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The 200 Android vs. the 1,000 iPhone: How our digital divide keeps growing

ZDNet

On one screen, an urban professional in Oslo taps through ultra-secure banking apps, relies on an AI-powered personal assistant, and streams media seamlessly over high-speed 5G using their iPhone. On the other screen, a farmer in Malawi scrolls through a modest Android phone -- likely costing less than a week's wages -- just to read the news, check tomorrow's weather, and send WhatsApp messages over a patchy mobile connection. These very different experiences highlight the divide between the Global North and the Global South. These terms refer not only to geographic locations but also to the world's wealthiest and most industrialized regions -- such as Europe, North America, and parts of East Asia -- and economically developing nations across much of Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and Oceania. Technology symbolizes innovation, convenience, and seamless connectivity in the Global North.


China's sci-fi spherical Death Star-like robot cop uses AI, facial recognition to track criminals

FOX News

Kepler's Forerunner K2 represents the fifth generation of its humanoid robot technology. Footage from the streets of China captured a scene straight from a science fiction novel – spherical drones alongside patrolling law enforcement. Chinese robotics company, Logon Technology, unveiled the RT-G autonomous spherical robot in a release, saying it was a "technological breakthrough" designed to assist and even replace humans in dangerous environments. The spherical robots are capable of operating both on land and water. The robots can reach speeds of up to 35km/h (approximately 22 mph) and withstand impact damage of up to 8,818 pounds (4 tons), the company said.


What is Sora Turbo and is it a game-changer for artificial intelligence?

Al Jazeera

Sora, an artificial intelligence (AI) video generator program created by startup OpenAI in 2021, is making waves as it has now moved out of the research phase and has been officially released to the public under the new name of Sora Turbo. The launch has triggered an online frenzy among users, causing the company to temporarily halt new account creations after finding itself overwhelmed by an avalanche of traffic. Sora uses text prompts to create content, similar to other content creation programs such as ChatGPT. Unlike traditional AI programs which produce written responses, Sora creates high-quality videos based on a user's text input. Adding it to @everartai asap so you can bring your images to life pic.twitter.com/wMehxOc8cm


S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: How a Ukrainian video game hit by war is breaking records

Al Jazeera

A Ukrainian video game is shattering records since its release on November 20, despite many delays and its being a target of a Russian disinformation operation. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is the latest edition of a game series that started in 2007 with S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chornobyl, developed by GSC Game World, a Ukrainian video games studio. The game surpassed one million downloads and 117,000 concurrent players within 48 hours of its release, making it the most successful Ukrainian-developed title to date. Yet, that landmark achievement in the country's gaming industry was bittersweet. Former GSC Game World developer Volodymyr Yezhov, who worked on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and was known by the nickname "Fresh", was killed in combat near Bakhmut in December 2022, while serving in the Ukrainian military.


KDDI to build AI data center on Sharp's LCD plant site

The Japan Times

Sharp has announced an agreement with mobile phone carrier KDDI to build an artificial intelligence center on the site of the electronics maker's halted liquid crystal display panel plant in the city of Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. According to the Monday announcement, KDDI will start construction of the data center within fiscal 2024, which ends next March, after acquiring the land, buildings and electrical facilities for the plant. KDDI aims to fully launch its operations in fiscal 2025. Sharp said in June that it had started talks on building an AI data center with KDDI and Tokyo-based system integrator Datasection. They initially planned to procure equipment including AI servers from California-based Super Micro Computer.


China launches investigation into US chipmaker Nvidia

Al Jazeera

Taipei, Taiwan – China has launched an antitrust investigation into chip giant Nvidia in what appears to be Beijing's latest act of retaliation against Washington's sanctions on Chinese tech companies. Chinese state media said on Monday that the California-based chipmaker was being investigated by the State Administration for Market Regulation for potentially violating China's antimonopoly laws. Regulators will also review the company's 6.9bn acquisition of Mellanox Technologies, an Israeli-American supplier specialising in computer networking products, state media reports said, without providing further details. Chinese regulators approved the deal in 2020 with several restrictive conditions, including a provision that Nvidia would not discriminate against Chinese suppliers. Nvidia, which designs advanced chips used to power artificial intelligence (AI), is one of the world's most valuable companies, with a market capitalisation of more than 3.4 trillion.


Nvidia hit with China probe in global tech war escalation

The Japan Times

China has opened a probe into Nvidia over suspicions that the U.S. chipmaker broke anti-monopoly laws around a 2020 deal, taking aim at the artificial intelligence heavyweight as Washington ramps up sanctions. The State Administration for Market Regulation opened an investigation into the company's recent behavior as well as the circumstances surrounding the acquisition of Mellanox Technologies, the government said in a statement on Monday. Beijing gave approval for the deal four years ago, on condition that Nvidia not discriminate against Chinese companies. The move against Nvidia is Beijing's latest riposte to escalating U.S. technology curbs, coming just a week after the Chinese government banned exports of several materials with tech and military applications. Nvidia's market value has ballooned this year on demand for chips that can run AI programs, making it one of the most valuable publicly traded companies and China's largest corporate target in the tech trade war so far.


Apple Intelligence: What's new in iOS 18.2

Engadget

Apple Intelligence was the big news at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference back in June. Apple made good on a modest first wave of features in October. But iOS 18.2 -- along with sibling OS upgrades for Mac and iPad -- will bring a meatier set of Apple Intelligence features to Apple's suite of devices, including Genmoji, Image Playground and ChatGPT integration. To check out Apple's new AI, you must have an eligible device and run the current iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 or MacOS 15.1. Once approved, you'll receive a notification saying it's ready to activate on your device.


Nvidia shares fall as China launches antitrust investigation into company

The Guardian

China said on Monday it has launched an investigation into Nvidia over suspected violations of the country's anti-monopoly law, in a move widely seen as a retaliatory shot against Washington's latest curbs on the Chinese chip sector. The statement from the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announcing the investigation did not elaborate on how the US company, known for its artificial intelligence (AI) and gaming chips, might have violated China's anti-monopoly laws. It said that the US chipmaker is, in addition, suspected of violating commitments it made during its acquisition of the Israeli chip designer Mellanox Technologies under terms outlined in the regulator's 2020 conditional approval of that deal. Nvidia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company's shares fell 2.2% in pre-market trading in New York after the Chinese regulator's announcement.


Pentagon announces new counter-drone strategy as unmanned attacks on US interests skyrocket

FOX News

Fox News' Stephanie Bennett reports the latest on the unidentified drones from London. The Pentagon unveiled a new counter-drone strategy after a spate of incursions near U.S. bases prompted concerns over a lack of an action plan for the increasing threat of unmanned aerial vehicles. Though much of the strategy remains classified, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will implement a new counter-drone office within the Pentagon – Joint Counter-Small UAS Office – and a new Warfighter Senior Integration Group, according to a new memo. The Pentagon will also begin work on a second Replicator initiative, but it will be up to the incoming Trump administration to decide whether to fund this plan. The first Replicator initiative worked to field inexpensive, dispensable drones to thwart drone attacks by adversarial groups across the Middle East and elsewhere.