unpredictable risk to local wildlife,” citing a study showing that cats in Poland kill and eat 48.1 and 583.4 million mammals and 8.9 and 135.7 million birds yearly.
The criteria for including the cat among alien invasive species “are 100% met by the cat,” Wojciech Solarz, a biologist at the state-run Polish Academy of Sciences, told AP.
Cat owners and cat-lovers have expressed outrage at the classification, concerned it will incite the abuse or mistreatment of domestic cats.
Some media reports that given the false impression that the institute was calling for feral and other cats to be euthanized, AP reported.
Comments on the Academy’s Facebook page see people saying the institution’s classification is “simply stupid and harmful,” with one saying, ” you suck and are unworthy of your name.”
Speaking to AP, Wojciech Solarz, a biologist at the state-run Polish Academy of Sciences, said he was not expecting such a response to adding the Felis Catus to the database, saying that no other entry has caused such an emotional response.
Such was the furor that Solarz faced off with cat champion Dorota Suminska, the author of a book titled “The Happy Cat,” on national TV.
It’s Official: Scientists Discovered A “Second Earth”
Astronomers have discovered a planet nearly the same size as Earth that orbits in its star’s habitable zone, where liquid water could exist on its surface, a new study said.
The presence of liquid water also indicates the planet could support life.
This newly found world, Kepler-1649c, is 300 light-years away from Earth and orbits a star that is about one-fourth the size of our sun.
What’s exciting is that out of all the 2,000 plus exoplanets that have been discovered using observations from the Kepler Space Telescope, this world is most similar to Earth both in size and estimated temperature, NASA said.
An exoplanet is a planet that’s outside of our solar system.
“This intriguing, distant world gives us even greater hope that a second Earth lies among the stars, waiting to be found,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA’s science mission directorate in Washington, D.C.
Although NASA said that there are other exoplanets estimated to be closer to Earth in size – and others may be closer to Earth in temperature – there is no other exoplanet that’s closer to Earth in both of these values that also lies in the habitable zone of its system.
This newly revealed world is only 1.06 times larger than our own planet. Also, the amount of starlight it receives from its host star is 75% of the amount of light Earth receives from our sun – meaning the exoplanet’s temperature may be similar to our planet’s, as well.
But unlike Earth, it orbits a red dwarf. Though none have been observed in this system, this type of star is known for stellar flare-ups that may make a planet’s environment challenging for any potential life.
Scientists discovered this planet when looking through old observations from the Kepler Space Telescope, which the agency retired in 2018. (Although NASA’s Kepler mission ended in 2018 when it ran out of fuel, scientists are still making discoveries as they continue to examine the information that Kepler sent back to Earth.)
Elon Musk is expected to become Twitter’s temporary CEO after closing his $44 billion takeover of the social-media firm, a person familiar with the matter said on Thursday, as the billionaire inches closer to securing funds for the deal.
Musk, the world’s richest man, is also the CEO at Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) and heads two other ventures, The Boring Company and SpaceX.
Tesla shares dropped over 8% on Thursday, as investors fretted that Musk’s involvement with Twitter could distract him from running the world’s most valuable electric-car maker.
Twitter shares, on the other hand, extended gains and were up about 4% at $50.89, closer to the deal price of $54.20, as investors bet that the new funding made the completion of the deal more likely.
Parag Agrawal, who was named Twitter’s CEO in November, is expected to remain in his role until the sale of the company to Musk is completed. CNBC first reported on Thursday that Musk plans to become CEO of Twitter on an interim basis.
Earlier on Thursday, Musk listed a group of high-profile investors who are ready to provide funding of $7.14 billion for his Twitter bid, including Oracle’s co-founder Larry Ellison and Sequoia Capital.
Saudi Arabian investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who had said last month that the deal price was not sufficient for him to sell his shares, said Musk would be an “excellent leader” for Twitter and agreed to roll his $1.89 billion stake into the deal.
By Vikas Agrawal is co-founder at Infobrandz, an elite team of visual communication experts taking content marketing to the next level.
GETTY
The metaverse can take branding to a whole new reality, and innovative virtual experiences will be your ticket.
The concept of a metaverse may seem too ambitious, extravagant and contemporary. But economists know it’s going to be big. Bloomberg Intelligence analysts predict that it may be an $800 billion market opportunity.
