Goto

Collaborating Authors

 Europe


'We had people come just to see it': Amazon delivers its first UK parcels by drone

BBC News

'We had people come just to see it': Amazon delivers its first UK parcels by drone Amazon has become the first retailer in the UK to start a drone delivery service with a limited launch in Darlington, County Durham. Packages weighing less than 5lb (2.2kg) and containing everyday items such as beauty products, batteries and cables are now being delivered within a 7.5 mile (12km) radius of Amazon's fulfilment centre. The tech giant is convinced there is demand for ultra-fast deliveries and hopes to slowly expand the service. Rob Shield let Amazon use an Airbnb on his farm for its first test runs. Initially it was a novelty, so we were ordering everything under the sun, he says.


Russia tells diplomats to leave Kyiv in case Moscow launches mass strikes

Al Jazeera

What are Russia's gains from the Iran war? 'We are not losers; we are winners' Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has warned diplomatic missions to promptly evacuate their staff from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in case Moscow launches a mass strike on the city in response to potential Ukrainian attempts to disrupt Russia's May 9 Victory Day commemorations. In a video posted on Telegram on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova urged diplomats to heed the Defence Ministry's warning of a strike, issued on Monday, in the event of a Ukrainian attack during the commemorations of the Soviet Union's victory against Nazi Germany in World War II and a military parade in Red Square. Zakharova said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had made "aggressive and threatening statements" about disrupting the commemorations at a meeting of the European Political Community in Armenia on Monday. "Several EU countries were present," she said. In his remarks in Armenia, Zelenskyy noted a Russian announcement that the commemorations were being scaled down and taking place without military hardware for security reasons.


A Kid With a Fake Mustache Tricked an Online Age-Verification Tool

WIRED

To stop children from bypassing its age checks, Meta is revamping its age-verification tools with an AI system that analyzes images and videos for "visual cues," such as height and bone structure. Meta is beefing up its age-verification mechanisms with an AI system that analyzes images and videos on Instagram and Facebook for "visual cues," such as height and bone structure, to identify and delete accounts of users under the age of 13. The company announced the move amid a wave of cases in which hundreds of children have managed to evade social network access restrictions, even through simple tricks such as drawing on a mustache. The new approach is part of a series of measures Meta adopted as part of an AI-based security strategy designed to correct the limitations of traditional methods, which rely heavily on self-reported age. With this change, the company seeks to reduce the ease with which minors access platforms that, in theory, are restricted to them.


Russia cuts mobile internet in Moscow citing drone security concerns

Al Jazeera

What are Russia's gains from the Iran war? 'We are not losers; we are winners' Russia has begun rolling mobile internet shutdowns in Moscow and other cities, which authorities say is to counter drone threats. As Dmitry Medvedenko reports, the measures come ahead of the May 9 Victory Day parade, which has been scaled down this year due to security concerns. Why are Pentagon officials talking about Iran's'deadly dolphins'? Iran'has attained an elevated international standing' says FM Ben-Gvir'dreams' of nooses in video posted to TikTok


Using AI for Just 10 Minutes Might Make You Lazy and Dumb, Study Shows

WIRED

New research suggests that reliance on AI assistants can have a negative impact on people's ability to think and problem solve. Using AI chatbots for even just for 10 minutes may have a shockingly negative impact on people's ability to think and problem-solve, according to a new study from researchers at Carnegie Mellon, MIT, Oxford, and UCLA. Researchers tasked people with solving various problems, including simple fractions and reading comprehension, through an online platform that paid them for their work. They conducted three experiments, each involving several hundred people. Some participants were given access to an AI assistant capable of solving the problem autonomously.


Hackers Hate AI Slop Even More Than You Do

WIRED

Hackers and other cybercriminals are complaining about "AI shit" flooding platforms where they discuss cyberattacks and other illegal activity. "I'm disappointed that you are working to incorporate AI garbage into the site," one annoyed person, posting anonymously, said in an online message. "No-one is asking for this--we want you to improve the site, stop charging for new features." Only, this is not a regular internet user moaning about AI being forced into their favorite app . Instead, they are complaining about a cybercrime forum's plans to introduce more generative AI.


A medieval Scot rocked a 20-carat gold dental bridge

Popular Science

It probably looked as cool as you think. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. Gold ligature surrounding the left central incisor and the right lateral incisor on the mandible of an adult male buried in the East Kirk of the parish church of St Nicholas, Aberdeen, Scotland. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Today, extensive tooth repair or replacement often requires the installation of a dental bridge made from durable resin and metal.


'Your craft is obsolete': WiseTech staff in limbo as AI touted as better than humans

The Guardian

WiseTech's headquarters in Sydney, where staff fear many jobs will be lost to AI. WiseTech's headquarters in Sydney, where staff fear many jobs will be lost to AI. 'Your craft is obsolete': WiseTech staff in limbo as AI touted as better than humans Staff at WiseTech have been waiting almost three months to be told if they are among the 2,000 people the logistics software company is to cut due to advances in AI, with workers criticising the wait as stressful and "ridiculous". The comments come as its founder on Tuesday told investors an AI agent could learn a human's job in just 15 minutes, according to the Australian Financial Review. The Australian Stock Exchange-listed company announced in late February that it would lay off almost 30% of its workforce across 40 countries, with 2,000 of the 7,000 jobs set to go over the next 18 months. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email Some areas would be hit harder than others, with product and development and customer service teams expected to be reduced by up to 50%, the chief executive, Zubin Appoo, told an investor briefing in February. "The era of manually writing code as the core act of engineering is over," Appoo said.


Russia ignores Ukraine's unilateral ceasefire and attacks kindergarten

BBC News

Russia ignores Ukraine's unilateral ceasefire and attacks kindergarten Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of breaching a unilateral ceasefire announced by Ukraine by launching a wave of drone attacks on several cities. The Ukrainian president said Russia had carried out active hostilities and terrorist shelling, targeting the front line as well as firing dozens of drones and missiles at civilian areas. In the Sumy border region, one woman was killed when a kindergarten was hit on Wednesday morning, local authorities said. No children were present at the time. Earlier this week the two warring sides had announced rival unilateral ceasefires - with no agreement on their terms, length or monitoring.


To stay or risk the 'Road of Death' - Ukrainian civilians trapped in frontline city

BBC News

To stay or risk the'Road of Death' - Ukrainian civilians trapped in frontline city So, we're stuck here, says Ludmilla, over the phone from the rooftop of a fire-damaged house in southern Ukraine. People are trying their best to survive. Her frontline home city of Oleshky has, according to multiple accounts, been largely cut off from fresh supplies of food or medicine for months. Ludmilla describes being trapped there, and watching it decaying before her eyes. Ukraine's commissioner for human rights has warned of a humanitarian crisis.