Europe
A very serious guide to buying your own humanoid robot butler
You can now buy a humanoid robot housekeeper for less than the price of a second-hand car. But before splashing out, there's something you need to know Science fiction is strewn with humanoid robots, from bad-tempered Bender in to cunning Ava in . And it has long seemed like that's the natural home for such robots - on the screen and in books. The idea of a walking, talking, functioning robot with two arms and two legs has appeared to be a distant dream. Last year, machines ran, boxed and even played football at China's World Humanoid Robot Games, albeit sometimes falling over in the process . Meanwhile, companies have been readying their own range of humanoids that promise to do something a bit more useful: help around the house .
Hiker finds 3,000-year-old bull sculpture in Spain
The Late Bronze Age relic is only the fourth tauriform discovered on the island. Bulls were symbolic animals across much of the prehistoric Mediterranean. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. A hiker recently noticed an out-of-place object in his path while trekking through the hills of Mallorca, Spain . After reviewing the artifact, archaeologists now believe the 1.25-inch-long relic is a rare example of a metal bull sculpture that dates back over 3,000 years.
Nvidia faces gamer backlash over 'breakthrough' AI graphics feature
Nvidia faces gamer backlash over'breakthrough' AI graphics feature A new feature from chip-maker Nvidia that promises cinematic-quality graphics using AI has prompted a backlash online, despite the company claiming it would reinvent what is possible in video games. Nvidia said the DLSS 5 tool, which will be rolled out this autumn, would allow games to have photoreal computer graphics previously only achieved in Hollywood visual effects. In images shared with the media, the tech was shown radically changing the appearance of characters and environments in games such as Resident Evil Requiem and Hogwarts Legacy. But some industry professionals said its use of AI went too far, making graphics feel airbrushed and hollow. Clearly this is a massive glow-up for environments, said video game critic Alex Donaldson on Bluesky.
Ireland's 250-million-year-old gray spot
The folds in the tilted rock layers and differences in their erosion rate gives the limestone the step-like appearance we see today. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. While Ireland's natural landscape is known for every shade of green imaginable, a different color dominates one part of Ireland. Along the Burren Region on the country's western coast, gray limestone pavement covers the rocky and treeless landscape. NASA's Operational Land Imager (OLI) on the Landsat 8 satellite captured a view of Burren, showing the rocky landscape and an 860-foot-tall limestone hill called Moneen Mountain.
The Download: OpenAI's US military deal, and Grok's CSAM lawsuit
Plus: China has approved the world's first commercial brain chip. Where OpenAI's technology could show up in Iran OpenAI has controversially agreed to give the Pentagon access to its AI. But where exactly could its tech show up, and which applications will its customers and employees tolerate? There's pressure to integrate it quickly with existing military tools. One defense official revealed it could even assist in selecting strike targets. OpenAI's partnership with Anduril, which makes drones and counter-drone technologies, adds another hint at what is to come.
An AI image generator for non-English speakers
Although text-to-image generation is rapidly advancing, these AI models are mostly English-centric. Researchers at the University of Amsterdam Faculty of Science have created NeoBabel, an AI image generator that can work in six different languages. By making all elements of their research open source, anyone can build on the model and help push inclusive AI research. When you generate an image with AI, the results are often better when your prompt is in English. This is because many AI models are English at their core: if you use another language, your prompt is translated into English before the image is created.
How Invisalign Became the World's Biggest User of 3D Printers
Joe Hogan, Align Technology's plastics-nerd CEO, says you shouldn't eat with your aligners and that you don't need to wear your retainers every night. Joe Hogan sees a lot of smiles. When people ask him where he works, he responds with "Align Technology," which inevitably prompts the follow up, "What's that?" After months, sometimes years, the discrete rival to braces promises to give people smiles they will want to show off. Hogan gets a look at them all. And he's eager to see more. Align is embarking on its biggest manufacturing overhaul since it was founded by two Stanford Graduate School of Business classmates 29 years ago. The company is preparing to begin directly 3D printing the aligners at the core of its business, ditching what Hogan describes as a longer, more wasteful process that involves making molds. A successful transition could lower costs and make treatment more affordable in the long run, bringing Invisalign to more customers and boosting Align's profits. It also, according to Hogan, would entrench Align as the world's biggest user of 3D printers .
Blood tech: The UK ambassador, the sex offender, Palantir, and Gaza
Ties between the US tech giant Palantir and the United Kingdom government are coming under increased scrutiny following the arrest of former UK ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson over his links to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Despite its public criticism of both Palantir and Mandelson, the UK government has entered into extensive contracts with the US tech giant, signing a defence contract worth 240 million pounds ($323m) in January. The contract was awarded to Palantir directly, while another, worth 330 million pounds ($444m) and involving the UK's Ministry of Health, was awarded in November 2023 following a bidding process. The latter contract's contents, campaigners say, remain heavily redacted . In addition to its role supporting US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, which has resulted in killings and unlawful deportations, Palantir has partnered extensively with the Israeli military and its operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.