Here are three things you can do to build your brand (and make it stand out) in the metaverse.
Plan Branding Experiences For The Metaverse
Branding opportunities in the metaverse aren’t exclusively for big-name brands with virtually bottomless pockets.
Small businesses—from startups to individual content creators—can build their “metaverse footprint” by planning rich, immersive digital experiences for their audience.
Mary Spio, the founder of Ceek, told Forbes that the metaverse “will enable content creators to connect with audiences in a whole new way.” For example, in an immersive virtual reality metaverse, you can join friends and step into a movie, feel the rush of your favorite team running by you, spend time up close and personal with your favorite bands and enjoy live concerts, sports and more.
With some creativity, the opportunities for brands, regardless of size, are virtually limitless. You can do presentations and events in a virtual space; do one-on-one virtual consultations; take online courses to new, virtual heights and more. And if you’re doing Facebook Live auctions, think metaverse auctions with NFTs—using cryptocurrencies as payments.
There are no rules when it comes to the virtual experiences you can create. But as the global launch of the metaverse grows closer, the spectrum between good and bad branding ideas is becoming more clearly defined.
Adigital product that sells while you sleep is the ultimate dream, but you might be wondering how to create digital products in the first place.
What makes a great digital product, and how can you set yourself up for success?
Let’s take a look at why digital products are worth exploring and how you can start using them to follow through on your online business ideas.
What are digital products?
A digital product is any product that a customer can purchase and use online. In many cases, this includes some form of content, such as a newsletter, podcast, video, ebook, or course.
Most digital products are either entertainment (such as music or a storybook) or educational (such as a course or instructional ebook).
You may have heard plenty of people say that digital products don’t sell online anymore and that most consumers expect to receive their content for free. (We all know uploading an ebook to your website won’t automatically make it sell.)
However, the digital commerce industry is filled with multi-million dollar businesses that sell purely digital products.
Why create digital products?
If you’re considering selling a product or service, a digital product may be the best option for a few different reasons.
Scalability
The first benefit of digital products is that you can reach a much larger audience without working any harder or accumulating more cost.
For example, if you want to help people cook healthier meals, you can offer cooking classes, but you’ll be limited to serving the people in your town.
Additionally, if you want to grow this business, you would have to hire more chefs and pay for more equipment and kitchen space.
However, an alternative option is to learn how to create digital products. You could write an ebook with your favorite recipes, sell it online, reach an unlimited number of people, and you’ll never have to increase your output.
Passive income
Another reason why digital products are excellent is that they require very little effort after the launch and will continue to help you make a living online.
With a service business, you only make money for hours you’re working. With an ecommerce business, people may send orders at any hour of the day, but you still have to fulfill them and keep the items stocked.
However, digital products can be purchased at any hour of the day and never have to be re-stocked. Therefore, it’s the ultimate business model for passive income.
Low startup cost
Finally, most businesses involve startup costs and overhead that can easily run a person into debt. Most people want to learn how to create digital products to avoid that headache.
For example, if you have an ecommerce business, you may have to purchase some of your products upfront. Therefore, you will have to pay for not only the products, but also the storage space.
Service businesses also typically have ongoing costs. For example, if you’re a personal trainer, you may have to pay to rent gym space, deducting from your profit.
With a digital product, you only have to pay for your website and any marketing costs (which are also costs you would pay if you had an ecommerce or service business).
Examples of profitable digital products
So, what kind of digital product should you sell?
In general, most digital products are educational (teaching people how to do something) or entertainment. Once you select a topic and know what you want to sell, you can use a few different models to deliver the content.
Here are the most common ones:
Podcast (Joe Rogan – $30 million before Spotify deal)
Ebook (Carol Tice $45,000)
Online Course ($1 billion)
Newsletter (The Hustle – $27 million)
Subscription Content (Bloomberg, New York Times)
Premium Video (Netflix – $30 billion)
While some of these forms of content are typically free, many people are willing to pay for them if what you offer is significantly higher quality or exclusive.
For example, there are plenty of free newsletters available, yet many people are willing to pay for premium newsletters.
Aerorozvidka (Aerial Reconnaissance) is being used to attack Russian drones and target Vladmir Putin’s army of tanks with the help of the newly available Starlink system which improves internet and connection speeds
US billionaire Elon Musk’s new technology helps to keep Ukrainian drones connected with their bases
It comes as the country has continue to suffer through internet and power outages throughout the invasion
The Starlink app is the most downloaded in Ukraine with global downloads tripling in the last two weeks
Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite system is giving Ukrainian forces the edge in winning the drone war as the nation fights back with technology to track down invading Russians.
Drones used in the field are able to use the newly available Starlink to keep connected and provide intelligence as internet and power outages plague Ukraine
Aerorozvidka (Aerial Reconnaissance) is being used to attack Russian drones and target Vladmir Putin’s army of tanks and track down their positions in the conflict, which has been ongoing since February 24, according to The Telegraph.
Drones used in the field are able to use the newly available Starlink to keep connected and provide intelligence as internet and power outages plague Ukraine.
With the technology, the drones can be directed to drop anti-tank munitions to help ward off the Russian attack.
The so-far-successful implementation of the satellites into the defense of the war-torn nation makes good on a promise outspoken mogul Musk – who challenged Putin to a fist fight for the future of Ukraine earlier this week – made to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier in the month, that SpaceX will send more Starlink satellite stations to provide internet to some of the country’s stricken cities.
The president of the embattled country took to Twitter to thank the Tesla CEO, 50, for the support, and invited the tech mogul to visit Ukraine once the war is over.
Google Maps became unavailable on Friday for over an hour, leaving millions of people across the globe directionless. Google Maps stopped working on web, and the mobile map and instead of location, all you could see was a blank page like the one below.
Now that Google Maps is back in service, we are hoping Google gives us details about what caused the downtime.
As per the Downdetector website, Google Maps was unavailable across India, which meant people were finding it hard to move around, especially while driving or riding on the road.
Social media was abuzz with comments on the situation, which is probably happening for the first time in many years. Google Maps going down, according to few, means Apple Maps has a chance to grab the limelight.
NASA’s next-generation moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with its Orion crew capsule perched on top, is seen in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) before it is scheduled to make a slow-motion journey to its launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. March 16, 2022. REUTERS/Thom Baur
NASA’s next-generation moon rocket began a highly anticipated, slow-motion journey out of its assembly plant en route to the launch pad in Florida on Thursday for a final round of tests in the coming weeks that will determine how soon the spacecraft can fly.
Reporting by Steve Nesius in Cape Canaveral; Writing and additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Sandra Maler
In its July-September 2021 quarterly earnings conference, Meta’s cofounder Mark Zuckerberg seemed a little worried. He was vocal about it, too. He wants to see a shift. A shift that would take years.
Representative imageUnsplash
“We are retooling our teams to make serving young adults their North Star rather than optimising for the larger number of older people,” Zuckerberg said.
Meta’s social media firm Facebook is losing its popularity among teens and young adult users across its key markets, according to numerous studies.
They are jumping to other social media platforms. This slow departure of young users, increasing data privacy concerns and rising cost per impression threaten Facebook’s advertising business, as it could lose its grip on social media ad spend. Business Insider India spoke to content creators and young internet users born between 1997 and 2012, who are also known as Generation Z, and social media experts, who believe Facebook has lost its fame to the perception war and might not see a revival.
To pique the young audience’s interest again, Facebook has replicated various social media formats that have worked for other platforms. It is almost like Joey from popular sitcom Friends believing that he can pass for 19 by simply replicating what young people wear.
Vladimir Putin’s government is clamping down on social media use in Russia.Mikhail Klimentyev/AP, Jenny Kane/AP
Russia’s communications agency Roskomnadzor announced that it will ban Instagram in the country from March 14, according to a statement on the agency’s website.
The statement, which was released on Friday, reads: “Roskomnadzor decided to complete the procedure for imposing restrictions on access to Instagram at 00:00 on March 14, providing users with an additional 48 hours of transition period.”
The announcement comes a week after Russia blocked access to Facebook. The communications agency said that decision was a result of Meta making “an unprecedented decision by allowing the posting of information containing calls for violence against Russian citizens.”
Meta did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment made outside of normal working hours.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Electronics and IT.
India will definitely lead the charge on capitalising on the business opportunity emerging from next-generation technologies Web 3.0 and the Metaverse , said Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Electronics and IT.
Newer opportunities also extend into electronics, deep tech to quantum computing among others, the minister said speaking at the seventh edition of the ET Startup Awards 2021 event held in Bengaluru today.
“If you’re a dispassionate observer of nations, India is today one of pre-eminent countries in using technology and being at the forefront of innovation. We will be leading the charge into Web 3 and all of the innovations around the Internet…,” he said at an interactive session with ET’s Surabhi Agarwal.
Referring to prime minister Narendra Modi’s speech about the “Techade” Chandrasekhar said the wholesome push into innovation in India will be delivered by improvements in the fields of electronics and system design, semiconductors, Artificial Intelligence, deep technology, and quantum computing.
India had announced a semiconductor policy late last year, offering incentives for investment in the manufacturing of chips. The minister said the push towards a holistic innovation economy also stems from a global search to find alternatives to China’s domination in these areas.
On the several issues around the data protection policy and frameworks being deliberated by the Centre, the minister sought to assure the business community that the policymakers would ensure the rules don’t become roadblocks: “We will not do anything knee jerk or even remotely as a speed bump to retard the momentum in the startup ecosystem today. This is in itself a clarity…”
Speaking of the startup ecosystem, Chandrasekhar said the Indian community has come a long way from the position before 2014, with the government creating an enabling environment for startups to thrive. The Minister quoted a Credit Suisse report to drive home the point that access to capital in the Indian business system has grown enormously. “The Government will keep expanding these opportunities.”
an electric airplane pioneered by rolls-royce has set two new world speed records, making it officially the world’s fastest all-electric aircraft. named ‘spirit of innovation’, the plane reached a top speed of 555.9 km/h (345.4 mph) over 3 kilometers, and 532.1km/h (330 mph) over 15 kilometers when flown at a test site in the UK. the records have since been certified and officially confirmed by the world air sports federation (FAI).
images by rolls-royce
the achievement marks both an incredible feat of technology and a promising milestone in the transition to electric transportation. it also cements the british company’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
‘staking the claim for the all-electric world-speed record is a fantastic achievement for the accel team and rolls-royce,’ said rolls-royce CEO warren east. ‘I would like to thank our partners and especially electroflight for their collaboration in achieving this pioneering breakthrough. the advanced battery and propulsion technology developed for this program has exciting applications for the advanced air mobility market. following the world’s focus on the need for action at COP26, this is another milestone that will help make ‘jet zero’ a reality and supports our ambitions to deliver the technology breakthroughs society needs to decarbonize transport across air, land and sea.’
Meta Platforms (FB.O) will allow Facebook and Instagram users in some countries to call for violence against Russians and Russian soldiers in the context of the Ukraine invasion, according to internal emails seen by Reuters on Thursday, in a temporary change to its hate speech policy.
The social media company is also temporarily allowing some posts that call for death to Russian President Vladimir Putin or Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in countries including Russia, Ukraine and Poland, according to internal emails to its content moderators.
“As a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine we have temporarily made allowances for forms of political expression that would normally violate our rules like violent speech such as ‘death to the Russian invaders.’ We still won’t allow credible calls for violence against Russian civilians,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.
The calls for the leaders’ deaths will be allowed unless they contain other targets or have two indicators of credibility, such as the location or method, one email said, in a recent change to the company’s rules on violence and incitement.
The temporary policy changes on calls for violence to Russian soldiers apply to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, and Ukraine, according to one email.
In the email recently sent to moderators, Meta highlighted a change in its hate speech policy pertaining both to Russian soldiers and to Russians in the context of the invasion.
“We are issuing a spirit-of-the-policy allowance to allow T1 violent speech that would otherwise be removed under the Hate Speech policy when: (a) targeting Russian soldiers, EXCEPT prisoners of war, or (b) targeting Russians where it’s clear that the context is the Russian invasion of Ukraine (e.g., content mentions the invasion, self-defense, etc.),” it said in the email.
“We are doing this because we have observed that in this specific context, ‘Russian soldiers’ is being used as a proxy for the Russian military. The Hate Speech policy continues to prohibit attacks on Russians,” the email stated.
Last week, Russia said it was banning Facebook in the country in response to what it said were restrictions of access to Russian media on the platform. Moscow has cracked down on tech companies, including Twitter (TWTR.N), which said it is restricted in the country, during its invasion of Ukraine, which it calls a “special operation.”
